Jeff Kinley - Wake the Bride: Facing The Last Days with Your Eyes Wide Open

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE, OREGON

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Verses marked NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Verses marked ESV are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Verses marked NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Verses marked NLT are from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Italicized emphasis in Scripture added by author.

Cover by Harvest House Publishers Inc., Eugene, Oregon

Cover photo Igor Zh. / Shutterstock

Published in association with William K. Jensen Literary Agency, 119 Bampton Court, Eugene, Oregon 97404.

WAKE THE BRIDE

Copyright 2015 Jeff Kinley

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97402

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Kinley, Jeff.

Wake the bride / Jeff Kinley.

pages cm

ISBN 978-0-7369-6516-3 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-7369-6517-0 (eBook)

1. Bible. RevelationCommentaries. 2. Bible. RevelationCriticism, interpretation, etc. I. Title.

BS2825.53.K56 2015

228.06dc23

2015006025

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To all those who wear the fine linen. Blessed is the one who stays awake

R EVELATION 16:15

Contents

T he French poet Paul Valry, describing the pessimism arising from post-World War I Europe, wrote, The future, like everything else, is not what it used to be.

One hundred years later, his words have fresh meaning. The future has never been more uncertain. Never more unknown. Never more volatile. And yet, despite this ambiguity, we remain fascinated with the future, fixated on discovering what the world will be like then in the post-now. Theres a natural intrigue regarding whats going to happen to this terrestrial ball were inhabiting. But why? Why is the future (and more importantly, the subject of the end times) so interesting? Why does it captivate our attention? Why do we get that deer-in-the-headlights stare whenever some TV show, blockbuster movie, or best-selling book on the subject crosses our path?

I suspect it has something to do with our inherent human curiosity. Were wired to know . And the future is, by definition, not known. We dont like that, so we seek to satisfy that curiosity by creating lifelike fantasy scenarios giving our imagination a temporary fix. Hollywood has smartly tapped into this curiosity by creating epic, futuristic productions. Though pure conjecture, these films tap into the human psyche, temporarily fulfilling our longing to know what the future will be like. Its these imaginary scenarios of the apocalypse or postapocalypse that draw us (and our debit cards) to the box office.

But unlike fictional books or fantasy movies, Scriptures prophecies are not portrayals or predictions of things that might happen. Instead, theyre visual previews of events Jesus Himself declared must soon take place. Backstage passes to coming attractions. If the Bible is true and can be understood literally, then the events foretold in Revelation are prophetic truths our generation must know and respond to.

If we are indeed rapidly approaching the end of days, could Jesus presently be preparing His bride for such a time?

Chances are youre one of those curious souls not satisfied with being left in the dark, imagining, guessing, hoping. Youre hungry for some concrete confidence concerning the last days of planet Earth and the return of Jesus Christ.

This book will help satisfy that hunger. It fills that void where your voyeuristic curiosity dwells, replacing it with knowledge and truth. It wont answer every trivial detail about the end times, but what you see and learn about the future will be enough to change you in the now . Journeying through these pages, youll experience a head-on collision with history in advance. A sneak preview into the future. Its the ultimate reality drama, only this one isnt staged.

This is the real deal.

And every bit of it is going to happen.

But knowing about the end times does more than just satisfy your sweet tooth for prophecy. These truths will strengthen your faith in the accuracy of Scripture. Your confidence in the Bible will rise, giving you a firm conviction concerning the Book you love.

These end-time realities will also reveal the wise plans and Youll see Gods view of things to come, gaining through His eyes a clearer perspective on humanity, the church, and your own life. And youll have a brand-new lens through which to see and interpret world news.

Prophecy tells us whats going to happen before it happens. Some people in Gods long story have been privileged to see prophecy fulfilled in their lifetime, while others have had to believe by faith that certain things would one day come to pass. Others have even suffered for those beliefs, considered fools for believing in what many labeled as ridiculous fantasies.

Right, Noah?

Encountering Revelations prophecies will guard us against lies, half-truths, crazy ideas, and end-times rumors. No doubt our adversary would try to deceive us into chasing fads and trends leading us to believe things not found in Scripture. Therefore, we must stick to the script, keeping us from falling prey to false or imagined theories about the future.

These prophecies also give us great comfort and peace in uncertain times. Knowing that God Himself is orchestrating history brings calm in the midst of a gathering global storm.

Perhaps best of all, prophecy also inspires us toward a different kind of life. Not one where we hop into our pajamas and climb the nearest mountain to wait for Jesuss return, but one that motivates us toward personal purity and preparation for the One who promised to come back for us.

Make no mistake about itRevelation was intended to be read and obeyed. Just as much as Psalms, Philippians, and the Gospels. Though much of it is prophetic, those prophecies nevertheless carry a message for us now. Revelation was written to the church and for the church. And if youre a believer in Jesus, that means you.

But for Jesuss bride to experience this, she must first wake up.

O ne day. And the world is never the same.

D-day

November 22, 1963

9/11

Days like these imprint generations, shaping the destinies of nations. They impact global culture, and like those still-visible D-day bomb craters along the Normandy coast, they transform the landscape, becoming lasting reminders to the colossal difference a day can make.