"When you see these things happening,
know that the kingdom of God is near." - Luke 21:31
No one can tell us with certainty what
tomorrow's weather will be except the one who causes it - God - but by
listening to the weather report or looking at the sky, people use their eyes
and their brains to at least make an educated guess about tomorrow's weather.
Likewise, no one can tell us with certainly when the exact timing of Jesus'
return will be except the one who will cause it to happen, God the Father (Mt.
12:36), but by listening to the right information sources, people can use their
eyes and their brains to at least make an educated guess about how close we are
to the return of Jesus Christ. Jesus said that when you see certain things
begin to happen, "Look up and lift up your heads, for your
redemption draws near," and "when you see them happen the kingdom of God is near" (Luke 21:28,31). Jesus and Paul both taught that the proper way
to wait for His return is to therefore be watchful, ready and sober (Matthew
24:42-44,25:13; 1 Th. 5:6).
The apostle John wrote that when Jesus
appears, we who believe in Him shall become like him, and everyone having this
hope in Him purifies himself (1 John 3:2,3). He also wrote that the testimony
of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10). So two benefits of
studying Bible prophecy and comparing it to world events are personal
purification and a better understanding of Jesus. Besides, in 1 Th. 4:18,
Christians are commanded to encourage each other with words about the return of
Christ. Hebrews 10:24,25 also says that as we should regularly meet to
encourage one another, especially as we see the Day of Jesus' return
approaching.
Although we cannot say with certainty how today's events are
related to Bible prophecy, it is unwise to ignore them. Following are 10 for
your consideration. The first seven are already happening. The last three are
in preparatory stages:
Signs that are already
Happening
1. Wars and rumors of
wars
"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."(Matthew
24:6,7a) Since World War II, many countries have been building up massive
arsenals of conventional and nuclear weapons. The potential for war grows day
by day. In addition to potential nuclear war, we have war on terror, water wars, weather wars, Albert Pike's Three World Wars, angel wars, and trans human wars.
(See also Wars and Rumors of Wars.)
2. Famines,
Pestilence, Earthquakes
"And there will be famines, pestilences,
and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of
sorrows." (Matthew 24:7b,8). Due to flooding and
droughts, world food supplies are running very low. Many people are expecting a global food shortage and famines in many places.
In 2007, the World Health Organization (WHO)
issued a warning that infectious diseases are emerging more quickly and
spreading faster around the globe than ever before, and they are becoming
increasingly difficult to treat. The UN said in its 2007 annual world health
report that an outbreak or epidemic in one part of the world can easily
threaten billions of people in other parts due to large numbers of modern day
air travelers.
Regarding earthquakes, scientific data does
show that we have been seeing a large increase in seismic activity. According
to a number of scientists, another star or large planet is affecting the sun's
magnetic field, which is also affecting the earth's magnetic field - both the
core and the ionosphere. The north pole is shifting at an accelerated pace, and
the earth seems to be expanding. Thus, we should see a continual increase in
earthquakes and volcanic activity in coming years. Stan Deyo follows earth changes very closely. He's a scientist and has written a lot on the
subject. His web site covers numerous topics related to changes in the world
today.
3. Deceivers who claim
to follow Jesus
And Jesus answered and said to them:
"Take heed that no one deceives you for many will come in My name saying
that I am the Christ and will deceive many." Mt. 24:4,5
Although the Bible teaches that Jesus is the
promised Jewish Messiah (see proof) and is
"the only begotten Son of God" (see John 3:18), who created the world
and everything in it (see Col. 1:16), at the end of the Church Age many people
will be teaching these truths, yet they will have other teachings that that are
not consistent with the Bible and will deceive many. Perhaps the majority of
professing Christian teachers in the world today fall into this camp, as most
have fallen away from sound Biblical teachings and instead place traditions of
men and/or the goal of increasing church attendance figures above the authority
of the Bible. Some are subtle, and some are blatant. Sincere followers of Jesus
should come out of these wayward institutional churches and seek to fellowship
with people who follow and teach what Jesus and His apostles did. If you are
unsure about your current church or fellowship, see Should I stay in my church or
leave?
(If you are wondering why three additional
commas were not included in the Scripture above, see Note on commas in the text of
Mt. 24:4,5.)
4. People of Israel
return to their land
"Behold, the days come, saith the LORD,
that ... I will bring again captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall
build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and
drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of
them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled
up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God." (Amos 9:13-15)
"Thus says the Lord GOD: 'Surely I will
take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone,
and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I
will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel.'" (Ezekiel 37:21,22)
·
During the last 130
years Jews from 108 nations have migrated to the land of Israel.
·
In 1882 the first wave
of modern immigration to Israel started as Jews fled persecution, or followed
the Socialist Zionist ideas of Moses Hess. From 1882 to 1919 around 75,000 Jews
immigrated to Palestine, mostly from Russia. They bought land from Ottoman and
individual Arab landholders and established agricultural settlements. During
this period the Hebrews language was revived, newspapers and literature were
published in Hebrew and political parties and workers organizations were
established.
·
In 1917 during World
War I, the British government in its Balfour Declaration supported plans for a
?national home? for the Jews in their promised land. Later, the Ottoman Empire
(Turkey) lost control of the Middle East. This made it possible for hundreds of
thousands more immigrants to arrive from Europe. Anti-Semitism drove most
there. Many more would have come had it not been for Arab protest and resulting
British restrictions on immigration.
·
During World War II,
the Nazis killed around 6 million Jews in the Holocaust, so it became clear to
the Jews that they needed a homeland. Many Holocaust survivors immigrated
illegally to Palestine. When the British pulled out of Palestine in May 1948,
the state of Israel formally declared its independence. It was immediately
recognized by the USA, followed by Guatemala, Nicaragua and Uruguay. A few days
later, the Soviet Union, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and South Africa
did the same. No Arab states have ever recognized Israel, but several have
attacked them. However, Israel has successfully defended itself against
numerous Arab attacks. As a result, Jews throughout the Middle East have also
been forced to immigrate to Israel, and the nation has grown strong. It has
turned a desert into an agricultural success, and it?s technology industry
exports cutting edge innovations.
·
Today, Israel's
population is over 7 million. In 2018, Israel will celebrate it's 70th
anniversary, but some of its neighbors hate it and want to "wipe it off
the map". It is still mostly a secular state, but it has a growing
percentage of Orthodox Jews and Christians. Today, the Aliyah immigration
movement continues to embrace Jewish newcomers, help them become a part of
communities and help them learn Hebrew.
·
See also Israel and Prophecy and The Sign of the 4 Blood Moons
5. Increased
wickedness & loss of love
"And because lawlessness will abound, the
love of many will grow cold."(Matthew 24:12) Today, more and more people are living primarily
for themselves and their own happiness. The idea of denying themselves, taking
up their crosses daily and following Jesus (Luke 9:23) is a foreign concept.
What TV and movies show as "normal" has affected the values of those
who indulge in them. At the same time, couples are divorcing, and children are
growing up with deep unmet needs as a result. Many couples are not even
marrying but living together in fornication (any form of sex not sanctioned by
God). The result has been the blood sacrifice (murder) of hundreds of millions
of innocent, helpless children through abortion and the birthing of even more
children who lack a healthy home where they can receive love and training from
their own father and mother.
6. Reemergence of
Demigods
Jesus said, "As it was in the
days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man." (Matthew 24:37, Luke 17:26). From Genesis 6, we see that not
only that "the wickedness of man was great on the earth" (Genesis
6:5), but we see another interesting phenomenon, demigods, i.e., powerful
hybrid offspring of gods (fallen angels) and humans:
There were giants in
the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto
the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty
men which were of old, men of renown. (Genesis 6:4)
Some Bible translations use the word
"Nephilim" instead of "giants", because in Hebrew the word
is נָפִיל (nĕphiyl).
This word occurs three times in the Bible, once in Genesis 6:4 and twice in
Numbers 13:33:
And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were
in their sight. (Numbers 13:33)
Some scholars believe that the Nephilim were
most likely a group of fallen angels who came to earth to corrupt mankind,
since nephiyl comes from the word naphal, which means 'to fall'. However, other
scholars believe that the the Nephilim were giants, since Numbers 13:33 seems
to clarify their identity. In either case, Genesis 6:1,2 and 1 Enoch 6-7 both
tell of the sons of God, aka angels or supernatural messengers or
"watchers" coming to earth to marry human wives, who bore powerful
children.
After the flood, there were additional giants
in the land of Canaan (See Deuteronomy 3:11, 12:10-12; Joshua 4:15, 13:12, 1
Samuel 17:4-7; 2 Samuel 17:16-22.) The Bible mentions some of their tribal
names: the Emim, the Anakim, the Horim, and Zamsummim. Ancient texts and
pictures from Egyptian, Greek and other cultures also talk of giants or
demigods who were the offspring of supernatural beings, so it's not a far
stretch to see that this was a common occurrence in antiquity. Archaeological
evidence shows that these beings were sometimes over 30 feet tall and strength
to move massive stones that machinery cannot even move, e.g., Baalbek. Before
the flood, angels and their hybrid offspring corrupted the whole earth. After
the flood, they were perhaps not as large, but still powerful and evil in their
influence. Some were even cannibalistic. That is why God commanded Israel to
totally wipe out all the nations of Canaan.
Today, the phenomenon seems to be reoccurring.
Women have told of alien abductions in which they were impregnated. There are
also accounts of alien beings and/or humans doing genetic experiments in
underground laboratories to breed various types of hybrid creatures including
grey aliens, chimeras and other monsters. (See UFOs, Aliens and Alien Abductions And How to Overcome
Their Evil Influence and Aliens and Fallen Angels (MS
PowerPoint).) Even Hollywood is preparing the minds of the masses
with movies about hybrid supermen and superwomen. Although the Bible says they
and their angelic fathers are evil, Hollywood is trying to get people to think
that not all are bad. Other researchers have written that some of the global
elite actually have DNA that has an extra parasitic strand due to angelic
parentage. (See Life as An Investigator Is Like a Box of Chocolates.)
Some researchers provide other types of evidence. (See Seed of Satan: They Walk
Amongst Us.)
7. Strong delusion
And for this reason God will send them strong
delusion, that they should believe the lie. (2 Th. 2:11 NKJV)
The primary focus of the deception is use of
the controlled corporate media by the Prince of the Power of the Air. TV,
radio, Internet, cell phones, PDAs, etc. keep people completely preoccupied and
oblivious to the fate that awaits unbelievers. The goal is also to prevent
people from hearing the Gospel of Jesus, and if they do hear it to forget about
it and be entertained constantly. Most people in developed countries are now in
a fog due to the impact of these media that lull them into a false sense of
security and into a false sense of right and wrong. This delusion can be seen
in three areas:
·
Spirituality, the Emerging Church has become so
pervasive that most churches in developed countries will tolerate abortion
(murder), fornication (premarital sex, adultery, homosexuality) and almost any
other violation of God's law. Just think: how many churches will excommunicate
a person for involvement in these sins?
·
Finance, many people are unaware that an
international government / banking cartel partnership is stealing their wealth
and using the funds to control the world. (See How Some Rich Bankers Tricked
the American People and Gained Control of the World's Economic, Political,
Legal and Educational Systems and 19 Reasons Why The Federal
Reserve Is At the Heart of Our Economic Problems, 20 Questions To Ask Anyone
Foolish Enough To Believe The Economic Crisis Is Over.). The stealing is done through the printing
of fiat money (money not based on gold or silver but on debt), through interest
on money that does not exist (due to fractional reserve banking laws) and
through the saw tooth effect of markets that draws people into bad investments
over a long period of time and then makes them lose large portions of their
life savings when markets drop. (See 200 Year Dow/Gold Ratio,
and note how it became much more dramatic after the creation of the Federal
Reserve System in 1913. See also Financial News Updates on this website.)
·
Politics, most people are also unaware that the
international banking cartel has taken over all national governments and is
quietly re-organizing borders and power centers throughout the world. Evidence
of this can be seen in the 911 deception. Most Americans and those sympathetic
to the US government think that airplanes caused three steel-frame buildings to
fall down into their footprints at almost freefall speed, when this has never
happened in all of known history. People who objectively study the facts
realize it was a very successful psychological operation (psyop), since jet
fuel is not hot enough to do the job, and even a pancake effect had happened it
would have been much slower. It had to be done by controlled demolitions. This
was part of a plan to cause a second Pearl Harbor and justify the US military
getting a foothold in the Middle East and justify the US government in taking
away many constitutional rights of the US people.(For more information, see Question 911, 911 Truthseekers.org andhttp://www.brasschecktv.com/.)
Signs that are still
in preparatory stages
8. One world
government
"And the fourth kingdom shall be as
strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything: and
like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the
others. (Daniel 2:40 NKJV)
9. One world ruler and
an assistant emerge
I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having
seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a
blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were
like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon
[Satan, or the devil] gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. And
I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound
was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they
worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the
beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with
him?"(Revelation 13:1-4)
It was granted to him to make war with the
saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe,
tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names
have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation
of the world.(Revelation 13:7,8)
Let no one deceive you by any means; for that
Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is
revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that
is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of
God, showing himself that he is God. The coming of the lawless one is according
to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all
unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the
love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send
them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be
condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:3,4,9-12)
Most religions expect a savior or a man who
will bring world peace, justice and unity. Here are three examples:
·
Muslims are waiting for
the Mahdi or the 12th Imam. Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has stated
that his mandate is to pave the way for the coming of this Islamic messiah. An
Islamic film has been produced about this: The Coming Is Upon Us.
An interview with Ken Timmerman about this in April 2011 explains the current hope of many
Muslims.
·
Buddhists are waiting
for the Buddha of compassion, Maitreya, or a world teacher and unifier, the 5th
and coming Buddha of the present era. See also, Maitreya Rising
·
Hindus are waiting for
their completer and savior, Kalki, the name of Vishnu in his tenth and last
avatar. According to the Usborne Encyclopedia of World Religions, "The tenth and last avatar has not yet
appeared. It is said that at the end of the present age, Vishnu will come
to Earth as Kalki, riding a white horse, to destroy the wicked and re-establish
order."
A false prophet emerges to assist the world
ruler and savior.
"Then I saw another beast coming up out
of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he
exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the
earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound
was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from
heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the
earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast,
telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was
wounded by the sword and lived. He was granted power to give breath to the
image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as
many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed."(Revelation 13:11-15)
Muslims are waiting for Isa Bin Maryam (i.e.,
Jesus, the son of the virgin Mary) to appear with the Mahdi, praying behind him
Jews are still waiting for their Messiah,
Emmanuel.
Christians are waiting for the second coming
of Jesus, but most no longer believe in the literal interpretation of the
Bible, so many will be deceived.
Recently, the Roman Church has elected a new
pope whom some people say will be the last pope and may be the beast out of the
earth described in Rev. 13:11-15. See Has the Beast from the Earth
Officially Arisen?
10. Technology to
control the world
"He [the second beast] causes all, both
small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their
right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one
who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is
wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it
is the number of a man: His number is 666."(Revelation 13:16-18)
Today, smart cards are popular, but they can
be lost or stolen. It is likely that the eventual solution will be an
implantable RFID chip or some form of high tech tatoo on the right hand or forehead. Already, 99% of commercial
transactions in many countries are done without cash. Most paper money is not
even backed by gold or silver anymore, so it's value is purely psychological.
When the current monetary system crashes, technology is available to redefine
currency and commerce in a seamless way that people will want as a solution to
their need for quick spending. For example, see Citi Economist Says It Might Be
Time to Abolish Cash to Save World Economy
The Utah Data Center became fully operational on May 30, 2013. This was
set up to intercept and store all the world's information. This center may play
a huge role in the coming 666
Surveillance System. For a long list of links related to the Mark of
the Beast, see Technology to
Control the World
