CONTENTS
Introduction
Seal the book until the time of the end
Nation shall rise against nation
The Parable of The Fig Tree
The Dispersion and Re-gathering of Israel
The Return Of The Jews
The Blossoming of The Wilderness
Hebrew.. A Revived Language
The Re-building of the Temple
A One-World Government
A One-World Religion
Without Natural Affection
Lover of Selves
As it was in the time of Noah
Homosexuality
Deceiving Spirits
The Mark of The Beast
The Image of The Beast
The Two Witnesses
The Destruction of Babylon
The Army of 200 Million
Nuclear War
Conclusion Introduction "The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven to prove that He was the Messiah.. a miracle. He replied, "When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times." (Matthew 16:1-3)
Jesus rebuked them because they could not interpret the signs of their times, asking why they could read the weather but could not "interpret the signs of the times". There are more than 500 prophecies in the Old Testament about the Second Coming, and one out of every twenty-five verses in the New Testament also speaks of this great event. These prophecies contain many signs that we are to watch for, signs that will indicate that the time of the Lord's second coming is drawing near. On the Mount of Olives some of the disciples asked Jesus specifically about the signs of His coming and the end of the age since they expected Him to return in their lifetimes and wanted to know how they would recognize the approach of this momentous event. (the early Christians, including Paul, expected to survive until the second coming [John 21:20-23, 1 Thess. 4:15]) Jesus’ reply outlined a sequence of events up until the end of the age, and His coming in glory. He gave a series of signs to watch for, including; wars, famines, earthquakes, the Gospel being preached among all nations, the abomination of desolation, and finally, the cosmic signs which will announce His coming after the tribulation, saying "when you see all these things, recognize that I will be near, right at the door" (Matthew 24:33). He was clearly indicating that only after all of these signs He gave were fulfilled, could they expect Him to come. Paul also made the point that we can recognize the season of the Lord's return. In 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 he stated that even though the day of the Lord will come like "a thief in the night," that day should not overtake believers, unforeseen or unexpected, because we are "children of light," and we should “watch and be sober”. Similarly the author of Hebrews states that we are to "encourage one another" as we see the Day of Judgment drawing near (Hebrews 10:25). Today it is no longer necessary to search for signs. We are flooded with them. They are so many and so clear to the spiritually discerning. However the prophet Daniel warned centuries ago that only the ‘wise’ would be able to understand the prophecies. {RETURN TO CONTENTS}
Seal the Book Until the Time of the End
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, KJV) And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. (Daniel 12:8-9 KJV)
The book of Daniel has been a part of Jewish Scripture for thousands of years, therefore when the angel told Daniel to ‘seal the book’ and that ‘the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end’, it could not mean that the actual book was sealed , but the understanding of the prophecies that was to be sealed until the end of time. The angel then went on to say… Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. (Daniel 12:10 KJV)
In other words only the wise will understand the words of the prophecy. There are many end time prophecies that have never been understood until now, either because their understanding depended on historical events or technological developments. We can understand end-times prophecies in ways that people living just a few generations ago and would have considered many Biblical prophecies completely impossible. However, even now, when our knowledge has so greatly increased not everyone will have the wisdom to interpret the signs of the times. The 20th century has seen an unprecedented explosion of knowledge. From supercomputers and implantable computer chips to global telecommunications satellites and nuclear warheads, which has resulted in making many of the end-time prophecies possible. For example Revelation 11:9, says that "men from every people, tribe, language and nation" will be able to look upon the dead bodies of the Two Witnesses. The advent of television has made this possible. Incidentally, this great increase in knowledge is not limited to technology alone. For example if someone had asked a minister in 1947 to prove that the original Hebrew Scriptures from the Old Testament were reliably copied without error throughout the last two thousand years, he might have had some difficulty in providing an answer. Today, with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls etc. we are in a far better position to answer questions like this.. {RETURN TO CONTENTS}
Nation Shall Rise Against Nation Jesus began His answer to the disciple’s query by saying… And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. (Matt 24:4-6)
In other words false Christs will arise and there will be wars and rumors of wars, but that neither of these will be an immediate precursor to the end of the age: He then went on to say… “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows”. Matt 24:7-8.
(The word ‘sorrows’ (odin in Greek) is the same word used for the pain of childbirth, travail pain, birth pangs. See 1 Thessalonians 5:3) Jesus' reply as recorded in Luke's Gospel is virtually the same as in Matthew… with one key difference.. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. (Luke 21:9-11) Emphasis added.
Luke seems to have separated the statement about wars and commotions not being cause for alarm from “Nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom”. He inserted the phrase "Then he said to them," as a seeming break between these two statements, indicating a separation between two thoughts. It seems that Jesus’ comments about "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom," is not merely a continuation of His comment about wars and revolutions, but a separate thought with a separate meaning. But what did the Lord mean when He spoke of nations and kingdoms rising against each other? The key to understanding the expression involves not only examining the context in which it was used but also taking the culture of the day into account. For example: What would an English speaking person from almost any country, other than America, make of the expression ‘shooting the breeze’? "The key factor then is to find out the meaning of the idiom, ‘nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.’ This idiom, taken in the Jewish context of the day when it was spoken, points to a total conflict of the area in view." (The Footsteps of the Messiah, Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum, p.63)
Sound Bible exegesis demands that we interpret more obscure words and phrases by ones in which the meaning is clear. Two verses wherein a similar expression is used is Isaiah 19:2… “And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight every one against his brother, and every one against his neighbour; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.”
And in 2 Chronicles 15:5-6 “And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries. And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all adversity.”
In both cases the verses describe a total conflict in the area being discussed, whether city or a nation or a region. In both Matthew and Luke the area under discussion is the whole world, i.e. the sign the disciples asked about was one that would affect the entire planet. Therefore it is not unreasonable to conclude that, in this case, ‘kingdom rising against kingdom’ will be a war that will involve most, if not all the world. Moreover Jesus went on to tie this war in with famines, pestilences and earthquakes stating that when all this happens, it will be the sign that the end of history has begun.. The beginning of sorrows or birth pains, signaling the end of history, as we know it. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Mat 24:7-8)
In 1914-1918, we experienced the first-ever world war, and major earthquakes, pestilence, and famine accompanied it. Many historians agree that World War II was essentially a continuation of World War I. A number of treaty disputes and territorial wars broke out after WWI as countries sought to benefit from the unstable world situation (Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia) which continued until Hitler came into power and invaded Poland starting WWII. It has been estimated that 100,000,000 people lost their lives in the wars of the 1900's! After WWI, a U.S. Senator publicly stated : "The late war cost seven million lives . . . It has destroyed hundreds of towns . . . it has brought in its train . . . pestilence and famine." (American Library of Congress).
Flanked by these world wars were several extremely large-scale catastrophes. (The Tangshan quake of 1976 killed the largest number of people in the 20th century. Estimates of the number of dead range from 295,000 - 699,000;) In spite of the advancement of science, technology, and medicine, people are still dying by the millions from starvation and disease. The World Health Organization estimates that ONE THIRD of the world is starving. Around four million people die from starvation annually Also, The results of a study presented at the 7th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in January 2000, said the followong “Applying these methods to both the gag and env trees, we estimated the time of origin of the HIV-1 Main (M) group to be near 1930, with 95% CIs essentially spanning the period from 1910 to 1950”. (The period between WWI and WWII) (http://www.retroconference.org/2000/abstracts/l5.htm) (Also see The Origins of AIDS and HIV). (Prophecy teachers commonly claim that earthquake activity drastically increased in the 20th century, but this is unsupported by data from the U.S. Geological Survey). Jesus never specifically said there earthquakes would increase, but simply said that there would be earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various places and that all the signs He had given were the beginning of sorrows (travail, birth pains). However birth pains usually intensify in frequency and intensity until the actual event. (See The U.S. Geological Survey, and the official USGS answer to the question, "Has earthquake activity been increasing?"). {RETURN TO CONTENTS}
The Parable of The Fig Tree Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. (Matt 24:32-34)
Since there are several instances in Scripture where Israel has been symbolized by a fig tree (Hosea 9:10; Jeremiah 24:1-10; Joel 1:7; Luke 13:6-9) many Bible commentators have related this parable to the setting aside of Israel which occurred in 70 A.D. and the re-establishment of the state of Israel, which occurred on May 14, 1948 and claim that the generation that sees Israel being reborn will be the generation that sees the second coming of Jesus. However it is unlikely that Jesus was doing little else but explaining how we should watch for His coming, and He used the "fig tree" as an example. In Luke 21, which records the Temple Discourse ("Look at the fig tree and all the trees....”) Jesus included "all the trees" in His example. So, He was not using the "fig tree" as a symbol of Israel, or else what are all the other trees that also will sprout leaves? Significantly, Jesus added an interesting observation in verse 34: "Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place". What generation was He speaking of? Remember, Jesus gave a series of events that must first come, but He said "the end is not yet." In other words, these things must come, but they are not the signs of His coming. There is no guarantee that the generations that see earthquakes, wars, famines, and pestilences, would also see the second coming. These things have gradually been increasing over a long period of time. But, the ones who see the definite signs, like the "abomination of desolation," and all the signs that follow, will definitely see the second coming of Jesus Christ. It is this generation that Jesus spoke of. {RETURN TO CONTENTS}
The Dispersion and Re-gathering of Israel
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: (Hosea 3:4)
Hosea predicted that Israel for "many days" would lack a king, even though God had promised that Israel would never lack a descendant to sit on the throne if the nation was obedient to God. In fact, the prediction states that Israel will lack even a prince. Since in Hebrew, "prince" means a government official, not the son of the king, Israel would lack both government and king. Hosea also predicts that sacrifice, pillar, ephod, household idols will be lacking. However Hosea 3:5 also prophesies the return of the Jews to their own land in the Last Days, which people scoffed at. It seemed impossible that the Jews would ever be able to carve out a homeland for themselves in the midst of hostile and belligerent nations. They said that it would never happen. People laughed at Biblical scholars and wrote them off as "dreamers" who were out of touch with reality. Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king . . . in the last days (Hosea 3:5).
God worked through the two world wars to begin the implementation of His end time program to re-gather the Jewish people and re-establish them in their land. Against all odds the state of Israel was formed on May 14, 1948. The return of Jews to Palestine and the formation of a state of their own is amazing in itself, given that just a century ago the territory was controlled by the Muslim Turks who hated the Jews. Yet a world Zionist movement was formed; the land came under the control of Britain at the end of World War I; Britain allowed the Jews to have a homeland; the Nazi holocaust drove Jews to Palestine who otherwise would have stayed in Europe; the United Nations agreed to partition Palestine into an Arab and a Jewish state; and the Jews were able to defeat a coalition of Arab states bent on their destruction. The Old Testament prophets teach that the Messiah will come in triumph to reign over all the world only when the Jews were re-established in their land and in their city of Jerusalem. (Ezekiel 37 and Zechariah 12). In 1967 in an unbelievable six days, managed to not only defend herself from the armies of Egypt, Syria and Jordan, but reclaim Jewish territory in three directions. The Sinai desert, the Golan Heights and all the land, including Jerusalem, up to the Jordan river. When the dust of war settled, the Jews rejoiced, Jerusalem was united once more. “28 Iyyar is Yom Yerushalayim - the anniversary of that awesome day thirty six years ago when the entire Jerusalem came under Jewish sovereignty for the first time in almost 2,000 years. The sound of the Israeli reporter emotionally announcing "Har Habayit beyadeinu, Har Habayit beyadeinu" (the Temple Mount is in our hands, the Temple Mount is in our hands) still reverberates in the ears of all those who heard it at the time, and even in those who heard it subsequently” (Rabbi Benzion Milecki)
The Church may not have understood the significance of this event, but the Orthodox Jews certainly did. Rabbi Shlomo Goren, the Chief Rabbi of the Israeli Army in 1967, rushed to the Wailing Wall, blew a shofar, and solemnly proclaimed “the beginning of the Messianic Age!” Orthodox Jews know the Old Testament prophecies, which say that the Jews will be back in the city of Jerusalem when the Messiah comes Jesus also stressed the importance of the reoccupation of Jerusalem in His Olivet discourse (Luke 21:24) and stated point blank that “Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled”. Jerusalem ceased to be under Gentile control on June 7, 1967, for the first time since Nebuchadnezzar. Ezekiel also prophesied that Israel would never again be a divided nation… "Hold before their eyes the sticks you have written on and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms.'" (Ezekiel 37:20-22) (For details see Israel’s History Written in Advance.. The Re-gathering of Israel) {RETURN TO CONTENTS}
The Return Of The Jews A number of other prophetic verses also describe the return of the Jews to their homeland. "As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I will rule over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath. 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. I will bring you into the desert of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment upon you. (Ezekiel 20:33-35) "Then the word of the LORD came to me: "Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to me; all of them are the copper, tin, iron and lead left inside a furnace. They are but the dross of silver. Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Because you have all become dross, I will gather you into Jerusalem.” (Ezekiel 22:17-19) "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes. For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.'" (Ezekiel 36:22-27) "Gather together, gather together, O shameful nation, before the appointed time arrives and that day sweeps on like chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD comes upon you, before the day of the Lord's wrath comes upon you." (Zephaniah 2:1-2)
This end times re-gathering of Jews back to Israel began during the twentieth century. With the fall of Communism, Russian Jews were finally free to leave the Soviet Union, and multitudes flocked to Israel. (Over 200,000 migrated from the Soviet Union in 1990!). In the area where Israel now exists there were roughly 50,000 Jews in 1900. When Israel was re-established as a nation in 1948 there were roughly 650,000 Jews. By 1998 there were almost 5,000,000 Jews in Israel (See the Jewish Population in the World and in Israel, from Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics). (Incidently the above passages clearly describe a re-gathering of Jews back to Israel in an unrepentant state before God's wrath is poured out on them. This re-gathering in unbelief exactly describes the modern country of Israel, which has not yet turned to Jesus as the Messiah). {RETURN TO CONTENTS}
The Blossoming of The Wilderness
Moses prophesied that the land of Israel would become a “burning waste”. "Your children who follow you in later generations and foreigners who come from distant lands will see the calamities that have fallen on the land and the diseases with which the LORD has afflicted it. The whole land will be a burning waste of salt and sulfur--nothing planted, nothing sprouting, no vegetation growing on it." (Deuteronomy 29:22-23)
However, Isaiah also prophesied that the desert would bloom again and be fruitful in the end-times: "The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you." Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.” (Isaiah 35:1-7)
Another prophecy by Isaiah reads " In days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will bud and blossom and fill all the world with fruit." (Isaiah 27:6)
Perhaps, quite a few people are aware that Israel now shares its agricultural expertise with scores of countries but not many know that Israel actually exports hundreds of thousands of tons of fruits and vegetables each year. The following quotes are from The Jewish Virtual Library, based on research from Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (see Israeli Agriculture: Coping with Growth): - "Today, just under a quarter of the income of Israel's farmers derives from the export of fresh produce, including items such as flowers, avocados, out-of-season vegetables and certain exotic fruits grown for export. In 1996 some 140,000 tons of fruit and vegetables - 14 percent of the entire crop - were sold to factories for processing and export."
- Fruit accounted for $280 million of Israel's 1997 agricultural exports, with citrus providing two thirds, despite a small drop in its sales.
- "Citrus, the country's oldest export sector, continues to be a leading export product with hundreds of thousands of tons of oranges, pink and white grapefruits, lemons, pomelos and several varieties of easy-peeling tangerines, as well as concentrates, juices and other products, shipped abroad annually."
- "Today, most flowers are sold by the individual growers directly to buyers in the flower auctions of the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and elsewhere"
- "Ornamental plants are a rapidly growing industry. Over $50 million worth of scores of different ornamental plants, either as rooted or un-rooted cuttings, or in pots in various stages of growth, are exported worldwide, but predominantly to Europe."
The desert and the parched land are glad; the wilderness is rejoicing and blossoming in total fulfillment of Isaiah’s words. {RETURN TO CONTENTS}
Hebrew.. A Revived Language.
The Lord told Zephaniah that He would change the speech of the people to a ‘pure language’. For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent. Zep. 3:9
The NIV says that in the end-times, the time when He will pour out His wrath on the whole world, He will purify the lips of the people: ""Therefore wait for me," declares the LORD, "for the day I will stand up to testify. I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them -- all my fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger. Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder."" (Zephaniah 3:8-9)
According to Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, the word ‘lips’ means language, lip, speech, talk, words and so on, and the word ‘peoples’ means "a people (as a congregated unit); spec. a tribe (as those of Israel)". So this prophecy is often taken to mean that the speech, in other words the language, of the people of Israel will be "purified" in the end-times. When the Jews were scattered throughout the nations after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., Hebrew as a language for daily communication died out. Hebrew was still used for religious purposes, but it became extinct as a daily spoken language. (See Bringing a Language Back from the Dead at Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs website). In the late 1800's, a man named Eliezer Ben-Yehuda decided to dedicate his life to reviving the Hebrew language for daily communication, and he coined hundreds of new Hebrew words. (See Eliezer Ben-Yehuda: A Language Reborn at Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs website) It is impossible to imagine how difficult it would be to revive a language that, for all intents and purposes has been dead for centuries. (Imagine trying to revive Old English and then persuading everyone in the US to adopt it as their everyday means of communication). Yet Hebrew (which had been extinct as a daily language since 70 A.D. or earlier) became the official language of Israel when Israel was re-established in 1948. {RETURN TO CONTENTS} .
The Re-building of the Temple
According to many prophecy gurus the Jewish temple (which was destroyed in 70 A.D.) must be rebuilt, because a number of passages seem to indicate that the Antichrist (a world leader?) will exalt and magnify himself above all other gods until "the time of wrath" is completed and that he will desecrate this temple and end the temple sacrifices. The passages usually referred to are…. "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel --let the reader understand-- then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains." (Matthew 24:14-16) "The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him." (Daniel 9:26-27) "His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation. With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. ... The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all." (Daniel 11:31-37) "At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. ... From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days." (Daniel 12:1, 11-12)
So, those who take Jesus' warning of the abomination as a sign that will precede his return naturally believe the temple must be rebuilt on the Temple Mount, on the holy ground in Jerusalem, where the previous temple stood. This seemed impossible since after the war of 1948 (Israel's War of Independence) the nation of Jordan had control of the Old City of Jerusalem, including the Wailing Wall (which is the last remains of the previous temple). However against all odds, Israel took complete control of Jerusalem in 1967, during the Six-Day War, paving the way for the re-building of the Temple. There is a small group of Fundamentalist Jews today that intends to rebuild the temple in order to resurrect the old religion with all of its sacrifices and are in the process of recreating, to precise Scriptural specifications, the temple implements and priestly clothing, which will be needed for a fully functioning, consecrated temple. The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful, have actually carved and anointed cornerstones for the new temple. They have already tried to carry these stones up to the Temple Mount but were turned back by Israeli police. This group has already gone further than attempting to rebuild the temple, in spite of the presence of the Dome of the Rock. Under the leadership of a man named Gershon Salomon, they have already begun sacrificing animals to God. There is little doubt that sooner or later either the temple will be rebuilt or at the very least the cornerstone will be laid in preparation for reconstruction. But there may be a fascinating twist on this prophecy that has escaped most people. Early Christians believed that God allowed the temple to be destroyed by the Romans in order to put an end to sacrifices because Jesus was the final sacrifice God would accept. From the perspective of Jesus' early followers, what could be a more overt rejection of Christ's death and resurrection than the attempt to re-initiate animal sacrifices in actual hope that such a thing would please God? To either Christians or Reformed Jews, albeit for slightly different reasons, the establishment of a new temple that includes the reinstitution of animal sacrifices would be seen as an abomination of the highest order. Understanding "the abomination that causes desolation in the holy place" as a reference to reconstruction of the temple on the holy site of the old temple breathes a uniquely meaningful twist into this prophecy. {RETURN TO CONTENTS}
A One-World Government
"He [an angel] gave me [Daniel] this explanation: 'The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time." (Daniel 7:23-25)
Daniel chapter 7 closely parallels chapter 2. The animal imagery of Chapter 7 corresponds to the sections of the statue in Chapter 2 and both showed a succession of Gentile empires, beginning with the Babylonian Empire, followed by Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. In chapter 7 the angel told Daniel that a kingdom will one day arise that will be different from all other kingdoms because it will devour the whole earth. In other words, it will be a kingdom, which covers the whole world. It will be a one-world government, which will somehow split into ten kingdoms, out of which will come a ‘king.. different from the earlier ones’. He will speak against the Most High God, he will oppress the saints, and so on. Less than 150 years ago we had the telegraph, steamships and the Pony Express. Commercial long distance telephone service wasn’t even introduced between America and England until a little over 70 years ago. It would be exceedingly difficult to introduce a one-world government with such limited and slow communications tools as the Pony Express and the telegraph. Yet in barely over 100 years technology has made such astonishing leaps that we now have free access to the Internet, email, instant messaging, face-to-face conversations with people across the world, supersonic air travel, laptop mobile communications, cell phones etc. etc. etc. 70 ago people were driving Model T Fords. Just 30 years ago there was no Internet, nor online banking. A mere 20 years ago the FCC authorized commercial cell phone service for the USA and IBM introduced the first successfully marketed IBM PC. Our way of thinking is becoming more global.. We already have a World Health Organization, a World Trade Organization, a United Nations, and so on. We are now living in the very first time in history i that it is possible for a single leader or group to govern the entire world. {RETURN TO CONTENTS} (Also See One World Religion) A One-World Religion? "Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed." (Revelation 13:11-12) "And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." (Revelation 20:10) In addition to the Antichrist, who will rule over the final one-world government, there will also be a False Prophet who will be the leader of a one-world religious system:
Revelation 13:11-12 tells us that there will be a second "beast" who looks like a lamb but will speak like a dragon. The symbolism or image of the dragon signifies Satan (Rev 12:9, 20:2), therefore this Beast speaks like the spirit of Satan, yet has horns just like a Lamb. Since one of the primary characteristics of the second beast is his deceptiveness, his appearance as a lamb would add to the confusion over his true identity. (Jesus is consistently portrayed as a lamb in the New Testament). In other words, he will be a wolf in sheep's clothing. He will appear to be a legitimate religious leader, but in reality he will be speaking for the devil. This False Prophet will try to force everyone in the world to worship the Antichrist (the "first beast"), which could very well mean that the False Prophet will be the leader of a one-world religious system, a worldwide state religion in opposition to Christianity. Revelation 17 also seems to support the idea of a one-world religion coming into being. "One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries. Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. This title was written on her forehead: MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished." (Revelation 17:1-6)
Clarification of these verses follows a few lines further into the chapter: "This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while. The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction. The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings--and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers." Then the angel said to me, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages."" (Revelation 17:9-15)
One example of the countless times in the Old Testament Israel is described as a harlot by God is Jeremiah 3:1.. “They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD”.
Virtually every time the Lord used the word ‘harlot’ was in connection with Israel’s turning to false gods and idols. Since the "prostitute" described in Revelation 17 causes people to commit spiritual adultery or spiritual fornication with her, she can only be seen as a false religion. This ‘prostitute’, (drunk with the blood of the saints) is depicted as riding on the back of the "beast," indicating that this false religion has government backing (the heads and horns of the beast are explained as being kings). This is further supported by the fact that the kings of the earth commit spiritual adultery with this "prostitute" or false religion. The fact that this prostitute sits on "the waters" (which is explained as being peoples, multitudes, nations and languages) indicates that this false religion is a global or one-world religion. Today, more than anytime in history there is great pressure to conform to whatever cultural liberals decide is "politically correct". The pressure is mounting for interfaith communion. Many speakers at the 1993 Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago made it clear that interfaith dialogue is only the beginning: since (as they suppose) we all worship the same God by many names, only religious prejudice could keep us from worshiping that God together. Amazingly, evangelicals are not immune to such pressure. At the Parliament several representatives from evangelical and otherwise conservative Christian traditions participated in interfaith fellowship, both on stage and in the audience. Drawn together by a common social agenda Catholics and Evangelicals have recently been engaging in dialogue to see if it could be possible to unite the Churches based on a great deal of ‘similarity’ in core beliefs and common goals. Combine that with their belief that the differences between the churches, in the matter of ultimate salvation, are not all that great and it would seem that one has the perfect formula for one world church. On March 29, 1994, evangelicals and Catholics signed a declaration entitled, "Evangelicals and Catholics Together: The Christian Mission in the Third Millennium." It was an ecumenical document of supreme consequence since it represented a combined effort by leading spokesmen to "bury the hatchet", ignore important theological differences, which have existed for centuries, and work together as "teammates" instead of antagonists. New Age doctrines focusing on human-potential and self empowerment have insidiously crept into the church and successfully drew many Christians away from Christ-exalting doctrines. Believers that once held strong doctrinal positions of the supremacy of Christ, have abandoned those views in exchange for a New Age universal philosophy. The stage has been well set for a One-world religion. {RETURN TO CONTENTS} (See Sections on Ecumenism The Unholy Blend Of Politics and Religion and New Age ) Without Natural Affection "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (2 Timothy 3:1-4)
The New King James says This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
When the apostle Paul said that in the last days there would be people "without love," the word that he used was astorgos, which describes a specific type of love. According to The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the New Testament (Spiros Zodhiates, p.281), this Greek word specifically means "Without family love." In other words, without the natural family bond of affection and love. There is little argument with the fact that the family unit is far from what it used to be even 50 years ago. Today it is hardly uncommon to hear of parents that murder their children in cold blood, teenagers who gun down their parents (and others), and unwanted babies being thrown into dumpsters, which is so prevalent that there is even a name for these poor infants... ‘trash babies’. There are centers specifically established for unwanted newborn babies. Cemeteries specifically for abandoned babies left to die anonymous deaths. Endless programs to rescue babies. Laws enacted to decriminalize baby abandonment, etc etc. While it is true that there were plenty of cultures that sacrificed their children to the gods, they felt they were under pressure to appease the gods or fall into disfavour and suffer terrible consequences. In our culture, people simply discard their newborns like another piece of trash, because that natural family bond of love and affection has broken down. All of which is a tragic commentary on our society. {RETURN TO CONTENTS} (See Neonaticide, Sanctioning cruelty or saving children?, Infant Abandonment Resources). Lover of Selves "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (2 Timothy 3:1-4)
Most people born in the early part of the 20th century, or earlier, never put themselves before God, country and family. Tragically this is more the exception than the rule in today’s ‘Me’ society. Paul said that people would be lovers of themselves, of money, that they will be proud, boastful and abusive. Devoid of self-control, brutal, treacherous and rash and so on. People are now often so focused on themselves and so inconsiderate of others that we have terms in our vocabulary such as "the Me generation," "road rage," etc. Today’s self-esteem Gospel preaches that poor self-image, rather than sin, is the cause of man's problems, and improved self-image reduces or eliminates man's problems. Josh McDowell's teaching on self-appreciation seems to epitomize what Paul was warning against in 2 Timothy 3:2.. “In the last days, men will be lovers of themselves”. "I can go back to the motel room, look in the mirror and say, 'McDowell, you're cool! I like you. ...' When one has a healthy self-image, you can do that" (McDowell book, The Secret of Loving p. 31). {RETURN TO CONTENTS} .. As it was in the time of Noah. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. (Gen 6:13) But as the days of Noe (Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matthew 24:37). The earth was filled with violence and “corrupt before God”.
Today within the United States, violent crime has increased 500% since 1960. During the same period, the country's population increased only 41%. Consider the differing results of polls concerning public school discipline problems between the ‘40s and the ‘80s. (Source: Time Magazine, February 1, 1988). The Top Public School Discipline Problems Mid-'40s
1) Talking 2) Chewing gum 3) Making noise 4) Running in the halls 5) Getting out of turn in line 6) Wearing improper clothing
7) Not putting paper in wastebaskets Mid-'80s
1) Drug Abuse 2) Alcohol Abuse 3) Pregnancy 4) Suicide 5) Rape 6) Robbery 7) Assault
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Homosexuality The Bible is unambiguous in its condemnation of homosexuality both in the Old and New Testament, yet The Gay/Lesbian campaign for public recognition of homosexuality as a morally and legally legitimate lifestyle has not only made deep inroads into the media and into cultural institutions, but it has produced an advocacy in the Church which calls for a new reformation in which homosexuality is affirmed as a Christian form of life, demanded by the Gospel and infused with God's spirit. Practicing homosexuals are being allowed to pastor churches (Gay pastors, Methodist policy clash) Homosexuals should always be welcomed into our churches, but homosexual activity is strongly denounced in Scripture and should never be supported, celebrated, or applauded by Christian churches. {RETURN TO CONTENTS} Also see Homosexuality and The Bible
Deceiving Spirits
"The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons." (1 Timothy 4:1)
"We seem to be living in the beginning of this fulfillment of predicted last days of demonic deception. The fastest-growing, pseudo-Christian demonic movement today is the New Age movement, a refined form of spirit world deception now infiltrating not only the world, but also our churches. Satanism, satanic cults, and some branches of witchcraft are the more gross manifestations of the same spiritual deception sweeping our land today. Hinduism, Islam, and materialism as a religion are rapidly growing worldwide. All this is possible evidence that we are in the last of the Last Days." (Dr. Ed Murphy (international teacher/trainer in spiritual warfare) The Handbook for Spiritual Warfare p.385, emphasis added) {RETURN TO CONTENTS} See sections The Occult and Psychics, Rock Music and The New Age )
The Mark of The Beast
"He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666." (Revelation 13:16-18)
From the time that John penned the book of Revelation (probably around A.D 95) men have been trying to figure out the meaning of the beast and his number.. Six hundred sixty and six. The list of conjectures concerning the meaning of the number is almost as long as the list of commentators on Revelation. However there are two main schools of thought on the infamous ‘Mark of The Beast’. One being that the ‘Mark of the Beast’ is symbolic of those who are associated with the spirit of antichrist. Since the ‘beast’ is not a literal beast with seven literal horns, nor a literal beast with horns like a lamb that speaks like a dragon (how does a dragon speak anyway?), it would logically, rationally, and biblically follow that this is not a literal mark that this non-literal beast would make. The second school of thought is that ‘the mark’ is some kind of literal identification system. Should the second theory be true it is interesting to note that technology exists in today’s day and age that makes this possible, from possible ‘human bar codes’ to microchips implanted under the skin. Several European countries and U.S. cities already require dogs and cats to have a small computer chip implanted under the skin between their shoulder blades, which contains the owner's identity, and so on. But a close reading of Revelation 13:11-18 tells us that the "mark of the beast" is not simply an economic system, it is also a worship system. "A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name."" (Revelation 14:9-11)
In other words people will know that they must make a decision, and true believers will make their stand for Christ. {RETURN TO CONTENTS} See Also see The Mark And Number Of The Beast... Symbolic of Bondage
The Image of The Beast
"Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. ... Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed." (Revelation 13:11)
Revelation 13 says that the Antichrist's religious leader, the False Prophet, will make an image of the Antichrist that will appear to come alive and speak. Many people believe that Satan will empower the False Prophet to give the image life. However Satan does not have the power to create life. While we have no way of knowing exactly what Satan is going to do, the most obvious way for him to achieve this is through the use of modern technology. Illusions are not too difficult to create through modern robotics, holograms, or some kind of ‘virtual reality’. {RETURN TO CONTENTS} The Destruction of Babylon "With a mighty voice he [an angel] shouted: "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! ... The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries."" (Revelation 18:2-3)
Again it is difficult to settle, with any finality, the issue of whether ‘Babylon’ in the book of Revelation is actual real estate or symbolic of evil and false religion. Some people interpret this Babylon in a spiritual sense, saying that America is the new Babylon, or that capitalism is the spiritual Babylon etc. The book of Revelation tells us that Babylon will be destroyed in some way during the seven-year Tribulation. But the ancient city of Babylon died out and vanished millennia ago. However if John was talking about the actual physical Babylon then it will become a center of commerce during the Tribulation, which means it will need to be rebuilt. It is well known that Saddam Hussein spent millions or billions of dollars rebuilding and reconstructing ancient Babylon, (See pictures of the rebuilt Babylon at Why the Confusion?) He has followed in the footsteps of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of ancient Babylon, by embossing his own inscription into bricks throughout the many walls and buildings. Some of these inscriptions say: "In the era of President Saddam Hussein all Babylon was constructed in three stages. From Nebuchadnezzar to Saddam Hussein, Babylon is rising again."
However Saddam Hussein did nothing to turn Iraq (Babylon) into a thriving commercial center of the world which he could have done, considering that Iraq has one of the largest oil reserves on earth and could very well have become one of this planet’s richest countries. However the war with Iraq has changed a number of factors. In the hands of the Americans and other members of the international community it is entirely possible that we will see Iraq built up to become a prosperous and thriving nation. {RETURN TO CONTENTS} The Army of 200 Million Revelation 9 states that an army of 200 million soldiers will march "from the east" toward Israel. It is debatable as to whether this is a real army or symbolic, but it is interesting that at the time the Apostle John wrote Revelation the total population of the world was only about 200 million (Demographer’s estimate). At the beginning of the 20th century the total world population was only 1.6 billion, still too small for an army of 200 million to march from the east. Today just one country to the east of Israel (China) could field an army of 200 million.{RETURN TO CONTENTS} The Two Witnesses "I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." (Revelation 11:3) "Now when they [the Two Witnesses] have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth." (Revelation 11:7-10)
These verses tell us that two great witnesses of God will preach in the city of Jerusalem during the first 3.5 years of the Tribulation. Then, in the middle of that terrible period, the Antichrist will kill them. We are further told that their dead bodies will lie in the streets of Jerusalem for 3.5 days and that all the people of the world will look upon them. Prior to 1957 that prophecy was not understandable in natural terms. There was just no way that all the people of the world could look upon two dead bodies in the streets of Jerusalem. All that changed on October 4, 1957 when the Russians sent up the first Sputnik satellite. Today all someone will have to do is point a TV camera at the two witnesses and the entire world will be able to look upon them. Less than one hundred years ago this particular verse would have been totally ambiguous to the world. (While there is one school of thought that says the Two Witnesses are representative of the pure, invisible Church as opposed to two real live people. However there seems to be sound evidence that they will be actual people). {RETURN TO CONTENTS} See | 
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