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Signs of the Return of Christ
by Richard McCaw Signs of the Return of Christ When we recognize that a pattern exists in the events of history and our individual lives, we can understand distinct patterns in prophesies about Christ's return in the last days. Before His crucifixion, when Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives outlining end time events, his disciples asked, "What will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" (Matt 24:3; Mk 13:10). Jesus told them, "This gospel will be preached in all the worldand then the end will come." (Matt 24:14) Since that time we have witnessed definite signs in the fulfillment of prophecy. 1. Signs in the religious world As men become more materialistic, Satan entices many to build their own kingdoms. Like dead fish, they float downstream. In a vision John, the apostle, heard Jesus tell the Laodicean church, "You are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot" (Rev 3:15-16), and Paul, the apostle, warned that many would follow deceiving spirits, demonic doctrines, and false cults (1 Tim 4:1-4). In the last century a revival of the supernatural, prophecy, visions, and dreams recalls Peter, the apostle's message to the crowds on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:17-21). 2. Signs in the world of technology. Daniel, the prophet, foretold, "knowledge shall increase" (Dan 12:4). while several prophets envisioned modern inventions. Nahum foresaw the automobile and Job and John, the apostle, saw radio, television and satellite (Nahum 2:2-4; Job 38:35; Rev 11:9). Isaiah, the prophet, saw aeroplanes, like great birds, hovering over Jerusalem (Isa 31:5). Jesus and Peter, the apostle, saw the invention of atomic and nuclear weapons (Luke 21:26; 2 Pet 3:10-11). 3. Signs in the earth Jesus prophesied, "There will be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in various places" and "on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring" He knew about the coming devastating tsunamis on the earth (Matt 24:7; Luke 21:25) 4. Signs in the nations Jesus prophesied of wars and rumors of wars (Matt 24:6). A glimpse of world history will bring to light serious problems that the world has been facing during and since the last century. The assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand on the 28th June 1914 brought more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, Americans, and Commonwealth forces into World War 1 and resulted in more than 15 million people being killed. Then came World War 11, led by Adolf Hitler (18891945), in which the German Zeppelin bombed civilian targets from the air for the first time. Hitler's main ally was the Fascist Leader of Italy, Benito Mussolini. Soon, Emperor Hirohito of Japan joined forces with Hitler and Mussolini in September 1940 to form the "Axis" Powers. On Dec 7th, 1941, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor thrust the world into its deadliest and most widespread conflict with 100 million military personnel, the major participants dedicating economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities for the war, thus erasing the distinction between civilian and military resources. More than seventy million people, mostly civilians, were killed. When Nazi Germany invaded Poland, most British Empire and Commonwealth countries, along with France, declared war on Germany. Many other countries such as Ethiopia and Italy, and China and Japan in the Sino-Japanese War, had already been at war. But soon the Cold War began, fomented by the spreading of Communist ideology. Chinese Communists soon overwhelmed Chiang-Kai-Shek and his pro-western Chinese Nationalist Party, and in 1949 Mao Zedong established the People's Republic of China. On June 25, 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea. Fidel Castro of Cuba and Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev of the USSR became strong allies and Cold war protagonists. Their alliance the following year led to the "Cuban Missile Crisis," which brought the world to the brink of nuclear annihilation. In 1956, Soviet soldiers suppressed the Hungarian Revolution, and on April 17, 1961, the disastrous "Bay of Pigs" invasion of Cuba took place. In 1971, US President, Richard Nixon, started his carpet bombing of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, and in the closing years of the Vietnam war tens of thousands of civilian lives were lost. In 1982, Britain fought Argentina in order to retain the Falklands islands. These events only confirms Peter, the apostle's prediction of scoffers in the last days (2 Pet 3:3-4). With diminishing faith men's hearts would indeed fail them for fear (Lk 21:26). A serious fight between clique members of two different communities in Sierra Leone claimed the lives of two members of one community. After being brutally stabbed and hacked with machetes, they bled profusely and finally died. However, the problem is not confined to one nation or any ethnic origin as another report on the internet revealed. After a surfing competition in the community of Huntington Beach in California, a violent mob swept through the usually quiet seaside. Brutal fistfights were openly waged, businesses vandalized, and portable toilets were overturned. Someone from Ceylon mentioned on the internet that children were not being given space to enjoy their childhood. Hence people were seeing a decline in the morals and values of students. The extreme exposure of children to the external influences of the media and other modern technology was making them incapable of distinguishing good from evil. But, as prophesied by the prophets, the Restoration of Israel has begun. The Lord Himself has been gathering His ancient people from countries where they have been scattered and returning them to the land of Israel (Ezek 11:17). He has allowed Jerusalem to become a cup of drunkenness to all surrounding peoples, a very heavy stone for all peoples, and all nations that would gather against it to destroy it will be cut to pieces (Zech 12:2, 3). God is already making Israel and Judah one nation on the mountains of Israel, and orchestrating the return of their Messiah, Jesus, conductor of the grand symphony of the ages, to the glory of God, the Father (Ezek 37:21-22, 25). Are we prepared for the return of the King? References are from the New King James Bible. Writing and publishing poetry and short stories since 10 years of age. Published one serialized novel in a youth magazine. Edited two magazines. Wrote freelance articles for newspapers and magazines. Became the center page devotional writer for a weekly political newspaper that reached to other countries as far as Nigeria. Classical and gospel musician and teacher (piano, violin, guitar, vocal, speech dynamics,writing technics, personal evangelism). Published one music book - "The Art of Playing by Ear -Piano Technique for absolute beginners. Pastor, evangelist (preached mostly and trained Christian leaders in high schools and churches between 1965-1994), youth pastor, elder, and father of six, 2 are musicians and teachers. Landscape artist as well. Former Senior piano instructor for Boys' and Girls' Clubs in Ft. Lauderdale. Taught Music, Spanish, Drama, Computer and Art in schools. Ministered the Word in conferences in Trinidad, Montserrat, Curacao, Guyana, Canada, England and the United States. Represented Jamaica in the Caribbean Writers' and Artists' Conference in Trinidad years ago. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |