“Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy." Daniel 9:24. NKJV
While the New Year commonly produces the desire to make resolutions, it also appears to stimulate many who study prophecy to make predictions of what may occur in the the coming year. As I have often said before, I am not a prophet nor do I seek to be one, most likely because of what the Old Testament states is the penalty for being wrong. I do, however, study intently the geopolitics of this world with an eye to biblical prophecy and the relationships between nations which the Bible clearly reveals will exist before God once again chooses to deal with the nation of Israel. The signs of Israel’s seventieth week approaching are all around us and it is my belief the Church could be raptured at any moment making way for God’s judgment to begin.
With that said, I am more than willing to share where I think we are at present and my feelings on what might occur in the coming year.
“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places." Matthew 24:6,7 NKJV
When I consider this passage where Jesus speaks of the signs of the end of the age, His comment on wars immediately focuses my attention on the wars that the Bible clearly tells us will occur. Most teachers and scholars, if not all, agree that these are Psalm 83, Isaiah 17, and Ezekiel 38,39. While there is some discussion on the possibility that the passage from Psalm 83 is simply what some describe as an “imprecatory” prayer, I believe that it does accurately predict and refer to the situation which exists between Israel and it’s enemies at this very point in time.
Much has been written in just the past few months concerning the formal alliances and relationships between all of the nations listed in these prophecies and it is becoming increasingly clear that all of the pieces are in place to witness their fulfillment. I believe strongly that we are about to see these things occur in the coming year, and my reasons for that can be explained rather simply. Once upon a time I was introduced to archery hunting by a friend and given the opportunity to shoot at a target with his compound bow and hunting arrows. I was immediately struck by how much strength it took to draw the arrow back, much less how difficult it was to hold it while trying to aim at the target.
While possibly over-simplistic, the truth as I see it is that just like my trying to hold back the arrow, given the state of readiness to act against Israel it seems almost inevitable that these conflicts must occur shortly. The rhetoric, the strategic placement of weaponry, the alliances, and even the preeminent threats of a nuclear option by both Iran and Russia seem to point to a very imminent fulfillment. Throw in the newly elected government of Israel which has been described often this past week as “hawkish” and you have the perfect recipe for the conflicts described by the Old Testament prophets.
The second thing that Jesus talks about is the discord between nations and kingdoms. I believe most would agree that we are witnessing a massive disconnect between the nations of the world which, until just the past few years, were considered friends and allies. My personal opinion is that the European Union is quickly becoming a failed attempt to create a superstate of nations working towards a common good. The truth is, I have never personally believed that any nation on earth would be willing to put aside it’s own interests for the sake of others for any length of time.
I believe we should all remember as well that the one world government of the antichrist will fracture from discord as he tries to consolidate power in order to rule the world. This is why I believe we are seeing the emergence of the WEF as a power to be reckoned with in order to produce the reality described by the book of Revelation. My feeling is that this coming year will see extraordinary rapid movement towards the stated goals of the WEF.
The third reality Jesus mentions is famine along with pestilences. Somehow I don’t believe I need to say much in order to bring these to your attention. Many of us had hoped that the events of the past few years were behind us but yet again we are starting to see the warnings of another pandemic and the possible return of the restrictive mandates we all came to hate. It seems as if not a week goes by where we hear about another coming strain appearing that we need to prepare for. With all due respect, those who somehow felt this world could return to some semblance of “normal” were sadly mistaken.
Jesus’ words make it clear that not only will things not return to the way they were, they are going to get worse. Famine is certainly not a word many would consider applying to this country yet I am hearing and reading of hardships being experienced by many, as well as more and more shortages and empty shelves in stores. The news is full of predicted food shortages for this coming year, and my own personal shopping habits have had to change because of unavailable staples, a situation which has never happened before. I believe this year will not only see more of the same but continue to get worse as Satan’s plan for this world unfolds.
Finally Jesus explains that natural disasters such as earthquakes will become more severe and common. As I mentioned last week, I believe it is safe to say that this is one of the “good” signs in that it is a distinct possibility it is a reaction of this earth to the presence of Jesus as He returns for His Church. In just the past few days an earthquake prediction research firm has released a warning of an imminent earthquake in the San Fransisco Bay Area possibly reaching 7.5 in magnitude. Accurate or not, the signs are certainly present that all of what Jesus told us to look for is happening before our very eyes. Will this year be the year of the big one? I believe strongly that it will, in more ways than one.
If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, confessing to Him you are a sinner in need of forgiveness, and accepting the free gift of salvation provided by His death and resurrection, I urge you to do it today. The signs of God’s approaching judgment are all around us and the rapture of all true believers could happen at any time. Simply pray to God and ask for the free gift of salvation available to all who truly believe, and you have His promise of eternal life with Him.
Keep Watching.
