Mass Shooting in Texas
A gunman slaughtered 26 worshipers at a small Baptist church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, on November 5. Everyone in the church that day was either murdered or wounded.
Mass shootings have become an epidemic in America.
Many people have asked why these attacks keep happening. Many have been praying to God, but is He answering those prayers? What is the solution to this terrifying problem?
Ezekiel is an end-time prophetic book addressed to the modern descendants of ancient Israel, which includes America. It explains why the increase in violence today.
“Make a chain: for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence. … Destruction cometh; and they shall seek peace, and there shall be none. Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumour shall be upon rumour; then shall they seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the ancients” (Ezekiel 7:23, 25-26).
God blames the prophets and priests, or the ministry, most of all for failing to give God’s vision and counsel to the people!
“Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits” (Isaiah 30:10). The people are also to blame for refusing to hear the truth of God. God expects His Church to deliver the truth that will solve problems like mass shootings. This message is full of tremendous hope.
“The king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with desolation, and the hands of the people of the land shall be troubled: I will do unto them after their way, and according to their deserts will I judge them; and they shall know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 7:27). Through suffering, people come to know God! He judges according to our ways and deeds.
There is a little remnant of Christians that does know God and is teaching what the Bible says.
The Hidden Cause
“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Revelation 12:7-9).
Before the creation of man 6,000 years ago, Lucifer and a third of the angels fought against God (Isaiah 14; Ezekiel 28). This caused the destruction of the Earth (Genesis 1:2).
Satan and the demons tried once again to overthrow God in this end time, in 1986 after the death of Herbert W. Armstrong. (Read Malachi’s Message and Raising the Ruins for proof.) This time, God cast them down to Earth and confined them here, as Revelation 12 describes.
Satan is the father of liars, a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44). He thought he could overthrow God and seize control of the universe! Now that he is stuck on Earth, he targets the modern descendants of Israel because they have a special history with God (Genesis 49-50). The recent spate of mass shootings is one result of Satan’s rampage against Israel.
“And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night” (Revelation 12:10). Satan is the ultimate “accuser,” the hidden cause of the crippling division in this country! One side wants to take away all the guns; the other side wants more guns to protect themselves. Neither side will look to God and see what He says!
Our Titanic Battle
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death” (Revelation 12:11). True Christians must accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, eliminate sin and overcome as Christ did (Revelation 3:21).
How did Christ overcome? Matthew 4 recounts his titanic battle with Satan the devil. This chapter is the blueprint for how to defeat our spiritual adversary.
“Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time” (Revelation 12:12). Satan is more wrathful than ever before because Christ is about to return and lock him up for 1,000 years! His reign as god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4) will be over.
God, Christ and the angels rejoiced after Satan and the demons were expelled from the universe. But now these vicious spirit beings are wreaking havoc on Earth. Soon, they will also be eradicated from the planet, never to destroy or to ruin lives again.
“And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent” (Revelation 12:13-14).
God protects His loyal remnant Church, whisking it away to a place of safety when Satan’s persecution becomes unbearably intense. But 95 percent of God’s own people have rebelled in this end time. They have lost their titanic battle and won’t receive protection.
The Solution
Now back to the original question: What is the solution to the terrifying problem of mass shootings?
“And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, … And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and ye shall know that I am the Lord. … And they shall know that I am the Lord, and that I have not said in vain that I would do this evil unto them. … Then shall ye know that I am the Lord, when their slain men shall be among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, in all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the place where they did offer sweet savour to all their idols. So will I stretch out my hand upon them, and make the land desolate, yea, more desolate than the wilderness toward Diblath, in all their habitations: and they shall know that I am the Lord (Ezekiel 6:1, 7, 10, 13-14).
God is heartbroken by the abominable sins of our nation! The good news, though, is that a time of indescribable suffering will finally bring all people to God! They will finally know their Father.
“An end is come, the end is come: it watcheth for thee; behold, it is come” (Ezekiel 7:6). Many think that a loving God would never curse human beings, but what if that’s the only way to wake them up and make them see the fruits of a life apart from Him?
“As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths” (Isaiah 3:12). God spells out the many crippling problems plaguing America today. It all starts with the destruction of the biblical family model. When the father is not the head, and the children are allowed unlimited access to the most dangerous addictions, the whole nation suffers. Our children aren’t being raised to face the very real challenges in life. Bad families make the opioid epidemic and mass production of pornography possible. God curses our land because of our rampant immorality.
What about the hatred that is so widespread in America now? Jesus Christ calls hatred spiritual murder. If we hate anyone for any reason, we can’t follow Christ! Racism—real hatred of an entire race, and not what is called “racism” by the mainstream media—is murder.
The Prophet Ezekiel was transported in a vision to this end time (Ezekiel 8:1). He gives the solution to our problems. The violence is a result of our abominations! Do we want to hear that, or do we prefer to hear smooth things? Do we want deceits?
“And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here. … Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The Lord seeth us not; the Lord hath forsaken the earth” (verses 9, 12).
People today scoff at the existence of God. Even those who believe He exists think He has no involvement in current events. But there is always a penalty for sin.
“Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them” (verse 18). God pleads with us to hear the truth! If we do, great things will happen in our lives.
The mass shooting in Texas is just one tragedy that will eventually force our people to turn to God. They will finally look to their loving Father who will solve all problems, decimate all evils, and bring righteousness and joy to the whole Earth and universe. That’s a living hope! But we have to learn some very important lessons first.
