[2 Peter 3:12 – ‘The Day of God’]

Introduction

I have found that prophecy can be perplexing regarding some of the passages that speak of judgment, fire, and the heavens and earth. Basically, the confusion lies with determining what judgment, fire, and heavens and earth the Scriptures are speaking of.

Could the prophecy be describing the Second Coming of Christ – with the devastation of the heavens and earth during the Tribulation – and the ensuing Millennial Kingdom’s revitalized heavens and earth, or could the prophecy be portraying the coming Great White Throne judgment and the new heavens and new earth – after the old heavens and old earth have passed away – that follows the Millennial Kingdom of Christ?

Both are somewhat similar, so this confusion is quite understandable.

Within this particular study, we are going to be examining 2 Peter 3:7-13 to try and determine what “The Day of God” truly is.

As we like to do, we will begin with 2 Peter 3:7 and continue to move through the entire passage, offering supporting Scripture and commentary, and conclude with 2 Peter 3:13.

“But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” – 2 Peter 3:7

“The heavens and the earth, which are now,” is what is commonly known as the old heavens and the old earth that God created in the beginning and has been under the curse ever since the fall of man. Though Christ will restore this present earth and heavens – after the beating, the earth and heavens will absorb during the Tribulation – into pristine conditions, they will still be the old heavens and the old earth.

When Peter says, “by the same Word are kept in store, reserved unto fire,” we should be reminded of Psalm 33:

“By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.” – Psalm 33:6-9 (emphasis mine)

It is this same Word of God that created and sustains creation that has “kept in store” these same heavens and earth and “reserved” them “unto fire against the day of judgment of perdition of ungodly men” (2 Peter 3:7).

The Greek word for “against” is 1519 εἰς “eis” and means to or into (indicating the point reached or entered, of place, time, purpose, result), toward.

Therefore, the fire that will purge the old earth and heavens will have reached its appointment in time when “the day of judgment of perdition of ungodly men” takes place. When will this be?

We know from the book of Revelation that “the day of judgment and perdition (destruction from the presence of God, ruin, loss) of ungodly men” will ultimately occur at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15).

“But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” – 2 Peter 3:8

For more on this incredible verse and the possible ramifications of our soon-coming resurrection/rapture of the church, please see The Prophetic Third Day.

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” – 2 Peter 3:9

The Lord’s love is certainly magnified in this verse. All throughout the plans of God – through creation to consummation – God’s one purpose of will has always been the salvation of every man and woman who will, of their own free will, come to Him and His Son’s redemptive provision through His sacrifice of love for them on the cross.

Even in the wonderful Millennial Kingdom of Christ, when all people will live in true peace, security, justice, mercy, love, and, most importantly, in the presence of Messiah Yeshua Himself, people will struggle with their sin-natures, and Christ will be there for them through it all to help them understand exactly what salvation is and how He obtained it for them.

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” – 2 Peter 3:10 (emphasis mine)

This great verse essentially bookends the Day of the Lord for the reader. Spoiler alert: The bookends of 2 Peter 3:10 are the rapture of the church and the passing away of the old heavens and earth.

For a detailed account of 2 Peter 3:10, please see An Examination of the ‘Day of the Lord.’

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away;” – Revelation 21:1a (emphasis mine)

It is important to note that the “pass away” in 2 Peter 3:10 and “passed away” in Revelation 21:1 is the same Greek word, 3928 παρέρχομαι “parerchomai,” and is best understood in context as “pass out of sight, pass away, perish.”

The details of how the old heavens and earth will “pass away,” though, is actually defined for us in 2 Peter 3:10, “with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”

The writer of Hebrews, quoting Psalm 102:25-26, also mentions this event:

“And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.” – Hebrews 1:10-12 (emphasis mine)

The Greek word translated “perish” is 622 ἀπόλλυμι “appolumi” and means to destroy, fully destroy, to destroy utterly. And the Greek word for “changed” is 236 ἀλλάσσω “allassó” and, in this context, would be better rendered “exchanged” – the one for the other.

In this account, the writers of Hebrews and Psalm 102 assign an analogy to the passing away of the old heavens and earth as that “they all shall wax old as doth a garment; and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed (exchanged).” This description seems to assure us that the new heavens and earth will be true to the original heavens and earth created at the beginning of creation. And why shouldn’t they be? They were perfect then, before the fall, and they shall be perfect again!

Interestingly, other than the New Jerusalem being present on the new earth, there only seems to be one physical aspect of the old earth that will not be present on the new earth, and that something is revealed to us in the last portion of Revelation 21:1:

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” – Revelation 21:1 (emphasis mine)

A Rapture Ready reader asked me about this very thing – whether this will really be the case or is there another allusion to there being “no more sea” – and here was my response:

There is nothing in the text that should give us any reason not to interpret it as is. There will be no sea in the Eternal Kingdom.

A couple of reasons, I believe, for why this would be:

1. The waters were the element that God used to destroy the earth and all life during Noah’s flood.
2. The very last time we read about the sea is when it gave up the bodies (resurrected bodies) from it. “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” – Revelation 20:13-15(emphasis mine)

These resurrected dead, of course, are the unsaved dead who will be judged at the Great White Throne judgment just before the Eternal Kingdom.

From these two points, we can surmise that the sea has caused much death on the earth – divine and earthly. There will be plenty of water, though, coming from the throne of God in the New Jerusalem, which I would think would contain much marine life.

“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” – Revelation 22:1-2

So, even though many of us enjoy the sea today, I have every confidence, supported by Scripture, that what the Lord will provide for us will be beyond anything we could ever think.

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” – 1 Corinthians 2:9

“Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” – 2 Peter 3:11-12

Now we are introduced to “The Day of God,” a phrase which, as far as I can ascertain, is never mentioned anywhere else in the New Testament.

Notice that 2 Peter 3:12, “the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved” and 2 Peter 3:10, “in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up,” are speaking of the same event, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away” in Revelation 21:1.

Therefore, “The Day of God” will follow the “day of the Lord” that will end with the dissolving the old heavens and old earth, and this will, in turn, be followed by the Great White Throne Judgment mentioned in 2 Peter 3:7.

All of this will be in preparation for “The Day of God” when God will create the new heavens and the new earth for His Eternal Kingdom, which is the consummating kingdom that began with His Salvation Kingdom. This is the context that we need to keep in mind when considering the phrase, “Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God,” which might be better understood as a parenthetical statement within the verse.

Many Bible teachers claim, because of this verse, that we can “hasten” the Lord’s coming for His church – but we cannot. In any case, as we have observed, this is not even the context of the passage, as the dissolving of the old heavens and the old earth will not even occur until after the Millennial Kingdom, over 1,000 plus years after Christ’s Second Coming.

The Greek word for “hasten” is 4692 σπεύδω “speudó” and, depending as always on context, can mean hasten, urge on diligently or earnestly, desire greatly, to await eagerly, hurry.

When combined with the phrase “looking for,” we should be able to appreciate that a proper translation of this word within this context would be desire greatly, eagerly await, or some other like derivative.

Here are several translations that properly translate 2 Peter 3:12:

[while you earnestly] look for and await the coming of the day of God. For on this day the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the [material] elements will melt with intense heat! – Amplified Bible

as you wait for and earnestly desire the coming of the day of God. The heavens will be on fire and be dissolved because of it, and the elements will melt with the heat. – Holman Christian Standard Bible

looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? – American Standard Version

While you expect and eagerly desire the coming of The Day of God in which the Heavens, being tested by fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements, when set on fire, shall melt. – Aramaic Bible in Plain English

eagerly looking forward to the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens, all ablaze, will be destroyed, and the elements will melt in the fierce heat? – Weymouth New Testament

looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, because of which coming the heavens shall dissolve in fire, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. – Anderson New Testament

Looking for and longing for the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being tested with fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? – Lamsa Bible

Expecting and seeking earnestly the presence of the day of God, during which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements going to be burned are melted away? – Smith’s Literal Translation

Truly, there is nothing man can do to “hasten” the program of God along, as He is omniscient and knows exactly how history will play out within His great plan of redemption and consummation.

The Eternal Kingdom is our ultimate destination and, as Peter declares, we should be looking forward, greatly desire, and eagerly await our final destiny which will only come after the elements of the old heavens and earth will melt with fervent heat, be dissolved, and flee away – followed by the Great White Throne judgement – all of which will prepare “The Day of God” with the creation of a new heavens a new earth where righteousness will reign supreme, God will make His tabernacle with men, and He will dwell with them! (Revelation 21:3)

“Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” – 2 Peter 3:13

Peter concludes by showing us that he has, in fact, been speaking all along of the new heavens and the new earth, after the passing away of the old heavens and old earth that will usher in the Eternal Kingdom.

Though Christ’s Second Coming can be found lurking within the bookends of the day of the Lord in 2 Peter 3:10 – along with a multitude of events that span over 1,007 plus years – there is nothing in the rest of this passage of Scripture that alludes to the Second Coming of Christ and His Millennial Kingdom of regeneration or restoration (Matthew 19:28), something that many people see as the subject matter of this entire passage.

While the Millennial Kingdom will be glorious, in and of itself, it has a dreadful end after the 1,000 years will have been completed (Revelation 20:7-10).

The Eternal Kingdom, on the other hand, is where our hearts should always be as citizens of heaven, where heaven will finally be realized upon earth, and Christ’s illustrative prayer for His disciples will finally be realized:

“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” – Matthew 6:10

May we all keep Answering the Call of The Great Commission, and giving an answer to every man and woman who so desperately needs Jesus and asks us, “Why Am I Here and What Is It All About?”

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

➢   Email: mab10666@yahoo.com– I would love to hear from you!

➢   If you have not given your life to Jesus Christ and are seeking answers about God, Jesus Christ, the gospel, and salvation, please email me at mab10666@yahoo.com for information.

➢   I am still taking questions for the Questions from the Body of Christ series. If you or someone you know has a question pertaining to the Word of God – theology, difficult passages, eschatology, etc. – I would really like to hear from you.

➢   To view my entire catalogue of articles, please visit my Home Page on FaithWriters.com.

 

Given how fast prophecies are being fulfilled, I have combined several essays written years ago to see if those insights still hold water, and they do. The fulfillment of the prophecies in scripture is happening even faster today.

The Many Trees Are Nations

Isaiah 55:12 – “You will go out with joy and be led out in peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees in the fields will clap their hands.”

Many are very good at seeing scripture through a Greek mindset. However, they often forget that most, if not all, terms in the Newer Covenant have been fully defined by the Older Covenant and that scripture, even the Newer Covenant, is all written from a Hebrew mindset, no matter what language it is written down in. One must first determine how a word or expression is used in the Older Covenant before defining its use in the Newer Covenant.

Throughout scripture, both nations and individuals are symbolized as trees. Judges 9:8-16 uses trees to describe Abimelech and the houses of Jerubbaal and Millo, Jotham, and the people of Shechem. Daniel 4:10-28 uses the image of a tree to represent Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel 10:33 talks of Assyria as the top boughs of a tree. Isaiah 55:12-13 uses tree imagery to depict the many peoples who will clap their hands with joy when the thorns and biers become fir and myrtle trees at His coming. Ezekiel 31:3-15 depicts Assyria as a cedar tree and the other nations as fir, chestnut, and other trees. Zechariah 11:1-4 repeats this theme, also depicting Assyria (Lebanon) as cedar trees and the peoples of Bashan as oaks. Ezekiel 17:1-24 calls Babylon a cedar tree that spreads itself out like a willow tree.

The Fig Tree Is Israel

Matthew 24:32-33 – “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that Yeshua is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.”

Israel is that “fig tree” that is to be watched! The word know, ginōskō [G1097 γινώσκω], a prolonged form of a primary verb; to “know” (absolutely), it means to — allow, be aware (of), feel, (have) known (-ledge) of, perceive, be resolved, can speak, be sure, understand.

Matthew 21:19

“Seeing a fig tree beside the road, Yeshua went to it, but there were no figs on the tree, only leaves. So Yeshua said to the tree, ‘You will never again have fruit.’ The tree immediately dried up.”

But just who or what is this fig tree that Yeshua refers to? In order to understand the time of His imminent return, one must first determine who that fig tree represents.

Hosea 9:10 states that the patriarchs are the firstfruits of the fig tree. Joel 1:6-7 tells us that Israel is the ruined fig tree whose bark has been stripped ethnically, nationally, and geographically. Jeremiah 24:2-8 states that the good figs are those Jews who went into captivity, and the bad figs those Jews who rebelled against the Babylonians or who went down to Egypt.

Luke 13:6-9 expounds upon the vineyard spoken of in Isaiah 5:1-7. Luke tells us that the fruit is from the fig tree in the vineyard (see especially verse 7). In Matthew 21:19, Yeshua curses the fig tree. In this passage, the fig tree specifically is a representation of the Jewish leadership from whom He had expected to find some fruit after three years of teaching in the Temple, but it also has the wider representation of the nation of Israel and the land of Israel as well, which forty years later began to wither and die. Both the nation and the land remained dead until the Jews began to return in the early 1900s.

Luke 21:29-31 – “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they begin to bud, you know that summer is and the kingdom of Yahweh is already near.”

Luke speaks of both the fig tree and all the trees. These trees represent both Israel and the other nations that sprouted up at about the same time: Lebanon 1943, Jordan 1946, Syria 1946, Egypt 1952. And are not these the nations that are constantly in daily news reports at this time? Are not these the very same nations listed in Psalm 83 as those nations that come against Israel to wipe her off the map? Clearly, the generation that has seen both the fig tree and all the trees put forth their branches is our generation.

1. Israel Is the Key to End Times Prophecy

The conflict between the Hebrews and the Arabs began with Isaac and Ishmael, the sons of Abraham. For a time, it escalated between Jacob and Esau, until they made peace, but then continued throughout the Old Testament as Arabs and Hebrews contested each other. It became a Jewish/Christian versus Moslem/Islamic conflict after Mohammed initiated Islam around 633AD. The real battle has always been a spiritual one.

Yahweh chose the Jews as His people from whom the Messiah would come. Yahweh chose Israel as His land and Jerusalem as His city, and Satan has been trying to destroy Yahweh’s chosen people to make it impossible for the prophesied Messiah a) to be born, and b) to return and begin His eternal reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This battle will continue to rage until Satan, who thinks he is king of kings, is defeated and thrown into the lake of fire.

Throughout the ages, Yahweh has called His people, the Jews, to be a “light unto the Gentiles.” Sadly, they have failed to be this light. As a result of their failure, the church age was instituted. This fullness of the church age is almost complete, and Yahweh is turning His eye back onto the Jews and Israel.

1. Ancient Historical Prophecies Already Fulfilled

There are four prophecies concerning Israel that began being fulfilled over 2,000 years ago. All of these prophecies can be considered end times prophecies because scripture tells us this is so. Hebrews calls the time just after Christ’s death the “last days.” 1 Peter 1:5 also calls this time the “last times.” 1 Peter 4:7 states that “the end of all things is at hand.” These four prophecies are:

• The Jews were scattered worldwide (from the four corners of the earth) – Deuteronomy 28:64
• The Jews have been persecuted wherever they have lived – Deuteronomy 28:65-67
• The land of Israel (Palestine) was desolate during their dispersion – Deuteronomy 29:22-28
• The Jewish people still exist – Jeremiah 30:7 and Jeremiah 31:36-37

Scripture refers to world wars as “nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” This expression, in Yeshua’s day, was a common Jewish idiom for “world wars.”

• World Wars I and II – Matthew 24:1-8, Mark 13:1-8; Luke 21:7-11

Israel was born in a day on May 14, 1948. No other nation has been resurrected in such a manner, and particularly not in their ancient location. The modern miracle of Israel is the fig tree that has sent out its buds.

• The Re-Birth of Israel – Ezekiel 20:33-38, 22:17-22, 37:9-12; Isaiah 66:8; Zephaniah 2:1-2; Daniel 12:1

III. Prophecies Continuing to Be Fulfilled

• Israel Becomes the Focal Point of World Politics – Zechariah 12:2-3

Not a day goes by that fails to feature a news article regarding Israel, its world standing, and the growing world hatred towards Israel and the Jews.

• Jerusalem Is Under Jewish Control – Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4

Jerusalem was recaptured by the Jews during the Six-Day War of June 5-10, 1967.

• The Hebrew language is Recovered – Zephaniah 3:9; Jeremiah 31:23

Hebrew, the language of the Jewish people in Biblical times, was nearly extinct as a spoken language, surviving mostly as a literary language and as the liturgical language of Judaism. Eliezer Ben-Yehuda and his followers created the first Hebrew-speaking schools, newspapers, and other Hebrew-language institutions, and in 1982, Hebrew became the official language of Israel.

• The Desolate Land Becomes Fertile – Ezekiel 36:34-35; Isaiah 27:6, 51:3; Isaiah 35:1-2, 7; Joel 2:23-24

The Israeli food industry is poised to become the breadbasket for the Middle East — and for much of the world beyond, including the former Soviet republics. The climate makes it possible to grow a high yield of crops throughout the year so that Israel has a large surplus for export. It currently supplies over 20% of the produce used by Middle Eastern and European markets.

• Israel Establishes a Powerful Military – Zechariah 12:6; Micah 4:13; Isaiah 60:12; Jeremiah 1:10

The Israel Defense Force is one of the most successful and powerful militaries in the world. The IDF served as Israel’s armed forces in all the country’s major military operations — including the 1948 War of Independence, the 1956 Sinai War, the 1967 Six-Day War, the 1973 Yom Kippur War, several Intifadas, the 2008–2009 Gaza War, and others. Each time, with Yahweh’s help, it has been successful in winning these many conflicts.

• Natural Resources Found Under the Sand – Genesis 49:25; Isaiah 45:3; Deut. 32:12-13, 33:19, 24

Oil, gas, and other minerals in Israel: A vast deposit of natural gas was located off the coast of Gaza In the late 1990s by the British Gas Group. A smaller deposit was also found in nearby Israeli waters. In December 2009, the Givot Olam Oil company discovered the Meged oil field, the largest oil field in Israel at that time. In 2019, Afek Oil and Gas discovered an oil deposit in the Golan Heights, near the border with Syria, which is 350 meters thick – approximately ten times as thick as any other worldwide oil field.

More recently, Energean discovered a natural gas field that is estimated to have 8 billion cubic meters of natural gas in its Athena well in May 2022, and then again in October of 2022, discovered another well in its Hermes well that is estimated to have between 7 and 15 billion cubic meters. If one of these wells turns out to be the largest oil field in the world, then this might explain why a nation from the far north, perhaps Russia or Turkey, and its allies are so determined to invade Israel to “take spoil” or “to carry off plunder” (Ezekiel 38:13). The Dead Sea also contains a wealth of minerals that are being harvested.

1. Prophecy Fulfillments Coming in The Near Future

• The One-World Government – Daniel 7:23

The nations of the world are clamoring for a central government. Numerous crises are being used to bring this forth, from economic crises, to global warming crises, to terrorist actions.

• The Rise of the Antichrist – Daniel 7:24; II Thessalonians 2:1-3

The revived Roman Empire will make it possible for the Antichrist to gain the position of ultimate power over all nations and peoples.

• The First Invasion of Israel – Psalm 83

Psalm 83, according to some scholars, is a prayer asking Elohim to defeat the surrounding nations who want to wipe Israel off the map! When these surrounding nations attack Israel, a possibility that many believe will happen in the near future, Zechariah 12:2-9 tells us that Israel will emerge victorious.

• The Destruction of Damascus – Isaiah 17:1-14; Jeremiah 49:23-27

Damascus, Syria, will be destroyed within a twenty-four-hour period, or as scripture puts it, “in the morning he is no more,” according to both Isaiah and Jeremiah.

• A Period of False Peace and Security – I Thessalonians 5:1-3

If, after being victorious, they then become complacent and feel they are living securely in the land, that would explain why none of the nations named in Psalm 83 are included among the attackers of Ezekiel 38-39.

• The Gog/Magog Invasion of Israel – Ezekiel 38:1–39:16

The Bible predicts that a nation from the far north, perhaps Russia or Turkey, and its Islamic allies will come against Israel to gather “spoil,” but Yahweh Elohim devastates their armies when this happens.

• The Seven-Year Covenant – Daniel 9:27; Isaiah 28:14-22; Acts 15:14

The seven-year covenant will make it possible for the Jews to rebuild the Temple and re-institute the sacrifices.

• The Ten Kingdoms – Daniel 7:24

After the formation of a one-world government, the world will be formed into ten kingdoms. Already, groups like the Club of Rome and the Bilderbergs have devised plans to divide the world into ten regions.

• The Abomination of Desolation – Daniel 9:27; 2 Thessalonians 2:4; Mathew 24:15-16

This event takes place at the middle of the seven-year Tribulation period when the Antichrist desecrates the Temple and declares himself to be God on earth.

• The Campaign of Armageddon – Revelation 19

The campaign of Armageddon describes the many battles that will be waged against Israel and its people. When Yeshua returns to earth and makes his way from Bozrah to the valley of Jehoshaphat, he will utterly defeat the armies of Satan and the nations of the world.

• The Second Coming – Revelation 19

The Second Coming of Yeshua Christ will occur at the end of the Tribulation period. Israel will finally mourn for the one that they pierced, and they will accept him as the Messiah.

• The Millennium Kingdom – Revelation 20

The Millennium kingdom is the 1,000-year period of peace and prosperity when Yeshua rules from the throne of David in Jerusalem.

Because so many prophecies have already been fulfilled, and future prophecies are now on the brink of being fulfilled, One can only ask: “How close are we to the return of Christ?

Conclusions

Hosea 3:4-5 — Israel, after having a long period without a king or leader and no temple or sacrifices, will once again be a nation and will seek Yahweh.

Zechariah 12:3 – “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 are gathered together against it.”

The fig tree, Israel, has bloomed – Israel is back in the land. They have a government. And once again, they seek to rebuild the temple and worship the Yahweh of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Earthquakes have been increasing exponentially since 1948. Wars and rumors of wars are daily items in the news. Famines and pestilences have been endemic during the last decade. Yahweh’s word is astounding. End-time prophecies are being fulfilled on a daily basis. Yahweh is once again setting Jerusalem and His people center stage.

Scripture is not the only source that refers to Israel as the fig tree. Even secular writings do so. One such source is “The Apocalypse of Peter,” written in Egypt in about 135CE. Therefore, we can rightly conclude that Israel is absolutely the fig tree Yeshua is referencing.

And what does Yeshua say about the time when one sees the fig tree and all the trees bud? Yeshua lists all these things: deceptions; false christs; signs in the sun, moon, and stars; days like those of Noah, just to mention a few. But until that time, they (and we) shall receive power to be his witnesses unto the ends of the earth. Until that time, we are to occupy and continue occupying until he returns and fully establishes his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

Final Thought for 2023

The stage for Yeshua’s return is being set. Prophecy continues to unfold in an escalating pattern, as foretold by the Hebrew prophets. The season of the birth pains is here – they are burgeoning and not going away. Time is short – Yeshua Ha’Mashiach is coming soon – be sure you have salvation in Yeshua and keep busy reaching the lost.

https://raptureparty.net