Many signs point to realization of prophecy

I have been asked many times recently why I believe we are in the final days before the rapture and what prophecies lead me to believe we are in the final days. I have put together a small sampling of why I believe we are in the final days.

Technology

Revelation 11:9 describes international real-time communications. We can watch anything worldwide as it happens. Revelation 13:16-17 describes a worldwide method for tracing, buying and selling of each person and having the ability to deny sales if not properly marked. This method was tested a few years ago with success. Computers now have the ability to do such worldwide tracking and control, not to mention buyers clubs, debit and credit cards. There’s description of a nuclear blast Zachariah 14:12, out-of-control drug use Revelation 3:16 (the Greek word Pharmakeia can also translate to mind-altering drugs), and a brief look at the drug use just in this country confirms this prophesy.

Natural phenomena

The world will experience natural disasters on an unheard of scale (Luke 21:11). Some examples of this are easy, the floods in the Midwest, fires in the southwest, earthquakes are increasing in intensity and frequency, volcanic action and tornadoes, most of which are not reported in the media anymore because of their frequency.

Israel

Israel would become a nation in one day (the only country to become a nation in one day), as prophesized in Isaiah 66:8, Jeremiah 31:7-10 and Ezekiel 37:21-22; 38:8. Then it would be populated by the Jews of the world, more than 5 million with more arriving every day. Before the return of the Jews to Israel the area was sparsely populated and basically a wasteland. Today, Israel exports food to other parts of the world. There will also be a movement to eliminate the Jews by all nations (Zachariah 12:3). Recently on the news I heard that Obama told Israel to revert back to the pre-1967 boarders that would make Israel undefendable, not to mention that the United Nations has stated dividing Jerusalem is one of its goals.

Society

Homosexuality would not only be acceptable, but promoted and considered the norm of society (Luke 17:28-29; 26, Geneses 19). The recent repeal of don’t ask, don’t tell has forced the Navy acknowledge gay people serve in the military. The other branches of the military are expected to follow suit. This appears to be a precursor to legalizing gay marriage nationally.

As a note of interest, the Muslims saw the American military as weak for having women on the battlefront. When our government touts acceptance of gay people, Muslims see it as weakness playing directly into the thought process of the Great Satan they currently see us as. Thus, the gay marriage issue will be the best recruiting tool al-Qaida and other extremist Muslims have. Violence will grow out of control (Genesis 6:11). Revolutions are in most of the Middle Eastern countries, youth violence is chronic, riots have recently taken place in major cities, abortion mills murder thousands of children a year (an estimated 50 million and counting), the Twin Towers, school shootings — the list goes on. Between 1981 and 2000, there were 9,179 international terrorist attacks, and the number of attacks and the number of people killed in the attacks is increasing. The Twin Towers tragedy is an easy example of this activity.

Religion

There will be a large movement to apostasy (false teaching of the Bible). The new Chrislam church leaps to mind on this issue. However, there is much apostasy in Christian churches today, such as gay clergy and the large number of people involved with the “new religions” that are essentially cults claiming to be Christian, such as the follows of Jim Jones and David Koresh.

Included in this group are those who teach that the Bible is fiction, full of fables and legend. The Bible also describes worship services that are essentially religious celebrations without any substance, more designed to entertain than to provide sound doctrine and teaching (2 Timothy 4:3, Acts 20:29-30 Mathew 24:48-51: 7:22-23).

When the reality of the lukewarm church discussed in Revelation 9:21 is added to this equation, it becomes clear the time draws near. More and more people (including some clergy) claim the rapture will not happen (2 Peter 3:3-4). This verse also states that they will be more interested in their own lusts such as money, sex or power. This is evidenced in some of the mega churches that are now appearing. A growing number of people even go so far as to mock the Bible in this prophesy.

The name Jesus is known in virtually every corner of the earth. TV and radio now provides the medium to reach anybody anywhere in the world. About 2 billion people worldwide are professing Christianity, thus fulfilling Philippians 2:9 and Malachi 1:11. Even those who are not professing to be Christians acknowledge the power of Jesus, including Muslims.

Never before in the history of the world has all of the elements listed above been in place all at the same time. I am not the one claiming the tribulation is about to start, the Bible does. I am not the one who prophecied that the rapture is near, the Bible does. I am not the one to argue with the Bible. Many of these prophecies would have been considered science fiction only a few decades ago. Today, they are reality. Many people today claim to be Christian, but fail to live what they claim.

The final call is being made. Are you really ready? Will you be a spectator of the rapture or a participant? The time to decide is now. The time to act is now.

Mike Blodgett is chaplain at Lighthouse Chapel. Contact him at 373-5866 or email lighthouse_chapelak@yahoo.com.

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