Troubles In Our Time – KAU#096

[The following article is taken from the notes of my PowerPoint presentation on New Years' Eve. It is not a direct transcription of the spoken message, which would include the exhortations that usually accompany preaching. A few additions have been added to improve readability, etc. The last part of the presentation dealing with Gog and Magog will be given next week in a separate article. It will include some additional material on why the Tribulation period is longer than 7 years and will show why the battle of Gog and Magog is AFTER the Antichrist's 3.5 years of persecution but BEFORE Armageddon. May the Lord use this to awaken the churches!]

Let us begin where we are. The year 2000 is over and we are about to begin a new millennium. Why are the year’s 2000 and 2001 significant? It appears that in the Bible, God does great things in 2000 year cycles – the call of Abraham, to the birth of the Messiah into the world, are examples. And now, 2000 years later, all the world expects something. The New Agers expect their great leader around this time. Christians have always generally looked to the year 2000 as the time for the Second Coming. But since there was no year zero, the millennium’s are measured from 1 to 1. Therefore, 2001 is the official start of the new millennium. We pray for the rapture; and it just might occur! If not, we KNOW that perilous times shall continue (2Tim.3:1)! Let us hear from former Christians about our
age:

EARLY CHRISTIANS SEE END AROUND 2000:

“The world was ordained to endure, AS ALL LEARNED MEN affirm and prove it with Scripture, six thousand years. Now, of that number there be past five thousand five hundred and fifty-two (years); so that there is no more left but four hundred and forty-eight.” (Hugh Latimer, 1490-1555)

“The great period of a thousand years…is yet to begin. Its commencement is expected by THE MOST JUDICIOUS COMMENTATORS, at a time, near the year 2000.” (Timothy Dwight, 1752-1817)

Notice that it was the common teaching that, since the world was created in six days, and since a day with the Lord is as a thousand years, the world would endure for 6000 years until the Millennial Rest. The epistle of Barnabus makes this connection and so does Paul’s inspired Epistle to the Hebrews (see the Millennial, 7th day “rest” mentioned in Hebrews 4 in the context of “the world to come” beginning in Heb.2:5). If this was the common teaching, how did these early believers live in daily expectation of the Lord’s coming? Simple; they believed, based on various Bible passages, that the Lord might surprise the saints and cut the days short. Therefore, the closer they got to the year 2000, the more they expected a surprise coming in their day.

Neither the rapture or the Tribulation have yet occurred. But do we see signs that we are near? The Bible in hundreds of places teaches that Israel must become a nation in the end times. In A.D. 70 they were destroyed by Rome and scattered. But the Bible says that the Antichrist would sit in their temple and persecute the nation.

ISRAEL MUST BE REBORN

2 Thessalonians 2:4…so that he as God sitteth in the TEMPLE of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Mark 13:14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be IN JUDAEA flee to the mountains:

If we are near the end times, Israel must be restored again. And they must rebuild their temple. Thousands of prophecy scholars understood this. And in 1948 it occurred! And 20 years later, the Jews recaptured Jerusalem. We therefore know that the stage is being set for the fulfillment of the Tribulation prophecies. Many sleepy saints in history denied literal, premillennial interpretation. But now we see abundant evidence that this system of interpretation is correct!

CHRISTIANS SEE ISRAEL’S REGATHERING

“….the Jews shall…be restored to their own land.”
(Thomas Newton, 1760)

“…the greater portion of the Jewish nation will return to their land in a state of unbelief…they WILL REBUILD THEIR CITY AND THEIR TEMPLE, and…God will choose that time to consummate His judgments on them…” (William Burgh, 1833)

“The temple in Jerusalem will be yet rebuilt by the Jews in unbelief, and be the scene of wickedness greater than has ever appeared…” (Robert Govett, 1861)

And now where are we? Just read the news headlines! Let us march through the year 2000:

ISRAEL IN THE NEWS TODAY

Sept.25, 2000: “Israel says UN should take over Temple Mount” (London Guardian)

Oct.16, 2000: “Temple Mount Faithful banned from Mount:…The nationalistic group had scheduled a ceremony to anoint a ‘cornerstone for the Third Temple.’..” (Jerusalem Post)

Dec.21, 2000: “Israel May Surrender the Temple Mount, Official Says” (Washington Post)

Dec.29, 2000: “The Nasdaq has had its worst year on record…Los Alamos in flames…flood victims living in treetops; the plunge back into violence in the Middle East; and the continued ravages of AIDS…”(ABC News)

Now that we see the stage is more than set in regard to Israel, what about other signs?

OTHER PROPHECIES

Revelation 16:8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 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.

Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

The Gospels predict “troubles” and “earthquakes” and Paul tells us there will “perilous times.” Certainly we can see the stage set all around us for these things! Notice the events that occurred this past year. When someone comes to your house, you will first hear their car door shut, their footsteps and the sound of knocking. These are the sounds we presently hear in regard to the prophecies of the Tribulation period. Let us walk through the year 2000:

TROUBLES IN OUR TIME!

March 10, 2000: “The winter of 1999 to 2000 has been the hottest ever recorded in the United States…”
(AFP)

“Nearly a million acres burning – 20,000 firefighters battling 64 major hotspots in 9 states…” (CBS News)

April 18, 2000: “Statistics indicate that the world is suffering from a sharp rise in the number of weather disasters, reflecting the extremes of weather that many scientists associate with global warming.” (Preview: ABCNEWS World News Tonight)

April 11, 2000: “Central Europe at record flood level” (UPI)

June 26, 2000: “Death by Heat Wave – Heat Waves Rise Steeply in Last 50 Years – Soaring temperatures and high humidity have killed more people in the last decade than other weather phenomenon…” (ABCNEWS.com)

July 20, 2000: “Thermostats in Alabama reached at least the 100-degree mark for the 15th straight day…That broke the previous record set in 1980…”
(Weather.com)

Oct.26, 2000: “Future Looks Hot – U.N. Panel Says Warming Is Worse Than Previously Believed” (AP)

Nov.3, 2000: “[UK] Prime Minister Tony Blair warned the worst floods in more than half a century highlighted risks posed by global warming.” (UPI)

Dec.27, 2000: “Much of nation in winter nightmare” (MSNBC)

Dec.27, 2000: “The Southern Plains have been paralyzed by snowstorms and icestorms today…newspapers have closed their offices for the first time in their history. The governor of Arkansas has declared a state of emergency; Amarillo, Texas has smashed ‘every record imaginable’ with 20 inches of snow…” (ABC News)

Dec.27, 2000: “Natural Disasters Reported at Record Level in 2000 – The world was hit by a record number of natural disasters in 2000 and global warming and a rising population are likely to make future years even worse, the world’s largest reinsurer said Thursday.” (Reuters)

Jan. 5, 2001: “Nov.-Dec. Was Coldest on Record – The suspicions of millions of shivering Americans were confirmed Friday by government weather experts – it was the nation’s coldest November-December period…The record cold was a sharp change from most of last year, which began with the warmest winter on record. Above normal temperatures continued through October and made the January through October 2000 period the warmest such ten-month period since national temperature records began in 1895.”

The cold appears to hit earlier now, and then warm up quickly in months that were traditionally the coldest.

What will the year 2001 be like?! The Bible says evil men shall wax worse and worse…Therefore, so do the curses upon them! We have Israel restored and in the news. And we have the natural disasters multiplying all around us. But there is more. We should also see the technology for the Mark of the Beast. Daniel says knowledge is supposed to increase in the Tribulation age. In Rev.13 we see that this technology will fall into the hands of Satan.

RACING TOWARD THE MARK OF THE BEAST

Revelation 13:15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 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:
17 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.

Notice how the world of technology is now more than ready to fulfill this prophecy. Let us walk through some headlines and news items from this past year:

“…Duffie White can…make a high-tech futurist in a Dallas studio appear as a holographic image before an audience in England…White uses a technology called teleportation…instead of showing the lecturer on a screen, it superimposes a life-size image in the three-dimensional space where the person would normally stand.” (http://www.realityinterface.com/)

“More than 100,000 street-corner cameras, many with infrared night vision capabilities now watch 24 hours a day [in Britain]…Most of us are not aware of the fact that the intelligence-gathering organizations of the free world have put together a system called Echelon, which is capable of intercepting all the world’s communications at any time.” (June 8, 1999, Discovery)

“FBI Seeks Access to Mobile Phone Locations – The FBI has asked the Senate Appropriations Committee…to require telephone companies to provide police agencies with the precise location of wireless phone users, in some cases without a court order….” (July 17, 1998, The New York Times)

“Tracking Down Mobile Phone Users – One of the big challenges for the wireless phone industry in the next two years will be the task of following its customers. The FCC says that by early 2001, all mobile phone companies will have to provide 911 operators with the location of anyone calling on a cell phone so help can get to the right place.” (July 29, 1999, The New York Times)

“Meet the ‘Digital Angel’ – from Hell -…The product is billed as a versatile transceiver that can send and receive data – and which can be implanted in humans…The implantable transceiver’s signals can be tracked continuously by global positioning satellites. When implanted in the body, the device is powered electromagnetically through the movement of muscles…The company projects a global market for this technology in excess of $100 billion…Digital Angel? Sounds more like we could be entering the age of the Digital Devil.” (Feb.14, 2000, WND)

“In an effort to make identifying lost pets easier, animal shelters across New York have begun injecting tiny microchips under the skin of animals under their care…’Shelters in big cities like Phoenix, St. Louis and New York City have all been using the chip for several years.’…Soon, however, they expect the procedure to become standard for all strays brought to the shelter…’”(April 22, 2000, AP)

“‘Wired’ Terrier? Hungary Has Plan for Digital Dogs: Hungary is considering a plan to require dog owners to have microchips embedded in their pets for identification purposes…”(July 16, 2000, Reuters)

“Eye-scanning system could reduce airport lines, hassles – Travelers soon may be scurrying through airport ticketing lines in the blink of an eye…’It will instantly check you in without you reaching for a wallet or having a ticket…’Just look in the camera and go.’” (July 24, 2000, CNN)

“Microchips required for adopted animals – L.A. requires electronic implants for pets leaving shelters…new technology employed in these electronic chips has also been modified for human use…” (Aug. 8, 2000,
WND)

“What was considered science-fiction fantasy only a few years ago is now everyday reality – sub-dermal computer chips used for identification and location purposes. While today, the use of these devices is predominantly restricted to animals, there are grand plans for multiple human uses in the very near future…It’s not going to go away.” (Aug.13, 2000, WND)

“Digital Angel unveiled – Human-tracking subdermal implant technology makes debut – …Digital Angel will be marketed as a means of verifying online consumer identity…the chief scientist…told WorldNetDaily he believes the implant…’will be a connection from yourself to the electronic world. It will be your guardian, protector.” (Nov.1, 2000, WND)

“…consumers will be able to pay for all goods and services using ‘smart chips’ embedded in mobile phones and personal digital assistants…the Government [of Singapore] intends to establish an ‘electronic legal-tender system’…In building the system, Singapore will be watching closely similar projects being undertaken in the US, Canada, Japan and Australia…”(Dec.19, 2000, Asia One)

The Bible says that there will be a series of kingdoms that will rule over Israel a soon as the Tribulation Period begins. In Daniel 2, we had a prophesy of 4 kingdoms: Babylon (Iraq), Persia (Iran), Greece and Rome. These kingdoms existed in OT history (and the NT opens up with Rome in power); but the Bible says they will also RULE ISRAEL AGAIN, in the same order, directly after the rapture.

4 TRIBULATION KINGDOMS

Daniel 7:17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which SHALL ARISE out of the earth.

Daniel 8:17 …he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for AT THE TIME OF THE END shall be the vision.
20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and PERSIA.
21 And the rough goat is the king of GRECIA: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

We see that after the rapture Iraq will first arise and attack the Jews (Dan.7:4, 17):

IRAQ WILL ARISE

Hab 1:6 For, lo, I raise up the CHALDEANS, that BITTER and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs.

After this, Iran will bear rule; and then Greece. Finally, Rome will come to power and the West will be temporarily back in control. This will be the kingdom of the Antichrist. So before Antichrist comes to power from Rome, with the Revived Roman Empire, Iraq, Iran and Greece must bear rule over Israel. If we are in the final days directly before the rapture, we should see Iraq ready to attack the Jews and usher in the Tribulation period. What do we see? Let us review the year 2000:

IRAQ IN THE NEWS

“Iraq close to nuclear bomb” (March 22, 2000, UPI)

“The Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, has built up a deadly arsenal of chemical, biological and possibly nuclear weapons over the past 18 months capable of creating mayhem in London, New York and Tel Aviv” (Iraq: special report, May 24, 2000)

“Iraq brags of biological weapons to ‘deal with Zionist entity’” (July 18, 2000)

“Trouble Brewing? U.S. Military Watches Iraqi Troop Movements” (ABC.news.com, Sept.23, 2000)

“Iraqi President Saddam Hussein this week warned that Iraq could destroy Israel if it had access to land adjacent to the Jewish state…he said that the ‘great people of Iraq are ready to destroy Zionism immediately,’…(The Jerusalem Post, October 5, 2000)

“Israel watching Iraq troop movements toward Jordan border” (Oct.17, 2000, World Tribune.com)

“Saddam stockpiling deadly chemical weapons”
(Electronic Telegraph, Nov 19, 2000)

“Iraq can destroy Israel, defense minister says – Iraqi Defense Minister…said his country could destroy Israel and that it was ready to confront any aggression against the Arabs…”(Dec.21, 2000 UPI)

“Saddam builds new atom bomb” (Dec.24, 2000, London Sunday Times)

“U.S. discovers uranium being channeled from Ukraine to Iraq, Iran” (World Tribune.com, Dec. 28, 2000)

“Syria joins Iraq, Iran against Israel – …Bashar has launched a new era of Syrian foreign policy all right, but one that is on a collision course for war, not peace, with Israel; for confrontation, not engagement, with the United States; and for close military cooperation with Saddam Hussein in neighboring Iraq, not rejection of him.” (Jan.4, 2001, UPI)

“Iraq ready to take on Israel, says Saddam – (Iraq) – Iraqi President Saddam Hussein said on Thursday that his people were ready to ‘liberate’ Palestine from the Israelis and fight once more against the United States. ‘The Iraqi people are dying to fight, and it’s not just Saddam Hussein but seven million Iraqis who have volunteered, who want to fight to liberate Palestine,’ President Saddam told a group of Arab artists…Earlier, Iraqi Defence Minister General Sultan Hashem Ahmad said that his country was ready to take on Israel in the event of a Middle East war and did not rule out a new confrontation with Washington. He said that ‘a surprise attack is possible at any time,’ especially as Iraq was embroiled in almost daily clashes with US and British warplanes which enforce ‘no-fly’ zones over most of the country….” (Jan.4, 2001, Straits Times, AFP)

After Iraq rises to power (after the confusion caused by the rapture), Iran will defeat Iraq as seen in Jeremiah 51 (etc.). Therefore, it is no wonder that we see Iran gaining power day by day:

IRAN IN THE NEWS

“Iran missile test succeeds…” (July 16, 2000)

In the next Kingdom Alert, we will look closer at Iran’s rise to power, and examine a different prophecy that is found in Ezek.38 and 39. It is here that we see a future alliance (that has already begun in our day) between Russia and Iran (Persia – Dan.8).

In light of all these things that are coming so fast upon the world, what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness?

Luke 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

KAU #96 (1-5-01)