"SIGNS...EVERYWHERE!!" CONTINUED...
We’re bringing you “Part 2” of Sunday, January 16th’s teaching! There were 2 points that we didn’t make it to that Sunday morning, and Pastor Phil would like to unpack those with some teaching below. (Serious note-takers, you can breathe a sigh of relief!!) First, we’ll give a quick recap of points 1-4.
HAVEN’T LISTENED TO PART 1 YET…or NEED A REFRESHER?
Luke 21:28, 31
“So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!…When you see all these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near!”
The Super Sign (Ezekiel 36:24, 37:21-22)
The “Super Sign” refers to Israel’s becoming a nation again. It has been prophesied (and Jesus foretold) the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersement of the Jewish people all over the world, which happened in 70 AD. Nevertheless, God had promised His people hundreds of years before, “I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land.” (Ezekiel 36:24) A fulfillment of this happened on May 14, 1948! All major “end-times” scriptures require of Israel:
To become a literal nation again (This took place in 1948.)
To be in control of Jerusalem (This took place during the 6-day war of 1967.)
To rebuild the temple in Jerusalem (This will occur between now and the midpoint of the Tribulation.)
For over 1800 years, there were almost no Jewish people living in Israel, a drought having turned Israel into a virtual wasteland. But, soon after Israel’s rebirth, weather patterns “miraculously” changed, technology was developed, and Israel is now a lush and fruitful land again.
In Summary: All the end-times signs hinge on this “Super Sign”, which indicates that we are living near the end of the Church Age!
2. The GEOPOLITICAL SIGNS (EZEKIEL 38)
Ezekiel 38 prophesies a great war against Israel after her rebirth. It describes in great detail the alignment of nations, like Russia, Turkey, and Iran, who will lead a coalition of other nations in a war against Israel. Now, more than ever, the stage for this event is fully set. Many people believe this attack on Israel will take place in a gap period between the Rapture of the Church and the start of the Tribulation Period. Other geopolitical signs can be seen in:
The growth of The United Nations, World Economic Forum, World Health Organization, and European Union
The growing strength of superpowers like China
The decline of American strength and influence
3. The Natural Signs (Matthew 24:7-8, Luke 21:11)
Matthew’s and Luke’s accounts of the end-times include prophecies of “earthquakes, plagues, terrifying things, and great miraculous signs from heaven.” We are seeing this all around us in the form of wildfires, locust invasions, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes. Extreme weather and seismic activity are the natural results of a sin-cursed planet, not carbon emissions! Scripture calls them the “groanings” of a planet longing to be set free from sin’s curse (Romans 8:20-22). These will increase as we come near to the end. Those who warn about a planet with a short life-expectancy may be speaking in direct alignment with Scripture!
4. The Cultural Signs (Matthew 24:37-39, Luke 17:28-30)
Jesus said that the time period before His return would be just like the days of Noah and Lot. In other words, the end-times are characterized in Scripture by increased violence and extreme immorality. Sexual immorality and violence have always been a part of our culture, but not at the levels we see today. From the late sixties until today, we’ve watched the world plunge into the depths of sexual depravity described in Romans 1.
HERE’S THE REST OF THE SERMON!
5. The TECHNOLOGICAL SIGNS (DANIEL 12:4, REVELATION 13:16-17)
Daniel 12:4
”But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.”
Daniel had no idea what he was writing about! How could he? Today, every technology needed to fulfill end-times prophecy exists…and all of it has come within the past 100 years! We’ve gone from riding horses to traveling in space…from knowing little about biological design to mapping our DNA!
One of the specific technological systems required for end-times prophecy to be fulfilled is “Mark of the Beast” technology.
Revelation 13:16-17
”He (the beast) required everyone - small and great, rich and poor, free and slave - to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name.”
For this to happen, technology must be able to merge biometrics, a biological tracking system, a cashless/digital currency system, and a global database with a super-processing system to manage it all. Guess what…all of these technologies exist today!
6. The SPIRITUAL SIGNS (MATTHEW 24:14)
Matthew 24:14
"The Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.”
With the internet now reaching almost every area of the globe (even the middle of the bush in Africa!), The Gospel is literally being preached throughout the whole world. Revival is EXPLODING in some of the darkest places and most oppressive countries on Earth! Thousands are coming to Christ in Iran and China. At the same time, and in typical satanic fashion, we see a rise, and will continue to see an increase of, false Christs, apostasy, the occult, wide-spread deception, and persecution.
All of this is happening, and will continue to happen, because it’s been prophesied that it would! The fact that every single end-times sign is in active play in our day should get our attention. They mean we are very close to the Rapture of the Church and the Return of Christ!
Again, let’s turn our attention to 2 Peter 3:3-4, 8-14.
“I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own evil desires. They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.”…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. The Lord isn’t really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, He will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth He has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness. And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in His sight.”
I don’t know about you, but it’s both riveting and so exciting to be immersed in what God is unfolding right before our eyes. Remember, these prophecies weren’t recorded to produce fear in our hearts, but rather, a confidence that God has secured the final victory (that also belongs to us as His children)! The task (and really, the honor and privilege) before us, is to tell those who don’t know Him, about the urgent and good news of the Gospel of Jesus while there is still time! We carry the BEST news on the planet!
See you Sunday,
Pastor Phil