50 Reasons Why We Are Living In The End Times: Part 1

Lamb and Lion Ministries Blog ^ | 13 JULY 2009 | Dr. David R. Reagan

[Quix]

The Bible says we cannot know the time of the Lord's return (Matthew 25:13). But the Scriptures make it equally clear that we can know the season of the Lord's return (1 Thessalonians 5:2-6):

"You yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night... But you brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night or darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober."

This passage asserts that Jesus is coming like "a thief in the night." But then it proceeds to make it clear that this will be true only for the pagan world and not for believers. His return should be no surprise to those who know Him and His Word, for they have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to give them understanding of the nature of the times.

Furthermore, the Scriptures give us signs to watch for — signs that will signal that Jesus is ready to return. The writer of the Hebrew letter referred to these signs when he proclaimed that believers should encourage one another when they see the day of judgment drawing near (Hebrews 10:25-27). Jesus also referred to the end time signs in His Olivet Discourse, given during the last week of His life (Matthew 24 and Luke 21). Speaking of a whole series of signs which He had given to His disciples, He said, "When you see all these things, recognize that He [the Son of Man — that is, Jesus] is near, right at the door" (Matthew 24:33).

A Personal Experience

Every time I think of "Signs of the Times," I am reminded of a great man of God named Elbert Peak. I had the privilege of participating with him in a Bible prophecy conference held in Orlando, Florida in the early 1990's. Mr. Peak was about 80 years old at the time.

He had been assigned the topic, "The Signs of the Times." He began his presentation by observing, "Sixty years ago when I first started preaching, you had to scratch around like a chicken to find one sign of the Lord's soon return."

He paused for a moment, and then added, "But today there are so many signs I'm no longer looking for them. Instead, I'm listening for a sound — the sound of a trumpet!"

The First Sign

One hundred years ago in 1907 there was not one single, tangible, measurable sign that indicated we were living in the season of the Lord's return. The first to appear was the Balfour Declaration which was issued by the British government on November 2, 1917.

This Declaration was prompted by the fact that during World War I the Turks sided with the Germans. Thus, when Germany lost the war, so did the Turks, and the victorious Allies decided to divide up both the German and Turkish empires.

The Turkish territories, called the Ottoman Empire, contained the ancient homeland of the Jewish people — an area the Romans had named Palestine after the last Jewish revolt in 132-135 AD.

In 1917 Palestine included all of modern day Israel and Jordan. In the scheme the Allies concocted for dividing up the German and Turkish territories, Britain was allotted Palestine, and this is what prompted the Balfour Declaration. In that document, Lord Balfour, the British Foreign Secretary, declared that it was the intention of the British government to establish in Palestine "a national home for the Jewish people."

The leading Evangelical in England at the time was F. B. Meyer. He immediately recognized the prophetic significance of the Declaration, for he was well aware that the Scriptures prophesy that the Jewish people will be regathered to their homeland in unbelief right before the return of the Messiah (Isaiah 11:11-12).

Meyer sent out a letter to the Evangelical leaders of England asking them to gather in London in December to discuss the prophetic implications of the Balfour Declaration. In that letter, he stated, "The signs of the times point toward the close of the time of the Gentiles... and the return of Jesus can be expected any moment."

Before Meyer's meeting could be convened, another momentous event occurred. On December 11, 1917 General Edmund Allenby liberated the city of Jerusalem from 400 years of Turkish rule.

There is no doubt that these events in 1917 marked the beginning of the end times because they led to the worldwide regathering of the Jewish people to their homeland and the reestablishment of their state.

Since 1917

Since the time of the Balfour Declaration, we have witnessed throughout the 20th Century the appearance of sign after sign pointing to the Lord's soon return. There are so many of these signs today, in fact, that one would have to be either biblically illiterate or spiritually blind not to realize that we are living on borrowed time.

I have personally been searching the Bible for years in an effort to identify all the signs, and it has not been an easy task to get a hold on them. That's because there are so many of them, both in the Old and New Testaments.

I have found that the best way to deal with them is to put them in categories, and in doing that, I have come up with six categories of end time signs. We will explore these catetories beginning in Part 2 of this series.

[netmilsmom]

I’m taken aback at the lengths here to prove that which does not exist.

It’s close to borderline. I mean like 301.83 borderline.

[Alamo-Girl]

Truly, only Christ was on the cross. Only He could do what He did.

[Quix]

Now, Dear Heart . . .

expecting the rabid RC cliques to learn something they are genetically incapable of comprehending nor acknowledging the existence of

. . . is a bit of a stretch.

LOL.

[trisham]

This grave statue was an artist's error, not a Church thing.

*******************

We are in agreement.

[Alamo-Girl]

Where did I ever claim that that statue translates to Catholic dogma or teaching?

[netmilsmom]

You are liking this gravestone to a Rockstar depicting himself on a cross for shock value?

Really?

Do you think the intent of the artist or the dearly departed was to shock and degrade Christ?

[trisham]

I didn't say that you claimed it. I said it was implied:

I generally do not put much weight on a single source photograph and have no opinion of the one posted earlier. But, for the record, this grave image with title bothers me: photography by Ivan

The glory of the cross should go to God

[netmilsmom]

I hope he comes in.

I also hope that
1. the slander of this was not intentional
2. it wasn’t taken in another location
3. it wasn’t stuck on a crucifix to photograph
4. it’s not even Mary. I posted a picture of another goddess who looks like that. Many lesser religions combine things. I know Baha’i does.

There is a lot more than Photoshop here.

[trisham]

Without seeing a complete shot of the gravestone, it’s difficult to conclude much of anything, particularly since few of us can read the mind of the artist.

[Alamo-Girl]

I do not have a problem with depictions of Simon carrying the cross - or crucifixions of common criminals - it's when the imagery refers to the Cross of Jesus Christ and the artist or performer depicts a mere mortal on that cross, that I am offended by their artistic vision.

It's becoming all too common a scene in TV shows and movies and rock performances - some martyr is shown draped on the cross or spread out in a "T" as if he were Christ. Even criminals getting ready for their lethal injection are shown as if on the cross - evidently to make us think of the death penalty as crucifying Jesus all over again.

That offends me.

[wagglebee]

If the picture showed the Blessed Mother on the cross, I would have a problem. It does not appear that this is the case. Also, this picture is in a cemetary in a war-torn country (we don’t know if the sculpture always looked like this). It is difficult to tell what the picture actually depicts and we have no way of knowing what is being depicted. Is the woman in the sculpture the Blessed Virgin Mary or is it Mary Magdalene? Can we say for certain that it is even a woman? It could very well be our Lord carrying His Cross and an unseen portion of the sculpture shows His mother.

We were ALL told to take up our crosses, for all we know it is some artist’s depiction of that.

[Quix]

INDEED.

imho,

A LOT of Scripture and Old Testament . . . rituals and symbols were efforts to . . .

DECLARE VIVIDLY

A DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN THE COMMON AND THE HOLY.

The fellow who died trying to steady the Ark of the Covenant on the oxe cart . . . crossed that line. DEAD. INSTANTLY.

There’s a message there.

GOD HAS PRIORITIES.

They are HIS priorities.

And, HE does NOT tolerate unfitting encroachment on HIS turf.

NEVER HAS. NEVER WILL.

Even kids and best buds and chosen people and servants and John the Beloved . . . all have each THEIR PLACE.

God is happy to work through them and to share with them.

He’s particularly jealous over HIS GLORY and many geographies of HIS TURF.

Our land and the Western world in general has gotten away from a fitting respect for THE HOLY.

I think sometimes the ritualized pontifical Christian organizations’ members congratulate themselves on how intimately they are acquainted with THE HOLY this’s and the HOLY that’s

when actually, they are talking about mere shells, dry husks that have long ago lost any habitation of Holy Spirit having anything to do with them whatsoever.

However, there IS a HOLY. God deplores formulas and hollow rituals regarding THE HOLY. Yet, there IS THE HOLY.

And He will insist on respect for THE HOLY.

imho, There is NOTHING MORE HOLY in our sphere than CHRIST’s CROSS, HIS BLOOD.

Interlopers . . . regardless of how well intentioned . . . ought to be very soberly wary of crossing the line. The man seeking to steady the Ark on the oxe cart was seeking to DO GOOD. He still died instantly.

[Alamo-Girl]

Do you think the intent of the artist or the dearly departed was to shock and degrade Christ?

I suspect the artist's intent was to present Mary as a martyr, as if she paid a price at the cross as well - a price no one else could pay since she was His mother. Showing her at the foot of the cross or cradling Christ's body (Pieta) would be fine by me. She is unique and she is blessed forever.

But yes, to me, showing her arm draped over the cross was too much and degraded what Christ did, what He alone could do.

[wagglebee]

It would be peculiar to EVER imply that the Catholic Church believes that the Blessed Virgin Mary died on a cross for the simple fact that the Catholic Church DOES NOT definitively teach that she experienced actual death before her Assumption.

[Quix]

Feel free to ping me to any correction you wish me to consider.

This is not a burning issue, to me.

[Alamo-Girl]

That was not my intent. Please accept my apology for any discomfort it may have caused.

[netmilsmom]

>>Solo Christo<<

I’m surprised you give such credence to Latin, Dr.E!

nonnullus populus es caecus per odium

[Quix]

I feel quite similarly.

And think there would be something wrong with anyone’s Christianity who would not be offended by such.
‘

[Petronski]

Mary’s not crucified on that cross.

It looks to me like she’s standing at the cross where her Son died, as His remains are carried away into the distance.

[trisham]

Apology accepted. If I offended you, please accept my apology.