The Dog Days of Summer

"Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. "So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near--at the doors.          Mark 13:28-29 NKJV

I first wrote this column several years ago but it seems that almost every year I repost it because it simply seems to be so very applicable to the times and seasons we find ourselves in.  The world in general and believers in particular, all seem to believe the world is at a tipping point in its history and we are simply waiting for the match to light the fires of conflict.  We talked last week about the coming month of July, and the possibility that something major will occur in the Middle East.  Combine that with Jesus choosing to reference the season of summer in this passage about signs and one can’t help but wonder if it is coincidence or not.

I find it surprising when so many ask me why I choose to study and teach on prophecy when there are so many portions of scripture like this one from Mark that make it clear what Jesus expects from us. I try to explain to those who question that this is not merely a suggestion from God, but a command repeated over and over again. As such, I try to get the point across that if God commands us to watch, it is because He intends to show us signs that we will recognize as harbingers of the end of this age. One of the points I have often contemplated concerning this passage is if it is possible God is giving us a clue as to when the rapture might occur, as well as many of the other coming signs, when He chooses to use the season of summer in this passage.

As I considered that, I also was reminded of something I realized back in the day when I was a history major in college. Do you know the vast majority of conflicts and wars this world has seen have started during the summer months? What is my point? I just wonder if the conflict that God reveals in His Word concerning the future of Israel and the world, taken along with His command to watch with a reference to the season of summer, should be a major clue to those of us who choose to obey His command to watch?  Could it be that Jesus is suggesting to us through this passage in Mark that we should be especially watchful during the summer?

The term “dog days of summer” is probably familiar to most, yet many are probably not aware of what it means or of its origin. Actually, the answer to that question is hazy and debatable, while some believe it may date back as far as the Roman Empire. As to what it might mean, let me make a suggestion based solely on my own observations and experiences. One, like most people I have a dog. I also live in a part of the country which experiences summers which tend to occasionally receive triple digit heat late in the season. I have had occasion to notice dogs get a little testy during these days of excessive heat, exhibiting a marked lack of patience and a tendency to growl and lash out when disturbed. A funny thing though, I have also noticed here and there that people tend to do the same thing as well.

As I have watched and waited for the return of our Lord I have noticed that we as believers are not immune to the same feelings of impatience and irritability that are a common occurrence in this life. A large part of my watching revolves around research which necessitates visiting a large number of websites and reading commentaries, blogs, and letters by other believers who have answered the call to watch. In the past few years as seasons, watch days, prospective rapture dates, etc. come and go I would have to say it appears that the collective mood of the body displays an increasingly impatient, sometimes argumentative and discouraged appearance.  Of course, let's also not forget what we have been experiencing in just the past few months.

Now the upside to this is that it is obviously a sign that the body is anxiously awaiting the rapture and the longer we wait the greater the relief when it occurs, but we also need to guard our hearts from allowing the disappointment that we are still here from manifesting itself in actions which hurt our witness to others, as well as dividing the body according to positions we might hold because of our individual opinions on doctrinal issues. I think this is exactly what Paul had in mind when he wrote the following verse.

Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus,      Romans 15:5 NKJV

In this letter to the church at Rome, Paul gives instructions concerning how believers should relate to one another in chapters fourteen and fifteen. I think it's very instructive that when talking about this subject, of all the attributes Paul could choose to describe our Father he chooses “patience and comfort” to show us exactly what we need to imitate in order to achieve harmony with each other. Especially helpful to me is the definition of “like-minded” that we find mentioned here. It is the Greek word phroneō, which basically means that although we might have an opinion, it is more important to strive for harmony rather than arguing to the point of causing division.

For many the disappointment of still being here can lead to discouragement which is an open door to the feelings we have talked about, yet we do have a reason to be encouraged about the situation we find ourselves in. In this passage from his letter to the Corinthian church Paul gives us some instructions we can use to combat the “dog days” we seem to be experiencing.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward [man] is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding [and] eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen [are] temporary, but the things which are not seen [are] eternal.                           2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NKJV

Paul says we need not be discouraged because every day we are being “renewed” whether or not we realize it. The word for renewed means we are given new strength and the best way I can see to receive that is to keep looking ahead towards what we know is the promise of things to come. We are also told we are being prepared by enduring what is described as a “light affliction”. Now I'm sure many of us might not see it that way but notice also that Paul tells us that the affliction is for a “moment” and is not going to last forever. The end will eventually come and when it does, we will finally see that the eternal was worth what we endured while here. The best way I know to avoid discouragement is to focus on the finish, and not the race, or we will stumble and lose heart.

As believers we are not immune to the emotions living in this world can produce, especially when someone turns up the heat. The events we have all experienced and witnessed in the past few months are extremely discouraging and disheartening.  Yet these are the tools Satan uses to cause us to stumble, and by focusing on the promises from God which we have concerning what lies ahead we can overcome the emotions that come when we feel the heat.  By doing this, we can be prepared for what lies ahead, which I believe will be a sharp increase in the signs we are told to watch for as the time for our deliverance from this world draws nearer.

Keep watching.

What's Next?

“Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’”   Isaiah 46:10  NKJV

“What’s next?”  You would be amazed how often I hear that question concerning the state of the world right now, and to be completely truthful, I really don’t know.  On the other hand, I have a good friend who knows exactly what lies ahead and He has shared that with me as well as with anyone else who chooses to study His Word.  I’m talking of course, about our Father in heaven, who not only knows what is about to happen, but has promised us that He will in fact make sure it comes to pass exactly as He has foretold.  So although I might not know exactly what is next, I do know what God says is going to happen and I can watch for those events to occur.

Today we find ourselves just about ten days or so from the beginning of July, a month which I am thinking might well usher in some of the most obvious signs of just where we are on God’s prophetic calendar.  There are several reasons I think this but the most obvious one surrounds the intent by Israel to begin to implement portions of the peace plan drafted by President Trump by annexing land in the West Bank, a move which is producing condemnation from not only Israel’s neighbors, but much of the world as well.  As I read some of the comments from these countries, and especially from Israel’s enemies, I couldn’t help but recall a term I learned back in college which just might reveal a clue as to what could be next; “casus belli”.

casus  belli: an event or action that justifies or allegedly justifies a war or conflict

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/casus%20belli

The fact that the nation of Israel is surrounded by enemies who desire nothing more than to see their destruction is certainly not news to anyone even slightly informed about the world we live in today.  This situation, obviously, then begs the question; “what are they waiting for”?  It can be fairly said that Israel has made the attempt to live in peace with its enemies since the birth of the nation in 1948, fighting wars only to defend itself rather than being the aggressor.  Yet, since God in His foreknowledge has told us that there are wars yet to be fought, it is logical to wonder what exactly is going to occur that provokes Israel’s enemies to attack once again.

This of course, brings us to the decision by Israel’s government to initiate the process of annexation beginning in a couple of weeks. One has to wonder if this is going to be the casus belli for Israel’s enemies to attempt another offensive and fulfill that which God has already foretold.  As I have stated before, the event revealed in Isaiah 17, the destruction of Damascus, is what many scholars believe is next on the prophetic calendar for the nation of Israel.  Now while some might argue that the nation of Syria has too many problems of its own to attempt to respond to Israel’s actions, I would say we need to consider another term from history which would seem, in light of recent events, to be extremely relevant, and that is “proxy war”.

proxy war: A war instigated by a major power which does not itself become involved.

https://www.lexico.com/definition/proxy_war

The relationship between Iran and Syria is complicated, but the one thing that remains clear is that Iran has invested a lot of money, materiel, and personnel to develop and upgrade Syria’s military capabilities. Much of Syria’s missile technology and armament has been provided by Iran, and at present it is reported as fact by many intelligence sources that members of the Iranian Republican Guard are in Syria helping develop and train Syrian troops. Iran has spent much of its time in the past few years attempting to establish bases of operation within the borders of Syria, while Israel has made a habit of blowing them up. Most of all, Iran has so far committed itself to support the president of Syria, Bashar Assad, in power. So the question must be asked, just what does Iran want from Syria in exchange for all of this help?

The fact that the Isaiah 17 prophecy tells us that the city of Damascus is destroyed, rather than Tehran, obviously supports the conclusion that Israel is attacked from Syria.  While that is the case, one has to wonder, considering the situation there, who is really behind the attack on Israel?  Most at this point in time would agree that Iran is the country behind all that is going on in that region, and their hatred for Israel is well known.  I believe, and many agree, that at this point in time Iran is simply waiting for a justifiable excuse to attack Israel and attempt to make good on the myriad of threats it has made in the past.

"Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'The fast of the fourth [month], The fast of the fifth, The fast of the seventh, And the fast of the tenth, Shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts For the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.' Zecharaiah 8:19 NKJV

Many are familiar with the seven feast days appointed by God for the children of Israel to observe, but not all are aware that He also created four days of fasting to commemorate tragedies that occurred during Israel’s' history. Zechariah goes on to say that when the Messiah comes, these fast days will become days of celebration and feasting, but for now they are still days of mourning. In three weeks, July 9 will be the seventeenth of Tammuz, which is the first fast day, or the fast of the fourth month referred to by Zechariah in the passage above. This day begins a period of three weeks of national mourning in Israel that lead up to Tisha B' Av, or the ninth of Av which is the fast of the fifth month.

When discussing this first fast day in his book “Armageddon: Appointment With Destiny”, the late Grant Jeffrey says that the events which have occurred on the seventeenth of Tammuz serve to show the nation of Israel that God's favor had been withdrawn from them because of their sin as a nation. It also served as a sign that God's judgment was soon to follow, which throughout history has certainly occurred on the ninth of Av. Called Tisha b' Av, this day of mourning and fasting reminds Israel of the day that the temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and the Jews taken back to Babylon in captivity. This day has become, however, one of the most significant days in Israel's history due to the astonishing "coincidence" of numerous national disasters occurring on this exact day since it's inception. These are:

...1312 BC... Spies return from 40 days in Israel with evil reports of the Land of
Israel. Jewish people cry in despair, give up hope of entering the Land of
Israel.

...587 BC... Destruction of First Temple by the Babylonians, under Nebuchadnezar. About
100000 Jews killed during invasion. Exile of remaining tribes in southern
kingdom to Babylon and Persia.

...70AD... Destruction of Second Temple by Romans, under Titus. Over 2,500,000 Jews die as a
result of war, famine and disease. Over 1,000,000 Jews exiled to all parts
of the Roman Empire. Over 100,000 Jews sold as slaves by Romans.
Jews killed and tortured in gladiatorial "games" and pagan celebrations.

...71AD... Turnus Rufus plows site of Temple. Romans build pagan city of Aelia Capitolina
on site of Jerusalem.

...135AD... Bar Kochba revolt crushed. Betar destroyed - over 100,00 killed.
...1095AD... First Crusade declared by Pope Urban II. 10,000 Jews killed in first month of
Crusade. Crusades bring death and destruction to thousands of Jews, totally
obliterate many communities in Rhineland and France.
...1290AD... Expulsion of Jews from England, accompanied by pogroms and confiscation of books
and property.
...1492AD... Inquisition in Spain and Portugal culminates in the expulsion of the Jews from
the Iberian Peninsula. King Ferdinand of Spain issued the expulsion decree,
setting Tisha B'Av as the final date by which not a single Jew would be allowed
to walk on Spanish soil. Families separated, many die by drowning, massive loss
of property. With funds provided by Ferdinand, Christopher Columbus, a Messianic
Jew, sets sail to locate the land which will become a Jewish refuge.
...1914AD... Britain and Russia declare war on Germany. First World War begins. First World
War issues unresolved, ultimately causing Second World War and Holocaust. 75% of
all Jews in war zones. Jews in armies of all sides - 120,000 Jewish casualties
in armies. Over 400 pogroms immediately following war in Hungary, Ukraine,
Poland and Russia.
...1942AD... Deportations from Warsaw Ghetto to the Treblinka concentration camp begin.
...1989AD... Iraq walks out of talks with Kuwait.

...1990AD... The First Gulf War begins in and as a result Saddam Hussein launches missiles
into Israel
...1994AD... The deadly bombing the building of the AMIA (the Jewish community center in
Buenos Aires, Argentina) which killed 86 people and wounded some 300 others.

The question on my mind is simply one of timing.  Is it just a coincidence that beginning in July Israel may choose to begin annexing land and infuriating its enemies, while also in July occurs the worst day in Israel’s history that relates to national tragedies?  To be sure, I am not predicting anything, but I can’t help but wonder with the way 2020 has gone so far if we might be set to witness even more of God’s signs that we are rapidly approaching the end.

If you are reading this today and have never made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I urge you to do it right now. All you need to do is pray a simple prayer like this;

Jesus I know I am a sinner in need of salvation. I believe you sent your Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sin, and I ask you now to forgive me of my sins. I want to receive your gift of salvation so please come into my heart and help me to live for you from now on. In Jesus' name, Amen.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

John 1:12 NKJV

If you have prayed that prayer, or one just like it, you can rejoice that you will spend eternity with God.

Keep watching.

Birth Pains

“How close are we?”  I don’t suppose the fact I get that question a lot lately would surprise you, nor possibly, would my reply.  I just don’t know.  I will say this; I bet there is little or no doubt among those in the body that we are definitely witnessing the gestation period preceding the birth pangs foretold by our Savior Jesus Christ.  I am sure I’m not alone in considering questions like these, especially as we watch the events which almost weekly surprise and dismay most of us, yet a definitive answer as to where the Church is in regards to the rapture is elusive.

Now while I don’t know how close we are to going home, I have given quite a lot of thought to the whole subject of Jesus’ decision to use the example of childbirth to describe the last days of this world.  As you might imagine, I usually find that the more I consider a subject; I quite often end up with more questions than answers.  Yet as I have studied these passages in the past few months, there is one thought which keeps popping up in my mind over and over again.  Simply this; Jesus chose to use the example of a woman in labor, and as we know, a typical pregnancy only lasts nine months.  Is it possible we have a clue here as to the length of time it will take before the world enters the labor pains of the tribulation?

Even if this were true, one would need to know a starting point for the nine months which obviously is unknown.  The point I think may be important here is that just as a pregnancy lasts nine months, the “birth pains” of which Jesus spoke will have a set period of time before the actual delivery of the world into the tribulation period. Will that length of time be nine months as well?  Although we might not know for certain, it certainly is food for thought.  Of course, of greater interest is the knowledge that God has promised to remove the Church before the actual delivery takes place.  Keep those thoughts in mind as you read the following article by Jack Kelley and keep watching the events unfold before us as we move ever closer to our departure.

Birth Pangs Update

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley
 

Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains (Matt. 24:7-8).

Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains (Mark 13:8).

Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven (Luke 21:10-11).

The Greek word translated “birth pains” or “birth pangs” is also translated “travail” and “sorrows.” This is the reason why some scholars call the first half of Daniel’s 70th week “the beginning of sorrows.” They say the signs Jesus was talking about in the above verses were meant to indicate that the 70th week has begun. The name for the second half is the Great Tribulation.  It begins with the Abomination of Desolation (Matt. 24:15-21).

Here’s the rationale for their position. The disciples were asking for signs of the end of the age. Since the 69th week of Daniel’s 70 weeks prophecy was at an end, they wanted to know how to recognize the beginning of the 70th Week. Jesus had just told them the temple was going to be torn down (Matt. 24:2), so there was obviously going to be a delay, because a Temple is required during the 70th week to complete the prophecy (Daniel 9:24-27).

Many of these scholars are also pre-trib, and don’t believe the Church will be here when the 70th Week begins.  Therefore, the events we’re seeing in the world today can’t be the birth pangs referenced in the verses above, because Daniel’s 70th week has not begun. This is obvious from the facts that Israel has not reinstated it’s national covenant with God and there is no Temple there, both of which are required to fulfill the 70th week.

They also say the great signs from Heaven (not in the heavens) in Luke 21:11 refer to two specific supernatural events. One is the blackened sun and blood red moon of Rev. 6:12, and the other is the sun and moon both going dark, with the stars falling from the sky in Matt. 24:29. They say Rev. 6:12 will be a sign from Heaven that the 70th Week has begun and Matt. 24:29 is the sign that will mark it’s end.

I agree with that interpretation of Luke 21:11. But I’ve never been fully persuaded that none of the birth pangs can begin before the 70th Week, because birth pangs begin in a mild and infrequent way and then escalate in both intensity and frequency over time. To me the events we’re currently experiencing fit the Lord’s description of birth pangs and are getting pretty frequent and pretty intense.

Also, I see Psalm 83, Isaiah 17, and Ezekiel 38 as part of the birth pangs, and I’m not convinced that they have to happen during the 70th Week. In fact, I believe Ezekiel 38 will be the last of these three and will lead the world directly into the 70th week because it’s the one that awakens Israel to God’s presence (Ezekiel 39:22) and ignites their desire for a temple.

This is the point at which Israel’s hardening will be relaxed (Romans 11:25). It’s also when God will turn His attention back to Israel to build a temple there (Acts 15:16-18) in order to fulfill the 70 Weeks prophecy. I’ve previously expressed my opinion that both Romans 11:25 and Acts 15:16-18 require the prior removal (rapture) of the Church.

In summary then, I believe we are currently seeing the birth pangs Jesus mentioned and, while some are more advanced than others, all are in some stage of reaching the frequency and intensity required to trigger the fulfillment of Daniel’s 70th Week. With that, lets take a look at current events I believe to be in the category of birth pangs so you can decide if you agree.

Nation Will Rise Against Nation, And Kingdom Against Kingdom.

We see the problems Israel is having with its neighbors, the Syrian revolution, the growing but as yet ineffective coalition against the Islamic State, the Ukraine / Russia conflict, and the fighting in several African countries as signs that nations are rising against nations. But did you know that according to the Institute for Economics and Peace, the world as a whole has been getting incrementally less peaceful every year since 2007?  The IEP monitors 162 countries around the world and currently only 11 of them are totally free from internal or external armed conflict. In other words all but 11 of these 162 countries are either attacking someone or they’re being attacked by someone. Granted, most of these involve separatist or revolutionary movements, or terrorists, but if this seems to you like the whole world must be at war, you’re not far off.

Earthquakes In Various Places

Just about everyone has finally admitted that earthquakes have been steadily increasing in recent years.  A new study finds there were more than twice as many big earthquakes in the first quarter of 2014 as compared with the average since 1979. The average rate of big earthquakes – those larger than magnitude 7 – has been 10 per year since 1979, the study reports. That rate rose to 12.5 per year starting in 1992, and then jumped to 16.7 per year starting in 2010 – a 65 percent increase compared to the rate since 1979. This increase accelerated in the first three months of 2014 to more than double the average since 1979, the researchers report.

“We have recently experienced a period that has had one of the highest rates of great earthquakes ever recorded,” said the lead study author, a research geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Famines

The latest figures from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization indicate that about one out of every eight people in the world is chronically undernourished. It also adds that the world produces enough food overall to meet everyone’s needs but many people either live in places where it’s hard to grow food or they don’t earn enough to buy as much as they need. In some parts of the world people can no longer assume when they get up in the morning that they will get even one decent meal before night time.

With food prices rising much faster than incomes, more and more people are finding themselves unable to obtain adequate amounts of decent food even in so-called developed countries. This will continue to get worse until the Bible says it will take everything an average person earns in a day just to get enough food for that day.

Pestilence

The dictionary defines pestilence as a deadly or virulent epidemic disease. For the past few years we’ve had to deal with diseases that fit this definition on a regular basis. So far all of them have been brought under control one way or another. Currently it’s the Ebola virus that has everyone’s attention. Worst case scenarios abound with some experts saying it’s already too late to stop it, and predicting over 1 million deaths in the next 6 months. Others say the scare tactics being used in reporting on it are mostly just that and as in previous years the pandemic everyone is so afraid of will not materialize.

But Jesus said pestilence in various places will be one of the birth pangs. I think it’s too early to tell whether Ebola will fulfill His prophecy on a broad scale or not, but if it doesn’t something else will. One thing is certain. People in the places where Ebola is on the loose are experiencing pestilence to a degree previously unknown, and if it does become more widespread it could be a catastrophic fulfillment of the Lord’s prophecy.

What Does All This Mean?

In summary, of the four categories Jesus mentioned, conflict between nations and earthquakes in various places seem to be advancing steadily with famine and pestilence still in more moderate stages. This tells us things will at least continue to get worse in those categories.

Then, just at the beginning of Daniel’s 70th Week there will be a brief pause where to the unsuspecting world it will look as if peace has finally come. I believe this will follow Psalm 83, Isaiah 17, and Ezekiel 38 which will be the last of the birth pangs before the 70th Week begins. The covenant that will be enforced by the anti-Christ (Daniel 9:27) will convince the world that war in the Middle East is a thing of the past. Paul said this will be the most dangerous sign because it will cause unbelievers to be caught totally unawares.

While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape (1 Thes. 5:3).

The labor pains will begin again and this time there will be no let up until the birth of the Messianic Age. Three cycles of judgments known as the time of God’s Wrath will come, and by the time they’re over the world as we know it will lie in shambles with at least half of its inhabitants dead. Jesus called the last of these three cycles the worst time of judgment in human history, never seen before and never to be seen again (Matt. 24:21).

God told Jeremiah His goal in these judgments is to completely destroy all the nations among which His people have been scattered, and to discipline Israel in preparation for the coming kingdom (Jeremiah 30:11).

Paul said Jesus will rescue the Church from both the time and place of these judgments (1 Thes. 1:10) because we are not appointed to suffer wrath (1 Thes 5:9). Here’s how that will happen.

On a day no one could have predicted in advance we’ll hear the voice of the archangel and the trumpet call of God (1 Thes. 4:16-17). Before either of these sounds can register in our minds, we’ll be standing before the Lord, ready for our journey to His Father’s house where He’s been preparing a place for us (John 14:2-3). Our time on earth will have ended, and our time in eternity will have begun. We’ll finally be home. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 10-04-14

https://gracethrufaith.com/end-times-prophecy/birth-pangs-update/

Keep watching.