The number one sign of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is the convergence of all the signs He said to look for. Jesus said, “When you see all these things take place, look up! Your salvation draws near” (Luke 21:28).
What are the things Jesus and the prophets said to look for? Israel back in the land (Jeremiah 23:7-8)… The Jewish people back in control of Jerusalem (Luke 21:24)… The Gospel being preached to the whole world (Matthew 24:14)… And more… Today, we see these signs. Because we do, we can be confident we live in the season of His return.
But Jesus cited other signs too. So did the prophets. And we see those signs as well. As we look back on 2018, what are the biggest prophetic trends we see? Below is a list of what I believe are the top 4:
1) The Rise of the Gog of Magog Alliance: 2018 saw a continuation of the recent developing alliance between Russia, Iran, and Turkey. Russia and Iran have grown closer and closer since the mid-1990s. Their joint occupation of Syria in the aftermath of the Syrian civil war has only brought further cooperation.The result is a once unlikely alliance formed on Israel’s northern border. These are the very same nations Ezekiel said would invade Israel from the north in “the latter days” (Ezekiel 38:8).
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2) An Increase in High Magnitude Earthquakes: Jesus said several signs will increase like birth pains before He returns (Matthew 24:8). This means those signs will increase in frequency and intensity before the Second Coming. One of the signs Jesus cited is earthquakes (Matthew 24:7). We’ve seen a marked increase in the frequency of high intensity earthquakes over the past two decades. From 1900 to 1950, the world only registered six 8.0 magnitude earthquakes. Since 2010, we’ve had ten. Earlier this year, more than 70 earthquakes hit the Pacific Ring of Fire in a 48-hour period. The earth is preparing for the King’s return!
3) Continued EU Volatility: Over two thousand years ago, the prophet Daniel described the initial stages of the Antichrist’s global empire. He described it as an alliance of weak and strong nations (Daniel 2:42). He said it would be a divided alliance, loosely held together (Daniel 2:41). This is what we see today with the European Union. Since its inception, the EU has been an odd collection of governments, economies, currencies, and militaries. Each step along the way, the EU struggled to survive. Yet it has survived. If the EU is the forerunner to the empire Daniel described, then it will continue to survive. And its power will grow until it envelops the whole world.
4) Israel Celebrates Her 70th Anniversary and America Moves Her Embassy to Jerusalem: In Matthew 24:34 Jesus gives a prophecy that the generation living during predicted events will not pass away until the events occur. Israel became a nation in 1948. Psalm 90 says a generation is 70 years. The Bible refers to the Tribulation as the “70th Week of Daniel.” Israel’s re-birth is a reminder that God keeps His promises. Donald Trump kept a promise and moved the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on her 70th anniversary. The dry bones came to life in May of 1948 and the country celebrated it’s 70th anniversary last May. This is the miracle of all time. They stood up on their feet a great army and in 2018 were declared the eighth strongest nation in the world!
Things are all falling into place. Jesus is coming, perhaps very soon. God has allowed some to see the stage being set that indicates we are in the last hour. We are privileged to know what time it is. Many do not!
It is one-minute to Midnight. Headlines are a herald of His coming. Somebody get excited about that.