Dear friends and readers,
How far into the "end times" are we? That is the question many are asking. Anytime new wars, plagues, increase in earthquake activity, or strange weathers patterns happen, I begin receiving requests for information and articles on a variety of subjects. Most predominant are the Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ. AND the difference between the two.
But also some geo-political questions, why the USA is not featured in end times eschatology, who are the final armies of Armageddon and so forth! Don't you just hate it when pastors and or Biblical scholars start throwing around terms like "ESCHATOLOGY"? Half the congregation yawns and the other half scratches their head and pretends they have a clue what is being talked about. But in this case that word is very relevant.
Most people render the word ESCHATOLOGY as a catch all phrase for a study of the end times. But it is really very much more that that! Included, are of course physical and Biblical things expected to happen in the "END TIMES", but for mankind in general, ESCHATOLOGY is far more personal. The official definition of the term is "The science of last things", but that includes The death, judgement and final destination of mankind. Remember that of the earths current population of about 7 1/2 BILLION people, only 2 1/2 BILLION claim to be Christians. I have some doubts about that but--thats for another day to discuss!
However that means that roughly 5 1/2 BILLION people do not know why they are here or where they are going when it's "all over"! Sad but true. Would this be a good time for me to go on a major rant about why more confessing Christians seemingly care less about the Great Commission?
PROBABLY NOT!
So lets talk about some very strange things that are happening worldwide today: NOTE--Nearly all, of these things happen and have happened before at one time or another in earths history. But when they all seem to be happening at once?? Perhaps we need to be paying attention.
First some scripture; Luke 21:25 --in relation to Christs returning--tells us-- AND THERE WILL BE SIGNS IN THE SUN, IN THE MOON, AND IN THE STARS; AND ON EARTH DISTRESS OF NATIONS, WITH PERPLEXITY, THE SEA AND THE WAVES ROARING; MENS HEARTS FAILING FROM FEAR AND THE EXPECTATION OF THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE COMING ON THE EARTH, FOR THE POWERS OF THE HEAVENS WILL BE SHAKEN, THEN THEY WILL SEE THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD WITH POWER AND GREAT GLORY. NOW WHEN THESE THINGS BEGIN TO HAPPEN, LOOK UP AND LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, BECAUSE YOUR REDEMPTION DRAWS NEAR!
This has been argued over time and time again but this is a RAPTURE SCRIPTURE---not a Second Coming scripture! Notice the words and context! Coming in a cloud and redemption. Only those who have received Christ will be redeemed!!! Christ left in a cloud and will return in one. NOTE--That is VASTLY different than the scene we see in Revelation chapter 19:11-16 which explains in depth what the Second Coming of the Lord will look like. NO MENTION OF CLOUDS!
Acts 2:19 Rev. 12 and at least 11 other scriptures tell us that we are going to witness some very strange things at the end of the end times. And that will happen before both the Rapture and the Second Coming"!
Todays news is full of weird things happening all over the world and in the heavens; This week alone articles appeared about a phenomenon happening on our sun. Apparently the normal sunspots and huge explosions on the suns surface are dialing back dramatically. Something called a winter sun which is expected to materialize here on earth with GLOBAL COOLING! So much for the hullabaloo of global warming!
For over three years we have consistently seen red moons and most recently an event in which the moon appeared much larger than normal because the moon was much closer to earth than normal.
A May 26 article was posted regarding a huge black hole in space and the article was called THE GALAXYS BLACK HOLE IS MYSTERIOUSLY FLASHING STARLIGHT. This black hole is in the very center of the Milky Way of which Earth is also a part. Normally black holes cannot be seen with the naked eye because they are ---BLACK---devoid of light! 26,000 light years away from us is a supermassive black hole known as SAGITTARIUS A or SGR A. It is 4 million times lager than our sun. Light cannot escape a black hole. And yet---apparently, recently it is acting in an extremely unusual manner, making stars appear to dance around it and points of light are blinking in our direction.
These things remind me of Joel 3:4 THE SUN SHALL TURN TO DARKNESS AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD!
On May 13, 2019 an astronomer in Hawaii--in the span of only two hours reported that the black hole became 75 times brighter than normal, observed through an infrared method!
Signs in the heavens? Obviously but are they a preclude to ominous end times events?
Now we have a worldwide plague---a PESTILENCE reminiscent of Jesus prophecies in Matthew 24. WORLDWIDE for the first time ever in recorded history. So far with no end in sight and the very real potential of millions of deaths and the destruction of the entire worlds economy. Covid 19, with scientists worldwide caught by surprise. BILLIONS OF PEOPLE locked away in their homes shaking with fear! And I mighty add, with the very real possibility of wide spread public insurrection, riots and civil disobedience which could easily turn into armed conflict.
Massiver swarms of locusts in several countries bring with them total and complete devastation of hundreds of square miles of crops and farmlands. These little beasts by the BILLIONS are moving, across Africa and invading Iran.
Last week directly following huge thunderstorms and massive flooding with several people killed, Egypt was covered in darkness. Hail the size of iceballs falling in parts of Mexico, and south central USA. Golf ball sized hail for a few minutes in Texas. A huge cyclone system that engulfed Egypt and was seen moving across the entire Middle East.
There are some Biblical expositors now claiming that we are seeing in various forms, a repeat of the original 10 plagues seen in Egypt of Moses day. Without further proof, I for on cannot go that far. Nor am I prepared to say that GOD is somehow responsible for all this happening. But I can say for sure that this time in the worlds history has my attention.
I do not know where all this is going! But I do know that the United States is on the verge of a very real cold war again---only this time with China. I know the world is in far more debt that can possibly ever be paid off. I know that mens hearts are failing with fear. That all of the predicted signs by Jesus in Matthew 24 are here in plain sight. And I know that things are getting worse by the day all over the world!
I know that entire nations are being torn apart by political extremists. That once again racial and cultural hatred are separating humankind at an alarming rate. And I know that once again, Israel is under concentrated political fire, and anti-semitism is raising its ugly head.
Are all these things--and more--signs of the end of the end times? All I can say is keep looking up because our redemption draws nigh!
God bless,
Pastor Rance.
