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| Front Page of The Jerusalem Post May 16, 1948 Wikimedia Foundation. Fair use. |
I often say if we're not in the End Times, you can see them
from here.
I often get responses from people, including from pastors,
that show their skepticism. They respond with comments like, "We can't know
that." One told me, "We have at least another 30 years." Another said, "We have
at least another 100 years."
I wish I would have been quick-thinking enough to ask them, "Based on what?"
God gave us information about the End Times for a reason: so
we would know. (Tweet that!) (For more on why God gave us prophecies, see Related Articles below.)
Jesus talked about the signs of the end and the signs of his
coming in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. He told us what would be happening in our world so we would watch for the signs, understand what was happening, and know it was near. (Tweet that!)
So for all the skeptics out there, in recent history we have
witnessed one prophetic sign that has never occurred before in human history. (Tweet that!) One sign that is unique to our generation. One sign that changes
everything. It is the biggest sign ever. Like a flashing neon billboard. (Tweet that!)
What is it? Israel is once again a nation.
In Jesus' time, Israel was an occupied country, occupied by
the Romans. Israel had not been a free nation since long before the birth of
Jesus.
God spoke to the prophet Ezekiel about "The Valley of Dry Bones" in Ezekiel 37. God showed Ezekiel a vision of a vast valley of dry bones. Then God asked Ezekiel in 37:3:
"Son of man, can these bones live?"
I love Ezekiel's response because he spoke with wisdom I never would have thought of:
"O Sovereign LORD, you alone know."
God then put flesh on the bones and they became alive. And God explained to Ezekiel that this was the rebirth of Israel in her own land once again:
11 Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.' 12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14 And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord." (Ezekiel 37:11-14).
The Jewish people waited a very long time for this prophecy to be fulfilled, but it has happened. In our generation. Israel became a nation again on May 14, 1948. So
tomorrow, Israel turns 66 years old – that is the "new," re-established nation
of Israel and the prophetic re-birth of the nation. This week we will honor Israel
by learning more about this nation and how we can stay in touch with what's
happening there. (Tweet that!)
For today, let's remember that it was after Adolf Hitler and his Nazis tried to
annihilate the Jews that the result was Israel emerged as a nation once again after
2,000 years. That is an amazing turnaround, a miracle—something only God could do. (Tweet that!)
And that is a miraculous sign that is unique to our
generation.
Many of the other prophecies of the End Times refer to the
nation of Israel. Therefore, they cannot come to pass unless Israel is a
nation. Now, as of 1948, Israel is once again a nation. (Tweet that!)
According to Psalm 90:10 in the Bible, a "generation" is about 70 years:
The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away.
Israel was born again on May 14, 1948. That means Israel will turn 70 years
old in 2018.
(Tweet that!)
The re-birth of Israel is the biggest prophetic sign ever. This sign is unique to the times we are living in
right now. (Tweet that!) It is a unique, one-of-a-kind sign that tells us if we're not in the End
Times, we can see them from here.
Another end time sign unique to us, having been fulfilled in this generation is... "As the lightning flashes in the east and is seen in the west, so shall it be in the day of the coming of the Son of Man." It's clear that worldwide live satellite TV broadcasting now makes an event in Japan instantly visible in the United States... perhaps more fuel to the "These ARE the latter days as foretold.
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