Are We Discerning the Signs of the Time?

I'd like to begin the sermon this morning by reading from the personal from our president that just came out on Thursday. And the title of this personal this time is, What Have You Learned? Let me read just a few paragraphs at the beginning. As 2021 finally ended, I heard many commentators and people talking about the past nearly two years. Several looked forward to a new time, hoping 2022 would bring closure to the seemingly never-ending pandemic and represent an open door to new opportunities. Let's be honest. In the past year, many of us have faced draining trials of health, financial, and other challenges. Some have lost family or friends. People we have trusted may have disappointed us or let us down. Many have told me that they're exhausted, perhaps even feeling a little on the hopeless side, looking for encouraging signs in 2022 that it will be better.

As I listen to this spectrum of thought, I wonder, what have we learned from our experiences?

Why do I ask this? Because what we have learned will be the basis of how well we manage what 2022 will bring us. He goes on to talk about how we in the Church of God are given a message of hope because we know that God's kingdom is going to be brought to this earth and is going to be set up and that in the meantime we need to have spiritual and emotional resilience. We need to be resilient to the times in which we are living and to have endurance of character that recharges us and helps us to be resilient and give us hope. You can read the entire article on the UCG website. Yes, it's 2022, as we know. The new calendar year has begun. Here we are. What a year 2021 was. Continuing COVID-19 pandemic with its variants, economic uncertainty, inflation, higher gasoline and food prices, increasing crime, southern border crisis continuing, Russia threatening to invade Ukraine, China threatening to take over Taiwan, Iran wanting to become a nuclear power, and the U.S. being perceived as weak on the world scene as has not been the case in the past.

Well, now it's 2022. What lies ahead? Will it be a better year or worse? What surprises could 2022 bring? You know, there's a way we can know what to expect in the years just ahead. But you know, this world is failing to discern the times that we live in. Let's notice a couple of verses on that. In Matthew 16 and verse 1, back in the days of time of Jesus Christ, the people of that day and time did not really discern the times in which they were living. Jesus talked about here the Pharisees and the Sadducees came to him, asking him for a sign from heaven.

They wanted the sign. Jesus said to them, when it is evening, you say it will be fair weather for the sky is red. Matthew 16, now in verse 3, in the morning it will be foul weather for the sky is red and threatening hypocrites. You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.

They were unable to discern that the Messiah was in their midst. They were unable to discern the times in which they were living. We know it's the same in our time today. People don't realize most people on the earth do not realize the times in which we are living. Let's go to 2 Peter chapter 3. 2 Peter chapter 3 and verse 1. People in our time, like the people in Jesus' time, are failing to discern the signs of the times.

Let's read about it here. 2 Peter chapter 3 and verse 1. Beloved, Peter wrote, I now write to you the second epistle, in both which I stir up your pure minds by way a reminder. You know, brethren, we must never be afraid to bring out things as a reminder. We all need reminders because we tend to forget. Verse 2, that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets and of the commandments of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, knowing this, that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts and saying—and this basically is the way most people in the world would feel about Jesus Christ returning and God's kingdom being set up.

Verse 4, where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. Everything's just going right on just like it always has. People don't realize how close we are to the end of this age and devastating events that are going to happen. But what about us in the Church of God?

Are we discerning the signs of the times? And that's the title of the message I'd like for us to consider here. Are we discerning the signs of the times? And how can we be sure that we are doing that? We know there is a way the Scriptures, the Holy Scriptures, reveal because God is in control. They reveal what is going to happen at the end of this age, just before the setting up of God's kingdom on the earth. In Acts 17, we read these verses in Acts 17 that God is in control more than we know.

He is guiding and directing in world events, even people that sit in offices of authority, presidents, kings, and rulers, the great God controls overall. In Acts 17 and verse 24, God who made the world and everything in it since he is the Lord of heaven and earth does not dwell in temples made with hands. Here's Paul speaking to the people in Athens. The philosopher is there. Verse 25, nor is he worshipped with men's hands as though he needed anything since he gives to all life, breath, and all things.

Verse 26, and he has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on the face of the earth and has determined, God then has determined, their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation. So God is the one that is in ultimate control. Who granted the United States and Britain such power beginning in the 1600s? It is God Almighty to fulfill basic prophecies about that he gave and promises he made to Abraham.

Isaiah 46 brings out that God has declared the end from the beginning. He's already looked ahead and given us what is going to happen at the time of the end, skipping all the way to the very end we know that God is going to reveal his truth to all of mankind. We know that it's his purpose that everyone come to the knowledge of the truth and that everyone will be saved, that all will come to repentance, and it's his plan to have mercy on all.

But what about 2022 and the years just ahead? Are we discerning what is just ahead? I want to bring up just a few things anyway today that will help us to have a quick look at what is going to happen in the years just ahead. Some of the signs of the times that we can be watching for. Let's go back to Matthew 24. We know that this is a very basic fundamental chapter as far as end-time prophecy. This is a good beginning point as to what to expect in the years just ahead of us right now because it talks about the time of the end. It talks about the age just before Jesus would return. Matthew 24 and verse 3, as he sat on the Mount of Olives, by the way, this was just a day or two, a couple of days before the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. This prophecy, Matthew 24 and 25, are in a sense the last public words, though he mainly said this to his disciples here, but before his crucifixion on Passover Day, this will be the final message you might say that he gave the prophecies of Matthew 24 and 25. So as he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately saying, tell us, when will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age? So Jesus proceeded to answer their question. In the very first thing, verse 4, he said, take heed that no one deceive you, religious deception. He said, many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ and deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you be not troubled. All these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. Nation will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.

And so Jesus said there would be warfare. There would be religious deception. There would be warfare. There would be famine, food shortage, and there would be pestilences. We have understood pestilences to be things like the pandemic. Disease epidemics could certainly fit into that category. You know, these things are beginning to happen. Johnny Cash, a number, of course, he's deceased now, but had a song, Matthew 24 is knocking on the door. And, brethren, I think, as we look at world events and things that are happening today, Matthew 24 indeed is knocking on the door. We have this pandemic. It doesn't want to go away. Let's keep your finger right here in Matthew 24, but turn over to Revelation chapter 6. I hope that you are very familiar with these things that we are bringing out today, but this is in the way of reminder so that we know some of the important things we can be watching out for and expect in the days just ahead. In Revelation chapter 6, we have the very well-known, famous four horsemen of the apocalypse. First one is a white horse. We know that represents religious deception. And then the next one in verse 4 is the red horse. We know that one represents warfare. Warfare, now, bloodshed by warfare. And then in verse 5, the black horse, and this one represents famine, food shortage. And then in verse 7, we have the introduction of the fourth one, verse 8. The fourth one, let's read, that is a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him, Death and then the grave for this fourth horse, the pale horse. Power was given to them over a fourth part of the earth, 25%, to kill with the sword, with famine, or with hunger, rather, with death and by the beasts of the earth. So here we have the well-known famous Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, this last one, one-fourth of mankind. You know, we've not come to that kind of destruction in this present pandemic. And by the way, as you think about this pandemic, which fits right into maybe kind of a precursor in some ways to what lies ahead, just a very tiny precursor of what lies ahead, has this present virus, the COVID-19, was it generated in a lab? We have this expression, gain of function, that I've never heard of before, where they in laboratories are trying to enhance viruses and study what they're capable of doing. I believe we have a couple of laboratories right within the United States that does basically the same thing, but this one in Wuhan, China, some feel that this virus was generated with a gain of function experiment there in that laboratory, and that it somehow then was able to get out into the public. And we know that many, many people have died and suffered as a result of it. But it makes you wonder, could the pale horse, actually the one-fourth of mankind, be from a human-generated virus, maybe one yet to be developed even?

It certainly is very possible. I'd not thought about this one-fourth of mankind being killed by this pale horse until this present virus that could this be fulfilled by what humans do, but it's just not a naturally occurring virus or epidemic or pestilence.

Certainly it's possible with this gain of function thing that mankind is dangerously experimenting with. Let's go back to Matthew 24 now. We want to read on down a few other things here to be looking for in the days ahead. Jesus talked about in verse 9 that they will deliver you up to tribulation. Many will be offended. Verse 10, false prophets will arise and deceive many. Verse 11, and lawlessness will abound, and the love of many will grow cold. We see those things happening, and we see even in the church. We believe that the love of many has actually diminished even in the church, and Jesus is talking about us in the church in these verses. And he encourages us in verse 13 to endure to the end. Yet we want to discern the times we are living in. We want to respond to these times. Let them motivate us to draw closer to God than ever before. This gospel goes to all the world in verse 14. Jesus said in verse 15, you will see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place. We'll come back to that in just a moment. In the church of God, the people of God are described here as fleeing from all to the mountains. And where do those who are expecting, who are pregnant and nursing, in verse 19? There's some kind of flight that takes place for the people of God. Verse 20, pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. There's a lot to be yet revealed and understood about that.

Verse 21, there will be great tribulations, such as has not been since the beginning of the world to this time, wherever it will be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved. Before the elect's sake, those days will be shortened. And then in verse 29, immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. Heavenly signs then. Verse 30, the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they'll see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. We read on through this very quickly here in Matthew 24.

We're very familiar with it. These things are described in a lot more detail in the book of Revelation, and of course we have a whole booklet on the book of Revelation that we could refer us to. One of the big things that we can be looking for now and discerning on the world scene is the final revival of the Roman Empire in Europe. I know today there's a lot of concern about China. China is an enemy, no doubt about that. They would like to see the United States brought down. They would like to replace the United States as the world superpower. They are flexing their economic and military muscles more and more. They very likely could eventually take over Taiwan. I think that's something an area to watch. No doubt Russia. Russia is not nearly as strong or powerful economically, but Russia would like to reclaim some of that former glory of the Soviet Union. They'd like to get the Ukraine back to be another area to be watching just how that might develop. So these are areas that we watch, but rather suddenly on the world scene. Could this further develop in 2022 even? Because doubts of the United States and its reliability for security, many European nations must be wondering whether they can rely upon us in the past. So the European scene is an area to watch. I think we're very familiar with Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 and the Four Empires. The last empire is to come right on down to the Second Coming of Christ until that stone that is cut out without hands, Daniel 2, smashes this image at the feet, the final resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire, as it is called, will take place. What about this abomination of desolation? This is a part of that last revival of the Roman Empire in Europe that is going to take place and something that we should be discerning and watching in the years ahead. Much more important really to world prophecy than China or Russia is something not seen yet because it hasn't developed. It's going to develop rather quickly and rather suddenly. The ten nations are going to rise up in Europe and there's going to be this abomination of desolation spoken up by Daniel the prophet standing in the Holy Place. They're going to invade the Middle East and stand in Jerusalem. It goes on that Jesus went on to say, whoever reads, let him understand. Let us discern then. Much more important than China and Russia to world events in the years just ahead will be these ten nations to rise in Europe. Well, let's read in Daniel the prophet about the abomination of desolation in Daniel chapter 12.

Daniel chapter 12, and we'll begin reading in verse 9. Daniel 12 and verse 9. Daniel was told, and this is near the end of his life, go your way, Daniel. The words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Brethren, these words have been opened up. We understand Daniel, too. We understand Daniel 7. We understand Daniel 11. We understand the prophecies of Revelation that help reveal a lot about Daniel. So Daniel, though, these words were sealed up to him. He did not understand what he wrote down. Verse 10, many will be purified and made white and refined. And that is going on in the Church of God. Many are being purified and made white. Hope that's you and me being purified, being made white, refined. The wicked will do wickedly, though, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. From the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, here is something that we believe is going to happen. It's probably several, quite a number of years away, perhaps, but in the years ahead, there's going to be some type of daily sacrifice set up. And then, from the time that this daily sacrifice is taken away and the abomination of desolation is set up, here's the abomination of desolation that Jesus spoke about in Matthew 24. So from the time the sacrifice is taken away and the abomination of desolation set up, there's going to be 1,290 days.

And verse 12 says, blessed is he who waits and comes to the 1,335 days.

We have some speculation about these 1,290 and 1,235 days, but we don't claim that we perfectly understand at this current time. But this is something to be aware of and discern. It's something to look for to happen yet in the future. And verse 13 ends the book of Daniel, but you, Daniel, go your way till the end. You shall rest and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days. Daniel will come up in that first resurrection. So the abomination of desolation is going to be set up in Jerusalem. This abomination of desolation will stand in the holy place. See, the European nations are not nearly ready yet. That's why we believe that this, you know, we are yet maybe a number of years away from the fulfillment of these end-time events. We have to recognize that. Yet it can happen rather quickly, and we should be on the lookout. As the United States is perceived as weaker and weaker, then nations in Europe are going to want to defend themselves. They see Russia to their east, an aggressive Russia at that, and so they're very much aware that there's a need for them to be strong and able to defend themselves. But we know what it will lead to in due time will be the rise of these ten nations, the final resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire. And we read about it in Revelation. Revelation 13, the two beasts that are there, one is a political beast and the other is a religious beast. And the religious beast imposes the mark of the beast, and everybody has to do business, you might say, with this European system, or they don't do business at all.

So, Revelation 13, we will not get into that right now, but let's do turn over to Revelation 17. This is very important, and it will develop at some point in the future rather quickly, rather suddenly. Revelation 17. In fact, the world is going to marvel because it's going to happen so quickly. It talks about the rise of this woman that sits upon the beast. The woman represents the religious part of this system. Verse 6, I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs. When I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. So here the beast is described in verse 7, 7 heads and 10 horns. And finally, in verse 12, the 10 horns which you saw are 10 kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These have one mind. This is that final resurrection of the Roman Empire in Europe, something to watch that is going to develop. And they will give their power and authority to the beast. It goes on the say in verse 14, these will make war with the lamb. Oh, yes, this is that stone then that smashes this image in Daniel 2. They'll make war with the lamb. The lamb shall overcome them because he is Lord of the Lord and King of Kings. So, 10 nations to arise in Europe. They will set up the abomination of desolation in Jerusalem.

And a great false prophet and religious leader who will claim himself as God. You can read that in 2 Thessalonians 2. Will impose the mark of the beast. And these 10 nations then eventually will come right down to fighting Jesus Christ at his return. Both will be destroyed then. Let's read about that in Revelation 19. Revelation 19. Both will be destroyed by Jesus Christ at his return. Revelation 19 in verse 19. I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against him who set on the horse against Christ against his army.

And the beast was captured and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence. This false prophet that imposed that mark of the beast by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.

And so then Jesus Christ will proceed to set up the kingdom of God on the earth.

So, you know, watching events, discerning events about to happen in Europe is very important. Discerning events happening in the United States. We have a very weak leadership right now, perceived as weak, even with cognitive deficiency in the White House. So, the nations of the world are wondering about the United States. Well, in many prophecies in the Old Testament, there are prophecies about a time of Jacob's trouble. Let's read about that in Jeremiah 30. This is another important thing to be watching. You know, at the same time as we see our political disarray at the very top, we're also seeing unprecedented problems, aren't we, as far as floods, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes? When might there be such weather problems that we have major crop failures and there cannot be even food on the grocery store shelves?

You know, right now you'll see some vacant areas, but what about the time those vacancies become very great? It's hard to find many of the basic foods you would like. The birthright promises have been so great that we can withstand hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires, all the different natural catastrophes happening, but when might these things be so great that we're not able to continue to carry on? We are, our nation has been so productive, but you know, there's a limit. What I'm saying is there's a limit on how much a nation as great and productive as we are is able to stand all that is happening. We keep punched here and punched there. How long can that continue? In Jeremiah chapter 30, Jeremiah chapter 30 talks in verse 3 about a coming captivity and being delivered from it. Verse 7 says, "'Alas, for that day is great, so that none is like it. It is the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.'" And so, the time of trouble, and this is talking about our time today because it goes right on to say that God will break our bonds and set us free in verse 8. And verse 9, "'They shall serve the Lord their God and David their king.'" So, it's talking about our time, a time of trouble that Jacob is that is going to come upon Jacob, upon America and Britain and the other Israelite tribes. Many, many prophecies show Israel being gathered from captivity. In the years just ahead, then, the world is going to turn more and more against the United States and Britain, a time of captivity, a time of punishment. But, you know, God will then go ahead and punish the Gentile nations, too. We don't have time to read all those verses, but you can read in Jeremiah 25. If you'd like to later read this, Jeremiah 25 verses 30 to 33, that God has a controversy with the Gentile nations, too. You think it's just the United States that God has a controversy? No. What about Russia? What about China? What about Iran? North Korea? God has a controversy with them, and He will correct and punish them in the day of the Lord. He will, after Christ has returned, and they will be corrected, and they will have to change their ways and repent just as Israel. Brother-in-time is running a little bit short. I want to say, what should we be doing, then, so that we do discern the signs of the times? I want to read just a few verses. You can put down, if you would like, Proverbs 22 and verse 3. Proverbs 22 and verse 3 says that, "...a wise, prudent man looks ahead and foresees the evil. Can we then be prudent and look ahead to where these events we see happening?" Even the pandemic, kind of a precursor, perhaps, of the pale horse of Revelation 6. Can we look ahead and see that all these events happening on the world scene, they're leading. I know one of the big things is what is yet to happen in Europe. That is a very big thing to be looking for and discerning, but also what is happening already in our own country. And we're not yet staggering, like a boxer in a boxing match. Eventually, you give somebody enough blows, they begin to get a little bit dizzy and stagger. I don't know that we're staggering yet, but that time lies just ahead for us. How close are we to that time? Be discerning. You know, in the midst of all of our problems, what shall we do? Well, many, many verses encourage us to look to God and stay close to God. Look at Zephaniah in the Minor Prophets, the little book of Zephaniah, chapter 2, and verse 1. Here's something we can do. Zephaniah 2 in verse 1, Gather yourselves together. Yes, gather together, O undesirable nation.

Before the decree is issued, before the day passes like chaff, before the Lord's fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the Lord's anger comes upon you, here's what we can do. Seek the Lord, O you meek of the earth, who have upheld his justice.

Seek righteousness. Seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord's anger. So we can watch and pray. Jesus put it that way. We can, and this just says it in a different way, we can watch and pray and draw close to God. We can sigh and cry for all the abominations, like Ezekiel wrote in Ezekiel 9. We can sigh and cry for all the abominations around us.

We can mourn. Jeremiah said that tears came streaming down. We can mourn the conditions of our nation and the world. But as troubles increase, you know, one thing we can do also, we can steady our minds. As Mr. Kubik brought out in his personal this week, what did we learn? We, one thing we can learn is to be resilient. We can learn endurance. We can learn to look to God. Let not your heart be troubled. Jesus said, let not your heart be troubled. So this message is not intended to cause us to be afraid, but to steady our mind and to discern the times in which we are living.

So let's discern the times. Let's be acutely aware of the signs of the times in which we are living. Be reading and understanding prophecies. I tell you the Beyond Today TV program and Beyond Today magazine articles, both, have just been getting stronger and stronger, warning and enlightening us as far as the times in which we are living. My wife and I are just amazed. We comment how each article is just stronger and stronger. So I hope that you're keeping up with the Church as it proclaims a message of warning about the times in which we are living. Let's pray more fervently, too, for God's kingdom that will bring ultimate peace to a weary world as we are striving to be alert and awake. Let's conclude by reading from 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. Very good scriptures here that help us be resilient and to endure the times in which we are living and discern them. In 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 1, But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. I guess I could say, in a way, there's no need for this sermon, but in a way, there is, as a reminder. We don't want to ever be caught by surprise. We want to discern the times in which we are living. But Paul said, you have no need. Verse 2, you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. It's going to come unexpectedly, suddenly, when they say peace and safety. In some ways, isn't that what is being said today? There is no border crisis. Just listen to, you know, well, there's total neglect at the, you know, presidential level of, there's no inflationary problem. There's no, you know, there's nothing, there's no crime wave. In a way, the top leadership in our country right now is saying peace and safety. Everything's fine. There's no real problems in any of these areas that people want to say there are problems. But when they say peace and safety, everything's going along so great. Watch out. Then sudden destruction comes upon them as labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this day should overtake you as a thief, because we can discern the signs of the times. You're all the sons of light and sons of the day. You're not of the night or the darkness. Let us not sleep as others, but let us watch and be sober. That's what we want to do. Those who sleep, sleep at night, those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith, that resilient faith that helps us to endure the times we're living in, and of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. Keep that hope strong. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. And verse 11 is something we can be doing. Let's remember verse 11. Therefore, comfort, and that word means encourage each other and edify one another. That means build up one another just as you are doing. So as we discern the signs of the times that we're living in, then let us encourage one another and build up one another as Paul encourages here. And as we go forward in 2022, we can go forward with the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet of salvation.