Zechariah 12:9 “It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.”
There has been a considerable shift that is occurring across the globe. For many who have hoped for a peaceful society without war, to their sorrow the world continues to rage.
Jesus once reminded His listeners that in the last days there would be patterns occurring we are witnessing today.
Matthew 24:6-8. “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”
Many still continue to ask whether we are living in the last days. Let’s compare Jesus’ words to what is currently happening across the globe.
Wars and Rumors of wars: Today we are looking at the prospect of global conflict in the Middle East. Countries have been galvanized against Israel since her rebirth in 1948. Meanwhile threats of violence by China against Taiwan and the Philippines continues in the East. There has been an estimated 2 million casualties since Russia invaded Ukraine.. All the while currently there are over 35 different armed conflicts in Africa alone. In the Middle East 45, 21 in Asia, 7 in Europe, and 6 in Latin America. Wars and rumors of wars dominate the headlines today.
Famine: According to Worldvision: They are working to reach 22 million people with life-saving aid in 26 of the hardest-hit countries suffering through famine: Afghanistan, Angola, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Kenya, Lebanon, Mali, Mauritania, Myanmar, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Uganda, Venezuela, and Yemen.
There have been so many other events that have dominated the headlines, the famines occurring in all of these countries are lost in the fray.
Pestilence…Along with Covid there seems to be no end to malaria, various flues, and recently the hauntsvirus. There are many other diseases that have risen we don’t commonly hear about since only major ones dominate the airwaves.
Earthquakes. The pattern of earthquakes continues to climb from year to year.
People will say, these events have been going on for thousands of years, and they will continue for another thousand years. As believers, we have a measuring rod and that standard is Israel. The Lord God who formed the earth and set the stars in their place, has a beginning and end to all that He has formed. He has used Israel as His timepiece throughout history and He has revealed end time events will center around that little country.
Matthew 24:9-10 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.”
Why are there so many people who rage against Israel? From Washington, D.C., to Milan, Paris, and London,…tens of thousands of people have demonstrated hatred against Jews.
Israel is like a mother bear protecting her young. Since October 7th the devastation of losing over 1400 men, women, and children brutally tortured, attacked, and murdered has left them in a state of shock and rage. The longer Israel fights against terrorist regimes, the more the world grows hateful and bitter. The level of antisemitism demonstrated hasn’t been seen since the holocaust of World War II. .
Hatred for Israel is becoming increasingly prominent, the darkness of this world is revealed itself against a nation formed by God and who is still meant to be a demonstration of His glory.
Matthew 24:11. “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.”
False Prophecy: In an article in the New York Times titled, “Christian prophets are on the rise, what happens when they are wrong?”, it was stated that in recent years, self-described prophets have proliferated across the country, accelerating in stature over the course of the Trump era. They are stars within what is now one of the fastest-growing corners of Christianity: a loose but fervent movement led by hundreds of people who believe they can channel supernatural powers — and have special spiritual insights into world events. The last election caused many of these false prophets to be exposed for the frauds that they are, and as denominational Christianity declines almost across the board, magnetic independent leaders have stepped into the void. “There’s this idea that you can’t trust anybody except these trusted individuals,” said Brad Christerson, a sociologist at evangelical Biola University.
This pattern of false prophecy has not only invaded America, it has spread across the globe. People in Africa have report a multitude of false teachers leading people into all sorts of heretical practices.
Lawlessness: Road rage, car jackings, shoplifting, and progressive gun violence has filled the newspapers. In an article from the Brennan center for justice, crime rates changed dramatically across the United States in 2020. Most significantly, the murder rate — that is, the number of murders per 100,000 people — rose sharply, by nearly 30 percent. Assaults increased as well, with the rate of offenses rising by more than 10 percent. Both increases are connected to a broader surge in gun violence. What has shocked many ordinary citizens is the brazen crimes being committed in broad daylight. People walking into stores and walking out with merchandise. Many legislators refuse to prosecute people and so the patterns continue. The same crime sprees are happening throughout the world.
Apathy: A common refrain for those who lack love is, “If it doesn’t affect me, I don’t care”. The love of many has grown cold, atheism is a barometer of that loss of love for others, while religious conviction in the name of Islam has given people the motivation to inflict terrible abuse on innocent people. According to pew research, 3/10 adults are not religiously affiliated. Over 53% of people in the U.K. reject any form of religion. The lack of love can be attributed to many things, but the underlying reason is these people lack the love of Christ. As atheism spreads so does the scourge of Islam. The radical agenda of forcing a religion upon weak countries has caused millions of deaths and poverty to increase across the globe.
The call to Endure
Matthew 24:13. “But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
Endurance implies a pressing on until the end. Discouragement, fear, trouble, these all attempt to ruin the path of the redeemed. The Lord has established His people and He will strengthen them for the journey. It is vital that believers remember who gave them life and where they should turn when the going gets difficult.
The gospel is being preached throughout the world, believers are targeting every ethnic group they can find to administer the gospel. Personally, I believe the Lord has been able to use more people to spread the gospel than we are aware of today.
There was a beginning (cause), and there will be an end to God’s purposes….that end is fast approaching.
Are you ready to meet your maker? Have you been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb? Does your life reveal your love for the Savior and consequently love for others?
Test yourself now, repent of your sin, and the Lord will shine on you.
The old world order is passing away, the Lord is about to establish a new order, one in which He reigns on high. Have joy in knowing that the One who loves you will also lead you through these times.
God bless.
U.T. 