Jesus warned that, just prior to His return, cataclysmic upheavals would take place in the world that would defy human explanation and strike fear into the hearts of men. In just the last few weeks our eyes have witnessed a rampaging fire in the Carmel heights of Israel, snow storms in Europe and the USA never witnessed before, rain storms and flooding in Australia on a scale that boggles the mind and the weird death of thousands upon thousands of fish and birds in the USA and South America.
When one adds to this picture the wholesale murder of Christians throughout the Muslim world and in Africa plus the rise of anti-Semitism and the hatred of Israel in all international spheres then the words of Jesus become more important and most worthy of our careful consideration. No wonder He said that we are to watch and pray and, more important still, be ready for His sudden appearing.
Nations buckling under huge mountains of debt coupled with nuclear proliferation add to the dangers of an unstable global situation not to mention the wars that continue to rage in Iraq and Afghanistan. Anxiety levels are increasing everywhere! World leaders are void of real answers and their political theories have proved to be bankrupt. No wonder they are now openly calling for a one world government, a new global currency and human controls never imagined or seen before. As things get worse the masses, longing for safety, will join this call thinking that their only way out of the present distress will be totalitarianism with its promise of peace and order.
Freedom, as we know it, will become a thing of the past and a brave new one world order will arise totally transforming the present social, political and economic order. All of this will be hailed as progress and another step forward in humankind’s evolutionary development!
Naturally, giving leadership to this new globalist regime will be a dynamic, benevolent and “wise” leader such as the world has never seen but certainly longed for. Absolute obedience will be given to him by universal decree and those who fail to surrender and obey him will be removed from society under the charge of being enemies of the global order. Celebrations will everywhere abound and a new one world religious system will be established. The Bible, once the world’s most loved and read book will be banned!
With every passing day this picture is emerging with frightening clarity and what was once only written about by “whistle blowers” is now openly being stated and published without shame. Economic pressure, natural upheavals, wars, nuclear threats coupled with fear and anxiety have enabled the globalists to “show their hand” with increasing brazenness. The followers of Jesus; die everywhere across the Middle East and North Africa, are mocked in nations that once called themselves Christian and are accused of being bigots in many others. Jesus is the problem!
Nevertheless, is it not amazing that His words in Matthew 24 have been fulfilled with pin-point accuracy. He is hated only because He tells the truth and thereby unmasks the wickedness of the human heart. He himself declared that His people would be hated by all peoples because they bare His glorious name. What did He do to these peoples to arouse such hatred and rejection? The answer is simple; He loved them and gave His life for them!
In the end the “signs of the times” will prove to be the only “road map” worth following. The coming new world order will only bring humankind closer to utter destruction. Indeed, Jesus said, “Unless those days be shortened no flesh will be left on the earth.” A serious read of the signs of the end ,as recorded in Matthew 24, will go a long way to reassuring the heart and to reminding it of the things that really matter and which are worthy of standing up for.
Malcolm Hedding
The brutal murder of the three Israeli teenagers, Gilad Shaar, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach, kidnapped nearly three weeks ago is a crime that is unimaginable and can only be committed by people who have lost any understanding of what it is to be human. The killers when caught, and they will be, should be given a fair trial and then, when found guilty, be subjected to the death penalty. This is nothing short of the genocide of three whole worlds and it must be treated as such. It is with disgust that we also witness the celebrations in Gaza of these heinous crimes. To be sure this demonstrates to the world the true nature of the beast that Israel is grappling with. President Abbas is directly accountable for this outrage as he is the head of state of the Palestinian Authority Unity Government. He cannot escape this responsibility and the international community should hold his feet to the fire on this matter. This crime is the true face of his movement and has been for decades. It has thus once and for all unmasked them for what they are.