13 Reasons Why It’s the Last Hour of Human History: Pt 1

The Rebirth of Israel Opens the Door

Most Christians do not believe that we live in the last moments of human history before the events of the tribulation sweep over the earth.

The reasons for this vary.

Many belong to churches that have long since rejected beliefs in the pretribulation rapture, a seven-year tribulation, and the millennial reign of Jesus. Others remain unaware of how so many signs point to the nearness of Jesus’ appearing, either because their pastors do not teach biblical prophecy or when they do, they dismiss it as something irrelevant to the lives of those listening.

Some reason that there have been horrendous times in the past, and the Lord did not return then. What makes today any different? Life returned to normal after the horrors and catastrophic events of WW II. What can’t that happen today?

We all feel the strong pull of normalcy, do we not? Does this not cause many to resist the thought that a prolonged period of God’s wrath is right at our door? Though it seems less and less likely with each passing day, I think we all wish for the freedoms we enjoyed before the COVID-19 lockdowns began.

What makes it so unlikely that life will return to normal? For that matter, what makes today so different from the tumultuous times in the past when the Lord did not return? These are great questions that I will endeavor to answer in this series.

First of all, the rebirth of Israel as a nation opens the door to further end-of-days biblical prophecies that depend on her existence for their fulfillment.

1. The Rebirth of Israel as a Nation

Isaac Newton (1642-1726), based on his extensive study of the books of Daniel and Revelation, believed that Israel must exist as a nation before Jesus returns to earth, and he predicted that it would happen at some point in the future. ^[i] He was correct; the fulfillment of many of the end-time prophesies in the Bible necessitates a rebirth of Israel as a nation. Premillennialists during the first half of the twentieth century wrote about this as well, and then it happened!

The prophet Isaiah asked long ago, “Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment?” (Isa. 66:8). The answer is an astounding “Yes!” On May 14, 1948, God fulfilled this impossible-sounding prophecy: Israel became a nation in a day. One cannot overstate its significance nor dismiss this amazing miracle as a mere coincidence. Israel’s supernatural rebirth as a nation not only fulfilled prophecy but also sets the stage for the fulfillment of many other end-time prophecies.

For example, Scripture tells us that when Jesus returns to the earth at His Second Coming, it’s at a time of widespread repentance among the Jewish people (see Ezek. 36:24; Zech. 12:10; Rev. 1:7). Notice that Ezekiel ties together the regathering of the Israelites to their land with the time He pours out His Spirit on them, “I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you” (36:24-25).

The regathering of the Jewish people back to their land, as we see today, precedes their revival of faith that happens at Jesus’ return, which will result in the complete fulfillment of Ezekiel 36:24-25 and Zechariah 12:10. This, however, is just the start of what makes our day unique prophetically and markedly different from any other time since the birth of the church.

2. The Third Jewish Temple

The biblical sequence of events leading up to the Second Coming necessitates that the third temple exists in Jerusalem by the midpoint of the seven-year tribulation. It’s at the halfway point of the tribulation that the antichrist desecrates the Jewish temple and begins his deadly rampage against the Jewish people (Dan. 9:27; Matt. 24:15-20; 2 Thess. 2:3-8).

So not only must Israel exist during the seven-year tribulation, but according to Scripture, the nation must complete construction on the third temple by its midpoint.

Israel is already far, far down the road in its preparations to build another temple. The Temple Institute in Israel has completed many necessary preparations for the rebuilding of this temple. They have reconstructed all the temple furnishings except for the Ark of the Covenant and have the architectural drawings ready for its construction, which even includes a video simulation of the third temple.

The Temple Institute has also prepared the priestly garments according to the specifications of Scripture and is now training Levites to serve as priests in the temple. And the Israeli government has also begun planning the infrastructure necessary to deal with the large crowds that the new temple will attract.

A surprising article in regard to the temple appeared on the Israel Today website entitled Saudis Say Temple Mount and Al Aqsa Not Important to Islam. Here is a quote from the article emphasizing the growing acceptance in the Muslim world to the rebuilding of the Jewish temple:

An English-language tweet from Morocco really got people heated by not only emphasizing that the Temple Mount is of no particular importance to Muslims, but also by expressing hope that the Third Jewish Temple will soon be built there. ^[ii]

So not only does Israel exist as a nation, but the construction of the prophesied third Jewish temple is already in the advanced stages of planning. The fervor in Israel for its construction, along with the growing acceptance of a Jewish temple in the Arab world, signifies the nearness of the fulfillment of this prophecy.

3. The Abrahamic Accords

The normalization of relations with Israel on the part of many Arab nations under the Abrahamic Accords also signifies that we live in the last days. This points to the fulfillment of at least a couple of end-time biblical prophecies.

The first is Daniel 9:27; “And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”

Daniel, in referring to the future covenant that the antichrist will make with Israel, implies that “many” entities or nations will be involved in this agreement. I believe the antichrist will copy the pattern of involving many nations in the Israel peace process that President Trump exhibited in the Deal of the Century, from which came the Abrahamic Accord treaties.

As many prophecy speakers today point out, the sense of Daniel 9:27 is that this “man of lawlessness” will take an existing peace plan and make it much better and stronger. Could the pattern he uses already exist? I think it does; the antichrist will include the “many” in his future covenant with Israel.

Second, in writing about the future invasion of Israel by the Magog-Gog alliance, the prophet Ezekiel wrote this about the nations who will protest rather than join them: “Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all its leaders will say to you, ‘Have you come to seize spoil? Have you assembled your hosts to carry off plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to seize great spoil?'” (Ezekiel 38:13).

The phrase “Sheba and Dedan” refers to the ancient territory and people groups that make up Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states, some of whom have already formed an alliance with Israel, with others likely to do so in the near future. Twenty-six hundred years ago, Ezekiel predicted that these nations would align with Israel in the end times, and that is precisely what we see occurring today.

Ten years ago, no one could have imagined that these Gulf nations would sign peace accords with Israel.

4. Peace and Security

In 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3, Paul wrote this about the start of the prophetic day of the Lord: “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”

If there is one phrase that characterizes the content of the Deal of the Century and the Abrahamic Accords, it’s “peace and security.” We repeatedly heard it at the announcements of these covenants as speaker after speaker emphasized the aspects of “peace” and “security” that would result from these covenants.

This pursuit of a peace treaty between Israel and the Palestinians has been the objective of U.S. presidents for at least fifty years. Now, for the reasons stated in the previous section, a framework exists for the antichrist to improve upon in his covenant with Israel and establish a false Middle East peace, which will someday start the clock ticking for the seven-year tribulation.

Yes, the unattainable desire for “peace and security” has existed for a long time, but now we see it used multiple times regarding peace accords involving Israel. This is much more than a coincidence; it tells us that the “day of the Lord” is ever so close.

The rider of the white horse in Revelation 6:2 has a bow but no arrow. Many believe that this signifies he will “conquer” nations without shedding blood. John MacArthur says this about the exploits of the coming antichrist or the rider of the white horse:

“His crown (stephanos) is a winner’s crown. He is no real king and has no real monarch’s crown (diadema), but has won a crown from the world for his triumphant achievements leading to world peace. He will not conquer by military force, but by cunning and deceit (cf. 2 Thess. 2:9-11).” ^[iii]

This fits with the Daniel 8:25 description of the antichrist. “By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy many….” The idea of “without warning” in the original suggests that he will use peace to conquer and eventually “destroy” his targets.

Israel’s rebirth as a nation opens the door wide for the fulfillment of many other biblical prophecies such as the rebuilding of the temple and the series of attempted peace covenants that will ultimately lead to the one that the antichrist makes with Israel and other nations.

After the rapture, the antichrist will appear and conquer nations by means of peace. The world is more than ready for just such a leader.

Israel’s existence is just the start of the many signs that make today much different than any other day. In part 2, we will look at the abundance of prophetic signs converging on our world as the evidence mounts for the conclusion that we indeed live in the last days of human history before the start of the seven-year tribulation.

Jonathan Brentner

Website: Our Journey Home

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E-mail: Jonathanbrentner@yahoo.com

[i] Snobelen, Stephen D., Statement on the date 2060, March 2003; updated May 2003 and June 2003 – Taken from a website titled “Isaac Newton Theology, Prophecy, Science and Religion.”

[ii] Israel Today Staff, Saudis Say Temple Mount and Al Aqsa Not Important to Islam, on the Israel Today website @ https://www.israeltoday.co.il/read/saudis-say-temple-mount-and-al-aqsa-not-important-to-islam/

[iii] John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Revelation 1-11 (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), p. 179.

“If history repeats itself, I should think we can expect the same thing again.” – Terry Venables

“The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

The horse, the mule, the camel, the ass, rams, lambs, goats, bullocks, the fatlings of Bashan, and of all the beasts will be the transportation of those who, in their futility, attempt to do battle with the returning King of kings and Lord of lords. These beasts of war, just as in the distant past, will be the divinely mandated modus operandi of warfare for the Antichrist, the False Prophet, and all of the armies of the world at Christ’s Second Coming – a battle commonly referred to as “Armageddon.”¹

Does this statement in the above paragraph surprise you? It shouldn’t because this is what the Word of God clearly lays out for that final battle which is doomed to failure for “all that dwell upon the earth” (Revelation 13:8) who seek to thwart the Lord from establishing His Kingdom.

Let’s take a look at the Scriptures that declare that this will, indeed, be the case and see if we can surmise how this may actually play out. Below are the three most powerful prophecies of this last battle and what is to be expected by those who partake in it.

The prophecy of Ezekiel:

“And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord God; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan. And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord God” (Ezekiel 39:17-20). (emphasis mine) [Possibilities: The Ezekiel 39 Aftermath]

The prophecy of Zechariah:

“And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth… And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague” (Zechariah 14:12, 15). (emphasis mine) [A Study of Zechariah 14:12-21]

The prophecy of John:

“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. 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. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

“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. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.

“And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

“And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army… And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh” (Revelation 19:11-19, 21). (emphasis mine)

Why? Why are the kings of the earth, the Antichrist, the False Prophet, and all the armies of the rebellious made to resort to these archaic modes of transportation and warfare?

The Fourth Vial: Electronic & Technological Destruction

“And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory” (Revelation 16:8-9).

The fourth vial will be the most destructive EMP attack the earth will have ever experienced and is carried out by the wrath of God on a Christ-rejecting world.

“Power was given unto him [the angel when he poured his vial upon the sun] to scorch men with fire.” We can be sure that this fire and subsequent heat will fry the satellites in the earth’s orbit – as well as every electrical circuit on earth – rendering the tracking surveillance system of The Mark of The Beast, communications, transportation, weapons of war, and all other electrical devices utterly useless. The world’s electrical grid – whatever will be left after seven-plus years of devastation and destruction – will be no more.

The Fifth Vial: Antichrist’s Kingdom Goes Dark

“And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds” (Revelation 16:10-11).

To manifest the futility, and complete destruction, of Antichrist’s economic and worship system, darkness is poured out “upon the seat of the beast” in witness to God’s sovereign will and plan over Satan and his right-hand man, Antichrist.

This darkness will no doubt have supernatural characteristics, but one can’t help in wondering if the earth will have stopped its rotation, leaving the Eastern Hemisphere facing away from the sun in perpetuity as Christ prepares to come back to earth, thus reminding us of Christ’s visually charged statement:

“For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:27).

It’s at this point that I can almost hear the Lord Jesus Christ’s prophecy that “… except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matthew 24:22).

With The Mark of The Beast system disabled beyond repair, and those who took The Mark in pain and full of sores, this doomed horde will ride on into infamy as the sixth vial is poured out.

The Sixth Vial: The Kings of The East’s Only Way to The Battle

“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared” (Revelation 16:12).

Thank the Lord that the “great river Euphrates” and her water will be “dried up” or “the kings of the east” might have to just stand there wondering how to join their deluded counterparts in their fruitless endeavor on the other side to take on Yeshua as He comes back to earth. I jest, of course, but this truly is the scene we are looking at – as comical as it may be.

Communications and The Mark of The Beast system are down from the intense fire and heat of the sun, and there’s no way to summon the inhabitants of the earth for “the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”

What’s Satan to do now?

Spiritual Communication: The Last & Only Resort

“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty… And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon”¹ (Revelation 16:13-14, 16).

With no ability to technologically communicate to the inhabitants of the earth, the spiritual forces of darkness will respond. All “the kings of the earth and of the whole world” who had taken the now-disabled Mark of The Beast are assembled together to the Valley of Jehoshaphat all the way to Bozrah by the “unclean spirits like frogs” to their ultimate demise. [The Valley of Jehoshaphat and ‘Armageddon’]

How apropos. Add to the scene spiritual apparitions of an “animal” to help advance the powerful rulers of the earth who ride an assembly of earthly beasts. Truly, The Mark of The Beast has turned into The Mark of The Beasts.

I honestly considered titling this article The Kings of the Beasts, as this has got to be the most ridiculous, pitiful scene the world will ever see: The mighty Antichrist, False Prophet, the inhabitants and the kings of the earth reduced to riding on animals with light infantry weaponry, their spears, swords, and bows and arrows to take on the Creator.

With this visual in mind, one gets a new perspective on Psalm 2:

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure” (Psalm 2:1-5).

The remainder of the Psalm says it all!

“Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little.

Blessed are all they that put their trust in him” (Psalm 2:6-12).

“Kiss the Son” and “blessed are [we] that put [our] trust in Him,” indeed!

So will begin our God and Savior Jesus Christ’s glorious Millennial Kingdom, and we will be with Him at His side, ruling and reigning with The One – and for The One – we love!

Can I get an “Amen!?!”

Love, grace, mercy, and shalom in Messiah Yeshua, and Maranatha!

Endnotes

1. See The Meaning of “Armaged[d]on” by Jeff Van Hatten for an excellent article on this topic, and The Valley of Jehoshaphat and ‘Armageddon’ by Mark A. Becker.

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