+


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: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.  And then shall they see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD
with power and great glory.  And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. ~ Luke 21:25-28

[Most Recent Quotes from www.kitco.com]
[Most Recent USD from www.kitco.com]
[Most Recent Exchange Rate from www.kitco.com]
Map

 

And God said, Let there be stars in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and LET THEM BE FOR SIGNS [Omens] and for seasons

 

And God said, Let there be stars in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and LET THEM BE FOR SIGNS [Omens] and for seasons ~ Genesis 1:14


 

Welcome to
Signs in the Sun, Moon & Stars
A No-Profit Free Web Portal

 


The Only Hope In The Coming Storm

by David Wilkerson | October 3, 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seven Major Prophetic Signs
Of The Second Coming

Commentary by Jack Kelley

10th Annual Update January 2011 from

GraceThruFaith.com

There are seven major prophetic signs of the Second Coming, and currently all of them are in some stage of fulfillment. As in years past, I’ll list the seven with their primary biblical references and offer commentary from current events.


1. Israel Will Be In The Land … Ezekiel 36:8-12, 37:21
Speaking to the Land God said,
“You, O mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit for my people Israel, for they will soon come home. I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown, and I will multiply the number of people upon you, even the whole house of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. I will increase the number of men and animals upon you, and they will be fruitful and become numerous. I will settle people on you as in the past and will make you prosper more than before. Then you will know that I am the LORD. I will cause people, my people Israel, to walk upon you. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance; you will never again deprive them of their children.

And to the people,
This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land.

Although Ezekiel wrote these words while the Israelites were in Babylon, they were not fulfilled in the nation’s return from exile there. Like Isaiah before him (Isaiah 11:11) Ezekiel was speaking of the second and final return. Therefore in 1948, when Israel took its place among the nations of the world again for the first time in nearly 2000 years, students of prophecy recognized the fulfillment of the primary sign that the end of the age was upon us. Jesus said that some from the generation being born when this happened would still be alive when He returned (Matt. 24:34). Both Psalm 90:10 and Isaiah 23:15 hint that an average Biblical life span is 70 years. Since 62 years have passed since Israel became a nation again after being absent for nearly 1900 years, students of prophecy have cause to believe that the end of the age is upon us.

2. Jerusalem Will Be In Jewish Hands… Luke 21:24
They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by
the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
The Lord prophesied that the reunification of Jerusalem as a Jewish City would be a sign that foreign (gentile) influence over His land, and indeed the world, was about to end (Luke 21:24). Fulfillment of this prophecy began in 1967, and scholars saw it as another major sign that the End of the Age had begun. The almost world wide effort to take the city apart again is in essence a battle of wills. Nearly every Israeli leader has stood firmly on a pledge to keep Jerusalem united forever as Israel’s capital, but the unbelieving leaders of the world are just as resolutely determined to divide it.

The Lord said that at the End of the Age He will make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples
reeling, an immovable rock for all nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. (Zechariah 12:2-3)
This past year much of the attack against Israel has been focused on Jerusalem. American leaders, traditionally some of Israel’s most loyal allies, have publicly called East Jerusalem occupied territory and demanded that no more Jewish homes be built there. They’ve even tried unsuccessfully to halt construction in undisputed neighborhoods. Through out the year the European Union has pushed for an official declaration dividing Jerusalem to make way for a future Palestinian State to have part of the city as its capital. And several Middle Eastern and South American countries are said to be working with the Palestinians to introduce a UN
resolution that will unilaterally declare a Palestinian state in the Promised Land, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Behind all this of course is a spiritual battle of massive proportions. While there’s no doubt as to the out come, the battle continues to be a fierce one.

I’ve come to believe that Jerusalem won’t really be free of Gentile “trampling” until the Lord returns.
Daniel’s prophecy that Gentile Dominion would not end until the Lord establishes His kingdom
(Daniel 2:36-45),
Zechariah’s prophecy of the city being captured and divided just before the Lord’s return (Zech. 14:2), and
John’s observations in Rev. 11:1-2 of the gentiles trampling the outer court of the Temple during the Great
Tribulation all confirm this. But even so, the fact that Jerusalem is back in Jewish hands is another big sign
that the End is coming soon.

3. A Moslem Coalition Armed And Led By Russia
Will Attack The Holy Land… Ezek. 38:2-6

“Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal;
prophesy against him. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of
Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army–your
horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their
swords. Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, also Gomer with all its troops,
and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops–the many nations with you.”

Numerous historical references make it plain that Magog stands for modern Russia, and the other countries
named here form a coalition based on their common religion, Islam. (Today Russia is 30% Moslem and growing.) Among them are Iran, several North African countries, Eastern European countries along the Danube, and the Turkic nations of Asia Minor. A quick look at a world map will reveal that these areas are home to some of the most radical Islamic groups. (For a detailed explanation of the modern nations to which these Biblical names refer, read “An In Depth Look At The Modern Equivalent To Biblical Names in Ezek.38?)

The Russians are already a major supplier of arms for the Moslem coalition, just as Ezekiel prophesied, and
will be drawn into joining in this battle by God Himself. Russia’s barely disguised policy of becoming the major
outside force in the Middle East is playing right into the Lord’s hands. Iran and Russia are well into the
implementation of a $50 billion deal to provide Iran with nuclear power. The 10 reactors called for in the deal
are supposedly for electrical power generation, but most western leaders suspect they’ll be used to build
bombs, too. Some experts had claimed that Iran would become a nuclear power this past year, but due to
the extensive damage caused by the mysterious Stuxnet computer virus experts now think a bomb is still a
couple of years away. Israel has again vowed to prevent that ever happening, but don’t be surprised if the
US continues to back away from its similar promise, even though at year end the language coming out of
Washington seems to be getting tougher again.

Russia has also formed commercial and military alliances with Turkey and Syria, and has become Turkey’s
2nd largest trading partner after Germany. They’ve sold Damascus a state of the art anti-air defense system
along with their latest generation missiles and anti-tank rockets and are building a major military seaport in
northern Syria, in preparation for moving components of their Black Sea fleet there. In Lebanon, Russian
Military Intelligence has just about taken over the town of Sidon, spying on Israel for Iran and Syria.

The major obstacle to an early fulfillment of this prophecy is the reference to its occurrence at a time when
Israel is “a peaceful and unsuspecting people” (Ezekiel 38:11). This certainly is not the case today, but
Psalm 83 and Isaiah 17 are yet-to-be-fulfilled prophecies that appear to involve all of Israel’s next door
neighbors in another attempt to wipe the Jewish nation off the map. The psalmist pleads with the Lord
to intervene and defeat Israel’s attackers. A victory by Israel would explain why none of them are named
in Ezekiel’s list of antagonists, although you’d expect them to near the top of the list. It would also explain
how Israel could be living in a perceived state of safety as Ezekiel 38:11 requires. Three of Israel’s neighbors,
Syria, Hamas and Hizbollah, are still making frantic preparations for war and insisting there will be one soon.
Not surprisingly, these preparations are being bought and paid for by Iran. Through out 2010 other experts
on both sides publicly announced their fears that war was imminent, but at year’s end it hasn’t happened yet.

But two other pre-requisites for Ezekiel’s battle are clearly being met. In past studies I’ve shown that Turkey
will be on the Moslem side in Ezekiel’s battle, but for years Turkey has enjoyed a strong relationship with
Israel. That all changed in 2010. The Turkish sponsored attempt to break the Gaza blockade last spring
strained Israel’s relationship with Turkey to the breaking point. Public support in Turkey for membership
in the EU is also declining, another sign that attitudes toward the West are changing. Turkey’s Prime
minister Erdogan believes Turkey’s destiny is to rebuild the Ottoman Empire into the new Middle Eastern
powerhouse. He’s getting cozy with Iran and Syria to accomplish this. From all outward appearances
Turkey has landed solidly in the camp of the Moslem coalition.

Till now Israel really hasn’t had any wealth to speak of, but recent oil and gas discoveries, said to be
worth billions of dollars, could create the wealth necessary to make Israel an attractive target for attack.
This could fulfill the prophecy of Ezekiel 38:13 that Russia will be looking for plunder. There could be
enough natural gas to supply Israel’s needs for 100 years and turn them from a net importer to a net
exporter. Russia is already looking for ways to get involved in bringing this gas to market, and according
to Ezekiel they’ll go to war in what will turn out to be a failed attempt to do so.

I believe that the removal of the US as Israel’s powerful ally is also necessary to pave the way for
Ezekiel’s battle, because I don’t think the Moslem coalition will attack until they’re sure the US won’t
retaliate. Any one of several scenarios currently being played out could accomplish this, especially
since our national policy toward Israel is already changing. A deepening recession could turn the
nation inward again and cause us to lose interest in defending Israel. Further decline of the dollar
on world markets could even render us financially unable to do so. The funds would have to be
borrowed, and our ability to repay current debt is already being questioned. The threat or actual
occurrence of a major terrorist attack could cause us to stand down. And finally, the Rapture of the
Church could deprive the US of both the leadership and manpower to respond. Any one of these
would mean serious trouble for the US and all of them have a better than average probability of
coming to pass in the year ahead. In summary, it’s a whole lot easier to see the US abandoning
its commitment to Israel than it was just a short time ago.

When the time is right, having recently taken His church to Heaven, the Lord will use this battle to
orchestrate His reconciliation with Israel, and on its heels the anti Christ will emerge with a peace
plan that includes a Jewish Temple. So once this battle takes place, end times prophecy will really
go on fast forward.

4. The Ancient Roman Empire Will Re-Emerge
As A Political Force… Rev 17:9-10

“This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits.
They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he
does come, he must remain for a little while.”

This one is a little obscure if you don’t know your history. When John was writing this, about 95AD,
there had been five great world powers; Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Greece. All were
conquered and absorbed. The current power was Rome, which was never really conquered and
will re-emerge at the end of the age, according to Daniel 9:26.

Daniel 2:36-45 describes Gentile Dominion from Daniel’s time forward (Egypt and Assyria had
already fallen) in the form of a giant statue representing the four remaining Kingdoms. Babylon
was the head of gold. Persia was the chest and arms of silver. Greece was the belly and thighs
of bronze, followed by the two appearances of Rome, two legs of iron (Biblical Rome) and two
feet of iron mixed with clay (the revived Roman Empire). Read it carefully and you’ll find some
interesting things in the description of the two feet upon which the statue stands. In the first place
iron and clay don’t mix. We can imagine sticky clay serving as glue sticking pieces of iron together,
but the language describes a clay that’s made of dust and already baked … hard and brittle like
shards of pottery. You can’t make random pieces of iron and pottery adhere.

The two iron legs of the statue describe the two divisions of the Roman Empire of Biblical times,
Western and Eastern. Today the territory of the Western division is occupied by Europe, while the
Eastern territory holds the Islamic countries of the Middle East. They’re the two feet of iron mixed
with clay, and both have their problems.

As of this writing the Western division is said to be on the ropes due to economic problems. Some
predict these problems will prompt a major re-configuration of the Western leg in 2011 as the weak
economies are cast adrift to avoid bringing down the strong ones. Experts also wonder if the
combined defeats spoken of in Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38-39 will render the Eastern leg incapable
of being part of the World Empire of the End Times. But Daniel had both the statue’s feet in view
in chapter 2 so both divisions of the Roman Empire have to be present at the End of the Age.
The coming year may bring some eye-popping changes to our understanding of what this End Times
Empire will look like.

5. The World Will Embrace A Single Religion… Rev 13:8
All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast–all whose names have not been written in the book
of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.

Make no mistake about it. Islam is the major religious force in the world today and the goal is nothing
less than world domination, by any means necessary. It’s the world’s fastest growing religion and is
second only to Christianity in number of adherents. Already nearly one out of every four inhabitants
of the world is Moslem, and like most Christians and Jews they don’t really know what they believe
or why. I’m no prophet, but as I look into the future, it’s much easier for me to see Islam riding its
current wave of momentum to fill the void left by the departure of the Church than it is to imagine
some watered down mix of apostate Christianity and New Age Mysticism doing so.

Much has been written recently about al Mahdi, a figure out of Moslem prophecies who bears a striking
resemblance to Christian prophecies of the anti-Christ. For example, both show a leader coming on the
scene during a time of great turmoil on Earth. Both depict him as man of peace who will have a seven
year reign, head up a one world religion and one world government, and claim supernatural origins. Both
prophecies culminate in a battle between good and evil that brings about Earth’s final judgment. It’s as
if they’re pointing to the same person. The difference is that in Islam he’s a good guy, while the Bible calls him evil.

Take this charismatic political and religious leader with his supernatural power, add the widely held but
incorrect belief that God and Allah are the same, and that Islam is a religion of peace, and then subtract
the spirit of discernment that will disappear with the Church and you can see how he could be the straw
that a world on the brink of disaster grasps for survival.

6. The World Will Accept A Single Government… Rev 13:3
The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.

The last US presidential election showed how quickly a fearful and disillusioned people will get behind
someone who promises to change things. When you look at the shape of the world it doesn’t take much
to imagine circumstances getting to a point where the whole world will agree to follow a leader who will
promise to bring order out of chaos. Whether it’s Global Warming (now called Climate Change), the
decline of the US dollar, or war in the Middle East, the one solution everyone is talking about is some
form of one world government. With the things that already threaten world stability getting worse by the
day, how much more frantic will people be after millions of their neighbors suddenly disappear without
warning or explanation, and there’s been a nuclear exchange that brings destruction from Europe through
the Middle East and into Russia? All it will take is a leader who can persuade people he can fix things
to bring this prophecy to fulfillment. By many accounts, this leader is standing in the wings awaiting his cue.

7. Babylon Will Re-Emerge As A Prominent City
In World Affairs… Rev 18:2-3

2And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

3For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

4And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

5For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

6Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.

7How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

8Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

9And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

10Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

11And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:

12The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,

13And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

14And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.

15The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,

16And saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!

17For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

18And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!

19And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

20Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

21And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

22And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;

23And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

24And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

"The End of America -(The Book) The Role of Islam in the End Times and Biblical Warnings to Flee America"

This book interprets Biblical prophecies describing a rich, powerful and influential end times nation, destroyed in one day/hour/moment. Twenty-one scriptural clues unlock the "mystery" of the identity of the nation. Muslim prophecies and speeches are linked to Bible warnings of destruction. Verses are analyzed advising American Christians and Jews to flee the nation. When and where to flee and world events to watch for are detailed.

Of course, America IS that end times nation.
(if you purchase the book, this site does not benefit from the purchase.)

 

Birth Pains … Matt. 24:6-8
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen,
but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be
famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

When you include places like Korea where a truce is in place but the war isn’t over, there are currently
70 active wars in the world, with 200 other “hot spots” smoldering.

Earthquakes are continuing to run well above normal with major quakes (7.0-7.9 on the richter scale)
achieving 140% of their 15 year USGS average during 2010.

But many experts say the big story in the birth pangs area for 2011 could be famine. According to the
World Bank, in the last 6 months world wheat and corn prices have risen 57%, rice and sugar are up
45% and 55% respectively and soybeans are at their highest price in 16 months. This is mostly due to
shortages caused by crop failures in various places. When prices go up due to shortages the limited
supplies go to markets that can pay. Those who can’t are left out. When only luxuries are involved
nobody cares, but when it’s basic things like flour and rice, people begin dying. Already 1 out of every
6 people in the world go to bed hungry every night. Experts have said it would only take one or two
years of poor crop production to bring a serious famine to the world. Many are concluding that 2010
was a bad year and 2011 won’t be any different.

Climatologists say weather is becoming a more unpredictable factor with average temperatures on
a steady decline that could last 30 months or more. This has already begun to effect crop production
in northern climates with shorter growing seasons. Further compounding the problem, energy prices
are once more on the rise with oil expected to top $100 per barrel again before spring (It’s at $91 now).
Energy cost is a factor in everything we buy, including food. All things considered 2011 could well become
known as the year the famines began.
The Lord said these birth pangs would be the early warning signs
of the approaching End of the Age, so I have included some examples to confirm my belief that we’re
very close to our last days on Earth. The consensus from the professionals seems to be that things
aren’t going to get better any time soon and could likely get much worse by the end of 2011.
That may be true for the world, but we’re told to walk by faith not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7) because
our citizenship is in Heaven and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ
(Phil. 3:20). When we see these things begin to take place we’re to stand up and lift up our
heads because our redemption is drawing near (Luke 21:28).

These promises have never been more true than they will be in 2011.


“Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines;
even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in
the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord!
I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!” (Habakkuk 3:17-18).


How To Be Saved


Bible Charts
Bible Maps

 

 

  THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE!


Home

Information on this site is provided for your enlightenment and contains many views. We do not necessarily agree with all articles.

©"Signs In The Sun, Moon & Stars"
All Rights Reserved

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.