“And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.” Genesis 6:6. NKJV
“And He has made from one blood[ every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,” Acts 17:26. NKJV
As someone who has spent a great portion of his life teaching on prophecy and the end times as revealed by scripture, I can truthfully say that there has been a significant change these past few years in peoples’ opinion on the nearness of the end of this age. Truth be told, in my early years of teaching most people had little to no interest in hearing about what God has to say about His return and the importance of watching for the signs of His appearing. Not only has that position changed dramatically, there is now a significant interest in prophecy and the rapture of the Church which I have never seen before.
Many will recognize this verse above from the book of Genesis where God’s feelings are revealed as He looked at what had become of the world that He had created. A question I believe we all should be asking at this present time is do you think it is possible God is feeling exactly the same as He did in Noah’s day? If so, then it should not surprise anyone that the possibility of God’s judgment may well be right on our horizon.
As much as most of us may strongly dislike the times we find ourselves in right now, there is no arguing the fact that opportunities to share the gospel have increased exponentially right along with our troubles. Yet if so many believe that we are, indeed, living in the end times, it also follows that we must necessarily believe that the Second coming of Jesus is closer than it has ever been. After all, we have been warned by Jesus Himself that we would know when His return is near if we but simply watch for the signs.
“So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” Matthew 24:33-35 NKJV
While there are a great many reasons that I personally believe we have arrived at the time Jesus told us to watch for, I want to share just one of those reasons with you today in the hope that you will be as encouraged as I am. As always, I want to make it clear that I am not a prophet, nor am I predicting anything to occur, but simply choosing to share something I found which gives me a reason to hope for His soon appearance.
“But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” 2 Peter 3:8 NKJV
In Judaism, there is a belief that God’s plan for this world will mimic the days of creation in that those six days will equate to six thousand years for the completion of His plan, with one day of one thousand years (the seventh day) as a “day” of rest. Many Jewish rabbis have long said that the Talmud teaches that the Messiah must appear at or before the end of the sixth day, or six thousand year period of time. Whether or not this is true waits to be proven but it does present us with an interesting question and a very immediate conjecture.
Most Bible teachers I have studied under agree that there were approximately two thousand years from creation to Abraham, and another two thousand years from Abraham to the day that Jesus of Nazareth presented Himself as the long awaited Messiah. That being said, it follows that there could be another two thousand year period from Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah and His second coming at the end of this age. In order for us to try and make any sort of calculation based on this equation, however, we need a firm point in which to start and this is where things become complicated.
I believe I am safe in saying that the date of Jesus’ birth and death has been the subject of much debate for the past two thousand years. While the adage “agree to disagree” may be the best way to describe the debate, one thing is perfectly clear, most all of the arguments seem to agree that His birth occurred somewhere between 4BC and 1AD with HIs death and resurrection some 33 years later. Scholastically speaking, I am probably the last person whose opinion should be considered but for what it is worth I will share my thoughts on the subject and why I believe it might be worthy of our immediate consideration.
If we accept the premise that 1AD was the last possible year for Jesus’ birth, we can then compute a timeline for the end of the sixth day by simply adding two thousand years to the year of His death and resurrection, which would have been in the year 32 AD. That calculation would then result in the second coming of Christ to this earth to occur sometime in the year 2032. Of course. In regards to the rapture of the Church promised to those who choose to believe in the sacrifice of His Son, God has revealed we will be taken from this earth before the last seven years of this age which is known as the tribulation. Subtract 7 years for the tribulation period from the year 2032 and we arrive at 2025 as a start date for that terrible time of trouble. Somehow I can’t help but think that this is beyond coincidence. Looking at this equation and looking at the state of the world today one can’t help but believe that our time on this earth is quickly coming to an end.
As I have long believed and subscribed to the “Gap Theory” which teaches that there is a gap of time between the rapture of the Church and the beginning of the tribulation, you can see why I am continually looking up and expecting to hear our call to come home at any time. Only time will tell if the tribulation will start sometime this year but I think it goes without saying that based on these calculations, if the premise that God indeed has laid out a timeline of seven thousand years for this earth is correct, it would be reasonable to say the window of opportunity is closing very fast indeed.
If you have never made the decision to accept the free gift of eternal life provided by Jesus’ death and resurrection I encourage you to do so today. Simply ask God to forgive you of your sins based on your belief that Jesus died to pay the price, and turn over control of your life to Him. You can do that by praying a prayer just like this one;
"Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank You for saving me. Amen."
Keep Watching.
