Signs Of The Times

In my "Second Chance" commentary last week, I mentioned how today's news headlines reminded me of reading a prophecy newsletter discussing the coming events portrayed by the four horsemen of the Apocalypse (Revelation 6). -- I also mentioned how world governments were coming together to fight famine, war, pestilence and death.

Since that writing, I've dwelt on almost nothing else. As a matter of fact, I've been listening to the hoofbeats getting louder with each passing day. It reminds me of a great man of God named Elbert Peak. During a bible prophecy conference held in Orlando, Florida back in the 1990's, he was one of the speakers and was assigned the topic, "Signs of the Times." Mr. Peak was eighty years old and he began his presentation by observing, "Sixty years ago when I first started preaching, you had to scratch around like a chicken to find one sign of the Lord's soon return. But today, there are so many signs I'm no longer looking for them. Instead, I'm listening for a sound -- the sound of the trumpet!"

The Bible says we cannot know the time of the Lord's return (Matthew 25:13), but the scriptures make it equally clear that we can know the season of the Lord's return.

I Thessalonians 5:2-6 states, "You yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night...but you brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief, for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night or darkness, so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober." 

This passage asserts that Jesus is coming like "A thief in the night." But then it proceeds to make it clear that this will be true only for the  pagan world and not for believers. His return should be no surprise to those who know Him and his word, for they have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to give them understanding of the nature of the times.

Having said that, let's for a moment review the signs of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse -- famine, war, pestilence and death.

Matthew 24:7-8 says, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains." (Also see Mark 13:8 and luke 21:11)

This is a crisis of almost Biblical proportions with almost one billion people living with permanent hunger. Ministers from the world's largest producers and consumers of food met in Italy just last week to try and come up with solutions on how to avert a permanent food crisis of an unprecedented scale. Additionally, a report prepared by the G8 for it's first - ever food summit meeting warns of "structural" problems in world food markets that risk war and famine -- unless food output is doubled in twenty years. "Immediate interventions are required!"

In an unrelated report from Ag Weekly, it reports that a virulent strain of wheat stem rust, UG-99, that first surfaced in Africa in 1999, has now spread into Iran and threatens to spread into other wheat-producing regions of Asia, and eventually, the entire world. It goes on to say that UG-99 infected plants may suffer up to 100% loss. -- If this continues to spread as expected, you can forget about one billion hungry people. The number will go much higher!

Luke 21:9 says, "When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away." (Also see Matthew 24:6 and Mark 13:8)

Violence has always been part of the human condition. Cain killed Abel in the first murder. More than 15,000 wars have been the scourge of every generation since Noah and his family left the ark.

Wars waged by the likes of the ancient Assyrians, Egyptians, Babylonians, Medes, Persians, Alexander's Greek Empire, and the Roman Empire brought tremendous bloodshed down through the millennia. - but it was the 20th Century, with World Wars I and II, the Korean War, Vietnam, and others that continue into the 21st Century that spawned the level of violence that equates to the worldwide violence spoken of in scripture. --  And with this continuing escalation of "Wars and rumors of wars" spoken of in Matthew 24:6, who lies directly in the middle of it all today? -- You guess it -- tiny Israel.

Luke 21:20 says, "When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near." --This is another of the amazing prophecies of the signs of the end. -- Think of it! Remember that since the days of Babylon, Israel wasn't even a nation. But we saw that all change in May of 1948. And now this tiny little nation of God's chosen people is the center of world attention. -- And are they surrounded by the armies of the world? - Absolutely!! -- Scripture will never fail us.

Luke 21:11 states, "There will be great earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great sign from Heaven." (Also see Matthew 24:2 -- love grows cold; Matthew 24:21 -- great distress; Mark 13:8 -- earthquakes).

First, what does this word mean? Webster's says of pestilence, 1) A deadly epidemic disease/plague; 2) Anything regarded as harmful.

To start with, for the first time in four decades, the world is dealing with the threat of an influenza pandemic. Granted, so far it hasn't amounted to much, but it could return in a much stronger form this fall.

The last pandemic was the 1968-69 Hong Kong flu which killed an estimated one million people. That, however, was mild compared to the 1918 Spanish flu which may have killed as many as fifty million people.

In addition, the Australian reports of a new drug-resistant malaria strain found in Cambodia. It goes on to report that this disease has the potential to go global. Currently the W.H.O. (World Health Organization) is mobilizing to eradicate it.

And just one more for now, W.H.O. is urging countries where T.B. is prevalent to take urgent action to curb the spread of this new, drug-resistant form of the disease. -- Addressing a meeting on April 1st, W.H.O. Director-General Margaret Chan said the world faced a "precarious situation" due to the emergence and spread of drug-resistant T.B.

One more area we should quickly explore in the "Pestilence" category is the world economic and political unrest.  -- Here's just a few headlines in just the past ten days:

The Telegraph (UK) -- Germany's Slump Risks "Explosive" Mood as Second Banking Crisis Looms--

MSNBC -- May Day Turns Violent Across Europe --

Eurobserver.com -- Eurogroup Chief Predicts Huge Lay-Offs -- Could Trigger Major Demonstrations --

Yahoo!News -- World Bank: Economic Crisis Turning into Calamity -- 

World Net Daily -- IMF Warns: Economic Riots -- Police Prepare for Unrest --

And finally...

UN News Service -- Economic Crisis Could Trigger Political Instability and Social Unrest --

Now, even though we are hearing that things will get better soon, I'm not buying it. -- Yes, we will see a brief upturn for a very short period, but the world economic fundamentals have not changed. -- It is my opinion that we will see a "Summer of Rage" across this planet. -- God is telling us time is short -- This pestilence all around us Him telling us to, "Be ready at all times".

Revelation 6:7-8 states, "When the lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, 'Come!' I looked and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by wild beasts of the earth."

Death is a fairly self-explanatory condition. It is also the culmination of all the previously mentioned conditions taking place all around us.

But just remember, those of us who are saved need not fear the natural death because it is only temporary. I Corinthians 15:54-55 says, 

"....Death has been swallowed up in victory. 

Hallelujah!!

Matthew 24:37-39 says, "As it is in the days of Noah, so it will be at the Coming of the Son of Man. For in the days  before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; And they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man."

Do you hear the hoofbeats? Are they getting louder?

Daniel 12:8-9 states, "I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, 'My Lord, what will the outcome of all this be?' He replied, 'Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end.'"

As the signs of the times continue to unfold, it shows us how close we are to our Lord's return. He told us we would understand in these last days. 

What should we be doing? Stay vigilant and prepared at all times -- And we Christians who know this should be making every effort to reach the lost. Time is extremely short, so let's get to it!

II Peter 3:9 states, "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."

It is our Lord's desire not to lose anyone.

'Til next time,

Red