8 Compelling Reasons Why Christ Is Coming Very Soon
8 Compelling Reasons Why Christ Is Coming Very Soon
The following was an advertisement in the Dallas Morning News---June 26,2000
The evidence for the soon return of Jesus Christ is overwhelming. It could be any moment. One scholar lists 167 converging clues just in the last few years of the millennium. The following are eight:
1. Israel's rebirth.
As Jesus prophesied, the Jews were scattered during the Jewish-Roman war of A.D. 70 (Luke 21:24). Also prophesied to occur before Christ's return, the nation of Israel was miraculously reborn on May 14, 1948. Israel is called "God's time clock."
The Rebirth of Israel
Sign #1: The Diaspora
The Bible prophesied the Jewish diaspora. The Nation of Israel would dwell for many years outside of their country and promised land. After this time had elapsed they would return to their ancient possession. The predictions were exact and complete making the nation's return a supernatural happening of our age. A modern miracle. They were dispersed for over 1,900 years. They are there again today.
Hosea 3:4-5 - "For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or idol. Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to his blessings in the last days."
Hosea 6:1 - "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."
To see the rest of the passage fulfilled, Israel needs only to turn to God. For David to become their king once again, there will be a resurrection from the dead.
Sign #2: The Return
Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Bible passages predict the return of Israel to the land of Palestine. Here are only two.
Ezekiel 20:34 - "I will bring you from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered -- with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath."
Isaiah 11:11-12 NIV - "In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea. He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth."
Sign #3: Buying back the land
The prophet Jeremiah prophesied about 600 years B.C. just as the nation of Judah was being destroyed and the people taken captive into the land of Babylon. He spoke of a day when Jews would once again purchase land within the ancient territory. That is precisely what returning Jews did, starting nearly a century ago - they bought back the land.
Jeremiah 32:44 NIV - "Fields will be bought for silver, and deeds will be signed, sealed and witnessed in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, because I will restore their fortunes, declares the LORD."
Sign #4: Israel - Reborn in a day
Israel, a nation that had not really existed as a separate nation for nearly 2,500 years, was declared a new sovereign state by an act of the United Nations on May 14, 1948. The nation was born in a day.
Isaiah 66:8 NIV - "Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labour than she gives birth to her children."
Sign #5: The order of the return
The first returning Jews to Palestine came primarily from eastern Arab countries. The next major movement came from the western countries of Europe, especially Germany. Then they came in great numbers from Russia (north) during the end of the 1980's. The last great migrations of Jews returning to Israel came from Ethiopia in the south. This precise order of return was predicted by Isaiah the prophet.
Isaiah 43:5-6,21 - "Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, `Give them up!' and to the south, `Do not hold them back.' Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth..."
"... the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise."
Psalm 107:2-3 NIV - "Let the redeemed of the LORD say this -- those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.
2. Plummeting morality.
Studies show a shocking breakdown just since mid-century (2 Timothy 3:1-4). (Matthew 24:12)
Think about how kids now are walking into schools and shooting teachers and classmates. Never heard of this before! Fifty years ago you would never see a man and a woman on TV in bed together, now they do much more than that and even on commercials. Homosexuality was never spoken about and now we have TV shows about it and people standing in picket lines trying to win rights to get married and receive all the rights that go with married couples.
3. Famines, violence and wars.
Like birth pangs that intensify, Jesus said that the days just before His coming would see increased famines, violence and ethnic wars, a clear picture of our planet (Matthew 24:6-8). One of six people on earth suffer from hunger. Violence is epidemic and a study of wars since 500 B.C. shows a recent, dramatic increase. Of more than 82 world conflicts since just 1990, all but three have been civil or ethnic.
4. Increase in earthquakes.
A recent study shows a dramatic increase in worldwide earthquakes, just since the decade of Israel's rebirth. Like increasing birth pangs, in the 1940's, there were 51 above Richter 6.0; the l950's 475; the l980's, 1,1085; and in the 1990's at the current rate, a projected 1,540 (Matthew 24:7). a recent study shows a dramatic increase in earthquakes worldwide, just since the decade of Israel’s rebirth. Between 1920 and 1990, a 70-year span, there were 10 major earthquakes. But in 1990 to the year 2005, a 15-year span, we have had 13 major earthquakes." (Associated Press) The U.S. Geological Survey data shows in 2000, there
were 22,,256 recorded earthquakes worldwide but steadily increased to 31,199 earthquakes in 2004. (WorldNetDaily)
5. Explosion of travel and education.
Two key conditions described about 2,500 years ago for the Second Coming are that "travel and education shall be vastly increased" (Daniel 12:4, Living Bible). In all of history, the vast increase in travel has come just since mid-century with the explosion of both ground and air transportation; in education, with the advance of science and computers.
6. Explosion of cults and the occult.
Counterfeit spirituality is everywhere with cults and false Christs (Matthew 24:24) psychic phenomena, spiritism, satan worship, witchcraft, nature worship and the New Age movement (I Timothy 4:1). What is a cult or the occult?
When we use the word "cult" and "cultic teaching", we are making reference to distorted teachings and abusive groups that redefine the Biblical, historical Person of Jesus Christ and the essential doctrines of the orthodox Christian faith.
Dictionaries reveal and Grammarians know, that words mean what they mean, by definition, and in context. To reject word definitions in any given culture inevitably leads to grammatical suicide. Such is the case in the world of the cults! Cults and culktic systems ALWAYS redefine Biblical terminology. This is what we call, 'The Language Barrier'.
Due to this 'Language Barrier', all cults end up attacking the real historical Jesus Christ. They ascribe to Him that which is contrary to His character, His nature and His very own claims. To redefine Jesus Christ, Biblical terminology, and the essential doctrines of the Christian Faith in this way is to produces double-think perversion. Confusion, delusion and spiritual abuse follow.
Let us never forget the very sobering words of the Apostle Paul, "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! 9As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!" (Galatians 1:6-9)
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)
Halloween may be a celebration of all things creepy and macabre, but a growing number of US communities are shunning traditional ghoulish festivities, seen by some as tainted by association with paganism and the occult.
7. The New World Order.
Increased centralization of world financial and political power is a prelude to the soon-coming world power system in the hands of "Antichrist", who will be the incarnation of satan and who will deceive most of the world (Daniel 7-12, Matthew 24:15, Revelation 13). Beware of the "mark of the beasts."
February 22, 2009 Germany (CNN) – “The world needs a "global New Deal" to haul it out of the economic crisis it faces, Prime Minister Gordon Brown of the United Kingdom said Sunday."We need a global New Deal -- a grand bargain between the countries and continents of this world -- so that the world economy can not only recover but... so the banking system can be based on... best principles," he said, referring to the 1930s American plan to fight the Great Depression” (CNN.com Feb. 22, 2009).
.http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/02/22/germany.financial.summit/
March 11, 2009 World needs single currency: Kazakhstan Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has called for the creation of a single world currency called the "acmetal" as a means of combating the worsening global financial crisis. In our view, we must create a single world currency under the aegis of the United Nations," Nazarbayev said on Tuesday, a day before a major economic conference opens in his Central Asian country. "We must make a transition to an absolutely new global currency system based on legitimacy and, in view of all countries, one single monetary system," he told a meeting of the Eurasian Association of Universities. This is the first time Nazarbayev has spoken publicly about the need for a single world currency although he has previously written about it” (World News Australia March 11, 2009).
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1011306/World-needs-single-currency-Kazakhstan
“During today's summit, Ahmadinejad called for a new global economic system that is based on respecting human rights. He did not provide details. He also called for greater regional economic integration and urged member states to begin discussing the establishment of a single currency and a bank that would promote trade” (The Independent March 11, 2009).
KAZAKH President Nursultan Nazarbayev has won backing for his plan for a single world currency from an intellectual architect of the euro currency, Nobel-prize winner Professor Robert Mundell. Nazarbayev, speaking at an economic forum in the glitzy new capital he has built on the Kazakh steppe, defended his proposal for the "acmetal'' world currency saying it might "look kind of funny'' but was not. And he received intellectual support from the Canadian economist Prof Mundell, who helped lay the intellectual groundwork for Europe's single currency” (The Australian March 14, 2009).
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25173126-12377,00.html
8. Increase in both apostasy and faith.
The Bible predicts in the last days, "A form of godliness, although they have denied its power" (2Timothy 3:5) Today many churches deny the eternal truths of Scripture and power of the Holy Spirit, replacing them with ungodly, temporal and "politically correct" values. (1 Timothy 4:1-3; 2 Timothy 4:3-4) But also, a prophesied outpouring of God's Spirit is causing hundreds of millions worldwide (Matthew 24:14) to come to true faith in Christ in record numbers, virtually unnoticed by the media.
The Escape Plan
Christ’s death and resurrection have opened the way to heaven and life
with the Father forever for all who put their trust in Him and His great
sacrifice on our behalf. Christ will soon come and rescue His people
from the approaching “Great Tribulation” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). He
will later rule and bring peace on earth- after He judges the world and
every person (Matthew 25:31-46).
God’s judgment is indeed coming on a world in rebellion. He cannot deny
His nature. His attributes of perfect holiness and justice demand
judgment for sin, of which we are all guilty. “For all who have sinned
and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
The result of sin is death, or separation from God. “For the wages of
sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Wages are something we earn, or deserve.
But “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Is “love” in conflict with “judgment”?
Answer: God’s wisdom reconciled the dilemma- the Son of God would take
all our judgment upon Himself! “But God demonstrates His own love toward
us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
To escape God’s judgment, we each must receive His free gifts of
forgiveness and love, “But the free gift of God is eternal life in
Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). A gift is something we do not
earn, or deserve.
How to receive Him
In any gift exchange, there has to be giver and receiver. God has
already given us the gift, His Son; now we must receive Him. “But as
many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of
God” (John 1:12).
After the historic Day of Pentecost, when the Church was founded,
Peter’s first Holy Spirit inspired sermon convicted members of his
audience of their sins. His listeners immediately sought a way out of
their dilemma, and God mercifully provided it. "Then Peter said to them,
‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit’" (Acts 2:37-39).
We receive Him by personal invitation, (Christ speaking) “Behold, I
stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the
door, I will come in to him” (Revelation 3:20). Do you hear His voice?
The following is a suggested prayer: PRAY: "God be merciful to me a
sinner. Receive me now for Christ's sake. Cleanse me from my sin by your
precious blood, shed on the cross for me; lead me to be Baptized and
fill me with your Holy Spirit. Teach me to pray each day; to read Your
will for my life from your word, the Bible; and help me to worship and
serve You in the fellowship of your church. I thank you Lord Jesus
Christ. AMEN!