I was at a farm with a friend recently. As he began to round up the geese they became extremely loud and aggressive; as you can tell that last goose in the picture was seriously honking and letting me have it.
This loud commotion made me think of the Middle East brouhaha (cool synonym I found for noise). That area is a constant hot-stove of conflict! And, after America rained some tomahawks on a Syrian base for their forbidden use of chemical weapons, and after Russia and Iran threatened us not to use that force again, people (especially us Christians) started thinking about Jesus’ return to earth one day.
The Lord Jesus chose to close the whole Bible with these riveting words,
“Yes, I am coming soon!” (Revelation 22:20, NLT)
Many will read that and think, That was over 2,000 years ago and nothing’s happened yet.
True, true. But, may I remind you of Peter’s words,
“But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.” (2Peter 3:8, NLT)
In other words, in God’s calendar only a couple of days have passed.
I want to provide you with some perspective about Jesus’ soon coming return to earth as all that hullabaloo (another cool word I found) happens in that part of the world.
Let’s simplify the setting of the world stage for Jesus to return, shall we? BTW, I’ll provide you some Bible verses in parenthesis so you can go check them out later if you want. Ready?
- There will be turbulent times like deception, wars, and earthquakes happening (Mark 13:5-8).
- The world must have high tech communications and a transportation system in place so that one person (the Bible calls him ‘the antichrist’) can try to rule the world from one location (Daniel 7:25; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; Revelation 13:1-2).
- There must be a federation and unification of at least 10 nations from which the antichrist will rise (Daniel 2:31-35, 40-45; 7:7-8, 19-24)
- We must keep moving towards a cashless society. (Revelation 13:16-18)
- People must become easily identified through the use of numbers (same verses as above).
- Powerful nations north, east, and south of the Middle East must become involved in the Middle Eastern conflict and world affairs (Daniel 11:40-45; Revelation 16:12).
- Israel will want to rebuild their temple and eventually will receive help to do it (Daniel 7:27).
You may be saying, “Speak clearly, man.” Ok. You can’t help but see the ginormous hand of God at work in the world. It’s like He is piecing together the end-day puzzle before our very eyes.
Turmoil keeps escalating fast while new technological discoveries happen by the day (it seems). All of a sudden Russia becomes very involved in the Middle East, China is looking in with interest, and Egypt, the Saudis, and other Arab nations continue to frown at Israel.
The use of debit cards is slowly but surely replacing the use of cash in society and implanting microchips in human beings continues to be explored in Sweden and other parts of the world.
Several years ago I watched a documentary where reporter Peter Jennings went to Israel looking for answers about the Jewish desire to rebuild the temple. He found that all the materials are ready for such an undertaking. I’m just saying…
One more thing, if the European Union has anything to do with that 10 nation federation then the United Kingdom’s Brexit is something that makes one go, “Hmmm.”
Please understand, the last thing I am is an alarmist. No reason to get all bent out of shape over the whole thing. God’s got it all under control! I am just trying to make things easier to understand.
This Easter season as you consider and celebrate what Jesus did on the cross and how He left the tomb empty 3 days later, get excited that He is coming back! Soon!!
Please feel free to leave me a comment.
YEPPER, A Big AMEN to that, I do believe time is drawing near. Bless you Pastor.
Time is near for sure, Pat!
Before I was truly aware of what it meant to have a relationship with Jesus Christ, (accepting Him as my Lord and Savior), the book of Revelation and all the end-time prophecies found in the Bible always unsettled me. The thought of living during the tribulation time was not a pleasant one!
Now, as my walk with Jesus has become closer, I no longer have the anxiety I used to have concerning the end-times.
I know that because of God’s great love and unending grace, His children will not have to endure the difficult and horrible times of the tribulation, because God is going to take us out of here before the tribulation begins!
So now, when I see what’s happening with Israel and the Middle East, I know it’s only just a matter of time (God’s timing), when I will begin eternity with my Creator!
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my life here on this world. I look forward to growing old…ok, older (LOL) with my lovely wife.
It’s just that now, as world events unfold, I am at peace with what’s going to happen. I know God has me in His unbreakable grip and when Jesus returns, heaven and eternity await!
Couldn’t agree more, Jim. I am going to continue blogging about end times for the next few weeks, I think.
The more I watch the news , the more I feel it is indeed getting close. I too am no longer as apprehensive about the end of times as I used to be, and that feeling is directly related to my relashionship with my father. I am so thankful I gave myself to the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Thank you Pastor Jorge.
You and me both. Thank the Lord for the peace He gives us for sure. Thanks, Barbara!!