The End of the Age

raptureandendtimes

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
(Matthew 24:3)

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
(Matthew 28:18-20)

What is the end of the age?

The Rapture refers to an event which will mark “the end of the age” (the Church Age) and which will be an occasion of great joy to Christian believers. All believers, both those who have died and those who are alive at the time, will be taken up to meet Jesus Christ, who will have returned to “the air”, earth’s atmosphere. Then, the Christians and the Lord Jesus will return to heaven together. At the time of the Rapture, Christ will not set foot on earth; and He will be visible only to believers.

Note that the Rapture is to be distinguished from the Second Coming of Christ. While the Rapture sets the stage for the Second Coming, these are two separate events.

In previous messages we showed that now is the most promising “season” for the Lord to return to snatch away His bride. All of the signs are present to confirm that we are rapidly approaching the beginning of the seven year Tribulation period.

Signs of the end of the Church Age:

Political:

Rivlin calls for talks with Palestinians, says he would meet Abbas / Jerusalem Post, April 4, 2016

President Reuven Rivlin spoke on Monday of the need for direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians and said he was willing to meet Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to further this goal. 

Abbas: We are prepared to discuss with Israel ending of ‘mutual incitement’ / Jerusalem Post, April 6, 2016

Once the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is solved, he said 57 Arab and Islamic countries would be ready to normalize relations with Israel in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002.

Environmental:

The Big Wobble / April 6, 2016

• Fiji braces for “catastrophic flooding” one month after the country was hit by Cyclone Winston as Tropical Cyclone Zena threatens.
• India burning! Unbearable heat due to the 90% humidity factor as temperatures hit 43.2 degrees Celsius (110F)
• Pakistan rain death victims is raised to 212 with nearly 200 injured and more than 1,400 houses destroyed
• Cold wave…Canada experiencing arctic temperatures as the mercury drops to -10C with feel like temp at -17C (1F)
• Snow falls on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe for the first time while Alaska enjoy’s a record heatwave…

Military:

Turkey’s Erdogan gambles – and loses / Israel National News, April 4, 2016

The Republic of Turkey, long a democratizing Muslim country solidly in the Western camp, now finds itself internally racked and at the center of two external crises, the civil war in next-door Syria and the illegal immigration that is changing European politics. The prospects for Turkey and its neighbors are worrisome, if not ominous…If Iran is today the Middle East’s greatest danger, Turkey is tomorrow’s.

North Korea claims attacks on US will kill more than 9/11 in latest chilling threat / The Daily Mirror, April 4, 2016

North Korea has claimed they will kill more people in America than the September 11 attacks.

A ranting article in the hermit Stalinist nation’s state-run publication DPRK Today said their weapons are trained on the White House, the Pentagon and other vital strategic locations.

It read: “If three civilian airplanes’ attacks from 15 years ago resulted in 3,000 deaths and brought a nightmare to life for the US, the outbreak of our final war will wipe the country from history, leaving no time (for them to) even regret or have nightmares about it,” read the bulletin, seen by NK News.

Spiritual:

It’s Not Just Times Square—Altars to Baal Will Be Built Around the World / Michael Snyder, March 25, 2016

The reproductions of the 50-foot arch that stood at the Temple of Baal in Palmyra, Syria, that will be erected in New York City and London next month will only be the first of many…the Institute for Digital Archaeology ultimately hopes to put 1,000 of these arches in cities all over the globe…If you are anything like me, this is an extremely disturbing development. Baal worship is definitely not something that we should be celebrating as a society. There were very good reasons why the God of the Bible found it so incredibly repulsive.

Shimon Peres still seeking spiritual solution to terrorism and Middle East conflict / Jerusalem Post, March 16, 2016

In the aftermath of terrorist attacks in Turkey and Belgium, Peres who was in Paris to sign a cooperative agreement between UNESCO and the Peres Center for Peace, re-enforced a previous conviction that spiritual leaders can do more than politicians to stop the bloodshed.

Shimon Peres still seeking spiritual solution to terrorism and Middle East conflict…
“The only way that terrorism can be defeated Peres underscored, is by uniting the world and all of her religions,” he said.

Social:

PayPal Punishes North Carolina for Transgender Bathroom Law / Charisma News, April 5, 2016

PayPal Holdings Inc said on Tuesday it canceled plans to open a global operations center in Charlotte, North Carolina after the state passed a controversial law targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) citizens.

Last month, North Carolina became the first state to enact a measure requiring people to use bathrooms or locker rooms in schools and other public facilities that match the gender on their birth certificate rather than their gender identity.

Male Muslim Students Refuse Handshakes With Women Teachers / WND, April 6, 2016

Male Muslims at one Swiss high school won the right from administrators to turn down handshakes from their female teachers – an upset of long-running traditions at the northern Therwil municipality.

The Local reported that two teen Muslim males complained the policy of shaking hands with even women teachers violated their religious beliefs. And upon complaint, and administrative consideration, they won the right to refuse.

Economic:

Survey says biometrics in banking on verge of become mainstream / Biometrics Research Group, Inc., April 6, 2016

The report states: “The vast majority of banks intend to implement biometrics in the relatively near future, just as the number of handset manufacturers planning to integrate biometric capabilities into their devices rises.”

The report also notes that current market forecasts are extremely optimistic, projecting that by 2017, there will be over one billion users accessing banking services through biometric systems.

The Coming Default Wave Is Shaping Up to Be Among Most Painful / Bloomberg, April 6, 2016

“A lot of the troubled companies that had become overleveraged were able to find more temporary solutions in the last credit cycle,” Holtz said. “Those Band-Aids are no longer available now, and a lot of companies are going to have to face distress,” he said.

All of these developments taken separately are horrific enough, but when combined together can only show that the world is building and converging towards the end of the age. The Bible describes it like this:

” For My people are foolish, 
      They have not known Me. 
      They are silly children, 
      And they have no understanding. 
      They are wise to do evil, 
      But to do good they have no knowledge.” 
       I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void; 
      And the heavens, they had no light. 
       I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, 
      And all the hills moved back and forth. 
       I beheld, and indeed there was no man, 
      And all the birds of the heavens had fled. 
       I beheld, and indeed the fruitful land was a wilderness, 
      And all its cities were broken down 
      At the presence of the LORD, 
      By His fierce anger.

For thus says the LORD:

      ” The whole land shall be desolate; 
      Yet I will not make a full end. 
       For this shall the earth mourn, 
      And the heavens above be black, 
      Because I have spoken. 
      I have purposed and will not relent, 
      Nor will I turn back from it.

(Jeremiah 4:22-28)

So, what will happen to the Lord’s people? Here is what Jesus said:

“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 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.” (Luke 21:34-35)

The world problems are complicated, but the Lord’s solution is simple,

Jesus will come in the clouds with great power and glory to gather his believers into his Kingdom. Those who have already died in Christ will rise first.  Then, the believers who are alive on the earth at the time of his coming will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.

https://raptureandendtimes.com/2016/04/06/the-end-of-the-age/

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