THE DANGERS FACING END-TIME PROPHECY WATCHERS!
Christ gave a very powerful warning to all us prophecy end time watchers. It is that the date of His second coming and the end of this age of Satan/Mankind rebellion is going to be a surprise.
Matthew 24:6, “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” (NKJV)
Jesus is declaring that even when some of the end time events start to become stronger and stronger that the end is probably NOT YET. ONE MUST BE CAREFUL NOT BE CRYING “WOLF, WOLF !” Further Christ went on to say boldly that:
Matthew 24:36, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”
Matthew 24:43,-44, “But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
The end of this evil age is coming “when most will think not.” This event will be a surprise, therefore we must spiritually be always ready. Like the battery, be “ever ready.” Yet the Bible tells us to watch for this event as a motivator. What is the wise, balanced approach?
1 Thessalonians 5:1-5, “But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.”
Therefore we should be watching for the second coming while being smart enough to know we must be wise and cautious about any detailed predictions. We must balance all the many factors that must be weighed. Another wrong turn is to do the opposite –– to stop watching all together.
2 Peter 3:3-5, “Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’ 5 For this they willfully forget: ...were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water,”
The apostle warns against no longer believing that God's eventual vengeance on a wicked world is coming. Never stop watching for the Messiah's return and justice.
WE MUST BE BALANCED AND WELL INFORMED ANALYTICALLY
Many factors are no doubt being weighed by our heavenly Father regarding when to send the Messiah to end this evil age and bring in paradise. One factor is the moral condition of society in general. Are people becoming too much like Sodom? Is wickedness in all its forms bursting forth everywhere? Because of the silent majority, which is reasonable, it is hard to gauge.
Matthew 24:11-12, “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” (KJV)
One must evaluate the wicked influences like the false clerics, and the media, and education pushing DECADENCE and its effect on society. Also mankind will be approaching the destruction or poisoning of the Earth.
Matthew 24:21-22, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.” (KJV)
How close are the warlords to destroying the living environment of this planet? The growth of more powerful weaponry, especially in the hands of aggressive, immoral leaders is a factor that must be weighed when considering when will the Father intervene.
Further, what are the spiritual conditions of the chosen nations. How strong are the purely secular Jews within Israel? Also how are the lost tribes of Israel doing morally? These all must be evaluated. Like the fog of war, it will be hard to accurately evaluate the situation.
1 Thessalonians 5:6-9, “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,”
We true believers must be sober and watch prophetic events. We must remain balanced, watching, praying, hoping yet never becoming presumptuous that we know the moment. Because we watch we will be better off than others and not suffer like others. We can avoid much of the end time wrath.
DO NOT BECOME A SUN-DOWNER, CRYING “THE SKY IS FALLING”
True believers should not be like chicken little crying, “the sky is falling” all the time, falling for every doomsday theory. We should instead witness to the world the true purpose of prophecy. It is to warn us of the dangers or sinful lives. Prophecies from God are mostly concerned with the “why,” not just the “what.” If a nations were to repent they could be spared the events or at least those who do repent.
Revelation 7:2-3, “And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, 3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.”
We should remind the world that Nineveh is an example of a prophetic curse being canceled because the people repented. Further we should remind people that paradise is coming when Jesus arrives soon. This is the good news or gospel message.
1 Corinthians 10:10-11, “…nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” (NKJV)
We can admonish the world’s sins without being only a doomsday-downer.
