Prophecy Update 2007

Sunday Morning Bible Study

December 31, 2006

(Slide) Introduction

Some folks can get a little critical about how we at Calvary Chapel tend to talk a lot about Jesus coming back soon. I can understand some of the criticism. When you’ve been talking about Jesus coming back any day for thirty years, it can sound a little old. I know it can sound a little manipulative – that we get people to do things for God by threatening them with Jesus coming back soon.

But the truth is, Jesus Himself gave us the example of teaching that He might return at any moment.

(Mat 25:13 NKJV) "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

(Mark 13:35-36 NKJV) "Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming; in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning; {36} "lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.

(Luke 21:28 NKJV) "Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."

The second to the last verse of the Bible is:

(Rev 22:20 NKJV) He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Even if the actual Second Coming of Jesus doesn’t take place today or tomorrow, it’s not impossible that for some, they will be seeing God face to face very soon.

(Luke 12:16-21 NKJV) Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. {17} "And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' {18} "So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. {19} 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."' {20} "But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' {21} "So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

We need to be ready. Are you ready to meet God?

Jesus said we should pay attention to the signs of the times.

(Mat 24:33 NKJV) "So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near; at the doors!

Yet He also said that when He came, the world would be going on as normal.

(Mat 24:37-39 NKJV) "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. {38} "For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, {39} "and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

In our world today, we see this strange mixture, signs of Jesus’ coming, and life as usual.

Israel

(Slide)Don’t forget the miracle of Israel.

For most of us, we weren’t even alive on May 15, 1948, when the present nation of Israel was born. We read our Bible, listen to the news, and think that Israel has always been around. But we forget that for almost two thousand years, there was no nation of Israel.

And yet Biblical prophecy could not be fulfilled without a nation of Israel.

You shouldn’t need any more tidbits from me today other than the existence of Israel to remind you that you are living in the “Last Days”.

(Slide)The Temple

(Mat 24:15 NKJV) "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" …

This event requires a Temple. There must be a Temple rebuilt before the antichrist performs this ugly act of desecrating the Temple and declaring himself to be “god”.

(Slide)Temple acknowledged: June 14, 2006 – World Net Daily

Contradicting most of his colleagues, a former senior leader of the Waqf, the Islamic custodians of the Temple Mount, told WorldNetDaily in an exclusive interview he has come to believe the first and second Jewish Temples existed and stood at the current location of the Al Aqsa Mosque.

This may not seem like a big deal to you, but the standard Islamic line is that the Jewish Temple never ever existed. The fellow that said these things was risking his life to admit these things.

(slide)My point is simply to remind you that there will one day be a rebuilt Jewish Temple. There are organizations that have been training Jewish priests, making Temple sacrificial tools, priestly garments, etc.

(Slide)Aliya – The Return from Foreign Lands

(Ezek 37:21 NKJV) "Then say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land;

God said that one day His people would return to their land. Every year we read about more and more groups returning to Israel

(Slide)Ethiopian Jews: February 9, 2006 – Jerusalem Post

There is a group working to bring Jews from Ethiopia to Israel. Over the next three years they hope to bring 12,000 to 22,000 Jews into the country.

(Slide)Indian Jews: November 21, 2006 – ATT, Yahoo News

Claiming to be descendants of an ancient “lost” tribe, a first batch of some 50 Indian immigrants who converted to Judaism has started a new life in Israel amid tears and a warm welcome.

They claim to be descendants of the tribe of Manasseh.

(Slide)Blessing the World

(Isa 27:6 NKJV) Those who come He shall cause to take root in Jacob; Israel shall blossom and bud, And fill the face of the world with fruit.

(Slide)Elderberries: January 29, 2006 – Israel21c

World-renowned Israeli virologist Dr. Madeleine Mumcuoglu (mum-shu-glu) developed an elderberry based syrup called Sambucol, which has been clinically proven to help patients recover from the flu.

“Last week, Retroscreen Virology, a leading British medical research institute associated to Queen Mary College, University of London, announced that Sambucol was at least 99% effective against the avian flu virus, H5N1, and in cell cultures significantly neutralized the infectivity of the virus.”

(Slide)Wheat: December 14, 2006 – Israel21c

“Wheat could soon take a walk on the wild side. An ancient strain of wild wheat found growing in Israel has enabled a team of Israeli and American scientists to boost the protein, zinc and iron content in modern wheat, an accomplishment that could help supply more nutritious food to millions of people worldwide.”

I wonder if the fruit of the nation of Israel isn’t more than what grows on trees…

(Slide)Circumcision: July 11, 2006 – MSN, Reuters

Circumcising men routinely across Africa could prevent millions of deaths from AIDS, World Health Organization researchers and colleagues reported Monday.

They analyzed data from trials that showed men who had been circumcised had a significantly lower risk of infection with the AIDS virus, and calculated that if all men were circumcised over the next 10 years, some two million new infections and around 300,000 deaths could be avoided.

(Slide)Earthquakes: January 1, 2006 – Israel21c

An Israeli startup company, Terramoto, believes they have found a way to not only predict earthquakes, but also to help lessen their impact. …The company's goal now is to build a demonstrator and place it on the Syrian-African fault line at an investment of $1 million.

(Slide)Energy: October 3, 2006 – Israel21c

The U.S. Congress is setting up legislation to develop a partnership between the U.S. and Israel to develop alternate sources of energy to wean us off of foreign oil. Why join with Israel? Because they have a great track record of energy technology in such things as:

· Rechargeable batteries that provide three times as much electricity as older batteries.

· Techniques that increase the efficiency of using solar energy to generate hydrogen for energy cells.

· Newer more powerful direct-oxidant fuel cells.

(Slide) Society

(Mat 24:12 NKJV) "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

(Slide)Infanticide: March 27, 2006 – NewsMax.com

Infanticide used to be taboo in the Western world. But the government of the Netherlands is currently considering what many consider to be unthinkable – the creation of legal standards for pediatric euthanasia.

(Slide)Assisted Suicide: January 17, 2006 – FoxNews.com

The Supreme Court on Tuesday let stand Oregon's physician-assisted suicide law, opening the door to many more such laws across the nation for ending the lives of the terminally ill.

I understand that for those of you watching a loved one die, this is a difficult subject. But I also wonder what kind of a dark road we’re heading down when we allow doctors to kill people.

(Slide)False Christs

(Mat 24:23-24 NKJV) "Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it. {24} "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

I came across a website this year, http://www.creciendoengracia.com/, where a man is claiming to be Jesus Christ. Honestly. His name is Dr. Jose Luis de Jesus, His ministry is mainly in Spanish and claims to have millions of members in his church around the world, though only 500 in his church in Florida. He was profiled on CNN this year. He claims he will never die. He claims that he is greater than Jesus of Nazareth.

(slide w/video)

(Slide)Persecution

(Mat 24:9 NKJV) "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.

(Slide)Italy - January 27, 2006 – Associated Press

An Italian judge heard arguments Friday on whether a small-town parish priest should stand trial for asserting that Jesus Christ existed.

The priest's atheist accuser, Luigi Cascioli, says the Roman Catholic Church has been deceiving people for 2,000 years with a fable that Christ existed, and that the Rev. Enrico Righi violated two Italian laws by reasserting the claim.

(click)Venezuela - February 12, 2006 – CNN

The two American missionaries were among some 40 who left their remote outposts ahead of a Sunday deadline to leave the area set by the Venezuelan government. President Hugo Chavez has accused missionaries from the U.S.-based group New Tribes Mission of spying for the CIA and exploiting indigenous communities.

(click)Afghanistan - March 28, 2006 – LifeSiteNews.com

US-based Christian news source, Compass Direct, reports that more Christians have been arrested for their faith in Afghanistan in the wake of the release of Abdul Rahman. Compass, a news service that tracks persecution of Christians mostly in Islamic countries, says harassment of the Christian community has been stepped up.

Massachusetts – in an email I received from the pastor of a Calvary Chapel in Massachusetts, he was asking the churches for prayer because of a bill making it’s way through the Massachusetts state government essentially putting church finances under the power of the state government so that the state could essentially come in, audit the church books, veto any decisions made by the church, and close a church down.

(Slide)Russia – Gog/Magog

I believe one of the next significant prophecies to come into play in the near future is a prophecy dealing with a coming invasion of Israel. In this invasion, a large group of nations gather together to invade the nation of Israel. During the invasion, 5/6 of the invaders are wiped out by the supernatural intervention of God. Ezekiel tells us which nations will be a part of this invading force:

(Ezek 38:2-6 NKJV) "Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, {3} "and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. {4} "I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. {5} "Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; {6} "Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops; many people are with you.

(click) Gog, Magog, Rosh, Meshach, and Tubal are all names for modern … Russia

(click) Persia = Iran

Even though we’ve looked at Russia as a friendly ally for a couple of years now, it’s interesting to note a few things happening in the news…

(Slide)Russian Missiles: Jan. 31, 2006 – CNN

Russian President Vladimir Putin boasted Tuesday that his country has missiles capable of penetrating any missile defense system, Russian news reports said.

(Slide)Syrian Arms: Dec. 19, 2006 – Debka

Syrian president Bashar Asad arrived in Moscow Monday night, Dec. 18, with two items for his host, President Vladimir Putin: A shopping list for weapons and half a billion dollars put up by Iran - in cash if needed - to purchase Russian arms.

(Slide)Russia in Lebanon: October 6, 2006 – Jewish World Review

On Tuesday, Russian military engineers landed in Beirut. Their arrival signaled the first time that Russian forces have openly deployed in the Middle East. In the past Soviet forces in Syria and Egypt operated under the official cover of "military advisors." Today those "advisors" are "engineers." The Russian forces, which will officially number some 550 troops, are tasked with rebuilding a number of bridges that the IDF destroyed during the recent war. They will operate outside the command of the UNIFIL.

Iran

This is the scary nation of the moment. Listen to some of the things said recently by their president, Mr. Ahmadinejad …

(Slide)Israeli Removal: July 10, 2006 – Arutz Sheva

Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, clearing up any ambiguity in previous calls to “wipe Israel off the map,” uses an Arabic word for the removal of body hair to describe his plans for Israel.

“All the conditions for the removal of the Zionist regime are at hand,” Ahmadinejad told an Arab Conference of Iraqi Neighbors meeting on Saturday. For the first time, he employed the Arabic word ezaleh, which is used to describe the irreversible removal of body hairs.

…None of the foreign ministers present, including Jordan, Egypt or Turkey - commonly regarded as Israel’s friends in the Arab/Muslim world - objected to the call for annihilation. Instead, the following statement was issued: “The Arab foreign ministers participating in today's Tehran meeting expressed their strong condemnation of this continuing and increasing aggression against the Palestinian people."

(Slide)To the end: November 15, 2006 – Reuters

Iran's president said on Wednesday his country would press on with its nuclear program "until the end" and would not be stopped by the West, which fears the Islamic Republic is trying to build atomic bombs.

…"By the grace of God, we will hold a great nuclear celebration before the end of this year, all over Iran," he said, without elaborating. The Iranian year ends in March 2007.

(Slide)Nuclear Capable: February 8, 2006 – Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)

In what appears to be the first acknowledgement by any high-ranking Iranian official that Iran has attained nuclear fission production capability, Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary-General Ali Larijani, who is in charge of Iran's nuclear talks, said on Monday, February 6, 2006 that Iran had attained nuclear fission production capability.

(Slide)Cartoon

I liked the cartoon suggesting that the Iranian nuclear scientists tell the U.N. inspectors that they were just making steroids for Barry Bonds …

Israel is very concerned about Iran.

(Slide)Israeli Jets: January 15, 2006 – Jerusalem Post

IAF pilots have completed their mission training and fighter jets have been prepared for an Israeli attack on Iran, the British Sunday Times reported.

The article reported that "the elite 69 strategic F-15 I squadron" had been equipped with weapons that will be tested in combat for the first time, and that two missile submarines were on standby: one in the Persian Gulf and the second in Haifa Bay.

(Slide)Arrow Missiles: March 2, 2006 – Jerusalem Post

Israel's Arrow 2 anti-ballistic missile system is capable of intercepting and destroying any Iranian missiles, even were they to carry nuclear warheads, a high-ranking IDF officer told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.

(Slide)Israeli Spy Satellite: April 26, 2006 – Haaretz.com

The international ImageSat company launched the Eros B high-resolution reconnaissance satellite from Siberia Tuesday night, a move that will help Israel spy on Iranian nuclear facilities.

(Slide)But wait … there’s more!

We could spend time talking about other things in the headlines like …

· Pestilence – HIV, Bird Flu

· The rise of China – the kings of the East

· The European Superstate – a revived Roman Empire

Lesson

So what? How am I supposed to react to all this? Am I supposed to be scared and go hide under my bed?

(Slide)1. Serve the Lord

There are times when, for one reason or another, we slack off in our service for the Lord. Sometimes we get too involved in the things of the world. Other times we simply get tired. Sometimes we get discouraged because things in life don’t turn out the way we expected them to.

(Mat 24:45-51 NKJV) "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? {46} "Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. {47} "Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. {48} "But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' {49} "and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, {50} "the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, {51} "and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

No matter what the reason, Jesus could come back at any moment. We need to keep serving Him.

We want to be those that the Lord finds serving Him when He returns.

(Slide)2. Get along (with each other)

Apparently there was some trouble between two gals in the church at Philippi.

(Phil 4:1-5 NKJV) Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved. {2} I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. {3} And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life. {4} Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! {5} Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

The Lord is coming back. Let’s put aside our petty differences and serve Him together with gentleness.

(James 5:9 NKJV) Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!

(Slide)3. Live Pure

(2 Pet 3:9-15 NKJV) The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. {10} But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. {11} Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,

We get way too attached to the things of this world. And frankly, it is all going to burn one day. Why do we get so upset and frustrated about things that aren’t going to last? Why do we let our lives get so goofed up with worldly things when they’re not what really counts?

(Slide)4. Hurry it up

{12} looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? {13} Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. {14} Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; {15} and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation…

We can “hasten” the coming of the Lord? Peter sounds as if we can make it happen quicker. Would you like to have Jesus come back sooner or later?

I believe God is waiting for people to get saved. When the last one gets saved, we’ll be out of here.

Can people tell you want Jesus to come back soon?

Do you know Jesus? Are you ready for His return?