End-times scholar Hal Lindsey says, “I am amazed at the speed with which
events are moving today. The Bible tells us
that in the last days, the ‘signs’ of the times will appear with
ever-increasing frequency and intensity. In our modern lingo, maybe we could
describe this phenomena as the signs of the times on steroids!” What are these signs?
One of the most significant signs is that Israel has become
the center of geopolitics—and Jerusalem the most sought after real estate on
the planet. And considering Iran’s threat of nuclear attack, if Israel
strikes preemptively, it would surely destabilize the world's political
and financial institutions, necessitating world restructuring, most probably in the form of a one-world government made possible by new technology,
and setting the stage for a messiah-like person who will promise to
restore peace and order.
Of course there are other signs, most of which are too disheartening
to speak of. No wonder Jesus said, “When you see these things happening, look up!”
How else can we not let them get us down?
In a symbolic gesture in St. Peter's Square last week, Pope
Francis released two doves of peace after praying for peace in the Ukraine.
Then (symbolically), the just-released doves were attacked by a black crow and
a sea gull. Short of a few feathers, the doves broke free and flew
away, their ultimate fate unknown.
It’s hard to imagine a more fitting picture of failed attempts at peacemaking. From the birth of civilization to the present, the world suffers violence. So, nations seek peace.
Leaders negotiate for it. Millions pray for it. Militaries fight for it. Imagine a leader who could promise world peace.
But that won't happen until Christ returns: “The government shall be upon His shoulder; and His
Name shall be called the Prince of Peace. And of the increase of His
peace there shall be no end…” (Isa. 9:6-7). Ignorant of this, however, the world's quest for peace continues, until the arrival of a false man of peace, the Antichrist (Dan. 8:25) who will swoop down like a bird of prey on people who are as naïve as doves.
Last week President Obama said our national security and that of the world is dependent on successful negotiations with Iran (a nation that calls us the “Great Satan” and has vowed to destroy Israel). The Joint Plan of Action will freeze Iran's enrichment
of uranium and halt plutonium production—thus averting
nuclear proliferation in the region. Yeah right.
Just the thought that international security is contingent
upon Iran’s honesty and good intentions is frightening. David's words seem fitting: “the nations conspire and plot in vain” (Ps. 2:1).
Knowing that the God of the universe is in control and sets
the appointed times of events on earth is a great source of comfort and peace for us. “For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the
nations. Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their
hope and confidence” (Ps. 22:28; Jer. 7:17). Thank God, our security is not contingent on diplomatic resolution with Iran!
The angels announced Jesus’ birth with the declaration: “Glory to God
in the highest, and on earth peace among men of good will” (Luke 2:14). The prophetic words harken back to Isaiah: “For
unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be
upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty
God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Is 9:6). Only part of Isaiah’s prophecy has been fulfilled: the Child was born
and the Son was given. We are still waiting for the Prince of Peace to
establish His government on Earth.
2014 is an election year when many
U.S. citizens are hoping for a change in government. Though no one can foresee that
outcome, we can safely predict this: it will not bring peace on earth. That will only
come when the Lord returns. And while citizens of Heaven wait for that day, “I pray that God, the
source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust
in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope” (Rom 15:13).
This week it was revealed that that the U.S. is considering an extended 10-year soldiers-on-the-ground commitment in Afghanistan, already the longest war in U.S. history. Is anyone surprised!? Wars are accepted as the new norm! According to a recent article by the “Peace Plan Union,” there have been 250 major wars since WWII, with over 50 million killed, millions injured, and millions more homeless. This century stands out as the bloodiest in history: 3 times more dead in the last 90 years than in the previous 500.
A major sign of the end times is an increase of wars. There are 38 going on right now, with regular rumors of more! And, given the unstoppability of nuclear proliferation, no wonder the nations are in distress!
It is hard not to see this as a sign of the
times, but many Evangelicals have numbed out. Jesus
said when you see the “distress of the nations,” it is time to “stand up and
lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28). I’m
not suggesting you sell your condo in Florida just yet; but it seems to me there are things happening in the world today to which we need to pay closer attention.
Polish Nobel Peace prize winner Lech Walesa addressed the Nobel Peace Prize committee last month, calling for a new “secular” Ten
Commandments that would express universally-shared values for all religions of the
world. It's not hard to see this as movement toward a One World Religion, one of the end-time prophecies.
Nor is it hard to see unrest in the Middle East exploding into
a Mid-East war, if not a world war, and all the more because of
Israel's imminent attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. What's more, because
of the region’s oil wealth, it is easy to imagine the fulfillment of
the Gog-Magog invasion (Russia and Iran).
With Israel back in the Holy Land for a generation, steeped in global conflict as prophesied for the end times, and with geo-political instability, along with the re-posturing of post-WWII allies, how long can it be before a leader (Anti-Christ) appears
on the world stage, offering a plan for unity, peace, and hope? “The end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in
your prayers” (1 Peter 4:7).
Today political pundits will tell us we
have become more suspicious and fearful since Al Qaeda’s attack on the twin
towers 12 years ago: TSA inspects shoes and underwear, while NSA monitors private emails and
phone calls. And on the global front, London Times diplomatic
editor Roger Boyes captures the mood: “The
direction in Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Iran should keep us awake at
night.”
So, then, while the earthlings are
trying hard today not to be engulfed in dread and anxiety, let us take solace
in the fact that a day is coming when the Prince of Peace will establish His government,
put an end to war, and bring about everlasting peace (Is. 9:6-7).
And while the
peace of God is not yet cosmically realized, it is certainly personally available. “My peace
I give to you” (John 14:27). “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts” (Col.
3:15). The peace Jesus promised and Paul commanded is a settled state of
inner rest that nothing can disturb. “You will keep
him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You” (Is. 26:3). “Let not your heart be troubled” today (Jn. 14:1).
Despite a flailing economy, the stock market is breaking
records. Economists say many people are benefiting from
low Fed rates, the reason for increased investing, buying, and selling, particularly in housing and related industries.
During Obama’s first term, over 1,000 millionaires a day were added to
the economy. The ‘new’ rich are buying and selling like no other time in
history.
Has the bullish market created
a false sense of well-being? I recently
came across a quote by Arthur Pink, “the greatest self-deception is thinking
everthing is OK when it is not.” I think the bullish market is a sign of the times. Before His
return, Jesus said it would be like the days of Noah; then adding, “It was the
same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling,
planting and building” (Luke 17).
The days of Noah and Lot have one common feature: people were going about their normal lives as if everything was OK. “When people are saying, ‘Everything is peaceful and secure,’ then
disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman's labor pains begin.
And there will be no escape” (1 Thess. 5:3).
Iranian President Ahmadinejad gave a long, rambling anti-zionist speech before the U.N. yesterday. The following is my edited version of the last part where he describes Islam's messiah.
God Almighty has promised us a man of kindness, a man who loves people and loves absolute justice, a man who is a perfect human being and is named Imam Al-Mahdi, a man who will come in the company of Jesus Christ and the righteous. By using the inherent potential of all the worthy men and women of all nations he will lead humanity into achieving its glorious and eternal ideals. The arrival of the Ultimate Savior will mark a new beginning, a rebirth and a resurrection. It will be the beginning of peace, lasting security and genuine life. His arrival will be the end of oppression, immorality, poverty, discrimination and the beginning of justice, love and empathy.
He will come so that hands will be joined, hearts will be filled with love and thoughts will be purified to be at service of security, welfare and happiness for all. He will come to return all children of Adam irrespective of their skin colors to their innate origin after a long history of separation and division linking them to eternal happiness. Let us join hands and clear the way for his eventual arrival with empathy and cooperation, in harmony and unity.
The Antichrist is so-called because he will be against Christ, but the world will see him as a “pseudo-Christ”— Satan’s counterfeit Messiah. He will not be frightening, but charming. The world will love him: a great leader and a man of peace.
With the advent of the Republican National Convention this week, Romney is the man of the hour. Remember when Jesus said, “My hour is not yet come” (John 2:4)? His death on the cross was his “finest hour.” Satan is waiting for his hour. With Europe’s debt, upheaval across the Middle East, Iran’s aggression toward Israel, global terrorism, and a myriad of other evils, the world is ripe for a leader who will fend off economic collapse, and bring about peace.
A vast majority of the world, especially in the West, are still hopeful that things will turn around. One wonders how educated and sophisticated Americans can be so gullible to believe any person can accomplish the task of making things right again. This naiveté will set the stage for a person who will lead and unite the world.
This person will rise to power with a brilliant 7-year plan for world peace, prosperity and safety (Rev. 13). His charisma, accompanied by miracles, will be so persuasive even post-rapture believers will be deceived (Matt. 24:24). He will be worshipped as the Messiah. It will be Satan’s finest hour.
What we are seeing in the world is a perfect storm for regional war in the Middle East.
1) Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei wants to put an end to Israel and the U.S.( the Great Satan), thereby accelerating the return of Islam’s messiah to Earth.
2) Israel is deciding whether to attack Iran or not.
3) Syria’s President Assad has repeatedly said if the international community interferes with his government, he’ll start a regional war that will put all of the Middle East in flames.
4) Russia is sending weapons to Syria and has its own contingency of military forces in the area.
5) The U.S. has several aircraft carriers in, and is moving 100,000 ground troops to, the Persian Gulf.
6) Various political analysts (and Leon Panetta) are speculating that Iran could be at war with Europe, Israel, the US or some combination this Spring.
If this is God’s timing, the world will soon suffer through a brief but intense regional war in the Middle East. And after it ends, while they’re saying “Peace and Safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman… (1 Thess. 5:3). The sudden destruction to which Paul referred will signal the beginning of the end of the world as we know it.
