23 Things I Expect In This Century

23 THINGS I EXPECT IN THIS CENTURY

By

Jerry Falwell

INTRODUCTION

Today I am going to suggest to you 23 things that I think will happen in the next 100 years. Even though this seems like a “sensational” sermon topic, what I am predicting is not based on sensationalism or on a “Jeanne Dixon” type prophecy. I cannot read the future, nor do I have any power to predict the future. Three things you or I can’t do:

· We can’t read tea leaves

· We don’t have a crystal ball.

· We can’t predict the future.

There is only One Who can predict the future—God. He is without beginning, without end. He lives now at the day of your death, so He can be with you. He lives at the day of the Rapture, so He knows what will happen. Only God knows the future.

· He knows what’s in the final chapter of life’s book.

· He knows how things will turn out.

· He’s given us a few signs that point to the end times.

From what I know of the Bible, and from my limited knowledge of signs, here is a list of things I expect in the next 100 years:

1. I expect the Lord to return to rapture out His church.

While I said before that I am not predicting when He will come, I expect the Lord will probably come in this century for three reasons:

· Everything is in place that needs to happen before He can return. There are no more predicted events that need to happen for Jesus to return.

· Jesus said He would be gone a long time (Matthew 25:19) and it has been a long time (approximately 2,000 years) since His departure.

· We are commanded to “watch” and “be ready” for His return (Matthew 24:42-44), so if I expect Him to return this century, I am only following His orders by watching and waiting.

2. I expect the preaching of the gospel to reach every ethnic group in the world. Jesus commanded His church, “Go into all the world and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19). The word “nations” means people groups or ethnic groups. We are closer to getting this done than ever before. “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; then shall the end come” (Matthew 24:14).

3. I expect Jesus to return when He is least expected. Jesus told a parable about His unexpected return, “The Lord . . . shall come in a day when he looketh not for Him and in an hour that he is not aware of” (Matthew 24:50).

4. I expect many to set dates and make predictions about His return, but they will all be wrong. Jesus also told us, “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo here is Christ, or there; believe it not (Matthew 24:23). Also, remember that Jesus said, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36).

5. I expect Jesus to come unexpectedly when the unsaved are not watching for Him. “Behold I come quickly” (Matthew 22:7).

6. I expect constant conflict in the Middle East, primarily over the existence of Israel. The Bible is full of illustrations that tell that Israel shall return to the land (Ezekiel 37) and those nations inspired by Anti-Christ will oppose Israel.

7. I expect the European nations to form a united Europe. This is the prediction of the revived Roman Empire (Daniel 2). Daniel predicted four nations would rule the known world; first Babylon, second Medo-Persia, third Greece and fourth, Rome. This has happened as he predicted; then Daniel said the Roman Empire would be revived in the last days. I believe this will happen in this century, although I don’t know what form it will take.

8. I expect a global economy that is the next step to one-world government. When the Rapture takes place, Anti-Christ will step into the picture and create a one-world government, a one-world economy, a one-world religion. Therefore, I expect the world to move towards global economy in preparation for a one-world government.

9. I expect the nations of the world to work together outwardly in more harmony working towards a one-world government. While a functional one-world government will not happen before the Rapture, I believe that the preparation for one-world government will be in place when Jesus comes. While I do not approve of America giving up her sovereignty to the United Nations in the area of military, courts and legislation dictation; nevertheless, this will happen as we move through this century.

10. I expect there will be more and more wars, even though there is more and more talk of peace.