THE BIBLE PREDICTS THE FUTURE
(Excerpts from 101
Last Days Prophecies and others)
People have asked me, “Why should I believe in the Bible
and Christianity, over the other religions in the world?” This is a reasonable question. What is it about the Bible that makes it to
be believed over other religious books?
The Bible says that God inspired it; aren’t other religious books
inspired as well?
The Bible is unique in that it can tell the future. It does this in many ways. As a science book, the Bible made many
statements about how our world functions.
From where the wind comes from, to the earth spinning, to the sun and
light moving through space. From our
blood being our life, to where rain comes from, to undersea currents.
All this was written down thousands of years before it
was discovered by science. If only men
were writing the Bible, and possessed this knowledge, why did it take so long
for modern science to catch up? Perhaps
God really did inspire men to write these things down, and even when they
didn’t understand what they were writing.
The Bible also foretells of future events. There are many of these, throughout all 66
books. Statisticians might say that a
book as big as the Bible, giving many prophesies of the future, would be right
just by chance. This is true if the
prophecies are vague enough, and enough time has passed. Certainly, since a lot of the prophecies
were written 3000 years ago, enough time has passed. But what if the prophecies were very specific, it would be a lot
less likely that they might come true.
A book that was inspired by God, which proclaimed Him to
be all knowing, should also never be wrong.
That means every prophecy should come true at some time. Again, you might say that given enough time
all the prophecies could come true.
This is unlikely, since the Bible lists literally thousands of
prophecies.
A lot of people have convinced millions of people that
they could tell the future; from Nostradamas, to Jean Dixon. Yet critical analysis of their predictions
would yield an accuracy of somewhere in the teens (15%). And as Nostradamas’s writings have been
re-translated through the centuries, they have become more accurate. Perhaps the translators wanted him to be
correct so badly, that they helped him a little.
You would think that such “Prophets” who get their
information from a “higher source” should be more accurate than 15%. The Bible has something to say about
prophets. It says that a person who
proclaims that he gets information from God should be put to the test. If it were from God, then it will come
true. If it doesn’t come true, then it
didn’t come from God. If it did not
come from God, they were called a “false prophet”, and were to be stoned to
death. A “prophet” not accurate 100% of
the time was killed.
Since no other books can purport to tell the future, the
Bible becomes the only one that does.
The Bible says a lot of other things as well; it talks about what God
wants from us. And since it says that
God created the “heavens and the earth”, shouldn’t we listen to what He is
saying? Perhaps He might hold us
accountable for these things; maybe, since He knows everything, he has some
good tips for life to make it more enjoyable, and safer. Maybe there us some ultimate doom we are
heading towards, that God wants to save us from…
Here are some of the many prophecies that have been fulfilled throughout the years or will be soon:
“And the angel of the LORD said
unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his
name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. And he will be a wild man; his hand will be
against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the
presence of all his brethren.” Genesis
16:11-12
This is a direct prophecy of the
conflict in the Middle East. Ishmael
was the brother of Isaac and is the father of the Arab race. It says here that he will be a wild man and
will cause trouble for everyone else.
It also says that his people will dwell in the presence of all his
brethren. This can only mean that the
Arabs will dwell around Israel, which came from Isaac, Ishmael’s brother. This prophecy has been fulfilled exactly.
This Psalm is an amazing
description of the crucifixion of Christ.
It starts out by exclaiming what Jesus said at the moment he took on all
the sins of the world; “My God my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” Other verses describe the agony of the
crucifixion, which hadn’t even been created when it was written. It would be another thousand years before
the Persians would think it up. Another
verse tells how Jesus’ cloak or tunic, which would be ruined if it were cut up,
was the prize that the Roman soldiers gambled for. Along with Isaiah 53, it is some of the most amazing verses of
the Messianic Prophecies.
“Therefore the Lord himself shall
give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall
call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14
Jesus needed to be born of a virgin
because Joseph was from the lineage of Solomon. The problem was that a descendent of Solomon, King Jeconiah, was
so evil, that God pronounced a “blood curse” on him. That his descendants would not sit on the thrown of David. So a natural son of Joseph’s could not be
king. Mary, who was also descended from
David, was related through another son of David’s named Nathan. This established the bloodline to the thrown
of David, without having the curse, which was through the line of Solomon. When Jesus was adopted by Joseph as his
first-born son, he received the right to ascend to the thrown of David. This is prophesied to come to pass at the
end of the tribulation period when Jesus comes back to earth.
“And
Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the majestic beauty of the Chaldees, shall be
as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
It shall never be inhabited forever, nor shall it be lived in from
generation to generation; nor shall the Arabian pitch his tent there; nor shall
the shepherds make their flocks lie down there. But the wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their
houses shall be full of howling creatures; and ostriches shall dwell there, and
he-goats shall dance there. And hyenas
shall cry along with his widows, and jackals in palaces of delight. Yea, her
time is coming near, and her days shall not be prolonged.” Isaiah 13:19-22
The city of Babylon will be rebuilt, and actually become a center of religion and commerce. It will then be destroyed to such an extent, that it will never be inhabited again. It is interesting to note that Saddam Hussein spent over 20 years and many hundreds of millions of dollars to rebuild Babylon.
“Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion. For it shall be, that, as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, [so] the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon. Take counsel, execute judgment; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; betray not him that wandereth. Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land.” Isaiah 16:1-4
A remnant of Jews will
take refuge in the land of Moab, which is Jordan today. Other passages specify Petra as the location
of the refuge. It also appears to be
out of reach of the Antichrist, though he rules the world. This will happen in the last 3 ½ years of
the 7 year tribulation.
“The burden against Damascus: Behold,
Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a heap of
ruins.” Isaiah 17:1
Damascus, Syria will be
completely destroyed, probably by a nuclear bomb.
Isaiah 23
The destruction of the
cities of Tyre and Sidon are foretold in this chapter of Isaiah. Tyre’s demise is recorded by ancient
historians, who tell how Alexander the Great laid siege to the city for seven
months in 332BC. This prophecy was so
exact, that it even predicted how Alexander would do it. When Babylon originally attached Tyre, they
destroyed the city, but the inhabitants fled to their island fortress. Nebuchadnezzar was unable to defeat them
there, even after laying siege to the city for 13 years. Alexander scraped the rubble of the
destroyed city on the coast, and used the material to build a causeway to the
island. It was 200 feet wide and he
used it to conquer the city and force the people into the sea, which was just
how the Bible had prophesied that it would happen.
“He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.” Isaiah 27:6
After being a desolate
desert for about 1900 years, Israel has been transformed by God’s
blessings. Because of increased
rainfall and advanced irrigation technology, Israel exports about 800 million
in fresh produce each year.
“I will open
rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make
the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar,
the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert
the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together: That they may see, and know, and consider,
and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy
One of Israel hath created it.” Isaiah
41:18-20
In the last days, the
Jews would plant forests of trees. The
Bible specifically lists the kind of trees that would be planted. This is come to pass in our lifetime.
Isaiah 53
This is an amazing
Messianic prophecy of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. It was so exact in its predictions, that
there was an attempt from the religious leaders to remove it from the Old
Testament. God wouldn’t let that
happen, and when the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, the complete scroll of Isaiah
was found, including what we call chapter 53 (chapters and verses were added in
about 1300AD). This chapter tells of
Jesus taking on the sins of the world; of being “bruised for our
iniquities”. He was righteous and
without sin, and the Lord laid all the iniquity of our sin on Him. Even though He was tortured and subjected to
humiliation, he did not make a sound, the true Lamb of God. He was hung on the cross between two
thieves, and was buried in a rich mans tomb.
“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.” Isaiah 66:8
On May 14, 1948, Israel became a nation. This happened in one day.
“Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited. Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it.” Ezekiel 36:33-36
After the Romans
destroyed Israel in 70AD, and dispersed the Jews to the “four corners of the
earth”, the land in and around Jerusalem became a wasteland. It remained this way for about 1900 years
until the Jews started returning to their land. They bought the land back from Arabs who thought the Jews foolish
for buying wasteland and were glad to sell it to them. The Jews started making farms, etc. and
through God’s blessings, turned the land into a paradise. This is where the trouble started. The Jews became successful, and started
hiring Arabs to work the farms. At some
point, the Arabs decided that they wanted the land back that they had sold
Israel, and there has been trouble ever since.
“For
thus saith the LORD; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of
the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O LORD, save thy people, the
remnant of Israel. Behold, I will bring
them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and
with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth
with child together: a great company shall return thither. They shall come with weeping, and with
supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of
waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to
Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles
afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a
shepherd [doth] his flock.” Jeremiah
31:7-10 “And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the
children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will
gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land
upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they
shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms
any more at all:” Ezekiel 37:21-22 “After many days thou shalt be visited: in
the latter years thou shalt come into the land [that is] brought back from the
sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel,
which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and
they shall dwell safely all of them.”
Ezekiel 38:8
This is a description of
the Jews, who had been scatted to the four corners of the earth since 70AD,
being regathered back to their homeland Israel. Ezekiel also adds that when they are regathered, they will be one
nation, not the nation of Israel and Judah like they were when they were taken
over by other nations. This is true
today. Ezekiel 38:8 also describe the
land of Israel at the time of the regathering as being a wasteland. When the Jews started coming back to what
would be Israel, it had been a barren desert for 1900 years, inhabited sparsely
by Arab Nomads.
“Concerning Damascus: Hamath and Arpad are put
to shame, for they have heard bad news. They are melted; anxiety is in the sea;
it cannot be quiet. Damascus has become
feeble; she has turned to flee, and trembling has seized her. Anguish and sorrows have taken her like a
woman in labor. How is the city of
praise not left, the city of my joy! So
her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be silenced
in that day, says Jehovah of Hosts. And
I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall burn up the palaces
of Ben-hadad.” Jeremiah 49:23-27
Damascus is destroyed in such a way that the
walls and palaces burn. That means
stone and brick. What can create such
heat? It appears that it these verses
may be describing a nuclear blast, that will destroy the city. This is a prophecy that has not happened
yet, but with Syria possibly hiding Saddam’s WMD’s and continuing to sponsor
terrorism, it may not be long before some country fulfils this prophecy.
Ezekiel 38&39
Russia (known as Magog) will participate in a
surprise attack on Israel with many of the Middle Eastern countries bordering
Israel (Turkey, Iran, Sudan and Libya).
Although they have overwhelming firepower, and Israel would most
certainly destroyed, God will intervene, and destroy 5/6 of the armies. This will happen right before the 7-year
tribulation period. Today there are
many Russian states bordering the Middle East that have huge armies. Muslims are commanded in the Koran and
Hadith to kill Jews, Christians, and non-believers in Jihad (holy war) unless
they convert to Islam (Surahs 9:5 and 47:4; Volume 1, book 2, numbers 24 and
35). It is interesting to note that two
Islamic countries; Egypt and Jordan do not attack with the others. Today, they are the only two Arab nations
that have signed a peace treaty with Israel.
Birds will eat the flesh of the dead left from the 5/6 of the armies
that are wiped out. It is interesting
to note that 2 to 6 billion (billion with a b) birds migrate across Israel each
year, making it the migration capital of the world. Many of these birds are raptors (over 30 species) – carrion (dead
flesh) eating birds of prey.
An interesting fact that has recently presented
itself is the conflict in Iraq. The
Bible does not mention Babylon or Iraq as participating in the surprise attack
of Israel. Knowing the past feelings
that Saddam has for Israel, the attack would most certainly have included
him. Especially his belief that he is
related to King Nebuchadnezzar, and destined to destroy or take captive Israel
like his purported ancestor did in around 589 BC. As it stands with the US currently occupying, Iraq is in no shape
to attack anyone.
In chapter 39 it also seems to describe
radiation. The weapons that were used
in the war have to be burned, and collected by specially trained people. If a bone or something is found that was not
collected, it is not touched, but marked for later removal. The place that the dead are buried is “down
wind” from Jerusalem to protect from nuclear fallout. This seems to be confirmed by Joel 2:30 which speaks of “pillars
of smoke”, which is a pretty good description of a “mushroom cloud”.
Then he brought me back the way of
the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was
shut. Then said the LORD unto
me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in
by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it
shall be shut. It is for the prince;
the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by
the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the
same.” Ezekiel 44:1-3
The
verse above prophecies that the eastern gate in Jerusalem will be shut up and
not opened until Jesus comes back at the end of the tribulation period. We will then break open the gate and enter
Jerusalem. The gate is currently shut
up. This is an interesting prophecy,
since it would be easy to open the gate and cause this verse to not be
fulfilled; yet the gate remains shut.
It would be interesting to see what would happen if someone attempted to
open the gate. It seems to me that this
would be a way to test if God really exists, since He couldn’t allow the gate
to be opened (at the risk of sounding sacrilegious).
“And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron. Since iron crushes and smashes all things; and as the iron that shatters all these, it will crush and shatter. And as to that which you saw: the feet and toes, part of potters' clay and part of iron; the kingdom shall be divided. But there shall be in it the strength of the iron, because you saw the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. And as you saw iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mix themselves with the seed of men. But they shall not cling to one another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of these kings, the God of Heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed. And the kingdom shall not be left to other peoples, but it shall crush and destroy all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” Daniel 2:39-44
There are several things
predicted here. The third kingdom
mentioned is the Greek Empire that was lead by Alexander The Great. The fourth empire was the Roman Empire. The entire passage predicts the 4 great
empires as getting weaker as they go.
The first is made out of gold and is the strongest; the fourth is made
out of iron and is the weakest. The Bible
predicted that the Roman Empire would never be conquered but would just break
up, and that is exactly what it did.
Since then, there has not been another empire that has encompassed the
entire earth. This is prophesied here
as well.
There will be a move
toward a global government. This will
encompass the former Roman Empire, which is now Europe, and will eventually
dominate the world. The European Union
has been steadily working toward this goal of uniting countries financially,
politically, and economically. It has
also created one currency, a European parliament and a court. Despite these advances, the union is shaky
with many squabbles between the stronger and weaker states. This was prophesied as the “iron mixed with
clay” toes. As iron doesn’t mix well
with clay, there are constant disagreements in the EU.
“And he said, the fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all kingdoms and shall devour the whole earth, and shall trample it and crush it.” Daniel 7:23
The Antichrist as the leader of the EU, will
takeover the entire earth.
“And in the latter time of their kingdom, when
the transgressors have come to the full, a king, fierce of face, and skilled at
intrigues, shall stand up. And his
power shall be mighty, but not by his own power. And he shall destroy
marvelously, and shall prosper and work, and destroy the mighty and the holy
people. And also through his
understanding, he shall cause deceit to succeed in his hand. And he shall
magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many. He also shall
stand up against the Ruler of rulers. But he shall be broken without a
hand.” Daniel 8:23-25
The Antichrist will use a false peace to destroy
many. With all the problems in the
world, mankind is looking for some kind of “savior” to give them peace and
prosperity without any kind of moral accountability. The Antichrist will promise the world such a peace if they follow
him – but his intentions will be sinister.
“But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” Daniel 12:4
In the last days, knowledge will increase. Just looking at the 20th century,
man has accomplished so much in all areas and disciplines. And our knowledge is continuing to increase
dramatically.
For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.” Hosea 3:4-5
The returning Jews will have no king in the last
days. Amazingly, not only is Israel no
longer a theocracy, but today the Jewish state is governed by a democratic
coalition comprised of many political parties.
In addition, they will not be able to perform the Levitical sacrifices. The Jewish temple was destroyed in 70AD, and
has not been rebuilt as of yet. It will
be rebuilt during the tribulation, but right now, it is under control of the
Waqf, which are Muslim Clerics. This
will change soon and Israel is preparing for it by creating all of the
Levitical clothing and tools needed to administer the temple sacrifices. After Israel turns from their secularism and
cry out to God, and realize the Jesus was indeed the Messiah, He will return to
set up His kingdom on the throne of David.
“Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and
sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land
tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of
darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the
morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not
been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of
many generations. A fire devoureth
before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the Garden of Eden
before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall
escape them. The appearance of them is
as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. Like the noise of chariots on the tops of
mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the
stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces
shall gather blackness. They shall run
like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall
march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: Neither shall one thrust another; they shall
walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not
be wounded. They shall run to and fro
in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses;
they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the
sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their
shining.” Joel 2:1-10
This is a striking account of the coming Battle of
Armageddon, the greatest of all battles.
As this vision, which seems to entail flame-throwing tank warfare, was
given to him about 2800 years ago. The
prophet relates it to the only thing that he has seen – horse drawn
chariots. Think of modern warfare and
compare: fire goes before them (v.3); they burn what is behind them (v.3); they
destroy everything in their path (v.3); they move at the speed of a horse
(30-40 mph, v.4); their rumbling sounds like the noise of many chariots and the
roar of a fire (v.5); they climb over walls (v.7); they don’t break ranks
(v.7); the sword cannot stop them (v.8); they climb into houses (v.9); and they
make the earth quake (v.10).
“So says Jehovah: For three transgressions of Damascus,
yea for four, I will not turn away from it; because they have threshed Gilead
with threshing instruments of iron. But
I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of
Ben-hadad. I will also break the bar of
Damascus, and cut off the dweller from the Valley of Aven, and from him who
holds the scepter from the house of Eden. And the people of Syria shall go into
captivity to Kir, says Jehovah.” Amos
1:3-5
Damascus is destroyed by fire that burns up
houses and palaces. This may be nuclear
in nature.
“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.” Amos 9:13
Today wine flows from the Golan Heights and many
other vineyards on the mountains of Israel.
“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among
the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to
be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from
everlasting.” Micah 5:2
This verse says that the Messiah (Jesus) would be born in
Bethlehem in the tribe of Judah, which is exactly where he was born. This is pretty amazing since his parents
didn’t live there, but were only there to register for a tax brought about by
the Roman Government. This just
happened to be at the same time that Mary was about to give birth.
“And I said unto them, If ye
think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price
thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD
said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prized at of
them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in
the house of the LORD.” Zechariah
11:12-13
This is a
very exact prediction of how and where Jesus was to be betrayed. Judas Iscariot made a deal with the
religious leaders to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. After Jesus was crucified, Judas felt guilty
that he had “betrayed an innocent man”.
But Judas rejected Jesus, because he thought of him as just a man. He could have asked for forgiveness and been
forgiven, but instead, he went out and hung himself. Before he did that though he went over to the Temple and tried to
give back the 30 pieces of silver. The
Pharisees refused to take the money because it was “blood money”. Judas then threw the money on the floor of
the temple and left. The Pharisees took
the money and did the only thing that they could use it for; they bought a
field to bury strangers in from a potter.
So this prophecy was fulfilled precisely. The money was ultimately given (or cast) to the potter (for his
field) in the house of the LORD (in the Temple).
“And in that day I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all peoples. All who lift it shall be slashed, and all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it.” Zechariah 12:3
This prophecy has been all but
fulfilled. Before the 20th
century, this land was a barren wasteland where few lived. When the Jews started coming back to their
homeland, they started farming the land, and through hard work, turned it into
a paradise again. After this, the Arabs
wanted to covet the land and drive the Jews into the Mediterranean Sea. Since Israel declared itself a nation in
1948, there has been no peace in Jerusalem.
If it weren’t for the United States siding with Israel, this prophecy
would be completely fulfilled. It is
sad to think that some day soon, the US will abandon Israel. There are daily news reports of something
bad happening in the conflict over Jerusalem.
In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.” Zecharaiah 12:6
The Jews would regain
control of Jerusalem. This happened
after in 1967 after a war, which Israel, being vastly out numbered, won. In several wars that Israel did not start,
they gained land. There are tee-shirts
that say “Attack Israel, we need the land”.
This appears to be true. God is
truly blessing and protecting Israel.
What else an explain how a few million Jews can stay alive when more
than 50 million Arabs want to wipe Israel off the face of the earth, and push
them into the Mediterranean.
“And this shall be the plague with which Jehovah will strike all the peoples who have fought against Jerusalem. Their flesh shall rot while they stand on their feet, and their eyes shall rot in their sockets. And their tongue shall rot in their mouth.” Zechariah 14:12
Nuclear weapons seem to be described
here. A neutron bomb, which kills
organic life and leaves the rest, would do this type of damage.
“And
Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for
to shew him the buildings of the temple.
And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto
you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be
thrown down.” Matthew 24:1-2 “And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones
and gifts, he said, as for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in
the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be
thrown down.” Luke 21:5
Jesus prophesied that Solomon’s Temple would
be destroyed, and he was very specific.
He said that not even one stone would be left upon another. The temple was destroyed by the Romans in
70AD. Historian Josephus, in “The Wars
of the Jews” wrote: “They carried away every stone of the sacred temple,
partially in a frenzied search for every last piece of gold ornamentation
melted in the awful heat of the fire.
They then plowed the ground level, and since it had already been sown
with its defenders’ blood, they sowed it with salt.” When the Jews revolted and the Romans came in to put down the
revolt, they didn’t want the temple destroyed.
But a careless torch was thrown in and started a fire. The temple was constructed of stone, but the
inside was wood covered with gold.
There was such an intense heat in the fire that all the gold melted off
the burning timbers, and flowed into the channels between the stone
blocks. This made the Romans have to
dismantle the temple stone by stone to get at the gold.
“For nation shall rise against
nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and
pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.” Matthew 24:7
There will be wars, which will
increase. Famines are already present
all over the world, many created by armed conflict. Emerging diseases such as AIDS, Ebola, Haunta virus, Dengue, West
Nile, SARS, etc., underscore this fact.
And many diseases that we could easily treat before have become immune
to our antibiotics, and have re-emerged as major threats. Ironically, just a few decades ago, some
scientists were forecasting that advances in medicine might soon eradicate
deadly diseases. There have been many
earthquakes, some, where they haven’t been seen before, revealing previously
hidden fault lines.
“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be
proclaimed in all the world as a witness to all nations. And then the end shall
come.” Matthew 24:14
The Christian gospel will be preached to all
nations. After that the end will
come. We are getting close, with
portions, or the entire Bible being translated into over 2300 languages and
dialects covering over 90% of the world’s population.
“For then shall be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world to this time; no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days should be shortened, no flesh would be saved.” Matthew 24:21-22
Mankind would be capable of destroying all
life. This prophecy was made (by
Jesus), in a time when the most advanced weapons of war were swords and
spears. But today, with nuclear,
biological, and chemical weapons, we can finally destroy the entire world.
The Christian
gospel will be preached to all nations.
“And when ye
shall hear of wars and rumors of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must
needs be; but the end shall not be yet.
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and
there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and
troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.” Mark 13:7-8
There
have not been many years where there has not been a conflict somewhere. There are about 40 armed conflicts in the
world today, and since these are “birth pangs”, they will only get worse, as
the “end times” nears. Many of these
areas of conflict also have mass starvation and famine because they can’t grow
their own food, and relief efforts cant get to them because of the fighting.
“And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.” Luke 19:41-42 “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:” Romans 11:25-26
It
is Psalm Sunday, and Jesus is riding into Jerusalem on the back of a
donkey. This is to fulfill Daniel 9,
where Gabriel says that the Messiah will be cut off after 69 weeks of years,
which is 173880 days (69 * 7 * 360).
These days started with the command to rebuild Jerusalem after the Babylonian
captivity. Jesus held Israel accountable
to know that this was going to happen, and when they didn’t, he prophesied that
they would be blinded to the truth until the end of the tribulation
period. This is the last “week” of
years to make a total of 70 weeks of years.
Since around 32AD until present has been the “times of the Gentiles”
from Daniel 9. The Jews have been
blinded for nearly 2000 years. Soon,
the times of the Gentiles will come to an end, and Israel will be out of the
penalty box for 7 years. At the end of
the 7 years, they will realize that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. They will repent and ask Jesus to come back
to save them. This will be Jesus’
second coming on the Mount of Olives.
And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. “ Luke 21:11
Great
signs from heaven are predicted. Both
natural and supernatural phenomena in the earth and sky (possibly UFO’s) appear
to be increasing.
“And when ye shall see Jerusalem
compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judea flee to the
mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not
them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are
written may be fulfilled. But woe unto
them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! For there
shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the
sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be
trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be
fulfilled.” Luke 21:20-24
The destruction of Jerusalem and the scattering if the Jews
“to the four corners (or quadrants) of the world” was fulfilled in 70AD, when
Roman legions surrounded Jerusalem and destroyed it. Many Jews were killed, but basically it scattered the Jews
everywhere, to all the countries of the world.
This would continue until the “times of the Gentiles was
fulfilled”. The time of the Gentiles
began when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, which was the
fulfillment of a prophecy proclaiming Jesus as being the Messiah. Because the Pharisees rejected Jesus, the
times of the Jews were put on hold, and the times of the Gentiles
commenced. This will continue until the
tribulation, when the last seven years of the “times of the Jews” will
continue, culminating at the end with Israel realizing the Jesus was really the
Messiah, and finally accepting Him after 2000 years.
“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars. And on the earth will be anxiety of nations with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men fainting from fear, and expecting those things which have come on the earth. For the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.” Luke 21:25-26
Weather patterns will become more chaotic. This is one of the “birth pangs” that is
described by Jesus in the last days. As
with labor pains when a baby is about to be delivered, they become more intense
as the arrival time of the baby approaches.
In 2003, the United States had some of the most violent tornados
ever. With winds clocked at over 300
miles an hour, it was above a category 5 tornado. Europe had a heat wave lasting several weeks that killed
thousands of people. In countries that
didn’t have air conditioners because the temperature never went into the 90’s,
saw temperatures soar into the 100’s.
“For when they shall say, Peace and safety! Then sudden destruction comes on them, as travail upon a woman with child. And they shall not escape.” 1 Thessalonians 5:3
There would be a global
cry for peace.
“Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to
be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be
received with thanksgiving.” 1 Timothy
4:3-4
This is from a passage describing how some
things will be in the “last days”. This
seems to indicate that there will be an increased interest in not eating meat,
also known as vegetarianism. The New Age
Movement has swept the globe in the last 40 years and has popularized this. People will live together, which was
scandalous in those days, and even worthy of death. Of course today it is no big deal, and on the increase.
“But there were false prophets also among the
people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall
bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring
upon themselves swift destruction. And
many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth
shall be evil spoken of. And through
covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose
judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth
not.” 2 Peter 2:1-3
False Bible teachers would be money
hungry. They would be smooth talkers,
and have many followers, and slur the Christian Faith.
“For this is hidden from them by their willing it, that the heavens were of old, and the earth out of the water, and through water, being held together by the Word of God, through which the world that then was, being flooded by water, perished.” 2 Peter 3:5-6
This part of the passage foretells of people being “willingly ignorant” of the fact that there was a universal flood. This is true of today, where many people take evidence of the flood of Noah, and attempt to attribute it to millions of years of evolution. They do this because of the implications that were it true, there may also be a God.
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in
the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the
elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are
therein shall be burned up.” 2 Peter
3:10
This seems to describe the effects of nuclear weapons. There was nothing in those days that could have done what is described here. Only nuclear weapons (or the sun) could develop enough heat to “melt” the elements.
“And many of the peoples and tribes and tongues
and nations will see their dead bodies three days and a half, and they will not
allow their dead bodies to be put in tombs.
And the ones who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, and will
make merry, and will send one another gifts, because these two prophets
tormented those living on the earth.”
Revelation 11:9-10
This passage is referring to the two witnesses
that are sent by God prophecy and to do miracles, like preventing it from
raining and calling down fire from the sky.
When they have finished their work, God will allow the Antichrist to
kill them. He will let their dead
bodies lay in the open for all to see.
This passage predicts that there will be global communications like
television and satellites that will allow the entire world to see their dead
bodies. This was prophesied in a time
when it took days to get news from the next town, let alone from around the
world. It is also interesting to note
that on several occasions, when a great act of terror is done to Israel, the
“Palestinians” send each other gifts and candy.
“And
the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God,
that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore
days.” Revelation 12:6 “And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might
fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and
times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.” Revelation 12:14
God has prepared Petra in Jordan for the remnant of the Jews who fled Israel when the Antichrist proclaimed himself as god in their temple 3 ½ years into the tribulation.
“And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” Revelation 13:16-17
There will be technology capable of tracking the world’s population and commerce. There is technology today that can be implanted under the skin that has information about that person. They are incorporating GPS technology, and will be able to track the person as well. The reason for this technology will be innocent enough; to keep track of kids that could get kidnapped, or old people that might get lost. They will also say that crime can be prevented if money goes away; not only will it be easier to track transactions, thwarting all kinds of criminal activity, normal people would be less likely to get robbed if they weren’t carrying money. This will allow people to accept this technology, but as we have seen in the past, technology will be misused if it can, and this is very invasive technology. It wouldn’t be long before this becomes mandatory, at first because it will be harder to buy things, but at the end, you will be killed if you do not take the mark.
“And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon
the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and
blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they
repented not to give him glory.” Revelation 16:8-9
God will scorch man in divine judgment on
unrepentant mankind. Although this is
clearly seen as coming from God, we have a hole in the ozone layer that is the
biggest it has ever been. There is also
the possibility that nuclear war or some kind of ecological disaster (like
Yellowstone blowing up) could bring this to pass. Not to mention Mammoth Mountain which is a giant caldera like
Yellowstone, or Mount Raineer that is expected to erupt like Mt. St. Hellens,
Mt. Edna in Italy, Pompeii, and the volcano in Mexico City.
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.” Revelation 16:12
God is judging a sinful world during the tribulation period. When the 6th vial is poured out, the Euphrates dries up to make way for armies to cross. In 1990 the massive Ataturk Dam in Turkey was completed. This dam can actually “drain” the Euphrates.
“And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” Revelation 19:17-21
Birds eat the flesh of the dead. Israel is the migration capital of the world with 2 to 6 billion birds migrating through the country each year. There are over 30 kinds of raptors, which are carrion eaters and migrate through Israel.