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Recognizing The Season Of The Lord's Return Understanding the Signs Takes Wisdom Part I - Signs That Have Already Come to Pass The Dispersion and Re-gathering of Israel The Rebirth of The Roman Empire Many Are Already Here Saying "I am the Christ" Lovers of Selves, Money and Pleasure - Without Natural Affection The Falling Away Part II - Signs That Are Still Pending The Abomination That Causes Desolation As It Was In The Time Of Noah.
Recognizing The Season Of The Lord's Return
Matthew related how the Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus one day and asked Him to show them a sign from heaven to prove that He was the Messiah. What they were looking for was a miracle - probably the more spectacular the better. However, in response, Jesus rebuked them asking why they could forecast the weather from the appearance of the sky but could not "interpret the signs of the times".
When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' "And in the morning, 'There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times? "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah." And He left them and went away. (Matthew 16:2-4 NASB)
Paul also made the point that we can recognize the season of the Lord's return. In 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 he stated that even though the day of the Lord will come like "a thief in the night," that day should not overtake believers. Because we are "sons of light", we should not sleep but stay "alert and sober". Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 NASB)
Similarly the author of Hebrews states that we are to "encourage one another" as we see the Day of Judgment drawing near (Hebrews 10:25). Today the signs are both abundant and plain as day. However, as the prophet Daniel warned centuries ago, only the 'wise' would be able to understand them. To the spiritually un-discerning the signs mean absolutely nothing. In other words,
Understanding the Signs Takes Wisdom
Daniel was told
"But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase." (Daniel 12:4 NASB)
The "many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase" has usually been taken to mean that we would travel extensively - much further than our ancestors ever did. The increase is knowledge is assumed to mean we would be better educated than ever before. Note: Some take the 'run to and fro' not to refer to modern travel but to people 'running to and fro' searching after knowledge that may not refer to science or history but to knowledge of God's final purpose as revealed in prophecy. In view of the fact that the Bible also says the love of many will grow cold and apostasy will get worse and worse, I do not see that the angel was prophesying that more people would endeavor to understand the Scriptures and the prophecies they contain.
Knowledge has certainly increased. We have put men on the moon, transplanted hearts, cloned animals and unraveled many of the mysteries of DNA, but all the knowledge in the world is not necessarily accompanied by wisdom. Wisdom, hard to find in this day and age, comes not from knowledge, but how that knowledge is handled. This means that virtually every person has knowledge of the signs, but few have the wisdom to understand them. Daniel had a further question As for me, I heard but could not understand; so I said, "My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?" He said, "Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. (Daniel 12:8-9 NASB)
Because the book of Daniel has been part of Jewish Scripture for thousands of years, the angel telling Daniel to 'seal the book' and that 'the words are sealed till the time of the end' could not mean that the actual book was to be sealed but that the understanding of the prophecies would be sealed until the end of time. As the angel also said... Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand. (Daniel 12:10 NASB)
Isaiah said something similar .. The entire vision will be to you like the words of a sealed book, which when they give it to the one who is literate, saying, "Please read this," he will say, "I cannot, for it is sealed." (Isaiah 29:11 NASB)
In other words, the understanding of the prophecies would be limited to those who are wise. The learned could not necessarily understand what God had said - a situation that persists to this day. Please Note: There are many end time prophecies that can only be understood in the light of recent historical events or technological developments. For example Revelation 11:9 says that "men from every people, tribe, language and nation" will be able to look upon the dead bodies of the Two Witnesses. Only television has made this possible. In Romans 5 Paul seems to be saying that something happened to all humanity because of Adam's sin. Much of the Christian world has taken this to mean 'original sin' - that the sin of Adam was transferred to all future generations, tainting even the unborn with the result that we too are legally guilty. In other words.. we all sinned when Adam sinned or as is it is commonly expressed - we all sinned "in Adam". However, there are innumerable passages of Scripture that, clearly and unambiguously, tell us that no person can bear the guilt (or innocence) of another, but will only answer for their own sins and misdeeds... That our eternal destiny is determined by our conduct and that every single person will be judged by his own actions whether they be good or bad. So how can we understand what Paul said? The answer to the above question may very well be found in relatively new scientific discoveries... the emerging field of Epigenetics. See Original Sin Or Epigenetics
You might, as I did, find David Reagan's article The Exponential Curve - Is It A Sign That Jesus Is Returning Soon? very interesting.
Part I - Signs That Have Already Come to Pass
The Dispersion and Re-gathering of Israel
Very early on in the history of Israel Moses led the people to the edge of the promised land. Shortly before he died and the nation crossed the Jordan into Canaan, he did his best to impress on the people that they only held title to the land because of the covenant their fathers had made with God. However, they needed to remember that the covenant came with both benefits and obligations. If they were obedient to God, He would bless them abundantly (Deuteronomy 28:1-14). However, should they decide to do their own thing and not obey His law they would pay an enormous price. They would be struck with plague, sickness and disease - their crops would fail and their animals would not reproduce (Deuteronomy 28:15 on). However, the biggest blow of all for a people that finally had a land to call their own, was that they would lose it. "Moreover, the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth; and there you shall serve other gods, wood and stone, which you or your fathers have not known. "Among those nations you shall find no rest, and there will be no resting place for the sole of your foot; but there the Lord will give you a trembling heart, failing of eyes, and despair of soul. (Deuteronomy 28:64-65 NASB)
Jesus also said that they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Luke 21:24 NASB)
However, back in the day, Ezekiel who prophesied that the Lord would scatter the Jews among the nations (Ezekiel 22:14-15), also prophesied that the Lord would bring Israel back to her own land and that she would never again be a divided nation, "The sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes. "Say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations and no longer be divided into two kingdoms. (Ezekiel 37:20-22 NASB)
How the Jews returned to Palestine and formed a state of their own is a story that boggles the mind especially considering Israel was a tiny country surrounded by hostile Arab nations who hated them. Yet, against all odds, a series of events culminated in exactly what Ezekiel had predicted Due in part to one man, a world Zionist movement was formed. The land that was under British control at the end of World War I. Eventually, in 1917 the British issued the Balfour Declaration, a statement of their support for "the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people". However, it wasn't until Nov. 29, 1947, after a long period of lobbying and much pressure put on various countries that the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling for Palestine to be partitioned between the Arabs and Jews. Note, the British went back on their word and abstained from voting. Not did they do anything to prevent the large scale of Arab rioting that saw thousands of Jews killed. They left Israel and lowered their flag on May 15, 1948 and the Jews immediately raised their own and read their declaration of independence. After almost 2000 years they had their country back - Even the most hardened soldiers cried freely and, with the rest of the population, danced in the streets. The celebration didn't last long. Within what seemed like minutes, five Arab countries declared war and Egypt bombed Tel Aviv. But nothing stopped Israel. Not only did they win the war and save Jerusalem but gained some additional territory in subsequent battles. And the population kept swelling - the Nazi holocaust drove hundreds of thousands of Jews to Palestine who otherwise would have stayed in Europe. This is a ridiculously short summary of the almost unbelievable story of how the Jews regained their land. I believe the two articles below both by Dr. David R. Reagan (Lamb & Lion Ministries) are a must read to properly understand God's dealing with Israel. The Dispersion of the Jews The Re-gathering of the Jewish People The second one also tells how an prophecy made by Isaiah was fulfilled down to the smallest detail. In Isaiah's words "Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, And gather you from the west. "I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' And to the south, 'Do not hold them back.' Bring My sons from afar And My daughters from the ends of the earth, (Isaiah 43:5-6 NASB)
The Rebirth of The Roman Empire
When the prophet Daniel asked for the interpretation of the visions he was seeing, especially the meaning of the fourth beast that was far more dreadful than the others, an angel told him that
'The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. 'As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings. 'He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. (Daniel 7:23-25 NASB)
Note: Daniel chapters two and seven parallel each other inasmuch as both prophesy a succession of empires, beginning with the Babylonians and followed by Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. The animal imagery of chapter 7 corresponds to the sections of the statue in chapter 2. In chapter 7 the angel told Daniel that a kingdom will one day arise that will be different from all other kingdoms because it will devour the whole earth. Space does not permit going into detail here but this fourth kingdom that springs from an apparently dormant (not dead) Roman Empire, will be the dominant force in the world when our Lord returns... 'devouring the whole earth'. See A Dragon and Two Beasts For a long time now, those who seriously study God's word have been convinced that we are currently seeing the beginning of the fulfillment of these prophecies inasmuch as the rebirth of the Roman Empire has taken place in the form of the European Union. Whether they are in favor of the EU or not, most are under the impression that it is just a political organization. However, if one were to pay close attention, the European Union's flag, anthem, architecture, and its logo are all indicative of the major spiritual implications behind a supposedly secular organization. See The European Union - Peaceful Political Entity
Or The Fifth And Final Gentile Kingdom Spoken Of By The Prophet Daniel?
Many Are Already Here Saying "I am the Christ"
Matthew 24 relates how one of the disciples apparently taken with the splendor of the temple, commented on it's size and beauty and the immensity of the building's stones from which it was constructed. At which Jesus made a dire prophecy that the time was coming when not one stone would be left still standing on another.
Some of the disciples then asked Jesus in private when this would come to pass and when the end of the age would come (24:3). Jesus did not immediately answer the question - His first words were a warning And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you. "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many. (Matthew 24:4-5 NASB)
While virtually no one (no sane person anyway) announces that they are 'the Christ', bear in mind that Christ' is not a name, but a title. The word Christos is the Greek translation of the Hebrew mashiach - 'messiah' or 'anointed one'. However, when the English translators came across Christos in the New Testament they did not translate the word, but transliterated it which means that a word in one language is simply written using the alphabet of another. Thus the Greek Christos became Christ and antichristos (an-tee'-khris-tos) became antichrist. See The Antichrist Thus the word 'Christ' means The Anointed One. In other words, Jesus answered a direct question about what signs would signify the end of the world with a warning that 'Many would come in His name claiming they were 'anointed' which has arguably become the most overused, misunderstood, and misinterpreted term in the Pentecostal and Charismatic arenas. In our world a vast number of Charismatics claim to be 'anointed', 'under' the anointing, or can 'feel' the anointing come over them. Also heard are stern warnings to their critics not to touch the Lord's anointed. Virtually all the references to the anointing place it in the category of a commodity... Something that not all Christians possess and that the ministers can bestow on others. See The Anointing
Lovers of Selves, Money and Pleasure - Without Natural Affection
Paul opened his second letter to Timothy with the words
But realize this, that in the last days difficult (Gr. chalepos) times will come for men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, (2 Timothy 3:1-4 NASB)
The NASB renders the Greek chalepos into the rather mild English word "difficult". This is absolutely inappropriate considering the only other occurrence of chalepos in the New Testament is in Mark's description (8:28) of two men who were demon possessed. I hardly think that people could not go near them because they were being 'difficult' but because they were dangerous, savage and violent men which both the KJV and Young's literal translation support saying the men were so "fierce" that no one could pass that way. The CLV uses the word "ferocious". Even the NASB itself translates chalepos into "violent" in this instance. In other words, Paul was telling us that the last days would be extremely perilous, dangerous and violent. Some of what he pointed out will be very familiar to the 21st century reader. Lovers of Money Rather Than Lovers of God
Today, more than ever before the world is driven by the bottom line. Money has to be made at any cost, even if it means the terrible death of hundreds of thousands of people. For example, a recent 60 minutes program was about whistle blower Joe Rannazzisi who claimed that drug distributors pumped opioids into U.S. communities fully aware that the drugs were killing people. Almost unchecked, the drug distribution industry shipped hundreds of millions of pills to rogue pharmacies and pain clinics providing the rocket fuel for a crisis that has claimed 200,000 lives over the last two decades. Joe Rannazzisi went even further claiming that industry lobbyists and Congress derailed the DEA's efforts to stop it. You can read the article or watch the video HERE Why do I not have any trouble believing this? The bottom line is all that matters to countless organizations and big business around the world. Just try getting your medical insurance to pay for a procedure they do not deem necessary.
Lovers of Pleasure
If you have ever paid attention to what is going on around you, you must had realized that much, if not most, of the world is engaged in an endless pursuit of pleasure and "fun" - one of the buzzwords of our day. Nothing is worth doing unless it is 'fun. All to many people seem to spend their lives in anticipation of, or planning for the next round of pleasurable activity. All too many teen agers spend their lives 'hanging out', chasing the opposite sex, partying, even experimenting with drugs and alcohol. Sadly, as they grow up 'having fun' only carries a larger price tag - involving big houses and cars, trips to exotic locations, weekend getaways etc. Much of all of it is fueled by alcohol.
But what is worse is that for many of this generation, virtually nothing is taboo - they know no boundaries and break all unwritten rules. As he popular slogan goes - Just do it.
Without Natural Affection
When the apostle Paul said that in the last days there would be people "without natural affection" he used the word astorgos, the opposite of Storge - to cherish.
And all you have to do to verify the truth of Paul's prediction is turn on the television or open a newspaper. We kill, assault, cheat and steal with reckless abandon. Mass murder is the order of the day - the more people they kill the more successful terrorists consider themselves. People simply discard their unborn like pieces of trash, because the natural family bond of love and affection has broken down. The list is endless and a tragic commentary on what we have become.
Lovers of Selves
Last but certainly not least, loving oneself is the root cause of all the end times characteristics that Paul said people would display.
Most people born in the early part of the 20th century or earlier rarely put themselves before God, country and family. Tragically this is more the exception than the rule today. For the most part, people are so self-centered, and self-absorbed, so focused on themselves - so obsessed with how they feel, that this is aptly called the me generation. It is a time when self-realization, self-fulfillment and self-love have become the new standard, replacing the concepts of duty and responsibility to the society they live in. In fact, our entire culture is obsessed with gratifying self. Unfortunately, much of the church has followed right along in the footsteps of the world. Instead of opposing the world's glorification of self, Christians have jumped on the bandwagon and set up their own cheering section. Countless best-selling books that claim that society's greatest problem is that of "low self-esteem" are now being promoted by "conservative" Christian leaders - For example, Robert Schuller's Hour of Power weekly televised church service reached an audience approaching 20 million people on all continents. Yet, in Self-Esteem: The New Reformation (Word Books, 1982), Schuller taught that: (1) the church's problem is that it has had a God-centered theology for centuries, when it needs a man-centered one; (2) we're not bad, merely badly informed about how good we are; (3) it would be an insult to the integrity of any human being to call him a sinner; and (4) "Jesus knew His worth; His success fed His self-esteem. He suffered the cross to sanctify His self-esteem and He bore the cross to sanctify your self-esteem. The cross will sanctify the ego trip" (p. 115). according to Schuller, sin was merely the lack of self-esteem. In his words
And he went even further, saying he believed "positive thinking" was "almost as important as the resurrection of Jesus Christ"" [01] Josh McDowell, once known for his apologetics (Evidence That Demands a Verdict, Answers to Tough Questions, and Reasons Skeptics Should Consider Christianity) also jumped on the bandwagon. In his book, The Secret of Loving he wrote. "You are special also because you are of great value and worth to God. ... The value or worth of an object is usually determined by the price one is willing to pay to purchase or redeem it. It couldn't be more true for you and me ... I am worth the price God paid for me, which was 'Jesus' ... the real basis for a healthy self-image is to understand and accept the value God has placed on you. ... Christ's loving actions on your behalf have demonstrated and documented forever the great value you have to God" (pp. 24-25) "I can go back to the motel room, look in the mirror and say, 'McDowell, you're cool! I like you. - ' When one has a healthy self-image, you can do that" (p. 31). It's okay for a Christian to buy flowers for himself or herself just, "Because I like myself ..." McDowell then relates the story of being away from home, buying himself five dozen flowers, placing the flowers all over his room, "And every time I look at a dozen flowers, it's going to be God saying to me, 'Josh, I love you. Josh, I accept you. Josh, I forgive you. Josh, as the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Josh, you're special!' I'll look at each dozen flowers and hear God saying, 'Josh, you're of great value. I created you in My image. Josh, you're unique'" (p. 34). [02]
They have all apparently forgotten that the Bible says, but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises loving kindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things," declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 9:24 NASB) But he who boasts is to boast in the Lord. For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends. (2 Corinthians 10:17-18 NASB)
The Falling Away
In his letter to the Thessalonians Paul mentioned several things that had to happen before the day of the Lord - great apostasy when some will fall away from the faith paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons. And the man of sin would be revealed. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, (2 Thessalonians 2:3 NASB) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4:3-4 NASB)
The problem is that although most Christians have read what Paul said about a great falling away from the faith, they rarely seem to realize is that the apostasy of the last days isn't coming at some vague point in time in the future. IT IS ALREADY HERE. The falling away has gone largely unrecognized simply because it does not conform to the common perception that apostasy involves believers becoming less religious and more materialistic - less spiritual and more worldly. The apostasy has taken exactly the opposite form Certainly a large percentage of humanity has become more carnal however, a staggering number of people have actually become more spiritual, seeking out the divine in every possible nook and cranny including within themselves. Those outside the church are focused on raising their level of consciousness and attaining enlightenment and self-actualization through an assortments of spiritual practices, modern Christians are trying to 'find God' or enhance their experience of Jesus by highly questionable means like contemplative prayer,, labyrinths, yoga etc. See The Occult Take Over of The Once Christian Church - Borrowing From Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and The New Age HERE The only difference being that Christian’s extra-biblical practices are covered by a thin veneer of Christianity. Although I suppose that it possible that the apostasy can get worse, I fail to see how it can get much worse. Most have turned away from the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. Christianity is at an all time low … scraping the bottom of the barrel as it were. Which means the man of sin isn't far behind. We are seeing Paul's words come to pass. It wasn't bad enough that egomaniacs like Joseph Smith (Mormonism) and deluded people like Charles T. Russell (founder of the Jehovah's Witnesses), Mary Baker Eddy (founder of Christian Science), Charles Fillmore (Unity), and Ellen White (Seventh Day Adventist) each came up with their own brand of religion (thinly disguised as Christianity) and led countless sheep to their doom but the wolves within the flock have bared their teeth. See Cults It wasn't bad enough that Men like Franklin Hall and William Branham gave birth to the Latter Rain/Kingdom Now movement. That men like men such as Rick Joyner, Paul Cain, Bob Jones John Paul Jackson, Marc Dupont, Francis Frangipane and countless others who have followed their lead and run with the belief that before Jesus can return, the Church must establish the Kingdom of God on earth by taking control over every aspect of life through the establishment of a theocratic government. See Dominionism It wasn't bad enough that Leading 'Christian' television stations like TBN and Daystar harbor heretics and false prophets by the score while commanding a huge following around the world. It wasn't bad enough that The charismatic movement eventually led to excesses like the Toronto Blessing where people imagine that the more bizarre the behavior, the more 'filled with the Holy Spirit' one is. Pentecostal fervor blended with supernatural manifestations and occult activity is now called Christianity. See Tongues, Slain in The Spirit, Contemplative Prayer, The Prosperity Doctrine / Word of Faith etc. on THIS Page It wasn't bad enough that Nicky Gumbel picked up on the Toronto Blessing monstrosity, then pioneered the the Alpha Course that spread around the world.
No all this was not bad enough.. So Satan took a look around and realized that there were still too many doctrinally solid Christians around, many of them in mainline denominations. It didn't take him long to figure out that many of these Christians would easily fall prey to one 'of their own'. Enter Rick Warren, who with his dubious doctrine, shocking associations, and extra Biblical ideas has put a few more dents a few more dents into an already very battered building. See The Purpose Driven Life
Then, in a stroke of genius Satan decided he would teach Christians how to "Grow their Churches" which gave rise to organizations like Willow Creek Association (WCA). Unsuspecting churches that frequently use Willow Creek resources, seminars and attend their conferences have not bothered to investigate the fact that Willow Creek directly or indirectly validates people who openly promote Eastern mysticism, humanistic psychology, and radical ecumenism.. See Seeker Friendly, Church Growth Failures in The Bible In a sickening return to the rock from which we came, too many have been convinced that the Roman Catholic church is simply another branch of Christianity and has put out the Olive branch, with many evangelicals openly proclaiming that it is time to go to the pope and ask what we have to do to "come home". And let us not forget that the church in general and the Emerging church in particular have adopted numerous mystical practices which are either a direct legacy of Roman Catholic mysticism or are a deceptive derivative of it. In doing so, they have introduced countless numbers of people to the world of the occult. See The Emerging Church and Briah McLaren. If we take all of the above and couple it with the New Age and Rock Music infiltration of the church you are forced to the appalling conclusion that there isn't much left of Christ in our so called Christianity. If anything, we are more dead and more damned than we were when we started out. We Have Signed Our Own Death Warrants. The End of The Age
The catalogue of man's greed, ruthlessness, and inhumanity to his fellow man is one that has no end. Increasingly, modern society, flaunts its sins like Sodom once did, without the slightest effort to conceal them. But, as the prophet Isaiah said, "Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves" (3:9). There is a day looming on the horizon when mankind's iniquity exhaust the patience of God Himself, at which point in time He will pour out His wrath, or retributive justice, on the earth, punishing transgressors, and ending all the injustice and suffering in this world. God's kingdom will be preceded by a devastating period of time such as man has never before seen. This will be the darkest time in human history, when even the heavens and earth will tremble at His power and fury, the moon will turn to blood, and the sun will no longer gives out its light.
Part II - Signs That Are Still Pending
Wars and Rumors of Wars?
What I find particularly tragic is that when asked about the signs of the end times, too many church goers mutter something about wars and rumors of wars and believe that they actually have a handle on the signs. So what exactly did Jesus say about wars? In Matthew 24:6 He said.. " You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end". Which sounds more like He was assuring His disciples that they were not to be unnecessarily troubled by every small and large scale skirmish that broke out since they were not signs of the Apocalypse. As a matter of fact, "Wars and rumors of wars," sums up the entire history of mankind who, if they not actively engaged in a war are making plans for the next one. Wars, famines and earthquakes being pretty much fall into the usual scheme of things and no matter how terrible the situation, no one should be drawn into an "end of the world" panic. Jesus went on to give several other signs one that including an extremely specific one that was based on something that Daniel called ...
The Abomination of Desolation
"Therefore when you see the Abomination Of Desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. (Matthew 24:15 NASB)
Jesus spoke about the Abomination of Desolation as something they were to to look out for in the future. However, it had already occurred some 200 years before He mentioned it. See Typology. In about the sixth century B.C. Daniel spoke of a coming ruler who, along with his forces, would 'He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. (Daniel 7:25 NASB). It even magnified itself to be equal with the Commander of the host; and it removed the regular sacrifice from Him, and the place of His sanctuary was thrown down. (Daniel 8:11 NASB) "... desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation. "By smooth words he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will display strength and take action. (Daniel 11:31-32 NASB)
Antiochus IV, the Seleucid king who reigned from 175 BC until 164 BC, regarded himself as Zeus and took upon himself the title Epiphanes which means 'a manifestation of God'. He is well known for his terrible persecution of the Jews whom he brutally killed by the thousands. He went as far as dedicating "the Jerusalem temple to Zeus, erecting an image of Zeus in his own likeness on the altar, and, according to some sources, sacrificed a pig in the Temple" As prophesied, the daily sacrifices came to an end, the sanctuary was polluted and made an abomination. Eventually, in one of the bloodiest revolts in the history of Israel the Jews under Judah Maccabee, defeated the powerful Greek armies, recaptured Jerusalem and set about cleansing the Temple. The re-dedication of the Temple is celebrated by the feast of Hanukah in November or December of each year. Note that, according to John 10, even Jesus celebrated Hanukah. What we need to pay attention to is that Jesus took that past event and spoke about it in the future tense, thus prophesying it would happen again. Since Jesus spoke, there have been other Abominations of Desolation, all of which are part of an escalating pattern that leads up to the final one that is yet in the future. This will in all likelihood come about under the Antichrist whose actions are likely to mirror those of Antiochus Epiphanes in some way. What exactly is this "abomination of desolation" that we are to look out for? Could this sign be completely different from what we have long believed? While we cannot know for certain it may be well worthwhile to keep this point of view on the back burner. See The Abomination That Causes Desolation
As It Was In The Time Of Noah.
Also we need to be prepared for the fact that future conditions will parallel those that existed in Noah's day.
Since our Lord linked these two epochs together and said that one would reflect the other, it behooves us to look into what the Bible says about the days immediately preceding the flood. 1) In those days the earth was filled with violence and "corrupt before God". Then God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth. (Genesis 6:13 NASB)
The earth being filled with violence does not mean that American crime statistics are on the upswing... it means that the entire earth is full of violence. And that it is. In the 21st century it is difficult to find even a tiny corner of the globe that has not seen bloodshed, aggression, hostility and brutality. Some places have literally been decimated paving the way for an unparalleled refugee crisis. 2) However it is the other part of the prophecy that should chill the bones of anyone with an iota of sense. Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years." The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. (Genesis 6:1-4 NASB)
To know what to expect one has to understands who these sons of God were and what they did. See The Days Of Noah End Notes [01] Michael Nason and Donna Nason, Robert Schuller: The Inside Story, 1983, p. 152. [02] Josh McDowell - General Teachings/Activities. Biblical Discernment Ministries.
https://www.standingthegap.org/McDowell.htm | 
