Now disasters are occurring frequently around the world. The signs of the
second coming of Jesus have appeared. Clearly, the prophecies the Lord
Jesus said 2,000 years ago have been fulfilled, like “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, see, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood” (Revelation 6:12), and “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:7–8). Facing frequent disasters, how can we welcome the Lord’s return and avoid missing the chance to reunite with the Lord? The following content will tell you the answer.
1. The Appearance of the plagues, War, Famine, and Earthquakes
2. Spiritual Famine
3. The Restoration of Israel
4. Visions Appeared in the Stars
5. The Gospel Spreads to the Ends of the Earth
6. The Appearance of False Christs and Antichrists
To be honest, sometimes I can't tell if John is just seeing the paraphernalia associated with his visions, of if he is actually predicting events in literal fashion. When John saw an "earthquake," for example, is this just symbolism indicating judgment is coming, or is he literally predicting an earthquake? I don't know.
I do know that at times John is predicting a literal earthquake. For example, in ch. 11 he said that a city suffers a tremendous earthquake and so many people died. This sounds very literal.
But when if I had a vision, and saw veils open up in heaven, with angels blowing trumpets, I might conclude that this is paraphernalia associated with the vision itself, and not predictions of events to literally happen. Heaven opening is not something that I would be predicting is coming in the future. Angels won't literally be blowing trumpets--they are just announcing judgments *to me,* so that I can tell others the grave importance of events to come. Veils opening up only show that what was previously unknown to me is now being revealed to me.
If you have insight into this kind of question, I'd love to hear how you deal with it? Or if someone else knows, I'd be interested in hearing from them, as well!
The initial signs of war and rumors of war Jesus gave in conjunction with his prophecy of the imminent judgment of Jerusalem, including the end of temple worship. Roman military activity Jesus said was solid evidence that the Romans would soon turn against Jerusalem itself.
In the book of Revelation Jesus seems to reveal that this warfare will continue on, unabated, just as he said it would continue for the Jewish People until their blindness is healed. And so, there is a difference between the "birth pains" of Israel's judgment in 70 AD and the "birth pains" of the actual coming of the Kingdom. But both signs spell trouble for the present age, when sin still runs rampant among the nations.
The Restoration of Israel is a promise God made to Abraham in about 2000 BC. And it is a promise that has never been abrogated. In fact, the Prophets regularly confirmed it. So yes, Israel's national restoration in 1948 was a clear sign of the soon appearing of Christ's Kingdom. Judgment, however, will continue to be on Israel as long as they remain spiritually blind.
I don't know if visions in the stars are meant to be symbolic or literal. Sounds literal enough! But in my view, the physical evidence depicts a symbolic, spiritual reality, that God's People, heavenly witnesses, are going to seem to fall. Christian Civilization is presently collapsing, with religious leaders falling in droves. The "stars are falling!"
Both the Gospel Spreading and Antichrists Proliferating are signs that began in the Early Church. And these things will be present until Christ returns. Thanks.
