A BROOD OF VIPERS – Matthew 3:7
A PROPHECY FOR TODAY – Part 3
Matthew 3:7, says, “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ME?
Suppose with me, that you were sent to deliver a message, a warning of a pending disaster, to a specific group of people. And, you were tasked with getting them ready to escape a coming disaster. How soon would you tell them?
Also, would you be busy warning people who would not encounter the disaster, or would you spend your time warning those who would be affected? This is a simple, if not a silly question, isn’t it? No one in their right mind would waste time telling someone to flee a coming disaster if it was not going to affect them!
John the Baptist is warning and preparing those who would be affected by the wrath to come. And, he was wondering who had warned the Pharisees and Sadducees – the brood of vipers – who were coming for baptism, to flee from the wrath to come.
There are two important messages here:
1. The “coming wrath” was immanent! In fact, it would begin within just a few years of John’s warning. And, it began as Jesus said, “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.” And, these birth pangs continue to this day! And, they are intensifying as we near the breaking of the 6th tribulation seal.
This has not been our only warning.
The period of the breaking or opening of the first FIVE Tribulation Seals, which began between around A.D. 33 is also referred to THE BEGINNING OF SORROWS or the LAST DAYS.
John the Baptist began warning about this period in or around A.D. 27, the time of Jesus’ baptism.
Jesus calls this period the LAST DAYS or the END OF THE AGE in Matthew 24:3-8
The Apostle Peter calls this period the LAST DAYS in Acts 2:16-17
The Apostle Paul calls this period THESE LAST DAYS in Hebrews 1:1-2
The Apostle Peter again reminds us THESE ARE THE LAST DAYS in 2 Peter
The Bible tells about the END OF DAYS and the Tribulation. It is important to know that the Tribulation period actually is called by three prominent, although variant names:
(a) The Beginning of Sorrows, Birth Pangs, The End of The Age or the Last Days
(b) The Tribulation also known as The End of Days
(c) The GREAT Tribulation also know as the Wrath of God or the Wrath of the Lamb.
2. This warning was for the “children of God” only. You can know this since John 1:10 tells us that “Jesus was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. v11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. v12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name”.
And, Matthew 13:10 tells us, “The disciples came and asked Jesus, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12 “For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13 “Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.”
YOU have been warned. The time is near. Are you ready? (And, if you do not know what “being ready” entails, you are not ready. BE WARNED! )
If you have concerns, please contact me and let’s talk.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
Whitestonefellowship1@protonmail.com
The Next Teaching from Matthew 3:8, Escape the Coming Wrath (More reading on this subject: It Has Been Spoken)