SEVEN MAJOR PROPHETIC SIGNS OF THE SECOND COMING
Seven Major Prophetic Signs Of The Second Coming - Jack Kelley - www.gracethrufaith.com
There are seven major prophetic signs of the Second Coming, and for the first time in history all seven are in some stage of fulfillment. As in years past, I'll list the seven with their primary biblical references and offer commentary from current events.
1. Israel Will Be In The Land... Ezekiel 38:8
After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety.
In 1948, when Israel took its place among the nations of the world again for the first time in nearly 2000 years, students of prophecy recognized the fulfillment of the primary sign that the end of the age was upon us. Jesus had said that the generation being born when that happened would still be alive when He returned (Matt. 24:34).
The fulfillment of this prophecy caused another reaction as well. Satan reads prophecy too, and began exerting his influence on world leaders in his continuing effort to thwart the plan of God. As a result, Israel has fought six major wars in the last 58 years, each of them an attempt to erase the Jewish Homeland from the face of the Earth. And it's clear that this effort will continue, with the biggest battle of all looming on the horizon, foretold by Ezekiel in chapters 38-39. Israel's enemies, both physical and spiritual, won't let up until they've either succeeded (their view) or been destroyed (God's view).
But in abandoning their Gaza settlements last year, and with their inconclusive performance against Hezbollah this summer, it seems to many as if the Israelis have become their own worst enemy. In Gaza, the plan was to free the military from having to protect the settlements (a major commitment) while maintaining control of their borders. But turning part of their border security over to Egypt has been a disaster, permitting the Palestinians to smuggle in tons of weapons, ammunition and explosives from the Sinai (courtesy of Syria and Iran) and fire more mortars and missiles into Israel than ever before.
Although US and Israeli leaders promised that abandoning Gaza would improve the nation's security, the opposite has happened. And as those opposed to the abandonment predicted, Gaza has become a major center for terrorist activity. When Hamas won the Palestinian elections they quickly turned Gaza into an armed camp. Now Hamas appears to be just as dangerous a threat as Hezbollah and Israel seems to be caught between two forces powerful enough to make defeat a distinct possibility.
But the God of Israel sees a different outcome. "I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them," says the LORD your God. (Amos 9:14-15)
2. Jerusalem Will Be In Jewish Hands... Luke 21:24
They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
The Lord prophesied that the reunification of Jerusalem as a Jewish City would be a sign that foreign (gentile) influence over His land, and indeed the world, was about to end. When this happened in 1967, prophecy experts saw it as another major sign fulfilled. The almost world wide effort to take the city apart again is in essence a battle of wills; the Will of God vs. the will of man. Until recently every Israeli politician has stood firmly on a pledge to keep Jerusalem united forever as Israel's capital.
But then former Prime Minister Sharon said that if re-elected he'd consider abandoning parts of the suburbs to achieve peace. His stroke-induced coma ended his political career, but his hand picked successor, Ehud Olmert, has hinted at following through on Sharon's proposals. Olmert's poor performance in the war against Hezbollah has robbed him of the political strength to follow through for now. And God said that when He re-gathered His people in the land for the 2nd time (the first was after Babylon) they'd never be dispersed again, and so far it looks like He meant it. (Amos 9:15)
The fulfillment of these two major prophecies concerning Israel has caused confusion in the minds of some commentators. It centers around an incorrect interpretation of Matt. 24:34, that all end times prophecies are to be fulfilled within a generation, nominally 40 years, of Israel's re-gathering in 1948. That error made 1988 seem like the likely time for the End. But when 1988 came and went scholars focused on the Jerusalem date, 1967, and began adding 40 years to that, advancing their predictions to 2007. The rationale for this is that the timing of the First Coming prophecies in Daniel 9:24-27 keyed off the rebuilt city, not off the return to the Land.
But the Lord didn't promise that all end times prophecies would be fulfilled within a generation of their beginning, only that the generation being born at the time of the first of the signs would still be alive to see their completion. According to Psalm 90:10 a Biblical life span is 70 years, so predicting the approximate time of the End requires the addition of 70 years to either 1948 or 1967, not 40.
There are good arguments in favor of either date, so the safest bet is to construct a window of time opening in 2018 and extending to 2037 for the fulfillment of all End Time Prophecies. And remember, the culmination of End Times prophecies is the Second Coming, not the Rapture of the Church, which precedes it by at least 7 years. As the time draws nearer, the timing of the 2nd Coming will become more and more obvious. Those people around when a treaty is enforced permitting the Jews to build their Temple in Israel will know that it's seven years away. Those who witness the anti Christ standing in that Temple proclaiming himself to be God will know there are only 1260 days left until the end of the Great Tribulation, and the 2nd Coming happens right after that. As Paul so clearly put it, only those in darkness will be taken by surprise. But at this point in time, the 19-year range I've given above offers a minimally speculative period within which it could all come to pass.
3. A Moslem Coalition Armed And Led By Russia Will Attack The Holy Land... Ezek. 38:2-6
"Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army--your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops--the many nations with you."
(For a more detailed explanation of the modern equivalents to these biblical names, read "An In Depth Look At The Modern Equivalent To Biblical Names in Ezek.38)
Over 130 historical references make it plain that Magog stands for modern Russia, and the other countries named here form a coalition based on their common religion, Islam. (Today Russia is 30% Moslem and growing.) Among them are Iran, several North African countries, Eastern European countries along the Danube, and the Turkic nations of Asia Minor. A quick look at a world map will reveal that these areas are home to some of the most violent Islamic terrorist groups. The Russians are already a major supplier of arms for the Moslem coalition, just as Ezekiel prophesied, and will be drawn into joining in this battle by God Himself. Russia's barely disguised policy of becoming the major outside force in the Middle East is playing right into the Lord's hands. Iran and Russia are well into the implementation of a $50 billion deal to provide Iran with nuclear power. The 10 reactors called for in the deal are supposedly for electrical power generation, but most western leaders suspect they'll be used to build bombs, too. Iranian Pres. Ahmadinejad says he'll proclaim Iran to be a nuclear power right after the New Year, but most experts think a bomb is still a ways off. Israel has again vowed to prevent that ever happening, but the US seems to be backing off its similar promise.
Recently, to offset the loss of Iraq as their primary mid-east asset, Russia has formed commercial and military alliances with Turkey and Syria, becoming Turkey's 2nd largest trading partner after Germany. Turkey's inability to resolve the issue they have with Greece over Cypress will likely torpedo their attempt to join the EU. Recent polls also show a dramatic decrease in public support among Turks for EU membership. From an initial high of nearly 90%, less than half of all Turks now favor joining. Russia is quickly moving to bring Turkey under its influence, a shift that could cause Turkey to abandon the West and line up with the Moslem coalition as Ezekiel foretold.
Russia has also sold Damascus a state of the art anti-air defense system along with their latest generation missiles and anti-tank rockets and plan to construct a major military seaport in northern Syria, moving components of their Black Sea fleet there. As this is being written Syrian Pres. Assad is in Russia with $500 million Iranian dollars shopping for more weapons. In Lebanon, Russian Military Intelligence has just about taken over the town of Sidon, spying on Israel for Iran and Syria. Iran has taken delivery of a Russian air defense system too, to protect its Bushier reactor site.
Iran seems to be preparing its people for war with Israel and even the US, making the most outlandish claims in an effort to whip their people into a frenzy not seen since the days of the US embassy kidnapping of the 70's. This inflammatory ranting has included a Holocaust denial seminar attended by 30 countries, and a promise to wipe Israel off the face of the map. Former Israeli PM Netanyahu has said that it's like 1938 all over again. (He has also said that Iran is only 1000 days from achieving its goal of nuclear weaponry.)
The major obstacle to an early fulfillment of this prophecy is the reference to its occurrence at a time when Israel is "peaceful and unsuspecting" (Ezekiel 38:11). I believe that the removal of the US as Israel's powerful ally is necessary to create this condition. I don't think the Moslem coalition will attack until they're sure the US won't retaliate. It's no accident that Iran has led a charge against the US dollar, causing a major weakening in world markets and setting the stage for an end to the monopoly the dollar has enjoyed in international oil markets. Iran is also the primary force behind the instability in Iraq. The cost of this war is creating unsustainable deficits for the US, and with the dollar weakening, the US may be forced to vacate the Middle East soon. The coming change in government will be an interesting addition to this mix, but the bottom line is that either the US or some other entity (the UN?) has to make a toothless agreement to protect Israel to set them up for this battle.
As we begin 2007, the Middle East is in the most volatile situation of our generation. The Palestinian Territories, Iraq and Lebanon could all erupt into civil war this year. Syria and Israel are at each other's throats with some predicting a spring war, and both Hamas and Hezbollah are itching to jump into the fray. The US is building up forces off the coast of Iran, and Israel has said it will not allow Iran to go nuclear. Surely one of these powder kegs will explode and could even start a chain reaction.
I believe that once these issues are resolved, either by warfare or negotiation or both, a false peace will come to Israel very suddenly and unexpectedly, like the collapse of the Soviet Union, and Israel will be set up for Ezekiel 38 by its supposed peace partners.
When the time is right, having recently taken His church to Heaven, the Lord will use this battle to orchestrate His reconciliation with Israel, and on its heels the anti Christ will emerge with a peace plan that includes a Jewish Temple. So once this battle takes place, end times prophecy will go on fast forward.
There are seven major prophetic signs of the Second Coming, and for the first time in history all seven are in some stage of fulfillment. As in years past, I'll list the seven with their primary biblical references and offer commentary from current events.
1. Israel Will Be In The Land... Ezekiel 38:8
After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety.
In 1948, when Israel took its place among the nations of the world again for the first time in nearly 2000 years, students of prophecy recognized the fulfillment of the primary sign that the end of the age was upon us. Jesus had said that the generation being born when that happened would still be alive when He returned (Matt. 24:34).
The fulfillment of this prophecy caused another reaction as well. Satan reads prophecy too, and began exerting his influence on world leaders in his continuing effort to thwart the plan of God. As a result, Israel has fought six major wars in the last 58 years, each of them an attempt to erase the Jewish Homeland from the face of the Earth. And it's clear that this effort will continue, with the biggest battle of all looming on the horizon, foretold by Ezekiel in chapters 38-39. Israel's enemies, both physical and spiritual, won't let up until they've either succeeded (their view) or been destroyed (God's view).
But in abandoning their Gaza settlements last year, and with their inconclusive performance against Hezbollah this summer, it seems to many as if the Israelis have become their own worst enemy. In Gaza, the plan was to free the military from having to protect the settlements (a major commitment) while maintaining control of their borders. But turning part of their border security over to Egypt has been a disaster, permitting the Palestinians to smuggle in tons of weapons, ammunition and explosives from the Sinai (courtesy of Syria and Iran) and fire more mortars and missiles into Israel than ever before.
Although US and Israeli leaders promised that abandoning Gaza would improve the nation's security, the opposite has happened. And as those opposed to the abandonment predicted, Gaza has become a major center for terrorist activity. When Hamas won the Palestinian elections they quickly turned Gaza into an armed camp. Now Hamas appears to be just as dangerous a threat as Hezbollah and Israel seems to be caught between two forces powerful enough to make defeat a distinct possibility.
But the God of Israel sees a different outcome. "I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them," says the LORD your God. (Amos 9:14-15)
2. Jerusalem Will Be In Jewish Hands... Luke 21:24
They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
The Lord prophesied that the reunification of Jerusalem as a Jewish City would be a sign that foreign (gentile) influence over His land, and indeed the world, was about to end. When this happened in 1967, prophecy experts saw it as another major sign fulfilled. The almost world wide effort to take the city apart again is in essence a battle of wills; the Will of God vs. the will of man. Until recently every Israeli politician has stood firmly on a pledge to keep Jerusalem united forever as Israel's capital.
But then former Prime Minister Sharon said that if re-elected he'd consider abandoning parts of the suburbs to achieve peace. His stroke-induced coma ended his political career, but his hand picked successor, Ehud Olmert, has hinted at following through on Sharon's proposals. Olmert's poor performance in the war against Hezbollah has robbed him of the political strength to follow through for now. And God said that when He re-gathered His people in the land for the 2nd time (the first was after Babylon) they'd never be dispersed again, and so far it looks like He meant it. (Amos 9:15)
The fulfillment of these two major prophecies concerning Israel has caused confusion in the minds of some commentators. It centers around an incorrect interpretation of Matt. 24:34, that all end times prophecies are to be fulfilled within a generation, nominally 40 years, of Israel's re-gathering in 1948. That error made 1988 seem like the likely time for the End. But when 1988 came and went scholars focused on the Jerusalem date, 1967, and began adding 40 years to that, advancing their predictions to 2007. The rationale for this is that the timing of the First Coming prophecies in Daniel 9:24-27 keyed off the rebuilt city, not off the return to the Land.
But the Lord didn't promise that all end times prophecies would be fulfilled within a generation of their beginning, only that the generation being born at the time of the first of the signs would still be alive to see their completion. According to Psalm 90:10 a Biblical life span is 70 years, so predicting the approximate time of the End requires the addition of 70 years to either 1948 or 1967, not 40.
There are good arguments in favor of either date, so the safest bet is to construct a window of time opening in 2018 and extending to 2037 for the fulfillment of all End Time Prophecies. And remember, the culmination of End Times prophecies is the Second Coming, not the Rapture of the Church, which precedes it by at least 7 years. As the time draws nearer, the timing of the 2nd Coming will become more and more obvious. Those people around when a treaty is enforced permitting the Jews to build their Temple in Israel will know that it's seven years away. Those who witness the anti Christ standing in that Temple proclaiming himself to be God will know there are only 1260 days left until the end of the Great Tribulation, and the 2nd Coming happens right after that. As Paul so clearly put it, only those in darkness will be taken by surprise. But at this point in time, the 19-year range I've given above offers a minimally speculative period within which it could all come to pass.
3. A Moslem Coalition Armed And Led By Russia Will Attack The Holy Land... Ezek. 38:2-6
"Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army--your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops--the many nations with you."
(For a more detailed explanation of the modern equivalents to these biblical names, read "An In Depth Look At The Modern Equivalent To Biblical Names in Ezek.38)
Over 130 historical references make it plain that Magog stands for modern Russia, and the other countries named here form a coalition based on their common religion, Islam. (Today Russia is 30% Moslem and growing.) Among them are Iran, several North African countries, Eastern European countries along the Danube, and the Turkic nations of Asia Minor. A quick look at a world map will reveal that these areas are home to some of the most violent Islamic terrorist groups. The Russians are already a major supplier of arms for the Moslem coalition, just as Ezekiel prophesied, and will be drawn into joining in this battle by God Himself. Russia's barely disguised policy of becoming the major outside force in the Middle East is playing right into the Lord's hands. Iran and Russia are well into the implementation of a $50 billion deal to provide Iran with nuclear power. The 10 reactors called for in the deal are supposedly for electrical power generation, but most western leaders suspect they'll be used to build bombs, too. Iranian Pres. Ahmadinejad says he'll proclaim Iran to be a nuclear power right after the New Year, but most experts think a bomb is still a ways off. Israel has again vowed to prevent that ever happening, but the US seems to be backing off its similar promise.
Recently, to offset the loss of Iraq as their primary mid-east asset, Russia has formed commercial and military alliances with Turkey and Syria, becoming Turkey's 2nd largest trading partner after Germany. Turkey's inability to resolve the issue they have with Greece over Cypress will likely torpedo their attempt to join the EU. Recent polls also show a dramatic decrease in public support among Turks for EU membership. From an initial high of nearly 90%, less than half of all Turks now favor joining. Russia is quickly moving to bring Turkey under its influence, a shift that could cause Turkey to abandon the West and line up with the Moslem coalition as Ezekiel foretold.
Russia has also sold Damascus a state of the art anti-air defense system along with their latest generation missiles and anti-tank rockets and plan to construct a major military seaport in northern Syria, moving components of their Black Sea fleet there. As this is being written Syrian Pres. Assad is in Russia with $500 million Iranian dollars shopping for more weapons. In Lebanon, Russian Military Intelligence has just about taken over the town of Sidon, spying on Israel for Iran and Syria. Iran has taken delivery of a Russian air defense system too, to protect its Bushier reactor site.
Iran seems to be preparing its people for war with Israel and even the US, making the most outlandish claims in an effort to whip their people into a frenzy not seen since the days of the US embassy kidnapping of the 70's. This inflammatory ranting has included a Holocaust denial seminar attended by 30 countries, and a promise to wipe Israel off the face of the map. Former Israeli PM Netanyahu has said that it's like 1938 all over again. (He has also said that Iran is only 1000 days from achieving its goal of nuclear weaponry.)
The major obstacle to an early fulfillment of this prophecy is the reference to its occurrence at a time when Israel is "peaceful and unsuspecting" (Ezekiel 38:11). I believe that the removal of the US as Israel's powerful ally is necessary to create this condition. I don't think the Moslem coalition will attack until they're sure the US won't retaliate. It's no accident that Iran has led a charge against the US dollar, causing a major weakening in world markets and setting the stage for an end to the monopoly the dollar has enjoyed in international oil markets. Iran is also the primary force behind the instability in Iraq. The cost of this war is creating unsustainable deficits for the US, and with the dollar weakening, the US may be forced to vacate the Middle East soon. The coming change in government will be an interesting addition to this mix, but the bottom line is that either the US or some other entity (the UN?) has to make a toothless agreement to protect Israel to set them up for this battle.
As we begin 2007, the Middle East is in the most volatile situation of our generation. The Palestinian Territories, Iraq and Lebanon could all erupt into civil war this year. Syria and Israel are at each other's throats with some predicting a spring war, and both Hamas and Hezbollah are itching to jump into the fray. The US is building up forces off the coast of Iran, and Israel has said it will not allow Iran to go nuclear. Surely one of these powder kegs will explode and could even start a chain reaction.
I believe that once these issues are resolved, either by warfare or negotiation or both, a false peace will come to Israel very suddenly and unexpectedly, like the collapse of the Soviet Union, and Israel will be set up for Ezekiel 38 by its supposed peace partners.
When the time is right, having recently taken His church to Heaven, the Lord will use this battle to orchestrate His reconciliation with Israel, and on its heels the anti Christ will emerge with a peace plan that includes a Jewish Temple. So once this battle takes place, end times prophecy will go on fast forward.
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