APOCALYPSE

 We gazed in awe and wondered why
The sun refused to show its face?
The moon pulled down the shade of night
As eagerly its path we traced.

But why did this mysterious flare
Eclipse a pathway through our Land?
Were these apocalyptic signs
That judgment might be near at hand?

Then came the threat of hurricanes
That brought destruction in their wake
The floods engulfed their homes and land
As myriads fled for safety sake.

Now fires burn throughout the West
A million acres quickly gone
The devastation that they bring
Is robbing joy from every song.

With rumbling earthquakes underground
And war clouds threatening far and near
The lack of National unity
Can keep us in the grip of fear.

But Scripture calls His faithful few
To humbly pray and turn from sin
Then God Himself will intercede
And heal our Land without, within.
B. Pent

PROPHECIES OF THE KING

            

                                 Matthew 24-25

WHILE LEAVING THE TEMPLE THE COMMENT WAS MADE
WHAT BEAUTY AND SPLENDOR THE BUILDING DISPLAYED
BUT JESUS RESPONDED THAT EVERY LAST STONE
WOULD FALL FROM ITS MOORINGS AND BE LEFT ALONE.

THE QUESTIONS THEN FOLLOWED WHILE CLIMBING THE HILL
EXACTLY THE TIME-FRAME HIS WORDS WOULD FULFILL?
AND WHAT WOULD THE SIGN OF HIS COMING PORTEND
THAT THIS WAS THE TIME FOR THE KINGDOM TO END?

THERE ON MOUNT OLIVET JESUS EXPLAINED

ALL THAT WOULD HAPPEN, ALL THAT REMAINED
TO FINALLY FULFILL WHAT THE PROPHETS FORETOLD
OF ISRAEL'S MESSIAH THE WORLD WOULD BEHOLD.

THE ARMIES OF TITUS WHO CONQUERED THE LAND

IS TOLD IN MARK'S GOSPEL SO JEWS COULD DISBAND
THE TEMPLE AND WALLS OF JERUSALEM FELL
A MILLION WERE KILLED AS JOSEPHUS WOULD TELL.

BUT MATTHEW RECORDS EVENTS THAT TAKE PLACE

WHEN ANTICHRIST RULES AND THE CHURCH IS REPLACED
THE PROPHECIES TOLD BY DANIEL WILL COME
AS JOHN MAKES IT CLEAR WHEN GOD'S JUDGMENT IS DONE.

THE FIRST FOURTEEN VERSES WERE SIGNS FOR EACH AGE

THAT JESUS MAY COME AND RE-ENTER LIFE'S STAGE
THAT FAMINES AND WARS AND DISEASE WOULD PREVAIL
AND FALSE CHRISTS AND EARTHQUAKES INCREASE WITHOUT FAIL.

YET SCRIPTURE MAKES CLEAR WHEN THESE SIGNS ALL CONVERGE

AND WIDEWORLD CONFUSION BEGINS TO IMMERGE
THAT JACOB'S DARK HOUR IS SOON TO BEGIN
THE GREAT TRIBULATION BECAUSE OF MAN'S SIN.

THE OLIVET DISCOURSE THEN OUTLINES THE TIME

WHEN SUN, MOON AND STARS NO LONGER WILL SHINE
AND ANTICHRIST RULES WITH THE POWER OF HELL
RELEASING GOD'S WRATH LIKE AN ATOM BOMB SHELL.

THEN OUT FROM THE HEAVENS ABLAZE ON A CLOUD

THE KING WILL DESCEND IN SHEKINAH'S BRIGHT SHROWD
ALL EYES WILL BEHOLD HIM AND LOOK ON HIS FACE
AND ISRAEL REDEEMED WILL FIND CLEANSING AND GRACE.

THE LORD TOLD THREE STORIES TO HELP ILLUSTRATE

THE KIND OF A MODEL HIS SERVANTS SHOULD MAKE
EQUIPPED AND CONTROLLED BY HIS SPIRIT DIVINE
EACH TALENT AND GIFT MUST CONSISTANTLLY SHINE.

THE STORY THEN CLOSES AT JESUS' RETURN

WITH NATIONS ALL GATHERED AT HIS JUDGMENT THRONE
THE SHEEP ARE THE RIGHTEOUS WHO HONOR HIS NAME
THE GOATS WHO OPPRESS HIS ELECT, DIE IN SHAME.
--B. Pent