In some circles people are talking about Jesus returning soon to set up His kingdom. Of course my circles are older than they used to be and speeding closer to the end of this life. Nevertheless, the Real Clear Politics (RCP) average of polls has been showing a precipitous free-fall in Americans’ view of the direction of the country. A lot more folks are looking up believing Jesus’ return is the only hope left for us.
For the last 2,000 years hard times have drawn believers to look up particularly when there is no other hope for deliverance. Matthew 24 records the disciples asking Jesus three questions after He prophesied the Temple would be destroyed. “Truly I say to you, not one stone here shall be left upon another, which will not be torn down.” Later the disciples asked, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
Matthew records Jesus’ answer and let’s just say “it ain’t pretty!” In fact Jesus said, “then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, or ever shall. And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be cut short.” Whew! The worst times ever! Considering all we know about thousands of years of history so far, we “ain’t seen nothing yet.”
The Bible is the number one best selling book in the world filled with the miraculous and the mundane and wrapped tightly in mystery. From the days of Moses, scoffers have derided the scriptures as well as those who penned them. And yet, inside those pages God has miraculously revealed the future to those willing to believe. Well before Babylonia and Nebuchadnezzar were a threat to Judah, Jeremiah wrote that the desolation of Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity of Judah would last 70 years. Daniel read that prophecy near the end of the 70 years and knew that Judah would soon be released to return to Jerusalem.
Jesus fulfilled hundreds of Old Testament prophecies about Himself including His birthplace and associated events. Many prophecies talk about end times or latter days with very specific places and timelines. Some of Daniel’s prophecies were fulfilled so exactly many scholars believed they had to have been written after they were fulfilled! Archeologists have proven over the years the predictions were extremely accurate. The book of Daniel has many prophecies about end times that are still to come.
The prophet Ezekiel predicted nations that would play major roles in the end times including Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, Iran, Arab peoples, a host of nations in Africa, and Israel of course. The book of the Revelation predicts kings or nations, including “kings from the east,” will coalesce to form a one-world government, economy, and religion.
What are the plans and intentions of Russia, China, Iran, Turkey and other nations toward the Middle East and Israel in particular? Why has Israel been the most hated and longest lived nation in the world? What signs do we see today that were prophesied thousands of years ago? Perhaps one or two circles of people have been looking for Jesus’ return for good reasons.
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Daniel L. Gardner is a columnist who lives in Starkville, MS. You may contact him at PJandMe2@gmail.com.
