Basic HTML Version
PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, January 23, 1981
Page 3
to us by my contacts with heads of so many governments these past 12
years--we shall be taken to a place of protection from the Great Tribula
tion, which in itself is the furious wrath of a mad and infuriated Satan
(verse 14). While we are in this place of safety three and a half years,
the two witnesses shall be preaching to the whole world, protected from
Satan. But Satan in his mad wrath will then make war with the REMNANT
Church. This has to be the Laodicean era of the Church (verse 17).
Finally, what of the Laodicean era of God's Church? Remember, it,
too, is GOD's Church--having the commandments of God and Testimony or
Word of Jesus (Revelation 12:17).
But that era of the Church is pictured in Matthew 25. Matthew 24
shows the sign Jesus gave prior to His coming to end the present world
order, and the Great Tribulation, Day of the Lord and Second Coming.
Matthew 25 shows the time just before Christ shall return. It
pictures the Laodicean Church as ten virgins who took their lamps
(their Bibles) and went forth to meet Christ at His coming. But five
of them--half of the Church--took their lamps (Bibles) but without oil
to light the lamps
(having the Holy Spirit to enlighten their minds to
UNDERSTAND the Bible). Some translations render this into English
indicati�g they were losing the Holy Spirit, because of negligence, lack
of prayer, fellowship with the brethren and with God and Christ and being
overcome with materialistic and worldly interest. Are some of us like
that, even now?
While they--the backsliding half of the Church--were trying to get
back closer to God, the coming of Christ shall take place, and the door
into God's Kingdom will be SHUT in their faces! WHAT A TERRIBLE AND
AWFUL TRAGEDY! It could happen to you or me.
Brethren, we're living in more terrible, troublous times than you
realize.
Today, as a new President is inaugurated in Washington, also comes
the news that my dear friend, Menachem Begin, Prime Minister of Israel,
is being almost thrust out of office--his Government about to fall. There
was to be a reelection in Israel in November, when Mr. Begin probably
planned to retire anyway, because of serious heart trouble. But he has
held his government in power only by the narrowest margin for the past
several days, and now he has announced a new election in July instead of
November. The last time I saw him, hardly two months ago, we parted
with a bear hug. However, whoever is elected next prime minister is in
all ltkelihood the man I also know well, and we still have many friends
at and near the top in Israel. But DO NOT FOR A MOMENT GET TO THINKING
TIME WILL JUST KEEP GOING ON AND ON. It won't! Satan knows how short
time is. He is now striking at destroying THE CHURCH AS A WHOLE. I
cannot reveal to you at the moment what Satan is up to now, BUT IT IS
BIG, and we all need to be FASTING AND PRAYING as never before that God
will restrain Satan.
I spoke to the Church at Honolulu on the way to Tokyo this trip.
I talked privately with the Prime Mjnister, spoke the Gospel Message
to a large banquet attended by 482 prestigious and high-ranking people
of the nation in Tokyo, and also to a group of a hundred or more Japanese
PLAIN TRUTH subscribers on the Sabbath afternoon we were there.