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NOW, ABOUT THE END OF THE WORLD

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END OF AN AGE OR END OF THE WORLD

By Ken Blue

“And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” Matthew 24:3.

The reader must understand that the four gospels are not written to, or about the church, the body of Christ. They concern Israel and the Old Testament promises of Israel’s: Kingdom of Heaven on earth, which will be ruled by Jesus Christ from Jerusalem. This is what is meant in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy Kingdom come…”

The question in the above text is not about the end of the world or the destruction of planet earth. The word “world” comes from the Greek αἰών which means eon or age. The current age began after the flood of Noah and will continue until the Millennium. That is the “age to come” spoken of in Hebrews 6:5. The disciples are not asking about or concerned when the earth would be destroyed. They want to know when the present age would end, and the new age with His Kingdom would be established in Israel.

The Lord gives His disciples a list of signs that will be present in the days preceding the end of the age. Most of these are found in Matthew 24. It is important that we understand that the Lord is talking about things that concern the nation of Israel and those nations that seek to destroy them. (See Matthew 24:24. Mark 13:22. 2 Peter 2:1. 1 John 4:1. Rev. 16:13; 20:10.)

The age that will follow this present one will last another 1000 years, and then the earth is burned up. See Revelation 20:1-7. This is what Peter is speaking of in 2 Peter 3:10. The word for the earth there is a different Greek word and speaks of the literal planet.

So, believers should not concern themselves with the “end of the world.” It is at least one thousand and seven years down the road. What we should do is pray for Israel, pray for others, and make sure we are saved. Let not your heart be troubled. God’s program is right on schedule. However, we are to be on guard. “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15.

If you are saved, the signs of the end of the age should excite you because it means the rapture of the church is that much closer. Look up and don’t give up.

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SIGNS OF THE TIMES

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SIGNS FOR THE JEWS AFFECT THE CHURCH

JEWSBy Ken Blue

Although I do not believe there are specific signs for the rapture of the church, Jesus clearly instructed His disciples about events that would precede His Second Advent. Here are some of them.

“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; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: Luke 21:25-28.

“…many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.6 ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: …nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: …famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 …beginning of sorrows. 9 Then shall they deliver you (Jews) up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye (Jews) shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. 10 shall betray one another, …hate one another.11 …false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 …iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 …endure unto the end. 15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s (Jews) sake those days shall be shortened. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (believing Jews) 29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. “Matthew 24:4-31.

36 “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” Matthew 24:36-44.

These are just a few of the many Scriptures that foretell Christ’s coming in Judgment of the earth.

TWO STICKS THAT BECOME ONE

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ONE ISRAEL

By Ken Blue

“And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.” Ezekiel 37:17.

In 945 B. C. the nation of Israel was divided into two nations with ten tribes in the North, called Israel, and two tribes in the South, called Judah. Jerusalem was the capital of Judah, and Samaria became the capital of Israel. They were divided in the days of Rehoboam and Jeroboam. (See 1 Kings 12).

The symbolism is clear from Scripture. The time is coming soon when all Israel will be reunited as one nation, in their land, under one King; the Lord Jesus Christ. Isaiah 11:10-16, is just one of the many prophecies of Israel’s return and reuniting as one nation, “And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. 11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. 12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. 13 The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. 14 But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them. 15 And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod. 16 And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.” Isaiah 11:10-16

This is the intended message by the prophet when he took the two sticks and held them together. Its intent is to encourage the nation to not abandon their God or Scriptures. Both are true and faithful; and this symbol will become a reality. Thank God for our infallible Bible!