Dear Church in the First part of my message, you would remember that we had classified the Signs of imminent Church Rapture under the following headings...
1. Natural 2. "Battle Royal" 3. Social 4.Historical 5. International 6.Political 7. Pseudo-Spiritual and 8. Commercial.
of which in the first part of my message we had focussed upon the the first three signs, today we shall reflect on two more Signs beginning with
IV. Historical
When the son of man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day.- Luke 17:26
Now what were the distinctive features’ of the World during Noah’s time…
a) Growth in population
Then the people began to multiply on the earth, and daughters were born to them.-Genesis 6:1
ACTION: Display of pictures of EARTH POPULATION touching the 7 billion mark
Babies …opps sorry…Biblical Prophecies crying for attention…
ACTION: Display pf the Chart above shows the sequence of “End-time” Events
What does this News of population in Planet Earth touching an ALL-TIME HIGH mean to a Bible student, especially to one with an Eschatological mindset?
Not many are in doubt as to the sequence of events after the end of “Grace dispensation” (once the Church is raptured, the Grace period would end). The subsequent Seven year tribulation period would culminate with the II Coming of the Messiah, Armageddon war and establishment of the Millennial reign of Christ, during which all the righteous ones’ of history from Abel onwards along with Christians of pre-rapture period, raptured Christians and martyed Christians of the Tribulation would come back to Earth and rule the World under Christ the God-ordained King (Rev 20:4/ Psalm 2). Quite a huge number, these rulers would constitute!!! While on the subject of “ruling”, mind you these “Rulers” would all “serve” and “minister” in love and the Christ-like spirit embellished in the Scripture “Have come to serve than be served” (Matt 20:28).
ACTION: Display of picture of Christ ruling the World during the Millennium
Some questions here please. Who would enter the Millennium period as subjects to be ruled? Those who accepted Christ as Saviour during the Tribulation period including one-third of Israeli population which was there at the beginning of the Tribulation period (Zech 13:8-9).
Despite many deaths due to different reasons during the Tribulation period of
a) the unrighteous ones, who are cast into hades (Rev 6:7-8/ Rev 9:13-15) and
b) the righteous ones whose spirits would go to be with the Lord to return in glorified bodies to rule (Rev 6:9/ Rev 7:9-15)
a colossal number out of the billions (at the beginning of tribulation) would survive the tribulation and a massive number of them amongst the survivors would be “believers”, who would eventually be ushered into the Millennial era in their human bodies (for more on the Book of Revelation, you may click the following link…
http://www.jandsmministries.com/rev_pre.asp)
Time to hit the nail on its head! Why there is rapid population growth, AT THIS POINT OF TIME IN HUMAN HISTORY? The answer is simple. The Millennial reign is around the corner. THE RULED (IN HUMAN BODIES) HAVE TO BE MORE THAN THEIR NUMEROUS RULERS/MINISTERS (IN THEIR GLORIFIED BODIES). The fundamental, age-old principle in any Kingdom is that at any time the Rulers are fewer than the ruled. “Half a minute, Preacher”, I can hear a question coming my way. “Do you mean in 6000 years of Creation from Adam onwards, the number of righteous in Heaven are lesser than the “Believers” population which would come out refined at the end of Tribulation?” ABSOLUTELY YES! For from the beginning, the righteous preferring to walk in the “straight and narrow” have always been in minority (Matt 7:13-14). For instance before the Flood (Genesis 5-8) barring Noah and his nucleus family, how many bothered to have a right relationship with the Creator? NONE!!! No, not even Noah’s own sisters and brothers!!! Or for that matter in whole of Sodom and Gomorrah, save Lot and his nucleus family, how many were found worthy of being saved from a fiery catastrophe (Genesis 19:1-21)? The answer is obvious, isn’t it?
While on the subject of Rulers and the ruled, one ought not to forget that Christians would also have a fulfilling responsibility of judging the angels (I Cor 6:3).
Millennium would represent one big, near-utopian community of Rulers and the ruled living with mutual trust and love for one another for a long time (not eternally but for a long, long time). If Millennium is imminent, more imminent is the Church Rapture. Now if that is not Good News with capital “G”, then what is it! Hallelujah! MARANATHA (Rev 22:20)!
b) Growth in Violence
“…the earth was filled with violence.” – Genesis 6:11 (During Noah’s days)
ACTION: Display of pictures
a) terror attacks
b) Shooting at Batman movie opening near Denver, Colorado
c) Shooting at a Sikh Worship place at Wisconsin
Do I need to furnish proof to substantiate these plain facts? Does not media overflow with accounts of mafia killings, terror strikes (now there are female suicide bombers also), feudal , communal killings in real and reel life (minus a smoking gun or a bloody knife the macho-image of any cine hero in a movie poster is said to be incomplete).
ACTION: Display of some ACTION Movie cine posters’
Is Jesus RIGHT only when it comes to his sayings such as “Those who live by the Sword, die by it” – Matt 26:52. Why shouldn’t we take His other Prophecies as regards His II Coming seriously, just as we take earnestly his time-tested ones’ such as the one quoted above? No cherry-picking please…
c) Growth in Corruption
(During Noah’s time) The earth also was corrupt before God… Genesis 6:11
ACTION: Pictures of media reports of several corruption scams rocking India
As News reporting takes place by exception and not by rule, considering unfailing regularity in the emergence of scams it can be said that it is “NEWS” nowadays only, if there is no scam in 24 hours!!!
It stumps me, how can my media mates (oh how I love them!!!) be reporting the Scams “Tarzan style” thumping their chest and still be unaware of the spiritual dimension behind them all?
V. INTERNATIONAL
Welcome to the ever-simmering West Asia and what do we see- Arabs and Jews locked in a grim battle over the “Promised Land”.
ACTION: a) Animation of sword fight
b) Picture of car of Israeli diplomat bombed by Iran terrorists
and sadly the ramifications of this conflict is felt in other countries too. If Bible is the constitution on whose basis all disputes should be resolved, then what does it say on this issue on the “Promised Land” lying within the following range…
latitude and longitude is 31° 30’ N and 34° 45’ E .
ACTION: Map of Israel
Below is the map of Israel showing major towns, roads, airports with latitudes and longitudes plotted on it.
Description:Find Israel latitude and longitude map showing comprehensive details including cities, roads, towns, airports and much more. Disclaim
According to the Bible, the great Patriarch Saint Abraham (revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims alike the world over) was brought by God from Mesopotamia to the land of Canaan(Genesis 12:1-4). This is thought to have occurred around 1800 BC.
ACTION: Display of route map of Abraham’s caravan from UR to Haran and then to Promised Land
To his descendents who would be oppressed in Canaan and Egypt for 400 years, the same God promised to give the Land of Canaan-the modern day Land of Palestine (Genesis 15:13-16). Note here that this Canaan, was promised to only those descendants, who would be oppressed in Canaan and Egypt for 400 years, which clearly means that this Land was not guaranteed by Divine will to other descendants of Abraham most notably Ishmael. Yes, God promised to bless Ishmael descendants too because of Abraham (Genesis 17:20 /21:18) but the Land of Canaan was reserved for Abraham’s descendents, who would come through his promised son Issac (Genesis 17:1-21). At this point, it would serve us well to reflect on the material blessings showered upon Ishmael descendents too, as per the Divine promise. Their access to rich oil reserves, cannot be matched by anybody. Yet another fulfillment of Biblical prophecy? Absolutely!
Coming back to Israel and Canaan, just as it was prophesied the twelve tribes of Israel under the leadership of that great leader Joshua completed the Conquest of Canaan round about 1400-1450 BC (reading of the Book of Joshua would certainly help). Even before the Conquest, the good Lord through Moses had clearly spelt out His conditions of obedience to His Chosen nation (Deuteronmy 7:7-8). To comprehend the nuances of the Mosaic Law (Ten Commandments was an integral part of it – Exodus 20:1-17), reading the Books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy in the Bible would defintely make matters easier for any genuine truth-seeker.
Did the people of Israel obey the Law whole-heartedly? Their obedience if plotted in a graph would reveal wild swings. A study of the Book of Judges for instance would reveal that ‘boom’ times of great manifestations of faith were invariably followed by times of ‘doom’ marked by trips down into ungodliness. Yes in latter times the reigns of King David (II Samuel) and to some extent that of King Solomon (I Kings 1-10) would constitute the “Golden age” of Israel’s history (approx 1000-900 BC), as the devotion of Jews to their redeemer God touched its peak, at that point of time in their mercurial history. However after that “Golden age” came the “Dark age” (around 900 BC-600BC) beginning with the splitting of the Nation of Israel into 2 Kingdoms (10 tribes banded together to form the Northern kingdom of Israel and 2 tribes cohered to form the Southern Kingdom of Judah).
This age witnessed the coming to power of Regents “whose hearts were not like their ancestor David”. While the Judean Kingdom, had at least in its ranks some God-fearing Kings like Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah and Josiah, the Kingdom of Israel could not boast of a single King with a heart like David. Like Father, like Son? Well this phraseology can be stretched to… “Like King, like people”…with the people also rejecting their Faithful God, much like their wicked Kings did during the Dark Age. Talk of an adulterous wife turning her back to a loving husband (Hosea 1:2) causing him unimaginable anguish. Here I would like to state that I am deeply touched by the Book of Hosea in Old Testament section of the Bible for it pictures God as a deeply emotional person, suffering immeasurably on His people rejecting Him, in the same way a faithful husband would, when his wife deserts him for other lesser men. Also I am compelled to add that the Bible is no sugarcoated Book hiding the stark unpleasant truths rather it presents history as it is, so that the present generation can be forewarned about the dangers that lie in making wrong choices (I Cor 10:11).
With sin rampant, warnings of imminent exile from the “Land of Milk and honey” trumpeted by diligent Prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Amos, Ezekiel and Joel followed but sadly they fell on deaf ears. The chosen people chose their own sinful pathway of worshipping the created things, instead of their glorious Creator God (Ezekiel 8:8-18).
Through Prophet (Joel 1:4) for instance, the Almighty graphically (using the imagery of FOUR locust invasions’ with each locust being symbolic of a ravaging army stripping the pleasant land bare) announced the coming judgement on His disobedient, stubborn people. This warning, which went unheeded, can be better understood by having a look at this picture below…
ACTION: a) Display of pictures of FOUR different types of Locusts
b) Display of Timeline of FOUR invasions- Babylonian, Persian, Grecian and Roman conquest of Promised Land
The Picture above depicts the veracity of fulfillment of prophecy (with historical proofs, may I add) recorded in Joel 1:4. While their punishment from 588 BC (resulting in exile to Babylon and subsequent return back to Palestine in 539 BC in batches) till 70 AD, can be termed as MILD (despite paying stifling taxes to their human conquerors, nevertheless by being in the Land of Palestine, they continued to enjoy the fruits of the Promised Land) that of dispersion from Jerusalem after the destruction of Temple in 70 AD, can be described as SEVERE (as they roamed around as landless, homeless people for nearly two thousand years). Before the devastating punishment arrived, did they not also brazenly call upon the fair God to judge them for spilling the innocent blood of Jesus (Matt 27:1-25), thus adding one more hideous sin to all of their other sins? Divine comeuppance was going to catch-up with them, sooner or later and it did in 70 AD, decimating them in the process. Need any further proof that God can be loving as well as be a consuming fire in His judgment (Heb 10:31/ 12:29)?
Now, after 2000 years of Divine indictment, if the Sovereign God in His Sovereign plan“FOR A SPECIAL PURPOSE” (I would focus upon it soon) forgives them and eventually brings them back to the Promised Land (in accordance with His promise to their ancestors) in perfect fulfillment of Isaiah 11:11,
“In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to bring back the remnant of his people—those who remain in Assyria and northern Egypt; in southern Egypt, Ethiopia,and Elam; in Babylonia, Hamath, and all the distant coastlands.” -
should we not all be excited? The basic point that one more prophecy of the Bible has been fulfilled with pin-point precision should excite us, for it simply means, other unfulfilled prophecies are also soon going to be fulfilled.
I reiterate that when I ponder on this prophecy especially on the light of what all happened just before UN approved “Mandate of Palestine” in 1947, I cannot but cry like a little child holding my Bible in my hands. How true is this Grand ole’ Book! It leaves absolutely no room for speculation! Now this prophecy recorded eons back, is certainly not about the return of Jewish exiles from Babylon or for that matter from Assyria (Jews of Northern Kingdom of Israel were exiled to Assyria in 742 BC approx- II Kings 17:18). Kindly underscore the point that the above-captioned Scripture portion, while listing the names of Nations from which the Jews would return does not limit itself to merely mentioning Assyria or Babylon, but rather it even goes on mention somberly “DISTANT COAST LANDS”, as though to reserve the best for the last. Dear readers, do you know the process of formation of Modern-day Israel was triggered amongst others by initial settling of 4000 Jews brought by the Ship Knesset Israel from Yugoslavia (a country with a with a huge coast line) in November 1946? Then what about that Ship “EXODUS” captained by its legendary Captain Harel that captured International imagination in its epochal attempt to bring 4500 Jewish families in 1947 from the coastal city of Marseilles, France? In fact, Captain Harel in toto commanded four expeditions that took thousands of refugees to the shores of Palestine. Many of the Ship Exodus who were originally refused entry into Palestine, latter arrived there…from…you guessed it… yet another Island country…CYPRUS! As the import of these historical events register, oh Boy…oh Boy…I cannot help falling in love one more time with my oh-so-sweet, oh-so-perfectly prophetic Bible!!! Have a look at some of the relevant pictures comprising of a Newspaper clipping and Ship Exodus in 1947, along with the Map depicting Yugoslavia, Marseilles, Cyprus and Israel
ACTION: a) Display of picture of Historic Ship Exodus berthed at Haifa port in 1947
b) Display of map highlighting Marseilles, Yugoslavia and Cyprus
(You may enlarge the map above suitably- Marseilles is in the south-east coast of France touching the Mediterranean Sea, Yugoslavia has Adriatic Sea abutting it on its Western coastline and Cyprus is an Island off the Southern coast of Turkey)
Now coming back to my Sermon…
Amazing thing about the Bible is that most of its prophecies get fulfilled with no accompaniment of “resplendent laser show” or for that matter any glitz or chirpy cheerleaders, jumping up and down. Remember that prophecy that God’s Son will be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)? None in that sleepy little village, realised that SOMETHING AWESOME was happening, right in their midst on the first Christmas night, when an exhausted Joseph brought his pregnant wife riding a mule amongst them. Worse! No one gave them a place to stay overnight! AMAZING IS OUR GOD, OH HIS HUMILITY IS STUNNING (his Son was not born in a magnificent palace but a lowly manger), to say the least but mind you…HE takes great pride in ALWAYS KEEPING UP HIS WORD!
ACTION: Display of pictures of
a) Solomon’s Temple and b) Golden Dome Mosque on Temple Mount
Besides constant altercation between the Jews and Arabs over the subject of Land in the “Promised Land, there is yet another serious issue which has been gathering storm slowly but steadily. Jews desire to construct a Temple in the same place where King Solomon’s temple stood and this is sending shock-waves across the Islamic World. No wonder when we consider the historical background!!! The native Arabs’ too had dwelt in the same land for many centuries following the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem in 637 CE. The Arabs had in due course even constructed their mosque in the same Holy Site and had consolidated their position in the Holy Land especially during the reign of Great Suleiman the magnificent of Ottoman Empire (for more on Jerusalem timeline click the following URL…http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Jerusalem).
At this stage, I want to make it clear that that the purpose of this message is not to pass a judgment on the actual ownership or rights of the disputing parties vis-à-vis Temple Mount but only to reflect on the sentiments involved in this face-off, which are a pointer to future events.
Now for Jews’ given all their Temple-associated pageantry (read Leviticus 16/ 23) which goes with Judaism, a Temple IS A PLACE to celebrate with all their heart, body and soul. In its absence, worse with a Mosque proving to be a deterrent, ARE THEY NOT BOUND TO FEEL DEPRIVED? How would anyone with no prejudice view this situation? Would anyone blame the stubborn (?) Jews, if they want to reconstruct their temple at its original site?
With patience of the Jews wearing thin, now how long can the World with US playing the dutiful Globo- cop delay the reconstruction of Jewish temple? Will it be at the cost of the Mosque or will it be constructed beside the Mosque are the tough, prickly questions facing the World leaders? Will they be able to solve amicably this thorny issue with its potential to trigger a World-wide conflagration? ENTER ANTI-CHRIST! In the not-so distant future, he is going to come into the picture as World’s problem-solver and forge a peace pact between the perpetual enemies- Arabs and the Jews (Daniel 9:27). While on the subject, if at all publishers of Guinness Book of World records (to put it in a lighter vein) are planning to introduce an entry on “Longest standing enmity”, they do not have to look beyond the one of Arabs and Jews…boy, they have been fighting since David versus Goliath days! By the way, they both also have the spirit of Anti-Christ (I John 2:22), in that they deny that Christ is the Son of God. Coming back to Anti-Christ, by accomplishing MISSION IMPOSSIBLE (make Jews and Arabs arrive at a compromise formula regarding the temple), undoubtedly this man of deceit (with a secret agenda- Daniel 8:25) would capture the heart of the World initially without any bloodshed. No wonder, he is picturized in the Bible as a “Leader carrying a bow but no arrows” (Rev 6:1-3), …(Note again, he is carrying only a bow but no arrows to underscore the point that initially without any bloodshed, he would CONQUER)
ACTION: Display of picture of Anti- Christ riding a horse with a ONLY a bow in his hand
That subsequently Anti-Christ would go on to rule the World, pose as God Himself and even dare to take on the Creator (Daniel 8:25/ Rev 13:4-6) before being eventually destroyed at Christ’s II Coming has been prophesied (Rev 19:19-20). NO, NO, the purpose of my Sermon is to not issue a clarion call for coming of the ANTI-CHRIST but to herald the truth about the imminent rapture of the Church (oh, the indestructible bride of Christ- Rev 19:7-8) which would precede the coming of the Anti-Christ. Consider these verses’…
“For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work*; BUT THE ONE WHO NOW HOLDS IT BACK WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO TILL "HE" IS TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY. And then the lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.” – 2 Thess 2:7-9
The “HE” is the indwelling Holy Spirit in every Christian. As Christians leave the World transfigured at Rapture the Holy Spirit would also inevitably leave signaling the end of Grace Age and the onset of seven years of horrible tribulation. This tribulation period would end only with the Second Advent of Christ, when He would destroy the Anti-Christ and establish a Millennial reign (Rev 20:4). Jews too would accept Christ as the Messiah towards the fag end of Tribulation period (Romans 11:26).
The purpose of this message would be achieved if the ones’ reading it can see very clearly for themselves, how the events in this World are taking place exactly in accordance with the Biblical prophecies. If the Jews had not returned to “their Promised land”, there would be no friction at all now in West Asia and hence no scope for Anti-Christ for solving a knotty issue of Jewish Temple re- construction (if Ayodhya issue became a cause for Global focus, would not this issue also corner World attention? Boy…Temple Mount would soon become Ground zero of all Global tension) and emerge as a hero in the sight of the World. So if Anti-Christ coming appears imminent, more imminent is the Church rapture, for that villain can come only when the Church leaves the scene. Hey, would you be in the Rapture party?
Suresh Manoharan
ps...This message replete with animations/pictures/charts/graphs is also available at the following URL...
http://www.jandsmministries.com/message_sep1_12.asp
