As he(Jesus) sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?” (Matthew 24: 3)
Jesus said: “They will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death; and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away, and betray one another, and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because wickedness is multiplied, most men’s love will grow cold. But he who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come. Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken; then will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory; and he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” (Matthew 24: 9-14, 29-31)
The world is experiencing a sharp rise in anti-semitism, the persecution of Jews and Christians in these current times.
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to prove you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in so far as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. (1 Peter 4:12-14)
Since 2009 there have been no less than 32,000 Christians butchered in Nigeria
by Jihadists and many have been murdered in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Churches have been pillaged, desecrated and destroyed and Christians intimidated, beaten and murdered in various countries throughout the world.
Europe has experienced a growing number of acts of vandalism and destruction of Christian sites, the greatest number of such acts have occurred in France, where churches, schools, cemeteries, and monuments are being vandalized, desecrated, and burned at an average rate of three per day, according to reports drawing from government statistics.
Western European nations having large Muslim migrant populations are seeing a disproportionate rise in attacks on churches and Christian symbols. According to a 2017 study of France, which has the largest Muslim population in Europe, Islamist extremist attacks on Christians rose by 38%, going from 273 attacks in 2015 to 376 in 2016; the majority occurred during Christmas season and many of the attacks took place in churches and other places of worship. Similarly, around Christmas 2016, in Germany where more than a million Muslims reside, some 50 public Christian statues including those of Jesus were beheaded and crucifixes broken.
In the years following the death and resurrection of Christ the apostle John was banished to the Greek Isle of Patmos by the Roman Emperor Domitian for proclaiming the Gospel of Christ. During this time he was visited by the angel of the Lord and was taken up from his confines and given a vision of events yet to come.
“I John, your brother, who share with you in Jesus the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. After this I looked, and lo, in heaven an open door! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up hither, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and lo, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne! And he who sat there appeared like jasper and carnelian, and round the throne was a rainbow that looked like an emerald. Round the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clad in white garments, with golden crowns upon their heads.”
(Revelation 1:9 & 4:1-4)
“When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne; they cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before thou wilt judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels stood round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God for ever and ever! Amen. Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, ‘Who are these, clothed in white robes, and whence have they come?’ I said to him, ‘Sir, you know.’ And he said to me, ‘These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’” (Revelation 6: 9-11 &7: 9-14)
“First of all you must understand this, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own passions and saying, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things have continued as they were from the beginning of creation. But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2 Peter 3: 3-4, 8)
The Jewish calendar and not the Gregorian is the legitimate calendar used in reference to biblical prophesy and is approaching the year 6000, which will comprise the Lord's six days which will coincide with the Gregorian calendar date 2027. Bible scholars believe the tribulation of the church and of all bible believers will reach a zenith in 2022, followed by the return of Christ at the end of His six days.
“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that He is near, at the very gates." (Matthew 24: 32-33)
Most of the prophesies concerning the return of Jesus Christ the Messiah have been fulfilled, most notably the return of the Jews to their promised land Israel which sets the stage and backdrop for the sudden return of the Lord and Savior.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems; and he has a name inscribed which no one knows but himself. He is clad in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, followed him on white horses. From his mouth issues a sharp sword with which to smite the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron; he will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, King of kings and Lord of lords. (Revelation 1-8 & 19: 11-16)
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