An honest inquiry into this question will provide more than an adequate answer to the truthfulness of the Christian faith.
About 4,000 years ago, God called a man named Abram out of the country where he was living and gave him these promises, Genesis 12:2-3 I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those that bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
And the Lord said to Abram… Genesis 13:14 .......Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: 15For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
In a nut shell, God promised to Abram (1) a great nation; (2) a great name; (3) being a blessing to all nations; and (4) a land which shall forever belong to his descendants.
Several hundred years after God made these promises to Abram, the great nation had indeed appeared, numbering in the millions. They were about to enter the land of promise when God, through their leader, Moses, gave them some warnings as recorded in Deuteronomy 28-33.
All of the end time prophecies begin with Israel.
Why? Because Israel had to be a nation and they had to be in control of Jerusalem for the end time prophecies to be fulfilled.
God has always loved the Jews. Deuteronomy 7:7The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 8But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
It's a holy covenant between God and Israel's fathers.
He calls the Jew's "the apple of his eye."
Zechariah 2:8For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.
Jeremiah 3:14Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:
We find that God chose Israel to be his bride, just as Jesus chose the church to be His wife in Ephesians 5
None the less, God warned the Jew's to obey his commandments or be dispersed and persecuted. They indeed found themselves scattered across the whole earth as strangers in unfamiliar lands and they could find no rest from their wanderings.
Written almost 3,500 years ago, Deuteronomy 28:65And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind: 66And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life:
No one can deny that this scattering took place. For almost 1900 years, the Jews wandered about the earth as strangers who were persecuted from every side. This culminated in the holocaust of World War II, when six million Jews were put to death in the concentration camps. Luke 21:24 Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
It was also prophesied that they would return to their home land once again.
Ezekiel 36:24 God speaking- For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
Did it happen? They are there today, approximately 3.5 million, in a nation called Israel, from more than 120 nations, speaking 83 languages. And they aren't leaving again.........
Israel will be 'uprooted', says Iran
From correspondents in Tehran | March 02, 2008
IRAN'S President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said that Israel will be "uprooted" and its leaders put on trial as he condemned deadly Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip.
"I already said last year that the real Holocaust was in Palestine," Mr Ahmadinejad told state television in an interview, alluding to his oft-repeated doubts about the magnitude of the mass slaughter of Jews in World War II.
"For any child that is killed (in the Palestinian territories), a judicial case will be formed to find those behind it. They should know they will be put on trial, one by one," he said. Mr Ahmadinejad, who has caused international outrage by calling the Holocaust a "myth" and repeatedly predicting Israel is doomed to disappear, said the Jewish state was facing a looming confrontation.
"Gaza is the beginning, the real issue is elsewhere. They should know that both in the prelude and in the real thing they face a defeat and this time they will be uprooted," he said.
Sorry Mr. Ahmadinejad
Amos 9:15 I will plant them upon their land and they shall be no more pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.
No matter how bad it looks in and around Israel, they will remain.
Through all this, the nation was scattered far and wide, but as a people they neither perished nor lost their national identity. History has demonstrated that any people who leave their homeland will, after about five generations, lose their national identity by being absorbed into the new culture, but the Jews remained a distinct entity. Not only have they survived, but the nations that persecuted them—Moab, Ammon, Edom, Philistia, and many others—have either been destroyed or completely lost their individual identity. Have you ever heard of a Swedish Moabite? A Russian Philistine? A German Edomite? An American Ammonite?
No?
These people have been totally absorbed into other cultures and races. However, have you ever heard of a Swedish Jew? A Russian Jew? A German Jew? An American Jew?
Of course!
As prophesied, they have not lost their identity.
Here we are 40+ years later and there is a serious effort going on to rebuild the Jewish Temple, because they know they need a temple for their coming Messiah.
Jesus says the generation seeing all these things is the generation that will not pass till it's all fulfilled.
These are the fulfilled prophecies that declare the beginning of the end.
Look at these verses describing the end times in the Bible.
Matthew 24:37 As the days of Noah were, so shall the coming of the Son of man be.
How was it in Noah's day?
Genesis 6:5 God saw wickedness of man was great in the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Gen. 6:11 The earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God looked upon the earth and behold it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted his way upon earth. 13 And God said to Noah, the end of all flesh has come before me, for the earth is filled with violence through them, and behold I will destroy them with the earth.
That tells us the end of the world has happened before. Just like the time ahead. The end of the world as we know it. The globe will remain, but all that exists will be destroyed and Jesus will renew it, once again.
Matthew 24:38 For in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark. And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away, so shall the coming of the Son of man be.
Luke 17:28Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; How was it in Lot's day? Genesis 19:4 ....the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, .... both old and young, all the people from every quarter: 5 .....said , Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may "know" them.
Jude1:7Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh (adultery), are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
We find , that homosexuality and sexual immorality was rampant in Lot's day. It all angered God to the point He couldn't stand any more and destroyed them all.
Luke 17:28.....they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
No one can argue the fact the world has turned right back to these very acts that brought about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Matthew 24:44Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
The disciples asked Jesus, Matthew 24:3 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and the end of the world? The New Testament was originally written in Greek. In the Greek, the word used where we have "world" now, was - aion, which translates - age. So it's not actually the end of the planet, just the end of everything going on, on the planet. The end of the "Grace Period" or "Church age." For this world will never end.
Isaiah 45:17 a world without end......
Ephesians 3:21 a world without end .....
Psalm 90:2 the world, from everlasting to everlasting,
You can certainly see, this world never ends. Besides, the Lord Jesus himself has need of it for at least one thousand years we know, as he rules and reigns - Revelation 20:4 & 6. How many times we've heard the prayer "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
So what were the signs Jesus mentioned, when asked by the disciples?
Matt 24:4 Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
Luke 21:8 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. Notice, Christ - there is in italics.
Words that are written in italics are words added at the discretion of the translator to make the passage understandable. So read it again this time leaveing out Christ.
This is important, because that is God's title. Exodus 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
"I am that I am"
This is the philosophy of the new age movement going on all around us right now. They're proclaiming themselves to be gods.
We've all seen how dangerous cults can be. How about Karesh, Jones, and Applewhite? They deceived many proclaiming to be what they're not. See: Killer Cults
Matt. 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diverse places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
These things are happening simultaneously around us right now! How many times people need a sign to prove Gods existence. These are the sign's Jesus said would be, just before his return!
We need to be ready!
Luke 21:25 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; 26Men'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. Strong's complete dictionary of Bible words defines "distress" as calamity, and "perplexity" as - state of quandary, meaning - to have no way out, be at a loss (mentally):- (stand in) doubt, to be perplexed. Could this be referring to the warming cycle earth has entered? As the sun intensifies, the worldly chaos will too. The nations will be in a state of calamity, being perplexed over what to do.
Luke 21:28 And when you shall see all these things begin to come to pass, then look up, lift up your heads; for your redemption draws nigh.
Romans 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. Redemption is deliverance.
2Peter 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying , where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep (died) all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the Word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being over flowed with water, perished. 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
2Timothy 3:1-5 THIS know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Matt 24:14 The gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then the end shall come. (Just like the end in Noah's time)
Think about that. In the recent past we've seen the wall come down, and we've seen communism stumble. All making it possible for missionaries to enter those areas. Satellites beam television broadcasts all around the world. Radio signals the same. What you are reading right now can be read any where in the world.
No one can accuse the prophets of predicting small, obscure events can they?
I think you can see, the world is primed and ready for the Revelation to unfold.
Keep your eyes on Israel and watch for this to unfold... Isaiah 17:1The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap. Isaiah 17:14And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not.
We can see this one brewing.........
Israel considers Syria one of its greatest enemies and accuses Damascus of backing the militant organizations Hamas and Hezbollah. Tensions between Israel and Syria increased after reports of an Israeli airstrike in northern Syria on Sept. 6, 2007 the Israeli target was a joint Syrian-North Korean nuclear project. Sept. 20, 2007 Israeli officials vowed to wipe Syria off the map if it is attacked with chemical weapons like one that reportedly exploded in July 2007 at a secret Syrian base staffed with Iranian engineers. Politicians in Israel said they were not picking a fight with their neighbor, but pledged to forcefully retaliate if chemical warheads come screaming across its shared border.
"We will not attack them first. But if they ever use these weapons against Israel, then we must be clear — it will be the end of this evil and brutal dictatorship,"
Yuval Steinitz, a member of the Israeli parliament, told the Daily News.
See other reports below....
Lost tribe of Israel returning home
EU expecting role in Israel's security
Europe claims Israel preparing for war
Israel on alert for Syrian attack
War within 10 months
Syria warns of 'resistance' within months
Israeli warning: Syria preparing for war
Israel quietly threatens to attack Syria
Syria to form it's own Hezbollah
Syria's new Hezbollah group training for attacks
Iran helps Syria improve missiles
Syria acquiring Russian rockets at 'furious' pace
Syria talks peace but 'furiously' acquires missiles
