Prophesy is Playing Out in Front of Us

Believers we are so close to going home that we can sense the the end as if we could touch it. We are living in the days of 2 Timothy 3. We are so used to this progression of hatred in the world that we began to think it was normal until the Lord opened our eyes to what was happening. It helps to know prophesy, gaining discernment about the prophetic calendar and what it all looks like. Perhaps the prophets will want to ask us what it was really like. We have seen things they wrote about but didn't understand, now we understand them as they unfold.  Gwendolyn Wehage

T.W. Tramm wrote:

IN 1 THESSALONIANS, Paul writes to the Church concerning the day of the Lord:

“Concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” 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” (1 Thess. 5:1-4).

The Greek word translated “times” in this passage, chronos, refers to a particular duration or span of time.

The Greek word translated “season,” kairos, refers to a suitable or favorable moment and implies things “coming to a head.”

And so, Paul is telling us that the day of the Lord will commence—

• After a particular duration or span of time (chronos).

• At the suitable or favorable moment, when things are coming to a head (kairos).

• When people are saying “peace and safety.”

With the above in view, it’s eye-opening to consider where we, today, stand on God’s prophetic timeline and also a present-day convergence of events and circumstances.

TIMELINES

As of summer 2018 it has been—

• 6,000 years since the biblically reckoned time of Creation.

• 120 years since the First Zionist Congress, the first major step in reestablishing the State of Israel.

• 100 years since the Balfour Declaration, the second major step in reestablishing the State of Israel.

• 70 years since the Nation of Israel was reestablished in 1948 (Matt. 24:32-34; Ps. 90:10).

• 50 years since Israel’s capital, Jerusalem, was restored in 1967 (Dan. 9:25).

• 49 years since the Jews began to rebuild Jerusalem in 1969 (Dan. 9:25).

In Scripture, the numbers 6,000, 120, 100, 70, 50, and 49 denote the endpoint of a timespan related to God’s plan of redemption.

EVENTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES

• Peace and safety: summer 2018 is set to see the unveiling of a Mideast peace plan being touted the deal of the century. The Trump Administration’s novel approach and push for a solution to the 50-year-old land dispute distinguishes this peace proposal from others. Observers note there is a sense of “now or never” concerning a deal, as conditions in the region are seen as conducive in a way they may never be again.

Also this summer—

• Iran and its proxies have become increasingly antagonistic toward Israel and Saudi Arabia, creating a tinderbox environment across the Middle East.

• The US embassy move to Jerusalem has put the Holy City, more than ever, at the center of world controversy (Zech. 12:2).

• Damascus is being reduced to a pile of rubble before our eyes (Isa. 17).

• Russia, Iran, and Turkey are in alliance against Israel (Ezek. 38).

• Overheated economies, massive debt, and an escalating trade war have set the stage for a worldwide economic collapse and hyperinflation (Rev. 6:6).

• Seismic and meteorological phenomena such as earthquakes, volcanism, sinkholes, geysers, freak storms, floods, fires, droughts, and extreme temperatures are increasing in frequency and intensity.

• Signs in the heavens: the latest prophetic harbinger to garner worldwide attention is the century’s longest-in-duration and most viewable blood moon eclipse, set to occur over the Middle East and Europe later this month.

Are you getting the picture?

In his letter to the Church at Thessalonica, Paul teaches that the day of the Lord will begin after a certain duration of time, at a favorable moment when things are coming to a head, and when people are saying “peace and safety” (1 Thess. 5:1-4).

Most importantly, Paul explains that the day of the Lord will come upon the unbelieving world “suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape” (v. 3). The good news is that those who have received salvation through Jesus Christ *will* escape.

“For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (1 Thess. 5:9-11).

Jesus is coming soon.