What does the Bible say?

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 5:1-6

For the past three weeks, we have been talking about End Times.  Could we be living in the End Times?

Here is what the Bible teaches us:

1.    Israel becomes a nation and the Jewish people hold Jerusalem.
2.    A great army is going to come to destroy Israel.
3.    There will be a great battle.
4.    After this, a man of power will rise with answers for the world’s problems.
5.    His power will grow.  He and his partner will do miraculous works.
6.    There will be 3 ½ years of peace.
7.    Then he will break his covenants and enforce his will.
8.    Judgment from God will fall on the world.
9.    If you don’t take the man of power’s mark, you will not be able to buy and sell.
10.    The Lord Jesus will come in great power with His saints and His angels and defeat the one the Bible calls the Antichrist.

Somewhere early in this time the Church will be caught away from this world.
In Heaven, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb takes place and faithful Christians will receive their reward.

The Bible tells us we can not know the day or the hour, but we should read the signs.

What are some of the key signs?

John Hagee, in his book Jerusalem Countdown, lists
“Ten Prophetic Signs of the End-Time World”:
1.  The knowledge explosion – Daniel 12:4
2.  Plague in the Middle East – Zechariah 14:12-15
3.  The rebirth of Israel – Isaiah 66:8-10
4.  The Jews will return to home – Jeremiah 23:7-8
5.  Jerusalem is no longer under Gentile control –
Luke 21; 24
6.  International instant communication –
Revelation 11:3, 7-10
7.  Days of deception – Matthew 24:4
8.  Famines and pestilence – Matthew 24:7-8
9.  Earthquakes – Matthew 24:7-8
10. As in the days of Noah – Matthew 24:36-39

Hebrews 10:25

Three reasons why we should live highly committed lives to Christ:
1.    Our walk with Christ impacts the world we live in.  The lax believer either faces judgment or the fruitlessness of his behavior.
2.    We are going to Him.
3.    He is coming for us.

What Does The Middle-East Say?

End Times?

What Does the Middle East Say?

Pastor Mark Johnson
Message notes for November 18, 2007
Download  the audio and notes from our online message area.

Matthew 24:32-45

This passage tells us several important truths.
1. Jesus is coming again.
2. We cannot know the hour.
3. We can see signs that tell us it could be soon.
4. We should be ready.

I have never known of a time more ripe in the Middle East than today for the events of scripture to take place.

We have to be careful when we assign specific events to end time prophecy.

After World War II, the British decided to leave Palestine, and on May 14, 1948, for the first time in 1800 years, Israel was a nation once again.

Here we see one of the most dramatic prophecies of the last days.

Jeremiah 16:14-15, Ezekiel 37:11-14

So God has kept His word in a way that was deemed impossible by the world and explained away by many in the church. Israel is a nation.

The church should be on watch. What other things are going to be happening in the last days?

Ezekiel 38:1-7

Israel – 8,000 square miles
Illinois – 56,345 square miles

Many believe Russia will lead this charge.

Iran was called Persia until 1935.

Cush is associated with Egypt.
Put is associated with Libya and other countries in that region.
Togarmah is associated with Turkey.

With the exception of Russia, these are all predominately Islamic states.

Our call is to pray.

End Times?

On November 18th we’re starting a new series on End Times. We’ll be asking 3 major questions:

• What does the Middle East say?
• What does the World say?
• What does the Bible say?

We’d like to know what is on your mind when you think of these questions and share those thoughts with others. What have you learned about the End Times in your life so far? How can we tell we are in the End Times? What are some obvious signs? What are some signs that we might be missing? Let’s talk about it.