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Human
beings like to know what is in the future. The
Lord forbids us from using dangerous, forbidden,
occult techniques to try and peer into the future.
Instead, the Lord sent us prophets who told us
what God wants us to know. Yeshua is the greatest
of the prophets, and at the end of His earthly
life, He gave His disciples, and us, important
information about what lies ahead.
In the
first part of this great prophetic message about
the Last Days, and His Second Coming, Yeshua Ha-Navee
(Jesus the Prophet) gave us ten signs which will
increase in frequency and intensity, which indicate
that He is about to return.
There
will be false messiahs, wars, earthquakes and
famines. Messianic Believers will be persecuted,
and at the same time the Good News, the message
about salvation through the Messiah, will finally
be preached to the entire world. Israel will be
reestablished, and the Temple will be rebuilt,
and the anti-Messiah will come to power, and unleashed
great anti‑Semitism. There will be unprecedented
trouble for the entire world, that will bring
humanity to the brink of destruction. Thank God,
He will intervene, and limit the duration of the
time of these terrible troubles ‑ otherwise
no human life on Earth would survive.
We seem
to be getting close! The Jewish people, after
being without a state for almost 1900 years, scattered
and persecuted among the nations, have possession
of some of our ancient land and once again we
are a nation. The Messianic Jewish movement is
growing. There is apostasy in the much of the
Church. There is false religion and philosophies
throughout the world. Yeshua’s followers are persecuted
in many parts of the world. There is moral decay
in so much of the world, and most disappointingly,
in Western society, that used to have a Biblical
morality. Knowledge is increasing. Our weapons
for destruction have become tremendously powerful.
We know
that the anti-Christ is going to rise to power,
and control a one world political and economic
system. There already are trends toward a world
government. Technology is uniting the world. There
already is a world economy. We don’t have a world
government yet, but we are moving in that direction.
How can
we get there? I’d like to speculate, and I emphasize
speculate. Our nation is the world’s superpower,
and we influence the world more than any other
nation, but we are morally, spiritually, intellectually
and economically weak. If I seem angry or passionate
at times, it is because I see the decay in this
once good nation getting worse and worse, and
I am upset and frustrated. My soul, like the soul
of righteous Lot, is vexed.
My speculation
is that severe economic problems could bring us
into a world-wide dictatorial government. A good
example of this is what happened to German in
the 1920s and 1930s. In the 1920s, the German
economy experienced hyperinflation, and collapsed
into a great depression. In that difficult time,
an evil, powerful, charismatic man rose to power
and became the dictator.
Politics
and economics go together, and the world’s premier
economy is very fragile. The economic levees are
weak, and major storms could be on the way. I
don’t think it will take much to break the levees
and bring us into a Second Great Depression, which
will impact the whole world.
The economic
levees are weak because we are tremendously in
debt in the public and private sectors. The government
has run up the national obligations to more than
40 trillion dollars. For a family of four, that
comes to 500,000 dollars. The savings rate has
gone to zero. Many Americans are saving very little
for difficult times. Many are in debt.
The levees
are weak because we are running an extraordinarily
high trade deficit - more than 6 percent of our
Gross Domestic Product. We are importing 6 percent
more than we export, which sends our money out
of the country, where it is accrued by foreigners.
We depend on foreigners to support our national
debt and trade deficits several billion dollars
each day. We are eating up about 80% of the world’s
savings. A day could come when that support could
be greatly diminished or removed, which would
cause us serious economic problems.
The levees
are weak because of the nature of fractional reserve
banking.
Traditionally,
banks are supposed to keep ten percent of the
money they loan out in reserve, to cover losses,
and to meet the needs of people who want their
money back, but it is my understanding that the
nation’s banks have much less than the ten percent
that they are supposed to keep in reserve, which
creates an unstable situation.
The levees
are weak because we have gone off the gold standard,
and our government, and other government around
the world have been able to create money out of
nothing, and greatly expanded the money supply.
All this money is back by nothing real, nothing
of substance - only the confidence of people,
which can be broken. The dollar is the world’s
reserve currency. All the currencies of the world
are interconnected, and the dollar is vulnerable.
The money
supply has gone up tremendously for the past 100
years, reducing the value of money. This extra
money has created asset bubbles in stocks, bonds
and real estate. Over time, bubbles tend to burst
and revert to the norm. The increasing supply
of money causes inflation. Inflation slowly steals
from us. It is like a stealth tax.
A housing-bubble
storm could be coming. Along the East and West
coasts, there seems to be a housing bubble, supported
by unusually artificially low interest rates,
with a significant percentage of riskier loans
(adjustable rate mortgages, interest only loans,
40 year mortgages, loans with little or no down-payment),
loaned to less and less worthy borrowers. To make
matters worse, people have extracted money on
what may be the inflated value of their houses.
On average, a housing bubble bursting causes more
damage, inflicts more economic pain and affects
more people than the bursting of a stock bubble.
Millions of people could be in serious economic
trouble if the price of housing deflates.
There
could be a storm in the definitives market. There
are tens of trillions of dollars worth of derivatives,
many of which may turn out to be backed by parties
that can’t fulfill the contracts. The danger is
that these trillions of dollars worth of contractual
positions could start falling in a gigantic cascade
of economic dominos.
There
could be a storm among hedge funds. There are
thousands of hedge funds, many of which have highly
leveraged financial positions which could blow
up and cause serious problems.
The storms
of war could swamp the economic levees, and there
are situations that could lead us to war - with
Iran, with North Korea, or with China attacking
Taiwan.
The storm
of terrorism could burst our economic levees,
if the terrorists use biological, chemical or
nuclear weapons in one of our major cities.
The storm
of peak oil could swamp the levees. Peak oil is
the state where we reach the maximum amount of
oil available to pump - and that point may be
getting close. It doesn’t mean that all oil and
gas will disappear, but that decreasing amounts
of oil will be able to be extracted, with the
result that the price of oil could go much higher.
There are some experts who believe that Saudi
Arabia may soon reach peak oil production. The
United States reached its peak in 1972. At our
peak, we pumped over 9 millions barrels of oil
per day. Now we pump out around 5.4 million. Once
Saudi Arabia reaches its peak, their production
could decline at 2 to 3 percent per year, or faster.
At the same time, world demand is growing. This
could lead to an explosive situation in the price
of oil, and in tensions between nations competing
for that precious resource.
Our levees
could burst by natural disasters - say if San
Francisco or Los Angeles were seriously damaged
by earthquakes, or if hurricanes destroyed the
oil and gas platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, or
the refineries in that area, or a huge tsunami
stuck the east or west coasts.
The storm
of avian flu has the potential to disrupt our
normal lives, and could have a serious economic
impact on us. One of the most deadly kinds of
Bird Flu (H5N1 virus) has been spreading for the
past several years. This virus was first detected
in 2003 and started in wild birds in Asia. It
kills more than half of all the people it infects
(so far about 65 have died), making it the deadliest
flu, and one of the deadliest diseases, in human
history. We have no natural immunity to it. Right
now it only spreads from birds to people. But
if it mutates, and is able to spread from human
to human, we could quickly have a terrible, world
wide epidemic. In fact, last Thursday the head
of the U.N. World Health Organization said that
Avian flu will mutate and become transmissible
by humans. After it mutates and starts spreading
from human to human, it will most likely take
between four to six months to develop a vaccine,
but in that time the virus could spread around
the world and has the potential to kill millions.
Remember,
this is just speculation, how we could see various
storms swamp our economic levees and lead to a
catastrophe that brings us to a one world government.
I’m not depressed about these potential problems,
and I hope you aren’t either. I am pessimistic
about the future in the short term, but extremely
optimistic in the long term. If these problems
overtake us, many are going to be shaken out of
their deadly spiritual sleep, and awaken, be reconciled
to God, and find life. God’s grace will be sufficient
for us! We will do our best to help each other.
Ultimately, Messiah is coming! He is bringing
with Him something much better. We live in exciting
times!
The Messiah
continues with His prophetic message, telling
us what we should do in light of the signs He
has given us that indicate that His Second Coming
is near.
Avoid
false messiahs and prophets: 21-23 And
then if anyone says to you, “Behold, here is the
Messiah”; or, “Behold, He is there”; do not believe
him; for false messiahs and false prophets will
arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order
to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But take
heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance
- and to be forewarned can help us be better
prepared. Yeshua again emphasizes that this will
be a time of world‑wide religious deceit.
There will be many false prophets and false messiahs
in the Last Days. And, some of them will have
genuine spiritual power. They will use signs and
wonders to mislead people. The signs and wonders
are apparently so impressive that without discernment
by the Holy Spirit, even God's sons and daughters
can be deceived by them. Their signs and wonders
are so powerful that the accuracy and truth of
their doctrine and the purity of their lives no
longer matters to many.
Because
a human being can predict the future, speak in
other languages, cast out demons or perform miracles
does not mean that they have the approval of God.
Satan can empower human beings, like Pharaoh’s
magicians who opposed Moses. Or, God can empower,
but a man can betray the Messiah, like Judas.
You must make sure that a man who is doing miracles
is theologically and morally sound. If they aren’t,
avoid them. Don’t be taken in by them. Don't listen
to them, don't believe them, and don't follow
them! Don’t believe that any man on Earth is the
Messiah.
False
prophets and false messiahs and false religion
are so terribly dangerous and destructive, because
if the truth sets you free, then error keeps you
in your sins, and damns you to Hell, especially
the truth about the Messiah. It is the Person
of Yeshua of Nazareth, who is our salvation. He
Himself, He alone, makes salvation possible.
Instead,
always look for the true Messiah: 24-25 But
in those days, after that tribulation, the sun
will be darkened and the moon will not give its
light, and the stars will be falling from heaven,
and the powers that are in the heavens will be
shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming
in clouds with great power and glory. And then
He will send forth the angels, and will gather
together His elect from the four winds, from the
farthest end of the Earth to the farthest end
of Heaven. At the end of this age, not only
will the Earth shake, but also the perfection
and steadiness of the heavens will be shaken.
The sun and moon will be affected.
The true
Messiah won’t be in this place or that place.
Nevee Yeshua predicts that He will leave, and
when He returns, it will be at the height of the
Battle of Armageddon. He will come from Heaven,
accompanied by clouds and the good angels and
the resurrected believers, with great power and
glory. He will return to Israel, to Jerusalem,
to the Mount of Olives. He will destroy the huge
armies of the Earth that oppose Him and His people.
The King
of Israel, full of with power and glory, will
send out the angels and gather His people from
all over the world, to His capital, Jerusalem.
He will then rule over Israel and the nations
for with peace and righteousness and prosperity
and truth for 1,000 years.
Yeshua
concludes this great prophetic message with the
response that He wants from us: The parable
of the fig tree: 28-29 Now learn the parable
from the fig tree: when its branch has already
become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know
that summer is near. Even so, you too, when you
see these things happening, recognize that He
is near, right at the door. Yeshua tells us
that we can and should know the general time of
His return. When you see trees sprouting leaves
in the spring, it means that summertime will soon
follow. When we see these signs increasing in
frequency and intensity, we are to know that He
is almost here. Yeshua expects us to be able to
recognize the general time when He will return.
We are to know about End-time prophecy. We are
to study it. It is not too difficult, and it is
very relevant.
We are
to know that, in spite of the worst anti-Semitism,
and the persecutions of the anti-Christ, and the
deceit of false messiahs and prophets, and great
disasters, a remnant of the Jewish people will
survive. 13:30 Truly I say to you, this generation
(even though it is translated as “generation”
in most translations, it is better translated
as “race, nation or people.” It doesn't mean the
generation since 1948) will not pass away until
all these things take place. We are to be
comforted by the fact that Israel will survive.
We are
to know that in the midst of all the chaos, suffering,
persecution, and troubles that will come upon
the Earth, and the heavens becoming unstable,
we have something solid to rely on. 13:31 Heaven
and Earth will pass away, but My words will not
pass away. Yeshua tells us that the foundation
of our stability in tumultuous times must be His
words. The universe will pass away before His
words will. Imagine a carpenter saying that! And
yet His words have endured for 2000 years. His
words are quoted more often, studied, discussed,
debated and sung about more frequently than the
words of anyone else. His words are truer, more
relevant, more powerful and more enduring than
the words of any other man who has ever lived.
His words are our source of stability and security
in tumultuous days.
We are
to know the general time of Yeshua’s return, but
we can’t know the exact time. 13:32 But of
that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels
in Heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
Yeshua emphasized this by saying that even the
angels and He, while He was on Earth, didn't know
the exact time. This means that anybody who claims
to have a revelation as to exactly when this event
is going to take place has been deluded.
Yeshua
wants to us always to be ready for Him to return.
33-37 Take heed, keep on the alert; for you
do not know when the appointed time will come.
It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving
his house and putting his slaves in charge, assigning
to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper
to stay on the alert. Therefore, be on the alert
‑ for you do not know when the master of
the house is coming, whether in the evening, at
midnight, or when the rooster crows in the morning
‑ in case he should come suddenly and find
you asleep. What I say to you I say to all, “Be
on the alert!” In this parable, Messiah Yeshua
prophesies that He will He and return. He knows
that He will die, be resurrected, ascend to Heaven,
and return to this world in a physical form. Between
His ascension to Heaven, and His return to Earth,
He wants His followers to be like a faithful doorkeeper.
A faithful doorkeeper must make sure that nobody
gains entrance into the master’s house, and ruins
or steals what belongs to the owner of the estate.
He must keep an eye on things so that everything
will be in order when the master returns. He must
be ready to welcome the owner of the house into
his home. He must not neglect his duties. A faithful
doorkeeper must always be alert, because he won’t
know exactly when the owner of the home will return.
So be
alert! Be faithful! Always be prepared for the
Messiah’s return, as if He were coming today!
Live the right way. Live for God, and not the
world, for what is eternal, and not for what is
temporary and will pass away. Don’t get caught
up with the cares of this world. Stay focused
on the true Messiah and His words, and not be
taken in by false prophets and Scripture twisters,
and false Messiahs. Stay close to God and Messiah,
filled with the Holy Spirit, building yourself
up in your most holy faith, studying the Scriptures,
looking at the signs of His coming, praying, serving
your congregation, and witnessing to the world.
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