“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.” Matthew 24:33-34 NKJV
What things? “These things”. I am not at all surprised to receive the many comments I have from those who find it hard to believe that we as the body of Christ are still here. They usually follow those comments with ones also professing surprise at the things we are seeing. While I agree with those sentiments, upon reflection it occurs to me that while we can be surprised that we are still here, it really should come as no surprise that we are seeing “these things”. After all, didn’t Jesus tell us in this passage from Matthew that we would?
“The waters saw You, O God; The waters saw You, they were afraid; The depths also trembled. The clouds poured out water; The skies sent out a sound; Your arrows also flashed about. The voice of Your thunder [was] in the whirlwind; The lightnings lit up the world; The earth trembled and shook. Your way [was] in the sea, Your path in the great waters, And Your footsteps were not known. You led Your people like a flock By the hand of Moses and Aaron.”
Psalm 77:16-20 NKJV
When I talk with people about the command to watch, the question naturally arises as to just exactly what are the sorts of things we should watch for? That is a very good question, and one that I believe every one of us should ask ourselves in light of what the Word tells us about signs of the end of the age and the nearness of Christ’s return. The truth is, I believe many are not recognizing some of “these things” for what they truly are.
In this passage from the book of Psalms, the author is troubled and in despair so he thinks back to the past and the times that God manifested Himself in human history by actions man could only describe as supernatural. The verses above refer to the time that God led the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt and through the Red Sea on their journey to the promised land. Now I think the important point to make here is that although Moses and Aaron were used by God to shepherd His people, it was God Himself who led them.
“And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, [from] before the people.”
Exodus 13:21-22 NKJV
Now why do I think this is important? Look closely at the passage from Psalms and notice what the author says the reaction of the earth was to the presence of God. Do you see what I see? We are told the waters were afraid, the depths trembled, there was a downpour of rain, thunder along with lightning that lit up the entire world, and not to mention earthquakes that shook the earth. Yet to me, the most important part of this passage is the fact that it does not say God “caused” these things to happen, rather it was a response of the earth to actually “seeing” the presence of God.
Now some are probably thinking it might be stretching the truth to believe the earth can “see”, however not only do these verses say that it does, we are told elsewhere that the earth can talk as well.
“Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: " 'Blessed [is] the King who comes in the name of the LORD!' Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples." But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out."
Luke 19:37-40 NKJV
If we believe what the Bible tells us, the earth has and can react to the presence of God in physical ways, some of which might surprise us. Is that really so hard to believe? After all, the earth was created by God just as we were created, so who knows what physical reaction could be produced by the approach of the power which created it? This is the question that I would like you to think about in light of some of the things happening in the world right now.
This past week the United States endured what many have described as a winter apocalypse. While not suffering as much as those in the east, here in the west we still experienced below zero temperatures, and at present where I live we are dealing with freezing rain and extremely hazardous driving conditions. Many nations in Europe are suffering in much the same way and reports of very “out of the ordinary” and unusually intense winter storms are making the news. While winter weather is certainly not unusual, the intensity of what is happening is without question out of the ordinary.
Most of us would agree the Bible clearly teaches that there will be signs that precede the return of Christ, many of which are physical in nature. Events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis can explain many of the events described as occurring just before Christ returns. Many of these things are beginning to happen right now in various places around the world, and most of those who are watching and waiting for His appearing believe what we are witnessing are signs that the time is very close. Jesus Himself said this about the signs that would appear just before His return.
"So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near--at the doors!
Mark 13:29 NKJV
So here is my question for today; does God cause these things to happen, or just like the events in Exodus when God comes to earth to lead His people away, is the earth reacting to the approach of God once again? Is it possible that the increase in frequency and intensity of physical events is because the nearness of Jesus returning for His church is causing a physical reaction by the earth?
"Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken, Because He was angry.
2 Samuel 22:8 NKJV
I want you to consider this, and then wonder as I do if what we are seeing is the earth warning us that Christ is nearer than many of us think. If you have never made the decision to accept the free gift of eternal life God has provided through His Son, Jesus Christ, I encourage you to do so today. Simply ask God to forgive you of your sin based on your belief that Jesus died to pay the price for your sin, and turn over control of your life to Him. You can do that right now 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
