While indicators abound that the Tribulation (Daniel’s seventieth week) is approaching upon the prophetic horizon of the near future, one area of forewarning is somewhat neglected.
We’ve gone over ad infinitum matters involving the stage being set for that last seven years of unprecedented trouble. Things such as developments involving societal and cultural degradation. Things like political, governmental, and economic evil. Developments such as those produced through satanically manipulated science, to the detriment of mankind. Things like cumulative, anti-Christian corruption among churches. All are signals that God’s inevitable judgment approaches America and the world.
But more rarely addressed is one very important sector of forewarning that Jesus, Himself, gave—the prophecy as recorded in the book of Luke.
And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. (Luke 21:25–26)
The Lord was telling of a progressive series of end-times signals and, just two verses later, He tells us what we are to do when we see these things “begin” to come to pass.
Keep starkly in your thinking this word “begin.” It’s significant in thinking on our rescue from that terrible time of trouble—the seven-year Tribulation.
And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. (Luke 21:28)
Now, I realize that many—particularly perhaps a majority of seminary students and their professors—interpret this to mean that those enduring the Tribulation are to “look up” because Christ is coming for them. I agree. But I’m convinced that it is a dual audience the Lord has in mind. I believe He is talking not only to saints of the Tribulation era, but also to Christians of the Age of Grace (Church Age).
Jesus is referring to the answer He gave His disciples that day when they asked when would be the time and sign of His coming (Luke 21:25–26 as given above). He is including the signs that will mark the era (the Age of Grace or Church Age) that will usher in the time of Tribulation. He is saying that when these signs “begin” to come to pass, saints of the Church Age are to “look up” and “lift up [their] heads.” He’s also saying to Tribulation Saints (those saved during that terrible era) that when they see these things happening, they, too, are to “look up,” because He is on the way to rescue them.
The first time His people (Church Age saints) are to look up for their redemption is at the Rapture. The second time his people (the Tribulation saints) are to look up is at the Second Advent when He returns with those Church Age saints.
So we consider whether we are now seeing prophetic signs in the sun, moon, and stars as well as all of the other signals mentioned above. Also, Jesus, the Living Word (John 1:1), gave dramatic things to look for upon and in the earth itself as prophecy begins to be fulfilled for the wind-up of history leading to His Second Coming. He gave these through the writer of the book of Acts, who quoted the Old Testament prophet Joel.
And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come. (Acts 2: 19–20)
Reports of increased stellar activity are beginning to light up the hourly newsfeeds. One report says the following.
New observations with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) indicate that the rogue comet 2I/Borisov, which is only the second and most recently detected interstellar visitor to our Solar System, is one of the most pristine ever observed. Astronomers suspect that the comet most likely never passed close to a star, making it an undisturbed relic of the cloud of gas and dust it formed from.
2I/Borisov was discovered by amateur astronomer Gennady Borisov in August 2019 and was confirmed to have come from beyond the Solar System a few weeks later. “2I/Borisov could represent the first truly pristine comet ever observed,” says Stefano Bagnulo of the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, Northern Ireland, UK, who led the new study published today in Nature Communications. The team believes that the comet had never passed close to any star before it flew by the Sun in 2019. (“First interstellar comet may be the most pristine ever found,” ESO, March 30, 2021, RR News April 2, 2021)
Other strange things in space are making themselves known in a stellar show that fascinates scientists who watch with critical eyes. A couple of other of these displays are turning eyes and telescopes upward.
Uranus is belching X-rays and is weirder than we ever thought. The more scientists study it, the weirder Uranus gets. The newest mystery to add to the planet’s repertoire? Astronomers have detected X-rays from the strange world—and while some of the signal may be reflected emissions from the sun, some appear to be coming from the planet itself, according to a NASA statement.
My good friend, Dr. Thomas Horn of SkyWatch TV, has done extensive research on a heavenly visitor that portends possible and prodigious prophetic possibilities—if you will forgive the alliteration.
It’s a matter of concern to scientists that most media won’t report because, we presume, of possibly panicking the public.
The space rock, an asteroid, is huge and might be on a trajectory that will bring it near earth. As a matter of fact, those who study such things say that if it comes as close as suspected, it can’t do anything but strike the planet.
While some claim it will come close enough to knock out orbiting satellites, they say it isn’t likely to actually hit the planet.
Tom Horn and others, including top scientists devoted to study of interstellar space, say it’s ludicrous to think such a huge mass could come close enough to knock out orbiting satellites and not plunge into the planet itself.
The asteroid, named Apophis after a god of ancient mythology, is headed earth’s way, according to those carefully tracking it.
You may have seen this week where NASA is calling an “all clear” on the impact possibility of Apophis in 2029. But just one of many scientists is warning that NASA’s trajectory calculation of Apophis is off by as much as 600,000 miles, which Harry Lear implies could send Apophis crashing into earth eight years from now on April 13, 2029. Lear sent an open letter to the President and U.S. Government scientists begging them to cross-check these calculations immediately, even though he ends his dispatch with an ominous admonition that we may already be out of time.…
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson admits that on April 13, 2029: “Apophis will come so close to Earth that it will dip below our orbiting communication satellites. It will be the largest closest thing we have ever observed to come by earth… the orbit we now have for it is uncertain…because these things are hard to measure and hard to get an exact distance for—we cannot tell you exactly where that trajectory will be.” (“When Prophets and Scientists Agree: Nasa “Deceptively” Clouding Truth about 2029 Asteroid Impact Odds,” 3/30/21, SkyWatch Editor)
Tom Horn, in his books The Messenger and The Wormwood Prophecy, goes into great detail, including prophetic possibilities regarding this massive space rock.
He believes that it’s possible that it might have something to do with the catastrophic object from space given in the following Scripture.
The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.” (Revelation 8: 7–11)
Jesus’ foretelling that there would be a great many earthquakes and violent upheavals in the earth also seems to becoming more in view with each news cycle. Here are just a few that are occurring simultaneously.
- 5.2 magnitude earthquake hits near Georgetown, Saint Helena
- 5.2 magnitude earthquake hits near Merizo Village, Guam
- 5.1 magnitude earthquake hits the Owen Fracture Zone region
- Elevated unrest continues at Taal volcano with 212 earthquakes in 24 hours, Philippines
- Mt. Etna volcano in Italy erupts to 30,000 ft
- Sabancaya volcano in Peru erupts to 24,000 ft
- Popocateptl volcano in Mexico erupts to 19,000 ft
- Sangay volcano in Ecuador erupts to 19,000 ft
- Reventador volcano in Ecuador erupts to 15,000 ft
- Fuego volano in Guatemala erupts to 14,000 ft
- Pacaya volcano in Guatemala erupts to 11,000 ft
- Lava flow at Pacaya volcano heads toward inhabited areas, Guatemala
- Iceland volcano: photographer runs away as lava flows towards him
The Lord’s admonition to be looking up when these things begin to come to pass must not be ignored. His Word must be embraced and spread so others will escape that horrific seven years soon to break upon an unsuspecting world. These are not signals of doom for the believer in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Here’s what He promises regarding this time of Tribulation that will be His judgment and wrath (called “the hour of temptation” in KJV):
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. (Revelation 3:10)
Even so, come Lord Jesus!