We are living in crazy times, but we have prophecy to guide us and comfort us. It surprises me that Christians will listen to secular news reports and become confused and afraid, but won’t study Scripture. Here’s a fact: God wins in the end.
Prophecy is laid out in Scripture, and we need to study God’s word to understand the times in which we live. Fear of the unknown can be devastating, so God told us in advance what the end times would be like. If you understand that God has foreseen all of the troubles of the world, you can be assured that He will be your guide in these trying times.
I won’t make light of the state of the world; there’s much to be concerned about, but God doesn’t want us to be afraid. Prophecy will tell you what to expect. Studying God’s word will ease our fears. Faith in Jesus will give you hope.
Daniel was given a prophecy of the end times. He didn’t fully understand what was shown to him or how it would all come about, but he didn’t question the plain words of the prophecy. He wrote what was revealed. If you carefully read what is written, not what some people have taught, you’ll clearly see that the prophecy is about Israel and not about Christians. Christians will be Raptured prior to the fulfillment of this prophecy, and Israel will eventually look to Jesus as their Messiah. Daniel did ask for clarification.
“And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end” (Daniel 12:9).
There was so much in the prophecy that just couldn’t be explained in a way that Daniel could understand. The fulfillment is coming to pass now. The words that were “closed up and sealed” are clearer today than ever before. Unfortunately, too many Christians don’t look at the ancient prophecies through modern understanding. Daniel is just one of many prophets of God who were shown prophecies regarding the end times. The men who faithfully recorded these prophecies are amazing. They couldn’t know how prophecy would actually be fulfilled, but they trusted God to know the future, and they wrote what the Holy Spirit led them to record
Peter was an eyewitness to fulfillment of prophecies regarding the Messiah. Peter witnessed wonderful things, but he understood how important prophecy is to Christians.
“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:19-21).
Thank you, Peter, for those words of wisdom. He knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Jesus was the Messiah that everyone in Israel hoped for. It was the Jewish leaders who didn’t, or wouldn’t, recognize Jesus. Their lack of understanding has caused much trouble for the Jewish people. Jesus mourned over their blindness.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Matthew 23:37-39).
After that, the disciples asked Jesus about the end of the world (actually, the end of the age). They didn’t ask about the Rapture because they didn’t know about the Rapture. They were Jewish men asking about Jewish concerns. The signs Jesus said to look for are general troubles that have plagued mankind since the beginning of time. He spoke of things that are happening today and getting worse.
“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you” (Matthew 24:4).
The only way for you to guard against deception is for you to study Scripture for yourself. There are way too many pastors who aren’t fully grounded in Scripture and will easily deceive you. It sickens me when pastors allow drag queens to stand in the pulpit and tell us not to judge, or ones that preach a prosperity gospel rather than Christ’s sacrifice for our sins, or so many more non-Biblical things. Scripture is our standard of truth.
Jesus went on to say, “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet” (Matthew 24:6).
Have you heard of any wars happening anywhere? Wars that are becoming stronger? You need to look back at Old Testament prophecy and study Zechariah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and more.
Remember, prophecy centers around God’s chosen people: Israel. There’s a war raging in Ukraine, but more than that, look at what’s happening in Israel. The horror of what happened on October 7, 2023, is beyond belief. Hamas terrorists killed nearly 2,000 men, women, and children and kidnapped others. Yet, the world blames Israel. That’s pure stupidity. Study Scripture. God is not finished with Israel, and they are still His chosen people. Prophecy tells us that all the world will turn against Israel, and that is happening.
“Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it” (Zechariah 12:2-3).
The United States under the Trump administration has been a strong supporter of Israel, but recent elections in Israel and in the US show that Israel will soon stand alone. Netanyahu is a very strong leader, but Israel seems to not understand they need his leadership.
“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure” (Isaiah 46:9-10).
Study prophecy, and see for yourself that God knows the end from the beginning; Christians will be Raptured prior to God’s judgment, and Israel will eventually call out to Jesus as their Messiah. Jesus told us of the wars, earthquakes, famine, and more; He didn’t sugarcoat it.
“All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:8).
It’s just the beginning, and it will get worse. Are you prepared?
Jesus went on to say, “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake” (Matthew 24:9).
Remember, Jesus is talking to His disciples, who established the Christian faith We are the ones hated for His name’s sake. Have you read about the Christians being murdered in Ethiopia? There have been about 90 killed for their faith in the last few days. Maybe you haven’t heard about it because the liberal news media is very biased against Christians as well as against Israel.
There are reports that many Muslim people have had visions of Jesus and are turning to Him for salvation. I think that’s wonderful, but they’re in a very dangerous part of the world to be a Christian. They need our prayers. Things will continue to get worse.
“And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Matthew 24:11-12).
People are becoming more and more violent and wicked. Guns get blamed, but it’s wicked people who do the crime. Women seem to think the little life growing in their womb isn’t human, so they don’t think twice about killing the baby. The spirit of Anti-Christ is all around us, and it won’t be long until the man we call the Anti-Christ will rule the world. Christians will see much evil, but the Rapture will happen prior to this evil ruler taking power.
“For 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: 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, Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).
Thank God for His promises. At the Rapture, we will meet Him in the air, but at the Second Coming, He will stand on the earth. Don’t confuse the two events. I hope you’re prepared.
So, how can we prepare for what’s coming? We can look back into history and see how others prepared for tough times. Jacob had twelve sons. One of those sons was Joseph. His older brothers hated him and sold him into slavery. Eventually, he ended up in Egypt and gained the respect of important people. One night, Pharaoh had a very disturbing dream about some fat cows and some skinny cows. Then he had another dream about seven healthy ears of corn and seven thin ears. These dreams troubled Pharaoh, and he wanted to know what it all meant. Eventually, Joseph was called to give the meaning of the dreams.
“And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace” (Genesis 41:16).
That’s the beginning of wisdom…it’s God who gives answers and peace. When Joseph heard the dreams, he told Pharaoh that there would be seven years of plenty, followed by seven years of famine. Then Joseph said a man should be chosen to gather food in the years of plenty, to store for the years of famine. This pleased Pharaoh, and Joseph was appointed to gather the food. Joseph always honored God even while a slave in Egypt, and because of his honorable service, he was made a ruler of Egypt. This enabled Egypt to survive the famine, but it also saved Jacob and his family from the famine.
Should we store food? I have been hearing reports that many countries are warning their people to prepare to survive about three days without access to food or water. I’ve also heard that the US Pentagon has told every military base to be prepared to be off the grid for ninety days. Should you store food and water? It seems like a wise thing to do. I store food and water each winter, but I live in an area where we get snow and ice. I need to water my animals, and my car can’t make it to town to shop for food in ice and snow. We call it a store, and similar to the food stored in Egypt, it holds food and necessary items for us. We go to the store to buy food, so if you stock your pantry with food, you’re just moving it from Walmart to your house. We can also look to the critters in the wild to see how they prepare for hard times. Squirrels store nuts, some creatures hibernate, others fly south.
“Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest” (Proverbs 6:6-8).
Are you smarter than an ant? I hope so.
More than storing food, the most important way to prepare is to dig into Scripture. Have you truly accepted Christ for salvation? Is your way of life a reflection of your repentance? Without Jesus, you’ll face eternal death. With Jesus, you’ll be forever with Him in Heaven.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
We cannot save ourselves, nor can we do enough good deeds to earn our way to Heaven. Only faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ will bring eternal life. Prepare now for eternity. Repent of your sin, and understand that it’s only through faith in Jesus that you can be prepared for whatever lies ahead. We will all leave this life, and it’s our own choice that determines whether we spend eternity with Jesus or with Satan in the eternal lake of fire.
The end of days is approaching. Remember to love your brothers and sisters in Christ and care for each other. We also must remember to share the Gospel with those who have rejected Christ.
God bless you all,
Nathele Graham
Recommended prophecy sites:
All original Scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.
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“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).