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December 15, 2022
Dear Brethren,
As we approach the end of the year on the Roman Civil Calendar, many Protestants are saying prophecy is speeding up—“The Lord is coming! The rapture is soon!” But as in the past, their pronouncements will not happen—because they are false prophets. They do not know the true teachings of Jesus Christ and the prophecies of the Bible, which are based on God’s Sabbath and holy days. The truth is, God obeys no man, nor does He heed false prophets. They claim to speak in His name, but they do not truly love God or keep His commandments.
It is truly amazing: If people actually believe in Jesus Christ, as they profess, why don’t they believe what He said? Why do they follow men without proving whether what they preach is true or not? A simple reading of the Gospels would give them the correct answer. Concerning His return, Jesus Himself warned, “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or, ‘He is there,’ do not believe it. For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and they shall present great signs and wonders, in order to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have foretold it to you. Therefore, if they say to you, ‘Come and see! He is in the wilderness’; do not go forth. ‘Come and see! He is in the secret chambers’; DO NOT BELIEVE IT. For as the light of day, which comes forth from the east and shines as far as the west, so also shall the coming of the Son of man be…. The heaven and the earth shall pass away, but My words shall never pass away. But concerning that day, and the hour, no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (Matt. 24:23-27, 35-36).
The truth is that the Bible does not teach a rapture, nor a specific calendar date for such an event. Yet the whole Protestant world believes it. Such a doctrine is a complete misinterpretation of the Scriptures, rooted in the false belief that upon death a person’s “immortal soul” goes to heaven. Think about it: If souls go to heaven, then there is no need for the “resurrection of the dead” as the Bible teaches.
Today, as it was in the days of Jeremiah, the world is filled with false preachers and teachers who profess that they are Christian—that they are God’s prophets. But they are not! Jeremiah prophesied God’s judgment against them: “ ‘Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture,’ says the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, God of Israel, against the shepherds who feed My people, ‘You have scattered My flock, and have driven them away, and have not taken care of them. Behold, I will bring upon you the evil of your doings,’ says the Lord…. ‘For both prophet and priest are ungodly; yea, in My house I have found their evil,’ says the LORD. ‘So their way shall be to them as slippery ways in the darkness; they shall be driven on, and fall in their way; for I will bring evil on them, even the year of their judgment,’ says the Lord…. Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you vain; they speak a vision from their own heart, not out of the mouth of the Lord’ ” (Jer. 23:1-2, 11-12, 16).
The Two Witnesses—False Alarm: Several years ago, there was a supposed “minister” of a church of God who announced that he and his wife were the Two Witnesses. As foolish as that was, some people believed him and followed him—sending a lot of money to him. Time went on and his claims did not transpire. Moreover, they were not in Jerusalem, they were not clothed in sackcloth, and they were not calling down plagues from heaven as often as they willed, as described in Revelation 11. Furthermore, the Two Witnesses are to have a ministry of “1260 days,” a fact they failed to remember—and they ran out of time. The monies brethren sent to him were not used for the preaching of the Gospel; rather, most of the funds were forwarded to a bank account in Switzerland. This was all eventually reported to the IRS, and their agents came knocking on his door with an arrest warrant. He was convicted and spent five years in prison. So much for self-appointed prophets. However, when he was released, some brethren still followed him—amazing!
Other ministers-for-profit often claim, “Prophecy is speeding up!” To support such claims, certain Bible passages are typically quoted, such as Matthew 24:22: “And except those days should be shortened, there should be no flesh saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (KJV). They will also throw in Romans 9:28—“For he will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth” (KJV). The intent is to create a sense of urgency—and thus generate more donations.
But they fail to realize that both of these verses are mistranslated in the KJV. The correct translation, as found in the Faithful Version, gives the true meaning: “For then shall there be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until this time, nor ever shall be again. And if those days were not LIMITED, there would no flesh be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days shall be LIMITED…. For He is accomplishing and LIMITING the matter in righteousness; because the Lord will LIMIT the matter He is doing upon the earth” (Matt. 24:21-22; Rom. 9:28; FV). This translation agrees with other passages pertaining to the end times—that God has predetermined and limited the time of the Great Tribulation to three and one-half years. The idea that God would cut short His own prophecies is absurd and self-contradictory.
Thus, prophecies are not speeding up! Nor are prophecies slowing down! Rather, they are right on time—according to God’s timetable, not man’s misinterpreted timetable. And remember, we can only interpret prophecy by events as they unfold, not by specific dates. As Jesus even told His apostles, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has placed in His own authority” (Acts 1:7).
Because of the “framework of prophecy” that God gives us through the knowledge of His feasts and holy days, we do have a certain amount of understanding. Paul wrote, “Now then, concerning the times and the seasons [the return of Christ and the resurrection], brethren, there is no need that I write to you; for you yourselves understand perfectly that the day of the Lord will come exactly as a thief comes by night. For when they say, ‘Peace and security,’ [most likely at the beginning of the last 7 years] then sudden destruction will come upon them, [after 3½ years, when the Great Tribulation begins] as travail comes upon a woman who is with child; and they shall by no means escape” (I Thess. 5:1-3).
As we get closer to the time of the end, the righteous will understand more. Daniel writes: “[F]or the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and refined. But the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the WISE [those who believe and obey God] SHALL UNDERSTAND” (Dan. 12:9-10). This is a promise from God. But again, our understanding will be by events, not dates.
For example: God gave Daniel the 70-week prophecy (chapter 9). We know by the events of the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the Jews’ 70-year Babylonian exile that the first seven weeks, equaling 49 years, has been completed. We also know that the next segment of 62 weeks, equating to 409 years, to the coming of the Messiah, has been fulfilled. However, there remains the 70th week, equating to 7 years, which has yet to be fulfilled: “And the people of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. And the end of it shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall make firm a covenant with many for one week [7 years]. And in the midst of the week [after 3½ years] he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations shall come one who makes desolate even until the consummation. And that which is decreed shall be poured out upon the desolator” (Dan. 9:26-27). We know that this event has not been fulfilled because the final beast of Revelation 13 has not yet appeared on the scene, and neither has the end-time Jewish Temple been built.
However, at the present time, the Jews have all the plans ready for building the Temple. They have five “red heifers” under close observation to see if one or more of them will not develop blemishes, such as white hair or white hooves. If one is perfect, then they can sacrifice it and completely burn it. Then the ashes will be used to clean the land and the priests. Only then can the Temple be built and the sacrifices be reinstated.
When the prince of the people, who is the final beast, stands in the holy place causing the sacrifices to cease at the coming Temple, then and only then will the Great Tribulation begin. Jesus warns: “Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation [this is an event, not a set date], which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (the one who reads, let him understand)…. For then shall there be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until this time, nor ever shall be again. And if those days were not limited [the prophecy shows it is limited to 3½ years], there would no flesh be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days shall be limited” (Matt. 24:15, 21-22).
These prophecies tell us to watch for specific events to occur, without giving us specific dates. We are to watch for these three specific events:
• The coming of the final beast (Dan. 9:26; Rev. 13:1-10).
• The rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem (Dan. 9:27; 12:11; Matt. 24:15;
II Thess. 2:1-12).
• The stopping of the sacrifices.
Only when these three specific prophecies occur in this order will we know that the Great Tribulation has begun.
We are not to let contradictory teachings or declarations of men mislead us. We are to follow the Scriptures alone—and watch events. While there are other prophetic events to occur, these are the three major prophecies we are to watch for. The Great Tribulation cannot begin until these three events have transpired.
Satan’s New Religion: Transhumanism—Becoming Gods
Transhumanism (TH) is a widespread philosophical, scientific, and religious movement that will bring to fruition man’s greatest achievements under the direct influence of Satan the devil. TH is bringing together scientific advancements in nanotechnology, biology, and genetics in order to create super humans. It will include a mixing of the human and animal genomes. Plus, it will feature the insertion of computer chips into the human brain—the ultimate enhancement of man with artificial “super” intelligence. Satan’s perverted purpose is to convince people that they can become gods and obtain immortality—without God.
Concealing its real intentions, TH’s first goal is to eradicate all disease; repair even the most devastating disabilities; and bring an end to suffering, starvation, and disease. Next is to improve the human brain, vastly increasing intelligence. The third and final goal is to extend human life—even to bring in “immortality”—all for the benefit of mankind.
Satan always leads people to believe that sin will bring benefits, but the end result of sin is always destruction and death. TH is progressing rapidly. Its aim is to transform human existence, as God created it, into Satan’s new “human plus” or post-human beings—no longer human only, but enhanced humans—super humans! In other words, humans remodeled in Satan’s very image—in every perverse and demonic way.
Shockingly, over the past 40 years the TH movement has developed to the point that it is now ready to begin producing the first “super humans.” In fact, through gene splicing and in vitro fertilization, they have already generated the first “human” with two mothers.
By combining animal genes with human genes, they are planning to create what they call cyborgs. Through transgenics—in vitro gene editing to add into the human genome the best of animal genes—they want to develop a soldier that can see like an eagle, hear like a fox, and smell like a bear—and that has a killer instinct like a wolf and possesses superhuman strength and endurance. While movies, television programs, and documentaries have given us some hints of the development of this movement, we have not understood how vast it really is. TH is one of the chief research projects at almost every major university in the world—all facilitated by government monies and grants.
Transhumanism and Immortality: Since TH rejects God and the fact that He created us, the end goal of the entire movement is ultimately religious—immortality without God! They believe that man can improve himself, save himself, and obtain immortality.
The First Church of Transhumanism and The Beliefs of the Society for Universal Immortalism
What follows is their beliefs: “We have a soul and it is informational in nature. The soul, by definition, is the center of our being, the essence of who we are. In most religious systems the soul is seen as a metaphysical entity not of this world. We do not accept the supernatural definition of the soul, and instead provide a rational, scientific definition of what constitutes our soul. To us the soul does exist, but it is not supernatural. The memories we have, the thoughts we consider, the emotions we feel—these form the essence of who we are. For without these qualities we would cease to be ourselves. There need be no supernatural explanation for these qualities. These memories and processes are represented in the brain biologically as information. No metaphysical or ‘otherworldly’ essence is involved. It is simply akin to software running on a vastly complex computer. And like software, it is the pattern of information that is important, not the medium in which it resides or is expressed. Our soul may arise from the structure of our brain, but need not strongly depend on it.
“The aim of life is to grow and improve ourselves and our ‘Community.’ This is a continual process with no end. We embrace the ideals of Humanism. We must all strive to live meaningful and ethical lives while supporting the rights of others to do so as well. Self-improvement should be the center of our lives. We must strive to maximize and enhance the good qualities in our human nature: compassion, love, understanding, tolerance—while minimizing or eliminating the bad ones: hatred, jealousy, envy, closed-mindedness. We understand that no person lives in isolation and that we all belong to a greater ‘Community.’ This community consists not only of other human beings, but life as a whole. We have a responsibility to improve both our own lives, and the overall welfare of the entire community of life. The process of growth and self-improvement, for both the individual and our community, is one that has no limit. There will always be new challenges to conquer, new ideas to explore, and new ways to improve our nature. The thought that we will never reach a pinnacle or perfect state should not sadden us, but instead fill us with happiness and joy. For it is the path we follow, and not only the destination, that gives our life its meaning and purpose. And this path will extend to the very limits of time itself.
“WE ARE OUR OWN SAVIORS. We cannot rely on supernatural or external forces to guide us on our journey. Responsibility is on our shoulders to create the world in which we wish to live. Ethics, morality, and other philosophical issues must have answers that we provide for ourselves through rational exploration. No ‘higher’ power or supernatural entity need be turned to for these answers. All must take part in this process, to the best of their abilities. It is our future and we all must lend a hand in its realization. To that end we believe in the free flow of information and ideas, and a direct participatory democracy in which all have an equal voice. By coming together as one, in an informed and rational manner, we can arrive at the solutions to the problems that face us.
“Reason, rational thought, and the scientific method are our tools in reaching our goals. We reject divine inspiration and other metaphysical approaches to arriving at truth. Instead we rely on reason, rational thought, and the scientific method as our tools to guide us along our path. The past century has shown us some of the wonders we can achieve when we properly direct our efforts. But these tools can also lead to destruction and chaos if put to the wrong use. We must be ever vigilant and hold to the tenets of our faith.
“We must transcend our current biological limits to ensure the continued growth and existence of our soul. While our beliefs imply that there is no limit to the progress the individual can achieve, we do find that there are practical limits. The human body, while wondrous in its current form and function, is not designed to carry our growing souls forever. Age, disease, death, and the limited capacities of our body put an absolute limit on how much an individual can achieve. But we believe that these limitations can, should, and will be overcome. To continue our growth and self-improvement, we must transcend our current biological limitations. Age, disease, and even death itself should be eliminated. Our biological form should be modified and enhanced to surpass these limits. Our mental capabilities should be enhanced by integrating new and more powerful subsystems. Our growing capacities will enable us to evolve into beings with many of the attributes of the Gods of past religions. It may become desirable to supersede our biological form entirely and express our nature through other forms of existence. But no matter what form our transcendence takes, we will always maintain our soul, the essence of who we are.
“None of this is to be achieved through prayer or divine intervention. Instead we will be the architects of our new and greater nature. Science and reason will lead us on the path to creating a better existence. Already we see the beginnings of this with organ transplants, artificial limbs, cloning, and tissue engineering. With time on our side there should be no limit to what we can achieve. Our physical form will continue to evolve, through our own efforts, to keep pace with our ever-growing soul.
“Universal Immortalism is one of the ultimate goals of existence. All souls, past, present, and future, have a right to exist and grow and improve eternally. We regard an ‘evil nature’ as not permanent and think that, with proper enlightenment, any soul will become a seeker of what is good and right. And we regard it as a supreme tragedy that past souls have been lost and not preserved. To that end, we dedicate ourselves to finding a way one day to bring back all persons who have ever lived, so they can join in our eternal adventure. This is the idea known as Universal Immortalism (R. Michael Perry, Forever for All). Our concern for ‘persons’ also extends to other life forms besides human, which may also have souls capable of unlimited growth and betterment. We hope to achieve our goal of universal revival and betterment, once again, through scientific, rational means. Based on the informational concept of the soul, it may be possible to accurately recreate souls where all information about them has been lost. At this point we do not know if it can be done. But that does not mean we should not try, and it is our ‘leap of faith’ that one day we will succeed.” (www.universalimmortalism.org)
What you have just read is man’s agenda, under the powerful influence of Satan the devil, to become “gods”—while at the same time rejecting the TRUE GOD and JESUS CHRIST—THE ONLY SAVIOR! Indeed, the world today is exactly as Paul writes, “[W]e are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against principalities and against powers, against the world rulers of the darkness of this age, against the spiritual power of wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12).
It goes back to the beginning with Adam and Eve. The serpent told them that if they ate of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they would “become like God, deciding good and evil”—and live forever. Not since the time before the Flood has mankind reached the point of actually carrying out plans to “become like gods”—become immortal. As Jesus warned, “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man” (Matt. 24:37). It is unfolding before our very eyes. How far will God let it go before He intervenes with the return of Jesus Christ? We don’t know. But remember, mankind had become so evil that God was forced to destroy all human life and most animal life with the Flood. As Jesus said, the whole world will be in the same condition just prior to His return. There is nothing new under the sun, is there?
Transhumanism God’s Way: The truth of the matter is this: God’s true plan, as revealed in the Bible, is for men and women to be transformed at the first resurrection from human to divine and enter into the Kingdom of God as His children—to become spirit beings—through Jesus Christ. This is why God created us after His image and likeness (Gen. 1:26-27). Moreover, this means that when the prophesied time of the Messiah came, God would be manifested in the flesh (I Tim. 3:16). He would lead a perfect life and reveal the Father and God’s spiritual plan—and then He became the perfect sacrifice as He shed His blood and laid down His life: “The Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29, 36).
This is the very reason for Jesus’ first coming and for His teachings. His life, death, and resurrection would open the way for men and women to become the children of God as spirit beings. After His resurrection, He empowered the apostles to preach the Gospel. He inspired their writing of the New Testament so that subsequent generations would have the complete teachings of God—Old and New Testament. The Bible contains God’s personal instructions on how we can become the literal sons and daughters of God as spirit beings. Men and women can only become godlike and receive immortality through God the Father and Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit and the resurrection from the dead.
First, there must be repentance, baptism, and the receiving of the power of the Holy Spirit. This brings each new disciple into a covenant relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ for eternal life. Second, each newly begotten person must grow in love and obedience to God to be perfected through the power of the Holy Spirit—through His grace, in love, truth, and obedience—and be made ready for the first resurrection of the dead when Jesus returns. Paul writes: “And as we have borne the image of the one made of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
“Behold, I show you a mystery: we shall not all fall asleep [die], but we shall all be changed, in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruptibility, and this mortal must put on immortality. Now when this corruptible shall have put on incorruptibility, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory’ ” (I Cor. 15:49-54).
Men, with all their science and technology, can never attain immortality under the influence and power of Satan the devil. Only God can give us immortality. Only Jesus, the “firstborn from among the dead,” has the “keys of death and the grave” (Rev. 1:5, 18).
Again, Paul writes, “But for us, the commonwealth of God exists in the heavens, from where also we are waiting for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; Who will TRANSFORM OUR VILE BODIES, that they may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the inner working of His own power, whereby He is able to subdue all things to Himself” (Phil. 3:20-21). In Psalm 17:15, David also anticipated this glorious transformation: “As for me, I will behold Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with Your likeness.”
Notice how the apostle John expresses it: “Behold! What glorious love the Father has given to us, that we should be called the children of God! For this very reason, the world does not know us because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are the children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be; but we know that when He is manifested, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him exactly as He is [in His full glory]” (I John 3:1-2). Speaking of the resurrection of the righteous, Jesus said, “[T]he righteous [will] shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matt. 13:43; see Dan. 12:3).
Becoming the children of God the Father, as glorious spirit beings, is the mystery or secret of God, which He revealed to the apostles and had them record in what became the New Testament. “According to His eternal purpose, which He has wrought in Christ Jesus our Lord, in Whom we have boldness and direct access with confidence through His very own faith. So then, I beseech you not to faint at my tribulations for you, which are working for your glory.
“For this cause I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of Whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He may grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; and that being rooted and grounded in love, you may be fully able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height [of God’s plan], and to know the love of Christ, which surpasses human knowledge; so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:11-19). This is God’s plan of immortality for his begotten children.
Brethren, let us draw close to God daily in heartfelt prayer and in the study of His Word—in order to be growing in grace and knowledge. We thank God the Father and Jesus Christ for Their goodness and mercy. We thank you for your love and faithfulness to God and to each other. Thank you for your prayers for us and all the brethren. We thank you for your faithfulness in your tithes and offerings, especially in these difficult times. We pray that God will continue to bless you and watch over you in all things. We are praying for you daily—for your health and your healing through God’s love and grace.
With love in Christ Jesus,
Fred R. Coulter
FRC
