Dark Clouds Gathering over America?

[cyril evans awaydays]

Well it's interesting that periods of 7 years are a regular theme from Genesis through to Revelation. God deals in this time period over and over again. The final period of terror on earth is made up of two forty two month periods, known as the Great Tribulation, which also adds up to seven years.

Not all eclipses will point to significant events, and not all earthquakes will be preceded by an eclipse. So how will we know what's important and what isn't? We are asked to look for all the signs that God has written about in Scripture, and in this way we won't get carried away by false signs and prophecies.

As Christ said, when you see ALL THESE THINGS taking place, know that I am near, even at the door.

Not all eclipses will point to significant events, and not all earthquakes will be preceded by an eclipse. So how will we know what's important and what isn't?

You seem to have covered most bases there, fair play.

[truthpaste]

Not all eclipses will point to significant events, and not all earthquakes will be preceded by an eclipse. So how will we know what's important and what isn't?

You seem to have covered most bases there, fair play.

How can we understand what is important?
That's an excellent question and we are now moving into the arena of spiritual discerment within the field of *eschatology.

My apologies this isn't a one line answer but I'll make it as short and jargon free as possible (feel free to ask further questions).

This involves the study of the original languages of the Bible, learning what conditions, events and attitudues to look for. And to know when the key elements of the bigger picture are coming together on a worldwide basis.
Many top scientists and theologians have devoted a significant part of their lives in studying these key truths concerning the furture, with Sir Isaac Newton allowing it to take up more of his time than the other scientific work he became famous for!

Also when it comes to spiritual discernment, the person who may wish to use the Bible as a tool to know what happens next (etc), will have a massive disadvantage if they don't already know the ultimate Author of the Book, Almighty God.
The reason being this - God is an Eternal Spirit, and as humans are made up of 'Spirit, Soul & Body'. However the Bible tells us we are 'dead' because of our rebellious nature, and the part of us that is dead is our Spirit. Possibly why people are historically referred to as Body & Soul. When someone seeks God's forgiveness and commits their life to Christ acknowledging that His death on the Cross was to pay the price (sentence) of their rebellion, their dead Spirit becomes alive, and that person is said to be born anew, or born again, now alive as Spirit, Soul & Body as all of us are meant to be.
Those who remain 'dead' will not understand these things, or even discern the significance of events going on around them and across the world, so they will simply scoff, declaring it to be a confusing picture that nobody could possibly understand and that there are NO signs that Christ is soon to appear in judgement at all:-

2 Peter 3:3 "Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. 4 They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.”

* Prophecy is one element of Eschatology.

[Gofer Blue]

2 Peter 3:3 "Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. 4 They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.”

The above is one of the Biblical prophesies that has definitely come to pass!

I have refrained from entering into the “eclipses vs earthquakes” debate because to me it seems a pointless exercise really, as indeed does a lot of speculation about “signs” pointing to the end times.

The Bible is quite specific about the end times:

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father”. (Matthew 24: 36).

The key question for all of us, especially Christians, is, are we ready at all times? Jesus went on to say:

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. (Matthew 24: 42 – 44).

The events happening around the world are admittedly pretty scary (geopolitical turmoil, climate change, droughts, floods, earthquakes, wars etc) but it is not too difficult to imagine that things can get very much worse yet. How much worse will they have to get before Jesus returns – as above – who knows?!

[truthpaste]

The above is one of the Biblical prophesies that has definitely come to pass!

I have refrained from entering into the “eclipses vs earthquakes” debate because to me it seems a pointless exercise really, as indeed does a lot of speculation about “signs” pointing to the end times.

The Bible is quite specific about the end times:

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father”. (Matthew 24: 36).

The key question for all of us, especially Christians, is, are we ready at all times? Jesus went on to say:

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. (Matthew 24: 42 – 44).

The events happening around the world are admittedly pretty scary (geopolitical turmoil, climate change, droughts, floods, earthquakes, wars etc) but it is not too difficult to imagine that things can get very much worse yet. How much worse will they have to get before Jesus returns – as above – who knows?!

I agree, and Jesus introduced the image of childbirth in that same passage. My first grandson was due to be born just over ten years ago. His mother began feeling birthpains on the Friday. Nobody could say the day or the hour he would arrive, not even the midwife or the doctor. As it turned out he decided the weekend saw the UHW a little light on medics and so he arrived on the Monday.

So what do we take from Jesus words in Matthew 24:7-8 "Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come."

You see, we didn't know the actual day my grandson would arrive, but firstly we did know he was on the way, and the frequency and the intensity of those birth pains indicated how close the time for his arrival was.

Even people across the secular world have noticed that our planet is bursting in more and more natural disasters year on year, that humans are pressing the most dangerous 'buttons' in multiple locations across the world when it comes to war, and with the world gradually focusing their anger on Israel we have the required scenary for Psalm 83 & Ezekiel 38.

Yes it could still get worse, but bibiblically speaking at this juncture, it doesn't need to