The Sure Word of Prophecy to this Generation

“So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention” (2 Peter 1:19). “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place” (Matthew 24:34). It has always amazed me what some people will believe. Some people will believe the predictions of Nostradamus, whose so called ‘prophecies’ are so vague, they can be made to fit nearly any circumstance. Not only that, one could assign any number of interpretations to his predictions. Such is not the case when it comes to the prophecies of the Bible. Unlike the prophecies of Nostradamus and other self-proclaimed prophets, the biblical prophets did not issue vague and general predictions that could be adjusted to any situation. Biblical prophecy is detailed. Furthermore, biblical prophecy is not open to a multitude of interpretations. As the Bible says, it is “sure, to which [we] do well to pay attention.” Take, for example, the predictions of the Hebrew prophet Ezekiel. His prophecies are amazing beyond compare. Written over 2500 years ago, they pinpoint a specific time, place and precise historic conditions of a future world disaster.

Ezekiel chapters 36 through 39 contain one of the most amazing series of prophecies in the entire Bible. These chapters are famous prophecies that foretell the scattering of the Jewish people and their return to the Holy Land after centuries of exile. They further tell of the rebirth of the Nation of Israel and her struggle for survival. Finally, they foretell the rise of a Russian – Arab alliance to annihilate Israel during earth’s last days. Let’s walk through this together: Ezekiel prophesied (1) The Jews would be driven from their land for a very long period of time – they were. (2) The Jews would survive as a distinct people – they have. (3) Their land would be confiscated by the surrounding nations – it was. (4) These nations would be descended from Esau and Ishmael – They are. (5) The people would have a perpetual hatred of the Jews – They have and still do! (6) The land of Israel would become an utter desolation and not respond to the agricultural efforts of the usurpers – it did and it didn’t. (7) Against all odds, the Jews would return and become a nation – They did. (8) The land would miraculously respond to them and flourish – It has. (9) The Arab nations would conduct an unending war against the Israelites – they have and continue to do so. (10) Israel would survive all assaults and prosper – You guessed it, they have and continue to do so! (11) A confederation of the Russians and Iranians will lead all the surrounding Moslem nations to attack Israel in an all out effort to annihilate her – Newsflash! This is exactly where we are today. Just turn on the news or pick up a newspaper. Russia is busy building a military alliance with Iran. Iran is busy building military alliances with other like-minded Moslem nations in the Middle East and North Africa. The most astounding part of this prophecy is when it would take place. Ezekiel carefully pinpoints the exact time – a specific generation: “After many days you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come into the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which have been a continual waste; but its people were brought out from the nations, and they are living securely, all of them” (Ezekiel 38:8).

This is absolutely astounding. Everything except this final invasion is already a matter of history. It has come to pass, exactly as the Bible predicted. And now the final pieces of the puzzle seem to be moving rapidly into place. Iran is moving quickly into the leadership role of the Islamic Fundamentalist bent on Israel’s destruction. And they are doing so with a full-blown nuclear weapons development program, which Russia seems quite willing to assist in. This should be no surprise as Russia has been arming the Moslem nations for years. No matter how the world seeks to solve the Arab-Israeli problem, there is no way to satisfy the deeply ingrained religious issues that are at the very heart of both Islam and Judaism over possession of Jerusalem – the cup that causes all the surrounding Moslem nations to become intoxicated (see Zechariah 12:2-3). However, Ezekiel predicts Israel will miraculously survive all attempts to drive her into the sea. Furthermore, Ezekiel predicts God Himself will step in when this final invasion takes place. It will be obvious to all – Israel and the world – that God intervened on behalf of His chosen people – the Jews. So nothing in Ezekiel’s prophecy is out of line with what we see happening in the Middle East today. The evening news is nothing more than a foretaste of the coming fulfillment of this awesome prophecy, a prophecy which was given for a precise generation – this generation. And Jesus said: “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place” (Matt. 24:34). I believe we are living on the very threshold of the Rapture of the Church, after which the Great Tribulation will follow, leading up to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to this earth. All of this proves the trustworthiness of Scripture. Are you ready? Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life” (John 5:24). In other words, all who believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin—all those who trust Him as Savior and Lord—pass out of judgment into eternal life, will be caught up in the Rapture of the Church, and avoid the judgment of the Great Tribulation. Are you ready to meet the Lord in the air? If not, your time is running out.