Signs of the Times Revelation Signs
Today, we begin looking at specific world events in light of biblical prophecy.
There are many today (and have been since Christ’s ascension) who downplay this business of prophecy study and Christ’s return.
They usually say “People have been saying that for 2000 years!”
The Bible says this will happen.
2 Peter 3:3-4 “Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation."
Q: What does God call these people? Mockers
Scripture tells us that watchful believers will be able to recognize the signs of His coming.
Hebrews 10:23-25 ”Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near”
In the Old Testament, the men of Issachar were commended for recognizing the times they were living in.
I Chron 12:32 “Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do”
Conversly, Jesus rebuked the religious people in His day for not recognizing the signs of His first coming.
Luke 12:56 “You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?” 2
In Luke 21, Jesus gives extensive information on world conditions from the destruction of Jerusalem to the 2nd coming. He closes out by saying:
Luke 21:28 “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
As we have clearly established, believers who know the scriptures will be able to recognize the season of the Lord’s return.
We are told to watch for it over 50 times in the Bible, and those who are found watching will be rewarded (Luke 12:37, 2 Timothy 4:7).
David Reagan – Prophecy expert
Recently assembled 22 leading prophecy experts. - Asked “Are we in season of the Lord’s return” – all said yes - Asked what one sign more than others made them say yes - Expected them to say Israel’s rebirth - Instead, the majority said THE CONVERGENCE
Today ALL of the pieces are moving rapidly!
The end-time descriptions given to us by Daniel, Ezekiel, Jesus, Paul, Peter – Every one of them is taking form right before our eyes!!!
When Jesus was asked about the signs of His return, he answered the question.
Matt 24:3-14 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?" And Jesus answered them, "See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
The principle taken from this verse has been called the accelerator principle.
Signs will accelerate in frequency and intensity as we get closer and
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closer to Christ’s return – just like birth pains increase in frequency and intensity. There are numerous verses in scripture that give us information about world conditions prior to Christ’s return.
I want to start by looking at the signs from Revelation – things that must be in place for the events described in Revelation to occur.
Next week, we will look at signs described by Jesus, Paul, and Peter.
Rebirth of Israel
We have already looked at all the prophecies in the scriptures about the rebirth of Israel in the last days.
Deuteronomy 30:3-5 ”Then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you. Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back. He will bring you to the land that belonged to your fathers, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers.”
Amos 9:14-15 ”I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the Lord your God.”
Isaiah 27:6 In the days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will blossom and sprout, and they will fill the whole world with fruit.
- Israel became a nation again on May 14, 1948. - Jerusalem was recaptured on June 7, 1967. - God has turned the barren wasteland of deserts and swamps into a lush land with thriving exports of produce (2.4 billion in 2012) - 40-90% of food (depending on crop) is produced in desert regions - Hebrew is again spoken by 9 million people after being dead for 1700 years
The rebirth of Israel is considered the SUPERSIGN – the event that allows many of the others to take place.
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View of Israel – Notice the vegetation
The Apostasy of the Church
Scripture is clear that flagrant apostasy will mark the time before the Lord’s return.
I Timothy 4:1 “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons”
II Thessalonians 2:1-3 “Be not quickly shaken…..that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction”
“The apostasy” indicates an “aggressive and positive revolt” within the professing church – It is a deliberate, world-wide defection from the truth
2010 Barna Poll
Only 19% of “born-again adults” has a biblical worldview Only half of “self-identified Christians” believe the Bible is completely accurate in the principles (not even facts) that it teaches
htt ps://www.barna.org/barna-update/faith-spirituality/325-bar na-studies-the- research-offers-a-year-in-review-perspective
2011 Barna Poll
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26% of born-again Christians (43% of all Americans) say all religions teach the same things, so it doesn’t matter which you adhere to.
25% of born-again Christians say everyone is eventually saved and accepted by God.
40% of born-again Christians believe Christians and Muslims worship the same god.
htt ps://www.barna.org/barna-update/faith-spirituality/484- wha t-americans-believe-about-universalism-and-pluralism
2014 Barna Poll
Early 1990’s - 2 out of 10 Americans were churchless Early 2000’s – 3 out of 10 Americans were churchless Today - Almost half of Americans are churchless
https://www.barna.org/churchless
2013 Pew Research Center Poll
Percentage in US that believe homosexuality should be accepted: Total population – 60% Protestants – 47% Catholics – 70% White Evangelicals – 30% Black Protestants - 37%
http://www.people-press.org/files/legacy-pdf/06-06- 13%20LGBT%20General%20Public%20Release.pdf
10 Nation Confederation/One World Government
Both Daniel and Revelation picture a 10-nation/region confederation in the end times from which the Antichrist rises to power.
This becomes the final world empire – the one-world government.
Daniel 9:26 “The people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.” (Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD by the Roman Empire)
Daniel 7:8 pictures him as the little horn rising from the 10 horns (leaders) of the 4th beast (Revived Roman Empire) “this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts” Leahan Doar, MA, LPC www.thedoarway.weebly.com 6
Revelation 13 confirms Daniel’s vision of the 4th beast empire, which has 10 horns, and sees the Antichrist rising from it also.
Clearly, the Antichrist rises out of a renewed Roman Empire.
Scholars are divided on whether this is the western leg (Europe) or eastern leg (Muslim countries)
Roman Empire, 96 AD
Traditional View:
The Antichrist rises out of a revived Roman Empire centered in Europe.
The European Union was established under its current name in 1993.
Common currency, the Euro, went into circulation on January 1, 2002.
The European Parliament represents the 2nd largest democratic electorate in the world. It is housed in Strasbourg, France.
As of 2012:
- 500 million inhabitants – 7.3% of the world’s population - GDP of 16.58 trillion US dollars o 23% of nominal global GDP (Largest economy by this measure) o 20% of global purchasing power parity (Second largest economy)
In Revelation 17, John sees the coming world religion as a “harlot who sits on many waters.”
- She commits immorality with the kings of the earth - BABYLON THE GREAT is written on her forehead
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- She is drunk with the blood of the saints and witnesses of Jesus - She is pictured riding the beast with 7 heads and 10 horns (antichrist system) When the original EU members met, they chose the motif of “Europa riding the bull” from Greek and Roman mythology.
Look at these pictures of EU symbols, keeping Revelation’s “Woman riding the Beast” symbolism in mind.
EU Parliament Building, Strasbourg
EU Office, Brussels
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2nd EU Parliament Postage Stamp
EU Currency
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EU Poster showing construction of modern Tower of Babel
Painting of Tower of Babel by Pieter the Elder Bruegel, 1563
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EU Parliament Building in Strassbourg compared to Tower of Babel Painting
Current EU Flag
Revelation 12:1-2 “A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.”
This apparently is describing an event that will happen with the constellations – Virgo will be aligned as described. This actually lines up as described in 2017.
The woman pictured is Israel and she is giving birth to Messiah.
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The Catholic church, however, takes the woman to be Mary.
The EU flag is inspired by the halo of 12 stars that appear around the Madonna in Catholic pictures of her. Former secretary general of the Council of Europe, Leon Marchal, affirmed that the stars are those of “the woman of the Apocalypse.” This makes the EU flag a catholic flag.
There have also been several calls within the EU for a strong, charismatic leader.
Paul-Henri Spaak, former Belgian Prime Minister said nearly 50 years ago: “We do not want another committee. We have too many already. What we want is a man of sufficient stature to hold the allegiance of all people, and to lift us out of the economic morass in which we are sinking. Send us such a man and, be he God or the devil, we will receive him.”
More recently, Jack Lang, then president of the French National Assembly’s foreign affairs committee, said that the EU “needs a single figure at the helm.” He said the EU needed a strong central government with a single “personality” in control.
Q: What do these things seem to point to?
Alternate View:
The Antichrist rises from a caliphate of 10 Muslim nations.
Caliphate – An Islamic state led by a caliph (a supreme political and religious leader who is a descendant of Mohammed.
Islam actually has a pretty complex eschatology (theology of the end times).
- Islam has both an antichrist figure and an expected messiah
o The al-Dajjal (antichrist) will:
. Be blind in his left eye . Appear after 3 years of famine . Perform unusual feats . Have Jews and women as his primary followers . Cause crops and animals to thrive for his followers . Eventually claim to be Allah
http://www.islam.tc/prophecies/masdaj.html
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o Both Sunnis and Shiites look for the coming of an Islamic messiah they call the Mahdi:
. Mahdi means “Guided one” . Shiites believe he is the 12th imam (12th imam descended from Mohammed who was placed in hiding until the day of judgment) . He will be born from parents named Abdullah and Aamina . He will be 40 years old when he emerges . He will be affirmed by a voice from heaven that says: “"This is the representative of Allah, The Mahdi, listen to him and obey him" . He will fill the world with justice and fairness at a time when the world will be filled with oppression. . He will rule for 7, 9, or 19 years (depending on source) . He will rid the world of evil (non-Islamic people)
o Jesus is revered in Islam. He (Isa): . Is the virgin born son of Mary . Is a great prophet empowered by Allah to do miracles. . Will return with the Mahdi, descending to a place in Syria called Afiq. . Will kill the al-Dajjal (antichrist figure), go to Jerusalem, and instruct everyone there to worship . Will “kill all pigs and break all crosses” (Jews & Christians)
http://www.islam.tc/prophecies/imam.html http://www.contenderministries.org/prophecy/eschatology.php
Ray Tallman, former international director of Arab World Ministries, notes that many Muslims believe the Mahdi will return soon. The increasing clashes with Israel and Christianity are two indications to Shiites that the Mahdi’s return could be near. “All of that is sort of a sign of the times that now it has come to this, and that what is actually being done now out of hate has an eschatological sign of promise to it,” Tallman said of the Shiite view.
http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/onlinediscipleship/understandingisl am/12thImam_BaptistPress0608.aspx
April 1, 2014 – Reuters Headline:
Apocalyptic prophecies drive both sides to Syrian battle for end of time
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/01/us-syria-crisis-prophecy- insight-idUSBREA3013420140401
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In 2011, Iran released a video titled The Coming is Near. - Produced in conjunction with the Iranian paramilitary force and the president’s office. - Target audience is Muslims in the Middle East and throughout the world - Claims that the Mahdi’s return is near o All signs are moving into place o Iran will soon help usher in the end times
“ The video claims that Iran is destined to rise as a great power in the last days to help defeat America and Israel and usher in the return of the Mahdi. And it makes clear the Iranians believe that time is fast approaching. "The Hadith have clearly described the events and the various transformations of countries in the Middle East and also that of Iran in the age of the coming," said a narrator, who went on to say that America's invasion of Iraq was foretold by Islamic scripture--and that the Mahdi will one day soon rule the world from Iraq.” The article lists many other recent events in the Middle East that are seen as prophetic proof of the Mahdi’s soon return.
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2011/march/iranian-regime-video-says-mahdi-is- near-/
Bottom line: . Both Sunnis and Shiites anticipate the Mahdi’s return . Both believe Israel must be destroyed for this to happen
In regards to the expected Caliphate:
- Isis has in 2014 declared a caliphate and intends to expand it.
- Turkey dismissed the Isis caliphate as illegitimate, but offered to be the center of a legitimate caliphate made of an association of countries
- Many think the current president, Erdogan, has caliph ambitions o This is fascinating, because in 330 AD, the Roman Emperor Constantine moved the capital of Rome to Constantinople – Istanbul, Turkey! o This could satisfy the biblical requirement that the antichrist be from the Roman Empire.
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Middle East Peace Treaty
This issue has been headline news for years.
Just as prophesied, Jerusalem is becoming a stone of stumbling for the nations.
Zechariah 12:1-3 “Thus declares the Lord who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him, “Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah. It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured.”
Current efforts center on an Israel-Palestine peace deal.
- US has attempted to lead this effort but has failed. - Now attention is turning back to the UN to take the lead on this issue.
October 17, 2014 – Times of Israel article:
US Official says Mideast Quartet to meet next week: In wake of American failure to broker a peace deal, body may have a renewed role to play
I won’t take the time to list out all the efforts in this arena. Suffice it to say that Israel/Jerusalem has been the focus of much world attention as of late.
One World Religion
Revelation clearly teaches us that there will be a unified world religion during the Tribulation Period. Movement toward this is accelerating dramatically today.
2008 - Former UK PM Tony Blair formed the Tony Blair Faith Foundation
- Has stated he wants to spend the rest of his life promoting unity among world religions. - His Faith and Globalization course runs in 30 universities around the world. - Many see this as an attempt to usher in the one-world government and religious system.
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“Could it be that Tony Blair’s endgame is the formation of a one- world umbrella religion expressed through multiple faiths under one global power, as Professor Michel Schooyans suggests?”
http://www.globalresearch.ca/unmasking-tony-blairs- interfaith-crusade-using-religious-extremism-to-impose- a-new-world-order/5388088
Pope Francis has also been intently focused on uniting religions – Jews, Muslims, Christians, Mormons, and Catholics.
1994 - Unity pact called Evangelicals and Catholics together was signed by evangelical leaders such as Chuck Colson and J.I. Packer
Since this time, there has been an ongoing call for Christians to unite with Mormons, Muslims, Catholics, etc.
Feb 2014 - Evangelical Anglican bishop Tony Palmer, close friends with the Pope, was sent as his special envoy to the Charismatic Evangelical Leadership Conference. - He played a message from the Pope recorded on his iPhone after introductory remarks in which he said “Luther’s protest is over….is yours” - In the message, the Pope declared that the Reformation has ended and asked Pentecostals and Charismatics to “return to Mother Rome” - The evangelical leaders embraced this.
June 2014 - Pope Francis met with a delegation of these Evangelical leaders to discuss unity - Included Kenneth Copeland, James Robinson (Southern Baptist evangelist turned charismatic) - Evangelicals have gushed about how wonderful it was to be there - Goal is that evangelicals and Catholics will sign a unity pact in 2016 - Plan to meet in Jerusalem in 2017 to celebrate the unity covenant in Jerusalem - 2017 is 50 year anniversary (Jubliee year) of the recapture of Jerusalem - It is the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, which separated the religions in the first place.
** Nothing has changed in Catholic doctrine since the Reformation began.
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Understanding the Times podcast, 9/28/14
June 8, 2014 - For the first time in history, Muslim prayers and Quran readings were held at the Vatican.
Sept 2014 – Former Israeli president Shimon Perez met with Pope Francis for the 3rd time in 4 months. - Perez is proposing the creation of a United Nations of Religions to combat war and violence.
Perez said: “What we need is an organization of United Religions… as the best way to combat terrorists who kill in the name of faith,” Peres said. “What we need is an unquestionable moral authority who says out loud, ‘No, God does not want this and does not allow it.’”
AS WE SPEAK, efforts are underway in Berlin to build the first central worship center for Jews, Christians and Muslims.
It is called The House of One.
All of these things are surely paving the way for the one-world religion of the Tribulation period.
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3 RD Temple
Daniel 9:27 “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate”
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 “the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God”
These verses make it pretty clear that there will be a temple standing in Jerusalem by the midpoint of the Tribulation period.
Preparations are fully underway for this temple to be built.
The Temple Institute has been established in Israel to oversee this.
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To date, they have:
- Located the original site of Solomon’s Temple In a wide-open area directly north of the Dome of the Rock
- Found the Oil of Annointing - In Cave 11 in Qumran - Oil was to anoint the sacred objects and the priests. - Without it, Jewish scholars say temple sacrifice can’t be resumed - Contains 5 different ingredients, one of which was made from a tree that is now extinct - Intensive testing at Hebrew University confirmed that this is the ancient anointing oil - Reestablished the Sanhedrin in October 2004
- Recovered the Blue Dye for the High Priests Garments Made from a mollusk in the Mediterranean sea thought to be extinct but rediscovered in the late 1990’s in the Red Sea.
- Identified a perfect Red Heifer
Ashes necessary to purify everything for the initiation of temple Service
- Begun training Levitical priests to conduct the rituals
- Located or retrieved the Ark of the Covenant. Much evidence to suggest the Ark of the Covenant has been returned to Jerusalem from Ethiopia, where it was moved by Solomon’s son with the Queen of Sheba, Prince Menelik, after his father started faltering spiritually
- Manufactured many of the garments and sacred vessels - High Priest’s garments, including the breastplate - Table of shewbread - Laver of Cleansing - Golden Menorah
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Actual High Priest’s garments with breastplate
High Priest’s Golden Crown
Incense Altar Leahan Doar, MA, LPC www.thedoarway.weebly.com 20
Menorah
Table of Shewbread Many more pictures can be viewed at the Temple Institute website.
https://www.templeinstitute.org/gallery.htm
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Just this month, this appeared in the headlines:
Technology
In order for certain events described in Revelation to take place, there has to be certain technology in place.
- The whole world watches the dead witnesses lying in the streets of Jerusalem.
Revelation 11:9-10 “Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.”
Satellite technology – wireless internet, cell phones, etc. make this a reality today.
- Animated image of the antichrist that kills those who refuse to worship it:
Revelation 13:15 “And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.”
We have computer and satellite technology that makes both of these things possible today.
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- Commerce is completely controlled by the mark of the beast.
- Late 2015 – Traditional credit cards replaced by cards with microchips
http://www.businessinsider.com/chip-and-pin-credit-card- changeover-in-2015-2014-2
- Implantation of Tracking chips – NBC News’ Brian Williams predicts that every American will have a tracking chip by 2017.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YJsxMcAJoA
- Vast data-gathering systems exist that are creating incredibly detailed profiles for every citizen - Cell phone tracking: location, keystrokes, etc. - Traffic cameras - Web activity - Biometrics (Facebook facial recognition for tagging pictures) - Security cameras
August 1, 2013 Article on Today.com (as in Today show): How you’re tracked digitally all day and what you can do about it
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