Prayer – Lord God, I’m looking up…as I wait for the day
and time that You have set for this End Time. I trust You…and rely on Your
wisdom and timing.
 |
| Jesus was taken up into a cloud... while His disciples were watching. Are you looking up? |
Meditate. Are you looking up?
The disciples had asked Jesus about End Times before His
death, resurrection, and ascension. Like the Pharisees, the disciples wanted a sign and
Jesus told them about the signs of the time—but not the date.
"Teacher,"
they asked, "when will all this happen? What sign will show us that these
things are about to take place?" He replied, "Don't let anyone
mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah,' and
saying, 'The time has come!' But don't believe them. And when you hear of wars
and insurrections, don't panic. Yes, these things must take place first, but
the end won't follow immediately." Then he added, "Nation will go to
war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great
earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands, and there
will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven.” Luke
21:7-11
Destruction is happening now…but it is not the destruction of
Luke 21.
Destruction. Disaster. Devastation. Look what is happening
in Israel now with the Gaza war situation. Can it get worse? Yes, that is
possible. Just as this scripture above suggest…when Jerusalem is surrounded—yes,
surrounded, by armies—destruction arrives. Today there are enemies surrounding
Israel—but not totally armed armies that will bring destruction. The end is near.
Compare this portion of scripture about those in Judea and Jerusalem
fleeing to another place.
The day is coming
when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about--the sacrilegious object
that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place. (Reader, pay attention!) Then
those in Judea must flee to the hills. A person out on the deck of a roof must
not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return
even to get a coat. How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing
mothers in those days. And pray that your flight will not be in winter or on
the Sabbath. For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world
began. And it will never be so great again. In fact, unless that time of
calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be
shortened for the sake of God's chosen ones. Matthew 24:15-22
These passages parallel the Revelation 12 scripture where a
woman gives birth to a male child and then flees, with God carrying her, as the
remnant of Israel, to the wilderness.
Watch, for the day
of the LORD is coming when your possessions will be plundered right in front of
you! I will gather all the nations to fight against Jerusalem. The city will be
taken, the houses looted, and the women raped. Half the population will be taken
into captivity, and the rest will be left among the ruins of the city. Then the
LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times
past. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of
Jerusalem. And the Mount of Olives will split apart, making a wide valley
running from east to west. Half the mountain will move toward the north and
half toward the south. You will flee through this valley, for it will reach
across to Azal. Yes, you will flee as you did from the earthquake in the days
of King Uzziah of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all his holy ones
with him. Zechariah 14:1-5
Read more of the end time prophesies in Zechariah, Matthew,
Luke, Isaiah, Micah, and Revelation. There are countless prophesies throughout
the Bible in Old and New Testament books. God has a plan for His chosen ones—to
protect and save a remnant of Abraham’s family…the Jews.
Mercifully, God offers salvation not just to the Jews—but to
the Gentiles as well. God has a plan—and things are falling into place right
before our eyes that we can plainly see with the wars and rumors of wars. The
days ahead will be scary times…with earthquakes and turmoil, but Jesus has told
us to be prepared. He also has told us don't panic; not to be scared or anxious. So, we need
to just look up…and recognize that God is in control. Almighty God has a
timetable that only He knows. We just have to be obedient and trust Him.
Verses of Salvation ~ "And there will be strange
signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in
turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. People will be
terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens
will be shaken. Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with
power and great glory. So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look
up, for your salvation is near!" Luke 21:25-28
© 2023 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All
rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale
House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
Books by Mickey M.
Hunacek
Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com
Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character
Coins in the Bible: New Testament Stories
No comments:
Post a Comment