Do Not Be Alarmed

As wars rage in various parts of the world and food shortages, pandemics and poverty grip large swaths of society, it gives one pause to wonder where humanity is headed and what can be done.  The media inundates us 24/7 with an alleged predetermined narrative, seemingly designed to coerce civilization down a path that benefits the wealthy elite.  We have become the victims of political agendas, climate agendas, environmental agendas, vaccination agendas, academic agendas and religious agendas brought forward by the principalities and powers that control the world.

It is no wonder why people are perplexed and fear for the future.  The Bible has plenty to say about the “end times” and many believe we are living those days out right now.  Let’s examine the words of Jesus and the predictions he made regarding some of the signs that would indicate his return would be imminent.  The 21^st chapter of Luke’s gospel provides a two-fold prophecy that was partly fulfilled in AD 70 when Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed by the Romans and the Jews were dispersed among the nations. 

However, there is a large portion of the prophecy that is yet to be fulfilled and its disconnect with the first portion is akin to the 70^th week of Daniel’s prophecy being disconnected with the first 69 weeks.  The bridge can be found in Luke 21:12, where Jesus says, “But before all this….” indicating the events he predicts in verses 8-11 will be preceded by those in verses 12-24, and then followed by the events in verses 25-36.

Luke 21:12-24 describes the events that transpired after the crucifixion up until the destruction of Jerusalem.  “But before all this, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you.  They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name.” Luke 21:12.  Indeed, this is exactly what went down and the book of Acts records much of it.

In verse 20, Jesus warns, “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near.” And in verses 23b-24 he concludes, “There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people.  They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all nations.  Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”  The times of the Gentiles ended when Jerusalem came under complete Jewish control again in 1967 as Israel captured the Golan Heights, the West Bank including the entire east side of the city, the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula during the Six Day War.

Luke 21:9-11 reveals events that will happen after the fall of Jerusalem and the Jewish Diaspora, “’When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened.  These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.’  Then he said to them, ‘Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.’”  Jesus continues in verse 25-28, “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars.  On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.  Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.  At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

The last century is known as the century of war.  There have been more lives lost as the casualties of war in the last century than in the previous nineteen combined.  So while the current war in the Ukraine seems out of place and diabolical, it is simply a component of a larger sequence of events that must come to pass before Christ returns.  That doesn’t make it right, it simply reinforces the truth of scripture and the accuracy of biblical prophecy.  Furthermore, as Russia builds alliances with the very nations Ezekiel predicted and lays the foundations for war as forewarned in the thirty eighth chapter of his prophecy and distances itself from Israel, we can see these alignments coming to fruition before our very eyes. The latest of which occurred this week when Russia’s deputy defense minister met with the Palestinian Authority’s Major General Nidal Abu Dukhan and discussed military and intelligence cooperation between them.

When combined with the other signs given by Jesus that would indicate his return was near, such as earthquakes, famines and pestilences, the frequency and intensity of wars are keeping step similar to labor pains before childbirth.  Mathew 24 records a parallel prophecy to Luke 21 and adds, “All these are the beginning of birth pains.” Mathew 24:8.

The number of earthquakes has been increasing year after year and in 2020, tremors above the magnitude of 2 on the Richter scale quadrupled and continue on that trajectory.  Additionally, war and drought have increased the prevalence of food shortages in the world and we are currently seeing first hand the impact that the war in the Ukraine is having on food supplies in Africa and the middle east countries.  To make matters worse, governments are placing severe limits on carbon emissions that make the production of food more expensive and less profitable.  With the move to limit the use of nitrogen fertilizers to reduce nitrous oxide emissions because of their global warming potential (?) the production of food will become that much more insecure and unpredictable.

The price of diesel fuel has dramatically increased as well, due to the effects of the Ukrainian war and sanctions imposed upon Russia thereby eroding supply and driving costs skyward.  Inflation has also exasperated the situation making food less affordable by those who can least keep pace.

All of this comes on the heels of the global COVID pandemic that has destroyed supply chains that have taken generations to build and eroded the wealth of the middle class more than any single factor in history.  As winter approaches there is already rumors of more lock downs and job losses.  Things seem to be going from bad to worse.

The scare tactics continue with the narrative of catastrophic climate change and the ongoing parade of celebrities advocating green energy for the masses while they themselves travel in fuel guzzling super yachts and private jets to attend meetings that formulate directives to the masses.  The hypocrisy and imbalance has moved beyond the red line and now sits at “ludicrous.”

As all these factors consolidate and world events transpire in a pattern that Jesus predicted they would, much of civilization remains oblivious to the words and promises of Christ.  In Matthew 23:38-39 Jesus warned, “For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.  That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”

He goes on to offer these words of advice, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.  But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.  So you must also be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Matthew 24:42-43.

No one knows when the rapture of the Church will take place but we can have the situational awareness that we are living in a time when it could happen very soon.  We must be prepared just as wise bridesmaids waiting for the bridegroom.   We cannot let the perilous times we live in overwhelm us.  Luke 21:34-36 advises, “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will come on you unexpectedly like a trap.  For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth.  Be always on the watch, and pray that you will be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

Global conditions are becoming more and more synchronized with scripture as pieces of the prophetic puzzle continue to drop into place.  The trend line for world events seems to be falling into chaos as wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, severe weather and food shortages threaten humanity.  There is a thick darkness cloaking the world, trying to smother the light that is Jesus.  A darkness that knows its time is coming to an end and the light is about to pierce into the night and bring forth a new day. 

Do not be alarmed.  Have the presence of mind to remember the words of Christ. Stand up and lift your eyes to the heavens.  Your redemption is drawing near!