Has the Time of the Signs Now Arrived? :: By Gene Lawley

The unexpected appearance of signs of the end-time sometimes appears in casual statements that indicate culminating thoughts of intentions by those who are planning our future. We must ask how their plans fit with God’s revealed plan for the future, as told in Scripture.

There is the simple unfolding of Scripture in its chronological format as its timeline. That seems to be the format a God of no confusion would choose. A speaker once said he always tried to pick out someone in his audience who might be one who would have trouble understanding his message. Then, he would try to take it to a level that could be understood easily. How would God do it? Jesus said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44).

After listing several turbulent upsets in the world’s geological and social conditions, Jesus says in Luke 21:28, “When these things begin to happen, look up for your redemption draws near.”

Then He tells a parable of the blossoming of the fig tree that is about the coming restoration of Israel to its own national sovereignty. That incident actually happened on May 14, 1948, 75 years ago. It was prophecy fulfilled.

That event set a pivotal date for the generation living on that date. Mark 13:30 tells us, “…This generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.” Those who were born on or before May 14, 1948, if still living and a believer in Christ, will be among those who never die and are caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

Those are going to be elderly people, 75 years old and older, “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast…” (Hebrews 6:19).

Another sign of the times is told in 2 Thessalonians 2:3: “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first….” It is the obvious and prolific increase of lawlessness, moral degradation, mass killings, and relentless injustice now prevailing. There is a tendency to respond with, “We’ve seen these things happening before now, so it is not unusual,” but I submit that it has never been so deep and acceptable from the top leadership of nations of the world. Look at how Jesus saw the world, as Luke reported His words in Luke 17:26-30:

“And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

“Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.”

Here the Scriptures acknowledge “these things” have happened before, but this time, they are introducing the coming of the Lord in the Rapture. Is God reluctant to reveal signs of His return? That does not appear to be true at all. Further in that Luke passage to verse 37, we find a description of how the Rapture will touch individuals around the world—some taken to safety, some left behind.

In Amos 3:7, He says, “Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.”

Bible students of prophecy have long learned not to be called a “date setter” because we forget to consider the whole counsel of God, or perhaps we forget Proverbs 3:5 which has been staring us in the face all along: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” But then, how are we to factor in such a sign as this one now looming on the horizon?

The United Nations has announced a 2023 Summit meeting on September 18-19, 2023. It is not front-page news that is readily apparent, but its purpose is awesome when compared with the prophecies of Scripture, mainly Daniel 9:26-27.

It is labeled as the “Sustainable Development Goals” (SDG) for its purpose and would mark the “beginning of a new phase of accelerated progress towards the SDG’s plan for high-level political guidance on transformative and accelerated actions leading up to 2030.”

The UN website has this statement by the UN Secretary-General: “The SDG Summit in September must be a moment of unity to provide a renewed impetus and accelerated actions for the SDGs.”

So, what do we say to that? “Aw, the UN is always doing something over there in their high-towered edifice that never works out,” is that it? After President Obama took office in 2009, he toured the Middle East, apologizing for America, and demanded the peace negotiators have a plan in place the next September. Nothing was in place in 2010, nor 2011, nor 2012, then re-election took first attention. Apparently, God’s timing was not then.

This meeting is to set up a seven-year plan of action to transform the world into a conforming New World Order, as further digging will reveal. It is set for this September 18-19 in New York. It is scheduled on the next two days after the Feast of Trumpets, Rosh Hashana, on the calendar for September 16-17. (Two days to allow for sighting the new moon if clouds cover it the first day.)

The comparative prophecy that speaks of this is Daniel 9:26-27:

“And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself, and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined.

“Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering, and on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.”

When Jesus returns for His body of believers around the world, the sudden disappearance of multi-thousands of people will result in major chaos, as one can imagine. Those left behind will be scrambling for someone to take charge of the devastation. If this September is that time, the “purely coincidental” meeting of UN officials in New York will already be on top of it with that person ready to take over.

They will confirm a covenant of seven years for the Jews and will allow them to rebuild their temple. This is the time when God returns His attention to His planned restoration of Israel with their true Messiah and the seven years of punishment for their continued disobedience in those past centuries. This will be that “missing” 70th week of Daniel’s prophecy in Daniel 9:20 and following.

The ministry of those 144,000 Jewish evangelists will lead many thousands to the Lord from every tribe, tongue, and nation. See Revelation 7. They will have refused to take the Mark of the Beast and are killed for it, apparently, for they come out of the Great Tribulation, the last half of the seven years.

These are the Scriptural accounts of the last days of this age, but how should we look at the events in the world that seem to correspond? We must look at the attributes of God. Does He also know every thought and intent in the minds of those who do not believe, as Psalm 139 tells us, or is it just believers? Certainly, it is all mankind.

For some time, I have pinpointed the Rapture to occur during the Feast of Trumpets, the time of the late harvest, and because of the progress of the “falling away,” the Day is clearly approaching, in my opinion. Would God allow such an obvious action of the world to occur contrary to His will? “Knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10b).

The question of this article is the title: “Has the time of the signs now arrived?” Have you seen the Day approaching, and are you ready? Has the “falling away” reached its peak? It must come first, then the One who resists will come for His believers.

“Even so, Lord Jesus, come” (Revelation 22:20).

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