We are living in momentous days. Christians who are interested in the Bible and its prophecies are undoubtedly following current events in Israel and the surrounding countries. According to the Bible, we know that there will be no real peace on earth before the Lord's return. The last days will be characterized by an escalation of lawlessness and the signs described in Matthew 24-25. The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 24:7-14:
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
*Yesterday, I read that the situation in Iraq is desperate - the terrorist group ISIS has control of much of Iraq and Syria and thousands of people have fled from their towns. Many Christians have been killed. Today, I read that ISIS have destroyed the tombs of the prophets Jonah and Seth as well as burning churches, monasteries and mosques in Mosul. There is not much food and some of the social media had closed down yesterday. Israel mobilized 40,000 reserves yesterday in the offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip due to heightened tension after the murders of the three Israeli teenagers last month and the recent murder of an Arab teenager. There is much trouble and unrest in other countries and the persecution of Christians, largely at the hand of Muslims, continues to escalate. Scientists report that the number of large earthquakes doubled in the first quarter of 2014 for no apparent reason in comparison the the same period in 1979. Newspapers warn today that famine is looming in south Sudan and statistics tell us that there are 842 million hungry people in the world. All of the signs mentioned in Matthew 24 are visible in our world today. Jesus warned in Matthew 24:32-35:
"Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."
There are various schools of thought among Christians concerning Biblical eschatology (theology about the end of the world). Some hold the view that Christians (the Church) will stay in the world through the Great Tribulation called 'the abomination of desolation' in Matthew 24:15, while others believe that Jesus will return to the clouds before that and the Church (the Christians) will be raptured. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 4: 15-18:
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.
I personally believe this could happen at any moment because we have the signs around us and and the days are indeed like the days of Noah:
But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. (Matthew 24:37-39)
I have already mentioned Israel. We read in Ezekiel 36:19 that the nation of Israel was scattered among the nations because of their sin, but in Ezekiel 37 verses 21-22a contain the prophecy: ‘Thus says the Lord God: "Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land..." This prophecy is being fulfilled to this day, starting in 1948 when Israel became a nation. There are more than 6 million Jews today living in the state and they are still returning from many different countries. We know from the Bible that in the last days the countries around Israel will want to destroy her. The Psalmist prophesied that the enemies of Israel will say: They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” (Psalm 83:4). Ezekiel 38 contains the prophecy of the war against Israel in the last days. Ezekiel mentions the countries which will attack Israel: Gog, present-day Russia, Persia, present-day Iran, Cush, present-day Sudan, Put, present-day Libya, Gomer, present-day Turkey, and 'many people' could be the enemies of Israel in the surrounding countries. We can see today that these countries could easily form an alliance against Israel. We know that the war in Ezekiel 38 is not Armaggedon (see Revelation 16:16, 19:11-21) because all the nations will attack Israel and Jesus will conquer on that day. This war could happen soon and the Living God will then intervene:
“And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,” says the Lord God, “that My fury will show in My face. For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: ‘Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel, so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.’ I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains,” says the Lord God. “Every man’s sword will be against his brother. And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.”’ (Ezekiel 38: 18-23)
We are living under God's great mercy and we even tend to forget at times that God's timetable for the future will be fulfilled. (Material for next blog). Do you think for a moment that God will endure much longer the huge injustice and lawlessness in the world? I do not think so. The day will come when He will do all He has promised in the Bible and along with the Jews, the Christians (saved people from all nations) will be with Him in His Kingdom. Are we ready? The Day will come. Maranatha!
*Updated
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
*Yesterday, I read that the situation in Iraq is desperate - the terrorist group ISIS has control of much of Iraq and Syria and thousands of people have fled from their towns. Many Christians have been killed. Today, I read that ISIS have destroyed the tombs of the prophets Jonah and Seth as well as burning churches, monasteries and mosques in Mosul. There is not much food and some of the social media had closed down yesterday. Israel mobilized 40,000 reserves yesterday in the offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip due to heightened tension after the murders of the three Israeli teenagers last month and the recent murder of an Arab teenager. There is much trouble and unrest in other countries and the persecution of Christians, largely at the hand of Muslims, continues to escalate. Scientists report that the number of large earthquakes doubled in the first quarter of 2014 for no apparent reason in comparison the the same period in 1979. Newspapers warn today that famine is looming in south Sudan and statistics tell us that there are 842 million hungry people in the world. All of the signs mentioned in Matthew 24 are visible in our world today. Jesus warned in Matthew 24:32-35:
"Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."
There are various schools of thought among Christians concerning Biblical eschatology (theology about the end of the world). Some hold the view that Christians (the Church) will stay in the world through the Great Tribulation called 'the abomination of desolation' in Matthew 24:15, while others believe that Jesus will return to the clouds before that and the Church (the Christians) will be raptured. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 4: 15-18:
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.
I personally believe this could happen at any moment because we have the signs around us and and the days are indeed like the days of Noah:
But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. (Matthew 24:37-39)
I have already mentioned Israel. We read in Ezekiel 36:19 that the nation of Israel was scattered among the nations because of their sin, but in Ezekiel 37 verses 21-22a contain the prophecy: ‘Thus says the Lord God: "Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land..." This prophecy is being fulfilled to this day, starting in 1948 when Israel became a nation. There are more than 6 million Jews today living in the state and they are still returning from many different countries. We know from the Bible that in the last days the countries around Israel will want to destroy her. The Psalmist prophesied that the enemies of Israel will say: They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” (Psalm 83:4). Ezekiel 38 contains the prophecy of the war against Israel in the last days. Ezekiel mentions the countries which will attack Israel: Gog, present-day Russia, Persia, present-day Iran, Cush, present-day Sudan, Put, present-day Libya, Gomer, present-day Turkey, and 'many people' could be the enemies of Israel in the surrounding countries. We can see today that these countries could easily form an alliance against Israel. We know that the war in Ezekiel 38 is not Armaggedon (see Revelation 16:16, 19:11-21) because all the nations will attack Israel and Jesus will conquer on that day. This war could happen soon and the Living God will then intervene:
“And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,” says the Lord God, “that My fury will show in My face. For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: ‘Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel, so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.’ I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains,” says the Lord God. “Every man’s sword will be against his brother. And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.”’ (Ezekiel 38: 18-23)
We are living under God's great mercy and we even tend to forget at times that God's timetable for the future will be fulfilled. (Material for next blog). Do you think for a moment that God will endure much longer the huge injustice and lawlessness in the world? I do not think so. The day will come when He will do all He has promised in the Bible and along with the Jews, the Christians (saved people from all nations) will be with Him in His Kingdom. Are we ready? The Day will come. Maranatha!
*Updated
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