Date of message: 01 March 2003
Subject: The Sign Of The Times - The Last Days
Shalom, Boker-tov (good morning),
One day as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, His disciples came
to Him and showed Him all the beautiful buildings of the Temple of Jerusalem.
He wept as He saw prophetically the Temple being destroyed and the people
persecuted and dispersed throughout the whole Earth. And when His disciples
asked Him why He cried, He began to teach them the signs that would accompany
the destruction of the Temple and prophesied about His coming again to
this world in His physical form.
What were some of these signs? And can we get an idea of when He will
return? These are some of the most frequently asked questions (or FAQ
in IT language) by people all around the world since. In Matthew chapters
24 and 25 and in Luke 21: 20 -36, Jesus painted some key signs some of
which had already come to pass.
1. Jerusalem City would be surrounded by armies and suffer at their hands
until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled (Luke 21: 20 - 24)
o Although Israel became an independent state on May 15 1948, the City
of Jerusalem was divided into East and West Jerusalem. The State of Israel
controlled West Jerusalem while the Kingdom of Jordan governed East Jerusalem
until June 1967 when the Israeli Army captured the whole of Jerusalem
together with many other sites in the famous Six-Day War.
o Till today, the city is still hotly contested by the Arabs especially
the Palestinians who claimed that the city was theirs from their forefathers
as part of the Canaanite Kingdom.
o Jesus taught His disciples that when they see the branches of the fig
tree became tender and new leaves start to grow, that summer is near (Matthew
24: 32). The fig tree has always been used as a symbol in the Bible to
represent Israel. So when we see Israel comes to life, Jesus wants us
to be aware that the end is very near. Israel has come back to life. It
is now a nation.
2. There will be wars and rumors of wars. Nations will rise against nations
and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines, pestilences and earthquakes
in various places (Matthew 24: 6 - 7).
o Many people have the impression that there were no more wars after WW2
ended, that there would be world peace but this is not to be the case.
Since Nov 1945 when the armistice to officially end WW2 was signed, there
had been a war in some parts of the world at all times and we are sitting
right smack in the midst of war preparations for Gulf War 2.
o Nations will rise against nations. Ethnic strife has been rampant everywhere.
Civil unrest breaks out into riots and at times, war.
o Over the past thirty years since records were kept of seismic activity,
there had been an average of one earthquake per quarter in any part of
the world. Also it has been noted that the time interval between earthquakes
have been shortening and the magnitude of the tremors have been rising.
3. There will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and
on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves
roaring (Luke 21: 25).
o Before the Lord returns, there will be spectacular occurrences in the
galaxies and in our own Universe. Matthew 24: 29 teach us that the Sun
will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. The stars will
fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
4. The Lord Jesus described these last days as a terrible time to live
in. He went further to warn His disciples that there will be many who
would come forth and claim to be the Christ but He cautioned that these
were false prophets and we were to be alert and not be led astray by their
false teaching.
Will Christians have to suffer these terrible signs? No, I do not think
so. The Lord gave us a hint in Matthew 24: 31 when He said that He will
send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet (Sho-far) and we will
be gathered together from all the corners of the earth and we will ascend
to heaven to be with Him. Only when that happens, after the Christians
have been taken up, will the drastic outpouring of the calamities take
place. The Bible calls the believer God's elect (or beloved) and so we
are. I am convinced that for whomsoever Jesus died to redeem, His elect
will not have to suffer His wrath.
Have you believed in Jesus, the One Who had died for you and taken away
your sin? The Bible teaches that it is only to those who have believed
in Jesus as their Lord and Savior who will enjoy this blessing have in
Jesus. Because of our position as children of the Most High God we are
now able to enter into His awesome Presence and enjoy His blessings for
us.
Why not take this opportunity to receive Him and join us as children of
the Lord. The Bible tells us that we become children of God the moment
we believe in Jesus and welcome Him into our hearts. Read John 1:12 and
be comforted. The Lord does not lie. For Him, whatever He speaks comes
to pass and He had promised us in the Bible that those who have put their
trust in Him will not be condemned but have passed from death into life
(Romans 8: 1). Pray this simple prayer of faith and invite Him into your
heart and immediately you will experience the peace coming your way.
Our Heavenly Father, thank you that You love us so much You sent Your
only Beloved Son Jesus into this world to take our place and to die for
all our sins.
Lord Jesus, thank you that You came, You obeyed the Father, You died for
all on the cross, You conquered death and You rose again on the third
day. And now, because of Your death and resurrection, we, who believe
in You as our Lord and Savior, will no longer have to die but we receive
Your eternal life. Come into my heart, I pray, and make my heart Your
home.
Thank you that what You have accomplished for us on the cross has qualified
me to become a child of God the Father. Thank you that I am eternally
forgiven, greatly blessed, highly favoured, deeply loved and completely
protected in the Lord and in Your most precious Name, Yeshua Ha' Meshiah,
I pray. Amen.
If you have prayed that prayer for the first time, welcome to the Family
of the Father (and it is a very large universal family). It is important
that you are not alone facing your personal trials but that you can obtain
good help wherever you are. Why not take the time to find your own local
Christian family (local church) and worship the Father together? You will
be greatly encouraged when you meet together to worship the Father, for
fellowship and for the study of the Word of Christ.
Start receiving the blessings of the Father as you walk with Him in faith.
It is your inheritance in Christ and He wants you to start enjoying these
blessings right now and there is more from where they come from.
The Lord blesses you and keeps you,
The Lord makes His face shine upon you and be gracious to you and all
your loved ones,
The Lord lifts up His countenance upon you and gives you His shalom peace.
Numbers 6: 24 - 26
Have a blessed week ahead, Shavrou-tov
Shalom,
Andrew L W Lee
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