"Then the angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood" (Rev 8:8).
This prophecy is but a small portion of the judgments God is about to pour upon the earth during a seven year period known as the Tribulation. As Jesus explains to His disciples the judgments to come, He says, "When you see these things BEGIN to happen, look up...because your redemption draws near" (Luke 21:38).
This BEGINNING will include "signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars" (Luke 21:25). The term "sign" conveys the idea of "events so extraordinary as to inspire wonder...portending calamitous events about to occur."
It is interesting that JUPITER is the planet God chose recently to show His remarkable power. When God shows His power in judgment, He always seems to go after that which is core to the thoughts and ideologies of humanity...if you will, the "jugular." When He redeemed Israel from slavery in Egypt some 4000 years ago, He defeated the gods of Eqypt or anything they held dear, starting with the Nile River, their source of life; and ending with the death of their first-born, the highest representation of their worship system with its fertility rites.
God's choosing of Jupiter is significant because of mankind's historical mythological association of Jupiter as "King of the gods"..."lord of life & death." When Paul & Barnabas performed a miraculous healing in Lystra, the people were in a frenzy of excitement, thinking the god's, Zeus (Jupiter) & Hermes (Mercury) had come to visit (Acts 14:8+). (Zeus did not normally make personal appearances to mere mortals.)
Today as New Age, Metaphysical Thought & Spirituality embrace ancient religious concepts, the world is becoming united in its worship of Jupiter/Zeus and his progeny, turning its back on God Most High. In giving us this display, a "sign" in the heavens, beginning with Jupiter, God is giving the world notice, "You shall have no other gods before me...I am a Jealous God" (Exo 20:3,5), "Behold, I come quickly" (Rev 22:20).
As scientists and would-be wise people speak of meteors and comets hitting the earth, there seems to be a Darwinian smugness that we have evolved and are now SO ADVANCED that all we have to do is shoot some rockets into space and simply blow up (or off-course) any objects that could wreak havoc of the proportions we saw on Jupiter. They do not seem to understand God's power to overcome anything man might shoot at Him; or His abilities to make void any technological attempts made...."The nations raged...He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the LORD shall hold them in derision...He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire" (Psa 2:4; 46:6,9).
While the Darwinians take comfort in the thought that cataclysmic disasters won't happen for a long time to come, 2 Peter 3 gives a very clear time table regarding the earth's history. This earth was designed by God for 7000 years of existence. We are presently near the end of 6000 years. Before the final millenium of Jesus' perfect rule begins, there will be 7 years of judgment. Even the people of the world hold an ominous sense of expectancy for the year 2000 or 2001. Jesus' encouragement to His believers to not worry about exact time tables (Acts 1:7; Matt 24:36) should not be interpreted as a slackness on His part (2 Peter 3:9), but it should be understood that God IS in control. He holds all creation together (Col 1:17) and there IS a definite time table by which He is guiding world events. For example, "The four angels, who had been prepared for THE hour and day and month and year..." (Rev 9:15). A very specific time.
Each individual of humanity is given two choices. Believe in Jesus Christ...or reject Him. While that may seem like a simple choice at first, there is so much error available that truth is hard to find. How are we to know truth? By God's Word...ONLY!
You may be a church member, serve on the board or even be the pastor. You may even be "spirit filled." But, if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His (Rom 8:9). God does not share His glory and presence with demon spirits. If you are "spirit-filled" you are guilty of idolatry, and there is no room for the Holy Spirit...you cannot serve two masters (Matt 6:24).
If you are "spiritually centered" you are following the god of this age. You are blind to God's truth, and following Satan's lie. "Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them" (2 Cor 4:4). God does not honor "spirituality."
God only is to be honored. "You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I...am a jealous God..." (Exo 20:3,5).
The Gospel message is very clear...and, very simple, as summarized in Luke 24:46-49. First of all, Christ died and rose again the third day. "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive (1 Cor 15:22). This assumes God's Word is correct when it says that "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23). That "We are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags" (Isa 64:6). That "the wages of sin is death" (Rom 6:23). This is opposite of what New Age is teaching us, even as it has infiltrated the pulpits and those called "pastors" are teaching that God's "grace" accepts us "just as we are" because "we are worth so much to Him." The truth and scope of God's Grace is that we are worth ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in His sight, and even so, He reached down in love (John 3:16) and put His own Son on the cross to pay our penalty.
After Christ died, He also rose again...proving that He can, indeed, give life. He became the "firstfruits" of life, and thus provides a way for us to also have life.
So far, so good. God did His part. All that's left is for us to repent. By definition, "repentance" indicates a "change." First of all, a person looks with "abhorrence" at his past sins. There is remorse, contrition, self-reproach, regret. All this is not possible without humility. "If My people...will humble themselves, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, I will forgive their sin." You notice, Luke has repentance coming BEFORE remission of sins. God always stands at the ready to forgive. He is ever waiting for us to respond to His call.
If you wait til the comets and meteors are bombarding earth, it may be too late. "Behold, now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation" (2 Cor 6:2).
Amen!
(Scripture quotations are from the NKJV)