End of the World

The End of the World

The End of the World
Horror Story – or Bible Hope?

End of the WorldAS the sun began to rise, the truth became frighteningly clear: nothing was left. There was no-one to be seen; every living thing had been destroyed, wiped off the face of the earth.

Survivors
Yet, incredibly, there were a few survivors; just one family sealed up in their home-made shelter, with enough provisions to last for over a year. They had listened to the warnings and had prepared, so that when the time came, in they went with their livestock and their survival kit.

Their minds were still full of the experience they had gone through. To begin with there had been horror; sounds outside of terror and despair, upheaval and chaos, but the family had sat tight, holding hands, safely enclosed. Later came silence and that was even worse. What now? Was it safe to open the window? What would they find? They knew with certainty that the earth outside, would be strange; a very different place from the familiar world they had left behind. Their home had gone for sure and all the landmarks. There would be emptiness and devastation. Would they be able to survive?

Science Fiction?
Perhaps, you are thinking, this is just science fiction. The chances are it will never happen. The fact is, it actually did happen to real people. It’s a true account of a family who survived when their world came to an end.

They knew nothing about nuclear war or radiation: the danger which surrounded them was caused by billions of tons of water – tidal waves and torrents which submerged the earth. Nevertheless they are of especial interest to us, for we too are faced with the possibility of world-wide disaster, a fiery holocaust instead of a flood and the fear that our world like theirs could come to an end.

Noah’s Time – Just like ours! Read more

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Jesus: God the Son or Son of God?

The Real Facts Concerning the Second Coming of Jesus Christ

The Real Facts Concerning the Second Coming of Jesus Christ

Jesus: God the Son or Son of God?There is no need to despair because of the deteriorating social and religious conditions on earth today. Though it might seem that the world faces a bleak future and that no leader has any solution to the crises that disturb so many, there is a grand hope offered to thoughtful men and women prepared to look beyond the present.

The Bible is the source of such confidence; it has a message of hope and real security. A consistent message of divine purpose continues from the beginning to the end of the book — notwithstanding that over forty different writers were responsible for the writing of the books, and over 1600 years were encompassed in its compilation. It is the authentic Word of God, and its prophecies and declarations are therefore recorded under divine inspiration. That is the reason why it is so consistent in its message, so unerring in its prophecies, and so reliable in its precepts and teachings. We can go to its pages with complete confidence and assurance. Read more

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Women vs Men - Inferior or Equal

Women vs Men – Inferior or Equal

Women vs Men – Inferior or Equal

by Becky Stelzer on January 1, 2007; last featured August 18, 2008

What is the biblical view of a woman? Is she a man’s equal, his superior, or his inferior?

Women vs Men - Inferior or Equal

Modern extreme feminism places women in authority over men, while traditional Darwinian evolution places women far below men.1 And since the Bible directs that a wife be in submission to her husband, even Christians may wonder, “Is the woman inferior or equal?”

The Genesis account of God’s creation of the first male and female gives a clear picture that is extremely different from evolutionary views in our culture. God designed both the man and woman in His own image equally (Genesis 1:26–27).

Adam was created first, but God decreed that it was not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). Therefore, God fashioned Eve out of Adam’s rib. The well-known Bible commentator Matthew Henry said that Eve was “made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved.”2 Read more

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Evolution vs the Bible

Why Do Some People Believe So Strongly in Evolution?

Why Do Some People Believe So Strongly in Evolution?

Noah and the Flood God's Judgement on the WorldDays of Noah and the Second Coming

There are two earth-shattering events which cannot be explained on the basis of uniformitarianism. The first was the creation of the world and the second event was the worldwide flood. It was the second of these two events, the flood, which was the basis for Peter’s comparison with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the final destruction of the world.

What can humanity expect in the near future—at the Second Coming of Christ? Like it was in the days of Noah, today’s world is filled with political corruption, lying, slander, public displays of depravity, violent crimes, abortion, theft, adultery, drug-taking, drunkenness, gambling, and greed of all kinds, not to mention wars, rumors of wars, and terrorism. Does this sound familiar? (Refer to Romans 1:18–22.) Just like in the days of Noah (antediluvian period – Age of Conscience), “The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.” (Genesis 6:5, NIV)

The teaching echoed by both Christ (Matthew 24:37–39; Luke 17:26–27) and Peter (2 Peter 3:6–7) in the New Testament speaks of the destruction of mankind by flood and then by fire at the time of Chris’s return. Read more

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Is the Bible Really the Word of God?

Is the Bible Really the Word of God?

Is the Bible Really the Word of God?

The Proper Cure for the Disease

John Warwick Montgomery tells us a parable:

A great king (God) had a son (mankind) who had grown up out of contact with his father. While journeying in a distant province the son fell seriously ill. The doctorIs the Bible Really the Word of God? accompanying him (reason) was incapable of treating the disease, but the king, learning of his son’s plight, sent instructions (the gospel) for the healing of the boy. However, the king’s numerous enemies also discovered what had happened, and they likewise sent remedies – purporting to come from the king – which were actually poisonous (non-Christian religious and philosophical options). The son’s solution to this dilemma was to evaluate the remedies by three tests: first, what each remedy revealed about his father (comparison being made with the likeness to the father possessed by the son himself); second, how accurately each remedy pictured the nature of the disease; and thirdly, how sound the various curative methods appeared to be. With the help of the doctor, the son finally made his decision in terms of the remedy that best satisfied all three tests. (1)

Montgomery proposes three tests. The first test is “What each remedy revealed about the son’s father.” Evidence from the creation (2) strongly argues for the existence of a god who is personal, powerful, eternal, wise, and moral. The Bible declares all of these attributes of God.

Montgomery’s second test is “How accurate each remedy pictures the nature of the disease.” Many of the liberal and humanistic religions stress the basic goodness of man’s nature. They say corruption comes from society. This goes contrary to the facts of history and logic (see ‘People are Basically Good’ – Proof to the Contrary). History reveals that man is not basically good; he is basically selfish and sinful. The liberal view is also illogical because society is a group of individual people. To blame the situation of the world on society is to blame it on people. This is exactly what the Bible teaches: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Montgomery’s third test is “How sound the various curative methods appear to be.” If God has revealed Himself in propositional form, that revelation would have certain properties due to His infinite knowledge and moral perfection:

  1. It would be entirely true – His infinite knowledge would prevent errors and His truthfulness would keep Him from deception.
  2. It would be a coherent unity, therefore not self- contradictory.
  3. It would contain God’s will for man, and provide the motivation to live according to that will (3).

Read more

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Noah and the Flood God's Judgement on the World

The End of the World

The End of the World
Horror Story – or Bible Hope?

Noah and the Deluge That Destroyed the WorldAS the sun began to rise, the truth became frighteningly clear: nothing was left. There was no-one to be seen; every living thing had been destroyed, wiped off the face of the earth.

Survivors
Yet, incredibly, there were a few survivors; just one family sealed up in their home-made shelter, with enough provisions to last for over a year. They had listened to the warnings and had prepared, so that when the time came, in they went with their livestock and their survival kit.

Their minds were still full of the experience they had gone through. To begin with there had been horror; sounds outside of terror and despair, upheaval and chaos, but the family had sat tight, holding hands, safely enclosed. Later came silence and that was even worse. What now? Was it safe to open the window? What would they find? They knew with certainty that the earth outside, would be strange; a very different place from the familiar world they had left behind. Their home had gone for sure and all the landmarks. There would be emptiness and devastation. Would they be able to survive?

Science Fiction?

Perhaps, you are thinking, this is just science fiction. The chances are it will never happen. The fact is, it actually did happen to real people. It’s a true account of a family who survived when their world came to an end.

They knew nothing about nuclear war or radiation: the danger which surrounded them was caused by billions of tons of water – tidal waves and torrents which submerged the earth. Nevertheless they are of especial interest to us, for we too are faced with the possibility of world-wide disaster, a fiery holocaust instead of a flood and the fear that our world like theirs could come to an end. Read more

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The origin of Grand Canyon

The origin of Grand Canyon

The origin of Grand Canyon

(by late-Flood channelized flow)

by Michael Oard

The origin of Grand CanyonGrand Canyon (fig. 1) is one of the most visible and studied icons of geology. It is the valley of the Colorado River and is 466 km (290 mi) in river length, if the 97 km of Marble Canyon are included. Its depth varies from about 900 m (3,000 ft) to 1,800 m (average depth is 1,610 m). The canyon’s width rim-to-rim is between 6.4 and 29 km (4–18 mi). The total amount of rock eroded from the canyon was 3,300–4,100 km3 (800–980 mi3).

Images: Mike Oard (unless otherwise stated) Fig. 1. Grand Canyon, northern Arizona (view north from Yavapai Observation Station, South Rim). The side Canyon is Bright Angel Canyon, caused by the Bright Angel Fault down which the North Kaibab trail runs.

A showcase for anticreationists

Anticreationists consider Grand Canyon a showcase for uniformitarian geology and proof against biblical creation and the Flood.1 They regard it as being on the ‘front lines’ of the origins battle:

The famous landscape of the Grand Canyon lies along the front lines of competing scientific and nonscientific [i.e., creationist] views of Earth’s antiquity and evolution.2

Secularists regard creationist views as ‘nonscientific’ because we do not accept that present ‘slow and gradual’ (uniformitarian) processes explain the rocks and fossils. The point of contention is Noah’s Flood.

Slow-and-gradual can’t explain Grand Canyon

Uniformitarian scientists assume that the Colorado River, or some precursor river, cut the canyon. But the canyon’s path does not follow secular geological logic. It cuts through high plateaus, is not diverted by faults, and does not follow the topographic slopes of the bounding plateaus. Thus, Grand Canyon defies the principle of uniformitarianism upon which all secular geological interpretations are based.3 Read more

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Noah and the Flood God's Judgement on the World

Why Do People Believe So Strongly in Evolution?

Why Do People Believe So Strongly in Evolution?

Days of Noah and the Second Coming

Christ's AscensionThere are two earth-shattering events which cannot be explained on the basis of uniformitarianism. The first was the creation of the world and the second event was the worldwide flood. It was the second of these two events, the flood, which was the basis for Peter’s comparison with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the final destruction of the world.

What can humanity expect in the near future—at the Second Coming of Christ? Like it was in the days of Noah, today’s world is filled with political corruption, lying, slander, public displays of depravity, violent crimes, abortion, theft, adultery, drug-taking, drunkenness, gambling, and greed of all kinds, not to mention wars, rumors of wars, and terrorism. Does this sound familiar? (Refer to Romans 1:18–22.) Just like in the days of Noah (antediluvian period – Age of Conscience), “The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.” (Genesis 6:5, NIV)

The teaching echoed by both Christ (Matthew 24:37–39; Luke 17:26–27) and Peter (2 Peter 3:6–7) in the New Testament speaks of the destruction of mankind byNoah and the Flood God's Judgement on the World flood and then by fire at the time of Chris’s return.

As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” (Matthew 24:37–39, NIV)

Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.” (Luke 17:26–27, NIV)

The parallels between the days of Noah and the Second Coming are described by the apostle Peter as well:

Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.’ For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice [“deliberately forget,” NIV] that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But the present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” (2 Peter 3:3–7, NAS) [Bold, emphasis added] Read more

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A Nation Always in the News

A Nation Always in the News

A Nation Always in the News

A Nation Always in the News

It seems that Israel is never out of the news for long. Despite its small size and insignificance compared to other nations, the spotlight of the world’s attention falls frequently on this troubled country.

The World could give a few reasons why this might be;

  • A (generally) pro-western state surrounded by (generally) anti-western neighbours.
  • A (nominally) Judaistic nation surrounded by (nominally) Islamic Nations.
  • The powerful Jewish lobby in the United States and elsewhere, mustering support.
  • A capital city (Jerusalem), holy to three different (and often conflicting) religions; Judaism, Islam and Christianity.
  • One piece of land (Canaan), occupied by two nations, Israel and Palestine

However, the Bible Old Testament (a book holy to Islam, Judaism and Christianity) has a simpler explanation:Map of Israel

Isaiah 43:10 “You are my witnesses,” says Yahweh, “With my servant whom I have chosen; that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am he. Before me there was no God formed, neither will there be after me.
Isaiah 44:8 Don’t fear, neither be afraid. Haven’t I declared it to you long ago, and shown it? You are my witnesses. Is there a God besides me? Indeed, there is not. I don’t know any other Rock.”

The Bible says that Israel are God’s witnesses. Through them, we can see God at work, bringing about His plan and purpose for the Earth.
When Britain pulled out of Israel in 1948, no-one gave them a chance against the combined armies of the Arab nations around them and yet they managed to survive and grow. In the Six Day War, Israel again pulled off a decisive visual against overwhelming odds.
These are signs that God is with Israel – not because they deserve His support, but because Yahweh has chosen them as His witness and because of the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, Joseph and David.
Genesis 26:4 I will multiply your seed as the stars of the sky, and will give to your seed all these lands. In your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed,Exodus 32:13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your seed as the stars of the sky, and all this land that I have spoken of I will give to your seed, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 1 Kings 2:45 But king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before Yahweh forever.”

These and many other verses detail the promises that God made to his faithful followers concerning the land of Canaan. It is because God keeps His promises that Israel inhabit the land, not because they are in any way deserving. Read more

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JERUSALEM Who’s City Is It?

JERUSALEM Who’s City Is It?

The question of the true ownership of Jerusalem has often been posed and people who believe in the authority of the Bible as the Word of God will know that the real answer to this age-old query is to be found in the pages of Scripture. There, and there alone, we will find God’s position on the matter. The question, “Does Jerusalem belong to Arab, Jew, Palestinian or Turk?”, becomes irrelevant when considered from a Biblical standpoint.

Read the rest of this article and discover the true owner of Jerusalem and the land of Israel/Palestine in the light of Bible Prophecy.

Jerusalem – Who’s City Is It?Jeruisalem Who's City is it?

The question of the true ownership of Jerusalem has often been posed and people who believe in the authority of the Bible as the Word of God will know that the real answer to this age-old query is to be found in the pages of Scripture. There, and there alone, we will find God’s position on the matter.

Bible Passages

Here is a brief overview of some relevant passages. You might like to look them up for yourself to see the full wonder of the purpose of God with Jerusalem. The first is a passage with a location which is easy to remember:

“Thus saith the Lord GOD; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her” (Ezekiel 5:5).

God is speaking and here He states that HE has chosen the location of the city. Clearly it is HIS city and the Lord God Himself takes ownership of it. The passage does not say that Jerusalem is in the middle of hills and valleys, which would be true. Nor is the point that it is in the midst of villages and towns, which is also true.

It states that God has set this city in the midst of ‘nations and countries’. That gives the statement a truly international status which, as we shall see, is perfectly appropriate in the light of what is due to happen there. This was said about Jerusalem at a time when cities such as London, New York, Paris and Moscow did not exist. Other great cities did: cities like Babylon, Nineveh, Thebes and Alexandria. They each had been, were, or were becoming, great cities of the ancient world. Yet it is Jerusalem of which the prophet speaks. Perhaps we can imagine the scorn in the mind of some non-believers at that time that such a small and apparently insignificant city should be chosen. Read more

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Jesus: God the Son or Son of God?

Jesus: God the Son or Son of God?

Jesus: God the Son or Son of God?

What does the Bible say?

Before Jesus Christ appeared, the writings of the Old Testament had for centuries been revered by the nation of Israel (the Jews) as the revelation of their God who had delivered them from Egypt at the Exodus. What impression had they gained about the nature of God? The answer is clear from the following quotation:

“Having affirmed the existence of God, Judaism really lays down only one basic idea about Him which is a recognised dogma – the Unity of God. ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One.’

This is immediately a negation of the polytheism of the ancient world with its numerous deities. It is a repudiation of the idea that there are two gods or two creative sources of existence, one of good and the other of evil. It is also a clear denial of the idea of a trinity – three gods in One which is the established doctrine of Christianity. For Judaism there can be absolutely no compromise at all in this fundamental concept of the Only One God who is the ultimate creative source of all life and death, the elements of nature and history and the power behind all forces, physical and spiritual.” (C. Pearl and R. Brookes, A Guide to Jewish Knowledge, pages 96,97)

To this day the orthodox Doctrine of the Trinity remains a great obstacle for any Jew inquiring into the Christian religion.

In these days of hazy ideas, we need to remind ourselves that the Old Testament we possess is the same collection of writings revered in Jesus’ day as the word of God. Jesus himself described them as “the law, the psalms and the prophets” and said that in them were prophecies of himself. In Psalm 2 we read:

“Thou art my son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” (verses 7,8) Read more

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God is in CONTROL of this WORLD

GOD RULES IN THE KINGDOM OF MEN

GOD RULES IN THE KINGDOM OF MEN

Daniel 4:30-32

God Rules in the Kingdom of Men“30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? 31 While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. 32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.”

As we look down through history we can see how God’s hand has been engaged among the nations making this passage a reality among the Kingdoms of Men to serve God’s Purpose.

Yes man might think he is in control of his own destiny and that is true when it comes to believing in God of not and living forever or dying forever.

But God has a purpose with man and this earth and that purpose has been revealed in the Bible for all to read and learn of.  More than 3000yrs ago we have specific prophecies spoken by God that have all come to pass and are yet coming to pass in the very world we live in today.

No matter what look at whether it is the rise of the successive Kingdoms of man from Babylon, Medo Persia, Greece, Rome or the rise of the EU or BREXIT or the latest 2016 USA Presidential Elections we can see God’s hand in all of this ensuring that His Purpose overall is and will be accomplished despite what man my think or do.

Through all of the Bible we are told that Israel is central to God’s purpose, so that whatever happens with Israel we can be sure that God’s hand will be involved somehow either in allowing it to happen or in saving His people from an otherwise dangerous situation. Read more

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Carbon Dating, How Reliable is it?

Carbon 14 Dating how reliable is it?

Carbon 14 Dating how reliable is it?

Problem:

Dating methods (currently Carbon-14) are cited as definitely proving that man has been on the earth for at least 30,000 years. This age for man conflicts with BiblicalCarbon Dating, How Reliable is it? chronology which dates the beginning of man’s existence on the earth about six thousand years ago.

Solution:

  1. In order to critically appraise the claim that C-14 “definitely proves” the age of man to be at least 30,000 years, a description of C-14 dating is required:

The C-14 method of dating is used to determine the age of vegetables and animal remains. The procedure rests on the fact that cosmic radiation in the upper atmosphere leads to the formation of a radioactive isotope of carbon with an atomic weight of fourteen, instead of the normal weight of twelve (C-14 instead of the normal C-12). Atmospheric carbon contains a small amount of radio-active C-14 which decays at a fixed known rate, but is continuously replaced by the formation of more C-14. The rate of breakdown is calculated in terms of the “half-life” which for carbon is 5,568 (plus or minus 30) years. After this amount of time, only half the original amount of C-14 will be left; after about 11,400 years, a quarter. Plants, by means of photosynthesis, and animals, by respiration and feeding on plants and one another, incorporate atmospheric carbon into their tissues, a process that is assumed to cease when the tissues die. As the C-14 disintegrates in the dead tissues and is not replaced, the ratio of non-radioactive carbon-12 to C-14 will slowly change, and its value at any time will depend on the time that has elapsed since the tissues died. Thus the age of the tissues can in principle be determined by comparing the ratio of non-radioactive carbon to C-14 in the tissue and in the atmosphere.1 Read more

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God is in CONTROL of this WORLD

God is in CONTROL of this WORLD

God is in CONTROL of this WORLD

God is in CONTROL of this WORLDThis article about Bible prophecy explains that God is in control of the world and has a glorious plan for its future.

As this article unfolds we will consider what prophecy is and look at some of the things it says about the Time of the End. Even though the immediate future for the world looks quite depressing, the good news is that there is a sure promise of a better time to come, when God’s kingdom is established here.

God in Control

One of the fallacies of human governments today is that they think they are in control. This, of course, is brought about by humanistic thinking that man is the master of his own destiny. Even though the problems which confront civilization today seem insurmountable, man is confident in his own ability to solve them and bring about a better world.

The Bible, however, gives us a different and more realistic perspective. It shows us that God is in control and that events in the world are unfolding according to His predetermined plan.

At a time of national unrest when the future of the nation of Judah seemed to be in the balance, the prophet Isaiah gave this word from God:

“Remember this, and show yourselves men; recall to mind, O you transgressors. Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,’ Calling a bird of prey from the east, the man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it” (Isaiah 46:8–11)

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10–11).

Although these words were spoken specifically about ancient kings – of Assyria, Babylon and Persia – who went about trying to accomplish their own desires, they give us a timeless insight into the fact that it is God who is really in control. Read more

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The Sign of the Fig Tree

Signs which Jesus Gave

Signs which Jesus Gave

The Lord Jesus Christ gave various signs to help us identify the days immediately preceding his return to earth.  Many are contained in what is known as the Olivet Prophecy – recorded in Matthew chapter 24, Mark chapter 13 and Luke chapter 21.

Israel a Nation RebornA Nation Reborn

Probably the greatest sign that Jesus gave concerned the rebirth of the nation of Israel.  This came to pass in 1948, after almost 2,000 years during which the Jewish people were dispersed among nations all over the earth.  Jesus predicted that dispersion when he warned that Jerusalem would be overthrown by the Romans.

“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near … For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled … there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.  And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations.  And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles…” (Luke 21:20–24).

The Fig Tree

Immediately after these prophetic words in the Olivet Prophecy we have these words:

The Sign of the Fig TreeThen he spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away” (Luke 21:29–33).

In Scripture, the fig tree is symbolic of the nation of Israel.  For example: I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness;

 I saw your fathers as the firstfruits on the fig tree in its first season.  But they went to Baal Peor and separated themselves to that shame; they became an abomination like the thing they loved (Hosea 9:10).

 For a nation has come up against My land, strong, and without number; his teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he has the fangs of a fierce lion.  He has laid waste My vine and ruined My fig tree; he has stripped it bare and thrown it away; Its branches are made white (Joel 1:6–7).

 Further, Jesus told another parable about the nation of Israel using the same metaphor of a fig tree (Luke 13:6-9) and acted out another parable to the same effect when he cursed a fig tree which had become unfruitful (Mark 11:12-14).  What Jesus was predicting was that the nation of Israel – pictured as a fig tree – would again revive and would do so at a time when many other nations were also achieving independence. That is exactly what has now happened to the nation of Israel. Read more

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