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Rightly Dividing The Pretribulation Rapture And The Mystery Of Iniquity Found In 2 Thessalonians 2

The context of 2 Thessalonians 2, taken as it is written, is the Pretribulation Rapture of the Church which leads to the Antichrist coming to power.

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The context of 2 Thessalonians 2, taken as it is written, is the Pretribulation Rapture of the Church which leads to the Antichrist coming to power.

“And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.” 2 Thessalonians 2:6,7 (KJV)

The other day, I saw some postings where people were talking about how the Holy Spirit is now “restraining the appearance of the Antichrist”, and when the Holy Spirit is “taken out of the way”, Antichrist will come upon the world stage. They base their assumptions on verses found in 2 Thessalonians 2:6-9 (KJV). I would like to examine those and other verses in that chapter, and see if we can rightly divide our way to a deeper understanding of those passages.

The apostle Paul was writing to people in Thessalonica who had received letters from people purporting to be Paul, and had told them that they had “missed the rapture” of the Church that is such a central pillar in Paul’s writings. So here in 2 Thessalonians, Paul is writing to assure them that they had, in fact, not missed the rapture, and he proceeds to tell them what some of the things that will signal the Rapture of the Church, and what will immediately follow after that event.

Living in the time of the great falling away is right now

In verse 3, he tells them that there are two things needed before the Rapture of the Church can take place, and they are these:

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;” 2 Thessalonians 2:3 (KJV)

The “falling away” is a departure of the Church from sound doctrine, and replacing it with “ear tickling” nonsense that appeals to people’s flesh and not to their soul or spirit. Paul would go on to discuss that in more detail in his letter to Timothy:

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” 2 Timothy 4:3,4 (KJV)

That period of time began in the mid-19th century with the Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc, and is now in full bloom here in 2017 with such heretical junk by false teachers and preachers that sadly make up the main body of professing Christians worldwide. Here is a short list:

If you really want to depress yourself, click this link to read our entire listing of false teachers, preachers and end times deceivers. But depressing as it may be, after reading all our examples you will be 100% convinced that the great “falling away” is well under way. So you can add this one to the “fulfilled/being fulfilled” column from Paul’s list. Now let’s look at the other one, the revealing of the “son of perdition”.

Does the King James Bible reveal the Antichrist to be Judas Iscariot?

In our article entitledDOES THE KING JAMES BIBLE REVEAL THE IDENTITY OF THE ANTICHRIST?“, we make our case for why we think that when the Antichrist shows up, it will be none other than Judas the Betrayer brought back for the end times. If you have not already done so, please click on the link and go read it now. But suffice to say, Paul says that the revealing of the Antichrist is the second thing on the list that must take place for the Rapture of the Church to happen. In one sense, that has already happened because, if you’re a Bible believer, then you already know who the Antichrist is – it’s Judas. But since you can understand something intellectually without it being revealed physically, let’s assume that Paul’s main meaning is that the Antichrist has to physically show up before the Rapture. No problem there. Paul never wrote one, single verse of Scripture in all his writings telling Christians how to live under the rule of Antichrist. Not one. So it’s safe to assume that the Church will see the Antichrist, know him for who he is, and be taken out in the rapture without living under his deceptive and demonic rule.

An excellent example of this is found in recent history, in type, with the rise of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany. In our article “7 WAYS THAT ADOLF HITLER WAS A PERFECT TYPE OF THE COMING BIBLICAL ANTICHRIST“, we showed you how Hitler fulfilled many of the Biblical qualifications of the Biblical Antichrist. There were people living in Germany in the late 1920’s who saw Adolf Hitler for the evil man he truly was, knew what was coming, and got out before Hitler actually came to power. In much the same way, this is how the Church will see Antichrist, and we will surely get out before he actually takes over. This, I believe, is what Paul is saying in verse 3 in 2 Thessalonians 2. Let’s move on.

Is the Holy Spirit taken out of the the way?

So the context of 2 Thessalonians 2, taken as it is written, is the Pretribulation Rapture of the Church which leads to the Antichrist coming to power. The Berean Bible student, seeing if these “things are so”, will take careful note that nowhere in the chapter so far is there a mention of the Holy Spirit. Not one. So how do people come to the conclusion that the Holy Spirit is “taken out of the way” to reveal Antichrist? This wrong interpretation happens for 2 reasons.

The first reason being that since most of the 20th century Bible commentators have declared this to be, people have just agreed without researching it for themselves. The second reason for this are the corrupt “new” Bible translations that remove the word “let” and attempt to replace it with “restrain”. This grave error completely changes the meaning of the text.

The word “let” is the key to unlocking this mystery

The word “let” is found exactly 1,511 times in your King James Bible, appearing in exactly 1,219 verses. It is used in all the usual ways you might expect, such as “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”, “And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines,”, “Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.”, and the list goes on in the both Testaments in exactly how the word “let” is still used in 2017. The word “restrain” is found exactly twice in Job 15:8 and Psalm 76:10, and used exactly the way it is still used today. So accounting for variances in the English language between 1611 and 2017, which as far as these two words go is nil, there is no reason at all why the KJV translators could not have used “restrain” or “restraineth” in place of “let” if what they wanted to show was the act of restraining.

And this is where it gets really interesting. I don’t think they wanted to show the act of “restraining”, so much as they wanted to point you to a much more pointed application of the word “let”.

The Webster’s 1828 Dictionary , the absolute best dictionary to understand English words in light of Scripture, shows a whole lot of meanings for the word “let”, and I would like to point your attention to the first two, and they are as follows:

  1. To permit; to allow; to suffer; to give leave or power by a positive act, or negatively, to withhold restraint; not to prevent. A leaky ship lets water enter into the hold. let is followed by the infinitive without the sign to.
  2. To lease; to grant possession and use for a compensation; as, to let to farm; to let an estate for a year; to let a room to lodgers; often followed by out, as, to let out a farm; but the use of out is unnecessary.

Webster tells us that the first and second applications of the word “let” means to “permit or suffer/allow”, and to “rent or lease”. I was watching a movie on Netflix awhile back and it took place in England. The character was looking to rent an apartment, and stopped when he saw a placard advertising that one was available. How did that sign read, you ask? It simply said “Flat To Let”. “Flat” being the British word for apartment, and “let” being the British word for rent/renting.

At this point in our study, for some of  you, that “cold chill” traveling down your spine is right now resulting in your “light-bulb moment” of clarity. You know exactly where I’m going with this, so let’s go there right now. (for the rest of you who never got past the “is this another Pretribulation Rapture heresy article?”, take a seat, we’ll deal with you later. Or not.)

The body of Antichrist is “let” to the Devil for a short time

Let’s review the whole passage in it’s entirety:

“And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,” 2 Thessalonians 2:6-9 (KJV)

Rather than trying to force this passage to say it’s the “Holy Spirit that’s restraining”, which is in no way supported by the context or any verse thus far, I would like to make the bold statement that it says exactly what it means when it uses the word “let” to do so. These verses are showing you how the Devil uses the body of Antichrist, how he “rents” a physical body until the time he no longer needs it.

There are various places in the Bible that prophetically refer to the Antichrist getting killed, then resurrected:

  • “Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.” Zechariah 11:17 (KJV)
  • “Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and, lo, it shall not be bound up to be healed, to put a roller to bind it, to make it strong to hold the sword.” Ezekiel 30:21 (KJV)
  • “And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.” Revelation 13:3 (KJV)

When Lucifer became Satan, he raised his ugly fist towards God, and declared that he would “be like the Most High”, with the uttering of his 5 “I Will” statements we see here:

“For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” Isaiah 14:13-15 (KJV)

If you’ve made it this far, putting the cherry on top the sundae is no struggle at all.

We understand from the Bible that Satan is the great imitator of God, a cheap copy pretending to be the real thing, right? That’s what Satan declared in Isaiah, that he would be just like the Most High. With that in mind, note the following regarding the end times on how Satan copies God to fool the unsaved:

  • God has a body, Jesus Christ, and Satan has a body, the Antichrist: The Bible tells us that God sent His Son, Jesus, to be the physical representation of God on Earth. The Antichrist sends “his son”, the son of perdition Judas, to be his physical representation on this Earth in the time of Jacob’s trouble.
  • The Antichrist is worshipped as the real thing: For a brief 3.5 year period, the world is fooled into thinking that the Messiah has arrived, and they worship him as such. Only it’s not THE Messiah, it’s the phony messiah, Antichrist.
  • Antichrist killed and rises again: When Jesus came the first time, He had a ministry that lasted approximately 3.5 years, then He was crucified and rose again 3 days after that. The Antichrist will be worshipped for the first half of the time of Jacob’s trouble, 3.5 years, killed, then rise again in all his unholiness as the Devil Himself.

Now do you see why the KJV translators used “let” and not “restrain”? They were showing us a deeper prophetic truth of how Satan will “rent” the body of Judas in order to fool people, and when he, Judas Antichrist, is killed and “taken out of the way”, Satan comes  upon the Earth in full form. So we see it is the body of Antichrist, and not the Holy Spirit, that is taken out of the way, to reveal that “Wicked”, capital W, Satan himself.

In conclusion, the passages dealing with the Antichrist in the time of Jacob’s trouble ends with verse 12, with verse 13 and its paragraph marker denoting a new topic and a new context where we read this:

“But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 2:13,14 (KJV)

It is here that, for the first time in the chapter, we finally do see a mention of the Holy Spirit, and it has nothing to do with the Antichrist, Satan or the end times. Paul is simply reminding us to be grateful to God for saving us, and leading us into all truth  by the “sanctification of the Spirit”, the Holy Spirit denoted with a capital “S”.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)

When we, as workmen, attend to rightly dividing the Scripture, the fruit of our labors is Bible truth. And now you know why God used “let” and not “restrain” in this chapter.

Amen.

 


 

Christian Persecution

Street Preacher In England Warned By Police Office That The John 3:16 Scripture On The Back Of His Van Could Be Considered ‘Hated Speech’ Crime

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Street preacher Mick Fleming in England was recently warned by police over the John 3:16 Bible verse he placed on the back of his van that it could be considered ‘hate speech’

I was browsing my news feed this morning when I came across this article on a street preacher in England, Mick Fleming, who lives in a van and ministers through his Church On The Street ministry. I have never heard of this guy before, know almost nothing about him, but I got saved on John 3:16, so anytime I see an article about that verse it always catches my attention.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 (KJB)

The world is changing rapidly, the spirit of Antichrist is rising, and this lost world is preparing itself from the coming 7-year kingdom. England is a nation that have embraced Socialism, Islam and the LGBTQ, kind of sounds like America, doesn’t it? Any nation who embraces those things inevitably will, at some point, turn again the Bible and the people who believe the Book. Don’t think it could happen here? That’s what every people group thinks right before it happens. Use what freedom you have left, Christian, while you still have it to use. That’s the memo.

Police officer warns Prince William’s vicar friend that John 3:16 Bible verse on his van ‘could be considered hate speech

FROM THE DAILY MAIL UK: Pastor Mick Fleming has been warned by a police officer that the bible verse on the back of his van ‘could be considered hate speech’. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Mick said: ‘I just thought “wow”. I just wondered what people watching this thought.

‘It’s not to argue but where have we moved to as a country where a bit of Christian scripture on the back of a van can be seen as hateful or spiteful? Maybe society is moving to a place where they don’t want faith-based people sat around a table in discussion with them… for me it’s an integral message of how real change is possible.’

 The law says it could be considered hate speech if the wording is threatening or inciting hatred based on protected characteristics such as religion or sexual orientation.

Mick insisted that he has no plans to remove it as he asked his viewers to give their opinions on whether the scripture could be deemed as offensive.

He said: ‘I am not going to change it, I am going to leave it one but I thought it quite interesting about how it can be perceived. I have never thought about that being something spiteful or hateful in any shape or form. I wondered what you thought – do you think people would take offence to that, and if they did, why?’

Displaying bible verses publicly is generally lawful in the UK. But the law says it could be considered hate speech if the wording is threatening or inciting hatred based on protected characteristics such as religion or sexual orientation. After recently giving up all of his belongings, Mick now lives in a campervan which has the bible verse John 3:16 printed on the back.

The verse reads: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Now the priest has revealed he was approached by a police officer while at a petrol station in Lancashire, who told him ‘the writing could be seen as hate speech in the wrong context’. Despite being told he wasn’t there to arrest Mick, the officer said that ‘if someone reported it police would investigate, and he could end up in trouble’. READ MORE

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

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But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORTTO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

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End Times

REVELATION WARNING: A 51-Foot Idol Of Lord Ram Rises Up Over Mississauga As Canadian Government Calls The Event A ‘Moment Of National Significance’

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A 51-foot idol of Lord Ram in North America was unveiled on Sunday at the Hindu Heritage Centre in Mississauga in Canada.

The Bible is quite clear, in the last days after the Pretribulation Rapture of the Church, Antichrist will come on the scene and he will be a very religious entity. So much so that the people in that dispensation will be having a 7-year revival of Old Testament idolatry. Not content to wait, they are getting the party started a little early. That’s the memo.

“And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:” Revelation 9:20 (KJB)

The idol of the Hindu god Ram up in Canada stands at an impressive 51 feet high, but he has company. Down in Texas, a 90-foot idol is up in Sugar Land, a 25-foot idol is up in Hockessin, Delaware, with plans to install a massive 151-foot idol in Moncure, North Carolina. Kinda makes you think that someone has a plan to make idolatry great again here in America, doesn’t it?

North America’s tallest Ram god idol rises in Mississauga Canada

FROM THE HINDUSTAN TIMES: Thousands of devotees gathered for the inauguration, joined by prominent political leaders including Minister of Women and Gender Equality Rechie Valdez, President of the Treasury Board Shafqat Ali, and Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu. Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons was also in attendance, marking the event as a moment of national significance.

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The unveiling of North America’s tallest Lord Ram statue in Mississauga sparked emotional reactions across social media. “From Ayodhya to Ontario, the name of Shri Ram echoes louder than borders. This is not just a statue, it’s a statement of faith and identity standing tall across the world,” wrote one user. Another noted, “Toronto, Canada: The tallest Murti of Bhagwan Shri Ram now stands tall in Mississauga — a proud moment for the global Hindu community In a land where Hindus have faced rising hostility from fringe Khalistani elements, this Murti is more than a symbol of faith — it’s a statement of resilience, peace, and presence. Sanatan stands tall.” Others chimed in with messages like, “Let’s make Canada great again,” and, “Grand and beautiful ❤️.”

“This is a spiritual gift to the community,” said Acharya Surinder Sharma Shastri, founder of the Hindu Heritage Centre. “The installation of this murti is not just a moment of pride, but also a reminder that righteousness must always be the guiding factor in our lives.” The statue’s location has made it an even more iconic symbol for new arrivals to Canada. As Sharma pointed out, planes landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport often fly over the temple. Now, among the first sights to greet passengers will be the majestic figure of Lord Ram — arms outstretched, a towering symbol of peace and resilience. READ MORE

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

nteb-free-king-james-bible-program-750-550

But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORTTO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

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End Times

NAME THAT TUNE: Words To A Long-Forgotten Sammy Hagar Song From 1977 ‘A Crack In The World’ Called For A ‘Great Divide’ To Take Place In 2025, It Just Might

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A Sammy Hagar song from 1977 called ‘A Crack In The World’ seems to be a good fit for the end times mood here in 2025

We live in a world that has largely tuned out the God of Heaven, and taken His Book and thrown it on the trash heap. But oh, what manner of things He has hid in that Book if we would but read it, and believe it! In the Bible, we read about a God who likes to do small things, strange work and bring mysteries to come to pass. He has hidden the Truth in plain sight. That’s a little of what went through my mind as I read an email from NTEB’er James who wanted to bring an ancient song by Sammy Hagar to our attention. It’s called ‘A Crack In The World’, and before you just dismiss it, let’s open up our King James Bibles and see what the LORD would have to show us.

“Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.” Psalm 96:13 (KJB)

The Bible says “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;” When He came to the Earth, He came as a baby in a manger and not as the all-powerful King of Kings. God almighty in plain sight, but without the Scripture, you’d have no idea what you were looking at. Israel on May 14th is mere ‘Zionist aggression’ if you don’t have a Bible, it’s a fulfillment of prophecy if you do. Take a look at these lyrics written in 1977, by an unbeliever.

A Crack In The World by Sammy Hagar

I found out what it is that’s been driving me mad
There’s no room to breathe between the good and the bad
A crush in-between, there’s a thin, thin line
But just ’round the corner, there’s a change in design

I wish I could walk away
And dig what the preachers say
But those words don’t satisfy me no more

There’s a crack, there’s a crack in the world
There’s a crack, there’s a crack in the world
There’s a crack, there’s a crack in the world

Just fifty more years we’re all gonna know
Why, when, where, how, and who gets to go
So let’s all have a good time before the great divide
‘Cause things will start separating come 2025

So look for the subtle clues
It won’t make the front-page news
That depends upon which side that you choose

There’s a crack, there’s a crack in the world
There’s a crack, there’s a crack in the world, yeah
There’s a crack, there’s a crack in the world

How odd that these lyrics seem to echo so much of everything we have all experienced since 2020, that this world is literally being pulled apart by the tech overlords who are intent on building the platform on which Antichrist will rule for 7 short years. Interestingly, the song doesn’t appear to be referring to nuclear war or military conflict, but rather to an unseen spiritual force that will create a ‘great divide’ between the ones who will be leaving, and the ones who will be staying. The timing as well is quite curious as it places it 48 years into the future of 2025, the time in which we now find ourselves.

Consider the following: 

  • Global virus released in the end of 2019 – 3 million killed
  • Global lockdown begins March 16th of 2020
  • Global vaccine released in December of 2020 – 17 million killed
  • Mandatory vaccine ID in 2021
  • Executive Order to study creation of a digital US dollar in 2022
  • Executive Order to create a digital dollar in 2025
  • UN to declare a state of Palestine in September of 2025

You and I who are alive and remain have thus far witnessed a ‘crack in the world’, one that continues to grow and deepen with each passing day. The world will crack again when Palestine is recognized, and crack again when we who believe are removed in the Rapture. Somebody send Sammy Hagar a Bible, he’s gonna need it.

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

nteb-free-king-james-bible-program-750-550

But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORTTO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

Continue Reading

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