Good morning,
Are we in the end times? Most Christians who read their Bibles would say, yes. Yet, if you were asked to prove it from the Bible, could you?
This week we will look at Bible passages that confirm we are in the end times.
TESTS OF THE END TIMES
2 Timothy 3:1-5 Perilous times
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,4 Traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”
We do not have to go any further. The characteristics listed above are in play right now. Over my lifetime, these have grown worse and worse. Observe the most current crop of young people. Many of them exbibit these qualities of life.
1 Timothy 4:1-2 Apostacy
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;”
Many churches across America are closing. Many have lost significant numbers because of COVID-19. The number of young people who attend church has fallen dramatically.
2 Thessalonians 2:5-8 Lawlessness
“Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:”
Crime is up. Levels of crime, murders, arson, and rape, are all rampant in our cities. In some cities crimes are not even prosecuted.
These are just the beginning of sorrows. “All these are the beginning of sorrows.” (Matthew 24:8)
Believers in Christ should be living in the exact opposite way. We should be loving, law abiding, and ready to tell others about Jesus.
Are we?
2 Peter 3:1-7 Scoffers will come
“This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”
The Bible has many prophetic references to the coming of Christ.
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. (Isaiah 53:5-7)
Psalm 2:1-3 Assemble one world government
“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying,3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.”
Many nations oppose God and are trying to form a government that will rule the whole world. It will finally happen during the tribulation period, under the Antichrist.
Genesis 11:1-9 First attempt at one world government
“And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. 6 And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.”
When we see these things happening, what should we do? “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” (Luke 21:28)
Ezekiel 37:21 Return of Israel to their homeland
“And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:”
“Thus saith the Lord GOD; When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob. 26 And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence, when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I am the LORD their God.” (Ezekiel 28:25-26)
The tribulation has Israel back in their own land. God then deals with Israel, sending 144,000 Jewish evangelists to witness to Israel. Many get saved.
Ezekiel 38-39 Russia, Iran, Turkey coalition
“Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:6 Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.”
Rosh = Russia
Magog = Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan
Persia = Iran
Cush = Sudan
Put = Libya
Meshech, Tubal, Gomer, and Beth-togarmah = Turkey
According to Ezekiel 38 that Israel will be at peace when this coalition attacks. Israel is not at peace at this time. So, the war of Ezekiel 38-39 may not happen till the tribulation.
However, the alliance between Russia, Iran, and Turkey has taken place.
Things are coming together. The end times are here. You need to know what the Bible says.
What happens next?
We are in the end times. The next event on God’s prophetic calendar is the rapture. First Thessalonians 4:16-18 says:
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
First Corinthians 15:51-52 says:
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
Are you ready? Have you trusted Christ to be your Savior and Lord?
John 3:16-18 tells us what God did, what we must do, and the consequences of our decision.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
Believe on Jesus right now.
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com
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