The Time is at Hand
“So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!”
These are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, recorded in Matthew 24:33 (and Mark 13:29). The Greek word translated as “know” is ginosko, and since it is used in the imperative tense, another way to state this verse would be, “You will know that it is near.” That isn’t a suggestion our Lord made, nor was it a prediction that we’d become aware of the final hours as they drew near (though this is in fact true). No, God in human flesh gave us a command. Much as a mother tells her son, “You will clean up your room before going outside,” Christ was telling us that we not only can know when the time of His return has come, but we had better search the Scriptures and watch for signs.
Way too often when the subject of eschatology is discussed, a Christian will deflect the conversation with a statement like, “Jesus Himself said no one knows when He is returning.” To that I say, “WAIT A SECOND!” Where is Jesus quoted as saying this? Matthew 24:36, where He said, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” That is all well and good, but there are 50 other verses in Matthew 24, and they all deal with the signs of His return, with several commands from the King for us to actively look for the signs. You can’t very well make the case that the Father was keeping the timetable of the Son’s return a secret by using one verse that is surround 4 dozen verses telling us how we will know when the time of our glorious King’s return is near!
No one knows that exact day or hour, and we shouldn’t try to guess. But we are commanded to know when it is near–even at the doors!
Some may argue that the prophecies of the Bible are mysterious and not meant to be understood. HOGWASH! After all, the name of the most famous prophetic book of Scripture comes from the root word “reveal,” not conceal. Moreover, the Book of the Revelation opens with God’s promise of a special blessing to those who study prophecy (Revelation 1:3). There is even a special crown that will be given to those who look for Christ’s return and long to see His coming (2 Timothy 4:8).
There are some 10,350 prophetic verses in the Bible. No one can argue that we aren’t meant to study and understand a subject that God’s word deals with so heavily.
The other argument that is constantly raised, mostly from non-believers, is that for two-thousand years people have claimed that the world was about to end. Little do they know that by making this claim, they are actually fulfilling one of the great prophecies, found in 1 Peter 3:3-4!
…Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.
So, you ask, what makes us think that the scoffers are wrong and the Second Coming is near?
First of all, the world is never going to end, only the age we live in will end (Ecclesiastes 1:4; Luke 1:32-33). That said, the final countdown could not start until 1948. Three very important things happened in that year, almost simultaneously–Israel became a nation, the European Union was conceived, and the World Council of Churches was officially chartered. Let’s briefly look at these.
First, on May 14, 1948, Israel once again became a nation. Israel and Jerusalem are the keys to the end times. First, the Jews had to return to their homeland (Ezekiel 36:24, 37:11-12; Amos 9:15; Matthew 24:31). Then Israel had to become a recognized nation among the peoples of the earth (Matthew 24:32)…because she will be invaded by all nations (Zechariah 14:2; Luke 21:20)
In fact, even though the entire world will suffer, the seven-year Tribulation is all about Israel, for it is written in Jeremiah 30:7, “Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; And it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, But he shall be saved out of it.” Jacob is Israel (2 Kings 17:34). So there could not be an end until Israel had her new beginnings. This ties into the Jews taking control of Jerusalem, which moves the countdown into high gear. We will cover that in due time.
The second big event of 1948 was the formation of the Benelux Customs Union. Comprised of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, Benelux was the foundation of what today has become the European Union, laying the ground work of what will become the Revived Roman Empire when the entire earth is divided into 10 regions (and plans are already on the table to do just this). We will go into great depth about the world empires spoken of in Scripture (eight of them, counting the resurrected Antichrist of Revelation 17:10-11) in the series on Daniel, as well as how we know the EU is the fountainhead Rome revived. For the time being, ponder this: When Benelux expanded in 1957, bringing in Germany, France, and Italy, it was ratified by a document titled The Treaty of Rome. That treaty is still used by the European Union today, and the EU governs itself by what they call the Laws of Rome, requiring all members to submit to “Roman law.” This is no accident!
Finally, in August of 1948, the World Council of Churches formally came into existence (after having been organized prior to World War II). The purpose of the World Council of Churches is to create a one world religion. This is the seat that the False Prophet will use to do signs and wonders (Mark 13:22, Revelation 13:13-14), helping the Antichrist convince the world that he is in fact God (2 Thessalonians 2:4).
The Spirit is allowing us to understand more and more about prophecy with each passing day. Daniel 12:4 says, “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” The church’s ability to grasp the knowledge of prophecy is expanding at an incredible rate as the time of our Great God’s return draws near.
May God use this blog, our website, newsletters, podcasts, and audio CD’s, for His glory.
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