Notes of Faith August 22, 2024
You've likely heard the idiom, "Hindsight is 20/20." The phrase stems from the concept of perfect vision, referring to the visual acuity measured at 20 feet.
Concerning the context of this idiom, it doesn't relate to physical sight, but rather to the clarity, perception, or understanding of past events. It's easier to analyze and evaluate situations when looking back at them with the benefit of knowing what has happened, as opposed to predicting or understanding things in the present moment. As you know, we often understand situations better and more clearly after they've happened, rather than before or while they are happening.
We dedicated an entire episode of Christ in Prophecy to see if when it comes to the interpretation of Bible prophecy, hindsight is indeed 20/20. The following Bible prophecy teachers were warning us to look out for these particular end times signs.
The World Against the Jews
Olivier Melnick, Shalom in Messiah Ministries
There's been a dramatic rise in Antisemitism since Hamas' invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023. Not only was Israel hit severely by Hamas, but the whole world turned a corner as a result. You see a lot more Antisemitism being expressed in America and around the world, and the boldness in which these people are expressing their Antisemitism has been quite shocking. People are out marching in the streets. They are actually proud of their Antisemitism!
In Jeremiah 31:35-37, God gave a recipe to anybody who wants to completely get rid of the Jews. He says that if you can measure the sky, sun, and moon, and count all the stars, then He will forsake Israel. It's God's tongue-in-cheek way of saying it's not going to happen. Unfortunately, there are always going to be some casualties in war, but God is never going to forsake Israel. People need to watch what's happening in the Middle East—in Israel—because the prophetic time clock is ticking.
Bear in mind, I don't think we've entered the Tribulation just yet. But, I think that people are starting to see prophetic events falling into place. I'm hoping this convergence is going to attract them to the Bible, and the Bible might lead them to the Lord. That's my prayer.
Apostasy in the Church
Don Perkins, According to Prophecy Ministries
A lot of pastors have neither a burden nor a desire to study prophecy. But guess what? Prophecy is coming to them regardless because they have sheep who want answers to their questions. It seems like the world is falling apart, and they want to know why.
People need God's peace. The book of Isaiah says that wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of our times. In other words, having God's wisdom and knowledge about the times we are living in will give you stability. When people don't understand where we are on God's prophetic timeline, they go into panic mode. They are fearful because they don't understand what's going on.
Churches are being tempted to fall into apostasy like never before. People are turning away from the faith. We are suffering from scriptural illiteracy in our churches. I'm praying that more pastors would get back into the Word of God. Apostasy and scriptural illiteracy—my heart's really concerned about these two things.
Rise of the One-World Government
J.B. Hixson, Not By Works Ministries
I've studied for 20 years in-depth the rise of the one-world system—Satan's attempt to take over this world. Satan's earthly accomplices call themselves the Luciferian Conspiracy. I believe we're seeing a coalescence of several Antichrist system events taking shape all at once. Right now we're in an election year. The U.S. economy is worse than ever. The war in Israel has been heating up in the north. So much is going on right now. I've talked to a lot of Bible prophecy experts, and none of them think life's going to simmer down. What's going on will continue to move right into the end times wars.
The biggest sign related to the rise of the one-world government that's changing daily is artificial intelligence and the role of technology in Satan's attempt to take over the world. We're rapidly approaching artificial general intelligence or even artificial superintelligence. When that happens, the genie's out of the bottle, so to speak. It won't be long before governments are going to be able to see everybody, control everybody, track our movements, as well as regulate our buying and selling. So, technology is going to become a big factor in prophetic events.
This means, more than ever before, believers need to be ready, to stay in the Word of God, and to look at everything that's happening through the lens of Scripture, and so be prepared.
Growing Fearfulness
Mondo Gonzales, Prophecy Watchers
I have a lot of family and friends who are not saved, and with the war in Israel and growing Antisemitism, even they are asking, "Is this Armageddon? Is this the end?" We know from Scripture that there's going to be continuing trouble all the way to the end. I don't expect there to be peace on earth until the Prince of Peace returns.
People over the past few years have not forgotten what happened with COVID-19 and all the tyranny and our liberties being taken. So what we're seeing now with the Chinese pneumonia and other disease scares, we know we're being spoon-fed fear.
Christians need to make sure that we continue to teach biblical discernment. Jesus warned us, "Let no one deceive you." Deception will rise significantly with AI and quantum computing. We will soon be able to fake anything. You can have anybody say anything soon. With this technology, discernment's going to be out the window. So, we're going to have to stay close to the Word of God.
I was a pastor during COVID-19 and saw the people in our churches become fearful based on external circumstances. I was like, "Hey, guys, this is where the rubber meets the road as it relates to our faith!" Jesus said in John 16:33, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Do we really believe that? I think we believe it, but we are living in the days when we have to implement it. Rest in the Lord and in the truth of Scripture.
The Gog-Magog War of Ezekiel 38-39
Lee Brainard, Soothkeep
We are seeing the world growing darker and darker all around us. Threatening clouds are gathering which will result in an awful storm. But, for the believer with the eye of faith, every dark cloud has a silver lining. The silver lining here is the prophetic mileposts that tell us the coming of our Lord Jesus is getting nearer.
But first, we're going to have to live through some ugliness. A hegemony is growing among Russia, Turkey, and Iran. These nations are trying not only to dominate the Middle East and Europe, but they're trying to bully China into joining them. They want to force America out of their way. This is going to come to a head when they try to invade Israel. Ezekiel 38-39 tells us that God is going to demonstrate to the entire world that He is the one calling the shots—not Russia, not China, and not America.
Review
Wars and rumors of wars, social upheavals, false teachers and teachings, the church in apostasy, signs of Israel, signs of nature, signs of technology, a convergence of all the end time signs—clearly, hindsight is indeed 20/20. These signs are all increasing in frequency and intensity, just as Jesus foretold.
Knowing this, are you ready for the Lord's return? You can only become ready by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and so be saved. May today be the day of your salvation!
The signs of the times are abundantly clear. How much time do we have left to follow Christ in faith and to bring others to Christ to receive forgiveness of sin and eternal life? Let us live/work for Christ more fervently than ever as the day of His return draws near.
Pastor Dale
