“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, 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 3:3-4
 
The coming of Jesus Christ and the end of the world are what are discussed in this final section of the book of Second Peter.  This is a subject that has fascinated tens of thousands of people for years.  Let me tell you that fascination is not what God is looking for by discussing the return of His Son to earth and the end
of the world.  All the date guessing for the end of the age is a total waste of time.
 
Growing up in the church I have heard people ask this question all my life.  “Oh, we have heard that the end of time is coming soon but it has been many, many years and we are all still here. “

Well, what does God want to tell us and what do these verses mean?
 
He wants us to be prepared. You see if we are prepared for Christ’s return we will be ready; but if we are not ready then we will be doomed.  Peter is telling us that the first thing to know is that scoffers shall come.  Peter uses the term scoffers, or a more up to date word is mockers; they will ridicule the return of Christ and they are willingly ignorant.  Know that the mockers shall come in the last days.  (We can see many of them today and some are in our families).
 
Remember the first coming of Jesus Christ to the earth was the vital point of human history.  The time between Christ’s first coming and His second coming is called the age of grace, the age when God’s mercy, love and grace are flowing out to the world through His Son, Jesus Christ.
 
How do I know Jesus is coming again? 
Because, I believe the Bible! The Bible has shown itself to be the Word of God, and repeatedly the Bible mentions the Second Coming of Jesus. Now the new birth is important, but a new birth is mentioned only nine times in the Bible.  Baptism is important, but it’s only mentioned 20 times in the Bible. Repentance is wonderfully important—it is only mentioned 70 times in the New Testament. BUT the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is mentioned 380 times in the New Testament alone!
 
In our passage, Peter said that some will ask, “Where is this promise of his coming?” There is that scoffing, ridiculing, mocking, arrogant doubter spitting in the face of Jesus, but the Word of God establishes it as a Truth through out the entirety of the Bible. He has promised, and He cannot lie.
 
If you look at the Bible as one entire passage, instead of 66 separate books, the whole Bible, one out of every twenty-five verses speak of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Jesus has said He will return, and He won’t break that promise.
 
The final chapter of human history is now being written.  Soon Jesus will return to earth and time will be no more.  When? Jesus said that no man can know…. ONLY GOD.
 
So as always the choice is ours and ours alone.  Are we going to attach ourselves to the world and be destroyed with it OR attach our selves to Jesus Christ and enter into the glory of the new world that is coming soon.  The choice is always ours.  We either follow the trends of the world that are doomed to destruction and hell or else we follow Jesus Christ and enter the new world promised by Him.
 
Peter tells us that scoffers or mockers walk after their own lusts.  They live like they want and they do their own thing.  They want everything the world has to offer, and this group of people are unwilling to change their lives, they do not want to repent and they do not want to allow Christ to control their lives.  They believe themselves to be little “gods”.  That whatever they believe is true has to be true.  After all it is in their thoughts.
 
The mockers ridicule the return of Jesus Christ.  They scoff because it has been two thousand years since Jesus came to earth the first time BUT the Bible also says that a day is like a thousand years to the Lord.
 
They scoff because they say, the world continues on just as it always has so why get so excited and become concerned about the world ending?  They believe that the world will continue to go on as it has. The laws of nature will continue to run the universe and keep it stable.  The Bible tells us that God is working out HIS plan.  The Bible says that no person knows the day or time. even the angels do not know.  Not even the Son of God Himself  knows (Matthew 24:36)  God the Father has the timing planned out to the minute, but He is keeping it close to His chest, so they say.  But as I look at the world through the eyes of 2022, I firmly believe that the day of Jesus’ return is rapidly approaching.
 
Well, what do you believe?
 

Do you know that the Bible is one third prophecy?  Today, I want to remind you that Bible prophecy is not put in the Bible to frighten or scare us, but to prepare us.  It is also in the Bible to motivate us Christians to stay on our toes spiritually.  Why?  It keeps in the forefront of our minds that Jesus could come back at any moment as the Bible says “in the blink of an eye.”  It can motivate us Christians to live a godly life according to God’s Word-the Bible.  Unfortunately, Bible prophecy has been avoided by many pastors or many of the Pastors have played down the topic basically because they do not understand God’s words to His people.
 
Bible prophecy and the Greek word for prophecy represents two ideas.  One is forth-telling or speaking for God and the second is foretelling or predicting future events.  Both  aspects of the word are found in the New Testament.  The beginning of prophetic activity in early Christianity according to Acts coincided with the out pouring  of the Holy Spirit upon the earliest Christians on the day of Pentecost (Acts2:1-21)  Peter’s sermon  on the day of Pentecost indicates that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit fulfilled Joel’s prophecy (Acts 2:4, 17-21, Joel 2:28-32)
 
According to Paul the main purpose for prophecy is to build up the church.  Paul also described the subject of spiritual gifts, particularly tongues speaking and prophecy.  If you read through the Bible you will get the picture that God has a divine purpose for the age in which we live and this purpose relates both to Israel and to the church-not the church building.
 
The Jews in Israel had wanted a relationship with God but they wanted a relationship with works.  So, they basically rejected the Messiah because they had a preconceived idea about who Jesus was and how He should come and what He was to do.

But because Jesus did not fit their preconceived ideas about their Messiah-they rejected Him.  Yes, Christ was crucified and since that time Gentiles who placed their faith in Jesus became members of God’s church.  This was also open to believing Jews for they also became members of God’s church.
 
The good news is that Israel’s hardening of their hearts and turning away from Christ in only temporary.  The Bible tells us that at the end of the tribulation  period, Israel will finally recognize their Messiah and turn to Him for rescue from the invading forces of the Antichrist (Zechariah  12:10)
 
According to the Bible we are living in the Church Age which is made up of born-again believers who make up the body of Christ.  We, all those who believe that Jesus died for their sins, are the body of Christ.  We are not a building but a body.
 
Bible prophecy is simply God’s plan revealed ahead of time.  Like a movie trailer, it is a sneak preview or peek of things to come.  It is not a fiction movie, prophecy tells us what is actually going to happen.  Sometimes we hear that prophecy is history written in advance.  Prophecy is a big deal because God does not want His children to be uninformed regarding the end times  (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5).
 
Let’s face it,  prophecy is important because of the times we are living in today. 

At no time since Jesus walked on the earth is end-times prophecy more likely to be fulfilled than it is right now.  All the signs are pointing to the truth that we are living in the last days.  But,  I do not know if this will happen in ten minutes or ten years from now, only God knows.
 
You see you can block your ears, close your eyes, yell and scream but we were hit with a devastating plague (Covid-19), our economy was hit with joblessness and businesses were unable to stay afloat.  Other businesses were physically destroyed by rioters.  We have an economy based on  indebtedness and we have high healthcare costs.  Then there is all the critical race theory  junk being pumped into our schools along with gender identities being questioned.  Then we have the really high gas prices so no one can really get around.  Then you have all the abortions even being done after a baby is born up to a month after birth.  People are going into depressions and paranoia.  Why are we so surprised to see kids killing kids?  Why are we so surprised at the people who are committing suicide?
 
Now can you see the need for prophecy? Prophecy really matters because it gives us clarity, confidence, faith, hope and love for Jesus. Christ, our Messiah, our savior and soon coming King. Prophecy leads straight to Jesus and gives us the peace to know that He has everything under control.  Well, what are you saying are you one of the naysayers saying:  “What difference does prophecy make?  remember, that is your choice.   Or will you be the one who says: we humble ourselves, pray, fast and seek His face and turn from our wicked ways (including our complacency) and live lives that emulate Jesus Christ and stand up for His values
 
The Bible tells us that the stage is being set and it amazes me to see that things are not falling apart, according to the Bible, they are all falling into place!   Are you ready for HIS RETURN?

​We forget that Jesus was Jewish and that everything we read in the Bible, and He is mentioned in all the books of the Bible, EVERYHING was about the Messiah and what Jesus did for us at Calvary and what He said when He was here.  So that means we need to look at both the Old and New Testament.  We ALL have to ask ourselves is what the Bible says is TRUE or not.  The importance of accepting the TRUTH of God’s Word is that we had better hold on to HIM because what He said and if you believe it you can save your life-not this physical life but your soul for all eternity.

Have you ever asked yourselves why some people have a sense of peace and a sense of purpose and joy in their lives?  Perhaps these qualities seem to be missing in your life.  There are people who are not afraid or even scared of the future.  They chose life but they are not afraid of death.  These people seem to know exactly where they are going and who they are going to see when they get there.  It sometimes seems that some people have buried treasure and the know the location of this treasure.

The Bible tells us through the prophets what signs we are to look for in the Messiah.  The prophet Micah in the Book of Micah tells us that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.  The Book of Isaiah tells us that the Messiah would be born of a virgin and live in Galilee.  The Book of Daniel tells us that after the Messiah was “cut off” that Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple would be destroyed by an occupying power - which it was.  Daniel also tells us that evil men would kill the Messiah in a merciless fashion and that His hands and feet would be pierced.  Even Isaiah said that the Messiah would be pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities.  He also says that the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him and “ by His wounds we are healed”.  Isaiah even tells us that the Messiah would not be held down by the grave but He would live again.  He would arise.

The Bible in the New Testament tells us: Jesus was speaking to His disciples. (MATTHEW 13:44-46)  He said the kingdom of God is like a treasure hidden in a field.  When a man finds it, he hid it again, and then in joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.  You are that man.  You are that woman.  You are that child.  Jesus is our treasure. 

So what do we do, we all have choices to make. 

Do we walk away from the Truth? 

Do we mock those who believe in the Truth?

Do we ignore the Truth? 

Do you say I have done so many bad things that I am not worthy to ask and accept the Truth? 

Or do we follow Christ whatever the cost?

The Bible has a lot to say about the end times. Nearly every book of the Bible contains prophecy regarding the end times. Taking all of these prophecies and organizing them can be difficult. Following is a very brief summary of what the Bible declares will happen in the end times:

• Christ will remove all born-again believers from the earth in an event known as the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:51-54). At the judgment seat of Christ, these believers will be rewarded for good works and faithful service during their time on earth or will lose rewards, but not eternal life, for lack of service and obedience (1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10).
• The Antichrist (the beast) will come into power and will sign a covenant with Israel for seven years (Daniel 9:27). This seven-year period of time is known as the “Tribulation.” During the Tribulation, there will be terrible wars, famines, plagues, and natural disasters. God will be pouring out His wrath against sin, evil, and wickedness. The Tribulation will include the appearance of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, and the seven seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments.
• About halfway through the seven years, the Antichrist will break the peace covenant with Israel and make war against it. The Antichrist will commit “the abomination of desolation” and set up an image of himself to be worshiped in the Jerusalem temple (Daniel 9:27; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10), which will have been rebuilt. The second half of the tribulation is known as “the great tribulation” (Revelation 7:14) and “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7).
• At the end of the seven-year tribulation, the Antichrist will launch a final attack on Jerusalem, culminating in the battle of Armageddon. Jesus Christ will return, destroy the Antichrist and his armies, and cast them into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:11-21). Christ will then bind Satan in the Abyss for 1,000 years and He will rule His earthly kingdom for this thousand-year period (Revelation 20:1-6).
• At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be released, defeated again, and then cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:7-10) for eternity. Christ then judges all unbelievers (Revelation 20:10-15) at the great white throne judgment, casting them all into the lake of fire. Christ will then usher in a new heaven and new earth and the New Jerusalem—the eternal dwelling place of believers. There will be no more sin, sorrow, or death (Revelation 21–22).

We need to humble ourselves before the God who created us and He will forgive you of all the dumb, stupid things you did AND that you understand by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior you will go to Heaven for all eternity.  This is our buried treasure and now you have the peace that you see in others who know the Truth.  If you read your Bible you will see that there are prophecies that tell us what is to come.  No, there are no dates but we are given the signs of the time and that time is SOON!   Keep looking up! 

​KEY FACTORS TO KEEP YOUR EYES FOCUSED ON FOR THE END TIMES
 
Everyone who is a Christian wants to know: ”Are we living in the end times?”  Those who are not Christians say: “What are those Christians talking about?”  Well, our best resource is the Bible and we have to ask what guidelines does the Bible give us.

There are a handful of key factors which we can keep an eye on to gauge where we are on God's timetable. We can't know the day or hour, but Scripture tells us we can know the season (Matthew 16:3, Luke 12:56, Hebrews 10:25). 
 

1. ISRAEL
Every Old Testament prophet except for Jonah predicted that Israel would become a nation again in the end times after a long period of time when the Jewish people were scattered all over the world with no homeland. This is exactly what happened on May 14, 1948.
 

2. GLOBALISM (vs. NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY)
When most people hear the term globalism, they usually just think of the modern interconnectivity of global trade, commerce, travel, and culture. But what I'm referring to here is the widespread, specific, and intentional efforts of the world's most powerful influencers (international bankers, political leaders, and global-scale business leaders) to bring about a one-world government. 
 
Please fact check me on this. Do not take my word for it. Dig into the founding documents, websites, articles, and interviews of people in (and/or connected to) these organizations and initiatives and you will see that it is an established fact that they are trying (more now than ever) to bring about a one-world global government. 
 
It is important to note that this is not a left vs. right issue.  This is not a conspiracy theory.  Prominent people from both sides of the aisle are globalists.  Some of the globalist organizations include:

•  The World Economic Forum
• The Great Reset
• The United Nations
• The 2030 Agenda
• The Council on Foreign Relations
• The Trilateral Commission
• The Council of the Americas
• The Americas Society
• The Forum of the Americas
• The Institute for International Economics

 
These groups are just the tip of the iceberg. Those are what you might call open globalist groups and initiatives. There are many smaller entities that coordinate to assist the organizations and initiatives listed above. So, what does this have to do with eschatology?   Eschatology is the branch of theology which is concerned with the end of the world or of humankind.
 
Well, the Bible teaches that after the Rapture of the Chuch (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) the chaos will quickly lead to a one-world government (see Daniel chapters 2 and 7; Revelation chapters 13, 17),  which will install a single leader whom Christians commonly refer to as the Antichrist.  Don't let the familiarity of those terms and passages breed contempt or form caricatured notions in your mind. Look around you as you research the various globalist initiatives. Ask the Lord for wisdom to interpret these things correctly.  You see, whether you want to believe something or not, it  does not mean that it won’t happen.
 
In order for a one-world government to almost immediately form after the Rapture--it is necessary that the plans and framework for such a thing must already be in place.  An attitude or a spirit seems to permeate the world.  And they are--along with all of the technology necessary to pull it off.  These facts are out in the open for all who are willing to take a serious look.  This explains why great lengths are currently being taken to weaken America's national sovereignty. 
 
The United States is quickly becoming a shell of its former self. This fact is sad but true--and it lines up with Scripture as you see as we move further along.  Thankfully for Christians, our true citizenship is in Heaven. We can draw comfort from that fact even as our hearts breaks as we watch this once strong country weaken at an unprecedented rate.  There is a targeting of certain groups to collapse our society.


3. THE EZEKIEL 38 WAR
I'll make this section as brief as I can, but if you have never studied it or heard about it before, you'll need to take some time to process the details.  Ezekiel 38 and 39 contains the most detailed account of any end-time battle. Ezekiel 38 and 39 detail an end-time battle that will take place after the people of Israel are back in their homeland having been scattered and mistreated all over the world for a long period of time. Fact Check” That part of the prophecy is fulfilled. 
 
After returning to their homeland and recovering from war (WWII, Israel's War of Independence, The Six-Day War of 1966, the Yom Kippur War, etc.) and becoming militarily strong and financially secure, a group of nations that do not border Israel will be led by Russia, Iran, and Turkey to attack Israel specifically from her north--but Syria will not be one of them.
 
All of the nations listed are Islamic nations who currently want to destroy Israel--except for Russia (Communist) who will be there leading the pack to take something valuable from Israel (oil, gas, natural resources, technology, etc.). Russia will serve as a guard for the others, but the main partnership will be with Russia, Iran, and Turkey.  This partnership is currently in place at levels never seen before in history and Syria is merely a puppet state being run by those 3 nations.
 
Now, on the opposite side of the equation, nobody will come to Israel's rescue (but God will...and He will show up in a major way). Saudi Arabia, the gulf states, England, and "her young lions" will merely protest the invasion but will not come to Israel's aid in any meaningful way. 
 
If this attack were to occur today--this is exactly what would take place. The stage for this end-time confrontation is almost fully set. I am now coming into my 80’s and I have heard this all my life growing up in the church and not realizing that I would be able to see things line-up as the Bible predicted.  I believe it will be a power grab in the after math of the Rapture. Even the recent horrific abandonment of the people (and billions of dollars of US military equipment) in Afghanistan further sets the stage for Ezekiel 38.
 

THE CONVERGENCE OF EVENTS
These are just 3 areas we can keep our eyes on with relative simplicity to see how close we are to the events of the tribulation--and keep in mind that the Rapture will occur before the tribulation period. This unprecedented convergence of events (and there are dozens more) HAS NEVER BEFORE OCCURRED IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD.  That should get our attention.
 
Before I close, I'd like you to read one more section of Scripture carefully and slowly and see if it does not describe our day exactly.  These are specifically stated as end-time attributes.  They have always been true in pockets and in seasons, but in our day these conditions are global and worsening--at the very same time everything else is converging.
 
In 2 Timothy 3:1-5 we read, "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--having a form of godliness but denying its power. "
 
All of this may seem scary, however we want to leave you with some good news. God's appointed times are in His hands--and so is your life.  You are here at this time, on purpose, for a specific reason. We need not fear. I've been told that the Bible says 365 times not to fear--one for each day of the year!  We can rest assured that God will act at the very time HE is ready. 

If you do not know Christ, NOW is the time to receive him as your Savior.   DON'T WAIT!  The massive convergence of specifically prophesied, end-time events is upon us.   Turn to Christ today.