The Future Has Arrived!The Fulfillment of Prophecy in Our Day and Timeby Dr. David R. Reagan
I am constantly running across articles by
Dispensationalists in which the argument is presented that in order to
be a "consistent futurist," you cannot contend that prophecies are being
fulfilled today. Instead, it is argued that all end time prophecy
relates to Israel in the Tribulation and Millennium. Therefore, all we
are seeing today is "stage setting," but not the fulfillment of
prophecy.1
I strongly disagree with this viewpoint. First of
all, there are four end time prophecies concerning Israel that were
fulfilled even before the 20th Century began. They are:
Some might respond by saying these are not end time prophecies, but they are. The end times or the "last days" began at the Cross. The writer of the Hebrew letter referred to his day and time (the First Century) as the "last days." The Apostle Peter also called the time in which he was living the "last times" (1 Peter 1:5 & 20). And in the same letter he stated that "the end of all things is at hand" (1 Peter 4:7).
The "end times" began 2,000 years ago. We are currently in the end of
the end times, and we know this because God's Word gives us signs to
watch for that will mark the end of the age.
The fulfillment of the prophecies listed above makes
it clear that all future prophecies in the Scriptures regarding Israel
do not relate to just the Tribulation and the Millennium. Additionally,
there are other futuristic prophecies in the Scriptures regarding Israel
that were either fulfilled in part or in whole during the 20th Century,
and they are prophecies that point to the soon return of Jesus.
Current Fulfillment of Prophecies Related to Israel
Consider, to begin with, the most prolific futuristic
prophecy in the Hebrew Scriptures — namely, that in the end times the
Jewish people will be regathered in unbelief from the four corners of
the earth.
This regathering began in the late 19th Century when Theodor Herzl wrote his book, The Jewish State,
in which he advocated that the time had come for the Jews to return to
their homeland. In 1900 there were only 40,000 Jews in Israel. By the
end of World War II this number had risen to 800,000. Today, it stands
at nearly 6 million. The Jews continue to come, but there is no doubt
this is a prophecy that is being fulfilled before our very eyes.
Or, consider the re-establishment of the state of
Israel on May 14, 1948. This was a clear and definite fulfillment of
Bible prophecy. It is an accomplished fact, and it is a miracle of God.
It is not mere "stage-setting," it is a play that has already been
performed in full.
Another accomplished fact is the revival of the
Hebrew language from the dead. When the Jews were scattered from their
homeland in the First and Second Centuries, they stopped speaking
Hebrew. The Jews in Europe mixed Hebrew with German and created a new
language called Yiddish. The Jews in the Mediterranean Basin mixed
Hebrew with Spanish and created a language called Ladino. But the Bible
prophesied that the Hebrew language would be revived in the end times (Zephaniah 3:9),
and that is exactly what happened in the late 19th and early 20th
Centuries through the efforts of one man — Eliezer Ben Yehuda. Today,
the people of Israel speak biblical Hebrew.
Equally certifiable is the reclamation of the Jewish
homeland. As pointed out earlier, the Bible prophesied that it would
become a desolation after the Jewish people were expelled from it. But
the Bible also prophesied that when the Jews returned to the land, it
would once again become a land of milk and honey:
"The desolate land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passed by. And they will say, 'This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate, and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.'" (Ezekiel 36:34-35)
When the Jews started returning to their homeland in
the late 19th Century, it was a total wasteland. Nearly all the trees
had been cut down and the soil was badly eroded. The land resembled a
desert. Most of the valleys had become malaria-infested swamp lands. The
Jewish pioneers began planting trees, reclaiming the soil, and draining
the swamps. Today, Israel is the bread basket of the Middle East.
Another prophecy that has definitely been fulfilled in our times is the resurgence of the Israeli military. Zechariah 12:6 says that in the end times, God "will
make the clans of Judah like a firepot among pieces of wood and a
flaming torch among sheaves, so they will consume on the right hand and
on the left all the surrounding peoples..."
The fulfillment of this prophecy can be seen today in
the incredible military power of Israel. It is one of the world's
smallest nations, yet it is ranked by all experts as one of the four top
military powers in the world.
Finally, with regard to Israel before the Tribulation
begins, the Bible prophesies that Jerusalem will be re-occupied by the
Jews (Zechariah 12:2-3 & 6) and that it will become the focal point of world politics (Zechariah 12:3).
The Jews returned to the city when it was captured in the Six Day War
in 1967, and today, all the nations of the world are coming against
Israel over the issue of who will control Jerusalem in the future.
Current Fulfillment of Non-Jewish Prophecies
But end time prophecies regarding Israel are not the
only ones we see being fulfilled in whole or in part before our very
eyes. Daniel prophesied that in the end times the old Roman Empire would
be revived (Daniel 2:31-45), and we can see that being accomplished today in the creation and expansion of the European Union.
The Bible prophesies repeatedly that in the end times there will be a great apostasy in the Church (1 Timothy 4:1, 2 Timothy 3:1 & 5, 2 Timothy 4:3-4).
We are up to our ears in that apostasy today as major Christian
denominations ordain homosexuals, approve same-sex marriage, deny the
deity of Jesus, and mock the inerrancy of the Scriptures.
In like manner, the Bible prophesies that "in the last days" society will disintegrate into a cesspool of immorality and violence (2 Timothy 3:1-5). Can there be any doubt that those days have arrived?
Daniel was told that the end time prophecies would
not be completely understood until the end time — that is, until the
time comes for their fulfillment (Daniel 12:8-9).
That time must be upon us for we are living in the time when ancient
prophecies are being understood for the first time ever, due to
historical developments and technological advances.
Taking the Signs of the Times Seriously
I could go on and on, but I think I have made my
point. The future has arrived! End time prophecies are being fulfilled
today. What we are witnessing is much more than "stage-setting." God is
clearly fulfilling promises He made thousands of years ago to the Jewish
people. And God is orchestrating the fulfillment of end time prophecies
that are not related to the Jewish people.
It is exciting to see these prophecies fulfilled, and
I am tired of seeing people attempt to depreciate their importance by
flipping them off in a cavalier way as nothing more than mere
"stage-setting."
Jesus is coming soon. The signs of the times attest
to that fact. God expects us to take those signs seriously because He is
about to pour out His wrath upon this world in the Great Tribulation,
and He does not desire that any should perish. The fulfillment of
prophecy all around us today is God's way of waking us up to the fact
that we are living on borrowed time, and we need to use the remaining
time to commit ourselves to holiness and evangelism.
Notes
1) A good example of the Dispensational viewpoint on this issue is an article by Ron J. Bigalke, Jr entitled, "Prophetic Fulfillment".
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The Future Has Arrived! The Fulfillment of Prophecy in Our Day and Time
Jesus is Coming Soon! We are living on borrowed time.
Jesus is Coming Soon!
We are living on borrowed time.
by Dr. David R. Reagan
http://www.lamblion.com/articles/articles_rapture1.php
Many people believe there is nothing that can be
known about the timing of the Lord's return because Jesus said He would
return like a "thief in the night" (Matthew 24:42-44).
But Paul makes it clear in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 that Jesus' statement does not apply to believers: "But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief..." He then proceeds to explain why: "for
you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of
darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and
sober." Paul is referring, of course, to the light of the Holy
Spirit who indwells all true believers and who can enlighten us through
our study of Scripture to know the season of the Lord's return (1 John 2:27).
God's Attitude
As a matter of fact, God is obligated by His
character to warn the world of the imminent return of His Son. The
reason is that Jesus is returning in great wrath to "judge and wage war" (Revelation 19:11), and God never pours out His wrath without warning.
God does not wish that any should perish, but that all should be brought to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
Therefore, God always warns before He executes His wrath. He warned the
world through Noah for 120 years. He warned Sodom and Gomorrah through
Abraham. He sent Jonah to warn the pagan city of Nineveh, and He sent
Nahum to the same city 150 years later.
Likewise, God is warning the world today that His Son
is about to return. He is calling the world to repentance. The message
of the hour to unbelievers can be summed up in these words: "Flee from the wrath that is to come by fleeing into the loving arms of Jesus now."
Jesus came the first time as an expression of God's love; He came to
die for the sins of Mankind. But when He returns, He will come in
vengeance to pour out the wrath of God on those who have rejected God's
love and grace.
The soon return of Jesus also carries with it a
message for believers. Lukewarm Christians and carnal Christians are
being called to commit their lives to holiness: "The
night is almost gone, and the day is at hand. Let us therefore lay
aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave
properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual
promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the
Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its
lusts" (Romans 13:12-14).
God's Method of Warning
God is alerting believers of the soon return of His
Son through what are called "signs of the times." These are prophecies
concerning world events that we are told to watch for, prophecies that
will identify the season of the Lord's return.
The Bible is full of these signs. There are about 500
prophecies in the Old Testament that relate to the Second Coming of the
Messiah. In the New Testament, one out of every 25 verses is concerned
with the return of Jesus.
In fact, there are so many signs that it is difficult
to grasp all of them. The best way I have found to do this is to put
them in categories:
1) The Signs of Nature — We are told to watch for earthquakes, famine, pestilence, and signs in the heavens (see Matthew 24:7 and Luke 21:11).
This is the least respected category of signs for
several reasons. For one thing, many people simply shrug their shoulders
and say, "There have always been natural calamities, so what else is
new?" Note that Jesus says these signs will be like "birth pangs" (Matthew 24:8)
— that is, they will increase in frequency and intensity as the time
draws near for His return. In other words, there will be more intense
earthquakes and more frequent ones. That is exactly what is happening
today.
Another reason these signs are given little respect
is because most Christians are so rationalistic that they do not really
believe in the supernatural, and they therefore find it difficult to
believe that God speaks to the world through signs of nature. Yet, the
Bible teaches this principle from start to finish.
God dealt with the world's sin through a great flood
in the days of Noah (Genesis 6). He called the nation of Judah to
repentance through a terrible locust invasion (Joel 1). In like manner,
He called for the nation of Israel to repent by sending drought, wind
storms, mildew, locusts, famine and pestilence (Amos 4:6-10). The prophet Haggai pointed to a drought as evidence that God was calling the people to get their priorities in order (Haggai 1:10-11).
The New Testament begins with a special light in the heavens marking the birth of the Messiah (Matthew 2:2). On the day that Jesus was crucified, there was three hours of darkness and an earthquake (Matthew 27:45-51).
And when Jesus returns, the earth will experience the greatest
earthquake in its history as every mountain is lowered, every valley is
raised, and every island is moved (Revelation 16:17-21).
God has always spoken through signs of nature, and He continues to do so today. We had better pay close attention to them.
2) The Signs of Society — Jesus said
that society will become increasingly lawless and immoral as the time
approaches for His return. In fact, He said it would become as evil as
it was in the days of Noah (Matthew 24:12,37-39).
Paul paints a chilling picture of end time society in 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
He says it will be characterized by three loves — the love of self
(Humanism), the love of money (Materialism), and the love of pleasure
(Hedonism). He then points out that the payoff of this carnal lifestyle
will be what the philosophers call Nihilism — that is, a society
wallowing in despair. Men's minds will become depraved (Romans 1:28), and people will call evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20).
We are seeing these prophecies fulfilled before our
eyes today as we watch our society reject its Christian heritage and
descend into a hellish pit of lawlessness, immorality, and despair. Even
worse, we are exporting our nihilism around the world through our
immoral and violent movies and television programs.
3) The Spiritual Signs — There are
both positive and negative spiritual signs that we are to watch for. The
negative ones include the appearance of false christs and their cults (Matthew 24:5,11,24), the apostasy of the professing church (2 Thessalonians 2:3), an outbreak of Satanism (1 Timothy 4:1), and the persecution of faithful Christians (Matthew 24:9).
These negative spiritual signs began to appear in the
mid-19th Century when Christian cults started forming. First came the
Mormons, then the Jehovah's Witnesses, and then a great variety of
spiritualist groups like the Church of Christ Scientists and the Unity
Church.
The apostasy of the mainline Christian denominations
began in the 1920's when the German school of higher criticism invaded
American seminaries and undermined the authority of the Scriptures,
teaching that the Bible is Man's search for God rather than God's
revelation to Man.
During the 1960's Satanism exploded on the American
scene and has since been exported worldwide through American movies,
books, and television programs. Dabbling in the occult has become
commonplace in the form of astrology, numerology, crystal gazing,
transcendental meditation, and channeling. The whole trend has
consummated in the appearance of the New Age Movement with its teaching
that Man is God.
As society has secularized, true Christianity has
come under increasing attack. Judeo-Christian values, once the
foundation of Western Civilization, are now openly mocked, and those who
still adhere to them are castigated as "intolerant fundamentalists" by
the media.
The positive spiritual signs include the proclamation of the Gospel to the whole world (Matthew 24:14), a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28-32), and spiritual illumination to understand prophecies that have been "sealed up" until the end times (Daniel 12:4,9).
As with the negative signs, we are seeing these
positive signs fulfilled in our day and time. Through the use of modern
technology, the Gospel has been proclaimed throughout the world in this
Century, and the Bible has been translated into all major languages.
The great end time pouring out of the Holy Spirit that was prophesied by the prophet Joel has also begun. Joel called it "the latter rain" (Joel 2:23),
and he said it would occur after the Jews had returned to their land.
The state of Israel was re-established in 1948. In 1949 God anointed two
ministries that would have a worldwide impact — the ministries of Billy
Graham and Oral Roberts. Then, in the 60's, came the Charismatic
Movement which prompted renewal in worship and gave emphasis to the
continuing validity of the gifts of the Spirit.
The acceleration in the understanding of Bible prophecy began in 1970 with the publication of Hal Lindsey's book, The Late Great Planet Earth. It seemed to open up to popular understanding many prophecies that had been "sealed up" until the end times (Daniel 12:4, 9).
Remarkably, it became the number one best seller in the world — with
the sole exception of the Bible — for the next ten years!
4) The Signs of Technology — The
book of Daniel says that there will be an explosion of knowledge in the
end times and that people will move about quickly (Daniel 12:4).
There are many Bible prophecies that cannot be understood apart from
modern technology. For example, how can the whole world look upon two
bodies lying in the streets of Jerusalem (Revelation 11:8-9)?
Modern television satellite technology makes it easy. How can the False
Prophet build an image of the Anti-Christ that appears to be alive (Revelation 13:15)?
The answer, of course, is the science of robotics. How can the False
Prophet require all people on earth to take the mark of the Anti-Christ
in order to buy and sell (Revelation 13:16-17)? It would not be possible apart from computers and lasers.
Jesus said that the Tribulation will be so terrible
that all life on earth would cease to exist if He did not cut the period
short (Matthew 24:21-22).
How could all life be threatened prior to the advent of nuclear
weapons? Another reference to nuclear power is likely contained in
Luke's statement that men in the end times will "faint from fear" because "the powers of the heavens will be shaken" (Luke 21:26). That certainly sounds like a reference to the splitting of the atom.
5) The Signs of World Politics — The
Bible prophesies that there will be a certain pattern of world politics
that will characterize the end time geopolitical map.
The focus will be the re-established state of Israel (Zechariah 12:2-3). It will be besieged by a menacing nation from the "remote parts of the north," the nation of "Rosh" — or modern day Russia (Ezekiel 38:2,6). There will also be a threatening nation to the East that will be capable of sending an army of 200 million — namely, China (Revelation 9:13-16 and Revelation 16:12-13).
A third source of danger to Israel will be the Arab nations that
immediately surround it. They will covet the land and will try to take
it from the Jews (Ezekiel 35:10 and 36:2).
Another key player on the world political scene in
the end times will be a coalition of European nations that will form a
confederation centered in the area of the old Roman empire (Daniel 2:41-44, Daniel 7:7,23-24, and Revelation 17:12-13).
This confederation will serve as the political base for the rise of the
Anti-Christ and the creation of his worldwide kingdom (Daniel 7:8).
Other international political signs include wars and rumors of wars (Matthew 24:6), civil wars (Matthew 24:7), and general international terrorism and lawlessness (Matthew 24:12).
6) The Signs of Israel — The signs related to the state of Israel are prolific and very important.
The most frequently repeated prophecy in the Old Testament is the prediction that the Jewish people will be regathered from the "four corners of the earth" in the end times (Isaiah 11:10-12). The Bible states that a consequence of this regathering will be the re-establishment of the state of Israel (Isaiah 66:7-8).
The Scriptures say that once the Jews are back in their land, the land
itself will experience a miracle of reclamation (Isaiah 35). The desert
will bloom and people will exclaim, "This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden" (Ezekiel 36:35).
Another end time miracle will be the revival of the Hebrew language (Zephaniah 3:9).
Most people are not aware of the fact that when the Jews were dispersed
from their land in 70 A.D., they ceased to speak the Hebrew language.
The Jews who settled in Europe developed a new language called Yiddish —
a combination of German and Hebrew. The Jews who migrated to the
Mediterranean basin created a language called Ladino — a combination of
Hebrew and Spanish.
Other significant signs of Israel that we are told to watch for in the end times include the re-occupation of Jerusalem (Luke 21:24), the resurgence of Israeli military strength (Zechariah 12:6), and the re-focusing of world politics on Israel (Zechariah 12:3).
All these signs have been fulfilled in this century.
The nation has been re-established, the land has been reclaimed, the
ancient language has been revived, the Jews are back in Jerusalem, and
Israel is the focal point of world politics.
Jesus says in Luke 21:28 that when these signs begin to happen, we should "straighten up and lift up our heads" because "our redemption is drawing near."
The Key Signs
The most important signs are the ones that relate to
Israel because God uses the Jews throughout the Scriptures as His
prophetic time clock. By this I mean that very often when the Lord is
revealing an important event that will take place in the future, He will
point to the Jewish people and state that when a certain thing happens
to them, the important event will also occur.
A good example of this principle can be found in
Daniel 9 in the famous "Seventy Weeks of Years" prophecy. The prophet
tells us to watch for a decree to be issued that will authorize the
rebuilding of Jerusalem. He then says that the Messiah will come
sixty-nine weeks of years (483 years) after that decree is issued to the
Jewish people.
There are two key prophecies which relate the return
of Jesus to events that have occurred in Jewish history since 1948.
These two events clearly established the period in which we are now
living as the season of the Lord's return.
The State of Israel
The first is the re-establishment of the state of
Israel which occurred on May 14, 1948. Jesus singled out this event as
the one that would signal His soon return.
His prophecy is contained in the fig tree parable (Matthew 24:32-35)
which He presented in His Olivet Discourse. The day before He delivered
this speech, He had put a curse on a barren fig tree, causing it to
wither (Matthew 21:18-19).
This was a symbolic prophecy that God would soon pour out His wrath
upon the Jewish people because of their spiritual barrenness in
rejecting His Son.
The next day Jesus reminded His disciples of the fig
tree. He said to watch for it to bloom again. In other words, He said
watch for the rebirth of Israel. He indicated that when the fig tree
blooms again, He would be at the gates of Heaven, ready to return (Matthew 24:33).
Equally significant, He added an interesting observation: "Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place" (Matthew 24:34). What generation? The generation that sees the fig tree blossom.
We are that generation. The fig tree has blossomed. Jesus is at the gates.
The City of Jerusalem
The second key event was prophesied by Jesus in the same speech, as recorded by Luke: "[The
Jews] will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into
all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the
Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (Luke 21:24).
The first half of this prophecy was fulfilled in 70
A.D., forty years after Jesus spoke the words. In that year the Romans
under Titus conquered Jerusalem and dispersed the Jews among the
nations. Jerusalem remained under Gentile occupation for 1,897 years —
until June 7, 1967, when Israel won the city back during the Six Day
War.
The Jewish re-occupation of the city of Jerusalem is
proof positive that we are living in the season of the Lord's return.
Jesus said it would mark the end of the Gentile Age.
A Call to Action
There is no way to escape the conclusion that we are
living on borrowed time. The signs of the times are upon us, and they
are shouting for our attention.
Are you ready? If Jesus were to return today, would He be your "Blessed Hope" (Titus 2:11-14) or would He be your "Holy Terror" (Revelation 6:12-17)?
If you have never received Him as your Lord and Savior, now is the time
to act. Repent of your sins, and call upon the name of the Lord that
you might be saved (Acts 2:14-39).
And if you are a Christian, are you living as if
Jesus might return any minute? Have you committed your life to holiness?
Are you praying for the lost and witnessing for the Lord when you have
an opportunity?
Are you yearning for the Lord's return? Can you say with Paul that you are a candidate for a "crown of righteousness" because you have lived your life "in the love of His appearing" (2 Timothy 4:7-8)?
Jesus Came. What's Next?
Jesus Came. What's Next?
Further details on life during the Tribulation.
by Nathan E. Jones
http://www.lamblion.com/articles/articles_rapture2.php
If you are reading this because millions of people
have suddenly and mysteriously disappeared, then you are looking for
answers to what has happened, why it has happened, and what will be
happening next.
What Has Happened
First, as to what has happened — Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has returned.
For 2000 years the Bible has been proclaiming to the world that Jesus would be coming back. Jesus stated in John 14:3, "I will come back."
Because Jesus has returned, millions of people who
have put their faith and trust in Jesus as Savior, accepting His free
gift of salvation, have disappeared in an event called the Rapture.
You might be thinking that there was something
mysterious in the sudden disappearance of millions of people, but the
Bible has already explained this so-called mystery. Jesus said that
when He came again, He would come for those who are saved. He said, "I will receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also" (John 14:1-4). The Apostle Paul put it this way: "Behold,
I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed,
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet" (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
The Rapture happened to those of us who accepted
Jesus as Savior, both those alive and those who had died since Jesus was
resurrected. Both groups — living and resurrected believers — were
caught up to be with Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
This all happened very quickly, like a flash of
lightning. Jesus left as suddenly as He came, taking those who have
accepted Him and His salvation, and leaving behind those who have
rejected Him. And you, sadly, have been left behind.
Well, maybe you know a loved one who has disappeared —
a wife, a husband, a child, a friend — and are wondering what has
become of them. In that flash, as those who had accepted Jesus as their
Savior were caught up to meet Jesus in the air, they traded their
earthly bodies for bodies that are perfect, imperishable and immortal (1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 50-55).
They sit with Jesus now in Heaven at a great banquet
called the "Marriage Supper of the Lamb" (Revelation 19). They will
live in great joy and know no sorrow. They will be with their King and
live in love forever. They are well taken care of, and you don't have
to worry about them.
Why It Has Happened
But, it is the why of the disappearances that is your
cause to worry. For believers in Jesus were taken out of this world to
spare them from the great wrath that has just begun to befall the
planet (Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9).
Jesus' return for all His true believers was just a
prelude to His final Second Coming. The second phase of Jesus' return
is to set up His Kingdom on earth. Jesus' Kingdom is why this whole
thing is happening.
You see, we have come to the end of one age and will
soon be beginning the age of Jesus' glorious reign right here on earth.
But first, God has to deal with rebellion — sin — before setting up His
Kingdom. God's going to use this intermediate time period you now live
in to pour out His wrath on mankind for its continued refusal to accept
His Lordship. The time you live in is called the Tribulation.
What It's About
What is the Tribulation all about? The unparalleled
horror of the Tribulation is spelled out in detail in both the Hebrew
Scriptures and the New Testament. Isaiah wrote that it will be a day of "the terror of the Lord" when "the pride of men will be abased" (Isaiah 2:10,17,19). Zephaniah proclaimed that it will be a "day of wrath," "a day of trouble and distress," and "a day of destruction and desolation." Men will stumble around like they are blind and "their blood will be poured out like dust" (Zephaniah 1:15,17).
This dreary picture is echoed in the New Testament. Jesus said it will be a time of tribulation "such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall."
In fact, Jesus said it will be so terrible that if it were not stopped
at the end of seven years, it would result in the destruction of all
life (Matthew 24:21-22).
The Apostle John states that the chaos will be so
great that the leaders of the world will crawl into caves and cry out
for the rocks of the mountains to fall upon them (Revelation 6:15-16).
Why is there going to be such carnage? How could a
God of grace, mercy and love allow such an outbreak of unbridled terror
and bloodshed?
One reason is to satisfy the justice of God. Yes, God
is characterized by grace, mercy and love. God is a God of love.
Jesus says so in John 3:16, "For
God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that
whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."
But, God is also a God of justice. The Bible also says in John 3:36, "He
who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the
Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." It is God's very nature to love, but also in love to see justice done for evil.
What Comes Next
So, what comes next? For starters, people are going
to try to explain away the Rapture with all sorts of wild theories, like
possibly Global Warming or UFOs. So-called "Christian" leaders are
going to come out and say the Church is still around because they didn't
disappear.
Jesus said in Matthew 24:24
that they cannot be believed, for the times will be filled with false
religious teachers. The greatest of these false teachers the Bible
calls the False Prophet, and he will seemingly be able to do many
miracles and will promote a one-world religion and leader (Revelation 13:11).
Amid all the chaos from the Rapture, the Bible teaches that the world will turn to a dynamic leader to bring order and peace (Revelation 6:1-2). He will succeed where no other person has been able in establishing a peace treaty for Israel (Daniel 9:27). That treaty marks the official beginning of the 7 years that the Tribulation will last.
But, the world leader, known to believers in Jesus as
the Antichrist, is anything but peaceful. He will plunge the planet
into nuclear world war, resulting in terrible famines, pestilence and
mass death. Violence, disease and starvation will be a way of life. A
quarter of the world population — almost 2 billion people — will die
from this war (Revelation 6).
In Jerusalem, 2 men will appear and preach there for 3 1/2 years that Jesus is the Messiah the Jews have been looking for (Revelation 11:3).
144,000 Jews will call Jesus their Messiah and also preach about Him
throughout the whole world. Millions will accept Jesus as their Savior —
hopefully you will be one of them. But, many of those millions of
believers will be killed by the Antichrist for not pledging their
loyalty to him by receiving his mark on either their right hand or
forehead. The persecution of believers in Jesus will be awful in the
Tribulation (Daniel 7:21; Revelation 7).
Next, the greatest earthquake the world has yet experienced will devastate the planet (Revelation 6:12-14).
Something falling from space will then burn up a third of all the
world's vegetation. A second item from space, probably a meteor, will
crash into the ocean and annihilate a third of the world's marine life
and ships. A third object from space will taint the world's water
supply, poisoning millions (Revelation 8:7-11).
The devastation to the atmosphere will block out most of the sun and moonlight so that the days appear shorter (Revelation 8:12).
Next, some supernatural "woes"
will befall mankind. First, the holding place for a demonic hoard is
opened and millions of locust-looking demons pour out and sting people
like scorpions. The pain will last 5 whole months. Second, 200 million
riders on horse-creatures will burn and impale, wiping out a remaining
third of the people (Revelation 9:1-19).
Three and a half years into the Tribulation will see
the 2 men witnessing in Jerusalem killed, but 3 1/2 days later come back
to life (Revelation 11:7-12). It will also see the Antichrist supposedly killed and appear to come back to life as well (Revelation 13:3).
And that's just the first half of the Tribulation.
As bad as the first half of the seven years is, the next half is even
worse (Revelation 16).
Those who take the Antichrist's loyalty mark on their
hand or forehead will suffer from painful boils. Those who don't take
the mark will be cut off from commerce and hunted down, but the Bible
assures (Revelation 20:4-6) that those who take the mark have made a decision that will last forever — eternal damnation — so don't take it!
The oceans and everything in them are totally
destroyed, as well as all the fresh water. The heat from the sun will
become scorching. The Antichrist's kingdom will fall into pitch
darkness.
An even greater earthquake than the one 7 years
earlier will flatten the earth and 100 pound hailstones will crush the
inhabitants.
The Euphrates River in Iraq will dry up and a massive
army from the East will cross and enter the Valley of Armageddon in
Israel to fight the Antichrist's army. This is what the Book of
Revelation calls the battle of Armageddon.
It is the moment that Jesus will gloriously return
with all those who disappeared in the Rapture. Jesus Himself by just
speaking will destroy the armies at Armageddon. Jesus will throw the
Antichrist and the False Prophet into Hell, and Satan into a deep pit.
Jesus will be victorious and all who continued to rebel will be put to
death — all of them (Revelation 19:11-21; 20:1-3). This is the Tribulation — the wrath of God.
What You Can Do
Now, you may be asking "God, why didn't you tell us all this before the Rapture so we could get ready."
Well, He did. The Bible clearly teaches that God never pours out His
wrath without warning for He is a just and loving God who does not wish
that any should perish. That is why God provided the Bible, the Good
News about Jesus spreading across the planet, and the many signs
alerting us to the fact that we were living on the threshold of the
Tribulation and soon return of Jesus Christ. God gave the world every
possible chance for 2000 years to repent of its rebellion and return to
Him.
But, it's not too late for you to be with Jesus
unless you've taken the mark. You see, this story has a happy ending.
Jesus' return at the end of the Tribulation means great joy to those who
love him. Jesus will cleanse the world of evil and the damages from
His wrath and restore the planet to pristine condition. Jesus will rule
from Jerusalem over those who throughout human history have put their
faith and trust in Him (Revelation 20:4-6,9).
You can be one of those people. Whether you die in
the Tribulation or not, it is where you end up eternally that truly
matters. Everybody who does not accept Jesus as Savior during the
Tribulation will go to Hell for their rebellion. Anyone who accepts
Jesus as Savior, though their earthly bodies may die during the
Tribulation, will then live forever in glorified bodies with Jesus in
His love and glory.
Remember Jesus' promise in John 3:16, "For
God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that
whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." Pray now for forgiveness for your sins and ask Jesus to be the Savior and Lord of your life. Don't delay!
In what little time you have in this life, get a Bible or download one from Bible.org, so you know God's will for your life. Download this and everything you can from our website at lamblion.com or others like raptureready.com
so you can know more about Jesus and what is in store for you in the
Tribulation and the glorious return of Jesus. Gather quickly with
others who have accepted Jesus as Savior for support and to worship
together.
If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, we will be
waiting for you on the other side of this. May God bless you and keep
you. Maranatha!
"The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him." (Nahum 1:7 NIV)
The Woman and the Dragon
By Brian C Thomas
Introduction
The story of the Woman and the Dragon is located in the Book of Revelation chapter 12. This chapter describes a combination of heavenly and earthly warfare events - past and future.
The Woman
"1Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. 2Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth".- Revelation 12:1-2 (NKJ).
The chapter opens by describing a great sign that appeared in heaven. There is a woman clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet, and a garland of twelve stars on her head. A garland is a form of a crown. As is often the case, to get understanding of prophecy, one must look to scripture in earlier books. In Genesis 37:9, Joseph describes the following dream: "Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, "Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me." Here we find almost identical language that describes the woman from Revelation 12:1. Joseph's father gave the following response to his dream, "…and his father rebuked him and said to him, "What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?""- Genesis 37:10. Joseph's father's response reveals that the sun represented him (Jacob), the moon represented Joseph's mother Rachel, and the eleven stars were Joseph's brothers. The descendents of Joseph and his eleven brothers became known as twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph's dream was fulfilled when he was sold into slavery and his family had to come to him for food during the famine. If we apply the same interpretations to Revelation 12:1, we can conclude that this woman is symbolic of the nation of Israel.
Symbol
|
Joseph's Dream (Genesis 37:9-10)
|
The Woman's Description (Revelation 12:1)
|
Sun
|
Joseph's Father (Jacob)
|
Jacob's Descendents*
|
Moon
|
Joseph's Mother (Rachel)
|
Rachel's Descendents*
|
Stars
|
11 - Joseph's brothers
|
Garland of 12 - Descendents of Joseph and his 11 brothers (12 Tribes of Israel)
|
*Note: Jacob and Rachel's descendents all became the nation of Israel as God later changed Jacob's name to Israel.
Verse two states that the woman is in labor pain in preparation to give birth to a child. We find similar text in Micah 4:10 that confirms the woman in labor is symbolic of Israel, "Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, Like a woman in birth pangs…"
The Dragon
"3And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born". - Revelation 12:3-4 (NKJ).
The fiery red dragon in heaven is Satan. His fiery red color represents the blood of the great number of people that have been murdered at his hands. He has seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. A diadem is another form of crown that signified royalty. What the seven heads represent is a bit difficult to determine. A few scenarios are:
Scenario 1: Seven kings of the Roman Empire.
Scenario 2: Seven forms of worldly governments.
Scenario 3: Rome was known as the city built on seven hills. The seven heads represent the seven hills.
Scenario 4: Seven kingdoms of past, present, and future (as of the time Revelation was written) that oppressed the Jews.
It is possible that the seven heads have multiple meanings and include each of these scenarios. No matter which scenario is correct, they are all tied to satan and the overall conclusion of the prophecy remains the same. To gain understanding of these scriptures, we will look back to other passages as well. We find in the book of Daniel and later chapters of Revelation, a beast with seven heads and ten horns. This beast will attempt to deceive all inhabitants of world. I will elaborate on scenario 4. The symbolism is determined as follows:
- Seven heads = World kingdoms with kings under Satan's control
- Ten horns = Ten end time world leaders that will be under Satan's control
We find evidence of this in the following scriptures:
- There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. - Revelation 17:10
INTERPRETATION: At the time John wrote this book, the nation of Israel had been under the oppression of five kingdoms in its history - Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Media-Persia, and Greece. These were the five that have fallen. Each king in the above scripture represented a kingdom. At the time of John's writing, Israel was in bondage to the Roman Empire. The "one is" found in the above scripture is reference to the Romans. As for, "the other has not yet come" - this refers to a future kingdom which many believe will be the revived Roman Empire known today as the European Union. Time will tell if this last kingdom will be the European Union or some other coalition. The last kingdom will complete the total of seven kingdoms that will have afflicted the Jews. The seven heads of the dragon represent these seven kingdoms that are mentioned in Revelation 12:3.
- The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. - Revelation 17:12
- The ten horns are ten kings Who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; He shall be different from the first ones, And shall subdue three kings. - Daniel 7:24
INTERPRETATION: The ten horns represent 10 world leaders that will arise out of the seventh kingdom. Keep in mind that the European Union is made up of several countries, each with a leader. They will all be inspired by Satan to rule with immorality. Another leader will rise from this kingdom to take the place of three leaders. This will be the ultimate evil ruler, the Antichrist.
The text in Revelation 12:4 goes on to state that the dragon's tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to earth. I think this scripture may have dual representation as well, speaking of a past and future event. This describes what happened to the angels that made allegiance with Satan. A third of the angels fell with Satan when he rebelled against God. They were thrown to earth and then became known as demons in Satan's army. Daniel 8:10 gives another account of this event, "And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them". But although satan and his angels were cast from heaven, he still had access to the throne of God where he visits frequently to falsely accuse the saints. The day will come when satan will no longer have access to God's throne. He will be restricted to earth only. This will happen in the middle of the 7 year covenant with Israel which is known as the Tribulation. He and his angels will terrorize all inhabitants of the earth due to their earthly restriction. Evidence of this is found later in chapter 12, "7And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. 12Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” - Revelation 12:7-12.
The 4th verse in chapter 12 closes with Satan standing before the woman (nation of Israel) waiting to devour her child as soon as it was born.
The Child
"5She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne". - Revelation 12:5.
The woman (nation of Israel) then gave birth to a male Child. Another account of this is found in Isaiah 66:7,"Before she was in labor, she gave birth; Before her pain came, She delivered a male child". This male Child is Jesus Christ. The genealogy of Jesus covers generations of Jews beginning with Abraham, continuing through King David, and ending with Jesus' earthly father Joseph. This is why Jesus is often called the Son of David. The identity of this Child being Jesus is confirmed in the following scripture, "'He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels'- as I also have received from My Father;" - Revelation 2:27. This verse provides the same description of Jesus as Revelation 12:5. We find more confirmation of this identity in, "You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.'" - Psalm 2:9. Jesus ruling with an iron scepter is also found in Revelation 19:15. Prophecy is given here that Jesus will eventually return to earth and rule all the nations. All of Satan's evil kingdoms will be destroyed by Jesus' "rod of iron".
To revisit verse 4 of this chapter, Satan was waiting to devour the Child as soon as He was born. This prophecy was fulfilled when King Herod attempted to kill Jesus by killing all male babies in Bethlehem. He did this because the Wise Men had prophesied to him that a king would be born in Bethlehem when the star in the east was seen. King Herod feared that this king would overthrow him. But an angel warned Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, to flee to Egypt to escape Herod's slaughter.
Once Jesus completed His mission on earth of bringing salvation by dying on the cross, He was taken to heaven by God. This was the act of God rescuing the Child and taking Him up to His throne to a safe haven.
The Woman in the Wilderness
" 6Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days". - Revelation 12:6.
Much earthly suffering and destruction is in the future for mankind. As bad as things are in the world today, it will become exponentially worse as the Antichrist approaches his time. For example, one-third of the world's human race will be killed as conflict escalates - Revelation 9:15-18. Based on current world population, that is more than 2 billion people. The Antichrist will make a covenant with Israel for a 7 year period in the future. In the middle of the 7 year covenant (3 ½ year mark), he will betray Israel (Daniel 9:27). This is when the Great Tribulation will begin which is the last half of the 7 year Tribulation. The One thousand two hundred and sixty days refers to the Great Tribulation. During this time, the Antichrist will terrorize the inhabitants of the earth with his focus on the Jews. The months in the Jewish calendar average 30 days long. Thus, 1260 days / 30 days in a month = 42 months. Revelation 13:5 states, "And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months". This verse is speaking of the beast of the sea which is the Antichrist and reveals that he will rule and make war with the saints for 42 months…42 months / 12 months in a year = 3 ½ years. This calculation lines up exactly with the prophecy given by Daniel in Daniel 9:27. We can find further confirmation for this calculation by looking at verse 14 in this same chapter, "14But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent" - Revelation 12:14. It is repeated here that the woman is going into the wilderness for safety. She will be nourished for a time, times, and half a time. A time equals 1 year, times equals 2 years, and half a time equals a half year. Therefore, a time, times, and half a time is a total of 3 ½ years.
Jesus also gave an account of this Great Tribulation in Matthew 24:15-28. God will protect the woman (Israelites) during this time who are obedient to his word. Jesus gave the following instructions for them, "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains" - Matthew 24:15-16. The "abomination of desolation" is the event in which the Antichrist will enter the temple in Jerusalem, proclaim that all worship him as God, and setup a worship center to himself. The Antichrist will kill two-thirds of the Jewish population during this period. But those who are obedient to Jesus' instructions and flee to the mountains will be spared.
Conclusion
In concluding, God gave these prophecies as tools for empowerment and preparation for His people. They are not meant to scare and there is nothing to be afraid of as long as you have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He will protect His people! We find hope and joy in the soon return of our Savior Jesus Christ. Until then, Blessings to Israel and to the only wise God, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.
Future signs of the second coming of Jesus
Posted in Articles
Until the close of the 1800s it was not very easy to find signs that related to the coming of Jesus.� Of course, the rapture has always been an imminent event, yet back then it was difficult for Bible teachers to make definitive statements regarding world events associated with the second coming of Jesus.�
To keep things clear on this subject it must be emphasized that the rapture is not the second coming. The rapture is when Jesus will come in the air to receive His church from this world.� The Second Coming is when He, along with the church, will return to this earth for His millennial reign seven years later.� We can say without question the world events we see happening all around us point to the rapture, but only as the rapture relates in time to the Second Coming.
There were relatively few Bible scholars and teachers back then who placed significance on the rapture of the church because the Christian world had been led to believe there would be no Second Coming, therefore the rapture was an event no Christian could know anything about.� It was considered to be a gloomy and frightful day that most hoped would occur long after they died — people, in their ignorance, were afraid of the rapture as many still are afraid of it today.� As a result it had no practical relevance to everyday life.� Those who refused to acknowledge the rapture also ridiculed the idea that Israel would ever be a nation again.� It was over, they said.� Israel was dead as a nation and God was finished with the Jew.� Beginning with the Zionist Movement of the late 1800s, however, things began to change.
In 1894 Theodore Herzl covered the Alfred Dreyfuss trial in Paris where Dreyfuss , a French Army artillery officer who was a Jew, was wrongly accused of treason due to his accuser’s anti-Semitism.� Mobs on the streets of Paris were shouting “Death to the Jews” during the trial and Herzl, himself a Jew, had his eyes opened to the reality of the Jewish situation in Europe.� He knew Europe would once again become hostile to the Jews living there, and indications were it would not be very long.� Thus, he began calling for a homeland for the Jews, and modern Zionism was born.
This immediately captured the attention of those few Bible scholars and teachers who had always believed and taught that one day the Jews would go back to their ancient homeland and found a modern state of Israel .� From then on those teachers became acutely aware of signs that indicated God was beginning to move once again in the affairs of His ancient people.
The chief sign of the 20th Century was, of course, the reestablishment of Israel in their homeland.� The fulfillment of that prophecy in itself vindicated those teachers and their insistence on the literal interpretation of prophecy.� They had been ridiculed by almost all of Christianity for the stand they took, but in 1948 a lot of crow was eaten by a lot of biblical allegorists.� Yet, most Bible teachers even today still insist it was all a freak of political nature, and that the reestablishment of Israel means nothing as far as prophecy goes.
Further, what often escapes the attention of most Christians is the fact that prophetic signs pointing to the 2nd Coming will also be found during the tribulation period, that seven-year period of hell-on-earth that will follow the rapture.� The church, certainly, will not see the fulfillment of those post-rapture signs from an earthly perspective because she will be in heaven with her Lord.� There will, however, be a great multitude of those left behind after the rapture that will see them and know exactly what they mean.� Taking a stand on what they know will cost them their heads (Revelation 7: 9ff; 20:4).
Perhaps the first and foremost of those tribulation signs will be when Anti-Christ makes some sort of treaty with Israel as seen in Daniel 9:27 .� The signing of this treaty will do two things.� First it will positively identify the Anti-Christ.� So much speculation is going around today about the identity of this “man of lawlessness…son of destruction” and it is all hogwash!� Nobody knows who he is today, though I believe he is alive and well somewhere — waiting in the shadows for events to propel him into worldwide attention.� Second, it will signal a count-down, for in three and one-half years he will break the treaty (Daniel 9:27 ) and turn on the Jews with a hatred that will consume his every thought and action.
We might wonder at the reason for securing this treaty with Israel to begin with.� We can speculate about the details, but one thing is for certain — whatever the intricacies of the negotiations, his motive will be complete and absolute hatred for Jesus and His brethren-by-birth, the Jews.� He will do nothing that will not enhance his satanic scheme, and that is to secure this present earth and everything/everyone on it for Satan, his god.� The world and even the Jews will not have a clue as to what this treaty will mean, but many will know and they will shudder in fear at the thought of what is coming!
Another sign will be when the Jews rebuild their Temple (Matthew 24:15 ).� Presently Israel , the Moslems and the apostate church are in direct opposition to such an idea.� Israel is not interested because she is a secular state whose leadership and citizenry generally have no interest in biblical matters.� Their only goal is to try to get along with everybody and to simply survive the present struggle with the Moslems.� The Moslems hate the Jews and the State of Israel and would not even consider sharing the Temple Mount with a Jewish Temple.� And the apostate church sees anything having to do with Israel , especially in a religious context, as a threat to her own imperialism and control of the world’s religious masses.� Yet, the rebuilding of the Temple is a tribulation period sign that will point to the 2nd Coming.
There are several groups in Israel today that are working toward the goal of rebuilding the Temple.� Various Temple vessels have already been constructed for future use in the building and garments have been made which the priests will wear during their service in the Temple.� Two cornerstones have already been hewn that will be the first stones laid when the process begins.� I believe this will happen during the tribulation period because I believe the go-ahead for construction will be associated in some way with the destruction of the Russian/Arab coalition of Ezekiel 38 ,39 and/or the treaty mentioned above.
Another tribulation sign is the desecration of that same Temple by the anti-Christ.� This will happen at the mid-point of the seven-year period.� At that time most significant threats to his grab for world-wide power will be out of the way, at least in his mind, and he will see no need whatsoever for continuing his charade with the Jews any longer.� To feign friendship with the Jews will be almost insufferable for him, and by that time he will relish revealing his true character to them.� He will demand their worship in their own Temple and this, in turn, will be intolerable for them.
It is at this point all stops are pulled out and anti-Christ will fully unleash every tool of terror and evil against the Jews.� No holes will be barred and no punches will be pulled.� Jewish blood will flow everywhere.� Persecuted tribulation saints will not miss this sign, either.������
Another sign will be an event the world is somewhat familiar with, at least by name.� It will be the gathering of the armies of the world in a valley in northern Israel in order to stage, consolidate, supply and organize anti-Christ’s forces for the push toward Jerusalem.� That valley is called Armageddon and is mentioned in Revelation 16:12-16 .� Most of the world, and even most of the religious world, associates this last great battle with the valley of Armageddon , but in reality the real thrust of the battle will occur in and around Jerusalem.
Those tribulation saints still alive at this time will see this great gathering and will rejoice for they will know the end is near.� They will understand that Jesus’ return will happen when the total decimation of the Jews is imminent.� That is, when Jerusalem is in the throes of collapse and the remnant of Jews is at the precipice of annihilation.
The culmination of these, and other signs that will occur during the tribulation, will be the return of Jesus, a subject addressed in greater detail in a previous newsletter.
But, the interesting thing about these tribulation signs is to be found in a comparison between how they might be viewed by persecuted tribulation saints then and how most at-ease Christians view the signs of our day.� Could it be that persecution, torture and death will cause them to be more sensitive to what God has predicted than we are?� If so, why?
It might be that the rapture and succeeding events will do for post-rapture saints what all other signs since the late 1800s have been unable to do for most of the pre-rapture saints, i.e., the church.� That is, awaken them from the slumber Peter addresses in 2 Peter 3:3 ,4 .� Sadly, you see, any number of Christians are disinterested in prophetic signs because they have� become comfortable with their place in this world and feel put-upon by all those prophecy teachers and all their warnings.� That, it seems, will not be a problem in the tribulation for those who know the truth and choose to act on it.
One last thing must be clarified.� The term “tribulation saints” has been mentioned several times.� Some might conclude they can simply neglect salvation presently, live as they wish and be saved during the tribulation.� Sort of a second chance deal. � Make no mistake about it: there is no such thing as a second chance.� As long as a person is alive he has opportunity, but death immediately ends all chances for ever.�
Only a fool would think about taking such a risk.� For one thing a person’s next moment of life is not guaranteed, not in this dispensation nor in the tribulation.� Secondly, if a person refuses to choose Christ now when it costs nothing (at least in this country) what makes him so sure he will choose Christ when the choice will cost him his head?� Further, his attitude might put him in that post-rapture group Paul spoke about in 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 ; the group that chooses to believe the lie no matter the evidence.
The study of signs is important to an understanding of prophecy, but there is something more important.� We are at the point in the history of the world that we should not be looking for signs so much as looking for the event toward which the signs point!� The rapture of the church should not be a surprise event to any Christian.�� DLM
dedicated servers Copyright © 2011 Crown & Sickle Ministries. All Rights
Until the close of the 1800s it was not very easy to find signs that related to the coming of Jesus.� Of course, the rapture has always been an imminent event, yet back then it was difficult for Bible teachers to make definitive statements regarding world events associated with the second coming of Jesus.�
To keep things clear on this subject it must be emphasized that the rapture is not the second coming. The rapture is when Jesus will come in the air to receive His church from this world.� The Second Coming is when He, along with the church, will return to this earth for His millennial reign seven years later.� We can say without question the world events we see happening all around us point to the rapture, but only as the rapture relates in time to the Second Coming.
There were relatively few Bible scholars and teachers back then who placed significance on the rapture of the church because the Christian world had been led to believe there would be no Second Coming, therefore the rapture was an event no Christian could know anything about.� It was considered to be a gloomy and frightful day that most hoped would occur long after they died — people, in their ignorance, were afraid of the rapture as many still are afraid of it today.� As a result it had no practical relevance to everyday life.� Those who refused to acknowledge the rapture also ridiculed the idea that Israel would ever be a nation again.� It was over, they said.� Israel was dead as a nation and God was finished with the Jew.� Beginning with the Zionist Movement of the late 1800s, however, things began to change.
In 1894 Theodore Herzl covered the Alfred Dreyfuss trial in Paris where Dreyfuss , a French Army artillery officer who was a Jew, was wrongly accused of treason due to his accuser’s anti-Semitism.� Mobs on the streets of Paris were shouting “Death to the Jews” during the trial and Herzl, himself a Jew, had his eyes opened to the reality of the Jewish situation in Europe.� He knew Europe would once again become hostile to the Jews living there, and indications were it would not be very long.� Thus, he began calling for a homeland for the Jews, and modern Zionism was born.
This immediately captured the attention of those few Bible scholars and teachers who had always believed and taught that one day the Jews would go back to their ancient homeland and found a modern state of Israel .� From then on those teachers became acutely aware of signs that indicated God was beginning to move once again in the affairs of His ancient people.
The chief sign of the 20th Century was, of course, the reestablishment of Israel in their homeland.� The fulfillment of that prophecy in itself vindicated those teachers and their insistence on the literal interpretation of prophecy.� They had been ridiculed by almost all of Christianity for the stand they took, but in 1948 a lot of crow was eaten by a lot of biblical allegorists.� Yet, most Bible teachers even today still insist it was all a freak of political nature, and that the reestablishment of Israel means nothing as far as prophecy goes.
Further, what often escapes the attention of most Christians is the fact that prophetic signs pointing to the 2nd Coming will also be found during the tribulation period, that seven-year period of hell-on-earth that will follow the rapture.� The church, certainly, will not see the fulfillment of those post-rapture signs from an earthly perspective because she will be in heaven with her Lord.� There will, however, be a great multitude of those left behind after the rapture that will see them and know exactly what they mean.� Taking a stand on what they know will cost them their heads (Revelation 7: 9ff; 20:4).
Perhaps the first and foremost of those tribulation signs will be when Anti-Christ makes some sort of treaty with Israel as seen in Daniel 9:27 .� The signing of this treaty will do two things.� First it will positively identify the Anti-Christ.� So much speculation is going around today about the identity of this “man of lawlessness…son of destruction” and it is all hogwash!� Nobody knows who he is today, though I believe he is alive and well somewhere — waiting in the shadows for events to propel him into worldwide attention.� Second, it will signal a count-down, for in three and one-half years he will break the treaty (Daniel 9:27 ) and turn on the Jews with a hatred that will consume his every thought and action.
We might wonder at the reason for securing this treaty with Israel to begin with.� We can speculate about the details, but one thing is for certain — whatever the intricacies of the negotiations, his motive will be complete and absolute hatred for Jesus and His brethren-by-birth, the Jews.� He will do nothing that will not enhance his satanic scheme, and that is to secure this present earth and everything/everyone on it for Satan, his god.� The world and even the Jews will not have a clue as to what this treaty will mean, but many will know and they will shudder in fear at the thought of what is coming!
Another sign will be when the Jews rebuild their Temple (Matthew 24:15 ).� Presently Israel , the Moslems and the apostate church are in direct opposition to such an idea.� Israel is not interested because she is a secular state whose leadership and citizenry generally have no interest in biblical matters.� Their only goal is to try to get along with everybody and to simply survive the present struggle with the Moslems.� The Moslems hate the Jews and the State of Israel and would not even consider sharing the Temple Mount with a Jewish Temple.� And the apostate church sees anything having to do with Israel , especially in a religious context, as a threat to her own imperialism and control of the world’s religious masses.� Yet, the rebuilding of the Temple is a tribulation period sign that will point to the 2nd Coming.
There are several groups in Israel today that are working toward the goal of rebuilding the Temple.� Various Temple vessels have already been constructed for future use in the building and garments have been made which the priests will wear during their service in the Temple.� Two cornerstones have already been hewn that will be the first stones laid when the process begins.� I believe this will happen during the tribulation period because I believe the go-ahead for construction will be associated in some way with the destruction of the Russian/Arab coalition of Ezekiel 38 ,39 and/or the treaty mentioned above.
Another tribulation sign is the desecration of that same Temple by the anti-Christ.� This will happen at the mid-point of the seven-year period.� At that time most significant threats to his grab for world-wide power will be out of the way, at least in his mind, and he will see no need whatsoever for continuing his charade with the Jews any longer.� To feign friendship with the Jews will be almost insufferable for him, and by that time he will relish revealing his true character to them.� He will demand their worship in their own Temple and this, in turn, will be intolerable for them.
It is at this point all stops are pulled out and anti-Christ will fully unleash every tool of terror and evil against the Jews.� No holes will be barred and no punches will be pulled.� Jewish blood will flow everywhere.� Persecuted tribulation saints will not miss this sign, either.������
Another sign will be an event the world is somewhat familiar with, at least by name.� It will be the gathering of the armies of the world in a valley in northern Israel in order to stage, consolidate, supply and organize anti-Christ’s forces for the push toward Jerusalem.� That valley is called Armageddon and is mentioned in Revelation 16:12-16 .� Most of the world, and even most of the religious world, associates this last great battle with the valley of Armageddon , but in reality the real thrust of the battle will occur in and around Jerusalem.
Those tribulation saints still alive at this time will see this great gathering and will rejoice for they will know the end is near.� They will understand that Jesus’ return will happen when the total decimation of the Jews is imminent.� That is, when Jerusalem is in the throes of collapse and the remnant of Jews is at the precipice of annihilation.
The culmination of these, and other signs that will occur during the tribulation, will be the return of Jesus, a subject addressed in greater detail in a previous newsletter.
But, the interesting thing about these tribulation signs is to be found in a comparison between how they might be viewed by persecuted tribulation saints then and how most at-ease Christians view the signs of our day.� Could it be that persecution, torture and death will cause them to be more sensitive to what God has predicted than we are?� If so, why?
It might be that the rapture and succeeding events will do for post-rapture saints what all other signs since the late 1800s have been unable to do for most of the pre-rapture saints, i.e., the church.� That is, awaken them from the slumber Peter addresses in 2 Peter 3:3 ,4 .� Sadly, you see, any number of Christians are disinterested in prophetic signs because they have� become comfortable with their place in this world and feel put-upon by all those prophecy teachers and all their warnings.� That, it seems, will not be a problem in the tribulation for those who know the truth and choose to act on it.
One last thing must be clarified.� The term “tribulation saints” has been mentioned several times.� Some might conclude they can simply neglect salvation presently, live as they wish and be saved during the tribulation.� Sort of a second chance deal. � Make no mistake about it: there is no such thing as a second chance.� As long as a person is alive he has opportunity, but death immediately ends all chances for ever.�
Only a fool would think about taking such a risk.� For one thing a person’s next moment of life is not guaranteed, not in this dispensation nor in the tribulation.� Secondly, if a person refuses to choose Christ now when it costs nothing (at least in this country) what makes him so sure he will choose Christ when the choice will cost him his head?� Further, his attitude might put him in that post-rapture group Paul spoke about in 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 ; the group that chooses to believe the lie no matter the evidence.
The study of signs is important to an understanding of prophecy, but there is something more important.� We are at the point in the history of the world that we should not be looking for signs so much as looking for the event toward which the signs point!� The rapture of the church should not be a surprise event to any Christian.�� DLM
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