by Bishop David Kramer- Originally published in Volume 51, Issue 1 - Spring Quarter, 2007: Special 50th Anniversary Edition
We’ve all heard it said time and time again – we’re living in the Last Days, we’re living in the Last Days. I have to confess that I’ve heard it said most of my life (43 years and counting). My concern is that we have used the phrase so much that we have arbitrarily watered-down it’s meaning. What does it mean to say that we are living in the Last Days? How long will the Last Days last? I hope to address these questions and more as we take a fresh look at world events and God’s prophecies concerning the ‘Last’ Last Days.
THERE’S NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN
The confusion surrounding God’s end-time program is nothing new. It started some 2,000 years ago when Jesus Christ left His throne in heaven to become flesh and dwell among men. One of the main reasons that the Jews failed to accept Jesus Christ as their Messiah is because He did not fulfill their misguided expectations upon His arrival. The Jews expected their Messiah to immediately release them from captivity and to establish God’s kingdom on the Earth. In other words, the Jews believed that the appearance of their Messiah would coincide with the end of the world. They were confused about the Last Days.
The apostles addressed this confusion after the death and resurrection of Jesus. Consider the words of the Apostle Paul in II Thessalonians 2:1-3 (NIV), “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, [2] not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. [3] Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.” What was Paul saying? Dr. Henry Halley, author of Halley’s Bible Handbook, explains it this way: “The express purpose of this Epistle was to caution the Thessalonians that the Lord’s Coming was not immediately at hand; that it would not be till after the Apostasy.”
It is obvious that the confusion regarding the return of Jesus and the fulfillment of God’s end-time program has been around for over 2,000 years. One of the ways that the Apostle Paul addressed this confusion was to refer to Bible prophecy. Paul told the Thessalonians that Jesus could not return until the Man of Sin was revealed. When we set out to discuss the Last Days, we must take time to consult Bible prophecy to identify where we are according to God’s prophetic timetable.
THE TIME IS NOW
One of the most common responses to those who oppose the belief that we are living in the Last Days, is the statement that things and our lives in general are progressing as normal. Consider the words of Peter found in II Peter 3:1-4 (NKJV), “Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), [2] that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before the holy prophets, and of the commandments of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, [3] knowing this first; that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, [4] and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as there were from the beginning of creation.”
“There’s nothing special about this time,” and “there’s always been wars and rumors of wars” is not a new argument when it comes to discussing the Last Days. So how do we determine that we have the right to identify this time that we are living in as the end of God’s program? Peter gives us one of the keys in II Peter 3:8 (NKJV), “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”
The church recognizes that God uses numbers and patterns to identify and distinguish His work. Consider His instructions to Moses in Exodus 25:40 (NKJV), “And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.” Also, the church recognizes “That which is has already been, And what is to be has already been; And God requires an account of what is past” (Ecclesiastes 3:15 NKJV). Well, what does all this have to do with the Last Days? I’m so glad you asked.
The church believes that God has allotted 6 days–or six thousand years according to II Peter 3:8–to mankind and the seventh day to Himself. Why? If you will read the account of the creation found in Genesis you will note that God used 6 days to create mankind and the world that he inhabits. He created everything that mankind would need to be successful in this life. “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished’ (Genesis 1:31; 2:1 NKJV). Everything that pertained to mankind and his environment was finished in 6 days.
On the seventh day, God made a distinction. “And on the seventh God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. [3] Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made” (Genesis 2:2,3 NKJV). The church teaches that God’s program for man will be complete within six thousand years and the seventh one-thousand year period will be the Millennial Reign where Satan will be bound (Revelation 20:2,3), and we will rule and reign with Christ (Revelation 20:4).
Most Bible scholars agree that we are near the end of the six thousandth year of recorded history for mankind. Even the Hebrew calendar shows we are getting close (Hebrew year for 2006-2007 is 5767). So we have a right to say that we are living in the Last Days of mankind’s six thousand year period.
THE WORDS OF JESUS
Wouldn’t it be great to sit down with Jesus and to ask Him about the Last Days and what we should be looking for? Well, here’s your chance. Go ahead and sit down. Now open your Bible to Matthew 24. Notice that most of the words in chapter 24 are printed in red. Why? Because they are the recorded words of Jesus Christ. Here’s your opportunity to find out exactly what Jesus would say to you if you asked Him about the end-times.
“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 NKJV). Thank you, apostles! We can finally get some clarity on these issues. What was the first thing that Jesus responded to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you” (vs. 4b). This is key to understanding anything about the Last Days. It will be a time of great deception. One of the first and most effective deceptions is that we are not living in the Last Days. If the devil can convince you of that, he’s well on his way to deceiving you about the Man of Sin, Mark of the Beast, and everything else relating to this time period.
WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS
Jesus says in verses 6,7,8, “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. [7] “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. [8] “All these are the beginning of sorrows.” I can hear someone saying, “Yes, but there’s always been wars and rumors of wars.” That is true. So what makes this time any different? Answer: the fact that we are living at the end of mankind’s six-thousand year period.
I’m not going to list all the wars and rumors of wars that abound in our world today. It suffices to say that we (the USA) are presently engaged in a war with Iraq. The truth of the matter is that we are engaged in a war of the gods. President George W. Bush continually tells us that we are fighting against people who want to destroy our way of life. Although he interprets that to mean democracy and capitalism, we understand it to mean that they consider us infidels because of our faith and thus enemies of their way of life and faith.
Also, just as a point of interest, we have just survived one of the worst hurricane seasons on record here in the USA. New Orleans–a hotspot of debauchery and the occult–was brought to it’s knees for the first time in modern history. I recall reading an account of a sorcerer who lived in New Orleans stating that he believed that nothing would happen to his city because history showed that it always managed to remain virtually unscathed by Mother Nature. In other words, he believed that New Orleans was supernaturally protected by the forces of evil.
What a wake-up call he received.
CHANGE IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER
I want us to examine how fast our world is now changing. As Christians we should recognize that our rights are constantly being challenged and the world in general is heading down a dark path. Right here in the United States we are being assaulted with gay marriage and abortion advocates as well as discrimination against anything that has to do with God or Christianity. Do you realize that hundreds of thousands of Christian protestors (including members of The Church of God) gathered in Washington D.C. at the 34th annual March for Life (January 22, 2007) and that it went virtually unreported within our mainstream media outlets? Why? Because our nation is trying to suppress and oppress anything that has to do with God and Christianity. We are being taught that tolerance of other religions and cultures means trampling the basic teachings and identity of Christianity.
There are a number of issues that seem to be dominating world news on a daily basis. Among these issues is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Why is this foremost in my mind? Because a lot of the other issues are related to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Consider the Iranian nuclear conflict. One of the main concerns about Iran acquiring nuclear weapons capability is that they will use these weapons to attack Israel. Iranian President Ahmadinejad has already stated his desire to “wipe Israel off the map.” In response Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has declared that Israel will not tolerate a nuclear Iran.
It has just been widely reported that Iran has obtained much of it’s nuclear capabilities because of it’s relationship with North Korea. It has also been reported that Iranian officials attended the Fall, 2006 nuclear bomb test that North Korea conducted under the supervision of their commander, Chairman Kim Jong-Il. Can you see how everything is tied together?
Also, the war in Iraq has garnered so much attention because it has become a war of sectarian violence within the Muslim faith. No longer is it the sole intent of Muslims to kill the American and coalition fighters, they have now seized the opportunity to kill their rival Muslim brothers because of sectarian differences–the Sunnis against the Shiites. Why is this important? Because almost all of the countries in the Middle East are identified as predominately Sunni or Shiite, they all have a vested interest in what happens in Iraq. Out of 1.4 billion Muslims worldwide, only approximately 150 million are Shiites. The primary concentration of Shiites are found in Iran, southern Iraq, and southern Lebanon. It’s interesting that Shiites are predominant where there is oil in Iran, in Iraq and in the oil-rich areas of eastern Saudi Arabia. What’s my point? The United States is now involved in a conflict that has the potential to destabilize the Middle East–home to the richest oil/gas reserves in the world. Can you see why the whole world is focused on what is happening there?
WORLD LEADERS SET TO CHANGE
We’ve heard a lot about the United Nations Security Council with the runup to the Iraq war and of late concerning the Iranian nuclear conflict. What is the main job of the UN Security Council? It is the organ of the United Nations charged with maintaining peace and security among nations. The Security Council is made up of 15 member states, consisting of five permanent seats and ten temporary seats. The permanent five are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom (Britain), and the United States. The five permanent members were originally drawn from the victorious powers after World War II. Each permanent member states has veto powers, which can be used to void any resolution. A single veto from a permanent member outweighs any majority.
Of the five permanent member states of the Security Council, 4 are set to change their leadership within the next 2 years. Why is that important? Because world leaders dictate world policies. The status quo of what’s been done is about to be changed on a world-wide basis.
1. USA – President George W. Bush, a staunch conservative and advocate of Israel, will end his term as president in the fall of 2008. Bush’s opponents are already advocating a departure from his foreign policies and conservative nature. The President of the USA is recognized worldwide as the most powerful man in the world.
2. ENGLAND – Prime Minister Tony Blair, an ally of Bush’s foreign policies and supporter of Israel, says that he will step down sometime in the Summer/Fall of 2007. Blair’s presumed successor, Chancellor Gordon Brown, has already implied that he will not support the Iraq War and he has made hostile statements concerning Israel’s policies towards the Palestinians.
3. RUSSIA – President Vladimir Putin will step down from the presidency in 2008. There has been no news of a successor for Putin and subsequently no one knows what policies he will embrace on a foreign and domestic level. Did you know that Russia now controls the largest natural gas reserves in the world and supplies most of the natural gas for Europe?
4. FRANCE – President Jacques Chirac is hinting that a third presidential run might not be in the cards for him. His present term ends this year. He has served as France’s president since 1995.
ALL EYES ON ISRAEL
Within 2 years we may well witness a dramatic shift in the world’s policies towards Israel. Did you know that former President Jimmy Carter has just written a highly controversial book entitled, “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid”? He makes the following quote in his book: “Israel’s current policy in the territories is a system of apartheid, with two peoples occupying the same land but completely separated from each other, with Israelis totally dominant and suppressing violence by depriving Palestinians of their basic human rights.” Carter’s comments have caused great concern among politicians in the USA because he is world-renowned as an expert on Israeli-Palestinian affairs.
What is happening? The world is being set up, according to Bible prophecy, to make a stand against Israel and Jerusalem. Right now the Israelis are under fire because they are attempting to do simple maintenance construction on one of the walkways at the Temple Site in Jerusalem. Leaders from around the world have vehemently denounced Israel for it’s actions. Director-General Koichiro Matsuura of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) voiced his “deep concern” over the construction work initiated by Israel in the Old City of Jerusalem and called for the suspension of any actions that could exacerbate tensions. Every action of the Israelis are subject to world-wide review and often rebuke.
CHANGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST
The world is intently focused on Israel and the conflict that it has with it’s Arab/Muslim neighbors. As believers, we must recognize that God has allowed quite a shake-up in the Middle East leaders as of late. Remember Yasser Arafat? He served as the leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization since 1969. He was the face of the Palestinian fight against Israel. Arafat died in November, 2004, opening the door for his successor, Mahmoud Abbas, who has proven to be a proponent of peace in the region.
Ariel Sharon, the Prime Minister of Israel and a key political leader in Israel for nearly 40 years, was taken out of the picture almost overnight after suffering a massive stroke in January, 2006 that has left him comatose. His successor, Ehud Olmert, is working feverishly for peace, including giving away parts of Israel to appease the Palestinian people.
What about Saddam Hussein, the former leader of Iraq? Hussein claimed to be a direct descendant of Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. Hussein declared himself president of Iraq in 1979 and ruled his country with an iron fist while defying the world with his policies and acts of aggression.
HE SHALL DESTROY MANY IN THEIR PROSPERITY
The world-wide stage is being set for the Man of Sin to enter the picture. While artists have for centuries portrayed him as vile-looking beast, the Bible paints a different scene. Consider Daniel 11:21 tells us that he will come in peaceably and seize the kingdom by intrigue. The word intrigue comes from a the French word intriguer which means tangle, plot, entangle. In other words, the stage is being set for the Man of Sin to appear. What will the plot involve? I believe it will focus on deception, prosperity, and the desire for world peace.
PROSPERITY – We hear the word a lot on Christian television. While the prosperity movement has begun to wan a bit, prosperity is still being promoted as a right for all believers and a gauge of your spiritual well-being. Preachers are telling their congregations that they deserve wealth, favor, and prestige in the world today. They have misapplied Bible blessings–including some Millennial Reign blessings–and managed to focus the church on material wealth and worldly recognition.
It’s important for us Christians to confess that we are sensitive when it comes to our money. How many of us were ready to abandon President Bush when he did nothing to stop the price of gas when it recently reached over $3 per gallon? Why? Because it hurt us where it counts–in our wallets. How many remember the Clinton presidency? Conservatives took a back seat to Clinton’s lies and sexual misconduct because the economy was booming and the average American was prospering.
The Man of Sin will use prosperity to challenge and deceive–if we let him–the very people of God. This is the message of Daniel 8:25a, “Through his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; and he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity...” I mentioned the price of gas in the last paragraph. It was an eye-opener for me to see how fast my priorities can be changed or at least challenged.
Have you noticed that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has been receiving a lot of airtime lately in the world press? Why? Because of prosperity. Chavez, emboldened by a resounding re-election, has pledged to shake up Venezuela with a more radical version of socialism. It has recently been reported that an US Energy Department expert believes Venezuela holds 90% of the world’s super-heavy tar oil reserves–an estimated 1.36 trillion barrels.
So what does that have to do with me?–you may ask.
Here’s why: Chavez now controls one of the world’s largest potential reserves of oil. Did you know that the USA gets one fifth of its oil imports from Venezuela? All Chavez has to do is turn off the spigot and you and I will watch our gas prices go through the roof. What kind of power does that give this man who recently called our president a devil in front of the United Nations? Did you know that he recently met with the President of Syria and announced that he supports Arab causes? He has withdrawn the Venezuelan ambassador from Israel, and he compared Israel’s attacks on Hezbollah this past summer to the Jewish Holocaust.
WE ARE NOT PREPARED
During the recent Council of Apostles and Elders held in Cleveland, Tennessee (November 13-15, 2006) a word of prophecy was given to the church. God spoke to the Council of Ministers that it was their job to prepare His people. God said that His people were not prepared. The ministry was told, “I say unto thee to prepare My people for awesome times are coming. I depend on you to prepare My people. Get them ready for I will send forth My Spirit in your midst.”
God told us that we are not prepared for what we are about to face. How can we become prepared? By watching and praying and by keeping oil in our lamps. In other words, we must watch what is happening in our world and be proficient enough regarding Bible prophecy to identify the time in which we live. We must pray continuously that God’s Holy Spirit will lead and guide us into all truth. We must not keep our heads in the sand hoping that all of these signs are not significant.
The Church of God believes that the Man of Sin will be identified when he successfully brokers a 7-year world-wide peace policy. Can you see the stage being set? Even Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said that Israel will follow anyone that can secure peace in the Middle East. The demand for world-peace is quickening. Right here in the USA some advocates are crying out for an immediate end to the war regardless of what the consequences are. Even the recent agreement with North Korea to halt their nuclear program has been largely criticized because it was perceived that the USA caved in and bought them off. We are fast approaching the mentality of anything for peace.
Am I trying to scare you concerning the Last Days? No! There’s nothing to be scared of when Jesus Christ is in control of your life. However, we are obligated to watch and pray. I get excited talking the Last Days. Why? Because I know that the coming of the Lord is near! What a blessed day that will be.
If you feel anxious talking about the end-times, consider the words of Jesus found in Luke 21:28 (NKJV), “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”