In my past few Pastor’s comments I have been writing about what we can expect just before the coming of Christ and what will follow after He returns to this earth.  To get a better and more complete PICTURE in mind of what will take place in the beginning of the millennial reign of Jesus Christ, we need to have the following in mind:

1) Understanding what will take place just before and right after the time of the destruction of the nations of Israel.

2) What will then follow with the survivors who will then be taken captive and transported to Europe.

3). The killing of the young and the old.

4) The survivors sold into slavery to people of many nations.

In addition, I will also touch on their captivity and slavery to be followed by their being liberated by Jesus Christ and His Family Members at which time they will be directed to where their new homes will be in Jerusalem.

By dwelling on some of these areas perhaps we can get a better feel for understanding of the horrors they will have experienced and the joy beyond belief to realize the very bad nightmare is over and behind them.

Some of what I am writing this time will not be pleasant to read but it is far better to know and be forewarned than to have to experience them.

Brethren, all of us, need to be aware and have more of the fear of God than perhaps we now do! By so doing, possibly we would be more diligent about overcoming and truly loving the truth of God, and living it!  Otherwise we may very well be facing ourselves all of the terrible things that the prophets of God have written about and will be coming to pass very soon!

Picture a Scenario of the Coming Invasion

Many sermons have been given over the years about the coming time of the demise of the House of Israel as nations. As we draw much closer to this soon-coming time, we need to seriously think about what we have learned from them, and picture in our minds what that time will really be like.

It is not too hard to visualize the buildings leveled and the streets and highways desolate (Ezekiel 6:6; Leviticus 26:22)! 

The blitzkrieg attack and defeat will be met with almost total disbelief by many nations:

"The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world WOULD NOT HAVE BELIEVED that the adversary and the enemy could enter the gates of Jerusalem" (Lamentations 4:12).

Jerusalem was once the capital of Israel and is used here in type of Israel and the house of Joseph in particular.

America is presently the most powerful nation on earth, but the coming famine and disease epidemics will leave us weak and vulnerable.

"The LORD has swallowed up and has not pitied ALL the inhabitants of Jacob ... The LORD has done what He purposed; He has fulfilled His word which He commanded in days of old. ..." (Lamentations 2:2-5, 17-22; Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28; Ezekiel 5 and 6).

Perhaps by projecting our minds and trying to visualize all of this we can imagine a little of the horror-stricken faces mixed with disbelief at what will be taking place during this coming time!

A prophet of God describes this coming time in part:

"For thus says the LORD: ‘We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Ask now, and see, whether a male can give birth (margin)? So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins (to repress the pains), like a woman in labor, and all faces turned pale? Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it; and it is the time of Jacob’s trouble’" (Jeremiah 30:5-7).

Indescribable mental anguish being experienced due to the reality of what they will have been hearing for some time but failing to act on it! Believing it will not take place!

Scripture implies the people along with the Church will have been hearing a series of warnings and rumors for up to two years before it will take place (possibly similar to the supernatural warnings seen and heard in Jerusalem in 70 A.D.)! But no one will really want to believe it including many in the Church!

All will be without excuse for God has sent forth the WARNING for over 50 years in the past century and there will be other last-ditch warning rumors given right up to the time of the departure of God’s Church. Notice: 

"My people, GO OUT OF THE MIDST OF HER! [The message, "come out! My people, leave!" – Possibly during this time they will be too busy to notice our departure and detain us] And let everyone DELIVER himself from the FIERCE ANGER of the LORD. And lest your heart faint, and you FEAR for the RUMOR THAT WILL BE HEARD in the land (A RUMOR WILL COME ONE YEAR, AND AFTER THAT, IN ANOTHER YEAR A RUMOR WILL COME [then to be followed by] and VIOLENCE in the land, ruler against ruler)" – Jeremiah 51:45-46.

When it finally dawns on the leadership of the house of Joseph that the RUMOR is true and BLITZKRIEG WARFARE is on its way -- it will be too late! Though the command will go forth it will be in vain!  Too late for the house of Israel and also too late for the remaining people of God to flee. There will be no place left to hide.  Notice: 

"They have blown the trumpet (sounding the warning) and made everyone ready, but no one goes to war" (Ezekiel 7:14).

Remember! Some years ago the leadership in the United States made the statement this country would not be the first one to go to war (meaning against a major nation, such as Russia). With the modern technology of the advanced missile systems of today and their nuclear hydrogen bombs it can be over very quickly! As the result we will not be able to retaliate and stop what is coming upon us.

We can only imagine the mass confusion that will follow by the survivors for not fully grasping what is taking place and no leader left to reassure or tell them what is happening and what they are to do! All they can do is to accept the inevitable. The mental pain of anguish and agony follows as we just read from Jeremiah (30:5-7).

The Transporting of the Captives

"... and Israel shall surely be LED AWAY captive from her own land" (Amos 7:17).

The millions who will survive the nuclear warfare will be herded together by the enemy armies in hastily made concentration areas in the areas where they will be taken captive (probably just a wire fence enclosure).

From there they will be forced to walk to the nearest transportation that will be left and taken to airports or sea ports and from there transported to enemy lands as Israel was in 718-721 B. C. (II Kings 17:1-18, 22-23 by Assyria, Germany of today).

(Please read this chapter for it makes known the reason for the coming captivity just as it was at that time in history.)

Undoubtedly many will be killed in one way or another during this time by the demon influenced cruel armies of the revived Roman Empire, undoubtedly headed by Germany!

To understand the cruelty think back to World War II! It is well known that both the Japanese soldiers and the German armies showed no compassion or mercy to the weak, sick, or anyone, regardless of age.

At the slightest excuse such prisoners who fall behind will be shot right then and there as they were during that time. And there will be many who will fall victim due to the ravages of the famine from which they will be suffering.

Two of our own ministers were in the Japanese concentration camps during World War II and have related their terrible stories of brutality, witnessed and experienced!.

I worked with one of them in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, LA. some few years ago. His name, Dennis Doucet. The other, Dr. Lynn Torrance Though he served in other places he was on the staff at A/C in Big Sandy, Texas for a few years.

A prophet of God describes the cruelty and mockery of the Israeli captives by these enemies:

"Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger and the staff in whose hand is My indignation. I will send him against an ungodly nation, and against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, to seize the spoil, to take the prey (captive), AND TO TREAD THEM DOWN LIKE THE MIRE OF THE STREETS" (Isaiah 10:5-6).

The millions to be transported will probably be by ships to Europe. During the time required to reach the destined place of temporary detainment their living conditions will be much like the Jews who were packed in boxcars from the counties in Europe that Hitler had conquered and were sent to the death camps without food or water and no bathroom facilities. A horrible stenching mess to endure from the vomit and fecal matter.

Upon their arrival millions of them will immediately be put to death much like the Jews were! Primarily those under 12 years of age, along with the sick, the weak, and old people! Once separated one group will be sent in one direction to die; the others will survive as slaves to cruel taskmasters They will be interested in only those are able to do hard manual labor.

Those who will be spared will then be sold into slavery to the highest bidders and moved into other nations by those who will buy them..

The Separation of Families

Unless families will have already been separated they will most certainly be at this point as were the Jews. This will be a most heart-breaking time for husbands, wives, and the surviving children, knowing they will probably never see each other again in this life.

This is why the sad event of MASADA lives on today in song, story and legend! Over 800 people, men, women, and children, were willingly slain by their own leaders rather than face the cruelty and brutality of the Roman Army when taken captive.  Along with what the parents themselves would have to experience in slavery, and worse, and then be forced to stand helplessly by and see their children dragged away crying for their parents and not know what would happen to them, was too much for them to bear!

So 10 of the men were chosen to slay all the others.  Once accomplished they in turn would choose one to slay the other nine and the last one killed himself.  A sad and tragic true happening that did take place -- April 15, 73 A.D.

What Captivity Will Be Like

Not ever having been enslaved we can only read the words that tell us of the coming captivity. We have to read between the lines, so-to-speak, to imagine in part the suffering that will be experienced by all who have to die in it, or live through it!

To really understand one has to experience the whip, the boot, the trained dogs tearing out the genitals, the dashing of babies heads against trees or using them for target practice while being thrown up into the air, the tearing out of the fingernails, hanging by the wrists or feet, or stretched on the rack, along with many other forms of slow torture, before death mercifully comes.

All these and many other forms of torture took place during the holocaust in World War II. Almost all led to a long agonizing death! In addition many millions were killed by being shot and covered over in mass graves or gassed to death in the supposed showers then cremated in the ovens in the Nazi death camps.

When American Troops liberated some of these camps at the close of World War II it is said that battle hardened General Eisenhower was viewed with hands up to his face and tears flowing from eyes upon viewing the horrible pathetic condition of the surviving captives.

And what took place then will pale into almost total insignificance compared to the more modern means of torture that Satan will devise for those who will go into captivity.

Jesus Christ has forewarned of far greater horrors to befall the Tribes of Israel and members of the Church, who could be counted worthy to escape, if we will only listen, and heed the warning:

"For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be" (Matthew 24:21; Daniel 12:1).

We have no possible conception of the continued sorrow and tears of those who will have to go through this terrible and tragic time.

Hopefully none of us will have to experience this soon-coming time that will in particular befall the house of Joseph along with the members of the Laodicean era of God’s Church today.

The Duress and Pain of Slavery

During the very long three and one/half years in servitude the threat of death will constantly be hanging over their heads by hardened taskmasters who will show no mercy or compassion at any time for any reason:

"... they will come, WHO ARE ABOUT TO PERISH IN THE LAND OF ASSYRIA, and they who are OUTCASTS IN THE LAND OF EGYPT, ..." (Isaiah 27:13).

This can only end, and will, shortly after the return of Jesus Christ returns to this earth and deals with those nations in a language that only they can understand! God says we reap what we sow and they will harvest the bitter fruits from the terror and suffering they will have brought on Israel and the members of the Church of God.

"... I will punish the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks... it shall come to pass in that day that his burden will be taken from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil (meaning the Messiah – Isaiah 10:12, 27).

The full duration of the three and one/half years will come to an end and God’s people will be set free.

Freed From Slavery

Perhaps we can visualize in part the enslaved men and women and the children who will have survived the slavery. Upon learning of their freedom they will with tears blinding their eyes reach out and embrace one another with broken-hearted sobs wracking their bodies upon finding this terrible nightmarish ordeal has finally come to an end!

They have been set free.

There is no way at this point in time that we can understand the real depth of emotion that will be displayed and felt from deep with the very inner-most beings of these poor, malnourished and pitiful looking people upon knowing they will never again have to experience the whip, the boot, the rifle butt, and worse!

A Personal Example

Though it has been almost 59 years ago, I well remember one American soldier that was liberated by us from the Germans in early 1945 toward the close of World War II. He moved his eyes back and forth from me to the other American soldiers with wonderment as if we were not who we said we were. It was very difficult for him to grasp he was no longer a captive of the German military!

There was an _expression of the mixture of the brightness of gladness shining in his eyes along with wonderment. He kept asking if we were really who we were! The truth finally dawned on him that he was liberated and now free!

The Hour of Freedom

The hour of freedom for the enslaved people of Israel will come shortly after the return of Jesus Christ. He will have acknowledged their crying out to Him with great groaning and tearful prayers. Consider the parallel in the previous slavery of Israel in Egypt:

... The children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God, because of the bondage [beatings, torture, the killing of their boy babies, etc.], and God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them (Exodus 2:22-25).

God then sent Moses to begin their deliverance from slavery in Egypt and then to move them forward to the Promised Land.

The Two Witnesses

As already made known by Scripture the enslaved Israelites will be scattered in many nations but very probably most will be located in Europe and in Egypt.

During this time the Two Witnesses will be bringing plagues upon all of these nations for keeping God’s people suffering from their slavery. At this same time they will be WARNING the beast and other leaders of the terrible retribution they will soon be experiencing themselves unless they repent and let God's people go free!

Undoubtedly the parallel will be the same as with Moses who kept calling upon the Pharaoh to let God’s people go from their slavery in Egypt. The Pharaoh continued refusing all the way through the tenth and last plague!

This will be met with absolute refusal and sardonic laughter! They will NOT let them go free even though each time they are told to RELEASE THE CAPTIVES AND LET THEM GO -- will be followed by a plague!

"And I will give POWER to My two witnesses, ... fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies (II Kings 1:10-12). ... These have POWER to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophesy; and they have POWER over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with with all plagues, as often as they desire" (Revelation 11:3-6).

Having suffered from these plagues, there will be dancing in the streets and great happiness when the Beast Power is able to kill them. It will be believed all their troubles are now behind them. Great peace and happiness from that point on! Little will they know of that which almost immediately follows!

Revelation 11:7-18 " Now when they finish their testimony, the beast ... will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them ..." (Revelation 11:7-18).

It will be almost immediately after this that Jesus Christ will return to this earth! Shortly thereafter the Israeli captives will find themselves freed. Until then the beast and leaders of all the nations who hold them captive will NOT listen to the Two Witnesses and will REFUSE to let them go free:

Thus says the LORD of hosts: "The children of Israel were oppressed, along with the children of Judah; ALL WHO TOOK THEM CAPTIVE HAVE HELD THEM FAST; THEY HAVE REFUSED TO LET THEM GO" (Jeremiah 50:33).

At the end of this allotted time by God, they then will be forced to let Israel go as did the Pharaoh in Egypt:

"Their Redeemer is strong; The LORD of hosts (with His angelic army and the new Family Members), is His name, He will thoroughly PLEAD their case. That He may give REST to the land, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon. A sword is against the Chaldeans," says the LORD, against the inhabitants of Babylon ..." (Jeremiah 50:34-35; Revelation 19:11-21)

It is at this time the people of God will experience freedom! Upon being freed these people will be given guidance and instructions where to go and what to do once they arrive at their designated place of assembly with other arrivals.

Making Their Way to Mount Zion in Jerusalem

The survivors of the children of Israel and Judah will be weeping all the way to their appointed destination. Though there will be the continued tears of joy because of their enslavement having been ended, but mainly their tears will be due to their minds being opened by God and beginning to really see themselves as having corrupted themselves through their past sinful way of life and then having to pay a terrible price for those past sins.

"In those days and at that time," says the LORD, "The children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together with continual weeping they shall come and seek the LORD their God (knowing His presence is in Jerusalem). They shall ask (of the God Family Members for teaching about God and His way of life) the way to Zion with their faces toward it, saying, ‘Come and let us join ourselves together in a perpetual covenant that will not be forgotten" (Jeremiah 50:4-5).

They will come to know why it was necessary for God to deal with them.

"Behold, I will bring them from the north country; and gather them from the ends of the earth; among them the blind and the lame. The woman with child and the one who labors with child, together, a great throng shall return there. They shall come WITH WEEPING, and with SUPPLICATIONS (for forgiveness) I will lead them. ... (Jeremiah 31:8-9).

Their repentance is expressed by Ephraim in the following Scripture:

"... And they shall come back from the land of the enemy ... I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself (saying): ‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised. Like an untrained bull; restore me, and I will return, for You are the LORD my God. Surely after my turning, I repented; AND AFTER I WAS INSTRUCTED, I struck myself on the thigh; I was ashamed, yes, even humiliated, because I bore the reproach of my youth" (Jeremiah 31:16-19).

Ephraim is here representative of the 10 tribes of Israel. They have learned the lesson from the chastisement they have received from God under the oppressive Gentile taskmasters while in slavery and sincerely now seeking to really know God and have forgiveness from Him for their sinful past..

God responds to their repentance by saying:

"For on My holy mountain, on the mountain height of Israel," says the LORD God, "there all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, shall serve Me; there I will accept them, and there I will require your offerings and the firstfruits of your sacrifices together with all your holy things. I will accept you as a sweet aroma when I bring you out from out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be hallowed in you before the Gentiles. Then you shall KNOW that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the land of Israel into the country fro which I lifted My hand in an oath to give to your fathers. And there you shall REMEMBER YOUR WAYS AND ALL YOUR DOINGS WITH WHICH YOU WERE DEFILED and you shall LOATHE yourselves in your own sight because of all the evils you have committed. Then you shall know that I am the LORD, WHEN I HAVE DEALT WITH YOU FOR MY NAME’S SAKE, not according to your wicked ways nor according to your corrupt doings, O house of Israel," says the LORD God (Ezekiel 20:40-44)

Anyone who is not aware of the wholesale evil and corrupt ways of the house of Joseph and other Tribes of Israel has his or her head in the sand!

While There is Yet Time —

Brethren, I well realize this has not been a pleasant writing to read! Not one of us appreciates hearing or reading about that which is before us. But at the same time we cannot hide our heads and pretend they will never take place!

We need to realize the Great Tribulation is closing in very fast on us! Soon it will be too late!

Members who listen and make no needed changes will very possibly have to experience death at one point or another, and if not – then slavery! To avoid it, God tells us:

"Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, and He will abundantly pardon"(Isaiah 55:6-7).

God will abundantly pardon – IF we seek Him while there is yet time! Time is running out; and as Mr. Armstrong has told us we are in the time of final exams!

In the little time we now have left, God further instructs us as His people to be aware of the Babylonish System that permeates all the Tribes of Israel! A System of religion, politics, culture and way of life! 

God commands us to not be a part of it for if we do then we will be facing the Great Tribulation:

"FLEE from the midst of Babylon (the whole system), and everyone SAVE his life! Do NOT be cut off in her iniquity, for this is the time of the LORD’S vengeance; He shall recompense her" (Jeremiah 51:6).

God will recompense Babylon and all who have part and parcel with her by the pouring out of the 7 plagues on her and all who have the mark of the Beast (Revelation 16:1-24; 19:1-20).  For the members who will yet be here will have to suffer the same thing! God also warns us though the apostle John:

And I heard another voice from heaven saying, "COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE, lest you SHARE in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities" (Revelation 18:4-5).

If we do not, then we will have to experience all that we read from these prophecies!

Please note and think seriously about the following Scripture of exhortation from Jesus Christ in this present writing:

"BUT TAKE HEED TO YOUR SELVES, lest YOUR HEARTS be weighed down with carousing (dissipation), drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day come upon you unexpectedly. FOR it will come AS A SNARE (TRAP) on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. WATCH therefore, and PRAY ALWAYS that you may be counted WORTHY TO ESCAPE all these things that shall come to pass, and to STAND before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:34-36).

In addition we had better think about where we are regarding the total doctrinal teachings God has restored within His Church by His late apostle and ask ourselves where we are in belief and practice. It is only those who LOVE the WHOLE TRUTH OF GOD AND ARE FAITHFUL TO IT who are promised PROTECTION from that which is soon to come:

The Promise from Christ

"And to the angel (or messenger) of the Church of Philadelphia, write: ... I know your works ... you have a little strength, HAVE KEPT MY WORD, AND HAVE NOT DENIED MY NAME ... BECAUSE you have KEPT My command to persevere, I ALSO WILL KEEP YOU FROM THE HOUR OF TRIAL which shall come UPON the whole world, to TEST those who dwell on the earth" (Revelation 3:7-8, 10).

A Warning from Christ

"Behold, I come quickly! HOLD FAST what you have, that NO ONE take your crown" (Revelation 3:11).

The Reward to be Given by Christ

"He who OVERCOMES, I will make him a pillar in the Temple of My God, ..." (Revelation 3:12).

A Stern Warning

"He who has an ear, let him HEAR what the Spirit says to the Churches." (Revelation 3:13).

In concluding this present writing, I refer all of us back to the Scripture earlier quoted:

"Seek the LORD WHILE He may be found, call upon Him WHILE He is near ..." Isaiah 55:6-7).

To Be Continued

 Until next time, your servant and brother in Christ,

Don Billingsley

 

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