Fulfilled Prophecies of the Last Days - By Carl Worline - http://www.raptureready.com/soap2/worline14.html
Prophecy is history written in advance. Bible prophecies about what is going to happen in the end times were written from 1900 to 3500 years ago. God challenged anyone else to come up with prophecy like that which is found in the Bible.
God offers this to us as proof that He is who He says He is. The Old Testament tells us that God gave us prophecy so that the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other.
Bible prophecy is given to mankind in order to help validate and authenticate the word of God and it is a promise as well as a prediction.
Christians who study prophecy and eagerly look forward to the coming of our Lord will earn the Crown of Righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8). I. for one, really want the privilege of having and wearing that crown.
The Bible is absolutely unique. No other religious writings of any kind contain predictive prophecies like the Bible.
* Not the Islamic Koran or the Hadith.
* Not the Jewish Tanaka or the Talmud.
* Not the Hindu Vedas or the Bhagavad Gita.
* Not Confucianism's Five Classics or the Analects.
* Not Taoism's ao-te-ching, or Zhuangzi, or Daozang.
* Not the Druze Rasail al-hikmah (Epistles of Wisdom).
* Not the Shinto Kojiki or the Nihon Shoki.
This is the first time in history that all of the prophetic scenarios that the prophets predicted are actually in view. We are being plunged into a period of time about which the Bible says more than about any other period in history, including the time when Jesus walked the shores of Galilee and climbed the mountains of Judea.
Everything is now coming together in the perfect prophetic storm. We are, quite literally, being plunged into the climax of human history.
There is prophecy in each and every book of the Bible. The Second Coming is mentioned in 23 of the 27 books of the New Testament. Of the 46 Old Testament prophets, less than 10 speak of Christ's first coming, but 36 speak of His Second Coming.
Jesus said that He was coming back again 21 times in the New Testament. If Jesus says this we should truly believe Him.
The Bible clearly teaches that the understanding of end time prophecy will be progressive in nature. We will understand more of the prophecies as we get closer to the time of their fulfillment. Daniel did not understand the prophecies that had been entrusted to him. When he complained to the Lord about this the Lord told him to not worry but to write them down as instructed because they were sealed until the end times.
As for me, I heard but could not understand; so I said "My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?" And He said, "Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time (Daniel 12:8-9 NAS).
Jeremiah was also told that his prophecies would not be understood until the end times.
The anger of the Lord will not turn back until He performed and carried out the purposes of His heart. In the last days you will clearly understand it (Jeremiah 23:3).
The fierce anger of the Lord will not turn back until He has performed and until He has accomplished the intent of His heart. In the latter days you will understand this (Jeremiah 30:24).
We are now in the last days of the end times. In order to understand what is happening we have to look at them from two perspectives. One of these perspectives is the prophecies that have been fulfilled with respect to Israel. The other perspective is all of the other fulfilled prophecies that deal with the last days.
Fulfilled Prophecies of Israel in the Last Days
For the first time in history an extinct nation came back into existence. Israel became a nation once again exactly as God promised (Joel 3:1-2, Amos 9, Jeremiah 31, Ezekiel 36).
God restored Israel as a nation in a single day, exactly as promised (Isaiah 66-8).
Prior to restoring the nation of Israel the Hebrew language was on the brink of extinction. Once again, just as God promised, the Hebrew language was restored (Zephaniah 3:9).
The Bible predicted that during the Jewish Diaspora Israel would become a wasteland (Deuteronomy 29:23-28, Ezekiel 36:8-11, Ezekiel 36:34-36). For nearly 1900 years Israel became a nearly uninhabited, desolate wasteland. Today the land flourishes far beyond any of her surrounding neighbors.
The Bible predicted that Israel would blossom in the last days and export produce to the world (Isaiah 27:6, Isaiah 35:1-2, Ezekiel 36:34-36). With God's blessing Israel's increased rainfall and irrigation technology have caused the land to blossom. Israel exports $800 million of produce each year and over $200 million in ornamental plants and flowers.
The Bible predicted that Israel would prosper economically (Ezekiel 38:12-13). Israel exported $42 billion dollars worth of goods in 2006, as compared with her neighbor Jordan, who exported $5 billion dollars worth of goods in the same year. Eighty percent of Europe's citrus imports come from Israel.
The Bible predicted that Jerusalem would be rebuilt in the last days on its old ruins, which is exactly what happened (Jeremiah 30:18, Zechariah 12:6).
Ezekiel told us over 2500 years ago that in the last days the Arab people will claim the land of Israel which God gave to the Jews (Ezekiel 35:5, 10; 36:2,5).
The Bible says that in the end times Israel will be in possession of Jerusalem. This happened on June 7, 1967 as a result of the Six-Day War (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, Revelation 11:1-2).
The Bible predicted that Jerusalem would be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled (Luke 21:24). From 70 AD until the Six-Day War in 1967, Jerusalem was under Gentile control.
The Bible says that in the last days the possession of Jerusalem will be a major source of international conflict (Zechariah 12:3). Zechariah called Jerusalem a burdensome stone and a cup of trembling.
Over 2,500 years ago God knew that in the last days Jerusalem's very existence would cause the world to shudder even though it is a small city with no natural resources, no port, as well as having insignificant manufacturing and industrial capabilities. Prior to 1948 world diplomatic leaders seldom mentioned Jerusalem.
The Bible also tells us that in the last days Israel will be embroiled in peace talks that will include many nations (Daniel 9:27).
Ezekiel prophesied that Jerusalem's Eastern Gate would remain closed until the Messiah returns (Ezekiel 37:15-22). Today, as prophesied, the Eastern Gate remains sealed.
The Bible says that in the last days all of the friends that Israel had will be gone, abandoning the Jews (Jeremiah 30:14).
The Lord warned Israel that it would be hated and persecuted by all nations because of Him (Matthew 24:9).
Today we see the Gaza Strip and the West Bank partitioned off for the Palestinians and the Golan Heights partitioned off for Syria. Jerusalem has also been partitioned with the Palestinians adamantly demanding East Jerusalem for their capital.
The Bible says that in the last days Aliyah will be taking place. Aliyah is a Hebrew word that means the physical return of the Jewish people (Jewish Diaspora) to their ancient Promised Land from abroad.
Ynet News recently reported that 2014 was a record year for Aliyah (Ezekiel 36:22-28 and Isaiah 11:10-12).
The Bible says that in the last days world politics will be focused on Israel (Zechariah 12:13).
Israel will be surrounded on every side by enemies. The alignment of all of the nations mentioned in Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38 against Israel has occurred exactly as Asaph and Ezekiel described.
God said that in the last days Israel would be invincible (Zechariah 12:6-9). Since 1948 tiny Israel has been attacked in 3 major wars and several lesser wars. Yet, despite being vastly outnumbered, they have defeated all attacking foes. An invincible Israel makes no sense unless you believe God's Word.
Even though Israel will be the focus of many fulfilled prophecies in the last days, most Jews will remain blind to the fact that Jesus is their Messiah until the very end (Luke 19:41-42, Luke 13:34-35, Romans 11:25-26).
Other Fulfilled Prophecies of the End Times
Jesus, Himself, told us that we are to watch for general indicators that will be a signal to Christians that we are, indeed, in the end times and that the rapture is near. What are these general indicators?
Earthquakes will increase in frequency and intensity and will be occurring globally (Matthew 24:7, Luke 21:11, Isaiah 24:19-20, Revelation 6:12-14, Revelation 16:18-20).
Matthew 24 and Luke 21 speak of strange weather occurring in the last days. Can anybody deny that our weather today can only be described as supernaturally freakish? Even more frightening is that our weather seems to be becoming even more freakish with each passing month.
Our freakish weather seems to be contributing to an alarmingly large number of forest fires all around the world. Trees that are many hundreds of years are now gone. At the moment, as I write this, Australian firefighters are battling the worst wildfires in 30 years.
Romans 8:20-22 tells us that creation, itself, longs to be free from the curse and suffers from the increase in frequency and intensity of natural disasters that are not specifically named. Unexplainably strange sinkholes are opening up in places all around the world. Equally as strange are sounds that are being heard all over the world that have no apparent source and come from no apparent direction.
Joel 2:30 tells us that in the last days there would be signs in the heavens and in the earth that would include, among other things, "fire" and "pillars of smoke." Volcanic activity has been increasing at an alarming rate in frequency and intensity as formerly dormant volcanoes come back to life. Pillars of fire and smoke are closing large blocks of airspace to commercial air traffic.
Hosea 4:1-3 tells us that in the last days the land will mourn because of man's sin and that all who live in it will waste away. Hosea told us this will include the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and even the fish in the sea will die.
* Mass animal die-off were first reported in the news on New Year's Eve 2010/2011when approximately 5,000+ red-winged blackbirds and starlings fell out of the sky in Bebe, Arkansas.
* In 2011 there were 138 reported cases of mass animal die-offs.
* In 2012 the number of mass animal deaths rose to 465 events that occurred in 67 countries around the world.
* During 2013 there were 798 reported mass animal death events that occurred in 93 countries.
* In 2014 there were 649 reported events of mass animal deaths that occurred in 76 countries.
Matthew 24:7 tells us that famines will be common in the last days. Currently, one out of every six people in the world does not get enough to eat. Aid agencies estimate that as much as one-third of the earth's 6 billion people are victims of starvation. Every day 34,000 people die from famine related causes.
The Bible tells is that in the last days deadly diseases (pestilence) will be rampant. Examples of current deadly diseases that are spreading include AIDS, Ebola, Hanta virus, dengue, West Nile, SARS, bird flu, cholera, yellow fever, mad cow disease, lyme disease, drug resistant strains of many old diseases, and many more.
Diseases we considered conquered, such as polio and the plague, are making a strong return. In sub-Saharan Africa 23 million children are infected with the HIV virus. Ironically, just a few decades ago scientists were forecasting that advances in medicine might soon eradicate deadly diseases (Matthew 24:7, Revelation 6:8, Luke 21:11).
We were warned that many will rejoice in their unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:12). People are now calling good evil and evil good. A perfect example of this is the way homosexuality and same sex marriage is being forced upon us as an honorable and even preferred alternative lifestyle while those who see homosexuality as sin are labeled as homophobic (Isaiah 5:20).
Homosexuals are so proud of their sin that they march in the streets demanding to be recognized as a special, privileged class (2 Peter 3:3-4 and 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 says: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves...without natural affection." I interpret this verse as a reference to an increase in homosexuality throughout the world in the last days.
We are warned in the Bible that there will be a falling away of believers and an increase in false prophets (2 Timothy 4:1). Many Christians and church doctrines have departed from the faith. Many Christians have also become lukewarm in their faith (Revelation 3:15). There is now a mixture of true believers and false believers within the church body (Matthew 13:24-30).
As foretold in the New Testament, despair is increasing (2 Timothy 3:1).
There has been an increase in lawlessness and evil during these the last days (Luke 17:26 and 2 Timothy 3:15).
The world is getting darker and waxing more evil by the minute. The swiftness with which the darkness is setting in is unsettling. We were told that there would be an increase in blasphemy (2 Timothy 3:2). Sadly, this has come to pass.
Unimaginably filthy things are openly being said about our mighty God and our precious Savior. Those who worship Satan are coming out of hiding and finding new ways impose their beliefs and agenda upon us. There are now public places in our great nation where satanic displays are allowed at Christmas and where Satan is invoked at public meetings.
Humanity has become increasingly materialistic and lovers of pleasure (2 Timothy 3:1-5).
Idolatry has been common place. Idolatry is worshiping anything or anyone other than God (Revelation 9:20). We worship the rich and famous and long to be like them instead of being like people of God.
The love of many has grown cold (Matthew 24:11-13). Abortion kills millions. Feeding the homeless and hungry is becoming a crime in some places, punishable by fines and imprisonment. We find it more important to turn corn into ethanol to use as fuel in our automobiles while so much of the world's population is dying from starvation and starvation related causes.
False Christs and false prophets are very effective in the art of deception (Matthew 24:24). False prophets and religious cults now flourish (2 Peter 2:1). It is very common today to find people who reject the Bible out of hand because they have heard it misrepresented by false teachers.
The false prophets mentioned above are money hungry, smooth talkers (2 Peter 2:3). A growing number of TV evangelists epitomize this. They twist the Scriptures to make merchandise of the unwary.
There has been an increase in the persecution of Christians in these last days (Matthew 24:9). Jews and Christians are hated for their faith in and connection with Christ (Luke 21:17). Today Christians are being killed in Islamic nations around the world in an ever increasing escalation of violence and murder.
Christianity now faces extinction in the Middle East and in other places around the world. Jihadist groups throughout the Islamic world have taken it upon themselves to slaughter those who are preaching the gospel.
Mankind is desperately seeking peace (1 Thessalonians 5:3) but yet there is still warfare all over the earth (Mark 13:8 and Matthew 24:6). It is estimated that more people have died in wars during the 20th Century than in all other previous wars throughout all of recorded human history.
Today mockers of prophecy and the Word of God abound (Jude 1:18 and 2 Peter 3:3-4).
Many Bible scholars believe that Zachariah 5 and Zachariah 14 strongly indicate that mankind will have nuclear weapons in the last days, especially when these chapters are examined using the Strong's Concordance with a Hebrew lexicon.
The Bible tells us that in the last days many will deny that God created the earth or that God once flooded the Earth (2 Peter 3:5-6). Today science and Christianity have become bitter rivals. Science attempts to claim the moral high ground by citing "facts" while hypocritically refusing to consider any fact that is linked in any way to scripture.
Children have certainly become disobedient and rebellious (2 Timothy 3:2).
Humanity is now able to cross the globe rapidly (Daniel 12:4). Our skies have become so crowded around the world that it is often difficult to safely separate aircraft, even with the use of computers.
A system of real time global communication now exists (Revelation 11:9). Today information travels at the speed of light. In the apostle John's day information traveled at the speed of a donkey.
Science is now rapidly advancing (Daniel 12:4). It is conservatively estimated that the sum of man's knowledge is doubled every 18 months.
Technology already exists that is capable of tracking the world's population and finances (Revelation 13:16-17). This technology is currently being developed at an alarmingly fast and efficient pace. It just hasn't been forcefully imposed yet.
The gospel is being preached to all nations (Matthew 24:14, Mark 13:10, Revelation 14:6). The Bible has been translated into 2,400 languages and dialects covering over 90 percent of the world's population. Satellites and the Internet have also played a major role in bringing the word of God to all nations.
Huge oil and natural gas reserves have been discovered beneath the sands of Israel.
The Bible says that in the last days the world will be headed toward a one world religion (Revelation 13; 17:7-18; 18:1-8). Today we see a movement called Chrislam that attempts to find common ground that will allow Christians and Muslims to co-exist and is based on the assumption that we both worship the same god. That is a lie from the very pit of hell.
There are the strong beginnings for a push toward a worldwide global government (Revelation 13:1-2; 17:12-13, Daniel 7:23-26).
Before He was crucified, Jesus told the Sanhedrin that they would not see Him again until they said, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord" (Luke 13:35).
This indicates that the Sanhedrin would have to be in existence before His Second Coming. The Sanhedrin were dispersed, as was the entire Jewish nation, after the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD. In 2004 the Sanhedrin formally came back into existence.
Conclusion
The proverbial writing is on the wall and it is telling me that the end of the Age of Grace is at hand. The pause in Daniel's timeline that occurred at the 69th week is about to end. God has taken a people unto Himself during that pause and the fullness of the Gentiles is now being reached (Romans 11:25 and Acts 15:13-18).
The stage has been set and the actors are in place. Bible prophecy has been fulfilled (and continues to be fulfilled). The entire world senses that something big is about to happen. Christians who are awake and watching are waiting with eager anticipation for the Rapture of the church.
Sleeping Christians find restful peace illusive due to a stirring in their soul that they just cannot escape. Atheists are angry because they also feel that something is just not right. Even the mockers are angry. There are far too many signs that the Age of Grace is about to end for them to ridicule.
Every prophetic sign seems to point to an imminent Rapture. Salvation is currently a free gift to all who will admit they are sinners and sincerely ask Jesus for forgiveness and salvation. What is your personal relationship with God?
Jesus said when you see these things begin to come to pass to lift up your head and look because your redemption draws near (Mathew 24:33, Mark 13:29, and Luke 21:31). We have definitely reached the beginning of these things.
Prophecy is history written in advance. Bible prophecies about what is going to happen in the end times were written from 1900 to 3500 years ago. God challenged anyone else to come up with prophecy like that which is found in the Bible.
God offers this to us as proof that He is who He says He is. The Old Testament tells us that God gave us prophecy so that the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other.
Bible prophecy is given to mankind in order to help validate and authenticate the word of God and it is a promise as well as a prediction.
Christians who study prophecy and eagerly look forward to the coming of our Lord will earn the Crown of Righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8). I. for one, really want the privilege of having and wearing that crown.
The Bible is absolutely unique. No other religious writings of any kind contain predictive prophecies like the Bible.
* Not the Islamic Koran or the Hadith.
* Not the Jewish Tanaka or the Talmud.
* Not the Hindu Vedas or the Bhagavad Gita.
* Not Confucianism's Five Classics or the Analects.
* Not Taoism's ao-te-ching, or Zhuangzi, or Daozang.
* Not the Druze Rasail al-hikmah (Epistles of Wisdom).
* Not the Shinto Kojiki or the Nihon Shoki.
This is the first time in history that all of the prophetic scenarios that the prophets predicted are actually in view. We are being plunged into a period of time about which the Bible says more than about any other period in history, including the time when Jesus walked the shores of Galilee and climbed the mountains of Judea.
Everything is now coming together in the perfect prophetic storm. We are, quite literally, being plunged into the climax of human history.
There is prophecy in each and every book of the Bible. The Second Coming is mentioned in 23 of the 27 books of the New Testament. Of the 46 Old Testament prophets, less than 10 speak of Christ's first coming, but 36 speak of His Second Coming.
Jesus said that He was coming back again 21 times in the New Testament. If Jesus says this we should truly believe Him.
The Bible clearly teaches that the understanding of end time prophecy will be progressive in nature. We will understand more of the prophecies as we get closer to the time of their fulfillment. Daniel did not understand the prophecies that had been entrusted to him. When he complained to the Lord about this the Lord told him to not worry but to write them down as instructed because they were sealed until the end times.
As for me, I heard but could not understand; so I said "My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?" And He said, "Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time (Daniel 12:8-9 NAS).
Jeremiah was also told that his prophecies would not be understood until the end times.
The anger of the Lord will not turn back until He performed and carried out the purposes of His heart. In the last days you will clearly understand it (Jeremiah 23:3).
The fierce anger of the Lord will not turn back until He has performed and until He has accomplished the intent of His heart. In the latter days you will understand this (Jeremiah 30:24).
We are now in the last days of the end times. In order to understand what is happening we have to look at them from two perspectives. One of these perspectives is the prophecies that have been fulfilled with respect to Israel. The other perspective is all of the other fulfilled prophecies that deal with the last days.
Fulfilled Prophecies of Israel in the Last Days
For the first time in history an extinct nation came back into existence. Israel became a nation once again exactly as God promised (Joel 3:1-2, Amos 9, Jeremiah 31, Ezekiel 36).
God restored Israel as a nation in a single day, exactly as promised (Isaiah 66-8).
Prior to restoring the nation of Israel the Hebrew language was on the brink of extinction. Once again, just as God promised, the Hebrew language was restored (Zephaniah 3:9).
The Bible predicted that during the Jewish Diaspora Israel would become a wasteland (Deuteronomy 29:23-28, Ezekiel 36:8-11, Ezekiel 36:34-36). For nearly 1900 years Israel became a nearly uninhabited, desolate wasteland. Today the land flourishes far beyond any of her surrounding neighbors.
The Bible predicted that Israel would blossom in the last days and export produce to the world (Isaiah 27:6, Isaiah 35:1-2, Ezekiel 36:34-36). With God's blessing Israel's increased rainfall and irrigation technology have caused the land to blossom. Israel exports $800 million of produce each year and over $200 million in ornamental plants and flowers.
The Bible predicted that Israel would prosper economically (Ezekiel 38:12-13). Israel exported $42 billion dollars worth of goods in 2006, as compared with her neighbor Jordan, who exported $5 billion dollars worth of goods in the same year. Eighty percent of Europe's citrus imports come from Israel.
The Bible predicted that Jerusalem would be rebuilt in the last days on its old ruins, which is exactly what happened (Jeremiah 30:18, Zechariah 12:6).
Ezekiel told us over 2500 years ago that in the last days the Arab people will claim the land of Israel which God gave to the Jews (Ezekiel 35:5, 10; 36:2,5).
The Bible says that in the end times Israel will be in possession of Jerusalem. This happened on June 7, 1967 as a result of the Six-Day War (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, Revelation 11:1-2).
The Bible predicted that Jerusalem would be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled (Luke 21:24). From 70 AD until the Six-Day War in 1967, Jerusalem was under Gentile control.
The Bible says that in the last days the possession of Jerusalem will be a major source of international conflict (Zechariah 12:3). Zechariah called Jerusalem a burdensome stone and a cup of trembling.
Over 2,500 years ago God knew that in the last days Jerusalem's very existence would cause the world to shudder even though it is a small city with no natural resources, no port, as well as having insignificant manufacturing and industrial capabilities. Prior to 1948 world diplomatic leaders seldom mentioned Jerusalem.
The Bible also tells us that in the last days Israel will be embroiled in peace talks that will include many nations (Daniel 9:27).
Ezekiel prophesied that Jerusalem's Eastern Gate would remain closed until the Messiah returns (Ezekiel 37:15-22). Today, as prophesied, the Eastern Gate remains sealed.
The Bible says that in the last days all of the friends that Israel had will be gone, abandoning the Jews (Jeremiah 30:14).
The Lord warned Israel that it would be hated and persecuted by all nations because of Him (Matthew 24:9).
Today we see the Gaza Strip and the West Bank partitioned off for the Palestinians and the Golan Heights partitioned off for Syria. Jerusalem has also been partitioned with the Palestinians adamantly demanding East Jerusalem for their capital.
The Bible says that in the last days Aliyah will be taking place. Aliyah is a Hebrew word that means the physical return of the Jewish people (Jewish Diaspora) to their ancient Promised Land from abroad.
Ynet News recently reported that 2014 was a record year for Aliyah (Ezekiel 36:22-28 and Isaiah 11:10-12).
The Bible says that in the last days world politics will be focused on Israel (Zechariah 12:13).
Israel will be surrounded on every side by enemies. The alignment of all of the nations mentioned in Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38 against Israel has occurred exactly as Asaph and Ezekiel described.
God said that in the last days Israel would be invincible (Zechariah 12:6-9). Since 1948 tiny Israel has been attacked in 3 major wars and several lesser wars. Yet, despite being vastly outnumbered, they have defeated all attacking foes. An invincible Israel makes no sense unless you believe God's Word.
Even though Israel will be the focus of many fulfilled prophecies in the last days, most Jews will remain blind to the fact that Jesus is their Messiah until the very end (Luke 19:41-42, Luke 13:34-35, Romans 11:25-26).
Other Fulfilled Prophecies of the End Times
Jesus, Himself, told us that we are to watch for general indicators that will be a signal to Christians that we are, indeed, in the end times and that the rapture is near. What are these general indicators?
Earthquakes will increase in frequency and intensity and will be occurring globally (Matthew 24:7, Luke 21:11, Isaiah 24:19-20, Revelation 6:12-14, Revelation 16:18-20).
Matthew 24 and Luke 21 speak of strange weather occurring in the last days. Can anybody deny that our weather today can only be described as supernaturally freakish? Even more frightening is that our weather seems to be becoming even more freakish with each passing month.
Our freakish weather seems to be contributing to an alarmingly large number of forest fires all around the world. Trees that are many hundreds of years are now gone. At the moment, as I write this, Australian firefighters are battling the worst wildfires in 30 years.
Romans 8:20-22 tells us that creation, itself, longs to be free from the curse and suffers from the increase in frequency and intensity of natural disasters that are not specifically named. Unexplainably strange sinkholes are opening up in places all around the world. Equally as strange are sounds that are being heard all over the world that have no apparent source and come from no apparent direction.
Joel 2:30 tells us that in the last days there would be signs in the heavens and in the earth that would include, among other things, "fire" and "pillars of smoke." Volcanic activity has been increasing at an alarming rate in frequency and intensity as formerly dormant volcanoes come back to life. Pillars of fire and smoke are closing large blocks of airspace to commercial air traffic.
Hosea 4:1-3 tells us that in the last days the land will mourn because of man's sin and that all who live in it will waste away. Hosea told us this will include the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and even the fish in the sea will die.
* Mass animal die-off were first reported in the news on New Year's Eve 2010/2011when approximately 5,000+ red-winged blackbirds and starlings fell out of the sky in Bebe, Arkansas.
* In 2011 there were 138 reported cases of mass animal die-offs.
* In 2012 the number of mass animal deaths rose to 465 events that occurred in 67 countries around the world.
* During 2013 there were 798 reported mass animal death events that occurred in 93 countries.
* In 2014 there were 649 reported events of mass animal deaths that occurred in 76 countries.
Matthew 24:7 tells us that famines will be common in the last days. Currently, one out of every six people in the world does not get enough to eat. Aid agencies estimate that as much as one-third of the earth's 6 billion people are victims of starvation. Every day 34,000 people die from famine related causes.
The Bible tells is that in the last days deadly diseases (pestilence) will be rampant. Examples of current deadly diseases that are spreading include AIDS, Ebola, Hanta virus, dengue, West Nile, SARS, bird flu, cholera, yellow fever, mad cow disease, lyme disease, drug resistant strains of many old diseases, and many more.
Diseases we considered conquered, such as polio and the plague, are making a strong return. In sub-Saharan Africa 23 million children are infected with the HIV virus. Ironically, just a few decades ago scientists were forecasting that advances in medicine might soon eradicate deadly diseases (Matthew 24:7, Revelation 6:8, Luke 21:11).
We were warned that many will rejoice in their unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:12). People are now calling good evil and evil good. A perfect example of this is the way homosexuality and same sex marriage is being forced upon us as an honorable and even preferred alternative lifestyle while those who see homosexuality as sin are labeled as homophobic (Isaiah 5:20).
Homosexuals are so proud of their sin that they march in the streets demanding to be recognized as a special, privileged class (2 Peter 3:3-4 and 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 says: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves...without natural affection." I interpret this verse as a reference to an increase in homosexuality throughout the world in the last days.
We are warned in the Bible that there will be a falling away of believers and an increase in false prophets (2 Timothy 4:1). Many Christians and church doctrines have departed from the faith. Many Christians have also become lukewarm in their faith (Revelation 3:15). There is now a mixture of true believers and false believers within the church body (Matthew 13:24-30).
As foretold in the New Testament, despair is increasing (2 Timothy 3:1).
There has been an increase in lawlessness and evil during these the last days (Luke 17:26 and 2 Timothy 3:15).
The world is getting darker and waxing more evil by the minute. The swiftness with which the darkness is setting in is unsettling. We were told that there would be an increase in blasphemy (2 Timothy 3:2). Sadly, this has come to pass.
Unimaginably filthy things are openly being said about our mighty God and our precious Savior. Those who worship Satan are coming out of hiding and finding new ways impose their beliefs and agenda upon us. There are now public places in our great nation where satanic displays are allowed at Christmas and where Satan is invoked at public meetings.
Humanity has become increasingly materialistic and lovers of pleasure (2 Timothy 3:1-5).
Idolatry has been common place. Idolatry is worshiping anything or anyone other than God (Revelation 9:20). We worship the rich and famous and long to be like them instead of being like people of God.
The love of many has grown cold (Matthew 24:11-13). Abortion kills millions. Feeding the homeless and hungry is becoming a crime in some places, punishable by fines and imprisonment. We find it more important to turn corn into ethanol to use as fuel in our automobiles while so much of the world's population is dying from starvation and starvation related causes.
False Christs and false prophets are very effective in the art of deception (Matthew 24:24). False prophets and religious cults now flourish (2 Peter 2:1). It is very common today to find people who reject the Bible out of hand because they have heard it misrepresented by false teachers.
The false prophets mentioned above are money hungry, smooth talkers (2 Peter 2:3). A growing number of TV evangelists epitomize this. They twist the Scriptures to make merchandise of the unwary.
There has been an increase in the persecution of Christians in these last days (Matthew 24:9). Jews and Christians are hated for their faith in and connection with Christ (Luke 21:17). Today Christians are being killed in Islamic nations around the world in an ever increasing escalation of violence and murder.
Christianity now faces extinction in the Middle East and in other places around the world. Jihadist groups throughout the Islamic world have taken it upon themselves to slaughter those who are preaching the gospel.
Mankind is desperately seeking peace (1 Thessalonians 5:3) but yet there is still warfare all over the earth (Mark 13:8 and Matthew 24:6). It is estimated that more people have died in wars during the 20th Century than in all other previous wars throughout all of recorded human history.
Today mockers of prophecy and the Word of God abound (Jude 1:18 and 2 Peter 3:3-4).
Many Bible scholars believe that Zachariah 5 and Zachariah 14 strongly indicate that mankind will have nuclear weapons in the last days, especially when these chapters are examined using the Strong's Concordance with a Hebrew lexicon.
The Bible tells us that in the last days many will deny that God created the earth or that God once flooded the Earth (2 Peter 3:5-6). Today science and Christianity have become bitter rivals. Science attempts to claim the moral high ground by citing "facts" while hypocritically refusing to consider any fact that is linked in any way to scripture.
Children have certainly become disobedient and rebellious (2 Timothy 3:2).
Humanity is now able to cross the globe rapidly (Daniel 12:4). Our skies have become so crowded around the world that it is often difficult to safely separate aircraft, even with the use of computers.
A system of real time global communication now exists (Revelation 11:9). Today information travels at the speed of light. In the apostle John's day information traveled at the speed of a donkey.
Science is now rapidly advancing (Daniel 12:4). It is conservatively estimated that the sum of man's knowledge is doubled every 18 months.
Technology already exists that is capable of tracking the world's population and finances (Revelation 13:16-17). This technology is currently being developed at an alarmingly fast and efficient pace. It just hasn't been forcefully imposed yet.
The gospel is being preached to all nations (Matthew 24:14, Mark 13:10, Revelation 14:6). The Bible has been translated into 2,400 languages and dialects covering over 90 percent of the world's population. Satellites and the Internet have also played a major role in bringing the word of God to all nations.
Huge oil and natural gas reserves have been discovered beneath the sands of Israel.
The Bible says that in the last days the world will be headed toward a one world religion (Revelation 13; 17:7-18; 18:1-8). Today we see a movement called Chrislam that attempts to find common ground that will allow Christians and Muslims to co-exist and is based on the assumption that we both worship the same god. That is a lie from the very pit of hell.
There are the strong beginnings for a push toward a worldwide global government (Revelation 13:1-2; 17:12-13, Daniel 7:23-26).
Before He was crucified, Jesus told the Sanhedrin that they would not see Him again until they said, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord" (Luke 13:35).
This indicates that the Sanhedrin would have to be in existence before His Second Coming. The Sanhedrin were dispersed, as was the entire Jewish nation, after the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD. In 2004 the Sanhedrin formally came back into existence.
Conclusion
The proverbial writing is on the wall and it is telling me that the end of the Age of Grace is at hand. The pause in Daniel's timeline that occurred at the 69th week is about to end. God has taken a people unto Himself during that pause and the fullness of the Gentiles is now being reached (Romans 11:25 and Acts 15:13-18).
The stage has been set and the actors are in place. Bible prophecy has been fulfilled (and continues to be fulfilled). The entire world senses that something big is about to happen. Christians who are awake and watching are waiting with eager anticipation for the Rapture of the church.
Sleeping Christians find restful peace illusive due to a stirring in their soul that they just cannot escape. Atheists are angry because they also feel that something is just not right. Even the mockers are angry. There are far too many signs that the Age of Grace is about to end for them to ridicule.
Every prophetic sign seems to point to an imminent Rapture. Salvation is currently a free gift to all who will admit they are sinners and sincerely ask Jesus for forgiveness and salvation. What is your personal relationship with God?
Jesus said when you see these things begin to come to pass to lift up your head and look because your redemption draws near (Mathew 24:33, Mark 13:29, and Luke 21:31). We have definitely reached the beginning of these things.
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