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"And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke."
Joel 2:30

Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said to them, "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 16:1-3

For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
Matthew 24:24

"Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here [is] the Christ!' or, 'Look, [He is] there!' do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.
Mark 13:21-23

And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with [them] and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
Mark 16:17-20

And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute [you], delivering [you] up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake. But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. Therefore settle [it] in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.

You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put [some] of you to death. And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But not a hair of your head shall be lost. By your patience possess your souls. "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.

For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. "And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near." Then He spoke to them a parable: "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.

Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. "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. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 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 21:11-36

I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. And it shall come to pass [That] whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.'
Acts 2:19-21

And even as they did not like to retain God in [their] knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
Romans 1:28-32

Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?

And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains [will do so] until He [fn] is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the [lawless one] is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given [us] everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.
2 Thessalonians 2

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.

But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra--what persecutions I endured. And out of [them] all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned [them], and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for 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 complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3



The Rabbis Speak

Jack Van Impe | jvim.org


For decades, certain Orthodox rabbis have maintained that the Messiah would come when three signs were in evidence at the same time.

First, there must be speeding chariots in the streets of Jerusalem, fulfilling Nahum 2:4:

"The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall jostle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings."

This interesting verse once prompted Sir Isaac Newton to predict that men would someday travel as fast as forty miles per hour.

Voltaire, an enemy of Christianity in that era, scorned Newton's statement, saying, "See what a fool Christianity makes of an otherwise brilliant man, such as Sir Isaac Newton! Doesn't he know that if a man traveled forty miles an hour, he would suffocate and his heart would stop?"

But Newton was conservatively correct. And today, in Jerusalem, as in other major cities, speeding chariots (automobiles) jostle one against another in the broad ways. At night they seem like torches and they run like lightning.

The second sign, the rabbis said, would be the protection of Jerusalem by men flying as birds. "As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it" Isaiah 31:5.

No wonder Israelis are convinced they must retain air superiority in the Middle East. Already the accomplishments of their top-notch pilots are almost legendary. Jets over Jerusalem have more significance than in any other place on earth. And the sky over that city is seldom silent.

The third requirement of the rabbis was the blossoming of the desert. "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose" Isaiah 35:1.

Although the complete fulfillment of this promise is for a better day yet to come, the desert is blossoming in Israel. Near miracles have been performed in an area that once was barren and waste. The agricultural successes of the Jews in the final days are foretold in a number of prophetic Scriptures, some of which we will explore later.

The Messiah of Israel, the Savior of the world, has already come, but His return is signaled by numerous signs, including those proclaimed by the waiting rabbis.


Signs in the Heavens

"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; the sea and the waves roaring." Luke 21:25

For all who have watched humans walking, driving, and planting a flag on the moon, this prophecy needs no explanation. Had someone predicted this at the turn of the century, he might have been placed under psychiatric treatment. But it has happened in our generation.

Christ also spoke of startling calamities in space. After discussing signs in the sun, moon, and stars, He said: "Men's hearts [shall be] failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken" Luke 21:26.

Although he counts himself progressive and civilized, man still employs the best minds on earth to search constantly for more deadly weapons. After the bombing of Hiroshima, Charles Lindbergh lamented: "Hiroshima was as far from the intention of the pure scientist as the Inquisition was from the Sermon on the Mount." Nevertheless , the drive for more potent killers continues and their area of operation has now reached the heavens, another indication that closing time is near.


The World Stage

Perhaps most interesting in the study of future things is the fulfillment of prophecy concerning the movements of nations in the end time. On the world stage, closing scenes are being enacted.

The European Union, or Revived Roman Empire is growing in size and global reach. For generations, Bible scholars have been awaiting this international coalition, from which they expect a leader to rise who will guarantee peace in the Middle East, especially to Israel.

China is able to field an army of two hundred million men. Napoleon said of China, "There lies a sleeping giant. If he ever wakes he will shake the world. Let him sleep." But the giant is awake! Will Napoleon's prediction come true?

Finally, Israel is back in her land. This is the keystone of all Bible prophecy concerning the end time. All other factors of the prophetic picture would be meaningless had not the Jews returned to the land of their fathers.

Although the history of her people is a story of incredible difficulties, Israel's most trying times are ahead. We will review those awful sufferings of the past and preview the unparalleled trials that await Israel in the future.

The world scene all of history has been moving toward is upon us. We are not confronted with a few facts manipulated by a self-seeking prophet in an effort to gain followers. Instead, we are witnessing an unfolding of divinely designed circumstances that encompass the entire earth and its inhabitants.

The stage is set for closing time, and all the world is the stage.

"Everything Jews, Gentiles, and Christians need to know about their future is predicted in the book of Daniel."