Noteworthy Signs

Whether we acknowledge it, deny it, or simply choose to ignore it, civilization is gradually inching towards it’s culmination with the return of Jesus Christ as foretold in Bible prophesy. Many of the signs that Jesus said would precede His return have become visible in the last century and numerous indications that the last days are upon us have surfaced simultaneously in today’s world events. A key signal that the time is getting short is the increase in the prevalence of wars. There have been more lives lost to war in the last century than in the previous nineteen combined.

The doomsday clock now sits at 90 seconds to midnight (as of January 24, 2023), the closest it has ever been. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists stated, “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has increased the risk of nuclear weapons use, raised the scepter of biological and chemical weapons use, hamstrung the world’s response to climate change, and hampered international efforts to deal with other global concerns.”

Ukraine Is A Pawn

The war in Ukraine is evidence of a much larger agenda to alter the balance of global power that has been the status quo for many years. Putin wants to bring about a new world order where the USA is no longer dominant and he is willing to push civilization to the brink of another world war, using nuclear blackmail to accomplish it. As a product of the Soviet Union he would love to see Moscow’s influence restored to its former glory.

Ever since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, the resolve of the west has been carefully assessed as Putin has slowly advanced a calculated and purposeful confrontation with NATO.  And he isn’t about to stop any time soon. Russia blames NATO expansion over the last twenty-five years for starting the conflict and claims victim status thereby necessitating their invasion of a non NATO territory. NATO has countered with a cautious and measured response, not wanting to escalate the situation.

Russia has forged alliances with Turkey, Iran, India, China and North Korea with aspirations of displacing the USA’s influence and dominance of world affairs. By persistently pushing the envelope of military aggression, interwoven with deceptive diplomacy and nuclear saber rattling, the Kremlin instigates conflict while professing a desire for peace. In reality Russia simply wants to draw the world into fruitless negotiations while she maneuvers her tactical action plan to portray her adversaries as escalating the war to the point where Putin can claim provocation.

Uncompromising Obstinance

Russia will never compromise and is actively building up it’s military in plain sight while denying it, just as Putin denied his intentions to invade Ukraine right up until the eve of his “special military operation.” The western strategy has been to hope for the best and falsely believe Russia would ever negotiate in good faith. The world is being blackmailed into playing Russian roulette with the designers of the gun.

Russia agreed in 1994 never to attack Ukraine in exchange for her nuclear arsenal (built up during the USSR years) by signing the Budapest Memorandum. The USA and the U.K. (also signatories) agreed with Russia to respect Ukraine’s independence and existing borders, to refrain from using force against Ukraine except for defense and to provide assistance to Ukraine if it becomes a victim of aggression in which nuclear weapons are used and to not use their nuclear weapons on Ukraine.

However, Putin reneged on that commitment when he illegally encroached on the Crimean-peninsula and claimed it as his. Russian forces subsequently infiltrated the Donbas region and acted as catalysts in an insurrection to facilitate the succession of eastern Ukraine into Russian territories. He then signed the Minsk-1 and Minsk-2 agreements without any intention of fulfilling his obligations under them. Russia officially recognized the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic on February 21, 2022 before invading Ukraine three days later.

Putin has the audacity to claim security concerns as the reason to invade a sovereign country yet sees no problem compromising the security of other nations in the process.  Russia has recently deployed a ship armed with Zicron hypersonic missiles to the Atlantic enroute to the Indian Ocean under the same premise. Thinly veiled threats from the Kremlin warning the west that those who support Ukraine with more powerful weapons risk their own destruction are based upon hypothetical scenarios of them being used to strike peaceful Russian cities while Russia itself is guilty of targeting civilians in Ukraine as standard practice.

How the conflict in the Ukraine plays out will impact the course of history and will prove to be prophetic in nature. It will set the stage for future geopolitical alignments and ultimately involve Israel as Ezekiel 38 predicts. Russia will be drawn out of the far north into battle as God declares, “I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army” (Ezekiel 38:4).

“After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety.” (Ezekiel 38:8).

Israel Is A Hotbed

The return of Benjamin Netanyahu as Israel’s Prime Minister signals the resumption of the Greater Israel vision of restoring biblically promised land and religious Zionism. This fundamental shift to the far right will undoubtedly clash with the extreme Islamist authorities and will pave the way for more settlements on the West Bank and renewed pressure for control of the Temple Mount. Israel will become even more polarizing in the Middle East as it commits to Torah study as a fundamental principle in the heritage of the Jewish people. Ultimately this will necessitate a new collaborative peace agreement or a dramatic expansion of the Abraham Accords to offset the Islamic reaction.

Peace in Israel is paramount to the fulfillment of prophecy concerning the end of the age. The antichrist, spoken of by the apostle Paul (2 Thessalonians 2:3-10) John the disciple, (Revelation 13) and the prophet Daniel (Daniel 9:27) will be instrumental is bringing about this peace. “He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple, he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.” (Daniel 9:27).

In order for this to take place the temple will have to be rebuilt and with the return of Prime Minister Netanyahu to power, the trajectory for this to occur has become much more clear. Israel is entering a time of great self discovery when she will mature as a nation and establish her identity in a hostile environment. It will seem as if she has finally achieved her rightful position in possession of the promised land.

This peace will be short lived however, because the seven-year treaty will be broken at its mid point when the antichrist demands to be worshipped as God. Civilization will then experience a time of distress such has not happened from the beginning of nations until then (Daniel 12:1). Jesus spoke of this time also. “For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now – and never to be equalled again.” (Matthew 24:21).

The prophet Zachariah wrote, ”I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves.” (Zachariah 12:2-3). Israel and war dominate the narrative of Christian eschatology and world events today.

Time Is Of The Essence

The world we live in is weighed down because of sin. The past century has shown how prevalent evil has become through the increase in wars, violence, sexual immorality, materialism, apostasy and a multitude of other transgressions against God. The Bible says that God’s wrath is being stored up and will be poured out upon an unrepentant world. He has been holding back His judgement of the ungodly but He will not wait indefinitely. Time is of the essence.

The apostle Peter wrote, ”The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9). World events are in alignment with Bible prophecy and the period of grace is drawing to an end. We must acknowledge that the time is short.

For those who have placed their hope in Jesus Christ these developments solidify the reality that we are truly living in the last days and the return of Jesus to make His enemies a footstool for His feet is nearing. Our rescue is at hand! As Luke records, “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:28).