Signs Of The Times (Part 203 of 0)

Signs of the Times – Part unknown

Sign of the Son of Man in heaven

The Lord Jesus Christ did not make known to his disciples the ‘ day or the hour of his return He did however, tell them of certain signs that should portend his coming We find in Matt 24 29, that Jesus spoke of the latter days and the fall of world political powers He said ‘ the powers of heavens shall be shaken He continued, then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” In this manner, Jesus linked the sign of the Son of man, in the political heavens, with his coming again But what is this sign of the Son of man? Some have suggested that it may have its fulfillment in the return of the people of Israel to their homeland This may be a partial fulfillment, because we know that all power in heaven and in earth has been given to the Lord Jesus Christ He is at present directing the affairs of all nations and especially those of Israel Brother John Thomas in his exposition Eureka, identified the operation of the three unclean spirits like frogs, (Rev 16 13-14) as the sign of the Son of man in the heavens These unclean spirits have and still do go forth to all the world, to gather all nations to the battle of the great day of God Almighty From the pages of history, Brother Thomas has shown that for centuries, the frog has been the symbol of the French people However, of more importance, has been the unclean spirits that have emanated from France The French revolution, brought the spirit of democracy in politics Revolutionary action swept over Europe and extended to America This gave rise to Karl Marx and Communism But also produced was the evil of Napoleon and the fascist dictators Hitler and Mussolini and Stalin So like the revolutionary doctrine that it promulgated, France has been the disturbing influence in European politics for almost 200 years This has continued in the control by France of the Common Market of Europe, which France hopes to establish as a political union by 1977 The intrigue has gone forth out of the mouth of the dragon, (Constantinople) out of the mouth of the beast, (Berlin) and out of the mouth of the false prophet (Rome). These are the spirit of demons or insanity, and they lead to war. The communistic spirit and influence has injected into the nations a spirit of madness that will cause them to oppose the Lord Jesus Christ at his coming. So as we see the sign of the Son of man in the heavens, we must heed the warning given in Rev. 16:15, “Behold I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” May we be among the wise virgins, who have oil in their lamps and go forth with joy to meet the bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ, at his coming.

Peace and Safety

The 20th Century has seen tremendous efforts on the part of many nations, to preserve peace. First there was the world conference at the Hague in Holland and a building was dedicated to peace in 1899. Shortly after this came the war between Japan and Russia in 1903. A second World conference was held in The Hague in 1907. This of course was followed by World War one, 1914 to 1918. Then followed the League of Nations, whose purpose was to outlaw war. President Wilson was the greatest proponent of the League, but the Congress of the United States refused to have membership, choosing rather to follow a course of isolation. The League found it powerless to curb Hitler and Mussolini. As a result, World War 2 followed, 1939 to 1945. This war developed the open bombing of cities and finally the atomic bomb. Later came the hydrogen bomb and intercontinental ballistic missiles. Realizing the seriousness of the international situation, the United Nations Organization was formed to settle differences between nations. The so-called “cold war” between the west or NATO countries and the Communistic nations followed. Meanwhile, localized wars have occurred in Korea, Vietnam and in the middle East. The United Nations is powerless to do anything to prevent this, having only a small force of observers. Decisions are being made by the two super powers, the United States and the Soviet Union. In the midst of this situation, the United States is represented by the Secretary of State, Dr. Kissinger, a Jew. He has been trying to mediate peace between the Arabs and Israel, with a limited measure of success. He has tried to reach a detente with Russia, for a control over weapons of war. He has attempted to solve the oil supply with the Arabs. Recently, he visited Moscow, India, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, mid-East and Rome. Usually he is followed closely by Foreign Minister Gromyko of Russia, with the objective of trying to neutralize any progress towards peace. Especially so is this the situation in the Middle East. The United Nations is powerless to arbitrate. Further, the United Nations is anti-Israel, the majority of its members supporting the Arabs continually. But most men fail to realize that the words of the Prophet Daniel are true, “the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.” (Dan. 4:17) In the Psalms (33:10) we find the Lord’s purpose defined. “The Lord bringeth the counsel of the nations to nought: He mak­eth the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord and the people whom he hath chosen for His own inheritance.” So we see that the success of the councils of the nations, is linked to the support of God’s specially chosen people of Israel. After over 2500 years of punishment, it is now the Lord’s will to favor Israel. “Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion, for the time to favor her, yea the set time is come.” (Psalms 102:13) Permanent peace cannot come through human efforts. The Apostle Paul warned the Thessalonians in his second epistle, chapter 5 verse 3, about the last days and the return of the Lord as a thief in the night, “For when they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction com­eth upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.”‘ The counsels of the nations will come to nought and the word shall not stand, wrote Isaiah the prophet. If the nations continue to oppose Israel and try to thwart God’s purpose, as they assuredly will, the judgments of the Almighty will certainly come, as predicted by the Psalmist, “Why do the nations rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed saying, Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath and vex them in His sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.” The king, the Lord Jesus Christ, will reign with the Saints or called out ones. over all of the earth. Then and only then will permanent peace come, for a thousand years. At last true peace and safety will prevail. It will be accomplished, not through the work of man, but by Divine power.

World Crisis

Before the return of Jesus, the world will face a time of extreme trouble. The prophet Daniel (12:1) in speaking of the last days, wrote, “There shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time.” We have entered into the first phases of the time of tribulation already.

The Lord Jesus also (Luke 21:25) prophesied of the end of Gentiles times, “upon the earth, distress of nations, with perplexity, (no solution) men’s hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth.” Today, the nations are perplexed. Their leaders find no solutions for the many hard problems facing them. Perhaps the most basic of all is the shortage of food. Thousands are starving daily in Africa, India, China, Bangladesh and even here in America. A conference was held in Rome in the early part of November to try to find an answer to the problem. However, the fact is that the only country that has a surplus of food, is the United States. Even the Soviet Union with all of its vast territory, has had to buy wheat and corn from the U.S.A. But even with a surplus, it would be impossible for the U.S. to supply all of the needy in the world. But the problem will be solved in the Kingdom of God. The Prophet Amos (9:13) speaks of the blessings of the soon coming Kingdom,  “Behold, the days come saith the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed.” So with great harvests will the Lord bless the earth, when the people serve the Lord with one consent.

Another serious crisis is the energy shortage. In the face of great rising demands, there is a shortage in the supply of oil. The Arab countries control about 60 percent of the world’s reserves of oil, The Arabs have cut off oil supplies to those countries which support Israel. This has caused a severe problem for the United States, whose economy is geared to the automobile. It has brought big price increases and further added to the inflationary spiral. This trend if unchecked can lead to bankruptcy and a complete economic collapse. Economic advisers and experts differ greatly as to the proper course to take. The consensus seems to be that the problem is too big to cope with. Some are even planning the course to pursue when a complete collapse comes. There is nothing more certain, that it will come. There is no question what will replace the present order of things. The Kingdom of God, with the Lord Jesus Christ as king, a complete new order of things. We find a wonder­ful picture of that age in the 72nd Psalm, Isaiah 2 and Micah 4. In Revelation II: 15, the Lord refers to the new order, “the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever.” Jesus said, “Watch ye therefore. and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” There is therefore a choice to make now. Let us make the right choice and repent and be baptized. Let us believe the Truth and follow Jesus, that at his return we may receive life eternal in his kingdom.

In a time of signs we recently witnessed yet another. Following two years of relations about political intrigue, deceit, perjury and corruption in the highest stations of government, for the first time in history, the president of the United States has stepped down before his term of office expired. The shock waves of such an event will continue for years. Some have speculated that the office of presidency will never again be the same. Time alone will tell.

The resignation of Mr. Nixon was not like the decision of former President Lyndon Johnson, who through intensification of the war in Southeast Asia encouraged such decisive forces in the nation that he chose not to run for a second elected term This latest event was a resignation in the face of certain impeachment and amid a rapidly growing public opinion of guilt The trust of the most prestigious office in the land had been betrayed.

Scandals and cover ups are not new to the field of politics and government, and there is no nation which has not experienced them. Indeed, many people have so associated politics and corruption that they expect such activities and, for all practical purposes, accept them as inevitable. It is instructive to observe that what toppled the careers of so many in Mr. Nixon’s administration was not the magnitude of the original act — the attempt of one political party to eavesdrop on the other. Rather it was the contempt of the principles of justice, truthfulness and honor which were implicitly expected of the chief executive and his staff. The president is a national spiritual leader. The public outrage, from which a considerable amount has to be subtracted for purely partisan reasons, reveals the simple desire of the common man that his rulers govern with truth, courage, wisdom and honor. The antics of Watergate displayed none of these.

The great fall illustrates the truth of the thought expressed in Ecc 10:1 (RSV)

“Dead flies make the perfumers ointment give off an evil odor;
So a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

One can easily form the picture of a jar of costly ointment which, instead of a sweet smell, has become putrid and foul —corrupted by the bodies of numerous dead flies drawn to its fragrance. So it is, declares the Spirit, when one esteemed for wisdom and honor is found in folly. There is an important lesson for each of us in this. We are called to be the children of light in an age of gross darkness, likened to the depravity of Noah’s day. The transforming power of Christ’s teaching creates within us the “mind of the spirit.” Jesus has testified that the world does not know the way of one “born of the spirit” and that indeed as with the teacher, so will it be with His disciples. In almost any age, the world has esteemed “good men.” But the truly righteous before God, righteous by faith in Christ Jesus, are always regarded with an element of suspicion. What endears a “‘good man” to the public heart is his fulfillment of their estimation of the worthy things of life, such as service to country and society.

The ambition of the saints is directed, not toward obtaining the favor of their neighbors, but of their king, Christ Jesus. Their indifference to the goals of the men of this world bring under closer scrutiny the other affairs of their lives. The principles they espouse make them the subject of strict comparisons between what they have said and what they did. If they preach of absolute truthfulness and are found in a lie, how much worse do they appear than if they had said nothing. The great principles they spoke about are obscured and their credibility gone.

Truly the sweetness of our savor lies in the purity and holiness of character developed in humility before God. The attraction of flies to the sweetness of ointment aptly illustrates the way in which the pursuit of holiness intensifies the severity of a fall backwards. One is directed to the words of the 1st Psalm:

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

Here is the manner in which the sweet ointment maintains its freshness. The lapses into folly come not because of an inadequacy in the Word, but because of a failure to keep the mind centered on the Way of the LORD. That Way leads upward away from sin and death.

Yet another thought may be gleaned from the recent scandals. In a casual, matter-of-fact way, over a year ago, a startling fact became known to the committee hearing testimony on the Watergate affair. It was revealed that the secret conversations, held in several parts of the White House were continually recorded and that there were tapes of the very conversations which allegedly incriminated the parties under investigation. This is a most amazing thing upon reflection, that of all the beleaguered president’s affairs, surely this piece of information was among the most important to him. Yet it was revealed calmly to a committee that had no prior knowledge of the matter. That these recordings were not known is in itself surprising; that the secret should be given away so easily is unbelievable. Yet it happened. From the point of disclosure, the chase intensified rapidly. Before it was over nearly a score of the mighty had fallen in disgrace. Many will most likely be convicted be­cause of what the tapes contained.

How could they have been overlooked w hen defense strategy was being planned? Why were they not burned or “lost” as soon as the secret was out? Surely one can discern the Hand of Providence which frustrated the counsels of the wicked. The Most High still rules in the kingdoms of men and gives them to whomsoever He wills. The very weariness the public now exhibits for this affair and the increasing sense of cynicism for governing officials provides an ideal setting in which to speak about the coming Age. The weaknesses of man’s rule are very evident and the need for One who is incorruptible to lead is certainly more easily seen, now.

It is important to observe that nowhere in the teachings of Christ are we told how to govern. We are clearly told how to conduct ourselves as obedient subjects to whatever form the government takes. As Paul states:

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God. Therefore he who resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” (Rom. 13:1, 2)

Peter likewise states:

“Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right.” (1 Pet. 2:13-14)

In this day of increasing skepticism we must be especially careful not to fall into the same error as those around us, criticizing the officials and using their inconsistencies as an excuse for our own. We have been set a better example by the Lord. His teaching challenged that of the religious leaders of the day, the Scribes, Pharisees and Saducees, none of whom could lay any legitimate claim to their positions of imminence. The Sad­ducees held the office of High Priest yet do not seem to have any connection with the tribe of Levi, whatever! And Jesus’ comment of the precarious positions of them all was simply:

“Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.” (Matt. 15:13)

Even the words of John Baptist, fiery as they are show the restraint that comes from the knowledge that God alone rules:

“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit that befits repentance, . . . Even now the axe is laid at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matt. 3:7, 8, 10)

The whole question is raised and answered by the Preacher in Ecclesiastes 3:16, 17 where it is written:

“Moreover I saw under the sun that in the place of justice even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. I said in my heart, ‘God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for he has appointed a time for every matter, and for every work.”

The year 1974 has been distinguished by the highest inflation rate, highest interest and scarcest supplies of nearly all materials for industry since the time of WW II. The stock market which only a year ago was breaking the 1000 mark is

at only 60% of that figure and still dropping. There is serious concern over a developing worldwide depression. While some of the factors which contrib­ute to this state of affairs have been the result of simple vastly increased demand, there is a large element which is rooted in the Middle East situation.

The cost of petroleum, which has shot up 8 to 10 times in little more than a year, is still on the increase. It is not known whether the oil producing nations are simply being vindictive over the western support of Israel or whether they are pursuing a course of economic mastery for its own merits. There has been talk once again of another oil embargo to prod Israel into more productive negotiations with the Arabs. It takes little imagination to picture the effects of such an activity. Not one nation is in a better position to withstand the effects of an embargo now, than it was a year ago. Italy’s government is bankrupt; Britain is barely beginning to recover from the disastrous coal strike of last year; Japan remains almost totally dependent on the Mid East oil supply; here in the U.S. there is talk of a long coal strike this winter.

The roaring of the sea and the waves increases. While men’s hearts do not fail them for fear yet, the number is rising who sense that something great is about to happen. There appears to be no way to get around the superior position held by those with oil in their lands, simply because it will be years before substitute sources are developed. In that interval, these tiny specks of land will collect much of the world’s goods in receipt for their resource. Who could have forseen these causes when the prophets described the conditions of the last days—all nations against Israel to battle; Russia’s invasion of these lucrative territories? Yet Ezekiel says:

“Thus says the LORD God: ‘Are you he of whom I spoke in former days by my servants and the prophets of Israel, who in those days prophesied for years that I would bring you against them ?” ( 38:1 7 )

In Gog’s destruction God declares:

“So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.” (38:23)

There will surely be many who will welcome the reign of Christ and its attendant peace. There will surely be many who though they desire with all their heart to enter at the “strait gate,” will find the way too narrow for them then. Let us each, while it is called “Today,” strive to enter that rest, so that being found in him having our righteousness declared through faith and works done in the body, we may enjoy the fellowship of the sons of God for eternity.

There is probably nothing as exciting in our religious considerations as the signs of the times. We are sure that honest concern motivates the readers of the Tidings -Signs of the Times- section in the quest for “What’s new ?” In Jesus’ time many came seeking signs, some from curiosity and others with a sincere desire to know and understand where they stood in relation to the fulfillment of God’s plan and purpose. He refused to satisfy’ the curiosity of the hypocrites, hut to those who sought for truth he gave words of comfort and encouragement.

We know that there is progress at all times in the great plan of the ages, — history does not stand still! Sometimes the movement is not sharply defined and it is difficult to analyze its intricate twists and turns. However, the broad pattern of prophecy stands out in strong relief and has been consistently demonstrated many times in past articles in this magazine.

In preparation for this article the writer thought it might be a good idea to review some of the previous issues of the -Tidings” to try, if possible, to avoid repetition.

We are very fortunate that God has given us a number of prophetic areas in the scriptures which we can draw upon. There are important signs in the political, social, economic’ and religious affairs which give us wide scope for consideration. Looking over the newspaper tonight I see that -Israelis Shell Lebanese Ports,” another headlines reads ‘Trench Explode 2 Bombs” and a cartoon entitled -Bombs Away.’ shows the United States followed by Russia, China, Britain, France, Israel, India and Egypt all holding bombs alert depicting the acquisition of their nuclear capability:. The proliferation of small nations having this highly technical and dangerous power potential is largely due to recent negotiations with the United States.

We turn to other sources of information, the weekly news magazines, and find much the same reports and forecasts that we did last week and the previous week. There is no real major development that we can discern that has not been noted and reported in previous issues of our magazine. The nations are still in a state of perplexity. The shortages in vital materials continues to become more critical. Corruption in government still holds its place in front page headlines. All areas of human activity deteriorate daily and no remedy can be found. The remarkable thing is the manner in which people can adjust to almost any unfavorable condition.

We recognize the great danger inherent in repetition. Peter speaks about this in his second epistle “Where is the promise of his coming, for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” 2 Peter 3:4. Centuries have past since these words were written and the expression “Christ is coming” has been emphasized for so long it may well have lost its impact. Even articles on the signs of the times may, because of their seemingly repetitive content, lose their power to inspire and encourage the reader. Life goes on in its accustomed way with little change in its pattern of living. It is very hard for us in our affluent society to realize that the major part of our world is already facing the crisis that will some day be universal. Human nature has the peculiar facility of feeling because it does not experience hardship, It does not exist. Our country seems isolated from much of the world’s problems. We do not have the acute food shortages of India or the tense life and death conditions of the Mid-East. Perhaps we feel a certain security in living in the United States. If we do we are closing our eyes to some very vital statistics regarding our own domestic internal problems.

We read about the increase of crime in our society. No doubt we are appalled by the figures, but it takes a personal experience to really bring this home to us. It was a shock to hear a few years ago that one of the members of the Detroit Ecclesia was held up and robbed just outside the meeting hall. The writer has since this episode had his office, which is in a densely populated urban area, ransacked three times and money and other valuables stolen.

The latest reminder that there can be no assurance that crime will not reach into our private lives came last evening when my wife and I went to my son’s home in a small country village of a few hundred people. He was away on vacation and we had gone out to check his garden and attend to a few chores. When we opened the door of the old farm house we were horrified to see that it had been burglarized. The thieves had wrought havoc in their search for money and valuables. Desk drawers and cupboards had been pulled open and their contents strewn around and the whole house had been methodically pillaged. It was a tragic and disheartening experience for young people who were just getting their family organized in what they thought was a secure and peaceful community. The police were efficient, but not particularly impressed with the break and we felt that there was nothing, in their viewpoint unusual about a house break—it was all in the day’s work.

To us it was more. It called to mind the graphic exhortation of Jesus concerning the last days which we do well to heed, “if the Goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up” Mat. 24:43. The warning “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” applies to the illustration that precedes it.

It is obvious we must brace ourselves against the dangers attendant to a breaking down of the standards of morality which have always been accepted as the norm of the American way of life. The Master made no mistake in his prophetic forecast of the last days and we can take comfort from the fact that they are the final days of man’s futile attempt to regulate his affairs. The bright light at the end of the tunnel is the return of Jesus to take the reins of government from the hands of incompetent and unrighteous men for The kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever Rev 11:15

It is true that we have some difficulty in sorting out all the events that arc happening in our troubled world and placing the proper prophetic emphasis on them As we said before it is the details that ire uncertain and not the broad interpretation as we have consistently had them presented to us

Let us not be pulled into false premise as we view world conditions that since the last signs of the Times appeared int he last article things are just about the same, There is a day of reckoning coming which the Master says will be as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth Luke 21:.

The following verse states that provision is made for those who are in his household Watch ye therefore and pray always that ye may be accounted worth to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of man.

When Jesus says the day of judgment comes upon them that dwell on the face of the whole earth we must assume that the United States will not be an exception. We must also realize that our geographical location while insulting us to degree, from the present conflict does not protect us from moral decadence it is all too evident that criminal activity permeates government, business, sports, and many other areas of public and private life. We are all victims of it to some degree and there is no guarantee that we shall escape some of the moral violent consequences of its sinister influence. This is the world we live in and it certainly would be unrealistic, in the light of Bible prophecy to expect it to be otherwise.

So in beginning this article to a close we may not have given you much to think about on the international scene but we have touched briefly on the intimate sensitive area where it applies most of all our personal experience in prophetic conditions here at home. It may be a good things for us all to get a close view of things near at hand and feel our own involvement in prophecy. We must understand we are not bystanders sitting on the sidelines as observers we are members of an active community with an important work to do for the Master and precious little time left to do as come labor on!

Claim the high calling angels cannot share
To younger and old the Gospel message bear
Redeem the time its hour too switchly
The night draws nigh