Signs that we are very very close to the Rapture and Tribulation - Part 1

Ever since the history of man began, we have been fascinated by the end of the age. Many have tried to predict when and how the world will end. Those who have taken a crack at this ranges from well-known figures from the past such as Isaac Newton, Nostradamus etc. all the way to people at our present age speculating on YouTube specific dates through whatever convoluted methodology they used. Most religions have also laid out well detailed theories of how and approximately when we can expect everything to wrap up. One thing is certain: all the different theories and predictions cannot all be true at the same time. So, what does the bible, the actual words of the one true and living God, have to say about this matter? Do the scriptures provide us with signs to look for that indicate the end of times? Not only is the answer a resounding yes, but we as believers are instructed to be discerning of the times and watch for the signs as they approach by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Himself. If we were to look at every prophecy and connect it to past, current, and future events, a gigantic book would have to be written about the subject. In order to keep it simple and less lengthy, I will list a few categories that shows that not only are we living in the end times, but we are extremely close to the sudden rapture of the church, followed by the great tribulation that is about to come upon the whole earth, followed by Jesus' 2nd coming to judge and establish His kingdom! (Please read my previous blogs about the The Rapture... Our Blessed Hope and The Great Tribulation... almost Hell on Earth and The Millennial Kingdom... almost Heaven on Earth and New Heaven and New Earth... The Glorious Eternal State for more context and details.)

The signs that I will be exploring in detail over 3 blogs will be the following:

1. soon coming to end of 6000 years given to man since Adam

2. 2000th anniversary of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection fast approaching

3. regathering of the Jews (after close to two millennia of being scattered all over the world) in the reestablished nation of Israel

4. increasing wars and rumors of wars and cries for peace and security

5. current technology capable of implementation of the mark of the beast

6. rise in lawlessness and wickedness and persecution

7. unveiling of supernatural phenomenon like the alien deception

8. natural disasters, famines and pestilences, strange signs in the skies etc. growing in frequency and intensity

9. false teachings and last days mocking

The Millennial Theory (6 days/6000 years for man to work and 1 day/1000 years to rest) and 2000th anniversary of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection approaching)

Our God is a God of numbers. Scriptures indicate numbers having different meanings such as 1 = unity of God, 3 = trinity of God, 5 = grace, 6 = symbol of man with 666 being the ultimate expression of man's rebellion and the mark of the beast, 7= perfection, 40 = testing, so on and so forth. As mentioned, 7 is the number of perfection in God's eyes. Genesis details how God created everything in 6 days and rested on the 7th day. Now, an infinite, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent God certainly was not exhausted and needed a 'rest' day and could certainly have created everything quicker than a fraction of a second. However, He chose this 6-days of work 1 day rest concept to serve as a model for us to follow. Exodus 20: 9-10 states "Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God." Leviticus 23:3 also affirms this "Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings." Furthermore, scriptures illustrate how God, who exists outside of time, views time. Psalms 90:4 “For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it passes by, or like a watch in the night.” 2 Peter 3:8 further states, “but do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.”

The millennial theory posits that, just like God created everything in 6 days and rested for 1 day and we were instructed to work for 6 days and rest 1 day, there is a broader implication that indicates that humanity was given 6000 years (6 days in God’s eyes) to work, toil, and govern ourselves and then enter into the 1000 year (1 day in God’s eyes) rest in the millennial kingdom under the Messiah’s rule. (Please read the previous blog about the millennial kingdom for more context and details). Studying the actual history of humans as detailed per biblical genealogy confirms that we have been around for about 6000 years from Adam to present day. This can be further divided into 3 phases: Adam to Abraham about 2000 years, Abraham to Jesus about 2000 years, and Jesus’ death and resurrection to His second coming to be 2000 years. For the non-believers, this does not mean that Jesus only came into existence about 2000 years ago. Jesus has always existed as part of the triune Godhead along with God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit in eternity past. Jesus entered His creation by becoming human flesh born of the virgin Mary. Jesus does not have a biological earthly father and is 100 percent God and 100 percent man at the same time. Jesus has never sinned and willfully laid down his life. His sacrifice on the cross was for all past, present, and future sins of mankind. He took our sins upon Himself, and his blood was the remission of our sins. Jesus died, was buried and rose again on the third day and ascended into Heaven in glory to His throne until the appointed time by the Father to return to earth to establish His Kingdom. Since we as humans are incapable of living a sinless life pleasing to the Father, Jesus did it for us and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice the Father would accept for the forgiveness of our sins. To circle back to the earlier point, Jesus was crucified somewhere between 30 to 33 AD per biblical and even non bible believing historical scholars and historians. The crucifixion and resurrection happened towards the end of 4000 years (4^th day) since Adam and then humanity entered the last days (days 5 and 6). As we see the end of the 6^th day (6000 years) approaching for humanity, we are extremely close to the rapture and the tribulation, followed by the millennial reign of 1000 year rest. After the millennial reign, we will not go back to another 6 days of work and toil, or even worse, cease to exist. Believers can then look forward to a future eternal state of eternal bliss with no more pain, sorrow, tears, sickness, and death, while unbelievers will forever be cast into the lake of fire for all of eternity without any hope of escape. (Please read the previous blog about new heaven and new earth for more context and details).

Now, you may be wondering by now that this all seems like a bit of an arm twist to try to make the theory fit. Let me illustrate further with scriptural proof that Jesus will come back soon and very soon. Hosea 6:2 states “He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, That we may live before Him.” There are other verses that foreshadow a sort of 2 day wait and 3^rd day mission accomplished typology. Jesus Himself was raised up from the dead on the 3^rd day. Similarly, after hearing the news of Jesus’ dear friend Lazarus’ death, Jesus waited 2 days before going to see Lazarus and raise him up from the dead (John 11). Furthermore, this concept is also implied in the parable of the good Samaritan Jesus taught. The good Samaritan left 2 denarii with the innkeeper to take care of the injured man at the hand off the robbers. One denarii represent a day’s wage for a day at that time, thus 2 denarii is for 2 days. He left promising to return and settle the account with the inn keeper afterward (Luke 10). There are many other 2-day examples throughout the bible that You can research and see for yourself how they all point to this typological pattern.

Coming back to Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection as referenced earlier, it is generally agreed upon by biblical and non-biblical scholars and historians that it took place somewhere between 30 and 33 AD. Even though man may not know the exact year, there is a being that knows the exact year, month, day, and even the minute when Jesus took his last breath on the cross…satan. Ever since pride overtook satan and was cast down from heaven, he has been scheming to oppose God in all ways including God’s plan to redeem humanity through Jesus Christ. Satan schemed to kill off Jesus as an infant under Herod’s reign (Matthew 2: 16-18) ... and failed. He then tried to tempt (Luke 4:5-6) and offer Jesus the kingdoms of the world (which satan currently still has a hold on until Jesus’ 2^nd coming) … and failed. Satan then influenced the Romans and Jewish leaders to have Jesus killed, and thought he succeeded. However, he again failed since Jesus accomplished His goal of being the perfect sacrifice for us, defeated sin and death, and rose up and is now seated at the right hand of the Father as fully God and fully man in all His omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent infinite power and glory that He had set aside temporarily while on earth for our sake! Satan knows scripture better than any one of us. He knows the exact day Jesus was crucified and he knows that Jesus will come back after 2000 years. However, despite repeated failures, satan in his arrogance and pride still foolishly thinks that he can now stop Jesus’ 2^nd coming.

Fast forward to present age, if we were to calculate 2000 years from Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, we would land somewhere in the mid to late 2030s. Since He promised to revive us after 2 days (2000 years), we can then presume using reasonable logic that we can potentially expect the 2^nd coming sometime in the mid to late 2030s. We do know that there will be a 7-year tribulation just prior to His 2^nd coming. We also know that the true believers who have placed their faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation will be raptured prior to the start of the tribulation. (As mentioned earlier, please refer to the rapture and tribulation blogs for more context and details). As we approach the end of 2025, simple math from the above suppositions point to a very very soon rapture of the church! Satan knows this and already has his man of the hour, the anti-christ, at the ready to take over. He will be revealed soon after the believers are gone. In the meantime, satan (being the ruler of the current world - 2 Corinthians 4:4) and his fallen angels, demons, and other spiritual powers and principalities are scheming and orchestrating behind the scenes and influencing people and events to take place just as the bible prophesies as satan knows his time is running really short. His influence is vast ranging from top political leaders, sports and entertainment figures, to all aspects of current society. Isn’t it curious that in the past few years, the likes of United Nations and the World Economic Forum etc. (all part of satan’s useful idiots toolbox) are pushing to establish some sort of world governance, controlled societal structure established by 2030? I am not the one saying it as they themselves are not hiding it any more. WEF is on record saying their goal is that you will own nothing and be happy. UN’s agenda 2030, when you look past the fluff and bluff and dig a little deeper, reveals a more sinister plan for the future that eerily resembles what the bible describes during the tribulation. The UN keeps pushing and seem to be in an unusual hurry for all member states to be on this accelerated path towards what they call global cooperation, unity, blah blah. The bible describes it as one world government, economy, and religion during the great tribulation under the antichrist.

Now, having written all of this, am I saying with absolute certainty that Jesus' 2nd coming will definitely take place by the mid to late 2030s (ranging from 2033 to 2039 etc.)?? It will be arrogance and extremely foolish on my part to act like I am God or that He revealed a very specific date, month and year to me. However, He did provide us with signs to look for as they approach. Similarly, Paul wrote that we could know the general timeframe as the season approaches. We also have to account for the possibility that the counting of the years maybe slightly off by a few years here and there due to rounding and the use of different calendars in history. However, I definitely don’t think we are off by centuries or even decades while counting the years using biblical genealogy. This is my best estimated timeframe taking into account all the signs converging. 2 Peter 3:9 surmises this perfectly, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Regathering of the Jews and reestablishment of the nation of Israel

Calling Israel a small nation would be a severe understatement. Roughly the size of New Jersey, this tiny peace of land is the biggest headache and talking point among the nations and so called ‘leaders’ of the current world. This is highlighted by most nations now clamoring to divide the land and create a ‘2-state solution’. Of course, this unusual hatred for the sole Jewish state is not much of a surprise if you know your bible. Scriptures have already foretold this. Zechariah 12:1-3 states, “The Lord who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of a person within him, declares: “Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes staggering to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah. It will come about on that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will injure themselves severely.” God chose and called Abraham to come of out his homeland of Ur which was severely rooted in idolatry. God desired to create a special covenant with a group, establish His laws, and form a great nation, Israel, through the descendants of Abraham. This is part of His ultimate divine plan to bring about the Messiah, Jesus Christ, through the Abrahamic lineage to redeem the whole world which was lost unto sin and separation from God since Adam.

As detailed in the millennial kingdom blog, the land that God promised Abraham and his descendants is not even close to what the Jews inhabit in Israel currently. The promised land outlined in Genesis 15:18 extends from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River. Scholars estimate this to be about 300,000 square miles. In reality, over the centuries, only about 10,000 square miles (only about 1/30th) of this promised land has been occupied and considered as nation of Israel; and thus, is yet to see fulfillment of the promise. Isaiah 2 also talks about Israel being exalted over the other nations. This topographical shift may take place in the aftermath of the tribulation as Christ sets up His reign. Zechariah 14:9 and Isaiah 9:6-7 confirms that Jesus Himself will rule from Jerusalem. Israel will finally have peace as prophesized in 2 Samuel 7: 10; "And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning". God also has a spiritual covenant to fulfill with Israel, with His laws being fully written in their hearts and knowing Him fully, and God forgiving them of their iniquities (Jeremiah 31: 31-34). The majority of Israel have always rejected Christ and Israel's complete acceptance of Him as the true Messiah will only be realized after the tribulation and fulfilled during the millennial kingdom. Imagine the shock of the current world leaders’ if they were to read these scriptures and realize how big Israel is truly going to be in the future while they are so busy trying to dissect the land currently! Genesis 12:2 says of Israel, “I will make you into a great nation. And I will bless you. I will make your name great. You will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you. I will put a curse on anyone who puts a curse on you. All nations on earth will be blessed because of you.” Joel 3:2 affirms this future judgement, “I will also gather all nations, And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people, My heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; They have also divided up My land.” Furthermore Matthew 25:32-33 also states how the nations will be gathered and judged. The promise to bless or curse whoever who curses or blesses Israel can be applied individually and to the nations. While it is considered cool to be anti-Israeli and even antisemitic per the current political climate, you do not want to be standing on the opposite side of God when He judges nations and individuals on how the chosen people were treated.

This hatred for Israel as a nation and the Jews, as I mentioned earlier, is not surprising since it is satanically inspired. The moment God for all mysterious reasons chose Abraham through whom the Jews would become the people group through which ultimately the Messiah would arrive, they instantly became a special target for satan. Satan has tried to destroy the Jews in the past through several empires such as Babylonian, Roman, Ottoman, etc. etc. all the way to the Nazis and even to the current state where they are despised by most of the nations. Israel’s military actions to defend herself as a nation against constant hatred and terrorism is often used as the excuse to apply double standards and accuse Israel of committing genocide compared to other nations. One of satan’s goals is to destroy the Jews and the nation of Israel. This is part of his ultimate plan to try to stop Jesus’ 2^nd coming. The Jews are not currently living right with the Lord. They, however, will realize their mistake and the surviving remnant will call upon and accept Jesus as their Messiah (Whom they have rejected before) at the end of the tribulation. Since all of satan’s scheming failed at preventing Jesus’ 1^st coming, he is now scheming to prevent the 2^nd coming by trying to kill off all the Jews to deny this prophecy from being fulfilled. Despite being created as a very intelligent being, satan’s pride and arrogance have blinded him into convincing himself that he can stop God’s plan. Let’s say it was not the Jews God had chosen in the past to establish the covenant, but instead, chose Mongolians or Irish or whomever, satan would have targeted them and gone after them like he is influencing the world to go after the Jews now.

So how does the reestablishment of Israel as a nation back in 1948 indicate the time is nearing the end? After the Roman siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of the 2nd temple in 70 AD, the Jews were scattered all over the world from their rightful homeland of Israel. Scriptures indicate many times that the Jews will be regathered after a scattering. Jeremiah 30:3 states, "For behold, days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah.’ The Lord says, ‘I will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers, and they shall take possession of it." Similarly, Ezekiel 37:21 writes, "This is what the Lord God says: “Behold, I am going to take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land". There are many more verses that you can read 23 Bible verses about Land Permanently Restored To Israel that undoubtedly proves this point. Israel is often symbolized as a fig tree many times in the scriptures. Matthew 24 specifies Jesus informing the disciples what the signs of the end of age will be and further goes onto illustrating the budding of the fig tree again signifying the national revival, restoration, and rebirth of Israel in the end times. Verse 34 states that the generation that sees the things indicated in previous verses describing the signs of the end will not pass away until all these things have come to pass. Many bible scholars have disagreed to this concept of the generation that saw the rebirth of Israel in 1948 as the final generation and have come up with alternative theories. However, there is solid reason to suggest that (especially when combined with all the other prophetic events foretold in the last days converging and accelerating) that this generation is indeed that final generation who will see the 2^nd coming. This begs the questions on what a generation is. Psalms 90:10 states, “As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is only trouble and tragedy; For it quickly passes, and we disappear.” Research data on current life expectancy also suggests the average age to be about 70 to 80 years. Basing off this standard, the current generation who saw Israel reestablished as a nation in 1948 will be in the mid to late 80s by the time mid 2030s roll around.

In addition, Israel is currently engaged in military conflict with many surrounding enemies in their immediate inner ring. This ranges from attacks from Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Judea and Samaria (or what the world likes to falsely call as the West Bank), Iraq, Yemen and their biggest enemy at the present time, Iran. These nations and conflicts are prophesied throughout scriptures such as Psalms 83, Jeremiah 49, Ezekiel 38 etc. Ezekiel 38 talks about a future state where Israel is dwelling in peace in unwalled villages prior to the invading forces of Gog/Magog, Persia, Gomer and many others coming up against her. Bible scholars have identified some of the key players as Russia, Turkey, Iran etc. along with many other nations in the area. Israel is definitely not living in peace in the current stage. What we can expect to see in the future is for Israel to decisively beat her surrounding enemies enabling her to feel a level of peace and safety. While Israel does have the military power and capabilities to beat the surrounding proxy enemies funded by Iran, Israel does not have a remote chance humanly speaking to withstand against the combined might of the likes of Russia, Iran, Turkey etc. However, Ezekiel prophesies that the great God of Israel will come to her rescue and defeat these forces supernaturally in a future event. Whether this happens before the rapture or shortly after the tribulation remains to be seen. Nevertheless, it is highly curious that neighboring nations such as Russia, Turkey and Iran who did not get along great with each other for a very long time have in the recent past strategically formed strong bonds and military guarantees with each other. While Iran has been very anti-Israel in the past few decades in word and action, Russia and Turkey are especially starting to sound a lot more hostile towards Israel in the current political stage. This strategic alliance and growing animosity towards Israel is definitely setting the stage for the future invasion.

Daniel 9:27 talks about a future 7-year covenant that will be brokered by the antichrist with many nations, including Israel. This agreement could potentially include deals such as Israel giving up land, and in return getting guarantees of peace, permission to rebuild the 3^rd temple without opposition from enemies etc. The antichrist, however, will break this covenant at the 3.5 year mark and start persecuting the Christians, Jews, and anyone who doesn’t take the mark. (Please read the tribulation blog for more context and details). With the pressure mounting on Israel from the UN, and most nations around the world now, Israel will most likely very soon jump on this deal in search for peace and safety. The arrival of the 5 red heifers from Texas to Israel a few years ago is another big sign that Israel is going to be rebuilding the 3^rd temple soon. The ashes of a perfect red heifer is a requirement per Jewish custom for temple purification purposes. If recent rumors are true, a perfect red heifer may already have been sacrificed after a long wait of close to 2000 years. All that maybe needed now is the political go ahead to complete the ritual and rebuild the temple. The soon coming antichrist may well be the one who will act as Israel’s friend initially and help make this long-awaited dream possible before his betrayal at the halfway point.

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, there are many other prophetic signs that are accelerating and converging at a rapid pace that screams that we are at the very end of the end times. I will continue to elaborate on them in part 2 and 3…if the rapture hasn’t happened by then….Maranatha!