Seven End Time Events to Watch For

Thank you, Amanda. Appreciate the special music today. Really a very nice piece, so thank you. And good morning, everyone. Happy Sabbath to all. Nice to be with you here in the AM Church. Usually we go to the PM, but good to see how the other half lives. So welcome to Sabbath Services. Had a good week in the office and a lot of preparations now, of course, for the Feast of Tabernacles coming up, and everybody's getting excited about that.

But the work doesn't end. Just when you think that you've found a way to finish preaching the Gospel, there's something else to do. So we're a busy department, and as you know, it's something that continues all the time.

My wife knows that I like to stay informed on weather reports for our area. And of course, we have the Weather Channel on TV. She thinks I watch that too much, but it's pretty exciting, really. I find. But it's good to know if rain is in the forecast. In fact, even just looking outside, she says you don't have to watch the Weather Channel. Just look outside. And you can see when a thunderstorm is looming. We see black clouds rolling across the horizon. We see the wind pick up. We hear thunder in the distance. And our first thought might be, boy, I hope we don't lose five trees like we did last time.

We're still cutting those up. So we're cutting some more tomorrow, actually. Or I hope our power stays on. The truth is we're quite good at predicting the weather and knowing when a storm is coming. Our professional weather forecasters can even tell us if we can expect a storm or rain a week from now. Jesus commented about this in Matthew 16.

If you have your Bibles there, will you go ahead and turn over to Matthew 16 and note the first three verses. Matthew 16, verse 1. Pharisees and Sadducees came and testing him asked if it would show them a sign from heaven. And he answered and said to them, well, when it's evening, you say it'll be fair weather, for the sky is red. But I don't think that's really what they were talking about. In Matthew 16, verse 3, he says, and in the morning it'll be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.

He says, you know how to discern the face of the sky. You can predict the weather for the day, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. What does it mean to discern the signs of the times? Go over to Luke 21 with me. Jesus gave a detailed prophecy of what things would look like when the end of this age is very near. And when the kingdom of God is about to take over mankind and Satan's rule of this planet. And it's a very interesting treat up through verse 28. There's a few scary verses in there as well. But then note what he says in Luke 21, verse 29.

That he spoke to them a parable. He said, look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. Springtime, the buds are out, the flowers are out, and you know summer's drawing near. Verse 31, so you also, when you see these things happening, so everything he mentioned in the first part of the chapter. When you see all those things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Like I said, you may want to read those verse 28 verses sometime.

They're the kind of events to watch for when God's kingdom is drawing near. But then notice verse 36. Watch therefore and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man. Now watching doesn't make us worthy, but being counted worthy depends on our relationship with God and our obedience to Him. Forgiveness offered by our Savior Jesus Christ makes us counted worthy to stand before Him without guilt.

So this is why we pray always. So Jesus told us to discern the signs of the times. He said you can predict the weather. How about discerning the signs of the times? And He told us to watch, therefore.

What does it mean to watch? How do we discern the signs of the times? So in the sermon today we're going to see seven end-time events to watch for. These are signs that will show us the spiritual weather forecast for our day. If we're watching carefully, we'll see when the spiritual fig tree is blooming. We can expect the kingdom of God to be very near.

So I've titled the sermon, Seven End-Time Events to Watch For. Seven End-Time Events to Watch For. And our first sign to watch for is this. The continual decline of modern-day Jacob. The continual decline of modern-day Jacob. Biblical prophecy portrays the decline of the United States, Great Britain, and the English-speaking nations. And this decline could be caused by a combination of war, a financial collapse, our social breakdown, and as a result of national and individual sin. Now as we've taught for many, many years, when you look at history, when you put that together with passages in the Bible, we see that Great Britain, United States, the English-speaking nations of today, as you put all the pieces of the puzzle together, you see that they are the descendants of ancient Israel, the twelve tribes, the sons of Jacob.

Now in addition, the modern state of Israel, which is just one of the tribes, Judah, is in an especially perilous plight. Right now it is surrounded by a soon-to-be nuclear-armed Iran from the east. It is threatened by Syrian chemical warfare to the north, and the Muslim Brotherhood takeover of Egypt to the south. The prophet Hosea writes in his book some really interesting words. So if you go back to the Old Testament and look at Hosea chapter 4 in the first three verses, Hosea chapter 4. Now, he writes about ancient Israel, but his message has an end-time context. He lists many of the sins of Israel.

It's like I said, it's not just Judah, but all twelve tribes. Sins that were evident in his own day, as well as we'll see in the end time, and then delivers God's warning of judgment if things don't change. So Hosea 4 verse 1, Much of this sounds like our society today. Swearing, lying, killing, stealing, adultery, bloodshed. It's not too hard to see the parallel, is it? You'll notice that in verse 17 that Ephraim is mentioned. And Israel is listed in verse 1.

Ephraim represented the northern kingdom of Israel, the northern ten tribes. This prophecy is for our people, the descendants of Jacob, the twelve tribes of Israel. But Hosea's message was primarily to Israel of the end time. Interestingly, the nations of modern Israel, the English-speaking people today, supposedly worship God.

But this Lord, this God, is not really the true God of the Bible in most of religion today. Because he's usually worshiped with many of the trappings of Baalism and syncretism. The situation Hosea writes about parallels that of religion today. With all manner of people serving as supposed people of God throughout the world, yet who really don't serve him, indeed don't even know him, and rejecting his laws. To put it more directly, what the world at large understands to be Christianity is actually a blended religion, a mix of some of the same customs of the ancient pagans with concepts and language of the New Testament. Millions of people think they accept Christ as their Savior, while they in fact embrace a religion that Jesus will reject. So this is going to bring a charge or a judgment against our land, against our people. So watch for the continual decline of these nations. Watch for the continued moral and cultural decline of the United States and Great Britain. Watch for the United States to become a secular, post-Christian nation in values and beliefs. Watch for the breakup of the United Kingdom, as Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland become semi-independent nations with different agendas from England. Watch for increased cultural tensions in the United States, as we become so divided and hardened in opposite views that virtually nothing will be able to get broad support.

Watch for the United States to lose influence in the world, as power becomes more based on economy and currency rather than simply on military strength. And even where I'm from, watch for Australia to lose its stability and fall into even deeper problems. BBC Focus Magazine recently analysed the world's nations according to the classic Seven Deadly Sins.

Lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride. And what nation was listed as the most sinful in the entire world? Australia. The United States and Canada followed at numbers 2 and 3. So you see why God's going to bring a charge against our land? Even just secular surveys point out, the United States, Britain, and Australia, the descendants of ancient Israel, basically, are the most sinful in the world. A charge is going to come against our land. All you have to do is do a simple search online for Australia's most sinful nation, and you'll see that report come up all over the place. And so our first point is the continual decline of modern day Jacob, or Israel. Number two, the rise of new world powers. Watch for the rise of new world powers. The new world order of globalization has resulted in the creation of new powers in the place of domineering superpowers. Even smaller nations hold hostage the greater powers of our day. Much smaller terrorist organizations wreak havoc and fear upon their giant enemies. And all this is leading toward new alliances forming between nations.

These relationships are based on regional trade and are formed for financial benefits and mutual protection. They're also based on consolidating military might. So, with the decline of the United States and Great Britain, in the modern day descendants of Jacob, that we noted in the first point, who will fill the power vacuum? Well, the Bible spoke of an end time new world order thousands of years ago. Let's turn to Daniel 11. We'll start in verse 40. Daniel 11 verse 40.

Daniel 11 is the longest continuous prophecy in the Bible, and it gives an amazingly accurate history of the greatest nations of the world. When you get up to verse 40, we see at the time of the end... Okay, so this hasn't happened yet.

But this long prophecy predicts, at the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind with chariots, horsemen, with many ships. The kings of the country overwhelm him and pass through. Of course, when you're talking about kings of the north and kings of the south, you're talking about a relationship to Jerusalem. So a vast superpower to the north and another one to the south of Jerusalem. And you're seeing modern implements of war here. Verse 41, he shall also enter the glorious land. So that's the Jerusalem area today. And many countries shall be overthrown. Verse 42, he shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

At the time of the end, Europe will be a powerful king or superpower to the north of Jerusalem. The king of the south is most likely a group of Islamic, Arab, and Persian nations that we predict will band together to protect their oil interests their Islamic culture, plus enlarge their goals to bring Islam to the whole world. That's what they want to do. You can read a detailed analysis of this, of course, in our booklet, The Middle East in Bible Prophecy, which goes through all of this we're talking about here.

A war between the king of the north and the king of the south, between Europe and the Arab world at the end time. What may cause this war between these two regional powers? Let me read a report to you from Ureactive.com. The article is titled, Geopolitics of EU Energy Supply. It was updated in May 2012.

The Commission Green Paper on Security of Energy Supply gives a sobering picture of the EU's energy situation. If no action is taken, it predicted, the EU's energy dependency will climb from 50% in the year 2000 to 70% in the year 2030. 45% of EU oil imports originate from the Middle East. By 2030, 90% of EU oil consumption will have to be covered by imports.

That's at Ureactive.com. So watch for increased tension between the Muslim world and Christianity. And this increased tension will result in war. Watch for regional trading blocs in North America, Europe and Asia to become powerful political partners leading to trade wars between the different regions of the world. I have a question for you. Do you think the Roman Catholic Church will simply sit by and allow Islam to dominate traditionally Catholic Europe?

Nineteen percent of the French population is foreign-born already. Another question for you. Will the concept of democracy survive in the nations that become controlled by Muslim citizens? The Council on Foreign Relations released a study last October asking if democracy can survive in areas of Europe where Sharia law is being pushed.

The study was titled, Islam Governing Under Sharia. And you can find that at CFR.org, the Council for Foreign Relations. Here's a quote from the introduction of the article at CFR.org. Sharia, or Islamic law, influences the legal code in most Muslim countries. A movement to allow Sharia to govern personal status law, a set of regulations that pertain to marriage, divorce, inheritance and custody, is even expanding into the West. Sharia's influence on both personal status law and criminal law is highly controversial. Some interpretations are used to justify cruel punishments, such as amputation and stoning, as well as unequal treatment of women in inheritance, stress and independence. The debate is growing as to whether Sharia can coexist with secularism and democracy.

So there's a clash coming, especially in Europe. Let me quote from a very recent article from La Tribune, which is a French paper, of August 9th, just last week. It shows just how unstable the Middle East has become, and how eventually a clash between North and South, between Islam and Christianity, is inevitable. And it's very reminiscent of what we read in Daniel 11. This is my Google translation from English to French. The article's in French, but I did my Google translation of it, of the French report, and here's how it came out. It says, This is by Pascal Lacoury, writing from Jerusalem.

So, watch for war to break out in the Middle East, with Israel and Jerusalem at its center. Watch for the United States to lose influence in the world, as power becomes more based in Europe. And watch for the formation of the King of the North in Europe, and the King of the South in the Islamic and Arab world, leading to a conflict of ideology between the West and Islam, between North and South, as prophesied in the book of Daniel. And so, our second point is the rise of new world powers. This leads us to our third point. Watch for the rise of ten European nations into an international superpower. The rise of ten European nations into an international superpower. An analysis of history, along with specific prophecies of the Bible, shows that just prior to the return of Jesus Christ, there will be another end-time event to watch for. It's the formation of a ten-nation superpower north of Jerusalem. Of course, we alluded to it in the previous point. We find that these nations are the last resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire. And you can study the various resurrections of the Roman Empire throughout history, and compare that to what's said in the books of Daniel and Revelation, and count them up and realize there's one more to go.

Collectively, in the book of Revelation, these nations are called the beast. After the decline of democracy in Europe, a strong Germanic influence will control this regional power. The rise of the beast power in Europe is the first world war, the fifth trumpet in the book of Revelation. Let's just turn over there for a moment to Revelation 17. Of course, we're doing a weekly Bible study, or a bi-weekly Bible study, right now in the book of Revelation. There's so much to go through, and so I'd recommend you even read our booklet, the book of Revelation Unveiled, because it goes through all these woes and trumpets and signs and seals, and puts them all into order for you and into perspective. But here in Revelation 17 verse 12, looking at the fifth trumpet, of course we know that Christ returns on the seventh trumpet. This is the fifth trumpet. Revelation 17, 12, the ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour, which means for a short time, as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. These ten nations give their sovereignty over to a charismatic, autocratic dictator. Who is this beast? The beast is a short-lived, as we're told, just for one hour, end-time empire, a resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire, but it's influenced by Satan. It's represented by these ten horns in Revelation 17, but it's also represented by ten toes in Daniel chapter 2. Once again, our book of Revelation, Unveiled Booklet, goes through all that and compares them for you. The ten toes mentioned in Revelation 2 are the same as these ten kings in Revelation chapter 17. The beast will cause the human dictator of this empire to be worshipped worldwide. It's hard to imagine. Satan will transform his political and military might into a great religious crusade.

And this is the same beast that's also mentioned in Revelation chapter 13. If you go back a few pages to Revelation 13, notice verses 3 through 9. Revelation 13.3. It's talking of the beast, and it says, And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. So this is talking about a revival of the earlier beast of the same Roman Empire. So it gets healed, and so there's another one to come. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. Verse 4. So they worshipped the dragon, you know who the dragon is, who gave authority to the beast, and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him? So they marvel at his power. Verse 5. He was given a mouth, speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for 42 months. That's three and a half years. So we see once this superpower comes to full strength, it's given authority just for one hour. We find out that one hour is three and a half years, a relatively short time, less than the length of one presidential cycle here. Then he opened his mouth, verse 6, in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, his tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. In verse 7, it was granted to him to make war with the saints, the true people of God, and to overcome them, and authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. So this is a superpower that influences the entire planet. The earth aid all who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the book of life, of the land. That's why he persecutes the true saints. Selene from the foundation of the world. If anyone has an ear, verse 9, let him hear. So what we read here is that we better be listening to this warning. We'd better be watching and be on God's side, not the devils. So watch for the continued unification of the European Union in Western Europe into emerging of ten powerful nations with the world's largest economy that eventually dominates the USA and the rest of the world.

Watch for the decline of a democratic influence in the European Union and a drift into autocratic leadership dominated probably by Germany.

This may be a reaction to Islamic immigration or a financial or social collapse. We'll have to see.

But watch for the people of the world to look for a man to save them from a crisis. Whatever that crisis may be, watch for them to give up their freedom to this leader, that Revelation calls the beast, in order to be saved from societal collapse. We know it's happened before, and Europe can happen again. People giving their allegiance to a power and a man.

What is the current economic situation in Europe? You may say, this is not really possible for Europe to be this powerful. Here's a note on the European Union from Wikipedia under the title European Union. The EU has established a single market across the territory of all of its members. The monetary union, the Eurozone, using a single currency comprises currently 17 member states. So we'd watch for that to be pared down to 10 main ones that band together, not the current 17. In 2010, the EU generated an estimated 26% share of the global gross domestic product, making it the largest economy in the world. It is the largest exporter, the largest importer of goods and services, and the biggest trading partner to several large countries such as China, India, and the United States. So it's already the largest economic bloc on the Earth. For several decades following World War II, Germany appeared content to let France largely assume the reins of leadership, particularly with regard to European Union affairs. But in recent years, this partnership has become more equal, and the pendulum now even swings more towards Germany's favour. Germany is the one bailing everybody out in Europe right now. They have the strongest economy. They're the ones holding it all together. Philip Stevens, a leading columnist for the Financial Times, wrote, on December 9, 2011, in his article now the Franco-German question, Germany will have to learn leadership and France followship. The rules of the European game change forever with the reunification of Germany. It has taken the Euro crisis to spell out the brutal implications.

And as was stated in the New York Times on December 11, 2011, the Germans had a strategic insight or advantage to let the crisis get to this threshold within the European Union, necessary for France to be willing to hand over the kind of sovereignty the country has always resisted.

That's when the Fumura crisis fits Germany and the US in a tactical fight. It could even be said that Germany decided to, in the words of other political leaders, not let a serious crisis go to waste. That's what they said about Germany. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said, as quoted in the Associated Press on December 9, this is the breakthrough to the stability union. We are using the crisis as an opportunity for renewal. That's what Angela Merkel said. Here's a quote from WorldNet Daily from August 11, by Michael Malouf. His piece is titled, France pushing neighbors for common defense force. Remember, the king of the north, the beast power, will have a very strong military presence on the earth. France, once again, is pushing the notion of a common European defense force. French Defense Minister Jan Yves-Ladrian said that a coordinated effort for a common European defense also would assist in defending cuts and pulling military capacities of the European countries. The call for a common European defense comes as Europeans see the United States shifting its emphasis more toward the Asia-Pacific region. Until now, the US has been the lead country in maintaining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Europe is now questioning whether it even needs to exist, because Europe now is getting its own game together. So watch for the abdication of Britain and other nations from the European Union as it moves away from democratic principles. As Europe moves away from democratic principles, and this will eventually leave only ten nations to form the final union, as prophesied. Watch for the continual decline of Russia even as it finds itself outside of both Western Europe and Asia. The autocratic culture of Czar's Soviet premiers and presidents have depleted its greatness. And watch for the build-up of European military might, centered once again in Germany. We'll pave the way for the beast to insist on his policies and his dictates. So our third point is the rise of ten European nations into an international superpower. So what else is on the horizon? Number four, the prominence of a powerful church over the European superpower.

The prominence of a powerful church over the European superpower.

As the new European political power develops and as its military develops, an influential religious leader will arise to provide leadership and unity to this power.

Turn to Revelation 17, again here. The book of Revelation refers to this church as the Great Whore. See, it's not a true church. It's not God's church. And the leader as the false prophet is not a true prophet. Revelation 17, verse 4. The woman. Of course, in Revelation and in the Bible, the woman usually refers to a church. But in this case, it's a false church. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. So it's a wealthy church. Having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead, a name was written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots, and of the abominations of the earth. So this is not God's church, obviously. Verse 6, I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints.

So this woman is attacked, the true people of God, with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. Verse 7, but the angel said to me, Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. Once again, a reference to the ten horns or the ten toes of this final empire.

The National Catholic Weekly reported on November 7, 2011, The Vatican recently renewed its call for creation of a world political authority with broad powers to regulate financial markets and rein in the inequalities, they say, and distortions of capitalist development.

The 41-page document is titled, Toward Reforming the International Financial and Monetary Systems in the Context of Global Public Authority. Till I'm titled. It was prepared by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and it says, A supranational authority, that was a global authority, is needed to place the common good at the center of international economic activity. So you wonder why there'd be a strong religious influence over this end-time power?

The National Catholic Weekly says, We need that. Got to have it. The Vatican's call to establish a global public authority in Central World Bank with supranational authority really is reminiscent of the Bible's prophecies of just such a system being established.

Revelation talks about it being a vast economic superpower. And just as we read in Revelation 17, it talks about a woman or a church riding the beast. The two work together.

So what do we watch for here? Watch for the Pope to die with the next few years and be replaced by probably another non-Italian Pope, who's even more autocratic and exclusive in his theology. Watch for a resurgence of Catholic dogma and an increased number of what they would call visions and miracles intended to strengthen Catholicism around the world. Look for increased Marianism or false worship of Mary.

Watch for the political leaders of the European Union to look to Catholicism as a cultural bond in the new union. The Church of Rome has a unique way of bending to political opportunities. It happened even in World War II with Hitler.

Watch for increased tension between Catholicism and Islam, too, in Europe, as the Catholic Church aggressively responds to Islamic influence in Western Europe. Watch for that to happen. So our fourth point is the prominence of a powerful Church over the European superpower. Number five, not just in Europe, watch for the creation of a powerful Asian superpower.

A powerful Asian superpower. The Bible reveals the creation of a great Asian regional power whose massive armies will actually attack Europe in the end time.

An attack on the European armies by an Asian colossus is the sixth trumpet plague in Revelation. A little bit ago we talked about the fifth trumpet plague. Remember the seventh is when Christ returns. But look at the sixth, just shortly before Christ returns. It's in Revelation 9.

The Euphrates River was the easternmost boundary of the Roman Empire at the time of the writing of Revelation. The Euphrates River. Except for a brief period later during the reign of the emperors Trajan and Hadrian, where Mesopotamia and Assyria became provinces of Rome, the Euphrates was generally considered the dividing line between the Roman provinces and territories controlled by kings to the east. In Revelation 9, verse 13, we read, And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar, which is before God, saying to the sixth angel, So it's the sixth trumpet in the sixth angel. Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates. So there's a spiritual delineation made at the river Euphrates, stopping the beast power and the armies to the east from getting together. But eventually, God says, release those angels that are bound at the great river Euphrates. So the four angels who have been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, right for this very moment, were released to kill a third of mankind. This is a huge world war between Western Europe and Asia.

Verse 16, the number of the army of the horsemen was 200 million. So I heard the number of them. So this event, the second war with the sixth trumpet plague, seems to be a massive counterattack against the European-led forces of the fifth trumpet plague.

And it's not clear whether this river will play a similar role at the time of the end, but this could be implied in the wording of Revelation 16.12. If you want to go to Revelation 16, where Kings of the East are again specifically mentioned and associated with the Euphrates River. You see, Revelation chapters 12 through 14 provide a digression here, an inset to the story flow. So you're back in Revelation 9, and then it picks up again in Revelation 15 and 16. There's a digression for several chapters. Then the story continues in chapter 16. Revelation 16.12, and the sixth angel, once again, see it's talking about the sixth angel again, put out his bowl in the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. So this 200 million man army is from the east. So watch for China to become a dominant financial and military power in Asia, as its 1.3 billion people coalesce and its growing economy modernizes. On the other hand, watch for Japan to have a declining secondary influence in Asia and the rest of the world. Japan's debt percentage to gross domestic product is really, really bad, and it's a major hurdle to their future survival that they may not overcome financially. Here's just a taste of what China has been up to militarily in the past couple of decades. China has up to 3,000 nuclear weapons hidden in tunnels. This is a recent revelation. Up until just this year, they thought it was maybe 80 or a few hundred.

The US now put it at 3,000 nuclear weapons. Georgetown University students spent three years translating secret military documents and blogs. The focus of the research centered on 3,000 miles of underground tunnels dug by the Second Artillery Corps in China. The investigation was launched after the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan Province revealed the existence of collapsed tunnels. You could see them from space. And 3,000 miles, they figure, has been dug underneath China to hide all their military capability. The study claims China could have as many as 3,000 nuclear warheads, far more than the current estimates of between 80 and 400. This is an article from the Daily Mail, at dailymail.co.uk, that the article's titled, Chinese nuclear arsenal, seven times bigger previously thought students discover year study secret documents. That's the long URL for it. But you can look it up if you want to at the dailymail.co.uk. So watch for an unstable peace between many Asian nations that will eventually lead to warfare. The problems between India and Pakistan will continue as well. Watch for political instability to increase as millions of people in India enter the middle class, seeking greater freedom and wealth.

So our fifth point is the creation of a powerful Asian superpower, referred to in the Bible as the power from the East, the kings from the East, with a 200-million-man army. Number six. The Church of God completes the Great Commission. Watch for the Church of God to complete the Great Commission. We're going to go back to Matthew 24 and verse 13. The complete gospel message of the Kingdom of God must be preached to all nations of the world. This is the commission given to God's Church. And we in the United Church of God take this commission very seriously. Matthew 24 verse 13, But he who endures to the end shall be saved. Notice it does say you have to endure.

Our first five points pretty much point that out. It's not going to be easy. Verse 14, And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

But we are warned a time will come when the gospel message will be thwarted.

It will no longer be publicly available or allowed. And what this reminds me of is Amos chapter 8. If you go back to the Old Testament again to Amos chapter 8 verse 9.

Once again, we'll see that this is not just a letter or a prophecy for ancient Israel, but it has end time implications. Amos 8 verse 9, It shall come to pass in that day. When the Bible talks about in that day, it's talking about the end time.

It says the Lord God that I will make the sun go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in broad daylight.

But that hasn't happened yet. This is something yet future. Verse 11, Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord God, that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, food, or thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of God. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east, they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but shall not find it.

Verse 11, God says, He will send a famine of hearing His words. That this is an end time prophecy can also be seen in the heavenly signs of verse 9. Verse 9 is very reminiscent of the heavenly signs in the book of Revelation of the fifth seal.

Remember Revelation 13, verses 6 and 7 that we read earlier? Let me read them to you. Revelation 13, 6 again. Then He, talking about the beast, opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, his tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. Remember verse 7, it was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority was given to him over every tribe, tongue, and over every nation.

That was in Revelation 13 that we read earlier. What this is saying is that the saints will be persecuted, that in the end time, during a period of great heavenly signs, that there will be a famine of hearing the word of God. And God's church will be so severely persecuted, that it will no longer be able to effectively preach the gospel.

So what does God do? To complete the commission that the church was given?

Then God's two witnesses begin their preaching, at this same time of the Great Tribulation, that befalls the descendants of Jacob, or Israel, the English-speaking people of today. So it seems that the famine of the word will occur just prior to the Great Tribulation, when destruction is imminent.

With the coming famine of God's word in mind, we should have the same urgent mindset that Jesus Christ had in His human ministry. He told His disciples this. I'll read it to you from John 9, verse 4. In John 9, verse 4, Christ told His disciples, I must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day. The night is coming when no one can work.

So a famine of the word, a time coming when no one can work, making war on the saints by the beast, power, and Satan, leads us to Revelation 10, verse 11, and then right into chapter 11.

If you look at Revelation 10, verse 11, He said to me, you must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.

So, verse 11, Revelation 10 tells us, the prophecies here will be explained and proclaimed to the nations at the time of the end.

God plans to ensure that the final proclamation of His prophecies and the gospel itself grabs the attention of all people. All nations. So we go into Revelation 11, verse 1, He says, Then I was given a read like a measuring rod, and the angels stood, saying, Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar and those who worship there. So it's a time of measuring the true church. But leave out the court which is outside the temple. Those who are not part of the church do not measure it, for it is being given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. Once again, it's the three and a half year period we've been reading about when the beast power will exhort its influence and power. It's talking about a time when Jerusalem will be occupied by God's enemies.

Verse 3, And I will give power to my two witnesses. And they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days closed in sackcloth. One thousand two hundred and sixty days is three and a half years. There are lots of prophecies about what happens in this last three and a half years. The beast power has its influence. The two witnesses are preaching. The saints of God are persecuted and are no longer able to be effective in preaching the gospel. Opposing the beast and false prophet will be God's two witnesses.

Jerusalem will find itself in the vortex of a great spiritual battle as prophesy events reach their climax. So not only will armies from east and west, north and south, be fighting against each other, it will be a spiritual battle. There will be a lot going on in heaven that we will not be aware of. As God and Satan are coming to the point of battle before Christ's return. When Satan will backseat battle Christ at his return.

The two witnesses will be preaching the gospel of the kingdom after the church of God is no longer able to do so. Watch here for the church of God to preach the gospel until it is literally shut down.

Watch for the church to expand its technology to preach the gospel in many languages to reach literally billions of people. We are seeing the technology that allows us to do that already. Just simple things like on YouTube. Beyond Today's program and our BT Dailys and our sermons, now you can click on what is currently a beta version of a translation into almost any language of what's being said. The words come up on the screen in subtitles. And it's pretty accurate. It's good.

So watch for the technology to allow us to reach so many more people, even if we don't speak their language, some remote language. But watch too for the church of God to be increasingly targeted.

By the governments and by the public for its unique beliefs. Some of these unique beliefs would include the observation of the Sabbath, the annual Holy Days, the rejection of Christmas and Easter and the atheistic evolution hypothesis, the upholding of God's dietary laws, the biblical belief that God is a family, which rejects, of course, the false notion of the Trinity. And watch for God to use two uniquely called individuals to receive international media attention and to powerfully preach the gospel in a warning message to the entire world. And these two witnesses will not need to tell you they're the two witnesses. Okay? It'll be pretty obvious.

And watch for God to use the technologies that mankind has discovered to instantly reach billions of people of all languages with the gospel message. And so our sixth point is the Church of God, which the two witnesses would be apart, that'd be God's witnesses, watch for the Church of God to complete the Great Commission. And then number seven, the Bride of Christ prepares for his return. Watch for the Bride of Christ to be prepared for Christ's return. We're going to go to Revelation chapter 19 now. Revelation 19, which is after the seventh trumpet in Christ's return. The end-time Church of God prepares itself spiritually and mentally to serve with the living Christ upon his return to earth.

This preparation time to become ready is necessary to prepare the saints to help rule in the Kingdom of God. To help pass along God's truth and laws to others. And these are people filled with God's Spirit, who believe the purpose of their lives is to serve others and develop the fruit of God's Holy Spirit within themselves. Revelation 9, verse 7, Let us be glad and rejoice and give him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife, which is the Church, has made herself ready. Verse 8, Revelation 19, And to her it was granted to be read in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, verse 9, Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. He said to me, These are the true sayings of God.

So watch for God's Church, those who have God's Spirit, to become more zealous and committed disciples. Watch for them to focus on spiritual growth, developing the fruits of the Holy Spirit, becoming more like God and Jesus Christ. A final passage to turn to Galatians 5, verse 24 and 25. Galatians 5, 24, Those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Verse 25, If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit, so the people of God must walk filled with the Holy Spirit.

And so our seventh point is the Bride of Christ being prepared for His return.

So it would be point eight if we had one.

Seventh sounded like a good number. What would point eight be if we had a point eight?

I figured it would be this.

Then the kingdom of God arrives. It's the end of this present evil age, and the world enters a new age, a new beginning where peace and true religion prevail.

A time when all of humanity will then be offered salvation and eternal life. While those people who never knew the truth, those people who never even had a Bible, throughout history, as we read, will be resurrected and given a chance to know.

This world will become a wonderful place.

In Jesus Christ as our King, and with Jesus Christ as our world leader, Christ would descend upon the Mount of Olives, and take over what man has made a mess of. So those first four or five things to watch for will be nasty, and not headed in the right direction. They're prophesied to happen before Christ returns. And then this world will be a different place. And that's the gospel message that we preach, the good news of the soon-coming kingdom of God. So back to our introduction. Do you like to stay informed on weather reports for our area?

It's good to know if rain or sunshine is in the forecast. We know sunshine is in the forecast.

We're quite good at forecasting tomorrow's weather. But how good are you at discerning the signs of the time? Jesus told us to watch, therefore. If we're watching carefully, staying close to God, we'll see when the spiritual fig tree is blooming. And we can expect the kingdom of God to be very near.