"Bible prophecies to be fulfilled during the End Times"


The Bible has many prophecies that many scholars traditionally have interpreted as being about the End Times. These prophecies are scattered throughout the Old Testament, including the books of Daniel and Zechariah, as well as in the New Testament books of Luke, Matthew and Revelation.

100 Prophecies, explains how Bible prophecies have been fulfilled in history. Click for more information.
Below is a selection of Bible prophecies involving the End Times and the return of Jesus Christ. The copyrighted commentaries were contributed by George Konig and Ray Konig, authors of the book, 100 Prophecies.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-9
The "day of the Lord" will take people by surprise
2 Peter 3:1-18
Jesus' return will be unexpected

John 3:16
All who believe in Jesus will be saved

Luke 21:23-24
Jerusalem will be trampled upon

Luke 21:33
Jesus said his words would never be forgotten

Matthew 24:14
Before the end comes, the Gospel will be preached to the entire world

Matthew 24:21-22
Jesus spoke of a day of unequaled destruction and suffering

Matthew 24:23-25
There will be false messiahs before Jesus returns

Matthew 24:29-31
Jesus will return (to judge the living and the dead)

Matthew 24:36-37
No one will know the hour or the day of Jesus' return

Matthew 24:14
Jesus foretold that the Gospel would be preached
throughout the world


http://aboutprophecy.com/endtime.htm

Interesting

The signs of the time are all around us. Most Christians have no idea that they are commanded to look for our Lord's coming. "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come" (Mat 24:42).

The Bible promises a reward to all people who remain watchful for Jesus' return. "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing" (2 Tim 4:8).

There is that old cartoon of the bearded guy in the street holding the sign "The End Is Near". It may or may not be near but people have been thinking it was the end times for many, many years.

What, specifically, makes this time special?

Is the Second Coming as near as some people are predicting?

The timing of the Second Coming of Jesus has been described as being much like a woman in labor. Just like a birth follows a very precise set of events, and a woman has many warnings that her baby is on the way, so it is with the return of the Lord. We have been given very precise signs to watch for that will signify Christ’s return. This web site covers those specific signs in great detail.

There has never been a time in history when the return of the Lord has been so near. It is undeniable that we are seeing prophecy fulfilled at an astonishing rate. It is important to live as though we will not have another chance to get our hearts right with God. We need to act as though there never will be another opportunity to witness to our loved ones. And we need to hold the things of this world—money, homes, ambitions—with an open hand, ready to drop it all at the beckoning of our Lord. But, we also need to realize that we will never fully understand God’s timing or His perfect plan. And the Bible says that "with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day" (2 Pet. 3:8). So we cannot place God within the framework of our limited understanding. Because of that, we continue to go to work, we continue to get educated; basically, we continue wait patiently for His return.

Jesus said, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Matt. 24:36). What is important about the timing of the rapture is not wishing that we would know when it is coming so we can get ready, but being ready at every moment. "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour" (Matt. 25:13). Read also 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 and 2 Peter 3:3-15.


www.raptureready.com

Luke 21:5-38

5, And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said,
6, As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.


7, And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?

--------Religious Deception---------

8, And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.


---------Wars and Rumors of Wars---------

9, But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.

-----Nations Against Nations---Kingdoms Against Kingdoms------


10, Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:

-------------Famines and Earthquakes--------

11, And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

-----Persecution-----

12, But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.
13, And it shall turn to you for a testimony.
14, Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:
15, For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.

----Betrayal-----

16, And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.
17, And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.
18, But there shall not an hair of your head perish.
19, In your patience possess ye your souls.

------Jerusalem surrounded by armies-----

20, And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
21, Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
22, For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
23, But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.
24, And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

---------Climate Upheaval------

25, And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

26, Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

------Return of Christ------

27, And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.


28, And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

------A Parable------

29, And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;
30, When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.
31, So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.

-----The Generation that see these events coming together----

32, Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
33, Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
34, And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
35, For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

-----Jesus commanded us to Watch and Pray-----

36, Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
37, And in the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives.
38, And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him.

---Commentary on world events that relate to Bible prophecy
and on Rapture Ready issues world events.---

Feb 28, 2011

Tough Times for Arab Dictators
Across the Middle East, people weary of repression, poverty, and corruption have taken to the streets, calling for revolution and reform. Since most dictators only envision their subjects as having absolute adoration for them, the sight of massive crowds calling for their downfall must come as a huge shock.

The first to go was Tunisian leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. He fled to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in mid-January. Some reports say he had a stroke, fell into a coma, and may have died.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has managed a more graceful retirement from office. After conceding to protesters, he settled in the Egyptian Red Sea coast resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh.

Many of the Persian Gulf states have managed to hold on to power by offering up token concessions to their countrymen:

Bahrain -- The nation of Bahrain has reshuffled its cabinet. Bahrain's king has decided to give $2,650 to each family on the Gulf island.

Kuwait -- The ruler of Kuwait has announced the distribution of $4 billion and free food for 14 months to all citizens. Each of the 1.12 million native citizens will get $3,572 in cash until March 31, 2012.

Algeria -- President Abdelaziz Bouteflika said the state of emergency, in force for the past 19 years, is to be lifted. The announcement followed pressure from government opponents who demanded the emergency powers be scrapped.

Saudi Arabia -- King Abdallah returned to Saudi Arabia after recovering from back surgery. He immediately announced $10.7 billion in benefits. The king also said he would give a 15-percent pay raise to state workers, fight inflation, and provide more money for housing and studying abroad.

Libya's leader Moammar Gadhafi is likely to be the next to fall. He is rapidly losing control of that nation. Eastern Libya is now being administered by a loose alliance of tribal leaders. Many of Gadhafi's government officials have joined the opposition.

The unrest in Libya has been the bloodiest. Gadhafi has ordered his military to fire on protestors. He even had jets bomb unarmed crowds. The foreign minister of Italy, Franco Frattini, said more than a thousand people have been killed in the uprising so far.

The death toll may climb dramatically higher before Gadhafi is removed from power. He has already proven himself to be a cold-blooded killer. Some of the statements made in recent days have reinforced the long-held belief that he is mentally unstable.

When rumors circulated that he may have fled the country, Gadhafi made an address while sitting in a car, holding an umbrella out the door.

“I am here to show that I am in Tripoli and not in Venezuela. Don't believe those misleading dog stations.”

In one speech, Col. Gadhafi told Libyans that the protesters were fueled by drinks spiked with hallucinogenic drugs and were acting on the orders of Osama bin Laden.

“Their ages are 17. They give them pills at night, they put hallucinatory pills in their drinks, their milk, their coffee, their Nescafe,” he said in a telephone interview with Libyan state television.

Speaking from a historic fort overlooking Green Square, Col. Gadhafi told a paid group of supporters to strike against protesters, saying “retaliate against them, retaliate against them,” and “dance, sing and prepare. Prepare to defend Libya , to defend the oil, dignity, and independence.”

As the crowd waved flags, Gadhafi said: “I am in the middle of the people in the Green Square . … This is the people that love Moammar Gadhafi. If the people of Libya and the Arabs and Africans don’t love Moammar Gadhafi, then Moammar Gadhafi does not deserve to live.”

Times might be tough for dictators, but don’t look for a wave of freedom to sweep over the Middle East. The most likely course is for the situation to go from bad to worse. The political void may soon be filled by Islamic militants. Compared to them, Hosni Mubarak and Moammar Gadhafi might as well be George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. During the past few decades, they maintained a peace with Israel.

The upheaval is very bad news for Israel. Since Bible prophecy predicts that someday the Jewish state is going to be attacked by several of her Arab neighbors, stability has been Israel’s friend. The changes we are seeing now could be an indication that time is running out.

-- Todd


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Pastors Forewarned
One of the most-mentioned laments among those of us who have Bible prophecy as our calling is that seminaries are not teaching prophecy and pastors are not preaching and teaching prophecy today. We refer to the majority of the seminary instructors and preachers who otherwise preach and teach God’s Word as inerrant truth.

Those who view the Bible as merely a book with good suggestions for how to live, but don’t consider it the literal Word of God, can’t be expected to understand the crucial necessity of preaching and teaching the whole Word of God. These pick and choose verses, applicable or not, to put forth their ear-tickling homilies, which by their very nature avoid doctrinal truth. So, we aren’t pointing a finger of admonishment at these.

Sadly, however, this description fits a growing number of seminaries and their graduates. It is getting harder to tell the genuine from the pretenders. More and more the words are sugar-coated, the points supposedly made trailing off into the ether of mumbo-jumbo irrelevance. When one gently probes one or the other of the Bible-believing/preaching pastors with the question: "Do you preach prophecy?” the answers are along the same line. It’s my experience and that of others who ask the question that 95 percent of those asked say something akin to the following:

"Prophecy is just too hard for people to understand."
"I just don’t know about the subject, because we just barely touched on it in seminary."
"Teaching people how to live as a Christians is more pressing."
"It scares people, so I just don’t want to worry them unnecessarily."
"People have been saying the Second Coming is here for years, and we are still here. We need to deal with the here and now, not pie in the sky."

And my personal favorite:

"Some preachers are premillennial, some postmillennial, or whatever. I’m 'pan'-millennial. I believe it will just all pan out in the end." I have to tell you–confess, I guess—that this last one always presents a personal test of my temperament. Whenever I hear it, I see red, even though I’ve been as physically blind as the proverbial bat since 1993. Some of these preachers–a few--become a bit defensive and get rather exercised, launching into tirades, arguing that we prophecy types read far too much into the headlines as they might relate to biblical prophecy. And I readily admit that this has and continues to happen more often than it should.

The many episodes of date-settings for the rapture over the years, for example, have done disservice to God’s prophetic Word. Too often I receive formulas from all sorts of angles and configurations that claim to give the precise time of Christ’s coming in the Rapture, or that propose to have the answers to other prophetic events.

Despite the fact that there are those who are overly speculative in their views of Bible prophecy, the following must be said. To the pastors of America who claim the Bible as the inspired, inerrant Word of the Living God but callously ignore its prophetic content—be forewarned. Your excuses/arguments won’t stand the test at the bema–the judgment seat of Christ. You will be held accountable by the very Lord you proclaim you love so much–the same Lord about whom the angel told John: “for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (Revelation 19:10b).

That same Jesus gave us the Olivet discourse, during which He laid out general and specific things to come. The Gospel accounts give Christ’s commandment of what to do about the many prophesied things He had just foretold: “And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch” (Mark 13:37). Prophecy makes up at least 27 percent of the Bible. Half of that 27 percent has been fulfilled, with half yet to be fulfilled. Anyone with spiritual ears to hear and spiritual eyes to see is capable of following the Lord’s command: “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21: 28).

Certainly, if God calls people to be pastors–shepherds of His flock—He equips them to feed the flock His whole Word, not just the parts the pastor selects as important, while summarily dismissing the other parts of God’s Word. Jesus said to “watch” for prophetic developments. And, spiritually attuned eyes and ears–a condition all pastors should seek to appropriate and maintain—can hear and see that we are at the very end of the Church Age.

Just this week, the entire world, not just the Middle East, exploded with rage. From Cairo and the capitals of Tunisia, Yemen, Jordan, Libya, Bahrain, and Iran to the U.S. capital emulating the austerity cuts tumult in Europe, the seas and waves of humanity are roaring with distress and perplexity. From Juarez, Mexico, and the deadly drug wars to the seas off Somalia and the murderous pirates who prey on their victims, violence fills the whole earth.

Israel stands alone in the global spotlight as the most-hated nation on planet earth. The world is in economic chaos, headed for total collapse. All the while, technology is progressing geometrically in ways that will one day provide earth’s last tyrant with the satanically endowed ability to enslave most all people on this fallen sphere.

Yet many pastors of America are into building bigger, more beautiful edifices in order to more spectacularly entertain their audiences. They make claims that they are telling of God’s love. But, they are stressing how to tap into that love in order to gain favor for acquiring material things; they are not teaching how to share the message that Jesus’ love is shown in that He died to save us from our sins. Too many pastors are moving farther from teaching doctrinal truth. One such truth being assiduously avoided is that of Christ’s Second Coming.

Thankfully, this Laodicean model doesn’t apply to all megachurches in America today. Some genuinely preach and teach truth from the Bible, although most, I’m sorry to have to say, continue to push aside Bible prophecy in favor of sticking exclusively to life-lesson theology. The responsibility to “watch” must, by the Bible’s very definition of the word “preacher,” fall first and foremost on those who are called to shepherd God’s people. The Word of God warns specifically about keeping the flock informed, and about those commissioned to do so who fail in that responsibility: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me” (Hosea 4: 6a,b). Paul’s admonition applies to pastors and teachers even more, perhaps, than to those whom they shepherd and instruct.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2: 15). These are perilous times, dear pastors and teachers. Bible prophecy at this juncture in human history isn’t frivolous or an elective to be chosen according to the pastor’s whim. The hour is late, and God’s people haven’t a clue. It is critical that you begin giving them biblically prophetic nourishment.

--Terry


www.raptureready.com

Mar 7, 2011

Rapture Index Nears an All-Time High
If you think we might be a seeing a sharp rise in end-time activity, you would be correct. I’ve never seen a time when so many headlines are being ripped right from Bible prophecy. Over the past two months, Rapture Ready has had a 40-percent rise in its traffic load. A large portion of the hits come from thousands of people looking to see what Bible prophecy has to say about ongoing current events. Many of the key search subjects are related to earthquakes, the weather, the Middle East, and the economy.

The upsurge has had an impact on the Rapture Index. It has been climbing for several years and is now within a few points of its all-time high. The Index has not been this high since January 2003.

The Rapture Index is a type of "Dow Jones Industrial Average" for measuring end-time activity. Since Jesus said we will not know the day of the Rapture, I figured the best way to know where we on God’s prophetic clock is to track the events predicted to occur at the time of our Lord’s return.

There is something very interesting about what is happening with the index now versus how it behaved in the past. A decade ago, the increases occurred in spikes. The index would rocket up and then quickly fall back. Prophetic events would occur, then a low would follow. What we are seeing now is a relentless period of continuous activity.

The yearly lows for the Rapture Index do a very good job of showing how activity is rising. If you look at the list below, you will see a steady rate of increase. One way to examine this trend is to ask: When is the last time we’ve had a year without a major earthquake? In order for the earthquake category to rate as a 1, we would have to go a whole year without a 6.5 or greater trembler occurring in a major, populated area. It wasn't too long ago that we could go a whole decade without seeing a quake strike a population center. Tropical cyclones have shown a similar surge in activity.

2003 Low 133
2004 Low 135
2005 Low 143
2006 Low 151
2007 Low 154
2008 Low 155
2009 Low 157
2010 Low 168


One shortcoming of the Rapture Index is that it doesn’t capture the historic significance of some recent end-time events. It only measures whether activity is rising or falling in frequency. Over the past year, I’ve noticed a dramatic increase in the number of historical events. Last summer, Russia had its worst drought on record, with the all-time hottest recorded temperature occurring in July. Australia’s Queensland territory suffered its worst flooding in the nation’s history, and two months later was hit by the most powerful cyclone ever. If this doesn’t cause the most skeptical people to scratch their heads, I should add that before that, Australia had just experienced its worse drought ever.

Another end-time occurrence that defies easy measure by the Index is morality. I believe it’s because we’ve hit rock bottom in many areas, and there is no room to go any lower. This week, I was at my dentist waiting to get a check-up. I was looking through the latest copy of People magazine and ran across a review of a new Broadway play that Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the creators of South Park, have written. The play is about the adventures of a Mormon missionary in Africa. My eye caught excerpts of the lyrics of a song of unbelievable blasphemy aimed directly at God Himself.

It would be bad enough to speak of God in such a profane way, but all the more shocking is how cheery the reviews are about this gush of raw sewage. Here is how one reviewer spoke of the offense:

“The audience was then delighted by songs with lyrics like "(F-word) you, God," "(F-word) you God in the (A-word)" and "(F-word) you God in the (C-word)." Each number had the feeling of a traditional Broadway musical, but twisted by the South Park humor.”

Last year, Stone and Parker received death threats when they produced a cartoon with Muhammad wearing a bear costume. They do something a thousand times worse to the God of the Bible, and audiences are delighted, with Christian leaders not even mad enough to issue a token "How dare you?" We are truly in the last of the last days.

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils" (1 Timothy 4:1). "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13).

-- Todd


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End Times–The Bottom Line
Global economic chaos is driving the distress and perplexity of the nations of planet earth. The words of the greatest of all prophets, Jesus Christ, echo in cavernous reverberation with each succeeding news report from the capitals of earth’s monetary centers.

“And there shall be…upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring” (Luke 21:25b).

Jesus’ Olivet Discourse spoke to conditions exponentially moved beyond norms. In other words, the “distress” and “perplexity” that nations will be experiencing as His Second Coming nears will be beyond any ever known by people of earth. And, in biblical terms, “seas and waves” refer to the masses of peoples. Jesus said that because there will be unprecedented distress and perplexity among the nations, the peoples populating those nations will be “roaring.”

All one must do to understand that the roots of the upheaval rocking America and the world at this very moment involve economics is to think on the acceleration of events in the headlines since September 11, 2001. It has been a decade of powerful disturbances beyond any experienced before.

America launched retaliatory action against those in the Middle East deemed complicit in the attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C. Iraq was “liberated,” and Saddam Hussein paid for his tortures and murders. But, from that action–which seems to be at least the beginning of fulfillment of Zechariah chapter 5—has come the unleashing of worldwide jihad.

The U.S. economic engine, which has made the nation the most productive industrial power in history, runs on the petroleum most easily accessible in the regions surrounding Saudi Arabia. Manipulative money brokers, in my mind, have managed to–for reasons of their own--prevent drilling and refining of this nation’s reserves, making America vulnerable to the economic danger we now face.

Compounding the dangers, some of our “leaders” have engaged in financial skullduggery. By damaging U.S. infrastructure through the banking debacle and politically engineering the trillions of dollars run up in debt--while selling the nation by offering Treasury bonds to perhaps America’s most dangerous enemy, the Chinese--they move America ever more swiftly toward third-world status.

The explosion of revolution throughout the, for the most part, oil-rich nations surrounding Israel paints the end-times picture. That incendiary anarchy that has ignited fires of unrest in the U.S. and in various capitals of Europe shows the world to be in distress with perplexity, the sea and waves roaring.

It is true that the twentieth century was one of tremendous turbulence. World Wars I and II brought death, destruction, pestilence, and starvation of monumental proportion. The economic abyss that was the Great Depression certainly was preached by ministers as akin to the biblically prophesied apocalypse--and it was even claimed to be so by many pundits of the times.

However, the crashing of the World Trade Center towers to the streets of New York City on that terrible Tuesday morning seemed to have unleashed demons that continue to cause destruction more violent than that wrought during the entire previous century. That cascading avalanche is increasing with destructive force while it roars through our time with each hour that passes.

The toll in loss of human life thus far in the twenty-first century hasn’t come anywhere near the death-dealing inflicted in the previous century. But, so far as the humanistic powers that be are concerned, the potential for apocalyptic-like carnage has reached near critical mass. To the money masters–the economic titans--the bottom line is not the human toll, but the fiscal Armageddon to be avoided while controlling the ongoing economic avalanche and using it to best effect for their own nefarious purposes.

Concern over the great monetary upheaval overrides all else with the globalists elite. The seas of human populations must be maneuvered in puppet fashion to bring in their idea of how the world system should run.

All of the above is to say that, in my view, Jesus’ words point precisely to the world conditions developing around this generation at this very hour. It is oil and the wealth it represents that Satan is obviously using to try to bring about the destruction of the human race. That destruction is Satan’s bottom line (1 Peter 5: 8).

But, of course, it will never happen, because Jesus said of the final seven years of this earth age, the Tribulation: “And 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).

I’ve mentioned the bottom line for the humanists who want to control the world through manipulation of economics. I’ve mentioned Satan’s bottom line–his desire to destroy all of mankind. Now we look at God’s bottom line, for this is the one destined to be achieved for all who will accept His Son as the only cure for the deadly soul disease from which they suffer.

God wants the souls of all people to be saved out of their lost condition, thus from His judgment and wrath that must fall upon earthly wickedness. This is why Christ hasn’t yet come for His Church in the Rapture. About this, the apostle Peter writes: “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 Pet. 3: 9).

Sadly, not all will accept God’s offer of rescue from the coming seven years of horror we term the Tribulation, or from the lake of fire for all of eternity. However, it isn’t our worry to know who will and won’t believe. It is the duty of each who names the name of Jesus Christ as Lord to make sure the message is proclaimed that Jesus died, was buried, and resurrected so that all who believe in Him will have everlasting life. We must let the lost world hear the message that Christ might come at any moment for His own in the Rapture!

That’s the Christian’s bottom line for these end times.

--Terry

www.raptureready.com

Mar 14, 2011

Yet Another Massive Earthquake
Much of northern Japan has been totally devastated by an 9.0 earthquake, the most powerful earthquake in the nation's recorded history. The worst previous quake was in 1923 in Kanto, with only an 8.3 magnitude. The earthquake is currently ranked as the fifth-most powerful seismic event to hit the world in the past century.

Because the trembler struck a modern industrial nation at 2:46 p.m., it will probably be history's most-documented earthquake. One geologist noted that there has never been aerial footage of a tsunami rushing over land. I was stunned to see a live feed of a 23-foot wall of water and debris washing away homes. Some of the waves traveled over 6 miles inland before dissipating.

I've written about earthquakes for years, and I know it will take months to figure out the full scale of the disaster. When last year’s Haiti quake was first reported, the death count was only 3,000. It later grew to over a quarter million. In Japan, several coastal cities have been nearly wiped off the map. Minami Sanriku had a population of 17,000, and 60 percent of its residents are now reported as missing.

Japan also may be facing a nuclear disaster on the scale of Chernobyl. A partial meltdown appears to have occurred at two nuclear reactors, and four other reactors are said to be unstable. If the core material escapes into the atmosphere, it will take decades to clean up the mess.

This year has already been a nightmare for the insurance industry. Insurers have lost billions from the Australian flood and the New Zealand earthquake. The Japan quake will only put further strain on the balance sheets.

The earthquake will be a huge blow to the global financial system. Japan has the third-largest economy, and it also has the world’s biggest public debt load. Since it was already at the doorstep of national insolvency, the quake may have made a financial Armageddon an eventual certainty.

The Japanese have nearly a trillion dollars in the U.S. Treasury. A large portion of these bonds will have to be sold to pay for reconstruction. The draw down could push our economy over the edge.

I've had several people ask me what this earthquake means for Bible prophecy. I think the quake has a strong link to prophecy because of how it fits with birth-pang warnings. Jesus predicted that the closer we get to the time of His return, the more frequent and intense the end-time signs will become. There will be more earthquakes, and more intense ones. Likewise, things like famine, pestilence, and war will increase in frequency and intensity.

"For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places, there will be famines; this is but the beginning of the birth-pangs" (Mark 13:8 RVS).

It was just last week that I made mention of how deadly quakes are running off the scale. Normally, we could say by the frequency of earthquakes in the past that it will be many years before we suffer another super quake. The Rapture Ready Earthquakes Timeline shows that between 1949 and 1962, there was no major loss of life from seismic activity. Two other gaps that stand out are 1962 to 1970 and 1978 to 1985.

Some reports try to argue that large earthquakes are a natural occurrence. We do have large earthquakes each year, but they typically strike unpopulated areas. In recent years, these quakes have targeted populated areas. The Haiti quake was a perfect bull’s eye, with a 7.0 magnitude, a depth of only three miles, and a location only nine miles from the Haitian capital.

We now have had five years in a row with massive seismic events. It seems to me that God is slowly trying to get man's attention. The Lord is very patient, but He is no fool. Eventually, earth is going to reach the point at which the ultimate judgment will be poured out.

In the past few days, there has been an enormous surge in traffic to the RR site. This happens every time a big disaster strikes. I can tell from years of experience that many people are interested in prophecy only when things are active. Because the Rapture will come with no warning, we need to be watchful at all hours.

"Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come" (Matthew 24:42).

"Just so, when you see the events I've described beginning to happen, you can know his return is very near, right at the door" (NLT Matthew 24:33).

-- Todd


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Israel’s Standing is America’s Hope
With America slipping precipitously in morality, economy, and most every other category one can think of, it does the patriotic heart good to find an area where the nation seems to be holding firm in the positive sense. At least a majority of its citizens, if not its current presidential administration, is holding firm.

The category is a most important one. As a matter of fact, in terms of God’s opinion, it is all-important to the health of individuals or national entities.

If one listens to the mainstream news these days–or over the past several decades, for that matter—one continues to hear that Israel is the chief cause of unrest in the Middle East, that the Jewish state is one of the main causes of hatred for America around the world. The impression is conveyed that the people of the U.S. thus have turned their collective sympathy away from Israel and toward the people supposedly represented by the Palestinian Authority (PA).

The diatribes by mainstream media against Israel have been relentless under the guise of news reporting. Each succeeding hit piece adds to the picture designed to convince Americans to view the Jewish nation as an illegitimate and cruel occupier of lands belonging to the “Palestinians.” That’s why it is so heartening to get truth, for a change, that paints a different picture. That picture shows that the people of this country aren’t buying the lies. Americans overwhelmingly see Israel as the good guy, not the bad guy, of the Middle East.

By a margin of 63 percent to 17 percent, the annual Gallup Poll indicates that support for Israel over the land-protest causes of the Palestinian Authority (PA) is overwhelming. This percentage is nearly as high as it has ever been. It is currently only 1 percentage point less than its highest point, reached in 1991. The poll was first taken in 1988, and at that time 37 percent favored Israel while 15 percent favored the PA. The percentages changed drastically (to 64 percent in Israel’s favor) during the Persian Gulf War of 1991, and have remained strongly in Israel’s favor since that time.

The picture is much different, however, on a worldwide basis. The BBC reports that Israel loses by 49 percent to 28 percent in a global poll of Israel vs. the PA. Israel finished twenty-fourth out of twenty-seven in a worldwide, online poll against nations whose popularity was measured. The Jewish state came in barely ahead of Pakistan, North Korea, and Iran. The poll shows that Israel’s standing globally continues to decline.

There are two primary reasons Israel’s standing in the U.S. continues to remain high despite mainstream media efforts to turn opinion against that nation. One of the primary reasons is the loss of virtual monopoly suffered by the networks ABC, CBS, and NBC and those one-time broadcast giants' declining ability to collude with the major newspapers of the country and their dissipating readership.

The rise of the individual citizen’s ready access to numerous news sources that are independent of the networks, newspapers, and wire services have allowed truth about the real troublemakers in the Middle East to shine brightly. Cable, Internet, and the blogosphere now give instant enlightenment to events as they unfold around the world. Digital cameras in cell phones now record video of breaking news events. Such news events in 1988 had to be filtered through network news cameras.

The old media was a dictatorship of sorts–a type of tyranny about which the once and future Israeli prime minister once spoke. Benjamin Netanyahu, in a speech at an event honoring Ronald Reagan on February 17, 2001, made the following astute observations:

The greatest service that dictatorships have received in the 20th century was this thing, the microphone. And the microphone would give a single dictator the ability to control the minds and hearts of millions of people, to tell them who is the enemy, who are the well poisoners of the earth, who are the cancer that has to be excised. That's how Israel was referred to in the Middle East. That's how the Jewish people were referred to in the heart of Europe by the Nazis. It is the power of the microphone, the power of mass communications, controlled from above, that was the greatest threat to freedom in the 20th century…

We are witnessing the breakup of that monolithic control. Because you now have, or very soon will have, millions of people, tens of millions, hundreds of millions of people, ultimately billions of people, who can access networks of information and communication from below, who can become their own broadcasters, or narrowcasters and that is fundamentally eroding the power of dictatorships. (My thanks to Jonathan Stettin for help with information.)

The second reason for Israel’s continued high standing in American public opinion can be attributed to a considerable extent to Christians who recognize God’s plan for that people. Actually, it is the most important reason Israel is receiving high approval ratings in America. It is also the reason America has been so blessed for so many years. The biblical prescription for an individual or a nation having favor in God’s view of things involving His chosen people is made crystal clear by the Almighty’s own words to Abraham, father of the patriarchs of Israel: “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Gen 12: 2-3).

--Terry


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www.raptureready.com

of the man running a 1000 meter race, it can be said that he is closer, at the 500 meter mark, than he has been in any other time since the race started

of the man running the 10000 meter race, the same can be said when he reaches the 500 meter mark


be watchful, but still be aware that we have NO idea how close or far away the time will be

The four living creatures, each having six wings,
were full of eyes around and within.
And they do not rest day or night,
saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!"

(Revelation 4:8)

There are billboards in Baltimore advertising May 21 as the beginning of the end. It marks the beginning of a five months period before the world is consumed in fire. Any thoughts?

The earth and all that is within it belongs to the Lord.

There are prophecies about endtime but no exact dates.

You are hearing rumors and scare tactics.

++++++++++++++++++++++++
ITimothy 3:13-15

13, But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse,
deceiving, and being deceived.
14, But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned
and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15, And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures,
which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith
which is in Christ Jesus.


We are kept by Almighty God.


Jesus prayed for us:

John 17:
High Priestly Prayer

1, These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven,
and said, "Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son,
that thy Son also may glorify thee:
2, As thou hast given him power over all flesh,
that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
3, And this is life eternal, that they might know thee
the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
4, I have glorified thee on the earth:
I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
5, And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self
with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
6, I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me
out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me;
and they have kept thy word.
7, Now they have known that all things
whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.
8, For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me;
and they have received them,
and have known surely that I came out from thee,
and they have believed that thou didst send me.
9, I pray for them:
I pray not for the world, but for them
which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
10, And all mine are thine, and thine are mine;
and I am glorified in them.
11, And now I am no more in the world, but these are
in the world, and I come to thee.
Holy Father, keep through thine own name
those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
12, While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name:
those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost,
but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
13, And now come I to thee; and these things I speak
in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
14, I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them,
because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

15, I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world,
but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

16, They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17, Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18, As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
19, And for their sakes I sanctify myself,
that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

20, Neither pray I for these alone,
but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21, That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me,
and I in thee, that they also may be one in us:
that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22, And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them;
that they may be one, even as we are one:
23, I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one;
and that the world may know that thou hast sent me,
and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
24, Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me,
be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory,
which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
25, O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee:
but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
26, And I have declared unto them thy name,
and will declare it:
that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them."



We are safe.

Psalm 46
by Biblical Reflections

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God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging
(Psalm 46:1-3 NIV).


We will not fear though the earth gives way!
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress (Psalm 46:7).


Almighty God,

during this time of tumult, death, destruction,

and fear, please use your people to be a blessing

to those who are hurting, displaced, face war,

and find themselves homeless ... wherever they may be.

In the name of Jesus,

we ask for this power and your blessing. Amen.



http://www.heartlight.org/articles/201103/20110322_psalm46.html

in reference to Jcpitts question, (There are billboards in Baltimore advertising May 21 as the beginning of the end. It marks the beginning of a five months period before the world is consumed in fire. Any thoughts)

Nothing will happen May 21st because not all bible prophecy has been fulfilled Read Matthew 24..this is just the birth pains..we should just be ready because we dont know the time or day..just as jesus doesn't know...

Nothing will happen May 21st because not all bible prophecy has been fulfilled Read Matthew 24..this is just the birth pains..we should just be ready because we dont know the time or day..just as jesus doesn't know...

Oh yes, I know the chapter well. And I agree with you that predicting the end is impossible. As a thief in the night... We all must live our lives for the moment when we will face God and account for our behavior. Did we live to serve God and love him with all our hearts? Did we exalt him and glorify His name? Did we feed the hungry, visit the sick and imprisoned?

I just think it makes for an interesting bus ride when you have people bombarded by this media. If nothing else, it has people talking God and I think that's a good thing. I've had some good conversations with people and have been forced to discuss my own beliefs publicly. This is something I have a big problem with. I always guarded my relationship with God because I figured, it was no one's business but my own. This probably would never have changed had I not gotten married and decided to have children. Then, all of the sudden, I had someone I wanted to felt compelled to include in this secret I was carrying around with me. When my wife, an atheist, found out she felt lied to, packed her things, moved out and asked me for a divorce.

Moral to the story: This time around I am looking for someone who considers my faith my best attribute not my Achilles heel. Anyway, I've gone on too long. Let's keep the conversation going though, it's my favorite subject. Secretely, no more. :)

Awesome!!!

End-Time Perspective

One of the key indicators of the end times is a rapid decline
in morality.
Because it is very likely that we are living in the final days of the Church Age,
it is difficult for us to grasp how depraved our world has become.
The moral standards of our society are basically judged
by how other people react to them.

Just because something is legal or socially acceptable
doesn’t make it right in God’s eyes.
Some of the images we see on TV or at the movies today
at one time would have been considered pornographic,
but today these images invoke little concern.

I think we Christians should look at this world
as being a filthy restroom at a roadside gas station.
Fate has brought us here, we try to touch as little of it as possible
while doing our business, we hope to leave quickly,
and we don’t ever plan on coming here again
until it's under better management.

I’ve commented several times on the evil nature
of the Harry Potter series, and every time I warn people
about the dangers of J. K. Rowling’s occultic novels,
I’ve received messages from people saying
that nothing is wrong with Harry Potter.
I’m told of other popular books that contain references
to the occult, such as the Grimm Fairy Tales, The Lord of the Rings,
or The Wizard of Oz.

Morality based on the comparison of one example to another
always leads to a downward spiral.
My concern about the Harry Potter books is
that they encourage people to become involved in witchcraft
by portraying it a very positive light.
If another author were to come along and use a darker tone
to entice youngsters into the occult,
Harry Potter would then seem tame.

My advice is minor when measured against the Bible's.
I just warn people to stay away from the series,
while the Book of Revelation declares that anyone promoting
occultic practices will end up cast into the lake of fire.

"But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral,
sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part
in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone,
which is the second death" (Rev. 21:8 NKJV).

As Christians living in this world, we should be revolted
by the evil going on around us.
If you’re someone who rarely has any problem with immorality
presented in the mass media, you might be suffering
from a chronic case of spiritual apathy.
The only way to cure this condition is to study God’s Word.
The standards in the pages of the Bible
are the ones we need to apply to ourselves.





by Todd Strandberg

http://www.raptureme.com/rr-kool-aid.html