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There
have been about fifteen thousand wars in recorded history.
Far more people have died in wars during that past 100 years
than in all of the previous wars together! While wars are
not ‘signs’ of the end time, Jesus did mention the subject
or war in the Mount Olivet discourse when his disciples
asked “What will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end
of the age?” This would indicate that the war would be a
special kind of war.
“For
nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and
earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning
of sorrows. (Matthew 24:7)
“Nation
against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” means that a
war would be started by two nations, each side soon joined
by the surrounding kingdoms until all the nations involved
in the prophet’s vision are included. Matthew 24 indicates
that our Lord had the world in view. Therefore “When you
see a war started by two single nations that is soon joined
by the kingdoms of the world, followed by unprecedented
famines, pestilence and multiple earthquakes at the same
time – you have “the sign”.
Tim
LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins believe that this happened in 1914
when the Archduke of Austria (Prince Francis Ferdinand) was
shot by a Serbian in the very part of the world where the
United Nations peacekeepers must be stationed to keep the
Serbs and Croats from killing each other. A month after the
shooting, Austria declared war on Serbia. Soon other
nations entered the conflict – even so called neutral
countries sent mercenaries.
If
World War I were the only major event during the period 1914
– 1918, it would not be sufficient to fulfill the prophecy.
But He added “There will be famines, pestilences. . . . in
various places”. Consider the flu epidemic of 1918 spread
throughout Europe, Canada, and the US which took more lives
than those lost on the battlefields. The epidemic was
caused by malnutrition and famine as a result of the war.
Therefore, 3 parts of the first sign Jesus gave his
disciples – a special kind of war, famines, and plagues –
were fulfilled. The fourth part, multiple earthquakes at
the same time is more difficult to nail down.
The
earthquake in West Pakistan in 1935 was said to be “the most
devastating earthquake in all history”, but that record has
been surpassed several times since then. The only multiple
earthquakes in human history have all occurred since WWI.
Keep in
mind that Jesus did not say the first sign would usher in
the end, but said, “All these (all four parts of the one
sign) are the beginning of sorrows.” One can compare these
events to ‘birth pains’ of a mother in labor. The pains do
not signal the arrival of the newborn, but do indicate that
the time is near.
Monday:
The Apostasy
(c) Bob Johnston
All Rights Reserved
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