30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
T H E W O R D S O F J E S U S R E C O R D E D I N M A T T H E W 2 4 : 3 0 – 3 5
“16 The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 3:16,17).
Consider the timing of these events.
The Old Testament Feast of Passover had a New Testament fulfillment when THE LAMB OF GOD was slain to set us free from the bondage of sin. Jesus died at the Jewish Passover. At that very time of year.
The Old Testament Feast of First Fruits was fulfilled when Christ rose from the dead. The resurrection was perfectly timed with the Jewish Feast of First Fruits. “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.” (1 Corinthians 15:20)
The Old Testament Feast of Pentecost (When God wrote His law on tablets of stone for Moses) was fulfilled when Jesus sent the Spirit to write the law of God on the hearts of the Believers at Jerusalem—“And when the Day of Pentecost was fully come… they were filled with the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2:1-4). Again, the Christian Pentecost happened at the same time of year as the Jewish Pentecost. That was why so many internationals were gathered in Jerusalem and why God gifted His Church with the miraculous ability to preach in their languages.
And what is the Jewish Feast that follows Pentecost? It’s Rosh Hashana—the feast of Trumpets. We read that “The trump of the Lord shall sound…” at the coming of Messiah. It would not be surprising if the Lord Jesus returns in fulfillment of this Jewish Feast day.
Of course no man knows the day nor the hour of the Lord’s return. But we do know that He will return. And we do know that there will be signs that His coming is near.
The return of Israel as a nation is one of those signs. Think of it! From 606 BC until AD1948 Israel did not exist as a sovereign nation. Christ himself was born in Bethlehem of Judea a province of Palestine under the rule of Rome.
The Lord promised His servant Ezekiel that He would “take the children of Israel from among the heathen whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: and I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all.” (Ezekiel 37:21,22)
Notice the three parts of Ezekiel’s prophecy--A gathering of the people to their land, making of them one nation, and finally one king shall be king to them all.
It was World War I that actually opened the way for the Jews to return to their land.
It was World War II that made possible the establishment of the State of Israel.
Could it be that World War III—the Battle of Armageddon will see the Jews crowning YESHUA HAMASHIACH—Jesus the Messiah? It is certain.
The Scriptures tell us that there will be three great armies pressing against Israel. There will be an army from the North. Have you read how Putin’s Russia is stationing military assets in Syria—Israel’s northern neighbor.
There will be an army from the South. Israel’s Arab neighbors to the south are chafing to claim Israel for Islam.
And there will be an army from the East. Apparently the United States and Europe have just agreed to allow the Iranians to target Israel with powerful nuclear warheads. As if Iranian surrogates Hezbolla and Hamas were not enough, President Barak Obama has agreed to allow Tehran access to billions of dollars to fund “Death to America! Death to Israel!” (The chant heard in the capital of Iran this week). For more on these armies read this from Dr. Walverood: https://www.bible.org/seriespage/13-armageddon-and-second-coming-christ
What a time to be alive! The Spirit of Anti-Christ is everywhere. Satan, like a roaring lion, is devouring the nations. Evil is ascendant and perilous times are upon us.
And whatever you think, do not lose your grip of Truth!
And whatever you fear, do not give up your Faith!
For just when it appears that all is lost, THE LAMB WILL OVERCOME!
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. Revelation 17:14.
THE LORD OF LORDS WILL REIGN!
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords. (Revelation 19:11-16)
The first time He came, our Lord was born in stable, laid in a manger, and acknowledged by a few. But the next time He comes, it will be with power and great glory.
But the next time He comes, He won't have to die for me,
The next time He comes, there won't be a Calvary;
The next time He comes will begin eternity,
And when He comes again, He'll be coming for me.
The next time He comes, there won't be a Calvary;
The next time He comes will begin eternity,
And when He comes again, He'll be coming for me.
Words by Harold Lane