SIGNS OF THE TIMES

Based on the book "The Second Coming" by Dr. Brian J. Bailey

Jesus Christ has laid down the signs of the times in Matthew 24 so that we can prepare ourselves for His second coming.

Matthew 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

The Lord is giving us a key to understanding the things that are to happen in the last days. What was it like in the days of Noah?

Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

The earth was corrupt.

Genesis 6:11-12 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

There was gross immorality everywhere, very much alike now.

But even though wickedness and corruption was rampant during that time, God raised up a seed. After Cain killed Abel, Seth was born and it was written that in the days of Seth, men began to seek the Lord (Genesis 4:26). So there were two lines at the time of Noah: the line of Cain and the line of Seth. From this line of Seth came Enoch, Lamech, and Noah.

Enoch was a mighty prophet of God. Enoch was very close to God, so close that he lived beyond his dispensation. He was quoted by Jude as prophesying the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. He not only saw the dispensations ahead, but he saw his own. Enoch also prophesied with such exactitude concerning the flood. He named his son Methuselah, meaning “at his death shall the waters go forth,” because he knew that the flood would only come when Methuselah would die. Metheselah died at 969 years old (969 represented the fullness of man).

Lamech was Methuselah’s son who died at 777 years old - 777 speaks of perfection in body, soul, and spirit because he walked with God. He died 5 years before the flood.

Noah means “he shall comfort us and bring us into rest.” God determined to obliterate the earth with a flood, but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:8). This is something very important. We must find grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was a just and righteous man. He was perfect. Perfection as we interpret it in Colossians 3:14: "And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness."

Also, it is written in James 3:2: "For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body."

Noah was a just, righteous, perfect man who walked with God. He reminds us of Micah.

Micah 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

In the days of Noah, there was great darkness on one side but on the other side, God was raising up the prophetic line, the righteous line. There was darkness and there was light. Bear this in mind. There was great darkness but yes, the light of the gospel will shine forth and a prophetic word will sound out in every nation declaring what God is going to do.

THE ARK: PROTECTION IN THE LAST DAYS

Noah was told to make an ark to be protected during the flood. The ark is a type of protection that God will offer in the last days to those who will qualify.

Genesis 6:13-17

And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.

A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.

And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

By knowing how the ark was made, we will be able to understand what God has for us so that we would be protected in the last days.

The length of the ark was 300 cubits. Based on the law of first mention, 300 means walking with God (Enoch walked with God for 300 years). This tells us that we have to learn and practice walking with God in the days we are entering.
The breadth of the ark was 50 cubits. Fifty is the number of jubilee, deliverance, freedom. This means that we have to be liberated and set free from our bondages, just as King David said “let not sin have dominion over me”.
The height of the ark was 30 cubits. Thirty is the number of the servant of God and serving God faithfully (Jesus was 30 years old when He started His ministry).
There were 3 stories in the ark, speaking various stages of the Christian life: little children, young men, fathers; being called, chosen and faithful; being in the outer court, the Holy Place, and in the Holy of Holies. We must be called of God, going to the furnace of affliction so we could be chosen of God, and we should remain faithful! David was anointed three times and he was called, chosen, and faithful to the end. However, both Saul and Solomon were anointed only twice and they were absolute failures of their disobedience. They were called and chosen but they were not faithful. It's not so much how we begin, but how we finish! We must be faithful to the end!
The ark had one window, speaking of singleness of eye. Our eye must be single, fixed on the things that are above, not upon earthly things.
The ark had no sail and no oars because it was designed such that only God would be the one guiding and directing it. Those who would be having the protection in the last days would be led by the Spirit of God wherever they go.

THE STANDARDS OF GOD

Dr. Bailey said that in times of judgment, the standard is always higher than it is in the times when things are easy!

Ezekiel 14:14 Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD.

These three were the most righteous in the Old Testament. Noah was perfect, just, and righteous. Daniel was much beloved, saw the face of God, faithful man, he had another spirit. Job, God’s servant, there is none like him. There’s the standard that is put before us

Zephaniah 2:1-3 Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD'S anger come upon you. Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.

God’s looking at a group of people who sought to have the characteristic of a lamb – meekness – have sought to walk in righteousness. They are at a certain level but it’s not high enough. He’s telling them to come up higher! That level is not high enough in judgment. Move on! There’s a far higher standard. The tendency is to question, Can we make it?

1 Peter 3:4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

Our hope is this: if God sets a standard, it’s attainable. We are able by the grace of God to qualify, we can attain the standard of God. We are to ask for a meek and quiet spirit, especially women. The solemnity of all this is whether we attain these qualities would determine if we qualify to be protected in the days of the coming.

Ezekiel 9:1-4

He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand.

And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar.

And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side;

And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

Here is a group, like Lot, vexing his soul daily because of the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. Here in the midst of Jerusalem, surrounded by wickedness, God says to these: Go put a mark to all those who sigh and weep for all the abominations. Those that weep and mourn for the abominations in the church and outside the church, those that cry and mourn, and cry out to God because of wickedness, and vex their souls daily, because of the abominations happening around them.

Ezekiel 9:5-7

And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:

Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.

And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.

The qualifications are meekness, righteousness, and mourning (second beatitude).

Psalm 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Psalm 91:4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

These apply to the Holy of Holies. There is a distinct difference between the outer court, Holy place, and Holy of Holies. We must press forth! We cannot stay in the outer court! We’ve got to be in the Holy of Holies! It is only in the Holy of Holies that we will have protection, covering, and preservation.

Psalms 91:2-3, 5-6
I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

Preservation. That you will be preserved in the time of the last days!

Psalms 91:7-9

A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

Our relationship with the Lord is going to determine whether or not we are preserved in the last days. It is the thought of coming up higher! You cannot live in the outer court! Move in to the Holy of Holies.

Psa 91:10-11
There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

A beautiful promise!

Psa 91:14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

This is a very important statement!

John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

The key to loving Jesus is keeping His commandments.

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

2 Corinthians 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Paul quotes Leviticus here.

A far higher standard of Christ in us:

Ephesians 3:16-17 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

This is not the new born experience.

Ephesians 3:18-19 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Greater and deeper experience of Christ in you, the hope of glory. Christ and the Father coming into us in a very formidable way.

In the Days of Noah: groups in the days of Noah compared in NT.

There is a goal and a timing in God for each generation. God has a perfect timing for everything.

1. Enoch did not see death.

Revelations 12 – righteous woman is the church of Jesus Christ.

Revelations 12:2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
Revelations 12:5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

There is a man child company, corresponding to Enoch, who walked with God, who did not see death.

2. Lamech lived for 777 years. He was taken before the flood. Also Methuselah.

Isaiah 57:1 The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.

Lamech’s age was considereably shorter compared to the others, they were shortened!! He died 5 years (5 number of grace) before the flood.

Isaiah 57:2 He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.

There’s a group of righteous people to be protected.

Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

An admonition from the Lord! That ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things! There is a group that is counted worthy to escape!

3. Noah – protected in the ark.

4. Those who were preached to, who didn’t make it. They were swept away in the flood. The Lord preached to them and they were saved.

1 Peter 3:19-20 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

Revelations 12:
1. Man child
2. Woman who is protected.
3. The remnant.

Revelations 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Revelations 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

After this, heaven opens, then the Lord comes forth to fight against the beast.

Luke 12:35-36 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

There is a group that don’t make it to the wedding feast, they have to wait till the feast is over, and then the Lord comes.

We want to attain into God’s highest! By the grace of God, realize the days in which we are living. Days of darkness but there is the stream of light coming forth from the prophetic, to those coming from uprightness. But even in the light, there are different groups. We have to listen to the Spirit saying COME UP HIGHER!!

There’s gonna be the flood, the higher you are, the further you are from the flood.

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