Nostradamus is a famous secular prophet that the world takes seriously; yet his quatrains are merely replicas of Biblical prophecy. These famed quatrains are written like a riddle, and they are hard to interpret until after the event occurs.
Lately, people are studying them in a scholarly fashion and finding possibilities for future events for the prophecies not yet fulfilled. When this man wrote about the end of time, he hinted at the annihilation of many people and animals on the earth. Sounds much like the Great Tribulation to me (Revelation).
God’s Word states that Jesus will rule the nations with a shepherd’s staff of authority and mastery, which suggests that some people will survive the seven years of the Great Tribulation. They will live in the Millennium with Jesus for 1000 years along with God’s Saints from every generation (Revelation 20:1-7; Isaiah 2:2-4).
Then, when God frees Satan from his shackles for a short period of time, satanic forces deceive some of those who are born during the 1000-year reign of Jesus as Shepherd, Savior, and King (Revelation 20:7). How can God be in their midst for that many years, and people not know Him and His Truth better than that?
In contemplating this conundrum, I realized that people also did this during Jesus’ first advent when he was born as an infant in a stable and then dwelt on the earth into adulthood for 33 years (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 3:23). He even performed many miracles to prove He was God in human form.
However, so many – even His family - rejected Him then, as now, and even after the 1000 years of His initial reign as King over all the nations of the world. Biblical authors James and Jude were Jesus’ half-brothers who were finally converted after Jesus’ death, and their insight and wisdom come from those years in His presence.
Most people were as oblivious to Jesus’ miracles and teachings during His first advent as they are now even with His Bible available, as well as the converted testimony of His remnant of authentic Born Again Believers. Sadly, many unbelievers will be as blind to His power and authority after the Millennium as they are now, and as they were when Jesus walked the earth the first time.
Prayer:
Father God, Satan’s deceptive powers are as strong now as they were when he led so many of the angels in rebellion, and as he was when he influenced Adam and Eve to doubt Your motives in the Garden of Paradise. This same deception will influence those on earth after the Millennium as well. This occurs, because You are insistent that every person ever born be given the privilege of using their free will to make their own decision to believe in You or to reject You (John 3:17-18).
Thank You for taking the scales off our eyes, and for giving us the faith to believe in Your free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. We look forward to living as part of Your Kingdom – with Your presence in and all around us - during eternity just as we do now. We thank You for strengthening our inner being so we could put our entire trust in You and live for You each moment of our day (Ephesians 3:16).
Thoughts for the Day:
Some people mock Christians because we still testify about Jesus return even after 2000 years. Their attitude comes because this seems like a stagnant assurance which never occurred. Yet, the Lord is not lackadaisical about keeping the promise of His return, but He is patient and loving, and He does not want anyone to perish into hell. He wants everyone to come to Him in repentance and faith in His faithfulness and to live with Him for eternity.
- 2 Peter 3:9
