God-Faith-Religion Mountain
God is not a fan of “religion.” The scriptures highlight that Jesus took on the Pharisees of His day many times. He called them white-washed tombs. Jesus was about relationship with God, and his disciples called God, Abba; our English word for dada.
Did you miss out on a personal relationship with God because of religion? Some churches make it difficult to get to know God. Churches are filled with broken people who do not reflect the love and unity of God and His Kingdom. Clergy sometimes complicate matters by focusing on preaching and teaching rather than on personal encounters with Jesus. Head knowledge doesn't heal wounded hearts, souls, or spirits.
Pastors can preach about love, but it's unproductive unless someone feels loved. Adults and most kids know some authority figure who lies, misleads, promises more than they can give, abandons, abuses, or betrays them. People who have experienced any of this aren't looking for another such encounter. They seek to find the God who created, loves, and cares for them.
The God-Faith-Religion Section highlights the contrast between having a genuine relationship with God, something God has always desired, and dead religiosity, which is often the definition of religion. A Christian relationship begins by knowing that only God loved you so much that He came to earth to save you and all people from being separated from His love. He did this through Jesus, who took the death penalty for sin, which provided a new spiritual life.
If you hunger for this kind of acceptance, Jesus is the one you need to be in a relationship with.
The events in this Mountain and their consequences are contrasted with God's Plumbline of Truth.
We have underlined added links to supplemental information below.
3 Faiths
There are three monotheistic religions—Islam, several sects of Judaism (Ultra, Orthodox, Reform, Secular, Humanistic), and hundreds of denominations of Christianity. Judaism and its Christianity branch are far older revelations of God than Islam.
If you practice another faith, consider carefully how your religion deals with the issue of human sin, e.g., doing evil things or living apart from God's principles. God revealed His character to mankind in the Holy Writings of Judaism and Christianity received thousands of years ago. Very old copies of these documents still exist today. Islam has no old documents and 75% of their Scriptures have been lost and can't be substantiated at all. Only the Qur'an remains from the 600 A.D. era, and it has been changed several times by Sunnis and Shiites to fit their evolving cultural needs.
Authenticity
We know God by experiencing Him as Jesus (Yeshua), the living Word of God, by the written Word spoken to our ancestors, and by encountering His Holy Spirit within us. We must be obedient to what He expects of us if we want His blessings, although we are free to do whatever we want. This section will focus on what the written Word of God is and why it is important.
What provides a more accurate description of ancient events, ancient documents or newer documents written thousands of years later? The oldest copies of the ancient Hebrew Scriptures were discovered in various caves in Qumran, Israel (near the Dead Sea), between 1946 and 1956 A.D., and collaborate the previous documents that were copies and several thousand years newer. Over 15,000 fragments of over 850 manuscripts were discovered that carbon dates back to the third century BC. The Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS) were written in ancient Hebrew and Aramaic, and newer ones in Greek and Latin. With very few exceptions, the Hebrew Scriptures were identical to and validate the Hebrew (Masoretic texts) that existed at the time of Jesus' birth, including the Torah, the Psalms, Isaiah and the other Prophets, which were copied by Scribes into a newer version of Hebrew over the centuries.
This agreement between older and newer copies negates Islamic rhetoric about the impurity of earlier Hebrew Scripture and reveals it as a falsehood. Jewish scribes were accurate in preserving and transmitting the Masoretic Scriptures. In comparison, Islam's revelation to Mohammod) in 600 A.D. of the Quran, which cites other, more ancient holy books, none of which still exist in any form.
The earliest books of the New Covenant, which are part of the Scriptures, were written in the Greek language by Jesus's Apostles after Pentecost - generally before 90 A.D.- and copies survive today. They were also inspired by God through His Holy Spirit to these Apostles, who, though separated by location and time, wrote consistent parallel accounts of the events in Jesus' time.
The conclusions above are paramount: Hebrew and Christian Scriptures are 1) authentic, 2) accurate, and 3) unchanging documentation of the words given to Moses and others by God passed down to us with minimal transcription errors.
Any prophet or religion that questions Hebrew Scripture authenticity is either not informed about the Dead Sea Scrolls, uneducated or intentionally distorting the truth to lead people away from the Almighty God of Abraham, named Yahweh or Ha'Shem (The Name), substituted in deference to God's Holiness.
Attacks on Biblical authenticity from Islam raises questions about their motivations and credibility. When comparing parallel accounts of the Hebrew Scripture (Bible) and the Qu'ran - attributed to Muhammad, the Qu'ran is said to condense the previous three Islamic holy books - the Tawrat (attributed to Moses), the Zabur (attributed to David) and the Injeel (attributed to Issa/Jesus) none of which remain today. Lost documents have no way of being verifyied or proven that they have not been changed. This is particularly important in Moses's Genesis accounts of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, which are adulterated in the Qu'ran to make it appear that God told Abram to sacrifice Ishmael, not Isaac.
God's Loving but Costly Solution
Human sin cannot be tolerated by a Holy and Righteous God, which causes separation between us and the God who loves and created us. Man's sin put God in an abhorrent position, and He knew it before He created us, but created us anyway. Why would He do that unless there were a solution for the sin issue?
God's solution is Jesus (Yeshua) coming as our Messiah to absorb the penalties for our sins. That action satisfied God's decreed need to deal with sin and enable us to be clean and holy, as God intended. Only the Kingdom of King Yeshua/Jesus has that solution.
No matter which religion you trust, it must deal with the issue of atonement for sin in order for there to be a chance for the human race and individuals as well. For a loving relationship to be restored, someone has to bridge the gap sin creates, and no sinful human can do that. Atonement can't be made by humans doing good works. Only the Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit could do that.
For those who do not accept God's solution, all that remains is God's judgment, and the punishment of forever banishment and separation from God.
Ancient Israel
Ancient Israel was a nation chosen by God from among the nations to be His special people who would reflect His character to the rest of the nations. He established and then rescued them several times from calamities and nations. He sent prophets to them to warn them of the consequences of their transgressions, but they killed or spurned the prophets. God gave them a time of peace under King Solomon, but as they deviated more and more from His Ten Commandments, He allowed them to be conquered by various nations, including Egypt and Babylon.
They continued with a yearly animal sacrificial system, shedding the blood of an innocent lamb that took upon itself the sins of the people of Israel. This was performed in the Temple by the High Priest from among the Levites. The day was/is called Yom Kippur. The sacrifice did not release Israel from the penalty for their sins, but it did delay the punishment for another year. This delay tactic provided time for God to send His Son, a new Adam, who would become the one-time, permanent payment for all human sin and obliterate the sin account of mankind by paying it in full.
But Israel made a fatal mistake and did not receive their sent Messiah. As the high priest of the Sanhedrin turned Jesus over to the Romans, who found no fault with him, the Israeli people took upon themselves and their children, the sin of putting Jesus, an innocent man in the eyes of Rome, to death (see Matthew 27:25). Immediately following Christ's crucifixion, the veil in the Temple was torn in two, revealing the Holy of Holies, which did not contain the Ark of the Covenant, showing that the Holy Spirit was not present. Within decades the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, ceasing all temple sacrifices for sin Atonement.
Israel Reborn in 1948
The history cited above left Judaism as an empty, ritualistic only, religious system, that had no actual relationship between Jews and the Living God. It remains so until this very day. Two thousand years later, the United Nations, following on the Belfour Declaration (1917) after WW I (1948), decreed the reestablished of the "State of Israel" to be a sanctuary of Jews from all over the world after their attempted extermination by Adolf Hitler and the Islamic Muftis in Jerusalem, which had failed when Hitler lost WWII.
Ezekiel War
Once the State of Israel was established some Jews realized Jesus was/is the Messiah, and started worshipping Him as Messianic Jews. Others continued in streams of Judaism, and are currently unsaved, separated from God and still awaiting Messiah.
Since 1948 End-Times prophesies in both the Old Covenant and the New are being rapidly fulfilled; only a very few prophesies remain unmet, including: 1) the Rapture of the church, 2) the judgments of God on the Earth, 3) the world war described in Ezekiel 38: 4), the return of Messiah, and 5) Messiah's inauguration of His 1,000 year Millennial reign.
Judaism has nothing to offer people today, but they remain God's beloved people whom He will soon save again through the return of Messiah (Yeshua/Jesus). The fastest way to enter a living relationship with God today is by becoming a Christian and being baptized and filled with Holy Spirit.
Kingdom Believer Rapture
In order for Satan and the imprisoned angels that are held in chains to be released again on the earth, the Restrainer (God's Holy Spirit) must be removed from the Earth. However, God's Holy Spirit is entangled with every Kingdom believer in their born-again hearts and physical earthly bodies. So when the Holy Spirit is removed, those He is entangled with will be drawn up from the Earth with Him. This is called the Rapture of the saints (Kingdom believers). See the Deeper Dive section for more information. God's Timeline shows that this event will happen soon. Are you prepared? Being left behind means going through the Tribulation.
Jacob's Trouble
The Time of Tribulation is also referred to as Jacob's Trouble. It is described in Jeremiah 30:7, Daniel 9:27, Mark 13:14 and Matthew 24.
Descriptions of these Days are unsettling, especially for Jews and unbelievers. God's restraints has been removed. Satan is loose and unrestrained, and war, pestilence, and disease are rampant. Everything will be not as it seems, and people can be easily misled or misdirected. Many Jews will turn to Messiah/Yeshua for help in these troubled times.
Emergence of Antichrist
Antichrist will rise to power during a period known as the Great Tribulation, which lasts for 3.5 years (42 months). Antichrist is a powerful and malevolent leader who will deceive many through signs and wonders, ultimately leading a global rebellion against God. The Antichrist’s reign will be marked by intense persecution of believers and widespread chaos, culminating in the Battle of Armageddon (the final battle). This period is seen as a test of faith for humanity, with the Antichrist’s actions serving as a final challenge before the return of Christ.
2nd Coming of Jesus/Yeshua
Unlike Jesus' first coming, His second coming is marked with great power and glory and will occur at the end of the seven years of Tribulation as He descends on the Mount of Olives. All humanity will see this take place and signal the end of all conflicts on earth. His coming also begins the 1,000 year year reign of peace called the Millennium. During this time, Jesus will judge the nations and establish His Kingdom of righteousness and justice here on earth. This event marks the ultimate triumph of Good over evil.
New Temple
The New Temple, also called the Third Temple, will be built after Jewish people return to live in Jerusalem. The site anticipated for use is the Temple Mount, currently where the Al-Aqsa Mosque is located. There are reportedly many ritual objects already prepared and there is training of priests being given happening now. The building of the Temple will restore the Lord's presence and a period of peace and renewal.
Summary
The Bible predicts the above events in prophetic books like Revelation (New Testament), and Daniel and Ezekiel (Old Testament). Our society is fractured between those who have a religious or spiritual perspective, and those who do not, or are openly hostile towards God.
A new revival is happening in the USA and globally. This creates a different and ultimately more positive picture of the future of mankind, although the initial events of the Day of the Lord will be horrific for non-Kingdom people who remain on the earth during the 7-year long Tribulation period. That period is likely to start sometime between 2029 and 2064. Only God knows.
The manifestation of interdimensional, evil, spiritual beings that the world describes as interplanetary aliens, and the rapid explosion of information and technology has returned humanity to a Tower of Babel situation, as described in the Old Testament book of Genesis.
Kingdom believers trust that God will intervene as He did at Babel. This time the anticipated intervention has a prophetic name, the Awesome (Terrible) Day of the Lord. There is also a second intervention called the Rapture, which is the removal of the Holy Spirit from the seen realm, including anyone in whom the Holy Spirit lives.
The world stands upon the threshold of that Day when the prophesies laid out in the Book of Revelation will be fulfilled. Kingdom believers know that the promises of God will be fulfilled. The removal of the restraint of the Holy Spirit and His Kingdom believers from the world (the Rapture) will occur, followed by all the manifestation of the Antichrist, the reawakening of the Jews in Israel and globally, the Bowl and Trumpet judgments of heaven (the unseen spiritual realm) upon the earthly realm and visible cosmos of which we are aware. The deaths by various means of those remaining behind will be traumatic and painful, consuming a large number people left on Earth.
What are today called natural disasters (floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, magnetic fluctuations) will dramatically increase in frequency and intensity, and there will be changes in the cosmos - including the disappearance of a portion of the stars. The Holy Scriptures has decreed that unless this time of judgment on humanity and Creation were shortened, no flesh would survive. But some do survive, and Jesus/Yeshua then returns to reign and rule for a period of 1,000 years. The New Jerusalem, a structure from the spiritual realm comes down from Heaven and manifests in the existing State of Israel.