Prognostications For the Last Days of The Church Age :: By The Gospelist

I am neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet. However, things are becoming clearer regarding how events are going to unfold leading up to the rapture. Events that occur on earth after the rapture are pretty easy to discern, so I won’t delve into that. Besides, we Christians are not going to be here anyway.

It is always dangerous to predict future events because we are forced into a static analysis based on our present perspective. The future is fluid and dynamic, which makes it nearly impossible to predict impending events.

Just ask an economist what the economy is going to look like next year, or even in the next few months, to get a feel for the herculean nature of this task. However, we have Bible prophecy to guide us, so predicting future events becomes a little less difficult.

I believe it is important to have a ‘framework of understanding’ of what is about to occur so that we are not thrown into confusion at every seeming sign of the end that is randomly promoted.

Those of us who diligently study Bible prophecy possess a ‘framework of understanding’ of last day events.  However, I suspect that these ‘frameworks’ will begin to merge the closer we get to the rapture.

I may be all wet, but this is my current static analysis of many of the macro-events that we can expect over the next several years.

First, under the leadership of the Godless Democrats, we can expect the continuation of economic hardship and cultural rot. They and their many bought-off Republican lapdogs will continue to wastefully spend money like drunken sailors while the economy and the culture will be in turmoil leading up to the election.

Despite the evil Globalists’ and their minions’ attempts to destroy Donald Trump, he seems to be prevailing over all their scams. The numerous corrupt judges and prosecutors in Democrat states are failing in their attempt to prevent him from becoming president.

No human being has the character to withstand this kind of onslaught based on false accusations and corrupt judicial rulings in spiritually dead cities like Washington, D.C., and N.Y. City. Especially when this is occurring in conjunction with the fraudulent mainstream press carrying their water for them.

That tells me that there is something else at work here.  When powerful evil keeps slamming its head into a brick wall, and the wall only gets stronger, there is a spiritual component that cannot be denied.

This is not to say that Trump is ‘God’s man’ or that he is favored by God. He does claim to be a Christian, while the Godless Democrats have removed God completely from their political platform. Democrats clearly do not like God, and they certainly have no interest in paying homage to him. But these rebellious, deluded morons are still of use to God until he disposes of them.

What is certain is that there is no authority except that which God has established. And it looks like Trump is going to be established. (That having been said, this is just a theory, so please get out and vote.)

That is good news for the economy but bad news for our churches.  I believe Trump’s presidency will put the entire church into stage three non-rem sleep since many Christians will come to believe that sanity has been restored. And most churches will become even more dedicated to preaching feel-good nonsense instead of the Gospel.

The same principle of God’s establishment of power held true when the Godless Democrats stole the last presidential election. They were successful with every form of cheating that they could devise. And this happened because God let it happen.

The reason no one was able to hold them accountable was because God did not want them held accountable. God clearly wanted that result because it served his purposes. He will hold them accountable in his own time.

If we are honest with ourselves, it is clear that the spiritual condition of many of our churches required God judging us with four years of Biden.

It is not because God likes Donald Trump and he is hated by the Godless Democrats, but God’s ways are not our ways. History will unfold in accordance with the will of God.

So, things are going to get even rougher for a lot of people, especially the poor and middle class, leading up to the election and for a while thereafter.  I am not a prepper myself, but I certainly understand the impulse to stock up on goods. I have done a little of that myself.

Due to the suffering of the American people, it is my opinion that Donald Trump will be elected so overwhelmingly that no amount of cheating will be successful. The electorate will be so outraged at the unnecessary torment that they will be subjected to that the Godless Democrats will not be able to manufacture enough votes to overcome their outrage.

But that does not mean our problems are over.  The evil Globalists are not going to take that defeat lying down.  They will be working persistently to undermine Trump’s presidency by creating turmoil every step of the way.

I expect some riots from various anarchist groups (BLM, Antifa, Anti-Semites) and maybe a false flag event or two, but the election will occur, and the rats will temporarily go into hiding due to their widespread unpopularity. But they will be plotting behind the scenes for the next four years to exact revenge on the country that rejected them.

Once Trump is elected president, he will proceed with his agenda to ‘drain the swamp.’ That sounds great. However, we need to remember that the evil Globalists, who have accumulated mounds of ill-gotten wealth, can purchase a new ‘swamp’ in no time.

His election will likely facilitate one final opening to share the Gospel with the world due to greater freedom. Big tech will be less likely to censor us while Trump is president. It will be short-lived, so evangelists of the world will not have a great deal of time to proclaim the Gospel, especially on social media, before the world begins to close in on us.

Trump’s election will be based on improving things economically. He will not be able to correct the moral depravity that has currently engulfed the country and the world. That is the church’s job.

Once he has stabilized the economy, the majority of the American people will return to voting for reprobates.

Much of the swamp will fall in line with his agenda, but after Trump becomes a lame duck or is out of office, they will submit to the whims of the highest bidder. That means the evil Globalists will be back in business by 2029. And this time, they will be merciless to conservatives and people of faith.

Since Donald Trump will see how wicked and useless the UN is, the United States will not go along with any of its idiotic attempts to create a worldwide totalitarian government. It will come under great criticism and will likely finally make its move out of New York City. The Godless Democrats are turning New York City into a hellscape, and it will be practically unlivable in the next few years. The UN may leave for that reason also.

The evil Globalists are dead set on having their totalitarian government fully functioning by 2030. Trump will likely set this agenda back about three years.

I believe the UN will be headed for Babylon, probably around 2026. If this does not happen in the next few years, the theory that Babylon, Iraq, plays a significant role in end-time events may be debunked.

If this theory is correct, wickedness will be carried to Babylon, where a house will be built for it in the land of Shinar. This will be the beginning of economic Babylon. Wherever the UN relocates will likely be the location of the revived Babylon spoken of in the Bible (of course, the UN could be disbanded and a new, even worse, abomination set up to replace it).

To those who object to the logistics of creating a great city in about seven years in the wilderness of Iraq, we need to consider what can happen when the wealth of the world descends on a single region. And we also should not forget the demonic power that will be behind the rebuilding of Babylon.

They will then begin rolling out their digital IDs, vaccine passports, and Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) in their quest to control the world economy. It will inaugurate a global stock market (Revelation 18:11-13) that will make the New York Stock Exchange archaic.

Most of the world will want to participate in this demonic economic system because it will look like the wave of the future.

Once Babylon has become the dominant economic force in the world, participation in their system will become mandatory if you want to buy and sell, which, of course, is necessary for survival. This will occur after the rapture.

Religious Babylon will still be coming to fruition as Catholics who take the Bible seriously will be pushed out of the Roman Catholic Church (RCC). Over the next nine years, the RCC will have more in common with The Satanic Temple (TST) than anything resembling a church.

The ‘purification’ of the RCC should begin in earnest by 2029. Pope Francis will be passing away around this time, and his replacement will likely be the false prophet of Revelation (if the next pope takes the Bible seriously, he won’t last long). And he will bring the way of truth into disrepute.

The RCC will be ruled by homosexuals and pedophiles, which does not bode well for the members of this church who take the Bible seriously.

The Roman Catholic Church will be fornicating with the evil Globalists in their effort to add religious fervor to their agenda. The two will be working in concert to promote the cultural rot that Christ described as “the times of Lot.”

The pope has already informed us that the LGBT, gay marriage, and transgenderism are fully approved by God. It will not be long before pedophilia and bestiality are added to the list.

The Vatican will work to ensure that God is neither glorified nor thanked. The RCC will promote the service of created things, such as the earth. rather than the creator. Read the pope’s pagan document ‘Laudato Si’ if you think that this assertion sounds extreme.

This will lead to outrageous depravity, spurred on by the evil Globalists and the Vatican, that will result in the period Jesus referred to as the “days of Noah.” The days of Noah were filled with violence. And the thoughts of the heart of man were only evil continually.

The evil Globalists have already ensured that millions of illegal immigrants have been able to enter Western countries to weaken them. The world dominance of the West is coming to an end.

It is my opinion that Matthew 24:1-35 is post-rapture. The Gospel of the church age is that “Christ died for our sins.” Belief in this Gospel is how we receive the gift of faith, are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and are born again.

The Gospel that is preached in Matthew 24:1-35 is the Gospel of the (Millennial) Kingdom. It is the same Gospel that Jesus preached before he inaugurated the church age (Matthew 3:2; 4:17).

That means that the Gospel of the church age will revert, after the rapture, back into the Gospel of the Kingdom. This Gospel proclaims that Christ, who will return as King of Kings, will soon set up his Millennial Kingdom and rule the earth with a rod of iron for one thousand years.

This Gospel is further clarified in Revelation 14:6 when the first of the three angels proclaims “an eternal Gospel,” which is “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the springs of water” (Revelation 14:7).

The church will not be present when this ‘former’ Gospel (which remains Christ-centered) is preached.  The indwelling of the Holy Spirit among believers will no longer be an option for those who hear and believe this Gospel. They will receive the gift of faith but will not be born again.

When Satan is thrown to earth and goes off to make war against the offspring of Israel (not the church), he will be going after those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the ‘testimony of Jesus’ (Revelation 12:17).

An angel explained to the Apostle John that the ‘testimony of Jesus’ is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10). It is my opinion that the ‘spirit of prophecy’ is summarized in Daniel 9:24 regarding Jerusalem and the people of Israel:

To finish transgression
To put an end to sin
To atone for wickedness
To bring in everlasting righteousness
To seal up vision and prophecy
To anoint the most holy

I would say that this prophecy sums up all of Revelation after chapter three.

As for the church, it is my opinion that we will have one last small window of opportunity to share the Gospel with the world.  After that, an even greater falling away from the faith than has already occurred will commence around 2030.

Christians will have been condemning Babylon once it began to rise. Satan will counteract our condemnation by using technology to imitate the works of Christ. The blind will receive their sight, the lame will walk, diseases will be healed, and social justice will be proclaimed to all the world.

And the new pope will find great success causing deceit to prosper. The RCC will be the dominant religious force in the West by 2030.

Christians will be made to look like backward fools who are standing in the way of the evolution of humanity.  We will have a popularity rating lower than Jeffrey Dahmer.

Many of the Catholics that we respect today, like Dan Bongino and Matt Walsh, will have their faith severely tested by this time.

If they start referring to Christians as ‘anti-Catholic bigots’ or other leftist euphemisms, we will know that they failed the test.

Our resistance to Babylon, as well as our support for the nation of Israel, will cause Christians to be hated around the world. Please keep in mind that many in Israel will hate us as well due to our call for repentance of all who reject Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for our sins.

The evil Globalists will have little interest in actually helping anyone with the advanced technology that they control. Their primary interest is deception. And their efforts will be wildly successful.

As the evil Globalists and the Vatican tighten their grip on the world, in conjunction with modern technology, the ability to share the Gospel will be severely hampered.  They will have great success suppressing the truth in their wickedness.

Regarding persecution of the church, it seems to revolve more around demoralization than being put to death (at least in the West). We will probably be ridiculed and ostracized, and our civil rights will be severely violated.

The majority of people on the earth who are dying in their sins will conclude that the Vatican and the evil Globalists are the good guys and people of faith are the bad guys. Sort of like when Eve believed Satan was a truth teller and God was a liar.

Satan will be setting up the political environment to justify wiping the remaining Christians out of existence, but we will be raptured prior to this massacre.

The rapture will be a massive witnessing event that will terrify the world and bring many to repentance. Satan and his minions will put a quick end to that.

The Vatican, which will be wielding great political power in the West by 2030 (and will dominate the world after the Ezekiel invasion), will have set up an inquisition for the new faithful who reject the ‘gospel’ of social justice.  It will probably be run through the International Court of (in)Justice (ICJ), which does the bidding of the evil Globalists.

The gates of hell will not prevail against the church because we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but the gates of hell will prevail against the tribulation saints (Revelation 13:7).

Satan will have set up his system where the faithful will be persecuted and handed over to a world authority for disposal. He will just miss the church due to the restrainer keeping him on his leash.  However, those who receive the gift of faith after the rapture will find themselves quickly murdered. In my opinion, this will occur in late 2033 or early 2034.

These martyrs will be among those who are under the temple crying out for justice after the opening of the fifth seal (Revelation 6:9).

When the great falling away from the faith leading up to the rapture occurs (which begins in earnest around 2030), men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, most will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

They will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.

There will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.  They will taunt Christians and ask, “Where is this coming he promised?

Many preachers who are wolves in sheep’s clothing will begin to beat their fellow servants and eat and drink with drunkards. In all likelihood, these abusive preachers will be of the RCC and the Laodicean Church, which will be in cahoots during the last days of the church age.

The Laodicean Church will condemn the true Gospel of Christ and continue to transition it into the false gospel of ‘social justice.’ Instead of calling sinners to repent of real sins, they will be defending the rights of perverts, calling people racists, and pushing the ideology of climate change.

And law enforcement worldwide will no longer punish real crimes. They will have turned law enforcement on its head and punish those who violate the tenets of social justice.

They will not punish crimes that violate God’s law like murder, rape, and theft; they will punish those who they call ‘racists,’ ‘Zionists,’ ‘homophobes,’ and ‘climate deniers.’

Many Christians will be so demoralized that their hearts will be weighed down with overindulgence, drunkenness, and the anxieties of life. Jesus warned us to be careful of this lack of faith and that we must always remain watchful.

The true church of Christ will have placed before it an open door that no one can shut. It will have little strength, but it will hold to the word of Christ and not deny his name. This church will be kept from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those left after the rapture.

The number of watchmen is lower than it has ever been.  And it is going to get a lot lower.

The political and economic decline of America will begin in earnest around 2030 as the wealth and political power of the world begins to accumulate in Babylon, Iraq.

Since the third temple in Israel must be built by mid-tribulation, which I have estimated its completion by 2037, construction on it will have begun by 2030. The rebuilding will occur after a few more battles with the Muslim nations who will be soundly defeated.

Israel will be returning to the old sacrificial system around this time. Also, God will have solidified his ‘One State Solution’ by eliminating all terrorists within the border of Israel.

The Ten Kings will be identifiable by 2033. They will need to be available to crown the Antichrist when the first seal is opened early in the Tribulation.  And the world will have been divided into ten regions. That means America will have its first king by this time. So, 2028 will be our last free and open election.

The Godless Democrats will run the sleaziest candidate they can find in 2028.  My money is on Gavin Newsom. He checks all the right boxes for the perfect Democrat.

Pathological liar. Check. No conscience. Check. Narcissist. Check.

He will likely win the election and be crowned King Gavin Newsom prior to the 2032 election.

The Democrats have already shown that they have no respect for the electoral process, so this theory is not beyond consideration.

If this prediction sounds outlandish, please remember that our medical professionals are sexually mutilating children in the name of ‘transgenderism.’

‘Outlandish’ left the building when ‘gay marriage’ made the scene around 2013.

There will be no need for a civil war in this country or a World War III prior to the rapture since the vast majority of the people will simply bow to deception.

The Antichrist will be a cunning diplomat who will be far more conniving than Nicollo Machiavelli or Saul Alinsky. However, he will not be given his crown by the ten kings until the opening of the first seal after the church is removed.

Prior to his confirming a covenant of peace with many nations for seven years, the Holy Spirit withdraws, and Jesus calls the church home. It is obvious that it will not be present when God puts the rest of the world on trial.

The reason I believe the rapture is very close is because of the incredible correlation between the following variables.

The Independent Variable: The two thousandth year of the ministry of the Holy Spirit is almost upon us.  This is occurring in conjunction with several dependent variables.

The latest date that the rapture could occur, based on this theory, is Pentecost 2033.

If the rapture does not occur by this date, the theory that the ministry of the Holy Spirit will only last two thousand years will be debunked. If we are still here seven years after that, the theory that the world is only six thousand years old will be debunked as well.

The theory that the ministry of the Holy Spirit lasts only two thousand years is based on the following correlations with several (non-exhaustive list of) Dependent Variables.

Dependent Variable One: A worldwide global economy and global government are being set up, and the technology is now available to make the events of Revelation 13 possible.

Dependent Variable Two: The times of Noah and Lot are upon us due to rampant lawlessness and perversion being promoted by the evil Globalists and the Vatican.

Dependent Variable Three: There is a great falling away from the faith which is undeniable. And it will get even worse. The one we are currently experiencing is just a mild birth pang.

Dependent Variable Four: The nation of Israel is almost in full bloom, which is necessary before the events of Revelation can be realized.

In my opinion, the correlations are too great to ignore.

Some will claim that people have been setting dates for the Lord’s return for almost two thousand years.  And they have all been wrong. That is true.

The purpose of Bible prophecy is to refer to it in our effort to share the Gospel with those who are perishing and inform them of the lateness of the hour.

We are also called to be watchmen on the wall.  If a watchman sees an invading army approaching the city, it is his responsibility to alert the people so they can be prepared.

If he is too frightened to do so because the invading army might disperse or shrink back, or that he might be ridiculed as an alarmist, then he is disobeying an important directive of the Lord.

“Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life.

“But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand” (Ezekiel 33:2-6).

Jesus counseled:

“Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:42-44).

Jesus continued:

“But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36).

Finally, no one should be in the dark about the lateness of the hour:

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night [unexpectedly]. While people [unbelievers] are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman (Matthew 24:8), and they will not escape.

“But you [the faithful] are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief [you will know when the Day of the Lord is near]. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep [like the foolish virgins], as others do, but let us keep awake [alert] and be sober [clear-headed] … for God has not destined us for wrath” (I Thessalonians 5:1-10).

(Note: The Day of the Lord begins with the rapture of the church and ends on the actual Day of the Lord, which is Armageddon.)

There are way too many Christians who are calling dispensational Christians ‘alarmists (or worse)’ for pointing out the lateness of the hour. They claim that everything that is happening has happened before and that everything is going on as it has since the beginning.

They are starting to sound a lot like the scoffers following their own evil desires that we were warned about. At best, it appears that half of these people did not bring enough oil for their lamps. They have become drowsy and fallen asleep. When the midnight cry rings out, they might find themselves left behind.

Time to wake up and trim your lamps.

www.gospelist.net

Signs, Times, and Seasons :: By Mark A. Becker

Signs, Times, and Seasons are three of the most wonderfully impacting and intriguing words of Scripture.

In this study, we will not be examining every instance where these prophetic words are used, but we will investigate many of the most well-known and significant usages of them.

Underlined Scripture passages are my own emphasis.

Creation would seem the obvious place for us to begin our survey!

“And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.”Genesis 1:14

The Hebrew for “for signs” is לְאֹתֹת֙ “lə·’ō·ṯōṯ” (used only here and Isaiah 8:18) with 226 אוֹת “oth” meaning sign, mark, miracle, ensign.

According to Brown-Driver-Briggs on Genesis 1:14, signs, tokens of changes of weather & times (of heavenly luminaries).

This information concerning “signs” within the Genesis 1:14 account suggests and signifies what is seen in, and known of, the heavenly luminaries in the universe and the signs, or tokens, they convey to those on Earth. God has indeed provided mankind with His own manifold testimony of His creatorship within the heavenly luminaries He has created, as well as an instrument to be used in observing the passage of time.

The Hebrew for “and seasons” is וּלְמ֣וֹעֲדִ֔ים “ū·lə·mō·w·’ă·ḏîm” (used only here and Zechariah 8:19 “feasts”) with 4150 מוֹעֵד “moed” with definitions of appointed sign, time, place of, solemn assembly, congregation, set, solemn feast.

According to Brown-Driver-Briggs: It is most probable that in Genesis 1:14 (P), where ׳מ “” אֹתֹת, the reference is to the sacred seasons as fixed by the moon’s appearance; and so also ׳עשׂה ירח למ he made the moon for sacred seasons Psalm 104:19, although many Lexicons & Commentaries refer these to the seasons of the year.

Considering the above information, when it comes to Genesis 1:14, we are looking at “seasons as fixed by the moon’s appearance.” This word, as is noted in the definitions, is also applicable in many instances to the Feasts (“moed“) of the Lord in the Tanakh, which are dependent upon the moon as a time indicator for when these sacred feasts were to occur throughout the year.

Taken together, signs and seasons envelope the Creator’s message to mankind by His creation of the heavenly luminaries, aiding in evaluating the seasonal passage of time, and pointing toward the lunar Feasts of the Lord that would eventually be used by His chosen people, Israel.

Days and years are, in themselves, self-explanatory and are additional elements to incorporate into God’s design of signs and seasons that would be used by mankind to track the passage of time.

“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse…”Romans 1:20

Romans 1:20 declares that God’s eternal power and Godhead are revealed within His creation. What about His plans of redemption and consummation? Are they revealed somehow in His created cosmos?

Signs in the Constellations of the Zodiac

The following is not meant to be exhaustive by any means but only as a foundational guide to our subject matter at hand.

Speaking of the many sins of The Daughter of Babylon in Isaiah 47, God forbids all forms of occultism, including astrology.

“Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail. Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.”Isaiah 47:12-13

The heavens do, however, declare the glory of God!

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.”Psalm 19:1-3

In the Zodiac alone, we seem to see through some of the constellations, depictions that point to God and His divine plans.

Here are the 12 signs of the Zodiac:

Aries the ram, Taurus the bull, Gemini the twins, Cancer the crab, Leo the Lion, Virgo the virgin, Libra the balance or scales, Scorpio the scorpion, Sagittarius the archer, Capricorn the goat, Aquarius the water bearer, Pisces the fishes.

Here are some Biblical allusions that I personally see in the Zodiac:

Libra the balance or scales – God is a God of justice, and His righteousness demands justice when it comes to inherent sin in fallen mankind.

Gemini the twins – Twins are prevalent in the Scriptures, the most significant in God’s plan of redemption being Isaac and Rebecca’s sons, Jacob and Esau, a picture of good versus evil or God’s will versus unregenerate man’s will.

Aries the ram/Capricorn the goat – Goats and rams were often used in Levitical sacrifices for the temporary covering for sins in the priestly order of Israel, prefiguring Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice for the sin of the world.

Taurus the bull – The bull or ox was also a Levitical sacrifice. The bull, however, was also a representation of God’s enemies, both spiritual and physical (Psalm 22:12). Golden calves were also a sin-struggle for Israel: the golden calf that Aaron made for Israel as Moses was receiving the law on Sinai (Exodus 32), and the two golden calves that Jeroboam I made for the northern tribes of Israel (1 Kings 12:26-33).

Virgo the virgin – Prefigures, of course, the Messiah being born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14) – Mary.

Leo the Lion – Messiah, of course, is the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5).

I have no doubt that there have been many useful writings on the topic of the gospel and God’s plan of redemption and reconciliation being revealed in His created handiwork in the heavens.

There are, as well, many other constellations in the universe, some of which are mentioned in the book of Job.

Job, speaking of God, said:

“Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea. Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.”Job 9:8-9

Arcturus is believed to be the Great Bear in the constellation Ursa Major. Arcturus and/or The Bear represents the north.

We can certainly see Russia in this heavenly picture today!

Orion, or the giant or the fool, is the name of a constellation of 80 stars, most notably referring to Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord (Genesis 10:8-9). Orion represents the west.

With the Antichrist’s emergence on the scene beginning in Western Europe and his relationship to Nimrod’s Babel, with both men being fools in God’s eyes and ancient and possible modern-day Nephilim, we can observe the heavenly prophetic significance!

Pleiades is a name given to the cluster of stars – possibly seven – as seen in the shoulder of the constellation Taurus. Pleiades represents the east.

Amos also refers to the seven stars and Orion:

“Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The Lord is his name.”Amos 5:8

The chambers of the south evidently refer to the twelve signs or constellations of the Zodiac.

Job later added that:

“By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.”Job 26:13

The crooked serpent, or Nachash in Hebrew, “is used as the correlative of ‘garnished the heavens’; the great constellation of the writhing Dragon, placed at the crown of the heavens, being used, metaphorically, as an expression for all the constellations of the sky.

The prophetic parallels of the crooked serpent and the writhing dragon garnishing the heavens cannot be missed:

“Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.”Ezekiel 28:14

“And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth…”Revelation 12:3-4

“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”Revelation 12:7-9

And the Lord, speaking of Himself and questioning Job and his companions, asked:

“Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons? Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?”Job 38:31-33

Mazzaroth evidently also refers to the twelve signs or constellations of the Zodiac, equivalent to the chambers of the south. Mazzaroth and/or the chambers of the south represents the south.

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”Ecclesiastes 3:1

This Hebrew word for “season” is 2165 זְמָן “zeman” and means season, time, appointed time, appointed occasion.

The Hebrew word for “time” is 6256 עֵת “eth” and, depending on context, can mean time, after, always, certain, continually, evening, long, due season, so long as. In Ecclesiastes 3:1, the suitable understanding of the word would be proper, suitable time.

“And the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him: And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the Lord.”Exodus 10:1-2

The Hebrew word for “signs” in each verse above is 226 אוֹת “oth” meaning sign, mark, miracle, ensign.

This is the same word used in Genesis 1:14: “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.”

In the context of Exodus 10:1-2, and throughout the ten plagues, the signs God was to perform in the presence of Pharoah and his people would be miracles against the pantheon of false gods in Egypt.

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”Isaiah 7:14

This sign of the virgin-born Messiah Immanuel, “God with us,” was, of course, to be a miracle – Hebrew א֑וֹת “‘ō·wṯ” or “oth” used in Exodus 10:1-2, above.

“Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.”Jeremiah 10:2

The Hebrew for “at the signs” is וּמֵאֹת֥וֹת “ū·mê·’ō·ṯō·wṯ” and, again, with the same word “oth” – though, in this case, the proper definition would be to the heavenly luminaries that the pagan nations worshiped and feared — or were dismayed at. This would obviously include solar and lunar eclipses, which many of the nations, including Israel, would often unwarrantedly fear, reading into them something that was never meant to be read.

“I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me. How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.”Daniel 4:2-3

“He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.”Daniel 6:27

“Signs” – spoken by Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4:2-3 and Darius in Daniel 6:27 – is the Aramaic אָת 852 “‘ā·ṯîn” and means a sign wrought by God, and, in these three usages of the word, all three are accompanied by wonders, Aramaic 8540 תְּמַהּ “temah.”

“And he [King Manasseh] caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.”2 Chronicles 33:6

The Hebrew for “observed times” is וְעוֹנֵ֤ן “wə·’ō·w·nên” with 6049 עָנַן “anan” which can mean bring, enchanter, observer of times, soothsayer, sorcerer.

This Hebrew phrase and word, in this context, would be better rendered, “he practiced witchcraft/soothsaying/sorcery.”

“And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding.”Daniel 2:21

The Aramaic for “the times” is עִדָּנַיָּא֙ “‘id·dā·nay·yā” with 5732 עִדָּן “iddan” (used 13 times, all in Daniel due to the Aramaic usages) and means time, definite time.

The Aramaic for “and the seasons” is וְזִמְנַיָּ֔א “wə·zim·nay·yā” with 2166 זְמָן “zeman” (“probably a loan-word from Old Persian zrvan, zarvâna”) also meaning time or season, corresponding, obviously, to the Hebrew 2165 זְמָן “zeman” in Ecclesiastes 3:1.

In short, God changes the times and seasons through His sovereign control over His celestial creation, usually by the natural laws He created, though He can always supersede these laws as He did in Joshua’s long day.

“When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.”Acts 1:6-7

“Times” is the Greek word 5550 χρόνος “chronos” and means time (in general), especially viewed in sequence (a “succession of moments”); time in duration in the physical-space world, sovereignly apportioned by God to each person.

“Seasons” is the Greek word 2540 καιρός “kairos” and means time as opportunity, the suitable time, the right moment, appointed time.

In whole and in context, “the times or the seasons” that Messiah was referring to would be the length of sequential “time” itself and the “seasons” of appointed times that God “the Father has put in His own power.”

“But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.”1 Thessalonians 5:1-2

These are the same Greek words – “chronos” and “kairos” – in Acts 1:6-7.

In Watching and Waiting Is Not Knowing, we had the following to say regarding this verse and its relationship to Acts 1:7, mentioned above:

“But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.”1 Thessalonians 5:1

Could Paul be suggesting that we should know the time and the season of the rapture of the church? No. For in the very next verse, he tells us:

“For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.”1 Thessalonians 5:2

The very first event that instigates “the day of the Lord” is the rapture.

But Paul is reminding the Thessalonians that they know the chronological order of events – the times and the seasons – that will precede the rapture (general signs, which we will examine later) and those events that will follow the rapture of the church (the wrath of God, Antichrist, the Tribulation, the Second Coming, etc.), and there is no reason that he should write to them about these times and seasons because he had already taught them.

But the timing of the times and seasons, as Jesus said, is uniquely and solely in the Father’s own power.

“And he [Jesus] said unto them [His Disciples], It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.” – Acts 1:7

“The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.

“He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

“A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.”Matthew 16:1-4

“Sign” in this passage is the Greek word 4592 σημεῖον “sēmeion” and means miracle, sign, token, wonder. A sign (typically miraculous), given especially to confirm, corroborate or authenticate.

This is the same word for the signs that were given to the Apostles to confirm the gospel before the Scriptures were completed and compiled.

“And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.”Daniel 7:24-25

The Aramaic for “to change” is לְהַשְׁנָיָה֙ “lə·haš·nā·yāh” with 8133 שְׁנָא “shena” (used 21 times, 2 in Ezra and 19 in Daniel) and means alter, change, to change, be diverse, violate.

The first mention of “times” – as in “to change times” – is the Aramaic זִמְנִ֣ין “zim·nîn” with 2166 זְמָן “zeman” also meaning time or season (that we saw in Daniel 2:21).

“And laws” is the Aramaic וְדָ֔ת “wə·ḏāṯ” (used only this once) with 1882 דָּת “dathdecree, law. This word is also only used in Ezra and Daniel because of the Aramaic language. In both books, the word is applied to both God’s law and the law of the Gentiles.

I am sure there are differing views on what this phrase, that the Antichrist will “think [or intend] to change times and laws,” means. For me, the simplest interpretation would be that this is referring to Antichrist breaking his covenant (law) with Israel and the many in the midst of the seven years (time) of Daniel 9:27 and putting an end to God’s ordained feasts as they will be observed at that time.

This seems especially true when you consider the last portion of the passage, “… and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time,” which is the last three and one-half years of the Tribulation – the Great Tribulation.

In this phrase, the first and last “time” is the Aramaic word 5732 עִדָּ֥ן “‘id·dān” and means time, general time, definite time. Strong’s notes: (Aramaic) from a root corresponding to that of ed; a set time; technically, a year — time.

The middle Aramaic reference of “and times” is וְעִדָּנִ֖ין “wə·’id·dā·nîn” with the same word of 5732 עִדָּ֥ן “‘id·dān.”

This unique phrase is also found in the book of Revelation, referring to the same time period of three and one-half years (1,260 days) — the last half of the Tribulation:

“And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.”Revelation 12:14

Here, the three listings for “time(s)” are the Greek καιρὸν “kairon,” καιροὺς “kairous,” and καιροῦ “kairou,” all having the Greek word 2540 καιρός “kairos” meaning time, season, a measure of time. This is the same word we saw in Acts 1:6-7 and 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 for “seasons,” thus this is a set time.

“And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.”Revelation 20:1-3

“Season” is our Greek word for “time” – “chronos.”

How long is this season that Satan will be allowed to deceive the nations in the final revolt of mankind and the fallen angelic hierarchy? Unknown. We only know that it is a little season of time and that it follows the set time of 1,000years – Messianic Millennial Kingdom.

Are Lunar and Solar Eclipses Signs?

I have heard it said that lunar eclipses are warning signs for Israel, and solar eclipses are warning signs for the Gentiles. When one goes forward in time from an eclipse – an amount of time only known and accepted by the seekers themselves – a historical event is offered as proof of that warning sign.

Since history is replete with historical events, it seems to me that virtually any historical event can be matched up with virtually any sign that may manifest itself in our universal skies, including lunar and solar eclipses. While I do not outright reject the possibility that heavenly signs may offer a warning of something of significance to come, I also acknowledge that virtually every week of history offers its own historical events and warnings for fallen man on a fallen Earth.

Ramifications of Seeing ‘Signs’ in the Cosmos

Another very real concern, when it comes to the idea of heavenly signs and anticipating future prophetic omens because of those signs, is that we venture toward esoteric occultism when we travel this road.

This is not to say that God’s creation cannot speak to us of prophetic forewarnings to mankind as they have in the past and will in the prophetic future, but that whenever cosmic situations do occur – such as specific constellational alignments and solar and lunar eclipses – and we try to anticipate some future prophetic signature because of them, we should be aware that all of history, as we mentioned, even without any cosmic occurrences in the heavens, has historical prophetic implications when it comes to the plans of God and the passage of time. Each day has its own prophetic impacts resulting from mankind’s choices, Satan’s diabolical schemes, and God’s sovereign foreknowledge and divine guidance of how His story ultimately unfolds.

As we noted earlier, the warning that God gave to Israel through Jeremiah concerning the nations and their relationship to signs in the heavens seems to be apropos for His people today.

“Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.”Jeremiah 10:1-2

The heavens – and everything they project, from astrological alignments to lunar and solar eclipses and everything in between – declare the glory of God.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.”Psalm 19:1-3

Seeing something into these signs in the heavens, past the glory of God, might prove to be fatal to our witness in the world. As God’s people, we should be very cognizant of this fact. We should not strive to be prophetically sensational in any way other than what is revealed to us in God’s Holy Word.

‘Signs’ and the Completed and Compiled Scriptures

Other than the signs that have been laid out in the Scriptures, such as the signs (sēmeion) that will be in the heavens at the end of the Tribulation (Mark 13:24-25, Luke 21:25-26), the sign (sēmeion) of Christ’s Second Coming (Matthew 24:30), and false signs (sēmeion) and wonders from the Antichrist and False Prophet, signs are no longer needed in our day and age, as God’s completed and compiled Scriptures guides the mission of the church to the unbelieving world until Messiah comes back for His bride. These completed and compiled Scriptures are God’s divinely inspired words to the entire world and are available to virtually every family on Earth, with very rare exceptions.

Faith is the standard by which all men must be evaluated apart from signs. Desiring signs and wonders, according to Jesus, was unfortunately the only way some people would ever believe on Him in His day.

“Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.”John 4:48

Again, Jesus said of those who demanded signs…

“… An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”Matthew 12:39-40

The signs that Messiah Yeshua demonstrated in His ministry of the miraculous should have been enough for the people and leaders of Israel.

God, however, has spoken to mankind in various ways throughout the different dispensations apart from signs.

In ancient times, God spoke verbally and through dreams and visions, and very well could have spoken to and through men in many other various methods and means that are not mentioned in Scripture.

In Biblical times, God spoke through His written Word in the Tanakh and through His holy prophets.

When Messiah came, God in the flesh revealed God the Father and His will to the people in His teachings, prophecy, and warnings. Christ never offered heavenly signs to confirm His Person or His message. Though we see a sign of darkness for three hours when Messiah was crucified – paying the sins for humanity and being separated from His Father as He did – this was entirely a supernatural sign, as was the star of Bethlehem.

And after Jesus’ First Advent, God speaks through His now completed Word and still speaks to others through dreams and visions. But the main conduit that God uses today to speak to unsaved mankind is through His people, the church.

During the Tribulation, God will speak through a variety of ways including His Word, His Two Witnesses, the 144,000 Jewish Witnesses, an angel preaching the everlasting gospel, and through all of those who will come to Christ.

And, lastly, God, through Christ, will again speak to the people of the world through His reigning Messiahship in the Messianic Millennial Kingdom.

All of these are apart from and absent any naturally occurring signs in the heavens.

Signs – apart from heavenly signs – in the time before the Scriptures were completed and compiled were necessary and essential to confirm the message of the cross and the furtherance of the gospel by our Lord’s Apostles.

“Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.” – 2 Corinthians 12:12

Since Messiah and His Apostles, and subsequently the completed and compiled Holy Scriptures, signs are no longer needed as they once were in the past, though there are exceptions.

In the end, God has communicated His message and warnings to mankind in His written Word, the conscience God has given to all of humanity, the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit, and through His church, and man ignores God’s message and warnings to his own peril. For if people are not going to listen to God and His Word, their God-given consciences, the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit, and the body of Christ, then heavenly signs will never convince them either. This is the nature of the unregenerate human heart (Jeremiah 17:9).

The greatest sign of all?

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”Isaiah 7:14

“God with us.”

The Son of God paid our punishment on the cross, shed His blood for our sins, died, was buried, and was resurrected to eternal life – and those who will believe in Him will one day be resurrected to eternal life too! He gave His life so we could be reconciled back to God and live in glory with Him forevermore.

Now, that is a Sign that occurred at an optimal Time and in the perfect Season (Galatians 4:4-5)!

In like manner, both Messiah’s coming for His bride at His Father’s command and His Second Coming with the armies of heaven will be amazing Signs, at the optimal Times, and in the perfect Seasons – all within the hands of Father God’s mighty power and in His perfect timing!

***

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.