The Nearness Of The Hour

If you've been visiting this site for a while, hopefully it has become obvious that I try to never use the worlds "I", "me", "in my opinion", or any other references to me or my personal feelings. Frankly, my "opinions" or "feelings" aren't worth much - especially when compared to our subject matter. My job has always been to simply use one hand to point to the prophetic scriptures and the other hand to point to the news of the day. That's what watchers do as God's word usually speaks for itself. As the foretold world events continue to line up precisely as the prophetic scriptures would dictate, commentary isn't really needed. The scriptures and various world developments are too perfectly orchestrated and too obvious to require a lot of personal commentary. 

But there are exceptions to the above and I guess today is one of those exceptions. 

Before getting to that - let us remind ourselves of the facts. We know that the people who would be alive during this generation would see all of the "signs" that we've been given and those signs would grow in frequency and severity throughout that generation. In retrospect, the length of a "generation" should be obvious. Sure, 'genea" can have several meanings, but in the context of Matthew 24 it is obvious that we're dealing with a typical life-span for those alive during this period, and it is a fact that many people on earth are still alive between 100-120 years. To confirm that, we can look to Jesus words "As it was in the days of Noah". Turn to Genesis 6:3 (during Noah's era) and in the description of the "days of Noah", we see the following: "Then the Lord said, 'My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years'". 

Obviously we are approaching the very end of that generation.

We've watched the signs since the WWI era, when, as Arnold Fruchtenbaum points out in his book "Footsteps of the Messiah", the generation began. During that first world war, ("nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom"), there was an unprecedented spike in those first birth pain signs: World war, famine, pestilence, and earthquakes. The data to support this initial "spike" in signs is unequivocal. The next birth pain was the WWII era, when these signs all spiked again - and then almost immediately in the aftermath of this world war, this generation witnessed the fulfillment of Isaiah 66:7-10 as Israel was formed "in a day"and Ezekiel 36-37 as the Nation of Israel was regathered from having been dispersed "among the nations". This amazing fulfillment alone should scream that we're in the last days.

There can be absolutely no doubt that we are living in that final generation and that we're at the very end of that generation. Since the big initial birth pains shown above, we have also seen the remaining prophecies fulfilled as we watch: We've seen the Roman Empire regathered exactly as described in Daniel 2 and 7. We've watch as apostasy has spread throughout the churches and the secular world. We've watched the "knowledge explosion" of this generation and the increased ability to "travel" (remember, mankind was in horse and buggy until this generation).  We've watched as violence engulfs the world. We've watched as globalism has become a universally accepted concept (aka "New World Order") as an inevitable consequence of the world financial system and the new calls for a single currency. We've watched as technology has given us a police state with the ability of constant monitoring of the nations citizens and the ability to track and monitor humans via GPS - while implantable microchips are already in use and being inserted into the human hand. We've watched as world governments continually increase their growth and power. We've watched nuclear arms spread on a world-wide basis and now such weapons reside within terrorist groups, along with biological and chemical weapons. 

We've watched as the nations align against Israel. We've watched the alignment of Israel's enemies coming together - whether those involved in Isaiah 17 or the well-known battle of "Gog-Magog" - as they grow in military might and in their various alliances - exactly as foretold by the ancient scriptures. We've watched America abandon Israel and continue its rapid and predictable fall from power. We've watched persecution of Christians and Jews increase dramatically over recent years while radical Islam continues to become more and more accepted by the MSM. We're watching as the "peace plan" between Israel and her neighbors continues to receive the world's attention, while we continue to watch Jerusalem becoming the "burdensome stone" for all nations. We watch as the land of Magog and the 'kings of the east' prepare militarily for the wars which are certain to come. 

We watch the signs in the sky as the four blood moons begin their appearance this spring. We watch the earthquakes, the tsunamis, the growing famine and drought problem throughout the world while we continue to see the constant warnings issued by the CDC about antibiotic resistance and emerging untreatable bacteria and a "post-antibiotic era" emerging. We watch the world reverting to the "Godlessness" in the last days as described by the Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 3 as we also see the increase in "wickedness" and the love of most "growing cold" exactly as Jesus described in Matthew 24. 

Yes indeed, it's all coming together. 

But there is more. Again, as stated in the opening paragraph above, I'm breaking the self-imposed "rules" in this post. To get right to the point -  I'm getting a strong sense to communicate that we're in the very last hours. To ignore this would be a disservice to this assignment. We are on the brink of big things, and it's time to brace ourselves. That sense of urgency not only applies to communications on this site, but people who I encounter on a daily basis. It is both surprising and comforting that so many people are eager to hear the truth right now - whether due to fear or a foreboding sense of what seems to be coming. I can't recall any period before (including 9/11) where people seem so willing to hear this message. 

I wish I could be more specific. The overriding message, presumably from the Holy Spirit is to get prepared and to do so quickly. Get prepared mentally and spiritually. This would seem to involve more prayer and meditation on Jesus and what He did for us on the cross. Not much else matters now. After all - that's what "watching" is really all about isn't it? Keeping God very close at all times. Lean on Him, rely on Him, trust in Him and His promises. That can never be taken away. Even if things get scary - we can always take comfort in one simple fact: Man cannot harm our souls or our eternal destiny - man cannot take our salvation. If other men inflict hardship and suffering, it will be brief and meaningless in the "big picture" of what really matters. We are here to do God's work in these final hours. 

As we get closer and closer to the last days, the world is going to begin to see some very big things. These "big things" are within sight now. We may be here to see some of these things. We have to be ready. The time is now. Remember - we are considered as Saints and we are the salt and light of this dark world. When the last bolus of birth pains begin, we may be called into service - to witness - to explain what is happening in the biblical context - to serve as the light in the darkness -  to remain calm and steady, using the Bible as our compass. 

As always - it's really all about Jesus. It will be about Jesus when He comes for His Bride. It will be about Jesus when we return home and await the greatly anticipated wedding supper of the Lamb. It will be about Jesus when He returns to earth to set up His Kingdom. 

And more importantly - it will be about Jesus when we come face to face with Him. It will be about Jesus when we fall at His feet. It will be about Jesus when we give Him our crowns. It will be about Jesus when He tells us of those moments that He was close to us - when He carried us through our trials and tribulations while here on earth. And it will be about Jesus as we are taken up for the greatest reunion and celebration ever known or ever described. We will celebrate together - but our sole focus will be on Him, and Him alone. As it should be. 

As stated in John 14:

"Do not let your hearts  be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. 

In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. 

I am going there to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." 

And clarified in 1 Thessalonians 4:16

"For the Lord himself will come down from Heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

And so we will be with the Lord forever. 

Therefore encourage each other with these words."