Looking with spiritual eyes the signs of the times
Trials, difficulties and even judgments are a way for God to call one to repentance. Sometimes God causes us to go through such trial in order to catch our attention. At this time, we are about to be ushered into a time of trouble and many calamities the earth never experienced before. Some of these disasters are man-made and some are natural. When these come, our faith will be tested. Some of us will come back to God and repent but some will drift away.
Since the beginning of time, it has always been a cycle of darkness (departure from God) and then light (revival or a return to God). The Covid-19 pandemic, with government mandated closures and fear of the unknown, caused great harm to the Body of Christ and as a result the body has become weak. Two years after, many in the body have become complacent with church attendance not returning to pre-pandemic levels and some churches which closed are not reopening. The lukewarmness already apparent pre-pandemic continued and, in my opinion, worsened.
Right now, there is darkness in the world and it will get darker even more as we enter the “beginning of sorrows” spoken of by the Lord in Matthew 24:8. In the horizon is the Lord’s coming to take the Church home in the rapture, to deliver her from the wrath to come. Afterwards, He will judge this Christ rejecting world in what is known as the great tribulation, to cleanse the world and start anew. It is just like when He judged the world with flood and began anew with Noah and his sons. This time, after the cleansing, the Messiah will reign as king over all the earth, yes, on earth in Jerusalem, during the millennium.
The Lord described the great tribulation as a period of seven years of catastrophe, famine and trouble never experienced before. With Satan, the Anti-Christ and the False Prophet allowed to be in control, they will force everyone to take the “mark of the beast” and be their follower. If you refuse, you cannot buy or sell. That means basic needs for human existence will be denied for those who reject Anti-Christ.
Save for the deception, if given a choice to believe in God or believe the Anti-Christ, we know you will choose to follow God. But, that could mean martyrdom! Those who will choose God, who will be martyred, are the people of the revival. The bible says in Revelation 6:10 that there will be a great harvest of soul during the great tribulation who will show up in heaven and ask God to avenge their death. The good news is they are in heaven but the bad news is they were martyred.
While that time is not yet and the Lord’s warning is clear, isn’t it logical to do everything we can to avoid going through the great tribulation. The way to do that is to plan to escape, before it happens and that is to say – be part of the rapture.
What can you do to be included in the rapture and avoid experiencing the great tribulation? Acknowledge your need for a savior, come to Him and receive Him as your Lord and Savior. Then you become His child. We explain what this means in the article “Superficial versus True Conversion” also in this website (www.forgivenmuchph.org). Believers who are unsure of their salvation must also prayerfully consider the truth in the said article to make sure their profession is true and therefore safe also to come home in the rapture.
Do not Disregard the warnings
The encouragement to us all is to seek Him and find Him while there is still time. Do not delay. Scripture encourages His followers to be diligent to seek Him, to see what He revealed hidden in scriptures so we will have wisdom to know what to do.
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6
“I (wisdom) love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me.” Proverbs 8:17
We have to exert effort to seek and find God. That is because there is an enemy working to keep us blind or, if not blind, complacent. But, to whom the truth is revealed, the glory of Christ appears. Look at this verse:
“But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” 2 Corinthians 4:3
The signs of His imminent return
The Lord is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. That is the reason He gave signs to warn us of the judgment to come. He is actually reasoning with us to take heed and believe. Based on all His previous warnings and prophesies that came to pass, there is no reason to doubt that what He said is coming in the future will come to pass.
In Luke 10:44, the Lord faulted the Jews for not knowing the time of their visitation (by God; by His coming into the world). That is because they disregarded the warnings He gave through the prophets. Let us not fail like them. Let us take the posture of readiness like a faithful servant waiting for his master.
To emphasize our point, let us study these five signs that foretell the coming of the great tribulation. If these signs are here, the dreadful event cannot be far behind.
From Messiah’s own words
In Matthew 24:1, His disciples asked these questions: “Tell us when will these things (the end) be? And what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”
He answered: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name and deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 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 nations and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:4-14)
The Lord’s answer describes events that are like birth pains appearing and growing in intensity and frequency. It is hard not to see that what the Lord described is already here.
70th Week Prophecy of Daniel
At the end of the 70 years captivity in Babylon, Daniel, understanding the prophesy of Jeremiah that the captivity will last 70 years, prayed for guidance as to what is next for Israel. In response to his prayer the angel Gabriel was commanded to go down to earth and explain to Daniel the future events that will take place in answer to his prayer. Gabriel’s answer was given in what is called “The 70-week prophecy”. It is recorded for us in Daniel 9:24-27. In the prophecy, Gabriel revealed to Daniel the details and timing of what is to come to the Jewish people, including the coming of Messiah the Prince and Him being cut-off (dying), all happening within a period of 70 weeks of years or 490 years in all. This visit by Gabriel took place 583 years before Jesus would come. Every detail of the first 69 weeks of the prophecy has been fulfilled up to and until 70 AD and today, only one week (7 years) is left unfulfilled.
History tells us that in the Roman siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD, the temple was levelled to the ground and many Jews were killed. As prophesied, those who survived fled from the Romans and were dispersed all around the nations of the world like in a flood. This left the land of Israel desolate and unoccupied by the Jews until their return after WW II in 1948.
In verse 27, Gabriel described a one-week period (7 years) which is yet to be fulfilled. This seven years period is the seven years of Great Tribulation.
Now, this is what the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 24:15, continuing the answer to His disciples who asked what the sign of His coming will be:
“Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, then flee to the mountains (because the great tribulation is here, (paraphrase of Matthew 24:15-22)).
In short, the Lord is saying here that Daniel’s prophecy about the abomination of desolation will come to pass and when that happens, everyone from Jerusalem should flee to escape persecution by the Anti-Christ.
Note this, for Daniel’s 70th week prophecy to come about, there needs to be a temple in Jerusalem, which is non-existent today. The way things look like, the temple will be built quickly and, soon, the Anti-Christ will stand in the inner room, the Holy of Holies and will desecrate it by proclaiming himself to be God. This is what causes the abomination of desolation. Obviously, the Jews will recognize him as a false god and they will rebel. Then, the wrath of Anti-Christ will be unleashed on the Jews and on those opposed to him in a cruel persecution. This explains why the Lord told those in Jerusalem to quickly flee.
The Falling Away
Paul also warns of a falling away (apostacy in the church) that comes first before His coming.
“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day (rapture) will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,” (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,” (1 Timothy 4:1)
Falling away is likened to a branch that does not abide in the vine of Christ and thus it falls away and withers and is cast into the fire. The Lord spoke of this falling away in John 15:6 in His talk, “I am the vine, you are the branches”. We fall away because of our choice of evil and an unbelieving heart.
Today, this falling away can be observed not only in the church but also in the changes in our culture as it moves away from Judeo Christian values that we grew up in. Television, mobile phones and devices and the internet all contribute in replacing our time for God with entertainment, distraction, addiction and even sin (as in the use of pornography).
In a report released in June 2021 titled American Worldview Inventory 2021, the Cultural Research Center reported that there is a dramatic erosion of shared Christian belief over the past 30 years which tend to support the phenomenon that there is a falling away from Christianity. This falling away is a precursor of the end of the Church Age.
The Temple Institute
The arrival of the five red heifers in Jerusalem which was covered by the media caused a big stir in Jerusalem. A red heifer is required as a sacrifice in the purification of the temple and from these five heifers they will choose the one without blemish to offer as a sacrifice. You can read this in Numbers 19:1-10. We know that preparations are underway for the construction of a third temple. The Temple Institute is working towards this goal. They have the building plans and have trained the Levites and all personnel for the resumption of daily sacrifice as in the days before the destruction of the 2nd Temple in 70 AD. What is restraining them is that the temple mount is also a holy Muslim site where the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock are located. The temple mount itself is under the control of Jordan thru the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, an Islamic charitable trust, under which the area was entrusted under the 1994 Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty. As you can imagine, the area is hotly contested by both Jews and Muslims and is a cause of tension between the two groups. All that the Orthodox Jews of the institute are waiting for is a leader who will obtain the agreement with the Muslims to allow the construction of the temple and allow the sharing of the temple mount.
Look at these relevant statements in scripture on the matter:
- “ Then, he (the Anti-Christ) shall confirm a covenant with many for one week: “ Daniel 9:27
If you are familiar with recent history of Israel, you know there is a recurring armed conflict with Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestine, Syria and Iran. Could this covenant in Daniel 9:27 be the agreement that Anti-Christ will forge with both Jews and Muslims that will bring temporary peace and allow the construction of the temple? Remember this event is happening during the 70th week of Daniel, making the timing a perfect fit.
- “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles.” (Revelations 11:1b-2)
This tells us that a temple exists during the great tribulation (this verse being within that period). This allows us to conclude that the temple, not yet built at this writing, will be built and built soon. See, the angel told John not to measure the area given to the Gentiles (Muslims). This tells us that the temple is adjacent and next to an area controlled by non-Jews.
Connecting the dots, with prophecy saying a peace treaty is coming, we can see that the approval to build the temple is coming and it will soon be operational. The red heifers, required for purification, being ready, tell us the nearness of all these events.
Moral Condition of the World groaning to be rescued
In the fulness of time God sent His Son to redeem the world. In the fulness of time, He will judge it.
Since Christianity arrived, its influence was felt throughout the world, albeit slowly. The coming of the Lord ushered in a Judeo-Christian world and worldview. This mean the teachings of Christ, the Jewish writings and laws, (like the ten commandments) became the foundational laws of many countries who were evangelized. If you are familiar with the criminal code of the USA, you know that the codified crimes are the same as those in the Ten Commandments.
Paganism was booted out. Of course, some countries were more advanced than others in their adoption of these values but overall, the Judeo-Christian influence was felt. To a certain point, it peaked. At present, we are in a decline and a falling away has become apparent.
Injustice, large scale corruption, murders, drug trafficking, identity theft, scams are common place. Governments of many countries no longer work for the common good but their leaders push their personal evil agenda like perpetuating themselves in office, lusting for power and money, even fighting against God. They became a tool of the enemy, pushing perverted social issues like gay rights, critical race theory, abortion, indoctrination of children and other issues that are opposed to God.
Look how government and the leaders of government have failed God’s plan and purpose for them:
- Rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil (Romans 13:3)
- Therefore, submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. (1 Peter 2:13-14)
Oh, how they failed and failing! All authority is from God and He placed leaders and kings as stewards for the good and not evil. How long will He tolerate their evil deeds? Read the displeasure of the Lord in Psalm 2 and you will agree, He longs to establish His rule with justice and righteousness.
Conclusion
So, there you are. These signs make up for a strong argument about where we are on the biblical calendar. We are nearing the end of the Church Age. Then, in quick order, the rapture and the great tribulation will take place.
As we said in the beginning, these days are dark and moving towards deeper darkness. Yes, after the darkness is light. Yes, there will be a revival, a return to God, even during the darkness. But, it is not a good strategy to wait for the great tribulation before considering returning to God. For our own good, it is best to return to God now instead of later. During the great tribulation, choosing God and rejecting Anti-Christ may mean martyrdom.
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy. That grace and mercy is imbedded in His warnings. If so, we must heed these warnings and do everything we can to be sure that our soul is safe, that we are a son or daughter of God, and if a son or daughter, to be part of the rapture and delivered from the great tribulation.
If you are not sure if you are a son or daughter of God, or if you have drifted away from the faith you used to have, prayerfully consider the truth in the article “Superficial versus True Conversion”, also in this website (www.forgivenmuchph.org). In it we explain what is true conversion, how to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, if you have not yet or how to renew your commitment to follow Him, if you drifted away. We all have to make sure that our profession is true and therefore safe to be called home to Him in the rapture.
Bibliography:
- https://www.arizonachristian.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CRC_AWVI2021_Release04_Digital_01_20210608.pdf?bcs-agent-scanner=e2f545d2-e437-df45-b1e5-162d65dc619d
- The Temple Mount and the contentions between Jews and Muslims
https://www.heyalma.com/jerusalems-temple-mount-explained/
3. Writing by Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum on the rapture, a must read. http://www.arielcontent.org/dcs/pdf/mbs039m.pdf
