On Aug. 2, 2023, Anne Graham Lotz (daughter of Billy Graham) wrote: “If I believe what He (Jesus) said about sin, salvation, forgiveness, the love of God the Father, eternal life, His own identity, and all the other big truths (John 3:16–17; 5:17–21; 11:25–26.), then it stands to reason that what He said about His return is equally true. Jesus is coming! The glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, is imminent! (Titus 2:13).
Ann’s statement is right on target, but it triggers questions in my mind:
- If Christians believe the Bible is the Word of God, why do so many doubt or ignore what it says about the return of Jesus?
- If Jesus is coming back to make this world better (establish peace, justice, and righteousness on earth), why aren’t more Christians excited about it?
- If the return of Jesus is our blessed hope, why are so many Christians living without hope today?
- If the Rapture of the Church is near, why aren’t more Christians talking about the dangers of being left behind, taking the Mark of the Beast, etc.?
I suppose there are many reasons why (unbelief; complicated subject; scary, etc.), but make no mistake about it, Jesus is coming back ready or not, and the number of people that think we are getting close is rapidly growing.
Anyway, here are some recent current events that seem to indicate that we are getting close to the return of Jesus for His church (Rapture).
One, concerning war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon: on Aug. 1, 2023, Israeli Prime Min. Netanyahu met with Israeli military and security officials to discuss Hezbollah’s actions on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon.
They concluded that the threat of war is the greatest it has been in the last 17 years (since the end of the Second Lebanon War in 2006).
Southern Lebanon is part of the Land that God said Israel will get at the end of the age.
Put another way: Hezbollah is occupying part of the Promised Land and will lose it if it starts a third war with Israel.
(More: On Aug. 3, 2023, Israel notified the UN Security Council that the situation on its border with Lebanon is a powder keg. This writer is not aware of the UN doing anything to calm the situation.)
(More: On Aug. 8, 2023, Israel’s Defense Min. warned Hezbollah and Lebanon that Israel is prepared to strike all of Hezbollah’s assets and return Lebanon to the stone age if Israel is attacked.)
(More: On Aug. 8, 2023, it was reported that Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and other nations are warning their citizens to leave Lebanon. It was also reported that Israel is trying to prepare for casualties and damage in the event that they are struck by thousands of rockets in the next few days.)
Two, concerning the coming global famine: on Aug. 2, 2023, Ukraine’s Pres. Zelensky accused Russia of trying to create a global catastrophe by disrupting the global food supply and collapsing global food markets.
Zelensky was referring to the fact that Russia is preventing the shipment of Ukrainian food exports to other nations, causing the price of food to rise and increasing hunger and famine in Africa.
Three, concerning the 2024 elections: on Aug. 3, 2023, it was reported that a man known for shady dealings, George Soros, has given more than $750,000 and created a political action committee (PAC) to convert the state of Texas from Republican to Democrat.
Large contributions like this one are one reason why many politicians do the bidding of globalists instead of the voters.
The politicians have been bought and paid for.
Four, concerning wickedness (as in the days of Noah): on Aug. 4, 2023, it was reported that crime in Washington D.C. has gotten so bad that the Mexican government (home of the drug cartels) is warning its citizens to avoid going there.
Five, concerning the coming economic collapse: on Aug. 4, 2023, Michael Hartnett, a strategist at the Bank of America (based on Congressional Budget Office data), predicted that America’s national debt will rise $5.2 billion a day every day for the next ten years.
(More: On Aug. 7, 2023, Moody’s cut the ratings of ten small to mid-size banks in the U.S. and said it may soon have to downgrade some of America’s largest banks.)
(More: On Aug. 8, 2023, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported that in the second quarter of 2023, credit card debt in the U.S. reached $1.03 trillion.)
(More: On Aug. 8, 2023, at the time this is being written, all the oil being used in the world is being sold in U.S. dollars. On Aug. 22, 2023, the BRICS nations plan to announce that 60% of the oil being used in the world will be sold in their new gold-backed currency. Many experts say this will eventually cause the value of the dollar to drop significantly.)
Six, concerning an Israeli normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia that would be a big step toward peace: on Aug. 7, 2023, Israeli Prime Min. Netanyahu said he believes the two nations could achieve some form of normalization in the coming months.
Time will tell.
Seven, concerning the ashes of a red heifer and a rebuilt Temple: on Aug. 8, 2023, it was reported that the Jews are only months away from having a red heifer that is old enough to sacrifice.
It has also been reported that the Israeli government has discretely shifted some funds to prepare for purification services and possibly the construction of a third Temple.
According to the report, very little is being said about this because it is an explosive issue.
Eight, concerning the coming cashless society and tracking all buying and selling: the opponent of Chancellor Karl Nehammer in Austria’s upcoming election accused Nehammer of planning to ban cash and track Austria’s citizens.
Nehammer has responded by announcing plans to push a law that guarantees Austrian citizens the right to make purchases with cash.
FYI: God does not send anyone to Hell (all of us are born with a sin nature and destined to go to Hell because we sin), but God has provided a way (Jesus) for everyone to go to Heaven (and He is the only way to get there; John 14:6).
Finally, are you Rapture Ready?
If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this.