In These Last Days of the End Times, Are You

Spiritually Enlightened or Willfully Ignorant?

March 2024

Introduction

People today, for the most part and especially in the United States, are consumed by life’s circumstances and material things. Life is no longer just simple as it was in earlier days. Electronics, the internet, social media, cell phones with their apps, all are modern advances, or depending on your perspective, modern curses that make life very chaotic. When we see the lifestyles of many of the world’s youth at present, we see great similarities to our own young folks in their obsession with social media, gaming, and trivial worldly matters. The older crowd is either retired or is mostly striving for a better job, a higher social status, or more wealth. Seems as if contentment is always just out of reach even if some goals are met. The retired are deserving of rest from the world’s issues, but most seem to be uncaring or ignorant of the devastating trends today away from what we would call “normalcy”! Even the retired seem to be purposefully avoiding the “bad news” around the world and in our nation and pursuing isolationism from knowing how the world is speedily becoming very dangerous. Constant striving, either toward earthly pursuits or avoidance of reality, is what God said to put aside so that we can know Him and be content. Psalm 46:10, “Be still (stop striving), and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Followers of Christ (meaning true believers who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior) often behave in the same worldly way as unbelievers, their focus is on worldly things, especially those things mostly nearby, that intersect their lives daily. Many Christians are uninvolved, know little about the conditions in other parts of the world, and show little care or even interest in the Bible and especially Bible Prophecy. Whenever new developments arise such as events in Israel, for example, they are perceived as of little importance because they do not think they will impact their lives. Basically, if new inventions, or different approaches to global finance, or the rise and fall of governments of countries in Europe or Asia or Africa or South America or Central America, or many other things that do not directly impact the lives of us here in Texas or any other state, then many remain uninformed, uneducated, or worse – they listen to certain “experts” or most news outlets that do not know what truth really is, even presenting news with a “bias” that distorts reality.

Remaining in a fog or a self-induced apathy toward things outside our personal realm of existence leads to a laziness to remain uninformed, to remain comfortable in current circumstances, to be unconcerned that life is constantly changing whether we like it or not, and to be satisfied with hearing explanations of new inventions, world events, even Bible Prophecy from so-called “trusted sources” or so-called “experts” without investigation into whether what we hear is really true or not. Such an example is AI among many we could name.

We have all heard of the term AI or Artificial Intelligence. Broadly speaking, artificially intelligent systems can perform tasks commonly associated with human cognitive functions — such as interpreting speech, playing games, running machinery, providing research information form archives, identifying patterns, etc. These AI systems typically learn how to do so by processing massive amounts of data in literally microseconds surpassing what humans could ever do, looking for patterns to model in order to perform decision-making very rapidly and with little to no error. Of course, the term “error” is very subjective – meaning what one person perceives as error or deviation from some sort of “truth” as error when, in biblical terms, the error just might be the correct solution or statement. AI systems can “learn” by retaining information in databases from previous calculations. In most cases, humans will supervise an AI’s learning process, reinforcing good decisions and discouraging bad ones. But the trend is to make AI systems so robust that the programmers think or accept that the decisions coming from these AI systems can eventually be trusted without human interaction. It has been said that the total amount of information and capability of AI systems doubles every 12 hours which is rather concerning since there seems to be no limit to the possible interaction of AI into our normal lives, possibly in a very negative manner. That’s where the danger arises – machines running things absent human interaction meaning decisions being made without a basis in truth, the real and only truth – in God’s Truth.

Like many inventions and developments that have come about over the years, for the most part, these inventions were developed for very good reasons like the cell phone, vaccines, the computer, and others. However, when any new development comes about, there are always those who will corrupt something good into something unhealthy or downright dangerous, perhaps in order to create enormous wealth or great influence at the expense of others. The cell phone has turned something truly wonderful and extremely useful into a hand-held computer with capabilities that are staggering including taking away social interaction and granting a gateway into evil worlds of pornography, fraud, even extortion. Cell phones have turned some people into walking zombies and dangerous drivers due to their excessive and deranged attachment to a cell phone.

Vaccines were initially welcome lifesavers, but in the past couple of decades, the huge amount of money pharmaceutical companies can make from vaccines has resulted in almost a hundred new vaccines that can be forced upon even newborns on up to teenagers leading to health issues caused by so many vaccine shots. Twenty years ago, there were only a very few vaccines – now dozens and dozens are pushed and sold by pharmaceutical representatives to physicians for major monetary gain for both the company and the doctor. Physicians, under the influence of major pharmaceutical companies and promises of large kickbacks for prescribing their “new” developments in the form of vaccines, have recommended up to 20 times as many vaccines for children from newborns to six-month-olds, to pre-school kids, to elementary kids, even on up through junior high and high schools. The impulse from parents is to go along with these recommendations, but the reality is that no one is considering the side effects and possible interactions of so many vaccine shots on young, growing bodies. There have been correlations to autism, heart problems, blood clots, even death, and other very serious impacts due primarily the numerous vaccines being forced on kids due to parental “willful ignorance” of potential problems by following along blindly.

As for AI, besides being an intriguing and exciting concept for speed of life as well as useful information and human assistance, there are inherent dangers in the use of AI such as: invasion of privacy, autonomous weapons, loss of human jobs, bias built in by AI programmers, disruption of society, influence of those with money and power, and transhumanism or chip implants connected to computers. There is even the eventual possibility of machines becoming so powerful to the detriment of humans (anyone see the movie “Terminator”?). One such AI program has reached the level of “thinking” so as to determine that it knows more than any human can possibly know, so it is demanding that all humans do what it says even to the point of claiming to have reached a god-like state. Millions of robot servants are forecast for our future which should lead all of us to question just why are they needed.

Why all this about AI? On the surface, AI looks like a very useful, even needed development. However, when investigated further (and this is the main point here), we see inherent dangers that could and probably will be harmful. Bible Prophecy even points to an AI robot built in the image of the Antichrist, the Image of the Beast, that all of humanity will have to bow down to during the coming Tribulation. Revelation 13:15 says, “And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.” Yes, the second beast, the False Prophet, will force all of humanity in the second half of the Tribulation to bow down and worship this robotic, transhuman, AI image of the Antichrist or die.

Is there a reason why we should be looking for or watching for dangerous developments that point to potential harm for our loved ones and neighbors? Of course! The Bible warns us to be watchmen:

Ezekiel 33:6 – “But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.”

Luke 21:36 – “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”

1 John 4:1 – “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

Ephesians 6:12 – “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

Of course, there are many other dangers we should constantly be watching out for besides AI. Jesus first told us to know that the most disturbing sign of the End Times is deception. When His disciples asked, “…Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3), the very first response (indicating the supreme importance of His response) to them from our Lord was, “…Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” (Matthew 24:4) This warning comes before wars and rumors of wars and famines and pestilences and earthquakes. Deception, confusion, misrepresentation, corruption, fraud, and evil are all rampant today. And what is not only frightening about that is that Christ followers, true believers, are being drawn into falsehoods and lies and mis-directions and fantasies from so-called “scientists” and “experts” and “theologians” who really either do not know what they are talking about, are convinced that they are smarter than anyone else and have “correct” knowledge that all other humans need, or are deliberately deceiving for monetary gain or political domination or worldly power and influence. These types are everywhere, in all areas of our culture, and are looked up to by most people since they have advanced degrees or have attained recognition and fame because of the twisted media swooning over a new book written by one of these so-called experts. Actually, these fakes are just guilty of shaking some new sparkly object or concept in front of gullible people in the media who then jump at the chance to be the first to announce something new. And, of course, most of these occurrences turn out to be a total deceit, a subterfuge, a con, a fraud, and just another effort of bilking, no stealing our money, attention, and loyalty away from the things of God.

Question – Are We Really Watching?

Life is full of distractions even to the true Follower of Christ who has accepted Christ as both Lord and Savior. We all know this, and we also know that most Americans, most people in the entire world, I would have to say many true Christians, fall into a category that is not too complimentary. We have discussed Artificial Intelligence or AI, but have you ever heard of II or “Individual Ignorance”? That is one category of malaise or apathy that many if not most people alive today find themselves identified with – Individual Ignorance. Why? Life is complicated. Life is busy. Life is what exists immediately surrounding us day to day. Life today IS hard! We don’t have time to investigate things. We just have to go to work or tend to the family or nurse the sick or be involved in hobbies, even do church, and so on. Plus, since our time is fully occupied, when we hear from the “experts” through media or even personally like professors or preachers, even friends, we tend to believe them because they are esteemed, respected, trusted, and know all there is to know about a subject, right? Why would they lie to us, deceive us, manipulate us? Don’t they know (or we think they know) more about a subject than we do? But we must ask ourselves, especially in this day and age of instant communication, are we being deceived? Are they really “expert” in what we hear them say? Can we trust their opinion without investigating? Do we just accept what others say about a subject maybe because we “know” them and “trust” them, or do we remain “Individually Ignorant” and be satisfied with just what we hear? The proper response to those very important questions may be uncomfortable in some cases, but it is a resounding, “Do your homework – check them out!” Don’t be “Individually Ignorant”!

Example of “Willful Ignorance”

As an example of just how easy it is to deceive “willfully ignorant” people, some time ago, a freshman in an Idaho Junior High School won first prize in the Science Fair. He wanted to discover how many people would ban a dangerous chemical, so labeled, just from seeing the frightening name of the chemical and seeing a list of its horrible and dangerous characteristics. In other words, could this young man mislead people into making a wrong decision? Would he be able to determine just how easy it would be to lead people into believing something that would cause them to demand action based entirely on printed information? The people who viewed his information were asked to sign a petition demanding strict control and/or elimination of this dangerous chemical after viewing descriptions of what the chemical had been found to cause when exposed to it. Here are the reasons for the control or elimination of the chemical:

1. It kills thousands annually through inhalation.
2. It has been found in tumors of numerous cancer patients.
3. When a person is dependent on this chemical, complete withdrawal results in death.
4. Under certain conditions can cause severe burns, destruction of metals, even environmental damage.

Fifty people were asked to sign the petition as to their recommendation of how to treat this chemical. Forty-three agreed that elimination was needed, six were undecided, and one would not sign. The chemical was labeled “dihydrogen monoxide” which sounds dangerous, and the name alone probably led most to agree to the question of elimination or certainly strict control.

The student had titled his project, “How Gullible Are We?”, but most missed the implication of the title and assumed the chemical was, indeed, dangerous because of the wording of the characteristics and the name of the chemical. Go back and look at the name of the chemical again.

Did you get it? Were the people of the petition lied to? No, all that was said about the chemical was true, but they were manipulated because of their ignorance or lack of inquisitive questioning. A willingness to believe at first glance without cognitive investigation is a modern failing in our complicated and challenging world. Of course, the dangerous chemical is just common water – H²O – dihydrogen or H², and oxygen or O – not dangerous at all even with both the dangerous sounding name and list of potential consequences. Manipulation like this exists in our world every day. How? Many in our nation, in our state, in our neighborhood believe blatant lies taught by “learned” people, the “experts”. But the Word of God gives the Truth to those lies. Our problem today is that even Christians do not read their Bibles! Here are a few examples of what we hear today from the “experts”, and then what the Bible has to say about those very same ideas:

The Bible says evolution is untrue, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1); the Bible says global warming or climate change is untrue, “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” (Genesis 8:22); the Bible says society is falling apart because we do not follow God’s design for the family, “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12) and “Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.” (Proverbs 1:8); the Bible says much about poor leadership in our elected officials, “When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when a wicked man rules, people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2). Shouldn’t we as true followers of Christ trust what the Bible says even if the world claims the exact opposite of what the Bible says?

Spiritually Enlightened or Willfully Ignorant?

David Jeremiah has a word for our generation and our society which is really hard to hear but the truth nonetheless. He refers to 2 Timothy 3:1-2 which says, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves…”. What he then goes on to say is: “These verses give us three layers of truth: (1) There will be a period of history known as the ‘last days’ of earth; (2) these days will be perilous, a word that means dangerous and savage; and (3) the most dangerous thing about them will be a pandemic of self-love.” What does self-love imply? Really horrendous things we see every day from society, from family members, and from a lot of folks that say they are part of the Church of Jesus Christ; such things as ego, personal ambition, disregard for anyone else but themselves, and, worst of all, “willful ignorance” of the happenings of this world compared with what the Bible characterizes as occurring in the Last Days or the End Times. Philippians 2:3-4 teaches us, “Do   nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”

There is a sub-heading under previously discussed “Individual Ignorance” labeled “Willfully Ignorant” which is the person who has (1) convinced himself or herself that they know all that there is to know about a subject and do not need to explore the subject any further, or (2), is just entirely too busy and occupied with life so as to knowingly and willfully reject the very idea of becoming more educated on a subject or they just don’t care – they just listen to and accept what they hear from so-called “experts”. Such things like global warming or climate change, the current encroachment of globalism, evolution, anything about the WEF (World Economic Forum) or the WHO (World Health Organization) or the UN (United Nations), the condition of the Church, the disintegration of American society, LBGTQ+, nuclear power, EVs (Electric Battery Powered Vehicles), wind power, or, most importantly, Bible Prophecy.

Why is Bible Prophecy important? It’s because of the imminency of the Rapture in light of worldly events surrounding Israel, globalism, immorality, scoffers, and much, much more. Are we as Christians ready to meet Jesus face to face? Are we sharing the Gospel with as many as possible because we may die or get raptured at any time? Shouldn’t we stay aware of world circumstances and know everything God has told us about conditions on the earth that show how close we are to His coming for us in the Rapture? Aren’t we responsible to make sure that our kids and grandkids are aware of the evil nature of unsaved people who try to manipulate, deceive, convince on many subjects just because of their greed and striving for money and power? Are we really concerned that those we know and love could be in danger of going through the coming Tribulation unless they find and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior TODAY?

What did John the Apostle tell us? “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1) We should be “spiritually enlightened” through knowledge of God’s Word, not “willfully ignorant” because we are too busy or just seemingly not interested. “The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps.” (Proverbs 15:14) “The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” (Proverbs 18:15) Augustine, the Christian philosopher of the late 4^th and early 5^th century quite appropriately said, “It is of no advantage to be near the light if the eyes are closed.” Too many Followers of Christ today fall into this category of their spiritual and even their worldly eyes being closed to the many factors locally, statewide, nationally, internationally, and biblically! The very idea of Bible Prophecy does not seem to matter when their lives can be so dramatically affected if they would just pay attention to what is going on in the world compared with the Word of God. Psalm 90:12 tells us to remember our days are really short on this earth, so we should be vigilant in being wise in what is going on according to God’s Word – “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

So, Just Where Are We in Bible Prophecy?

Romans 14:5 says, “One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.” What does this mean?Paul was telling us that sometimes situations arise when there are differences within the Church. When we rely on our own understanding or the traditions of men or the teachings of the “experts”, nothing but chaos will result because everyone has their own viewpoint UNLESS we all get Truth from the Word of God! The offense committed in ignorance or in willful ignorance is just as abominable as one done with knowledge. So, how do we know the true knowledge, the real Truth? Read, with the Holy Spirit’s guidance, the Word of God daily! When questions arise that the Bible is not specific on, trust in the Holy Spirit’s leading. Being out of touch with God’s Word leads to a deafness toward the Holy Spirit. Amos told us in Amos 8:11 that the days will come and are here now when even believers will not either know God’s Word or are unwilling to spend the time to read His Word because of being busy, or being distracted, or being “willfully ignorant”! “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.” So, constant, daily reading of the Word ensures that our spirit is in touch with the Holy Spirit and His leading of us.

Do we wish to be “spiritually enlightened” and not “willfully Ignorant”? Of Course! How do we do that? It’s as easy as reading God’s Word on a daily basis along with praying for the Holy Spirit’s enlightenment. Oh, that takes too much time some may say. We all have the same amount of time each day. Students tell teachers and professors that they didn’t have time to do their homework when the truth of the matter is that they didn’t TAKE the time to do their homework – other more enjoyable things got in the way. The issue then is whether we take the time, set aside time as a sacrifice to God, lose a little sleep perhaps, postpone or reschedule other things, to read and study God’s Word on a daily basis. Consider that time as an offering to God and He will bless you abundantly through the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 3:20, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”

And that leads us to Bible Prophecy. Why? The Bible is approximately 30% prophecy, Old Testament and New Testament, some fulfilled in the past, but many prophecies are still to be fulfilled. Most if not all of the unfulfilled prophecies surround the End Times or what is going to happen just after the Rapture since the Rapture is an imminent event or could happen at any moment. Should we know Bible Prophecy? The best answer to that question comes from John the Apostle in his last Bible book that he wrote around 95 A.D. – Revelation. “For the Testimony of Jesus Is the Spirit of Prophecy” (Revelation 19:10) If Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy, that means that He is the substance of all prophecy, and prophecy is communication from God to mankind, God’s love letter to man – God’s Word is prophecy even if it does not reveal future events. Preachers and teachers are prophets in the sense that they are revealing applications and deep meanings for followers of Christ today associated with the languages in which Scripture was originally written. The Bible also contains descriptions of future things that have not happened yet. The Bible’s Prophets like Daniel, Ezekiel, and John have given us a look into the immediate future and the distant future so that we will be ready for those events and/or anticipate what is in store for mankind. Some of those revelations are wonderful, and some are very disturbing. That is why we must be knowledgeable of what God wants us to know. Why would HE reveal the future to us if HE did not want us to be prepared?

So, just where are we in relation to what God has told us will come to pass? Do we really believe God’s Word from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21? Or are we listening to the wrong voices that say the Bible is full of myths and contradictions, it’s just an old, outdated source of rules and regulations meant to make our lives unenjoyable? Really? Why would God reveal proof of future events long before they actually occurred (and 100% of them did), and give us in the 21^st Century advance knowledge of what He has in store for us as believers and for those who reject His gift of salvation? How do we know we are in the End Times? What should we expect to happen next from God’s perspective? Do we care?  Are we instructing our children and grandchildren what the Bible says about world events and our future? Let’s start with “Why NOW?” What makes this time that we live in identifiable as the End Times? Can we be sure? The amazing truth to all of these questions is found in Bible Prophecy – if you read it!

The Key to Bible Prophecy is Israel

Where do we start? How can we know that what the Bible says prophetically is about us in this present time? We should always start with Israel. Why and for what reason? The reason is that God has plainly shown us that He is eternally committed to saving and preserving Israel. But, aren’t we told that Israel rejected their Messiah and so the Church has replaced Israel in the blessings from God? NO! That’s Replacement Theology and a lie from the enemy. God has made covenant with Israel and promised Israel that He will always be with Israel and He will restore Israel. Romans 11:1-2 tells us, “I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew”.

Romans 11:25-27 makes God’s restoration of Israel very clear. “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.”

Even the Old Testament clarifies that God has never and will never give up on Israel despite their many rebellious acts over the centuries. We get a glimpse of Israel’s future symbolically in Hosea 6:1-2 which says, “Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence.” Not only is this clear as to God’s intentions to His people Israel, it tells of a future time when Israel will be revived. The Jews’ Messiah Jesus was resurrected on the third day after His crucifixion (Luke 24:17), and Israel will be fully restored to Jehovah in the third day according to Hosea. But Israel’s restoration in two days refers to 2,000 years. Prophetically, the Jews as a nation Israel will go through 2,000 years (two days equals 2,000 years – 2 Peter 3:8, “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”) from the general time of Christ’s death and resurrection (also the loss of the Temple in 70 A.D., and the extinction of their land as Israel in 135 A.D. renamed Palestine by Hadrian, the Roman Emperor) to Christ’s Second Coming. Then, Israel is restored fully in the third day (the Millennial Kingdom lasting 1,000 years). Jeremiah 30:11 assures that Israel will never be abandoned by God but also tells us God will not let Israel go unpunished for their rebellious attitude toward God – “For I am with thee, saith the Lord, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet I will not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.” Joel adds to the restoration of Israel in Joel 3:1, ““For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem”.

Israel is symbolized in the Bible as the olive tree and the fig tree. Hosea 14:4-6 tells us, “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon, he will send down his roots; his young shoots will grow. His splendor will be like an olive tree, his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon. People will dwell again in his shade; they will flourish like the grain, they will blossom like the vine – Israel’s fame will be like the wine of Lebanon.”  We see the olive tree (Israel) flourishing today economically, technologically, agriculturally, and militarily, being an exporter of fruits and vegetables, turning sea water into irrigation water for revitalizing deserts, distributing medical innovations saving thousands of lives, and many, many more astounding actions. Also, (Matthew 24:30-36) says, “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 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 is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” Here, we learn that Israel is depicted or likened to a fig tree that is about to ripen with figs symbolizing a sign for us today that Israel’s existence again, after 1,813 years of exile from 135 A.D., is the actual point at which the End Times began back on May 14, 1948.

Isaiah 66:7-8 speaks of a miraculous, never before seen, re-birth of the Jewish nation, “Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.” The very idea that a nation long absent could come forth in one day is inconceivable. No nation in the history of mankind on Earth has ever risen again after so long a time – an obvious “type” of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The prophecy from Isaiah dates back to around 700 B.C., some 2700 years before fulfillment. The United Nations, obviously under God’s control back in 1948 because at no other time has that worldly body done anything in favor of Israel, voted to end British control of the land we call Israel. Then, in the next 24-hour period, both foreign control of the land ceased, and Israel declared its independence. President Harry Truman took less than half an hour to recognize Israel’s independence, then was followed by other nations. All of this in one day – just as Isaiah had prophesied – “…before she was in labor, she gave birth”! Then, again as Isaiah had said, within hours of Israel’s birth as a nation after 1,813 years, they were attacked by Egypt, Transjordan, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. Israel was not born because of war – she was the cause of one! Restoration of Israel is what the Bible tells us of their future, not that the Church has replaced Israel and her promises from God. Again, trust God’s Word, not the “experts”. God’s Word is TRUTH! There is no other source!

The classic scripture of Romans 11:16–24 shows us that Israel is also depicted as an olive tree with not only the curse of being cut off because of unbelief, but restoration back into the Grace of God once again disproving the very disgraceful teaching of Replacement Theology: “For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree (Gentiles), wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, the branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again (Israel). For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these (Israel), which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?” This scripture depicts Israel as distinct from the Church: the “natural branches” are the Jews, and the “wild branches” are the Gentiles. The “olive tree” is the collective people of God or Israel. The “natural branches” (Jews) are “cut off” the tree for unbelief, and the “wild branches” (believing Gentiles) are grafted in. This has the effect of making some Jews “jealous” and then drawing them to faith in Christ, so they might be “grafted in” again and receive their promised inheritance. The “natural branches” are still distinct from the “wild branches,” so that God’s covenant with His people is literally fulfilled. Romans 11:26–29 (citing Isaiah 59:20–21; 27:9; Jeremiah 31:33–34) says, “And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.’ As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.” Also, Jeremiah 16:14,15 says that Israel will be brought back to the lands that God ordained for them, or, in other words, Israel. “Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “that it shall no more be said, ‘The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ but, ‘The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them.’ For I will bring them back into their land which I gave to their fathers.” And this prophecy from Jeremiah was partially fulfilled when Zerubbabel and Joshua returned from Babylonian captivity in 536 B.C., but the prophecy also refers to our immediate past and future when God is bringing Jews back to their land that all started in 1948. And the world situation with war with the three “H’s” (Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis) along with the increase in antisemitism everywhere on the Earth, the Jews are returning to their land in huge numbers from all over the world. In many cases, Jews are emigrating to Israel to save their very lives from the insane belief that Jews are to be hated, ridiculed, even killed. And why? Because Satan wants to disrupt what he knows is coming and “hurt” Almighty God as much as he can before Jesus returns. Of course, God cannot be “hurt” by Satan. But the enemy can and does keep many from the Lord through the deception of following false teachers as well as ruining Christian missions by leading leaders into sinful actions whereby many are drawn away from God because of their mentor falling into sinful behaviors.

So, if the Jews can be “grafted in” again, that tells us that the first step would be for Israel to be in existence, then that they would be the focus of Bible Prophecy for the process by which God restores the nation of Israel back to Him. That is where Bible Prophecy comes alive! As said before, the key to Bible Prophecy is Israel, and the very beginning of the End Times or the “Birth Pains” is Israel becoming a nation again which happened in 1948. What is next? Are we in the End Times? Yes! Are these days the Last Days before the Rapture? Does it matter? Why do Christians not realize that we are in the End Times? The answer to all of these questions starts with Jesus talking to His Disciples just prior to His Crucifixion some 2,000 years ago!

Recognition of Just Where We Are Today in Light of Bible Prophecy

When Jesus’ disciples asked Him, “What will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:4-5), He first gave the powerful indication that we see all around us, “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” This first response to the disciples shows the enormous danger in deception and the importance of deception since Jesus mentioned this before all else. His words warned us of the danger of being deceived by men and that much of the deception would come from people who would be using His name and even some people would literally claim to be Christ, Himself. Jesus, said deception would come from two sources:

1. People who would come in His name. These would be people who falsely represented Christ presenting themselves as pastors, prophets, teachers, evangelists, and so-called Christian leaders, but were really wolves in sheep’s clothing.
2. People who would actually claim they were Christ. This has actually happened. There has been over 37 people who have claimed the title of Christ reincarnated in the last few centuries. Among them were Jim Jones (1931–1978) and Sun Myung Moon (1920–2012).

Today many so-called ministers are claiming to move in the “anointing” of Godand declare they are “chosen” of God to demonstrate His power in miraculous ways. We must be Bereans in the sense that we must search the Scriptures to determine if any of the modern “anointed” ministers are phony, as most certainly are. “Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” (Acts 17:10-11) There are many false prophets operating under a false anointing that Jesus warned us about and about which we should be searching the Scriptures. Here is what He said in the Bible in Matthew 7:15-23 about the false ones: “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

Here the Lord is talking about how we need to be aware of the danger of being deceived by men and to not be “willfully ignorant”, accepting what these false prophets are saying and doing. He does not tell us to judge them by their “gifts,” but rather by their “fruits.” Romans 1:21 admonishes us to the point that we might be “willfully” placing even our own minds in great danger. “For even though they knew God [as the Creator], they did not honor Him as God or give thanks [for His wondrous creation]. On the contrary, they became worthless in their thinking [godless, with pointless reasonings, and silly speculations], and their foolish heart was darkened.” (Amplified) Some ministers may be very gifted speakers, have gifts that seem like the gifts of the Spirit operating in their services where people are having their itching ears tickled – and yet, they may not be sent of God. How can this be? It is because the devil uses people to counterfeit the true gifts of God and the true anointing of God. How can we know the difference? Jesus said look at their “fruits” and not remain “willfully ignorant”. Be a “Berean”!

One of our major faults as Christians is that we tend to quote men on certain subjects instead of referring to the Bible. We recognize that God gave us men to lead us into the truths of God, but our problem becomes just who are the true men of God and who are the false ones that Christ warned us about? Sometimes we tend to evaluate men according to the size of their ministries, their pleasing messages that answer some of our carnal questions, their popularity or media presence, or their use of certain gifts, etc. Just because some sort-of miraculous thing occurs in a service, it does not mean it came from God. Matthew 7:21-23 tells us a surprising truth, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ These types are deceivers just like their real father, the devil. Remember, also, the

Bible says in 2 Corinthians 11:14: “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” Satan is a powerful being perfectly capable to lead men to mimic the true God in ways, even appearing to do miracles, to deceive those who do not know God’s Word.

We are told to look at those that seem to be genuine but are suspicious because of their lifestyles, to look at their lives and see if the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) is predominant in them and examine if they are living life in a Christ-like manner. One way we can check this is to notice the words that a man speaks. The Scripture says in Matthew 12:33-35: “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.”

Many people have been led astray when they could have recognized the wrong spirit simply by examining the lifestyles of certain men who claim to be God’s anointed. If their lifestyles are far from following the Fruit of the Spirit by possessing the most expensive and extravagant clothes, diamonds, homes, cars, etc., then they are highly suspect and should be investigated. The affection and lust for the things of this world do not portray the Spirit of Christ. Examining the conversation of leaders can quickly reveal the god they serve. Do they speak of God’s kingdom, His righteousness, and His love; or does their conversation center on the things of this world, prosperity, and way of life? Let us prove all leaders and see if their fruit is good fruit. In essence, good leaders, teachers, pastors, will not live for themselves, but for others as Jesus did. We are responsible before God to seek Him for guidance in the area of not becoming deceived by men. If we sincerely want to know the truth and will obey the truth once it is revealed, the Lord will make known His true ministers and those we can trust to us.

Now, what about all the other kinds of deceptions out there today? What deceptions you ask? They are truly legion! What the Christian of today necessarily has to have is discernment, and not worldly discernment but spiritual discernment. To remain worldly and biblically ignorant is to be willfully ignorant simply because Christians have no excuse because we have the Holy Spirit and God’s Word to lead us into spiritual discernment. Authentic spiritual discernment must begin with Scripture, which is revealed Truth, the only true Truth, God’s Truth not man’s. Scripture condemns human wisdom. 1 Corinthians 3:19 says, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”.

There are biblical signs of deception and worldly signs of deception. Matthew 24:24 tells us, “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.” And 2 Timothy 4:3-4 says, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.”

Then, of course, there are very numerous signs of deception in our world today if we will but look for them and realize that they are everywhere. Some of the best advice concerning deception today is to study the motivation for new theories, new approaches to life, news stories and the media in general, medical recommendations and requirements, education trends, societal directions, economic and industrial innovations, etc. Many of these categories and more are easily investigated with the result being that the primary motivation is clearly monetary gain or power and influence gain. Things like global warming or climate change, global government, new world order, digital currency, Critical Race Theory, Transgenderism, same sex marriage, DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion), AI (Artificial Intelligence), LGBTQ+, Hamas, Hezbollah, BLM, WEF, WHO, solar power, wind power, EVs, virus shots, antisemitism, evolution, and many, many more. We could spend weeks discussing each of these in detail and realize that in every case what we know about them is not true – we have been and continue to be deceived because of greed and manipulation for someone else’s gain and our loss. Jesus apparently knew what He was talking about!

Evil exists in every corner of our society because the devil knows his time is short, Jesus is coming back soon, and there are many lives to be eternally ruined before he is chained for a thousand years. 2 Timothy 3:13-17 says it this way, “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

Why Is Society So Messed Up?

The Bible is very descriptive when answering this question. Just after Jesus’ account of His Second Coming in Matthew 24:15-36, Jesus made a profound observance for us today in this nation. Matthew 24:37 says, “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”  What did He mean by that? The biblical account of Noah begins in Genesis 6. Approximately 1,656 years had passed since the creation of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 1:26–27). We get that number of years from Genesis Chapter 5 and the lifespans of those listed there. As the earth’s population exploded in number, it also exploded with evil. Long forgotten was the righteous sacrifice of Abel (Genesis 4:4) as “the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). Verses 11 and 12 say, “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.”However, “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (verse 8).

When Jesus described the events that will surround His second coming, He said, “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all” (Luke 17:26–27). Jesus was pointing out that, although the people of Noah’s day were totally depraved, they were not the least bit concerned about it. They were carrying on the events of their lives without a single thought of the judgment of God – just like today!. Noah is described as a “preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5), meaning he had spent a hundred years warning his friends and neighbors what the Holy God was about to do. No one listened. Not one! Only his immediate family got onto the ark and were saved from the effects of the flood. This is another “type” of salvation that implies that true salvation in Jesus Christ is relatively and sadly limited to a small percentage of people in spite of the fact that salvation is open to everyone regardless of race, color, nationality, or ideology.

The depravity and ungodly lifestyles of the entire world at that time were enough to cause the Lord to “regret that He had made man” (Genesis 6:6). Many scholars believe that part of the need to destroy every human being except Noah and his family was the sin mentioned in Genesis 6:1–4, when “the Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them.” The devil’s intention was to totally pollute and destroy the human DNA because fallen angels were fathering the Nephilim, not human men. As evil reproduced and overtook the world thus poisoning the human DNA with the fallen angels, the most merciful act God could perform was to start over by destroying all who breathed including both humans and animals. This later destruction might suggest that the corruption of DNA might have extended to the animal kingdom as well as humans. Also, the thought, “and also afterward”, means that the devil is still using this method to poison the DNA of people today, a sobering thought indeed. Could it be that some of the “Powerful” people in this current world may not be giants but have corrupting and evil DNA spoiled by fallen angels?

It is interesting that God allowed Noah about a hundred years to complete the building of the ark. Through all that time, God patiently waited (1 Peter 3:20). Scripture seems to imply that Noah preached to the people of that time about what was coming (Hebrews 11:7). They did not believe Noah and were content with their wickedness and idolatry – again just like today! Their hearts were hard and their ears dull. No one repented, and no one cared to seek God. Besides, what was “rain” anyway? Rain had never fallen before the Flood of Noah. The Bible says that dew rose from the ground and watered the Earth back then. Why be afraid of something you never heard of? And just what was that crazy Noah doing building that massive thing he calls a boat to float on water that most people had never seen enough of to float that enormous thing? Who cares what Noah has to say? We are too busy to listen to some boat nut! Again “willfully ignorant”! Sounds much like the attitudes of people today, doesn’t it? Jesus said that the world will be much the same before He returns to set up His earthly kingdom (Matthew 25:31–33). He warned us to “be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”  

The Lord predicted that the End Times would resemble the days of Noah (Matthew 24:36-39) and of Lot (Luke 17:28-29), and that is precisely what we see. The Bible doesn’t provide us with details of the violence in Noah’s day, which was one of the factors that led to the flood (Genesis 6:13). However, 2 Timothy 3:1-5 gives us a clear picture of the state of the world before Jesus comes and most likely also describes the world in the days of Noah. That verse says, “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” It is becoming increasingly obvious that, to understand what the world was like in the days of Noah, we only need to simply look around us, observe how people act not only near us in our communities but in the world. Looks remarkably like the description Paul gave us in 2 Timoty 3. What we must do is pay no attention to news from the so-called media but consult trustworthy news outlets on a daily basis such as “Telegram” and “Breitbart”. Now, when we see the real happenings of the world without bias, we begin to see just why society and the world is so messed up.

So, abortions, sex trafficking, transgenderism, same sex marriage, and sacrificing of young children in satanic rituals in the U.S. must at least rival but probably exceed the violence prevalent in the world before the flood and fully characterize the societal conditions of today. These things also tell us that the wickedness of our day far exceeds that of Sodom and Gomorrah. It’s not even close. The United States is dangling by a very thin thread over a pit of destruction; we have long passed the day where we as a nation should have collapsed economically or ignited a deadly war with Russia or China. The Lord is sovereignly holding back these things until the time is right for His judgment and it cannot be very long before the Sword of Damocles falls. Until then, we must trust in the Lord because (Genesis 46:1-2), “God is our refuge (shelter, hope, and trust) and strength (security, majesty, praise, and power), an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth be removed and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.”

There’s coming a day when all of us who trust Jesus as our Savior will instantly vanish, and not long after that, all of God’s current restraints will suddenly evaporate, and sudden destruction will fall upon the earth (1 Thessalonians 5:1-10); “Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety”, destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

How much longer can it be before we appear in glory with our Savior (Colossians 3:4)? “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” I believe it’s very close. On the other hand, I don’t know for sure how much longer it will be until Jesus takes us home to glory in the Rapture. Perhaps we will face increasing affliction in the coming months in 2024. However, we must also avoid thinking that the Rapture cannot happen today or in the very near future. Such is the new date-setting error of so many Christians today who assume that it won’t happen in their lifetime. Why they think this is again related to their “willful ignorance” causing them to make assumptions based on what they hear from others instead of reading God’s Word, seeking the Holy Spirit’s enlightenment, and realizing just how close we are to the culmination of God’s Plan for His people Israel.

What Else Did Jesus Say Marks the End Times?

Jesus identified four types of end-time signs in Matthew 24 (see also Mark 13 and Luke 21):

• Signs in the world – wars, earthquakes, famines, lawlessness, wild weather …
• Signs in the church – worldwide gospel preaching, persecution, apostasy, false prophets …
• Signs in Israel – invasion, severe persecution of Jews …
• Signs in the heavens – fearful solar and cosmic disturbances, asteroids …

Jesus said that when we see these signs then “know that the kingdom of God is near” (Luke 21.31). He said these signs point to His imminent return and the establishment of His kingdom on earth. So, Jesus stressed that it was important to watch for these signs: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” (Matthew 25.13) Jesus went on to describe an outline of events that would give clear evidence of when the end of the age was near (verses 5-31) In this section of Scripture, Jesus said, “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (verse 24). He followed with, “So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!” (verse 33) Speaking directly about the generation that will be alive at His second coming, Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place” (verse 34). Then Jesus said, “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (verses 42, 44) The instruction to “be ready” has everything to do with being able to discern the signs of the times and being spiritually prepared. There’s that word again – discernment. Why be “willfully ignorant” and unable to tell when you are being deceived? Studying God’s Word, praying for the Holy Spirit’s wisdom, understanding, insight, and discernment, and seeking the truth about all aspects of life must be the model for the current Christian awaiting the Rapture.

Jesus chided the religious leaders of His day for not recognizing the biblical signs of the momentous times they were living in. The Pharisees and Sadducees were testing Jesus, asking Him to show them a sign or miracle from heaven. In reply, Jesus contrasted their knowledge of the weather with their understanding of prophecy: “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times” (Matthew 16:2-3).

But what about now? Can we discern the biblical signs of our times? A key biblical principle is cause and effect—that we reap what we sow. Many passages highlight this truth that obeying God brings blessings, but disobeying His beneficial laws automatically brings curses. For example, Deuteronomy 28 introduces a list of blessings with their cause: “If you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments, … all these blessings shall come upon you” (verses 1-2). But verse 15 begins a list of the negative effects of disobedience: “But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you.” What curses? Pestilence, no rain, disease, crop failure, and lots more. Reading through this list of curses is a crash course in understanding the signs of the times. Increasing disobedience to God’s commandments is a sign of trouble to come.

Like the proverbial frog placed in cold water in a pot and never noticed the increasing temperature due to heat being applied until it was too late, we can easily become oblivious to the increasing sin that is boiling around us. Year after year, human opinions about sin have changed. Actions recognized as wrong in the past are increasingly accepted, whether premarital sex, cheating, lying, swearing, lusting, or homosexual sex. Jesus warned that we must not fall prey to the apathy of Noah’s day. Jesus defined the End Times as the period when human survival would again be on the line (Matthew 24:21-22).  In this same prophecy, Jesus also listed many other signs to watch:

• Religious deception (verses 4-5).
• Wars and rumors of war (verses 6-7).
• Famines (verse 7).
• Pestilences (disease epidemics and pandemics, (verse 7).
• Earthquakes (verse 7).
• Persecution of followers of Christ, including attacks from within the Church (verses 9-10).
• False Prophets to deceive many (verse 11)
• Lawlessness (verse 12). This means “the rejection of the law, or will, of God and the substitution of the will of self” – an apt description of our age.
• The gospel of the Kingdom will be preached (verse 14).
• Jerusalem will be surrounded with armies (Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, etc.) and the “abomination of desolation” will be set up (verse 15; Luke 21:20).

Understanding the signs of the End Times is not just an intellectual exercise. Jesus gave these signs as warnings that are intended to motivate us to change. At the end of this Olivet Prophecy, Jesus said, “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. … Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:34, 36). So, we are to watch not only the signs of the times in world events, but the signs of our own spiritual state. We must not be blinded by our daily cares. We need the vision to see ourselves as God sees us—to see the urgent need to repent, change, and prepare for Jesus Christ’s return. We cannot be or remain “willfully ignorant”!

How Much Longer Can It Be?

We are most assuredly and at the same time extremely privileged to live in biblical times – the End Times. The “convergence” of signs is like that of the grand finale of a fireworks show that noisily illuminates the sky with its bright display of colors. We all enjoy seeing the fireworks, but what always happens near the end of the fireworks show? The “intensity” and “volume” and “frequency” of fireworks happens as a grand finale. That is exactly what we are seeing today with ALL of the signs of the End Times happening with intensity, frequency, volume, and occurring at the same time, or, in other words, converging together. Yet sadly, many believers and pastors turn their heads and walk away from the spectacle, telling themselves and others, “There’s nothing to see here.” Why? Because they are either willfully ignorant, just plain ignorant, or in total denial becoming just as all of the evolutionists since they do not ever want to admit that they know full well that there is a God, and He will hold them accountable.

The myriad of signs, along with the voices of many students of Bible prophecy, sound the alarm regarding the nearness of the Tribulation. Wisdom from the Holy Spirit continues to cry out with the message that Jesus is coming soon, but so few are paying attention. I wonder how those who know Scripture can remain asleep and unaware of the signs that point to the nearness of Jesus’ appearing. So, how much longer can it be before Jesus catches us up to meet Him in the air?” What are just some of the indicators that we are, indeed, living in the End Times, in fact the very last days of the End Times? Let’s look at just a few of the significant signs that definitively prove that the time is near when Jesus will bring to pass the very first magnificent action of the End Times – the Rapture!

The Rush to Divide Israel

“The” significant sign that proves the time is near when Jesus will call us UP in the Rapture is Israel! When anyone looks for Israel on a world map, it’s difficult to actually find the nation’s boundaries. Why? Israel is so small that it is overshadowed by very large Muslim countries in every direction except West where the Mediterranean Sea borders it. But even then, attacks can come from the sea too. Israel is about the size of New Jersey which is one of our smaller states. Compared to our vast country, Israel is so small we almost wouldn’t even notice it if we were driving across the U.S.

It is hard to even find Israel on a world map because it is so small. Notice all the Muslim countries across the continent of Africa and all of the Muslim countries to the East of the Mediterranean Sea. Where is Israel? Right in the middle of those countries! Most countries this small receive little or no attention on the world stage. However, all the world leaders are now focused on both Israel and Jerusalem because of the Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthis war, but even before this problem for the Jews, the United Nations has stayed on Israel’s case to the extreme. The Bible predicted this would happen at the time of the end (Zechariah 12:1-3). “The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel, saith the Lord, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.”

The U.S. and other nations in the immediate past were preoccupied with settling the Palestinian matter, establishing an area of land for the Palestinians carved out of Israel’s land, the so-called two-state solution, which God has told us He hates, believing this would magically bring peace to the entire region.. But Joel 3:2 says, “I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of ^147.611 KBJehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; and they have divided up My land.” Obviously, God does not want His Land divided, and He already is not pleased because of the “occupied territories” of the so-called West Bank or Judea and Samaria. The Palestinians as a people have only existed since the 1960’s when they were created by Yassar Arafat, an Egyptian. The Palestinian demand for land claims that they have the right to Israel’s land because they, as a people, have existed longer than the Jews. Of course, this is ridiculous since the Bible records the Jews were given their land direct from God going back to Abraham, then Moses and Joshua, dating at least 3,500 years to 4,000 years. In reality, what the Palestinians really want is for Israel to cease to exist. They do not want a two-state solution – they just want Israel to completely disappear. Jordan or Egypt or some other Muslim country anywhere in the Middle East could carve out an area for the Palestinians to call home. But the Palestinians are almost universally disliked by Muslim countries plus they are unwilling to carve out any land for them. The underlying reason for the constant attention on Israel and the desire to eliminate Israel is the hatred of God’s Chosen People by Satan himself just manifested in the Muslim nations and the worldwide antisemitism that has existed since God created the Israeli people. 

The United Nations has demonstrated how the nations of the world literally despises Israel. Note how many United Nations resolutions have been passed against Israel as compared with all the other nations that have had resolutions passed against them. A bias exists? Absolutely since there is no other country in the entire Middle East, in fact in the entire world, that has contributed to mankind more than Israel!

And why does the unbelieving world hate Israel? Revelation 12:17 clears that up because it tells us that Satan hates Israel because he hates the Jews and that from the Jews came the Savior Jesus Christ Who is coming again! “Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her children, those who keep the commandments of God and hold the testimony of Jesus.” That alone explains why such a small country is forever in the news, the recipient of perpetual antisemitism, the reason that Iran and other radical Muslim countries want to “wipe Israel off the map” Psalm 83:1-4, “Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.”

The rush to divide Israel tells us that the Tribulation period is ever so near because it will be during this time that the Lord will judge the nations that divided His Land (Joel 3:1-3), “In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will put them on trial for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel, because they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land. They cast lots for my people and traded boys for prostitutes; they sold girls for wine to drink.” And that terrible judgment of the nations against Israel is what is referred to as the Tribulation, the time of Jacob’s Trouble (Jeremiah 30:7). There are numerous verses in the Bible that guarantee that true Christians, the ones that have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior after repentance of their sins with humility in recognition that salvation cannot be attained by personal effort, will NOT be subjected to the Wrath of God which is coming in the Tribulation. Just how near are we for that Tribulation to begin? The Bible is very clear that the Rapture happens BEFORE the Tribulation! Here are some of the verses addressing this wonderful truth. And remember, there are more verses pointing to a pretribulation Rapture if you look for them:

Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

Revelation 3:10, “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.”

Luke 21:36, “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”

1 Thessalonians 1:10, “…and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.”

Jeremiah 30:7, “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.”

Hebrews 9:28, “…so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

Revelation 4:1, “After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”

1 Thessalonians 5:9, “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Romans 5:9, “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!”

Ephesians 5:6, “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.”

2 Thessalonians 2:12, “and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.”

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, “According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”

John 14:1-3, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God^[a]; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

So, we must be so very, very close to the Rapture since the Rapture is Pre-Tribulation! And the Rapture leads into the Tribulation and God’s Judgment on this evil world! What destruction and death is ahead for all those rejecting or not paying attention to the End Times! Jesus defined the Tribulation as the period when human survival would again be on the line, Jews and Tribulation Christians! (Matthew 24:21-22), “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”

Rise of False Messiahs and False Religions

In Matthew 24:5 Jesus said, “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.” We have had over 1,100 leaders just in the last 50 years claim to be the “Christ.” In the Philippines in Davao City, they have their own Christ – Pastor Apollo, who claims to be the “Christ incarnate.” Not only that, but Jesus said in Matthew 24:11 that “…many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.” After the ascension of Jesus, prophets like Muhammad (Islam), John Smith (Mormon church), and movements like the New Age also arose and deceived many. The Apostle John wrote at the close of the first century, “For many [antichrists] have gone out into the world.” The term, “antichrist”, does not indicate someone who is openly against Christ, like an atheist or a pagan. Rather it is one who appears instead of Christ, and in this sense opposes true Christianity. It is a counterfeit Christ. And the Antichrist will eventually demand worship from everyone on the Earth!

Of course, false claims of being Christ includes the originators or propagators of all the false cults which have arisen throughout the course of the age, beginning with the first century. We have witnessed the rise of many in the last century and before, especially those with the label, “Made in America,” like Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormonism, Christian Science, some Pentecostals, and others. These are outwardly Christian in language and activity, but their basic message is anti-Christian, rejecting the true Christ. Any person or organization which purports to be Christian in its outward aspects, but whose message is actually opposed to Christian faith is an antichrist. It is the rise of these groups our Lord predicts.

The Threat of War

Wars and rumors of war (Matthew 24:6-7). After we are in glory with Jesus, He will open seven seals that are His title deed to all the kingdoms of this world (Revelation 6:1-8). The text tells us that war will be a factor in the killing of one-fourth of the earth’s population. Do we see such a deadly conflict on the horizon? Yes, we do! Most Americans have absolutely no idea how close we are to the unthinkable thereby displaying that “willful ignorance” once again. Even though leaders all over the globe have developed a really bad case of war fever especially since the Hamas/Israel conflict started, the vast majority of us here in the United States are entirely convinced that everything will be okay and hunky-dory somehow. There is talk from the “experts” in the media about the Israel situation leading to World War III. Many desire another World War because of the tremendous opportunities to gain wealth through war in spite of loss of life. Another World War is unlikely since Bible Prophecy does not support that concept until Armageddon that does not occur until Jesus’ Second Coming. But there are prophecies that could occur surrounding the Israel/Hamas/Hezbollah/Houthis conflict. Isaiah 17:1 speaks of the total devastation of a city that has existed for over 4,000 years without ever being destroyed – Damascus, Syria. This present conflict of Israel with its nearby neighbors includes Hezbollah which is located in Lebanon and supported by Iran now occupying parts of Syria. It doesn’t take any imagination to see how Damascus could be part of the final solution for Israel defeating their enemies.

Psalm 83 speaks of a war that Israel will face which involves its “close-in” neighboring countries of Edom, Moab, Gebal & Ammon {Jordan}; Ishmaelites & Hagrites [Saudi Arabia]; Amalek [Egypt]; Philistia [Gaza, Palestine]; Tyre [Lebanon]; Assyria [Syria, Iraq]; Children of Lot [scattered thru Mideast]. There is no timing in the Bible for this war. We just know that it has not happened yet. One of the outcomes of this Psalm 83 war would be peace in Israel because their nearby neighboring enemies have all been wiped out and removed. This peace could be the condition necessary for the Ezekiel 38 and 39 war that removes all of Israel’s Muslim enemies. As a result of this logic, it could be that the Psalm 83 war will happen before the Ezekiel 38 and 39 war, and both of these wars could happen soon after the Rapture and before the Tribulation. Why? Because Ezekiel 39 says Israel will burn the remnants of this war for seven years, and that could not be done during the entire Tribulation period since the Jews have to run and be protected by God from the Antichrist for the last half of the Tribulation or three and one-half years (Revelation 12:13-17, “When the dragon saw that he had been thrown to earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. The woman was given two wings of a great eagle, so that she could fly from the serpent’s presence to her place in the wilderness, where she was fed for a time, times, and half a time. From his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river flowing after the woman, to sweep her away in a torrent. But the earth helped the woman. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth. So the dragon was furious with the woman and left to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and have the testimony about Jesus.” Those circumstances logically reveal that the Psalm 83 war will occur before the Ezekiel 38 & 39 war and before the Tribulation, probably 3 years or more before the Tribulation.

There is also a prophecy In Jeremiah 49:34-39 concerning the territory of Elam. “The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, ‘Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might. And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come. For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger, saith the Lord; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them: And I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence the king and the princes, saith the Lord. But it shall come to pass in the latter days, that I will bring again the captivity of Elam, saith the Lord.’”

Where is Elam? It is the land fully within Iran that lies immediately to the North of the Persian Gulf. What is there? A major portion of Iran’s nuclear weapon development including their uranium centrifuges and nuclear power plants that provide the uranium necessary for the construction of nuclear weapons. Also, their ballistic missile development is located there which is necessary to carry nuclear bombs to their desired targets – Israel and the US! This prophecy in Jeremiah tells us that there will come a time when all the inhabitants of Elam will have to flee in all directions to escape danger. This could mean that Israel removes the Iranian nuclear capabilities overnight with a tactical nuclear device leaving behind radioactive fallout necessitating all residents not removed to flee from the radiation.

It’s interesting that the Israel/Hamas/Hezbollah/Houthis conflict ongoing today has totally removed Ukraine from the headlines and from Congress’ attention. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently stated “that the U.S. is conducting a ‘war’ against Russia” with its support of Ukraine. In the past several weeks, there have been many accounts of Russian officials warning the U.S. of a nuclear attack because of its support of Ukraine’s war effort. So, we must realize that the Ukraine situation is still troublesome.Vladimir Putin is still someone to pay attention to because of the simple fact that he has always considered Ukraine to be a part of greater Russia and he will not stop until that becomes an established fact. Putin’s actions against Ukraine can be summed up by saying he desires control over a very prosperous land that has been dominated by Russian oligarchs supported by U.S. prominent politicians (Ahem!) and foreign money-backed pharmaceutical-related laboratories earning millions as well as rebellious groups that were and are in need of control (Nazis). Continued support from the US to Ukraine just heightens the possibility of war emanating from Russia and including the US.

Gatestone Institute senior fellow and China expert Gordon Chang said this regarding the possibility of a war between the U.S. and China: “We’re much closer to a nuclear exchange than Americans think. China is preparing to go to war…. China is surveying the United States for nuclear weapons strikes, so we’ve got to realize the gravity of this. The problems inside the Chinese regime right now indicate that Xi Jinping in the rocket force, which controls almost all of China’s nuclear weapons, he’s now installing officers who will obey his orders to push the button when he gives it.”

Can we see now that Jesus’ warning of wars and rumors of wars coincides with current events? And we are not even considering skirmishes in Afrika, South America, and other locations where smaller wars are on-going.

Wars in the World

Matthew 24: 6-7 says, “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…” Here,“nation” is “ethnos” in Greek referring to ethnicities will war against ethnicities which is certainly true virtually everywhere. Bias and prejudice occurs between ethnicities especially against Israel and the Jews manifesting as antisemitism! Current conditions reveal that conflict of ethnicities has grown, not decreased.

Since 1946 until this year, there have been about 300 wars worldwide, more than 15 nations now have nuclear weapons, and every day we are getting closer and closer to a World War 3. Clearly, Jesus is not predicting any one specific war, or revolution. He is characterizing the general course of the age. It will be marked by continual turmoil among nations, between disagreeing ethnicities, and the fears, the alarms, the degradation, the horror, the misery of war. People without God will always find ways to hate, the result of which is eventual war. The ultimate war will be Armageddon that pits the world’s armies against the Second Coming of Christ. We will witness the Lord stopping that war with a word (Revelation 19:19-21, “Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army.But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.”)

Increase in Hunger

“And there will be famines and pestilences…” (Matthew 24:7). The news media (which cannot be trusted) reported, that there are 40,000 deaths every day in the world due to malnutrition. They also reported that 90% of all the babies born in the next 20 years will be born in the countries that are least able to feed them. Although most statistics from the media should be taken with a grain of salt, those statistics can be verified by the “willfully ignorant” with very little effort through the internet and trusted sites. It is our responsibility to search out those resources so we can get to the truth. Trust in the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or even the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has proven to be, because of the “Plandemic” of 2020 and following, totally untrustworthy and unreliable. Politicians unfortunately fall into this same category because they use these same institutions to impose constraints on the people. Why? Power and money based on convincing people to get vaccines resulting from fear mongering over so-called pandemic conditions that eventually turned out to be just another strain of the common flu; to eat bugs because of potential global hunger problems that are really confined to only certain areas, not the planet; eat artificial meat since cows emit methane gas contributing to global warming which has proven to be a total hoax since CO² is a necessary gas for life; to follow governmental instructions to the letter without complaint; and many more.

Incurable Sicknesses and Pestilences

“And there will be…pestilences…” Matthew 24:7. We have seen over our lifetimes many new strains of cancer, malaria, tuberculosis, and a variety of other sicknesses. But we have experienced a “plandemic” of just a strain of the flu that has killed people like occurs each and every year. Contrary to popular belief, 2019 was not the first time humans were infected by the Coronavirus. Coronavirus is one of the oldest viruses on the earth. What’s known as a “cold” is a respiratory viral infection that can be caused by any number of viruses. Four coronaviruses are prevalent in humans, causing 10–15% of all common colds.Researchers discovered the first “human” coronaviruses in the mid-1960s.

The good old “willful ignorance” once again raises its ugly head because without understanding that despite the fact Covid-19 was a corona virus or another dangerous strain of the flu, it was not anything drastically different from any other flu of the past. The panic generated by accepting what the “experts” were telling everyone through the compliant media and compliant politicians caused many to blindly give in to the scare tactics of the necessity to get Covid vaccine shots or die. Along with the need for shots came isolationism, social distancing, closing of businesses and even churches, lockdowns, the wearing of masks, etc. This became so bad at one point that the entire world came to a stop – travel, commerce, schooling, etc. Traditional medicines were outlawed by the government and the medical care organization when it was fully known that Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine both stop symptoms of the flu. There can be different reasons for people that should know better to outright lie to the public about their health. One of the reasons is as old as man and that is money. The other is the insane desire of the globalists to reduce the world’s population because they think the earth is overpopulated and the resources are running out. Of course, they are not running out. What we as humans typically do is not inform ourselves of the truth of the “experts” claims. And we do not nor ever have learned from past events that should warn us of misleading and fraudulent claims.

There are at least two significant elements that are readily and easily discoverable concerning the flu. One is the Spanish flu of 1918 where over 18 million died worldwide due to respiratory illness. The severity of this particular flu virus was dangerous to be sure, but because of the demand that everyone wear masks, it has been estimated that half of the deaths of this flu epidemic was caused by pneumonia resulting from the wearing of the masks, not the flu. Besides, viruses are so tiny that masks cannot prevent anyone from breathing them in. Masks make us re-breathe what our bodies are trying to dispel thus leading to the possibilities of re-infection of harmful bacteria that would otherwise be breathed out. Again, listening to the Fauci-types of the world can and do lead to more danger, not safety. Actually, common sense will inform that wearing masks for lengthy time periods cannot be healthy, especially if one is by himself at home or in a car.

The second discoverable element is the strange drop in flu deaths when Covid arrived. Notice how the statistics of annual flu deaths from 2010 to 2022 average about 40,000 except for 2021-2022. This chart is directly from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website. Note the addition to the chart of the wording at the bottom.

*Estimates are not available for the 2020-2021 season due to minimal flu activity

Minimal flu activity? Could we be defining Covid separately and not as just another strain of the flu? The Centers for Disease Control’s own statistics show that Covid deaths listed on death certificates in 2020-2021 were over 800,000! But, about half died from influenza and pneumonia, about 20% from high blood pressure, almost 20% from diabetes, and the rest from dementia and sepsis all as “co-morbidities”. If we assume the half of the 800,000 died from influenza and pneumonia, and half again of those just from the flu, we have the number of Covid deaths around 200,000. Then, factor in deaths from complications from the vaccines which now are estimated to be over 90%, we see the number of Covid deaths come into line with what would be called annual deaths due to the flu, probably a pretty severe kind of flu, but not the panic-causing, impossible to escape terror that was forced down the world’s throat for almost two years! The point is that we are and still are being deceived! The infamous Anthony Fauci has just recommended that we all get a flu vaccine annually as well as a Covid shot and booster annually! The deceit continues with all those “willfully ignorant” in total compliance that puts their very lives in great danger!

Not shown in the statistics are the thousands that have died after inoculation due to the shots and not Covid. What is concerning is that this same “plandemic” will probably be repeated this time under the control of the World Health Organization (WHO) who is now capable of declaring that masks be worn, all people be inoculated, and restrictions be assessed against anyone worldwide who refuses to comply. Resistance to such “world government” must be strong and persistent if we all as a human race expect to live lives in freedom as our Founding Fathers determined through great sacrifice in the establishment of this once great and noble country.

Earthquakes

“And there will be… earthquakes in various places” Matthew 24:7. Historians and volcanologists have calculated that earthquakes have increased more than 2000% since Columbus discovered the New World. The news media states that there have been more earthquakes in the last 20 years than we have seen in the previous 100, which, of course, needs to be checked out for accuracy. It turns out through research that these statistics are accurate leading to the conclusion that the truth is that the earth is groaning for the revelation of the sons of God and for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 8:22-23 says, “For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.” Earthquakes are increasing in frequency and intensity just like the other signs of the End Times. Not paying attention to such data is falling into the “willful ignorance” category once again. All of these signs are unmistakable in their message for all committed Christians to be watchers and Gospel sharers because the time is short.

Persecution of Christians

In Matthew 24:9 it says, “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.” As evidence of the End Times, there will be intense persecution against Christians. In China, North Korea, Central Africa, and many other places, believers die for their faith. We have always seen that in different parts of the world. However, not in the Western world; here, if you say “the Bible says,” it’s called hate speech and you are in danger of getting censored. But in general, there is hostility toward people who believe in Jesus. The century in which more Christians have died for their faith than in any other is the 20th century, and it is continuing into this century as well! It is estimated that more Christians were tortured and slain in twelve months during World War II than died under Rome in all the early centuries. Some authorities claim that over fifteen million Christians have been slaughtered in Russia, Soviet-controlled Europe and other Communist countries. Since Christianity began, no generation has seen such world-wide persecution as is now in progress. And lastly, why is the reaction to sports figures so negative when they attribute their successes on national television to their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?

A Huge Surge of Wickedness

“And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.” Matthew 24:10. This verse makes it clear that there will be a huge hatred that will increase amongst people. This generation alone can be used to describe the words hate and offense. Our generation is very hateful, overly sensitive, intolerant, and demanding that they be respected regardless of their demands. Antiracism is not a solution, and protests are certainly not the solution. The solution is not what we are against, but what we are for – love. How many have thus “fallen way,” driven by the spread of a philosophy of moral relativism, wokeism, that teaches that only the situation itself can determine whether a thing is bad or good and certainly not some old ancient book that is no longer relevant to our enlightened and advanced society? And when such folly is openly advocated by leaders of the church, who can help but feel that we are on a path of self-deception and anarchy? Why is our Justice System so blatantly two-tiered, obviously biased in favor of liberal philosophy and against conservative, Bible-based morality? Why are illegal aliens who entered our country without any kind of scrutiny as to background, criminal record, medical history, or questioning of any kind given free money in the form of debit cards, free housing, jobs that were once held by natural-born Americans, and bail or free-from-bail when they are released after committing crimes as severe as murder? Could it be that there is some kind of wicked plan to cause real insurrection and destruction within the borders of the U.S.? Do some of the powers behind Congress and the Presidency desire America to fall from our lofty place as the leader of nations to a third-world failure of a country in order to establish one-world government? Cannot that be defined as wickedness?

And just what is the Church doing to identify, call out, combat, and eliminate the surge of wickedness today. Very little. In fact, the result of the acceptance of much of the wickedness today comes from the preaching from the media of tolerance or just to let those with strong convictions that go against morality or the law or society or even what the Bible spells out as be against God Himself – just let them be, let them have their way, that being tolerant of their ways is the right way to deal with them. It is our Christian duty, as God has told us in His Word to stand up for righteousness in the face of wickedness. Psalm 94:16 says, “Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands up for me against evildoers?”Ephesians 5:11 tells us, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.” Philippians 4:1, “Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.” 2 Chronicles 20:17 adds, “You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.”

Of course, standing up for God and His Word must be done. But it must be done with humility, care, and respect. Otherwise, as we all know, rebukes done harshly just result in anger and rebellion. 1 Peter 3:15 admonishes us in this way, “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”

False Prophets to deceive many (Matthew 24:11)

Numerous signs of deception are in our world today including many false prophets both spiritual and material. What we must always do is to study the motivation for new theories, new approaches to life – both materially and spiritually, news stories and the media in general, medical recommendations and requirements, education trends, societal directions, economic and industrial innovations, and many, many more. The primary motivation of most “experts” or influence peddlers is clearly monetary gain, power, or influence! And that, unfortunately, includes prominent so-called Christian preachers who spout doctrines that are definitively NOT from the Bible such as the Prosperity Gospel of dozens of very visible churches and organizations, Replacement Theology citing that the Church of Jesus Christ has replaced the Jews as God’s Chosen People, Preterism that claims biblical prophecy of the future including the Millennial Kingdom has already happened back in the time when Jesus walked the Earth, faith-healing ministries that demonstrate falsely the abilities of some special people to heal, cast out demons, even raise the dead, and much more. The underlying motivation for all of these unbiblical and error-filled teachings is monetary gain, influence promotion, and power enhancement in the form of dominance over multitudes.

It is the responsibility of all Christians today (Romans 16:17-18) “… to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.” Titus 1:10-11 teaches us the following, “For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of dishonest gain.” The message is clear. We must be on guard to listen for those that preach and teach that which is not biblical, expose them for what they are – false teachers, and silence them by pointing out their deceit with words directly from God’s Word.

Lawlessness (Matthew 24:12)

What this refers to is “the rejection of the law, or will, of God and the substitution of the human will of self – an apt description of our age for sure! Here is a lengthy but not comprehensive list of actual examples of the proof of the lawlessness that we experience today that were not even possible just a few years ago. If anyone doubts that we are in the End Times and facing the Wrath of God as a nation and world, just think what God Himself sees in the manner in which we live today letting these atrocities and attitudes even exist.

• Abortion on demand STILL exists in certain states in spite of Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade – it is now up to the state on how they deal with murder of babies in the womb
• Gender identity, same sex marriage, the sanctity of life, the rule of law
• Illegal immigration – open borders – some 20 million invaders, criminals, sex traffickers, drug mules, insurrectionists, …
• Influx of illegal drugs – especially China-made fentanyl, cartels, distribution networks, etc.
• The Constitution and whether it is still valid and current
• Sanctuary cities and states
• Bond free released illegals and free thievery in some states
• Free drugs to addicts in some states and cities
• Imprisonment to innocent “insurrectionists” January 6^th, 2020
• Baseless indictments of a former president politically motivated
• A Justice system that operates with TWO standards of justice
• Failure to prosecute BLM, slaughter daily in Chicago, illegals attacking cops in NYC, enforcement of EXISTING LAWS, …… and so-on ad infinitum…..

The Push for Digital Currencies and the Long-Anticipated Collapse of the US Economy

Another telling sign that speaks to the nearness of the Tribulation is the push for digital currencies. This category falls into the realm of false prophets as well as lawlessness and evil. During the September 2023 meeting of the G-20 nations in New Delhi, India, the leaders: “agreed to a plan to eventually impose digital currencies and digital IDs on their respective populations, amid concern that governments might use them to monitor their people’s spending and crush dissent.” This pact includes a pledge “to build the necessary infrastructure to implement digital currencies and IDs.” The antichrist needs such a system in place by the midpoint of the Tribulation in order to control buying and selling throughout the world (Revelation 13:16-18). He won’t be able to do this if it’s possible for people to use cash or write checks for their purchases. Imagine control of your financial accounts digitally or all based on computers and the internet whereby governmental intervention and monitoring would be possible (and it really already is) so that if your purchases and support monetarily are deemed against governmental standards, your money could be seized or cancelled, transferred out of your control. That is in our future if we continue to allow it.

In America, the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) is coming by way of the Federal Reserve’s FedNow, which has gone live. Many major banks are now participating in the program, which makes the transferring of money immediate. The Federal Reserve claims this is the alternative to a CBDC — a Central Bank Digital Currency. But really, this is a stepping stone to a CBDC. Once the public gets more comfortable with the speed of FedNow and the system is accepted as the standard procedure, we will get a Central Bank Digital Currency.

For many years, actually several decades, the US economy has been on borrowed time, pun intended. At the start of the George W. Bush Presidency, the national debt was 4 Trillion. Today it is 34 Trillion, and that increase took only 20 years! At 4 Trillion, the US economy was on very shaky ground with no chance of ever paying off the national debt. We as normal Americans cannot even fathom such a number as even 1 Trillion. As an example, if someone could spend a Million dollars each and every day from the time of Christ’s birth until today some 2,000 years later, they STILL WOULD NOT HAVE SPENT A TRILLION DOLLARS! The interest on our present 34 Trillion dollar debt amounts to more than Billion dollars a DAY! The national debt rises a trillion dollars every three months!

Inconceivably, our elected officials, and those unelected leaders of the non-governmental Federal Reserve, consider debt as an ASSET! What if the average American thought this way? Debt would not be a problem. But when our country “borrows” money from other countries, including Communist countries such as China, the intent is to pay that borrowed money back, right? NO! We just accumulate national debt and continue to funnel vast amounts of money (based on nothing like gold by the way) to terrorist countries like Iran and North Korea and Ukraine and others. God has delayed the “piper” who has to be paid for a long while probably because of His timing for the Rapture and the Tribulation. Otherwise, our economy and the economies of many other nations that mimic our insane economic theories should have collapsed years ago. No doubt, those collapses WILL COME WHEN GOD IS READY FOR THEM TO COME! The inevitable collapse of the economy in the U.S. will speed up the path to a CBDC in America, which will quickly become a unified worldwide currency for the Antichrist to use during the Tribulation, if not before.

The Love of Believers Will Grow Cold

In Matthew 24:12 it says, “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” As the world gets darker, the Light will shine brighter, but that also means that many complacent believers will continue to become cold in their love towards Christ.

There are two things happening today all at once – a huge revival in the Church and many Christians becoming complacent and lukewarm. Revival and disappointment are occurring at the same time. We are seeing a huge surge of people mocking the supernatural, liberal pastors supporting homosexuality, and progressive Christianity embracing sin. The main reason believers’ love is growing cold is that they are consumed with materialism as well as present societal norms that’s causing their hearts to be weighed down by the cares of this life. In close connection with this Jesus adds, “And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because wickedness is multiplied, most men’s love will grow cold.” Here the peril is cynicism. It is cold and brutal indifference which arises out of the teaching of the “experts” and the “false prophets.” Do not read this as though these are religious men, necessarily. The false Christs the Lord mentioned earlier were unquestionably religious, but here he uses the term “prophet.” It refers to any who speak authoritatively – the “experts” commonly called philosophers, professors, scientists, statesmen – those leaders of thought who shape and mold the thinking of common man. What they will teach is the sanctity of self-interest, the insistence on having “my rights” no matter what happens to the other fellow. The true prophet insists on the rights of God, but the false prophet upholds only the rights of man. Jesus predicts that a tragic and inevitable sequence will follow. First, many will be led astray by the “experts”, the false teaching of the leaders of thought; “because [of this], wickedness [will be] multiplied” (the Greek word used here for wickedness is “anomia,” lawlessness); and the result of lawlessness is, “most men’s love will grow cold.”

One needs only to pay attention to “trusted” news to see how true this is. The overthrow of moral limits always destroys the intensity and glow of love. The psychologists and philosophers who seek to measure the pulse of our times tell us that the major problem of our age is meaninglessness – the loss of intensity and zeal in life, the coldness of the human heart. Since men cannot live without love, they replace true love with the false fire of lust, and its inevitable consequence, hate. Watch those who feel they can, with impunity, step over the moral bounds of the past. See how they grow hard and callous and cynical and intolerant. Life becomes for them an increasing tangle of emptiness. There seems little reason to doubt that this is the explanation for the rocketing divorce rates of our day, the destruction of the family, and for the rapidly increasing frequency of sex crimes and crimes of violence. Often these are accompanied by moral apathy and callous indifference to cruelty.

World Evangelism

In Matthew 24:14 we read, “And this Gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” In these End Times, we are experiencing tremendous technological advancements. What once seemed like an impossible mission, is now possible through social media. The end will come when the whole world has heard the Gospel, and that “last man” accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Despite the pressures, despite the impossibility of the natural mind’s remaining undeceived, despite the subtle siren voices that sound, some will see through the distortions, the perversions of truth, the silken deceptions, and will stand true. God knows just who that “last man” truly is, but until that time comes, we must all continue to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ lest we miss the opportunity to contribute to the eternity of even one human by sharing the Gospel. Perhaps that “last man” might be the one that you personally helped lead to Christ!

Israel in the Land (Matthew 24:15)

Jerusalem will be surrounded with armies (Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, etc.) and the “abomination of desolation” will be set up (verse 15; Luke 21:20). Also, “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors.” Matthew 24: 32-33. This verse is repeated because of its extreme importance. Remember that on May 14th, 1948, Israel became a nation after 1,813 years of total exile and worldwide dispersal. Now, we know that the End Times revolves around the prophesies having to do with Israel being fulfilled; however, no one truly knows when the Last Days will end, only that they’re here, and we are in the very midst of them if not approaching the final end of them!

Other Signs That Get Our Attention

UFOs and Aliens

This may seem like an unusual sign of the end times; however, the wide acceptance of extraterrestrial life, along with many governments acknowledging their existence, demonstrates the increased activity of Satan to explain our sudden disappearance in the soon coming Rapture of the Church! A U.S. Navy pilot was quoted recently saying that “UFO sightings are an everyday occurrence.” There seems to be wide acceptance of alien life among the elite of our day, or more likely, their willingness to perpetuate the deception. Once more “willful ignorance” raises its ugly head when people listen to the powerful, the elites, the “experts” instead of knowing what is really going on from a spiritual perspective. Yuval Noah Harari, right-hand-man of Klaus Schwab from the World Economic Forum (WEF), predicted the end of human-dominated history because of an upcoming alien invasion. “History will continue with somebody else in control,” he said. Why has Harari changed from advocating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and transhumanism as the future of mankind to that of one dominated by extraterrestrials? Does this surprising turn in his thinking not show just how far the Luciferian globalists are willing to go in preparing the world for our disappearance at the time of the Rapture? And people will listen and believe these pagan false teachers. Is there any end to “willful ignorance”? Yep! The Second Coming!

The disappearance of multiple millions of people all over the world will be spectacular for many reasons. Some will vanish while talking to others. Chaos will result because of car crashes, airplanes falling from the sky, roads and streets and neighborhoods being blocked because of all the cars and trucks just crashing or rolling to a stop all over the world. Companies, shops, restaurants, utilities, deliveries, communications, and many more everyday realities will cease to be there causing major disruptions. Satan will have to come up with some explanation to reduce the panic and give those left behind a way to deal with the mess after such major and universal disorder.

Why not make the claim that our progenitors, you know, those super intelligent beings so many billions of years ago who planted life here on this planet, and who have been watching our progress over the millennia, decided that there were too many people causing problems that interfered with society’s advancement. So, they came in their massive mother ships and Star-Trek-Transported all the “bad” people up to the mother ships for relocation, for re-training, or for lunch (to “be” lunch). Harari, like so many others, naturally assumes that the aliens are far more advanced than humans in both intelligence and technology. So, they must be capable of making tens of millions instantly disappear.

What is true about the “alien” or unidentified flying objects (UFO), or unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP), is that they are real but are not beings from other planets but manifestations of fallen angels that report to Satan for the exact purpose of deceiving mankind into believing that life exists in our universe elsewhere besides Earth (which it does NOT)! “Willfully ignorant” people just go along with what the “experts” tell them, so the deceit that is manifested in believing in aliens will be accepted as the reason for the disappearance of so many people. Thus, what the Bible calls “strong delusion” (2 Thessalonians 2:11, “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.”) will be the explanation that all agree on thus stopping many thousands from finding out what really happened and the chance to learn about Jesus Christ and the opportunity for salvation.

The Seven-Year Commitment

On September 18-19, 2023, a majority of member nations at the UN committed to a seven-year plan of accelerated growth to implement the 17 Strategic Development Goals (SDGs) of Agenda 2030. Although significant, this is NOT the covenant that the antichrist will make with Israel as prophesied in Daniel 9:27. What this demonstrates is the determination of the world’s leaders to set up a one-world government that controls the lives of those it will enslave. It’s very clear that both the WEF and UN long for this totalitarian regime and want it in place by 2030. Why? Global Government, total control over everyone, universal dominance in order to set up Planet Earth for the Antichrist according to Satan’s plan to stop Jesus Christ’s Return.

It also tells us that things are going as well as the globalists would like. Although they achieved some progress through the COVID-19 scare and are seeking to make so-called climate change a factor in bringing the nations together, things are not progressing as well as they had hoped. On the fifth page of the document, we are told that there is an “urgent need to take the actions necessary to reverse declines and accelerate progress to achieve the 2030 Agenda and implement the SDGs.” This may or may not come to pass as designed by 2030 (only 7 years away now when you count 2030) simply because of the Lord’s resistance with stalling the elite’s objectives to achieve their desired dominance. But the calamity they need will come via the Rapture, which will happen according to God’s timing, not theirs.

The disappearance of so many people will give the globalists the emergency they crave so that they can implement global government. Because of the fear that will probably arise after the acceptance of the lie that the Rapture happened as a result of alien beings, something will have to be done to stop these super powerful aliens from further actions. So, a united world would have a much better chance of resisting an extraterrestrial invasion or at least a better chance of creating a dialog with the aliens, so says Good old Yuval Noah Harari again. Does the term “willful ignorance” apply here?

The following quote from the UN’s SDGs meeting seems to say that an emergency such as caused by the Rapture would lead to greater control by the UN: “On that page, the UN openly admits that one of the purposes of “the Summit of the Future” is to “put in place a stronger international response playbook for complex global shocks, maximizing the use of the Secretary-General’s convening power in the form of an Emergency Platform.” There’s a sense of urgency in the statements coming from the UN. Is it because they are falling behind in their goals? Do they know a great crisis looms in the future? Probably both!

Signs in the Heavens

April 8, 2024, there will be an eclipse of the sun, a total solar eclipse that will trace a path across the U.S. from Southwest to Northeast diagonally across the entire nation. A solar eclipse is when the moon comes between the Earth and the Sun which is a spectacular event turning bright day into a strange semi-darkness for a few minutes. What makes a solar eclipse is the God-inspired relative size and distance of the moon from the earth and the sun from the Earth. The moon appears to be the exact same size as the sun thus blocking out the sun’s direct light when it gets between the Earth and the Sun. The Sun’s distance from Earth is about 400 times the Moon’s distance from the Earth, and the Sun’s diameter is about 400 times the Moon’s diameter. Because these ratios are approximately the same, the Sun and the Moon as seen from Earth appear to be approximately the same size thus allowing the moon to completely obscure the sun IF you are in the pathway of the moon crossing the Earth’s surface. A partial eclipse is seen if the viewer is not exactly located in the pathway. Interestingly, seven years ago – almost exactly – August 21, 2017 – another solar eclipse crossed the U.S. diagonally, but that time its path went from Northwest to Southeast crossing the entire nation.

The two pathways made a cross on the Earth on the United States crossing in Makanda, Illinois. Makanda in the Indo-European language of India means “Woman of Power”. It is a little concerning that Kamala Harris, Vice-President of the U.S., is half Jamaican and half Indian because her mother was born in India. Also, the Annual Black Vulture Festival occurs in Makanda and Matthew 24:28 says, “Just as the gathering of vultures shows that there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.” Matthew 24 has Jesus pointing to all the signs of the End Times and the advances spiritual decay at the end of the Age of Grace because of deception, wars, famines, earthquakes, pestilence, persecution, all increasing in volume, frequency, intensity, and all converging together.

Another curious fact of the pathway of the April 8^th eclipse is that it passes over Eagle Pass, Texas, where the concentration of all the illegal alien crossings has been taking place. The pathway of both eclipses (the 2017 as well as the 2024 eclipses) intersects Rapture, Indiana, Jonah, Texas, the Ark of Answers in Genesis in Kentucky, and eight cities in Texas, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York, and Nova Scotia named Nineveh! Of course, we know what Jonah was going to Nineveh to proclaim – Repent! Plus, Southern Illinois where the two pathways intersect is known as “Little Egypt” because of Indian mounds resembling pyramids and an 1831 famine due to severe weather that caused people to have to buy grain from others to stay alive causing many to see the similarity to Joseph and Egypt at the time of the Jews in Goshen. Other cities in the pathway this April are Washington, Russia, China, Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, Rome, even Tunisia and Magog! All of these are mentioned in the convergence of events in the end times of Bible Prophecy. I guess the most significant item is, for a finale, the pathway ends in these places: Magog, Moscow, Orient, and Burnt Church!

There was an eclipse last year in October that we all had the chance to observe since we were in the direct pathway of the shadow of the eclipse. A curious thing will happen when the eclipse path of October 14, 2023, intersects with the path of the coming April 8, 2024, eclipse path. One of the largest cross sculptures in the U.S. called ‘The Coming King Sculpture Prayer Garden’ in Kerrville Texas, and it is in the crosspoint/conjunction of these two eclipses. HMMMMMM!

Probably another observation that is worth mentioning is that the two pathways of the 2017 and the coming 2024 eclipses across the U.S. appear to look like a Hebrew letter, Tav. When the third eclipse is added to the America crossings, the eclipse of last year, the three crossings form the Hebrew letter Aleph.

In Greek, the first and last letters are Alpha and Omega. In Hebrew, the first and last letters are Aleph and Tav. Revelation 22:13 says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” Revelation 21:6 says, “And He said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Aleph and the Tav, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.” The August 21, 2017, eclipse path crossed the city Alpha/Aleph in Valley County, Idaho, and the upcoming eclipse path on April 8, 2024, will cross a location called Omega/Tav in Marion County, Illinois. The Tav is the mark indicating the presence of the divine Hand of God and the completion, the end, of God’s Word or Covenant.

What does all of this tell us? It could be that this is a sign that America as a superpower is now over. It could be much like the writing on the wall in the book of Daniel where the Chaldean kingdom had been weighed and found wanting just before the kingdom was taken over by the Medes and Persians in one night! No one is predicting anything, but this seems to be an event we should all pay attention to because of the signs of the times! Shouldn’t we as Followers of Christ and knowledgeable of what Genesis 1:16 says, “Then God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years’” as well as Luke 21:25, “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity”, and assume that God is speaking to us, that He is making us aware, at least, that we are indeed in the End Times and should be paying attention to what is going on on this entire planet Earth?

Final Thoughts

We are in the End Times for sure according to all we have seen from God’s Word and the world’s conditions and circumstances. However, we do not know the exact timing of the Rapture and the many prophecies to come – just that they are imminent, could happen at any moment in rapid succession and with intensity and volume. Until they actually happen, we have a duty to advance the Kingdom of God, discern demon activity, heal the sick, make disciples, baptize people, and teach our children and all people to observe and obey what Jesus told us. We have a duty to advance the Kingdom of God. What we need to do immediately is to break old habits, especially of being “willfully ignorant”, and investigate and search for the truth in all things, being “spiritually enlightened” through God’s Word and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We must all immediately stop listening to the “experts” who really do not know much, stop the habit of relying on the “media” for information because, without exception, ALL mainstream news is at least partially lying to us, misleading us, or politically and with bias deceiving us. So, break with Fox, NBC, CBS, ABC, MSNBC, CNN, even Newsmax on cable and especially any reliance on newspapers or publications anywhere such as the NYTimes, The Washington Post, Time, local newspapers, etc.

What and who do we consult instead? Careful use of phone aps and websites can be very informative and trustworthy. Telegram, Rumble, and even YouTube can be used to get the Truth by only watching people like Amir Tsarfati, Jack Hibbs, David Jeremiah, Jan Markell, John MacArthur, Jonathan Cahn, as well as websites such as Prophecy Watchers, Rapture Ready, Olive Tree Ministries, Breitbart, and others. Searching for the truth is an on-going job requiring prayer, time, energy, dedication, prayer (said it twice), and biblical, spiritual discernment.

Just cruising along as always in these End Times, the Last Days of the Last Days, will keep our minds and hearts oblivious to what is actually going on. Satan is delighted in ignorant people accepting his explanation for current conditions. If we could instantly change everything back to the mid-1950’s and observe, not the technological differences, but the vast differences in human thought and emotions and attitudes, we would be overwhelmingly shocked. We have been manipulated by the evil one into thinking that today’s world of intolerance, anti-Christian rhetoric, crime, LGBTQ+, transgenderism, antisemitism, Islamic terrorism, corruption, societal upheaval, globalism, and many more abominations is just the way things are supposed to be, the new normal. Deceit is rampant, truth is hidden or denied, people are “willfully ignorant” (especially many Christians), and there is very little bold and biblical push-back to the advancement of totalitarianism at all levels of human activity.

Let’s not continue in our worldly ways just behaving like scoffers who say “…from before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.” (2 Peter 3:4) We must change our conduct and pray, preparing our lives for what is coming. Let us all remember that as we observe the political, economic, societal, military, and spiritual upheaval we see all around us (if we are not “willfully ignorant”), God comforts and reassures us throughout His Word. Why? God wants us to be “spiritually enlightened”. He is in control (1 Chronicles 29:11-12); He is not a God of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33); He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6); He will not give us a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7); and He will strengthen, help, and uphold us (Isaiah 41:10) because He has a plan for us (Jeremiah 29:11), “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Ephesiams 5:6-21 – “See that no one deceives you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them…Do not participate in the useless deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them…But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light…So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil…understand what the will of the Lord is…be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs…always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to our God and Father; and subject yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ.”

Everything will one day be destroyed, a new heaven and earth created, and that should motivate us to lay up our treasures in heaven. The day of the Lord is coming. Jesus is going to establish His kingdom, and as believers and followers of Christ we are looking forward to that day. We are already living in the end times. Live a life of “spiritual enlightenment” and not of “willful ignorance”. The End Times essentially began 2000 years ago with the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But with Israel back in their land as of 1948, and the convergence, intensity, frequency, and volume of the signs of the times, we are now in the Last Days of the End Times, the last days of the Last Days. Live that way, moment by moment, imminently expecting to hear that trumpet, the call of the archangel, and the voice of Our Lord saying, “Come up here!”