(the following are the notes from my End Times Prophecy Update, Dec 28th, 2014)
Prophecy
Update 2014
Mark 13
At Christmas we focus on Jesus FIRST coming, this
week we’re going to focus on His SECOND coming.
Once a construction worker that checked into a
hotel, and when he sat on the bed and took his boot off, it dropped to the
floor and made a huge “Thud.” Thinking to be sensitive to the person in the
room below, he slowly took off the other boot, and gently placed it on the
floor. About 30 minutes later a knock came at the door, and when he answered it
was the man from the room below… “would you please let the other shoe drop,
it’s driving me crazy!”
And so it is today, there are so many things
happening around the world, sometimes it feels like we’re waiting for the other
shoe to drop.
During an interview, Defense
Secretary Chuck Hagel, answering a question about Americas role in the world, stated
that "the world is experiencing 'historic defining times that will result
in a new world order'. Elaborating further Hagel said 'This is a time of global
transformation. We are essentially seeing a new world order evolving and being
built. I don't think we've seen such a time since right after World War II.”
1.
We’re seeing growing global chaos,
a. Financial crisis, where
entire regions are mired in debt, some countries many times their entire GDP.
b. Wars - almost every
continent has some conflict going on…
c. Religious conflict -
terrorism - persecution
d. Social unrest even here in
our own country
2.
...all of these things are indicators that we are
living in the last days.
3.
The last days will be days of apostasy: As time moves along,
Scripture warns there will be a growing universal revolt against God and
authority that will manifest itself in a humanism in which man (2 Thess. 2:3,
11; 2 Tim. 3:1).
4.
The last days will be days of globalism: Because of wars, rumors
of wars, and the threat of international crises that will build in preparation
for the scenario found in the Great Tribulation (Matt. 24 and Rev. 6-19),
a. More and more the human race
will look to a one-world international system to bring peace and safety (1
Thess. 5:3).
5.
The last days will be days of false messiahs: This hope and search for
some form of a one-world system will lead to the longing and search for someone
who can come on the scene of human history and mold the world into unity and
peace.
a. Such a person arises in
the form of the Antichrist, the Beast of the tribulation period (Matt. 24:5,
23-24; 2 Thess. 2:3b-4; Rev. 13:1f).
6.
These events can be likened to dominos set in a
line (IMAGE) - A chain of events that will unfold in rapid succession beginning
with the rapture of the church, and the emergence of the antichrist, and ending
with the battle of Armageddon and the return of Jesus Christ.
7.
This may seem "over the top" to some. I
know how some people react, “Oh please, we've been hearing this Jesus is coming
stuff for a long time.”
a. I don't know about the
naysayers, but I believe that a man who fulfilled 365 prophecies with His birth,
life, and death, and who rose from the grave after three days, when He says
He's coming back, I believe Him!
But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that
with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is
longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should
come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:8-9
b. In other words the only
reason Christ has not yet returned is so that we, the church, can reach as many
as possible with the gospel message.
8.
In Mark 13, Jesus had just left the temple, and
gone to the Mount of Olives, and His disciples began asking Him about his
return, and the end of the age.
a. Jesus laid out what is
described as the Olivet Discourse (Matt 24, Mark 13, Luke 21)
b. Today we’ll go through
these verses, and we’ll look at current events to see if there is any linkage
to what Jesus taught to what we see happening in the world today.
3 Now as He sat on the
Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him
privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign
when all these things will be fulfilled?”
5 And Jesus, answering
them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 6 For many will come
in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many.
There have been many false teachers and false Messiah
– the latest is Chrislam
9.
Chrislam is an attempt to blend Christianity with
Islam. While it began in Nigeria in the 1980s, Chrislamic ideas have spread
throughout much of the world.
a. The essential concept of
Chrislam is that Christianity and Islam are compatible, that one can be a
Christian and a Muslim at the same time.
b. Chrislam is not an actual
religion of its own, but a blurring of the differences and distinctions between
Christianity and Islam.
10. While it is undeniable
that there are similarities between Christianity and Islam (and Judaism, for
that matter), the reality is that Christianity and Islam are diametrically opposed
on the most important issue – the identity of Jesus Christ.
a. Islam adamantly rejects
the deity of Christ. The Qur’an declares the idea that Jesus is God to be
blasphemy.
b. Islam denies the death of
Christ on the cross
c. Jesus in the Quran is
neither the only-begotten Son of God, nor the Messiah who was divinely
appointed to restore the House of David.
d. He is portrayed as a
prophet who was appointed by Allah to prepare mankind for the coming of
Muhammad.
11. As a result, the two
religions are absolutely not compatible, making Chrislam a concept Christians
should reject.
Wars
7 But when you hear of
wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but
the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom. Mark 13:7-8
12. War is nothing new, men
have fought one another since the beginning of history
a. This year we have witnessed
the opening stages of a new multi-faceted war in the Middle East that involves
multiple factions, and on the surface can be confusing.
b. Is about about the US? Is
it Christian vs Muslim? Is it about Israel? Is about Sunni vs Shia?
c. YES!
The Islamic State
Micah Chapter 5 as a key prophetic scripture. The Old
Testament prophet speaks of the Jewish Messiah being born in Bethlehem, but
then makes an interesting statement:
“Thus He shall deliver us from the Assyrian,” Micah
5:6
13. That passage about an
Assyrian invasion and the deliverance by the Messiah has puzzled many students
of prophecy over the years because it has never been fulfilled.
a. But with IS gaining power,
we’re seeing what might be the beginning of the fulfillment of this prophecy.
14. Who are the Assyrians? The
capital of Assyria was the ancient city of Nineveh, and the ancient land of
Assyria is made up of the areas of the northern Iraq, part of southeast Turkey,
northwest Iran and northeast Syria.
a. Nineveh today is the Iraqi
city of Mosul, which fell to IS control in June, and IS commander Abu Bakr
al-Baghdadi declared himself the caliph over the Islamic State.
b. This group calls itself
the IS because they see themselves as the revived Islamic Empire that will
cover the area previously identified with the Assyrian Empire, but eventually encompassing
the entire world.
15. Also interesting is the IS
practice of beheading, which has been seen at this level since Medieval
times.
a. The bible teaches us that
it will be the predominant method of martyrdom (for Christians) in the last
days. In Revelation 20 John describes a
scene:
Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded
for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the
beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on
their hands. Rev 20:4
b. Islam fits that passage perfectly,
and no other people or religion does this
16. Is this the rise of the
“Assyrian” that Micah foretold? It’s not likely that ISIS will produce the
anti-christ, as he will be a supposed “man of peace” (which doesn’t sound like
IS),
a. but make no mistake all of
the fighting between Sunni and Shia is for control of the land
b. Regardless of who wins,
the goal of all Muslim countries is the annihilation of Israel.
c. Once their internal
struggle is over, is there any question of who they will turn their attention
to? Israel!
And there will be
earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These
are the beginnings of sorrows.
Persecution
9 “But watch out for
yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in
the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a
testimony to them.
17. If you listen to the new
and the pundits, you would think that it is ethnic minorities, LGTB people, and
Muslims who are the victims of hate and injustice (and yes it does exist)
a. Yet Christians are being kidnapped,
killed, enslaved, and driven from homes, and yet there is a strange silence
from the world.
b. There are no marches,
there are no celebrities calling for action, nothing.
c. The US sent supplies and airstrikes
when the Yazidi people were trapped on a mountain in Iraq, yet there has been
no call or movement to protect Christians in Syria and Iraq.
18. The Christian non-profit Open
Doors has produced some particularly shocking statistics on Christian persecution.
a. It estimates that 322
Christians are killed every month because of their faith, 214 churches and
properties are destroyed, and more than 772 forms of violence against
Christians take place.
19. Open Doors lists the
current top 10 such countries where Christians are routinely persecuted as
Yemen, Iran, Pakistan, the Maldives, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria,
Somalia, and North Korea.
a. Egypt’s revolutions and
counter-revolutions have been accompanied by riots against Coptic Christians,
with murders and church burnings.
b. This year more than 3,000
Christians fled Mosul in Iraq, one of the oldest Christian cities in the world,
in advance of Islamic State forces who demanded they convert or be executed.
c. About 40% of Christians
have left Syria since the start of the civil war there three years ago.
20. The Catholic charity Aid
to the Church in Need found that religious freedom had deteriorated in 55 of
the 196 countries it studied over recent months, and that Christians are the
most persecuted religious minority in the world.
a. Muslim countries
predominated among states where the most serious violations of religious
freedom occurred.
b. At the present rate of
decline it has been estimated that the Middle East’s 12 million Christians will
have dropped to six million by 2020 and that they have lost any cultural and
political voice in society.
The World-wide Spread of the Gospel
10 And the gospel must
first be preached to all the nations. 11 But when they arrest you and deliver
you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But
whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak,
but the Holy Spirit.
21. Very difficult to spread
gospel in some countries - The former communist nations did not allow freedom
of religion. China, with one quarter of the world's people, still does not.
a. Many Islamic nations do
not allow religious freedom. In some countries people risk the death penalty
for changing religion.
22. But the Internet is
changing everything. One month ago Billy Graham’s PeacewithGod.net (partner
“searchforJesus.net) reached Five Million decisions for Christ since 2011 when
it launched.
23. The gospel message of the
coming Kingdom of God is still going out to the world. It will finish when God
has decided that His work is completed and the time is right for the final
end-time events to take place.
Division
12 Now brother will
betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up
against parents and cause them to be put to death. 13 And you will be hated by
all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money,
boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy… 2
Timothy 3:2
24. Lawlessness – Ferguson MO
riots, NY City, general rebellion against authority.
a. One local pastor was
interviewed, and notes:
“They absolutely have no
fear of authority anymore. They have no fear of their parents because most of
them are coming from single parent homes, [and] at some point, the mothers and
grandmothers can’t do anything with them. They don’t respect God, the values of
God, or the love of God. They’re not afraid of God because they’re not being
taught how to love God and believe in Him.”
The Abomination of Desolation
14 “So when you see the
‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it
ought not” (let the reader understand)
(Read Daniel 9:24-27)
25. These prophecies of the
end times require a Jewish-controlled Jerusalem, and a functioning Jewish
temple.
a. Of course we know that in
1948 a modern day miracle occurred, when the nation of Israel was established.
b. What remains is the
rebuilding of the temple - which is undoubtedly the most contentious topic in
the Mideast, and the most unlikely thing to happen. (but it will happen!)
26. The temple mount is
currently occupied by the Muslim Dome of the Rock mosque, completed in 691 AD
after the Muslim Siege of Jerusalem.
a. The Temple Mount is the
holiest site to Jews and also contains the third-holiest site to Muslims, the
Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the nearby Dome of the Rock.
b. The Jewish Temple hasn't
been built – but it will
Three events:
27. For the first time, a
Muslim Cleric Sheikh Yassin Al-Ajlouni of Jordan called for a Jewish place of
worship to be established on the Temple Mount.
28. Temple Institute –
KICKSTART Campaign to rebuild temple
29. This year, the Temple
Institute has produced pure olive oil fit for use in the Menorah of the Temple
for what it says is the first time in two thousand years.
The Anti-Christ Campaign Against Jews
“then let those who are
in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let him who is on the housetop not go down
into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house. 16 And let him who
is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 17 But woe to those who are
pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 18 And pray that
your flight may not be in winter. 19 For in those days there will be
tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God
created until this time, nor ever shall be.
30. Anti-semitism on the rise
in Europe
In the space of just one week, eight synagogues
were attacked. One, in the Paris suburb of Sarcelles, was firebombed by a 400-strong
mob. A kosher supermarket and pharmacy were smashed and looted; the crowd's
chants and banners included "Death to Jews" and "Slit Jews'
throats". That same weekend, in the Barbes neighbourhood of the capital,
stone-throwing protesters burned Israeli flags: "Israhell", read one
banner.
20 And unless the Lord
had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake,
whom He chose, He shortened the days.
The False Prophet & Great Deception
21 “Then if anyone says
to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, He is there!’ do not believe it.
22 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to
deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 But take heed; see, I have told you
all things beforehand.
31. Each year the Washington
Post publishes a list of the top ten “Pinocchio’s” year - and don’t worry, both
political parties are represented.
a. Regardless of whether
you’re Democrat, Republican, or Independent, your party has a spot on the list!
32. But what catches my attention
isn’t who told the lie, but the fact that the lies are being told with such brazenness,
and they are propped up by the media, whose job in our society is supposedly to
report the truth and keep the government honest. That’s not happening anymore.
a. Our leaders are now very
comfortable standing before the population and saying things are are patently
untrue in order to further their particular agenda. Very Orwellian.
2 Thess
2:9-11
In other words there is a conditioning that is
happening where the population is willing to believe a lie in order to be part
of the “movement.” (typical cult behavior)
This is a preparation of the coming false prophet,
who will rise up along with the anti-christ.
Rev 13:11-15
33. What does al of this mean?
a. Coming up I95 you see
signs South of the Border – signs tell us we’re getting closer – well we’re
seeing the signs that Jesus told us to watch for.
b. You may not agree with
everything I’ve said – but I think we can all agree that Jesus promised that He
would return!
The Coming of Christ
24 “But in those days,
after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give
its light; 25 the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will
be shaken. 26 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great
power and glory. 27 And then He will send His angels, and gather together His
elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part
of heaven.
The Parable of the Fig
Tree
28 “Now learn this
parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender, and puts
forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So you also, when you see these
things happening, know that it is near—at the doors! 30 Assuredly, I say to
you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take
place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass
away.
34. Story – ISIS stones woman accused
of adultery / Jesus forgives woman caught in adultery (John 8)
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