Are We Approaching Armageddon?

Are We Approaching
ARMAGEDDON?
By Irvin Baxter
From the Sept./Oct. 2006
Issue Of Endtime Magazine

Nine specific prophecies in the Bible will occur within the final seven years prior to the Battle of Armageddon. By examining these prophecies, we can get a sense of how close we are to Armageddon.

1) The final seven years will begin when the Antichrist and the international community give their support to Israel’s right to exist in the land promised to Abraham by God. This is called the Confirmation Of The Covenant (Daniel 9:27 & Genesis 15:18).
2) A war will begin from the vicinity of the Euphrates River (Revelation 9:13-16).
3) The West Bank (Judea) in Israel will become a place of Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:15-21).
4) The Temple Mount in Jerusalem will be placed under a Sharing Arrangement between Jew and Gentile (Revelation 11:1-2).
5) The Jewish temple will be Built on the Temple Mount (Revelation 11:1-2 & 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).
6) The Temple Mount will be placed under the supervision of the world community and the leader of the world community, The Antichrist will stand on the Temple Mount claiming to be God (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).
7) A World Government will dominate the world for three and one-half years prior to Armageddon (Daniel 7:23 & Revelation 13;7).
8) Each person on earth will be required to have A Mark or a number in order to buy or sell (Revelation 13:16-18).
9) The world community, led by Russia And Iran, will invade the nation of Israel (Zechariah 14:2-4 & Ezekiel 38 & 39).

ARE THESE PROPHECIES COMING TO PASS NOW?

1) Israeli Prime Minister has openly stated that the number one goal of his administration is to obtain the support of the international community for ISRAEL’S FINAL BORDERS. He hopes to achieve this by the end of 2008.
2) Most of the Euphrates River is in Iraq. The United States has 140,000 troops STATIONED ALONG THE EUPHRATES at this time. The conflict between the U.S. and islamic Fundamentalism is not diminishing, but increasing around the world.
3) Ehud Olmert has openly said that he will withdraw from the West Bank (Judea) by the end of 2008. Then, recently, he announced that his convergence-withdrawal plan is off - "NO LONGER RELEVANT." Whether or not Israel withdraws, the prophecy is clear that there will be slaughter in Judea.
4) President Clinton suggested the SHARING OF THE TEMPLE MOUNT in July of 2000. It is generally believed this is the only possible solution to the Temple Mount dispute whenever the issue is finally resolved.
5) All the furniture for ISRAEL’S THIRD TEMPLE is now complete; Israel has her long-sought-for red heifer, which is needed before the re-establishment of temple worship; and in June of 2005, the newly re-born Sanhedrin announced they were proceeding with building the temple. They intend to pre-fabricate it off-site.
6) Ehud Barak, Israeli Prime Minister in the year 2000, suggested placing the Temple Mount UNDER UN CONTROL in order to make a sharing of the Temple Mount possible. When the UN takes control of the Temple Mount, the leader of the world government will feel justified in claiming ultimate authority there.
7) The nations of the world are increasingly recognizing the authority of INTERNATIONAL LAW. We now have the World Bank, the World Trade Organization, the World Health Organization and the World Court - just to name a few. We have a World Court to adjudicate the international laws of the emerging world government.
8) On May 11, 2005, President Bush signed the REAL ID ACT. The law requires that every American must have a national ID card by May 11, 2008. Without this card, a person will not be able to hold a job or open a bank account. Without a job or a bank account, how much buying and selling will an individual be able to do? Oh, by the way, you can’t get your card without giving your number...your social security number.
9) Iran (Persia) and Russia (Meshech - root word for Moscovi or Moscow) are NOW IN ALLIANCE. Iran is the leading advocate of "wiping Israel off the map."

NINE OUT OF NINE? AMAZING!

Are we approaching the Battle of Armageddon? Absolutely! How much time do we have left? Probably between seven and ten years. Could it be longer? Yes, but it’s not likely.

NOTE: See the "9 PROPHECIES IN 7 YEARS - AN IN-DEPTH EXPLANATION" article p. 20-24.

Signs of the End Times

Signs of the End Times

Most of this lecture comes from sections of two amazing books. The first is called "World Aflame" by Billy Graham and the second is called "The Bible Has The Answer" by Henry M. Morris and Martin E. Clark.


According to Jesus, there is no way we can predict the definite time of His coming and of the end of this present age. But Jesus expects us to be aware of and even commands us to recognize when His coming is near. (Answers p333-334) Jesus told His disciples that there were signs throughout the Scriptures of His return. They knew that the Old Testament Scriptures were filled with the signs of His first coming and that these Scriptures had prophesied accurately the details of that coming hundreds of years before Jesus was born. (WA p197) Jesus said there would be a future generation with certain characteristics to indicate that the end is near. During this generation all the signs of His coming will converge. Those who are true Christians will be able to read the signs and warn others as Noah did. Today it would seem that those signs are indeed converging for the first time since Christ ascended into heaven. (WA p198)


So what are some of these signs? Compare the following to Matthew Ch. 24 in the Bible.


1st is, a general decline in morality. As stated earlier, our society is experiencing a drastic decline in morals. Billy Graham noted that "The world is on a moral binge such as was not known even in the days of Rome. We have at our fingertips every pleasure that man is capable of enjoying, and man has abused every gift God ever gave him, including sex, until he no longer finds joy and satisfaction in them. (WA p200)


The 2nd sign is, a wide-spread decline in religious faith and an infiltration of false teachers and leaders into Christian churches. Jesus said "many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many." Billy Graham says that this all seems to point to a time of wide-spread hypocrisy when multitudes of people will be herded into the church without having had a personal experience with Jesus Christ. The Bible will be under attack."(WA p200-201) There are many false religions today. Make sure your leaders follow the teachings of the Holy Bible and keep God’s words in proper context.


The 3rd sign is that there will be a prevalence of a naturalistic evolutionary philosophy in science and the coming of scoffers. II Peter chapter 3 verses 3 & 4 state that "There shall come in the last days - scoffers, saying ... all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." Today’s society accepts the idea of uniformitarianism, which is the foundation of the theory of evolution and means that the findings in nature in the present explain the conditions of nature in the past. This is where the idea came from that it took millions of years to form the multi-striated rock layers around the world. Therefore there is no room for catastrophic events to have occurred such as the world-wide flood which would have quickly caused these rock layers.


The 4th sign is that there will be an increase in lawlessness and a rebellious attitude of most of the younger generation. II Timothy chapter 3 verses 1 - 3 says "This know also, that in the last days, perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (and) without natural affection." (WA p202) We live in a very selfish society today. There is little respect for others. No wonder we have such a high rate of divorce and broken homes. Family values are at an all time low.


The 5th sign is, a growing conflict between the rich and the poor. While millions of people starve to death, other millions will grow to be very rich. I Timothy 6:10 warns us that "the love of money is the root of all evil." All over the world we see countless people living in substandard conditions in poverty-stricken areas while others in prosperous, wealthy nations live lavish lifestyles.


The 6th sign of the approaching end times is development of an apostate world church and the rapid rise of anti-Christian leaders and philosophers to prepare for the coming of a world totalitarian anti-Christian government with a World Dictator. For this dictator to be effective, all people groups will have to be united. In order to unify all societies, world leaders will set up a world government and a single world leader will emerge. This world leader will be the antichrist. We are already seeing today trends and efforts to develop a world-wide common language, common currency, common government and even a common religion without Jesus. With today’s communication technology, antichrist will be able to quickly and effectively reach and control the entire world.


The 7th sign is the increase of world wars. According to the Bible, wars will become more widespread affecting everyone, more devastating, and more frequent than ever before. War today has become high tech, the most highly developed of all sciences. We have perfected our weapons but failed to perfect the men who use them. (WA p205) With the availability of weapons of mass destruction around the world today, the chance of a world war affecting everyone is very likely. Although the world today desperately longs for peace and constantly talks about peace, the Prince of Peace - Jesus Christ, is never consulted about peace. (WA p206-207)


The 8th sign is the widespread fear and confusion regarding the world’s future. (Answers p335) Billy Graham paraphrased Jesus by saying that He said the generation before His return would be under severe pressure from every point of view and there would be no apparent way out. As men contemplate the future, He said, they will be not only afraid, they will be terrified.


The 9th sign is the drastic growth of knowledge and travel. Daniel 12:4 states that "even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." It was not until this generation that Daniel’s words could have possibly been understood. For the first time since the Scriptures were written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we can understand many parts of them in the light of current world events. Daniel was surely talking about our generation - the age of speed and travel and knowledge. (WA p205-206) The rate that human knowledge is doubling has increased exponentially over the past few generations.


The 10th sign is the preaching of the gospel to every nation of the world. Although only a small part of the world’s people will ever turn to Christ, it is necessary that some from all nations at least hear the gospel. Jesus said in Matthew 24:14 that "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (Answers p336) Modern travel is allowing the distribution of Bibles world-wide now, and because of modern travel and communication through tapes, CD’s, books, radio, TV, faxes and the internet, it is possible that the prophecy of Matthew 24:14 is being fulfilled in our generation for the first time. (WA p210)


The 11th sign is the widespread persecution of Christians. More Christians are being persecuted around the world today than ever before. Many Christians are treated harshly, imprisoned, and even killed today just for their dedication to their faith in Jesus. The more our societies grow in anti-Christian sentiment, the more we will see our persecution.


The 12th sign is the restoration of Israel as a nation, and the return of Jerusalem to the Jews. There will be turmoil in the Middle East.(Answers p336-338)


Another sign is the intensification of earthquakes and similar physical catastrophes. (Answers p337-338) In the book of Revelation chapters 4 - 18 it describes many weather related catastrophes which indicate that the earth will become completely unpredictable. (Weather & the Bible p147) Also changes in weather patterns will make it difficult to discern between seasons.


These are only a few of the signs given in Scriptures to alert believers (in Jesus) that "the day is approaching." (Hebrews 10:25) All such signs are being fulfilled today, some more intensively today than ever in the past. (Answers p336) Even apart from the Scriptures, the imminent danger of nuclear extermination, the population explosion, the approaching poisoning of our water and air supplies, and the general deterioration of the entire social and physical environment indicate that the world in its present form cannot survive much longer. There is surely no hope apart from Christ. (Answers p336) For the Christian, all is not hopeless unless his affections are centered on the things of this world. If you have been living a life dedicated to God, laying up treasures in heaven, with your affections on things above, then you have no cause for despair and discouragement. (WA p210)


Billy Graham also noted, "To one who accepts the Biblical account, it is exciting to pick up a newspaper in one hand and the Bible in the other hand and to watch the almost daily fulfillment of prophetic events. Man is precisely what the Bible says he is. Human nature is behaving exactly as the Bible said it would. The course of human events is flowing just as Christ predicted it would." "The Christian is not to be disturbed by the chaos, violence, strife, bloodshed, and threat of war that fill the pages of our daily newspapers. We know that these things are the consequences of man’s sin and greed. If anything else were happening, we would doubt the Bible. Every day we see a thousand evidences of the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. Every day as I read my newspaper I say: ‘The Bible is true’."

End Time Prophecies - CAUTION

END TIME PROPHECIES
CAUTION

There are many prophecies about the times of the end of this age recorded throughout the Bible as in Matthew ch. 24, Mark ch.13, Luke ch. 21, 2 Thessalonians ch.2, the book of Revelation and a few other places. Throughout the centuries man has been trying to interpret the meaning of these prophecies. Some people have even incorrectly predicted certain dates (which have come and gone) for the end of time.


So although the authors of these articles are biblical scholars and are providing us with educated speculations, we have to remember that noone truly knows the exact time in which the end will occur or exactly how it will occur. But the Bible does tell us that we, as Christians, are to be aware of the signs and be prepared. The Bible also says that blessed are those who read or hear these revelations of God.


Although I and many others truly believe that the occurances of today’s time indicate that the end of this age is near, we have to be careful how we interpret the prophecies. So as you read these human interpretations of the end time prophecies remember that the prophecies are God’s word but these interpretations are man’s word and therefore are not proven to be absolutely true.

Our Present Situation

Our Present Situation

As Billy Graham recorded in his excellent 1965 book World Aflame, "In theory, the people of the West have various forms of democracy based on a belief in God as well as on a general acceptance of moral law. However, in practice we are beginning to resemble the Marxists, who have little respect for moral law or religion. Our interests are centered in ourselves. We are preoccupied with material things. Our supreme god is technology; our goddess is sex. Most of us are more interested in getting to the moon than in getting to heaven, more concerned about conquering space than about conquering ourselves. We are more dedicated to material security than to inner purity. We give much more thought to what we wear, what we eat, what we drink, and what we can do to relax than we give to what we are. This preoccupation with peripheral things applies to every area of our lives."

He also wrote the following passages, "Today man eats continually of the tree of knowledge without partaking of the tree of life, and he is still under the Satanic delusion that he will become like God." "President Theodore Roosevelt said: ‘When you educate a man in mind and not in morals, you educate a menace to society.’ Science is learning to control everything but man. We have not yet solved the problems of hate, lust, greed, and prejudice, which produce social injustice, racial strife, and ultimately war."

"No matter how advanced its progress, any generation that neglects its spiritual and moral life is going to disintegrate." "Every other civilization before us has disintegrated and collapsed from internal forces rather than military conquest." "You cannot build a superstructure on a cracked foundation." "No form of government has been able to establish righteousness, justice, and peace, the three elements without which we can never have continued national prosperity or international peace."

"America has probably been the most successful experiment in history. The American dream was a glorious attempt. It was built on a religious foundation. Its earliest concepts came from Holy Scripture. God honored and blessed America as few nations in history. However, in recent years the nation has been moving away from its religious heritage. Whether it knows it or not. It is in deep trouble both at home and abroad."

Our American society was founded, generations ago, on strong Christian principles. It was a strong and blessed society. But the Biblical foundation of America is quickly being replaced by an evolutionary foundation. We are being taught that the Bible is not true and not needed as our authority. This growing humanist philosophy is causing a drastic rise in abortions, homosexual behavior, pornography, and violence as well as the growth of anti-Christian sentiment. Our country is quickly becoming a post-Christian nation.

In Matthew chapter 24 in the Bible Jesus warns that before he returns the conditions on earth will be similar to the way they were in the time of Noah. In Donald Chittick’s book "Puzzle of Ancient Man," he demonstrates the remarkable similarities between Noah’s day, before the flood, and our current culture. As it is today, there was a rapid rise in the population and development of a high level of science and technology. Being in rebellion against God, man was using his technology to fill the world with violence. Also, then as now, mankind had knowledge of the true Creator God but ignored Him and His precepts. Peoples thoughts and concerns were continually evil. Daily concerns of business and pleasure totally occupied their minds. There was no time or room for God in their thoughts. There were murderers, complainers, and people walking after their own lusts. Noah was given 120 years to build the ark and preach of the coming judgement so the pre-flood population was adequately warned. Due to today’s modern communication technology of radios, televisions, satellites, faxes, and computers with the world-wide internet system and the ability to travel quickly to all parts of the world, the warnings of Jesus and revelations of God have reached nearly every culture. As in Noah’s day, many people today continue to ignore the warnings and continue to live sinful lifestyles. Even most of our world’s leaders are ignoring scriptural principles. With so many similarities between Noah’s day and our current culture, it really makes me wonder how close we are to Christ’s return and His coming judgement. (p.130 Puzzles)