Maria #212DO 29017/93

—To Dad, From Mama

My dear Sweetheart,

1. I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH & thank you for all your love for me, as well as for all of us. You always seem to have enough to go around. And the results of your entire life of Love are continuing to multiply with each day. By your obedience many are being made righteous & finding the Truth. It's wonderful! Praise the Lord!

Questions about the First 3-&-1/2 Years of the Antichrist's Reign

2. I've been thinking lately about Endtime Events, & I have just a few questions which I thought might come out a little more clearly if I put them down in writing instead of expressing them to you verbally. As you pointed out in the Wave Letter (see ML #2881, GN 564), it seems that we could now be in the first three–and–a-half years of the Antichrist's Seven-Year rule, for the various reasons you mentioned.—Most notably the fact that events are moving so fast & things are already so obviously under his control, as well as the fact that you have even seen him in vision doing his dirty work against us; receiving along with this vision the verse, "he hath great fury because he knoweth his time is short."—Rev.12:12.

3. That verse seems to indicate that the Antichrist must have started his time already, since he knows it's short. Everything is escalating so rapidly that it's easy to believe that we could now be in the first three–and-a-half years of his reign. And I think we all will be very happy if we are that far along. The thought of going through many more years is a little discouraging, & I think we'll all be glad when it's all over.

4. However‚ there's one thing from a Biblical standpoint that I'm not clear on‚ so others may likewise be unclear on this point: If we are in the first 3-&-1/2 years of the Antichrist's reign, how do we fit in the verses in Daniel about the daily sacrifice being stopped at the time of the revealing of the Antichrist when the Tribulation begins? Those verses on the daily sacrifice seem to indicate that it has been going on during the first 3-&-1/2 years of his reign‚ & that the Jews' Temple has been built. (Dad: My Dad thought this was spiritual: That the Temple was the Church & that his Image was TV.—Could the Jews' sacrifices be us?!)

5. Also, it seems according to Daniel 11 that before the Antichrist breaks the Covenant he gets into some very big wars. Is it possible that these wars could include America's war against Saddam, & possibly the war in Yugoslavia? Of course, if we're just barely into the first 3-&-1/2 years, then a lot could happen in the way of great wars during the remainder of this time period. I guess the biggest mystery is regarding the daily sacrifice & the Temple being built, as it seems that the Jews' sacrifice would have to be resumed in order for him to cause it to cease.

6. I hope you don't mind my asking these questions‚ Sweetheart. I thought you might have some ideas on how these could fit into the equation. I sure hope they can fit within this framework of us being in the first 3-&-1/2 years because I'm very happy to feel that we are this far along.

7. (Dad: It's been a long time since Jews were strong enough to persecute Christians. Could this mean the resumption of the sacrifice?—They're certainly doing it daily!—And the AC would stop it when he starts demanding worship & persecution [sacrifice]! That a literal Temple could be rebuilt seems a bit far-fetched but not impossible. This has always been a mystery, & only a theory. Was my Dad right?)

Questions about the Timing of "The Wave"

8. Another thing that I was thinking about & wondering was if you had any further ideas on the timing of the "Wave." I've been trying to fit the pieces together but I still have a fairly major question: First, I want to preface this question by saying that I agree wholeheartedly with your feeling that quite serious persecution will be inevitable in many of the countries which we're in now, & that it will probably come very soon, & that at such a time, the foreigners will have to evacuate. In your vision you saw this wave of refugees sweeping over the World, & the question you asked the Lord about that wave was, "Where is the Family going to flee to," because you—like all of us—have had this same question: If things are so bad worldwide‚ what is going to be the use of fleeing from the frying pan into the fire, so to speak? For example, some fields are already considering encouraging many of their large non-national families whose support has been curtailed to return to their home fields. Also, because their ministries have been somewhat restricted due to persecution, they could probably do much better in their home fields. So it seems that large numbers of refugees fleeing from other fields would not find many open doors in some of our major fields today. (Dad: Not now!)

9. There are some countries which refugees might flee to temporarily, but everything seems to be tightening up worldwide. We have recently had Family Members moving from one area to another, but these were not going so much as refugees as new personnel to help in the battle. (Dad: Maybe the first phases of the Wave are voluntary?)

10. Anyway‚ back to my question about this wave of refugees that you saw sweeping over the World: Do you think that this wave of refugees sweeping worldwide could actually come in different stages? (Dad: Of course!) Maybe part of the Wave takes place at one time in one area of the World & then later another part is being fulfilled in another area of the World?—Sort of like in stages‚ like one country having persecution & having to flee to one area of the World, and then later another country has persecution & has to flee to another area etc. Or maybe this Wave is something that you saw happening in all parts of the World at the same time?

11. Do you think that this could have been happening at the very End during the Tribulation? It seems that maybe the Lord was indicating this, because when you asked Him specifically about where were all these refugees going, where were they going to be able to flee to, He said very specifically "to Me," & you interpreted that to mean that we would go up in the air to be with Him in the Rapture. This was a very beautiful picture & one which will be very encouraging to everyone. (Dad: Amen! But why warn us now if the Wave comes only at the very end?)

12. On the one hand, it seems that you feel that the Wave could take place in the near future. But on the other hand, we know that our going up in the air to be with Jesus will not take place until the very end of the Tribulation, during the Rapture. So I'm just trying to understand how these two things can be part of each other. In other words, how can this wave of refugees which will be fleeing shortly be rescued in the Rapture, which doesn't come until the end of the Tribulation? It seems like the wave of refugees (Dad: The end of the wave.) fleeing to be with the Lord would have to be then, at the end of the Tribulation in the Rapture. So does this mean that because the Wave will happen soon that the Rapture will also have to happen soon? Or is the Wave not going to be able to happen until the end of the Tribulation, in order for all those refugees to get rescued by the Lord during the Rapture?

13. I know that our teaching that Christians are going to go through the Tribulation before they're caught up in the air to meet Jesus in the Rapture is pretty secure & pretty fixed, it doesn't seem like there can be any change on that. So does that mean that we would have to place the big wave of refugees sweeping worldwide at the end of the Tribulation, so that the fulfillment of our fleeing to Jesus & being rescued by Him would come at that point? Because you mentioned that this vision was such an important one, it leads me to believe that it seems to you that the Wave wasn't taking place just at the end of the Tribulation‚ since you obviously already know that Jesus is going to rescue us with the Rapture at that time. So forgive me for trying to analyse all of this so much‚ but did you mean we're going to get rescued out of this World before the Tribulation? (Dad: No! Not a Pre-Trib Rapture!—But some may be rescued by martyrdom! God looks on these revelations like mountain tops viewed from a distance. Although the peaks may look like one‚ often some are closer than others, in ranges or stages, & some are even far apart! The Wave could start any time & still be in progress at the end of the Trib.)

14. I don't see many places in this World for our Family to flee to if they don't flee to Jesus‚ because almost every country is either persecuting us now or probably about to, & it looks like they're all tightening up & getting more dangerous all of the time. But I also don't see how we could flee to Jesus in the Rapture any time soon. Even in many countries that probably won't be part of a war, they're already putting laws into effect that could result in Christians like ourselves being severely persecuted. So things are getting very dangerous worldwide for us, & it doesn't seem like one place will be much safer than any other place. (Dad: —So, it may be coming soon?)

15. Of course, the Lord could somehow do a miracle & change things, even though right now it doesn't look like that's going to happen. I don't have any question about the fact that in most countries of the World we're going to be very persecuted & that it could happen very soon, & that there may be quite a few countries which will throw out the foreigners. I definitely agree, & I think in many of these countries it could come very soon. My question is just that I don't know how one country's foreigners can very well go to another country en masse, or another continent en masse, unless they are nationals returning to their home countries; for example, Americans returning to the U.S. (Dad: Quite possible! I'm sure the Lord will show us!—He's just answering my question & preparing our hearts. Are we ready?)

16. And in some countries we really do not have many more non-nationals as those countries have already sent many of their foreigners to help in other areas. But any foreigners who are still there & would be kicked out would probably have to go back to their home fields. So our foreign members who are no longer accepted on their mission fields would have to go somewhere, & I suppose it would need to be back to their home countries where they would probably have to go underground if they were too persecuted, or continue to witness & be martyred, as you have pointed out. I guess the nationals in almost all of these countries would not be part of the refugees, would they?—Since presumably they will be able to stay in their own countries, even if their governments don't like them.

17. Thank you, Sweetheart, for being patient with my questions. I don't know if we can find answers to all of these right now, since often the Lord is rather mysterious about what He gives, & He doesn't give all the answers all at once but just wants us to wait for the future to reveal further details. So I understand if you aren't able to answer these questions, & we just need to wait & see.

18. I very much agree that we're probably going to have serious persecution in the countries where we haven't had it yet & that we will have some Family Members, especially foreigners, who will need to leave, & that it could come quite soon. I guess my question is, could they just mostly go back to their home countries where they'll have to stay to the end as witnessing martyrs or possibly go underground? At this point, though‚ it seems like the Lord is going to want us to witness openly, even though it may cost us our lives. From many things that He has said throughout the months, it seems He is going to want us to stand up for the Truth & be seen & heard‚ & even stand as Prophets dressed in sackcloth in all the centers of the World, & shout our Message from the housetops, etc. But I guess in that case it would be mostly the nationals doing this in their own countries, since a little further down the line, the others will probably be pretty well thrown out & have to go as refugees to other places, right?

19. Okay! Thank you, Sweetheart! I'm sorry I made this so long. Please forgive me if any of these questions were a bother to you. You always encourage us to ask questions, so I thought maybe you wouldn't mind in this case where I had some that I wondered about. (Dad: Love it!)

20. I love you! God bless you! (Dad: Same to you!—Tx!—I'm sure many will have the same questions. GBY!—You always speak for them. GB'M!)

Yours,

M. (ILY!—D.)

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