Jesus Is Coming Soon: Are You Ready?

“It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it” (Zechariah 12:3). “So, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door”(Matthew 24:33). People have always been interested in what the future holds. Astrologers, soothsayers, palm readers, psychics and other self-proclaimed prophets have always claimed the ability to see the future. These folks don’t even come close when it comes to predicting future events. Sadly, many people spend hundreds of thousands of dollars every year seeking out and listening to these deluded and satanically inspired future-tellers. However, the Bible bats one thousand when it comes to predicting future events. It doesn’t tell us everything. But it does tell us enough to confirm the truthfulness of Scripture and to remind us that God is sovereign over history and will wrap everything up according to His will and in His time.

Current events in our world have caused many people to ask questions about the future as never before. For this reason, biblical prophecy is being discussed more than ever before. In fact, I would suggest that many of the biblical prophecies concerning end-times events are coming true before our very eyes. In other words, the stage is being set for the final act of world history. Furthermore, unlike the self-proclaimed prophets of today, the biblical prophets did not issue vague and general predictions that could be adjusted to any situation. Biblical prophecy is detailed and carefully interwoven throughout Scripture. Interpretation over minor points may vary, but the overall picture is amazingly clear.

Speaking of the end-times, the prophet Zechariah, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, looked far into the future and said, “It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples.” Think about the significance of this prophecy in light of current events. Jerusalem and the tiny nation of Israel seem to be at the forefront of the news everyday. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to pick up a newspaper or watch the evening news, and not read or hear something about Israel. It’s everywhere. The Israeli-Palestinian problem, terrorist attacks, rockets being launched into Israeli cities, peace talks, land for peace, looming war with Hezbollah and Hamas, Iran pursuing nuclear weapons and threatening to “wipe Israel off the map,” and all the major leaders of the world seem to be involved in some way. The United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations, which have come to be known as The Quartet, have been feverishly working with Israel and the Palestinians to bring about a “final solution” for peace between the two. Furthermore, now the Arabs have presented their own plan for peace which they claim will bring about a permanent peace between Israel and her neighbors only if Israel will comply with certain requirements.

Why all the fuss over a nation no bigger than the State of New Jersey? Why is Israel so important? It’s simple. Israel is the key! As one scholar said, “Israel: History proclaims its past. Headlines proclaim its present. Prophecy proclaims its future.” The whole world seems to be interested in Jerusalem, Israel and the Middle East. The radical Islamic world wants to destroy her. The Quartet, if they were honest, would just prefer she go away. After all, wouldn’t that solve the problem? The whole world is focused on that tiny city and that tiny nation right in the center of the Middle East…right in the center of the world, really. And what does God say? “It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it.” And Jesus said, “When you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.” Although it is impossible and foolish to try and interpret prophecy to fit every headline, it is not impossible to see that things are happening in our world, the Middle East, and Israel in particular, that are setting the stage for what the Bible describes as the final act of history. And this leads me to believe that Jesus is coming soon for His Church. Are you ready to meet the Lord in the air? If not, your time is running out.