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A
Glimpse Into the Future
What does the future hold for the human race?
That question looms large in the minds and hearts
of people around the world. Some ask it out loud and debate,
predict, or philosophize about it. Others ponder it silently
in the innermost recesses of their hearts. Still others resolutely
push it aside and stifle all thoughts of what the days ahead
might bring. Whatever the case, the question refuses to be
ignored.
Where can we hope to find the answer to this
burning question? Human beings, in and of themselves, have
no knowledge of future events. So to uncover the future, we
must look to a source more powerful than ourselves. And that
source is the one true God, the Father of all living, the
Creator of the universe in which we live.
How can we learn what God has revealed about
the future? We can turn to the Holy Bible, which is the revealed
Word of God. There we read that Jesus Christ will soon take
His earthly throne as King of kings and the kingdoms of this
world will all become “the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his
Christ” (Revelation 11:15). However, according to Biblical
prophecy, He must first come to catch away those who have
made spiritual preparation for that event—those known in Scripture
as the “Bride of Christ” or the “Church.” This occurrence,
the Rapture of the Church, is the next great event to take
place in God's plan for the ages.
The Holy Spirit is in the world today, dwelling
in the hearts of believers, and He is holding back a terrible
tide of destruction that will come upon the world when the
Bride has been taken away. (See 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8.) God's
wrath will then be poured out upon those who have rejected
Him, in a period of time referred to in Scripture as the Great
Tribulation—a literal time of terror and torment like has
never been known.
How do we know that these cataclysmic events
are just ahead?
Scriptural prophecies clearly indicate that
the culmination of God's dealings with the people of this
earth will soon take place. When Jesus' disciples asked Him
what signs that would precede His coming and the end of the
age, He responded with a comprehensive list. (See Matthew,
chapter 24.) He said there would be:
Wars
and rumors of wars. Warfare has long been
part of human existence, but the sheer annihilative potential
of current weaponry, and the possibility of conflict on a
global scale, has made our day a unique and dangerous time
unprecedented in history. Military engagements and rumors
of wars are rampant; ethnic conflicts abound worldwide. In
the twentieth century alone, there have been more than 130
wars. At this writing [1999] some 29 conflicts are being fought.
[1]
Famines.
The number of chronically hungry people in
the world has increased since the early 1990s, after declining
steadily during the previous two decades. [2]
The World Health Organization reports that over 1 billion
people go to bed hungry every night. Drought has come to lands
that had never before suffered from a lack of rain. The needs
of an increasing world population and the diminishing natural
resources to supply them are causing problems.
Pestilences.
New strains of viruses are being discovered that
baffle the scientists. Statistics from the World Health Report
1998 indicate that the future will present many new as well
as continuing challenges. The past few decades have witnessed
the emergence of numerous “new” infectious diseases such as
HIV/AIDS, Ebola, and Legionnaires' disease; the growing problem
of antibiotic-resistant strains of “old” diseases, such as
tuberculosis and malaria; and the epidemic of tobacco-related
diseases.
Earthquakes.
Serious earthquakes have recently shaken parts of
the world that have never felt an earthquake. According to
the National Earthquake Information Center , there were 11,290
earthquakes recorded in 1987. By 1997, that number had risen
to 19,872.
Persecution
and killing of followers of Jesus.
According to a House of Representatives resolution
presented in 1996, more Christians have been martyred in the
twentieth century than in the previous nineteen centuries
combined. A Regent University study indicated that 156,000
Christians were killed in 1998 for their faith.
False
prophets deceiving many.
Buddhism, Hinduism, Spiritualism, and the occult
have been steadily increasing in Christian lands. The United
States is seeing a significant upsurge in the practice of
witchcraft and Satan worship. Astrology and Eastern religions
are attracting adherents. The New Age movement philosophies
are impacting even traditional churches. Currently, evangelical
Christians constitute less than 7% of the total world population.
[3]
Widespread
iniquity.
Crime is rampant. Though adult crime rates in the
United States have declined modestly in recent years, juvenile
crime continues to soar. The figures are staggering: between
1984 and 1991 there was a 160% increase in the murder rate
for juveniles ages 14 to 17 and a 68% increase from 1988 to
1992 for violent offenses committed by children. [4]
The
love of many growing cold.
Over 20% of the world's population does not claim
any allegiance to a religion. [5] Most people
are agnostics and others, atheists. Many churches which once
preached the fundamentals of Christianity—the new birth and
a life without sin—have changed their doctrines, “having a
form of godliness, but denying the power thereof”
(2 Timothy 3:5).
The
Gospel preached worldwide.
In recent years, several powerful interdenominational
groups have emerged with the goal of reaching every part of
the world with the Gospel message. The film entitled JESUS
has been seen by millions in remote areas. Audio and video
recordings and printed materials are taking the Gospel to
places where it has never been heard. Bible translators are
currently putting the Scriptures into more than 1000 languages
and dialects which have never had a translation of God's Word.
[6]
In addition to the end-time events detailed
by Jesus, numerous other prophecies in the Word of God deal
with the last days.
Perilous
times.
Paul wrote to Timothy that perilous times would
come in the last days (See 2 Timothy 3:1.) In the same chapter,
he tells of how evil men will become worse and worse. We live
in a day of inexplicable outbreaks of violence—random shootings,
murders, and mass killings. Race riots and ethnic bloodshed
are signs of increasing intercommunity struggles. Abortion
is an accepted option for terminating an unwanted pregnancy.
The media's blatant portrayal of homosexuality and immorality
has resulted in an increasingly wicked society.
Automobile
traffic.
Nahum prophesied that in the end time, “chariots
shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against another
in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall
run like the lightnings” (Nahum 2:4). Automobiles by the millions
throng our six and eight-lane freeways. Deaths and injuries
resulting from motor vehicles crashes are the leading cause
of death for persons from 6 to 27 years of age. In 1997, 41,967
people were killed in traffic crashes in the U.S. [7]
Widespread
travel.
Daniel prophesied that “many shall run to and fro”
in the time of the end. (See Daniel 12:4). For the past several
years, air travel miles by commercial airlines has been in
the billions. Air travel in the United States increased for
the fourth consecutive year in 1997. The FAA predicts that
domestic air travel will increase 3.5 % a year for the next
twelve years, and international air travel will grow 5.8%.
Knowledge
increased.
Daniel also foretold that knowledge would be increased
in the last days. (See Daniel 12:4.) Today, universities in
our land are crowded to capacity. Training in technology is
emphasized. Today's computers have capabilities undreamed
of a few years ago, processing data at 10,000 times the speed
possible in 1970.
The Internet allows instant access to unlimited information.
Engineering feats are performed today that stagger the imagination.
Scientific knowledge seems to have conquered everything but
the greatest mystery of all—the source of life.
Perhaps the greatest sign of the end of the
Church Age is found in recent happenings concerning the nation
of Israel . Jesus said: “Now learn a parable of the fig tree;
When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye
know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see
all these things, know that it [the coming of Christ] is near,
even at the doors” (Matthew 24:32-33). Scripture teaches that
this fig tree represents the Jewish nation. (Jeremiah 24:5-10;
Hosea 9:10; Luke 13:6-9).
God said that because of their disobedience,
the Jewish people would be scattered among all nations. During
the thirty or more centuries of their perilous existence,
they have been continually on the verge of annihilation, yet
they have always regained their footing. They have been miraculously
preserved for a special purpose in connection with the future
development of God's plan.
Jerusalem
inhabited by Jews.
In 1948, Israel was declared a nation, the first
time since the Babylonian Captivity, 597 B.C. The new nation
was named Israel . Today emigrants are moving to Israel from
every country in the world. (See Jeremiah 16:14,15.) Luke
21:24 indicates that Jerusalem would be controlled by the
Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles were fulfilled. In
1967, Israel once again assumed control of their capital city.
Return
of rainfall.
When the Jews were scattered after the crucifixion
of Jesus, the region became desolate, unproductive and barren.
For nearly 2000 years the land was devastated. Rains ceased
to fall; trees were cut down to save taxes; and even the wandering
Bedouins could scarcely maintain an existence. The Prophet
Joel indicated that the rains would return when the day of
the Lord was at hand. (See Joel 2:1,23.) At the turn of this
century, rain began to fall in Palestine , and vegetation
began to grow. From 1960 to 1980, the annual rainfall increased
40%. [8]
Restoration
of a pure language.
The prophet Zephaniah foretold that the nation of
Israel would have a pure language during the end times. (See
Zephaniah 3:8,9.) In 1982, it was decided that Hebrew would
be the official and national language of Israel —a language
which had been considered dead.
Preparation
to rebuild the Temple.
Daniel 9:26,27 indicate that during the Tribulation
period, the Temple sanctuary will be in existence. Currently
in Jerusalem , several organizations are preparing to rebuild
this sacred structure. The Temple Institute has prepared the
utensils and artifacts needed to perform the Temple rites,
from the clothes the priests are to wear, to the gold crown
for the High Priest. Men from the tribe of Levi are being
trained to perform the Temple duties. [9]
Availability
of a red heifer.
Numbers 19:2,5-6 indicate that a red heifer must
be used for the ceremonial purification which will once again
be part of the Temple rites. For over 2000 years, there has
been no acceptable red heifer. In 1995, one was bred in Mississippi
and several have been shipped to Israel since then. [10]
Restoration
of the shekel.
According to Ezekiel 45:12,13,16, the shekel will
be used as the offering to the Messiah at the Temple during
the Millennium. In 1980, the shekel was restored as the official
unit of exchange in Israel .
Military
victories.
The overwhelming victories of Israel over the vastly
superior armies of Egypt , Syria , and Jordan in 1948, 1967,
and 1973 amazed the world. According to Zechariah 12:6, these
victories are a prelude to the coming of the Messiah at the
Revelation of Christ—an event which will take place at the
end of the Great Tribulation.
Jewish
unbelief.
In spite of the powerful evidence to Israel today
that Jesus Christ is the promised Redeemer, according to Romans
11:25, their continued unbelief is a sign of the nearness
of the Lord's second coming.
We are seeing a forerunner of what is yet to
take place in this nation which will be the center of end-time
events. The fig tree is budding and putting forth leaves.
The people, however, are not yet turning to God and crying
for their Messiah as Zechariah prophesied they will do. (See
Zechariah 12:10.)
Another indication that the last days are upon
us is the fact that we are living in the time of the outpouring
of the Holy Spirit, the Latter Rain foretold by Joel the Prophet
(Joel 2:23) and by the Apostle James (James 5:7). Beginning
in the early 1900s, God gave a sign to an unbelieving world
by restoring the baptism of the Holy Ghost as was given in
the “early rain” on the Day of Pentecost.
A widespread preaching of the Gospel by those
endued with power from on High has resulted in the salvation
of many souls, the sanctification of believers, the empowering
of witnesses, and the healing of many from incurable diseases.
Clearly, the Holy Spirit is in the world and is preparing
a Bride for Jesus. This is the dispensation of the Holy Ghost—the
time of God's greatest revelation to mankind.
Without a doubt, the stage has been set. We
are seeing the fulfillment of the prophesied events which
were to herald the Rapture of the Church. Jesus could come
back for His Bride, the Church, at any moment!
This event will occur when Jesus calls His followers
(both Gentile and Jewish believers) with a trumpet blast,
and they will be removed from the earth and transported to
be with Him in the heavens. The Rapture will take place suddenly,
unexpectedly, and lightning-fast—in the “twinkling of an eye,”
according to Scripture. Jesus will descend from Heaven “with
a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump
of God” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). The word rapture means, “being
carried away in body or spirit,” and this is literally what
will happen. Those who have died as Christians will arise
from their graves to meet Him in the clouds. Then those who
are alive, and who have prepared themselves for His coming,
will be changed in a moment and will join Christ and the resurrected
dead in the air. (See 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17; 1 Corinthians
15:20-38.)
The Christians who gather with Christ at the
Rapture of the Church will take part in the Marriage Supper
of the Lamb, described in Revelation 19:7-9. Jesus Christ
is the Bridegroom, and He will serve the saints. (See Luke
12:37.) There, rewards will be given for faithful service.
Those who have labored for God's glory will hear the words,
“Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been
faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many
things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matthew 25:21).
Some will be given authority over ten cities, others over
five (Luke 19:12-19). Among the rewards to the overcomer will
be “to eat of the tree of life,” to wear “white raiment,”
to be given the “morning star.” Jesus said, “I will confess
his name before my Father, and before his angels,” and “to
him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne,
even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in
his throne.” (See Revelation chapters 2 and 3.)
While the Marriage Supper of the Lamb is taking
place above, the terrible outpouring of God's wrath will occur
on earth because of mankind's rejection of God's love and
mercy. This period of time, known as the Great Tribulation,
is described in the Book of Revelation. The Tribulation will
last seven years. It will begin with a covenant made between
Israel and a world leader, identified in Scripture as the
Antichrist, and it will end with the physical return of Jesus
Christ to set up His kingdom on earth. In between these events,
those on earth will experience seven years of fear and terror,
of darkness and torment. Daniel, prophesying of this, said,
“There shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since
there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time
thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found
written in the book” (Daniel 12:1). Jesus said of the same
time, “Then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since
the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall
be” (Matthew 24:21).
The dominant figure of the Tribulation will
be the Antichrist, the “man of sin,” who will be revealed
after the Bride has been taken out of the world. Initially,
he will expand his empire through diplomatic ventures and
subtle “peace” diplomacy. Only later will his true nature
be revealed. His ascent to power will be rapid, and authority
will be given to him from Satan. The Apostle John wrote of
this man that “power was given him over all kindreds, and
tongues, and nations” (Revelation 13:7). He will be a phenomenally
persuasive and brilliant man, and also extremely wicked and
diabolical. Scripture alludes to him as “the son of perdition”
and also the “beast.” All who dwell upon the earth, whose
names are not written in the Book of Life, will worship him.
(See Revelation 13:8.)
As the Antichrist gains control of the world
during the Tribulation period, those who follow him will wear
an identifying mark. The mark or seal of the beast will be
placed in the right hand or forehead of all his followers,
and those who do not have the mark will not be allowed to
buy or sell. “The mark of the beast” will be literal, and
those who receive it will seal their own doom, for the Word
says, “If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive
his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink
of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without
mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented
with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels,
and in the presence of the Lamb” (Revelation 14:9,10).
The Antichrist will come into power through
flatteries, the promise of peace, and a certain measure of
prosperity. He will change his tactics during the Tribulation,
however, and will become the most cruel and despotic ruler
this world has ever seen. (See Revelation 13:1-18.)
For the past two thousand years, the Gentiles
have had an opportunity to enter in and accept God's grace,
but after the Bride is taken away in the Rapture, and the
Tribulation sets in, God will turn back to the Jews. (See
Romans 11:25-27). Because God will again deal with the Jews
as His chosen people, the Tribulation is also known as the
time of Jacob's Trouble. During this time, the Jews will suffer
in a greater measure than they ever have.
The Antichrist will deceive the Jewish people.
He will make a treaty with them during the first part of his
reign; among other things, this treaty will allow them to
resume the ancient sacrificial system of temple worship. In
the middle of his seven-year rule, however, he will ruthlessly
break his covenant, ending the sacrifices and substituting
the worldwide worship of himself and his image. (See Daniel
9:27.) This action will reveal to the Jews his demonic nature.
When that covenant is broken, tribulation such as never has
been known before will be poured out upon the Jews. A third
part of them will survive (Zechariah 13:9), and they will
cry for their Messiah to come and deliver them.
During the Tribulation, God's judgment will
be poured out upon the earth in the form of horrendous environmental
catastrophes. The following are some of the cataclysmic events
which will take place during that period.
• A terrible hailstorm of hail and fire mingled
with blood will destroy one third of all vegetation on the
earth. (Revelation 8:7)
• A meteor will hit the earth, causing the sea
to become like blood. This will kill one-third of all creatures
in the sea, and destroy one-third of the world's shipping.
(Revelation 8:8,9)
• A star named Wormwood will fall from the sky
and poison one-third of all fresh water. This will kill many
people. (Revelation 8:10-11)
• The sun, moon, and stars will be darkened
by one-third. The day and night will be reduced by one-third.
(Revelation 8:12)
• Terrible locust-like beings will be released
from underground. They will attack only people who are not
followers of Jesus Christ. These attacks will be very painful
and will last five months. (Revelation 9:3-10)
• An army of 200 million horsemen on horse-like
creatures will kill one-third of the earth's remaining population.
(Revelation 9:15-19)
• Two beings, referred to in Scripture as “witnesses,”
will preach the truth of Jesus Christ for 3 ½ years
and will be killed at the midpoint of the seven-year tribulation
by the Antichrist. After three days they will be resurrected
and will ascend to Heaven in a cloud. (Revelation 11:3-12)
• People who have taken the mark of the Antichrist
will develop a ghastly sore on their bodies within a short
time. (Revelation 13:16-18; 16:2)
• The oceans will chemically change and become
like congealed blood. Everything in the sea will die. (Revelation
16:3)
• The fresh waters will become like blood. (Revelation
16:4)
• The sun's rays will scorch the people on earth
with tremendous heat. (Revelation 16:8,9)
• Great darkness will come upon the earth, and
terrible pain will afflict its inhabitants. (Revelation 16:10,11)
• The kings of the world will gather their armies
to battle against God at Armageddon. The River Euphrates will
dry up, whereby the “kings of the East” will march toward
Palestine in preparation for this battle. (Revelation 16:12)
• A huge earthquake will take place, so devastating
that all the mountains and islands will disappear. (Revelation
16:18-20)
• A terrible hailstorm, with hailstones weighing
close to 100 pounds, will crush the armies and cause men to
blaspheme God. (Revelation 16:21)
At the close of the Tribulation, all the armies
of the Antichrist and of his henchman, the false prophet,
will gather in Israel to war against God, in an effort to
usurp the Kingdom that Christ will set up on earth. (See Revelation
16:13,14,16.) In their rage, they will especially ravage Jerusalem
and destroy a great part of Israel's population (See Revelation
16:14-16; Zechariah 12:3.) At this point, the heavens will
open and Christ will return to this earth in power and great
glory with the heavenly host. He will execute judgment on
the ungodly and set up His Millennial kingdom. (See Revelation
19:11-16.) The armies that follow Him upon white horses are
the saints who have been raptured.
Christ's feet will touch the Mount of Olives,
and then, in a bloody encounter which will eclipse every other
war known on earth, He will wreak vengeance and judgment upon
His enemies. A carnage covering a 200-mile expanse will result,
concentrated in a place called Armageddon (possibly the Valley
of Megiddo). The birds will feast upon the dead bodies of
the slain. During the battle, the Antichrist and the false
prophet will be cast alive into the lake of fire. (See Revelation
19:20,21.) The armies of the Antichrist will be slain with
the sword from Christ's mouth.
The surviving Jews will accept their Messiah,
whom they have so long rejected. “They shall look upon me
whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one
mourneth for his only son” (Zechariah 12:10).
Following the Battle of Armageddon and the close
of the seven-year Tribulation, the Millennium, or thousand-year
literal reign of Christ and His saints, will begin. Jesus
will be crowned King of kings and Lord of lords, and will
judge the nations (Matthew 25:31-32). This will be a time
of peace and blessing, in which the people of earth will enjoy
a virtual “Garden of Eden” existence. The curse, which came
upon the earth when Adam and Eve transgressed the command
of God, will be lifted from creation, and the glorious and
everlasting Kingdom of Christ and His saints will be established
in peace. The Millennial Kingdom will have the following characteristics:
Jesus
will rule from Jerusalem.
The Lord is going to rule the world (Zechariah 14:9)
with the seat of His government in Jerusalem. (Isaiah 24:23).
Christ's kingdom will never be destroyed. (Daniel 2:44)
Saints
will reign with Jesus.
The armies that follow Jesus from Heaven, after
the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, will rule and reign with
Him. Among this group will be the prophets, Apostles, and
martyrs of ages past who will also return in glorified bodies
to take part in Christ's government. (Jude 14,15)
Satan
will be bound.
An angel will come from Heaven and bind Satan for
a thousand years, casting him into a bottomless pit. For the
first time since the fall, people will dwell in the world
without the power of Satan to tempt or torment them. (Revelation
20:1-3)
War
will end.
Nation will no longer fight against nation, and
preparations and equipping for warfare will be over. (Isaiah
2:4)
Sickness
and disease will be eliminated.
After the curse has been lifted, all who remain
and come under the rule and dominion of Christ will be set
free from every disease and sickness. (Isaiah 35:5,6)
Mankind
will enjoy longevity.
Men will live long to enjoy the blessed reign of
Jesus. (Isaiah 65:20)
Animal
nature will be changed.
The venom of the serpent, the sting of the scorpion,
the instinct to kill in the wolf and the lion—everything that
is savage and brought on by the curse in the animal kingdom
will be done away with. (Isaiah 11:6-9)
Vegetation
will be luxuriant.
In our world today, even vegetation is dwarfed as
the result of the curse. Nothing grows as luxuriantly as it
will when Jesus reigns on earth (Isaiah 55:12,13)
Nations
will rebuild.
The people who survive the Great Tribulation will
rebuild. (Isaiah 65:21)
Annual
visits will be made to Jerusalem.
Everyone will be required to make a yearly visit
to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts. (Zechariah
14:16-19)
Nations
will worship God.
All nations that remain will be brought into subjection
to the Son of God. They will then obey the Word of God. (Micah
4:1,2; Zechariah 8:20-22)
During the Millennial Reign, God will renew
His covenant with Israel. “Behold, the days come, saith the
LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel,
and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant
that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them
by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which
my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them,
saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will
make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the
LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it
in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be
my people” (Jeremiah 31:31-33).
At the close of the Millennium, there will be
a fresh outburst of evil, when Satan shall be “loosed [for]
a little season.” The final rebellion will take place, followed
by swift judgment. Satan will go out to deceive the nations
in the four quarters of the earth and will gather them together
to battle in a conflict known as the Battle of Gog and Magog.
The armies will surround the camp of the saints—the city of
Jerusalem. At that point, fire will come down from heaven
and destroy them. The devil will be cast into the lake of
fire for eternity. (See Revelation 20:7-10.)
Then will come the Great White Throne Judgment,
when God will assemble the wicked living and wicked dead (the
righteous living and dead arose at the Rapture) to stand before
Him who sits on the Throne. The books will be opened, and
all present will be judged according to their deeds done in
the body. (See Revelation 20:11-12.) Since none of their names
will be found written in the Book of Life, all will be cast
into the lake of fire. (See Revelation 20:15.) There they
will remain throughout eternity.
Christ will reign until time has run its course.
“Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the
kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down
all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till
he hath put all enemies under his feet” (1 Corinthians 15:24-25).
Scripture tells us that the present heavens
and the earth will be destroyed by fire at the close of the
Millennium (See 2 Peter 3:12,13; Micah 1:3,4.) After the earth
has been destroyed by fire, God will establish the “new heavens
and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter
3:13). The heavenly headquarters for the universe—the New
Jerusalem—will descend from Heaven. The redeemed will dwell
with God forever, and the new Heaven and earth will never
pass away.
We are living in tremendous days, the time of
the end of the age and the end of the world. Have you made
the proper spiritual preparation? Your answer could have irrevocable
and awesome consequences. Realize that if you neglect those
preparations, you are gambling with the eternal destiny of
your never-dying soul!
There are those who say they believe that the
end is near, but who speculate that perhaps the Lord will
delay His coming a few years longer. We have no guarantee
of that. The minutes on God's time clock are ticking by, and
the evidence is conclusive: The culmination of the ages cannot
be far in the future.
God wants us to have our eyes on the skies.
We do not know the day or the hour of His return for His Bride,
but we do know that those who are watching and waiting will
be ready when He comes. Those who are looking for the coming
of Jesus want to be like Him. There is ample instruction in
the Bible about what the Lord expects His Bride to be, and
He shed His Blood to wash away our sins and to make us pure
in heart. So, there will be no excuse for those who do not
prepare themselves for His coming.
The Apostle John's parting words recorded in
Revelation 22:20 are: “He which testifieth these things saith,
Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
Be ready for that day!
1 William R.
Goetz, Apocalypse Next, pp.210. [Back to Text]
2 “The State
of Food and Agriculture 1998,” Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations Annual Report, 1998. [Back
to Text]
3 Based on
data from www.adherents.com
. Figures taken from David Barrett's World Christian Encyclopedia,
1994. [Back to Text]
4 “National
Crime Rate Declines,” AP Release, May 6, 1996; “A Judge Bad
Kids Dread,” Reader's Digest, July, 1996, p.93. [Back
to Text]
5 Based on
data from www.adherents.com
. Figures taken from David Barrett's World Christian Encyclopedia,
1994. [Back to Text]
6 Wycliffe
Bible Translators, 1997 Annual Report. [Back
to Text]
7 “Public Information
Fact Sheet on Motor Vehicle and Traffic Safety,” National
Center for Statistics and Analysis 1997 Report. [Back
to Text]
8 N. W. Hutchings,
“24 Messianic Signs in Israel,” The Gospel Truth, Volume 33,
September 1992. [Back to Text]
9 Based on
data from video by James E. Young, Ready to Rebuild, Harvest
House Publishers. [Back to Text]
10 Ibid. [Back
to Text]
Signs Pointing
to the End Times: Matthew 24; Luke 21
The Rapture
of the Church: Isaiah 26:20; Matthew 24:40-44;
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 [More
Info]
The Marriage
Supper of the Lamb: 2 Corinthians 11:2; Revelation
19:6-9
The Great
Tribulation: Isaiah 26:21; Jeremiah 30:7;
Daniel 12:1; Matthew 24:21-22, 29;
Revelation 9 and 16 [More
Info]
The Antichrist:
Daniel 8:23-25; 9:26,27; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-9;
Revelation 13:1-18; 14:9-11
The Revelation
of Christ: Zechariah 14:3-4; 2 Thessalonians
1:7-10; Jude 14,15 [More
Info]
The Battle
of Armageddon: Zechariah 14:1-4; Revelation
16:13-16; 19:11-21
Christ's
Millennial Reign: Isaiah 2:2-4; 11:6-9; 65:25;
Hosea 2:18; Zechariah 14:9-20;
Revelation 20:2-3 [More
Info]
Battle
of Gog and Magog: Revelation 20:7-10
The Great
White Throne Judgment: Daniel 12:2; Acts
10:42; Revelation 20:11-14 [More
Info]
The New
Heaven and the New Earth: Isaiah 65:117;
66:22; Matthew 24:35; 2 Peter 3:12-13; Revelation 21:1-3 [More
Info]
Eternal
Heaven and Eternal Hell: Matthew 25:41-46;
Mark 9:43,44; Luke 16:23-26;
Revelation 14:10-11 [More
Info]
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