November 25, 2012
Zechariah 14:2
Introduction
- The Middle East is on tenterhooks
- Hamas in the Gaza strip came to a truce with Israel which seems to be holding
- But they have not given up
- The Hamas charter says that Israel is an occupying force and has no right to existence, and Hamas is dedicated to Israel's destruction
- When the Hamas military leader was killed by an Israeli air strike this month, Hamas threatened Israel with you comment, you have opened the gates of hell
- Hamas has schools and hospitals in the Gaza, in the middle of civilian areas. Their military installations have also been located in the middle of civilian areas, and they use their civilians as a human shield
- The Jerusalem Post is saying that Iran is rapidly re-arming Hamas with missiles, via Sudan
- At the same time, attention has been diverted from Iran's nuclear program, and Iran too has stated its intention of wiping Israel off the map
- Israel has been forced to focus its attention on the immediate threat from Gaza, to protect its citizens, using the Iron Dome anti-missile system
- The Egyptian president helped broker the ceasefire, but he is being attacked verbally and by demonstrations by religious extremists in Egypt
- Hamas is using the ceasefire to rebuild and recover from the Israeli airstrikes
Reading
- Zech 14:1-9
What does the Bible say about all
this?
- It has been said that 1/3 of the Bible is prophetic, speaking about the future, and that most of this has yet to happen
- Jesus was described by Moses as a Prophet - Deut 18:15
- Jesus was a prophet in the sense of speaking God's words to the people, but he also gave a key prophecy in Matthew 24
The Olivet prophecy
- Matt 24:1-3
- Jesus and the disciples had left the magnificent temple and were on the Mount of Olives just east of Jerusalem
- They looked out over the Kidron Valley and the disciples asked Jesus to explain what he had just said
- This prophecy is the key to understanding what is to happen in the end times
- Verses 4-8 -
- Religious deception, sounding Christian, but being deceptive
- Wars
- Famines
- Earthquakes
These verses largely tie in with
the seals of Rev 6.
- v.2 - 1st seal - White horse, crown, bent on conquest - counterfeit religion
- v.3 - 2nd seal - Red horse - war
- v. 5 - 3rd seal - Black horse - famine
- v.7 - 4th seal - Pale horse - death and hell - severe earthquakes usually bring with them destruction and sickness
Matt 24:8 - these things are the
beginning of birth pains. They lead up to the time of the end. They
have been with us ever since Jesus spoke these words.
Jesus now continues - Matt 24:9,
Rev 6:9 - Religious persecution, apostacy, martyrdom, false prophets
- religious persecution has been with us for a long time, as have
martyrs
But a future martyrdom is
prophesied before Jesus returns
The love of many would grow cold,
society would become extremely selfish and all about me Matt 24:12
The gospel will be preached
throughout all the world, and then the end will come
Then Jesus describes the events
that will happen in Jerusalem
He speaks about the Abomination
that causes desolation
An occupying power will do
something to desecrate a future temple in Jerusalem
Daniel refers to it in Dan 11:31,
and this had an initial fulfillment when the Syrian king Antiochus
Epiphanes in 168 BC offered swines flesh on the altar of the temple
But there will be a latter day
fulfillment of this prophecy
The temple in Jerusalem will be
rebuilt, and then it will be desecrated again
Once this happens, a count down is
on to Jesus' return - Dan 12:11
How doers this relate today?
- The Middle East is volatile, and events there can easily suck in the United States, Europe, and Russia
- Zechariah tells us that Jerusalem will hbe occupied and downtrodden at the time Jesus returns
- Things are shaping up in Israel which could lead to these things being fulfilled
- It means that the time of the end could be coming upon us
Do we need to fear?
- Do we need to be afraid?
- No, but it is important that we be awake and watch and be aware of what is happening
- Matt 24:42 Watch and pray
- We have a job to do
- Matt 24:45-51
- God expects us to be at our post, doing the job he has given us
- That job is to witness to the entire world
- People who are not saved will go to hell, unless we reach them with the gospel
- We have limited time available
- Events are shaping up, we need to repent of sleeping and get on the job of preaching the gospel
Conclusion
- So, events are shaping up that could mean we are now very close to Jesus' return
- Jesus when He comes wants to find us doing our job, reaching the world with the good news of the gospel
- We have a job to do, let's be serious about doing it!
- Lives depend on it!
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