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over the world. Wars raging in Iraq, Afghanistan and many other countries, civil uprisings throughout the Middle East, riots in England, France and other nations, terrorist attacks and imminent threats all over the globe, worldwide economic collapse, homosexual marriage spreading and being accepted as “normal”, the break down of the family unit, famine spreading throughout so many third world countries, massive inflation and unemployment, a push for a one world government, resurgence of disease once thought to be no longer existent, new diseases like AIDS and antibiotic resistant forms viruses and bacteria plaguing up constantly, and a religious system quickly spreading globally that preaches a doctrine that all must bow the knee to their false religion or be put to death. For many of us old enough to remember the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, the world today hardly resembles the world we grew up in less than a generation ago. The things that scripture tells us are good the world now tells us are evil, and the evil described in the Word of God, the world accepts as good. The prophet Isaiah warned us of these things when he said. “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter” Isa. 5:25
Many generations have witnessed some of the “Last Day’s” prophetic events, and thought their generation was the “terminal generation” that would experience the end of the age and the return of Messiah Jesus to establish His millennial kingdom here on planet earth. Obviously they were wrong, so why is our generation any different? That seems like a fair question!
The disciples of Jesus were also curious and concerned about the events and timeframe when Jesus would return, after Jesus told them about the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. (Matt. 24: 1-2) They asked him “ . . . and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” Matt. 24: 3 Jesus answered them by describing a series of world events and conditions to expect prior to His return. (Matt. 24: 4 - 27) Although many of these predictions applied to and occurred immediately after the Lords death and resurrection during the early first century, they also have prophetic implications for the generation that will witness His return. During the same conversation and explanation, Jesus describes cataclysmic events and conditions that will take place in the universe and a chronological order for events that will occur at His coming: (Vs. 29), the appearing of the Son of Man in the heavens where all will see him (Vs. 30) and the gathering of the elect (Believers) and the sound of the trumpet. (Vs 31) These events did not occur after the destruction of the temple in 70 AD
And then Jesus told them the Parable of the Fig Tree (Vs. 32-33)! Most theologians are in agreement that the fig tree represents national Israel. They were told “when the fig tree is yet tender and puts forth it’s leaves, we know that Summer is nigh”! When Israel, against all odds, became a nation again in 1948, after having been disbursed throughout the earth for 2000 years, the tender fig tree brought forth it’s leaves, indicating that the expected season is at hand. Jesus further explained that when they saw all the things He had just described to them concerning His return take place, that they were to know that it (His return) was to soon occur. In fact, Jesus went on to state that “this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled” (His return)!
To sum up the words of Jesus, the generation that witnesses the “fig tree bring forth it’s leaves” will witness all things being fulfilled - the return of Messiah Jesus to planet earth! Friends, that generation is US! If indeed Israel is the “fig tree” of
Matt. 24, and if we are the generation that will witness Messiahs return, then we would expect to be seeing all of the events spoken of in the prophetic word taking place on the world stage NOW, as we speak, since we are at the tail end of that generation. They ARE occurring, and we ARE witnessing them! While scripture tells us that “no man can know the day and time of His return”, Jesus and the inspired prophecies of scripture do enable us to know the aprox. time frame in which they will occur! In fact, Jesus went to great trouble to give his deciples exacting details of what to look for, so they and we would recognize the times and seasons preceding His return. The world, and unfortunately much of the “church” is asleep, unaware and silent about where we are on the prophetic time clock. As you read many New Testament Bible prophecies, there is one key word usually included; the word “watch”, which is what we should be doing new as prophetic events continue to unfold, so we can prepare and be about the Fathers business.
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