SIGNS OF THE TIME, END-TIME SIGNS
As we've already pointed out, most of the prophecy in the Scriptures concerns the nation Israel, the Olivett discourse in Matthew being no exception; nevertheless, the things prophesied for Israel in the latter days are also of special interest to the Church. This is so because the Church has not been promised total exemption from the troublous times predicted for Israel and because Israel's prophetic events are a part of the end-time signs given to the Church. In addition, the Bible also contains prophetic passages that specifically address future events as they will affect the whole world, as well as prophecies that will be unique to the Christian Church. These, too, are signs of the time. Most of these end-time signs seem to fit into seven categories: the time of the unusual or the excessive, the great falling away, the dispensing of the Gospel into all the world, the stirring of the Spirit, the seven-day doctrine, the budding of the fig tree, and the ten horns/three horns/one horn scenario on the political scene.

THE UNUSUAL--AN END-TIME SIGN

Let's look first at the time of the unusual or the excessive. In Isaiah 29:6 we see for Israel a future day of "thunder, earthquakes, great noise, with storm and tempest and the flame of devouring fire…"—all in prophetic foreshadowing. In Matthew 24:7 Jesus picks up on this end-time word: "...and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers [or many] places."  Truly nature has shown herself to have a nasty temper now and then, since the time of the fall of Jerusalem; but as the end-time approaches, we can look for her tantrums to increase and for her fury to affect more and more of the world! Jesus Himself told us that as it was at the time of the flood, so would it be in the day that He returns; so, let's consider the weather at the time of the flood. The Scriptures tell us that prior to this event, it had never rained on the earth; instead, heavy dew came up at night and watered the plants. At the time of the end of that age, the sky darkened, the thunder roared, the lightning flashed, the rain came, and strange new weather patterns were developed—all this a type for the later days.

THE EXCESSIVE--AN END-TIME SIGN

Also, let's consider Sodom and Gomorrah, another type of end-time activity. Before their destruction, as far as we know, fire from heaven had never been rained down on the face of the earth. This was something new! Sort of makes one wonder if perhaps in this age of the kingdom in a mystery, could aids be a sign of the times--the something new we're to watch for--or do we look for yet another "fire from heaven"?

During this time when nature will be showing herself, when the earth will be shaking and shivering, we're told that sin will be going on a rampage as well. This increase in sin will be the most convincing of the early end-time signs.  This prophesied end-time sin will fit into one of two categories; i.e., sin in the world or sin in the church.

Going back to the flood as a type for the end-time (a special kind of end-time sign), it's interesting to note the similarities between the spiritual state of the world at the time of the flood as listed in Romans, chapter one, and the state predicted for the last days as listed in II Timothy, chapter three. Let's not take time to read both passages; they're quite lengthy, but let's do make some comparisons of these two times of rampant sin.

PERILOUS TIMES--AN END-TIME SIGN

In Noah's time it was truly perilous; and in II Timothy 2:1 we read, "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come." And then Paul continues by giving us the reason for the perilous times: "For men shall be lovers of their own selves...." This love of man for himself is not only one of indulgence in self, but it is also a deluded infatuation with their combined efforts as can be seen in today's inordinate pride over a few accomplishments. Like those before the flood, today's generation is wise in its conceits and are unknowingly fulfilling a sign of the time.  Like those in the type they are imitating, they foolishly refuse to recognize the Creator who has endowed them with the curiosity that drives them and the ability that serves them. And like their predecessors, they have become stiff-necked and vain in their imaginations. The generation in this delusion is the same generation that recognized in the popular music of their youth that "you don't step on Superman's cape and you don't spit in the wind," yet they have grown up to defy the God of the Universe! Ignoring the sages of their generation, they have chosen a path that leads to destruction. If they continue on their present course, well, truly it is one of peril; for as the writer of Hebrews has written: "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews. 10:31).

PREVALENT UNGODLINESS--AN END-TIME SIGN

Of the scoffers in Noah's day, we read in Romans that when they had opportunity to glorify God and be thankful, they chose instead their vain imaginations and their foolish hearts were darkened. For this reason, says Paul, God gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. Likewise, the men also burned in their lust one toward another. Paul explained that because they did not like to retain God in their knowledge (and that's heavy), God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things that are not convenient (see Romans 1: 18-32).  How sad it is that this end-time sign is already being fulfilled.  To compare the unrighteousness of the scoffers before the flood with the state of the world prophesied for the end of our age, we could look into II Timothy 3:1-7 or we could just look around us. In either case we'd see the same fornication, wickedness, murder, deceit, hatred of God, pride, disobedience to parents, lack of understanding, lack of mercy, etc. In Romans 1:32 Paul said of those who practice such: "...who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them."—could the world's love affair with today's motion picture industry be any better described?

THE WORLDLY CHURCH--AN END-TIME SIGN

In addition to his predictions of end-time godlessness, that is rapidly multiplying all around us, Paul ends the prophetic passage in II Timothy with a rather startling statement. He's speaking of fornicators, murderers, idolaters, and the like; and then he sums up their behavior by saying that they would be "...lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away" (II Tim. 3:4-5). If we'll compare the end of this statement with the end of the passage in Romans one, we'll notice that both of them, though it seems the writer is speaking of the ungodly in the world, end up apparently talking about those in the church or their equivalent! In our passage in Romans, Paul speaks of those who knew the judgment of God but were just ignoring it; while in his letter to Timothy, he speaks of those who will have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof. At first glance this would seem to be confusing; but when we consider the world around us, it appears that the church is competing with the world in a race for those things that turn its heart and mind from God while the world finds it convenient at times to line up with the church. Nevertheless, because of the obedience of past generations, mankind has enough light to know they are responsible for their actions! They know they are without excuse!

WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES / WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING--SIGNS OF THE TIME

We cannot leave addressing the sin that will come in like a flood at the end time without examining the prophesied state of the leaders in the church; and here again, looking into our society is like looking into the scriptures.

(II Timothy 3:13)
But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

(II Timothy 4:3)
For the time will come when they shall not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

(II Peter 2:1a-3a)
But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you… And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you….

(I Timothy 6:3-5b)
If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words... supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

These verses of Scripture are just a few of the many written to alert the end-time Church concerning seducing spirits and wolves in sheep's clothing. But as we noted in II Thessalonians 2:2, there are also Scriptures that admonish the Church not to be shaken in mind or to be troubled in spirit by the activities of such. For example, in II Timothy 1:7 Paul declares that the Church has not been given the spirit of fear, but of a sound mind. We should thank God, therefore, that He has given those of a sound mind the prophetic Word; for when they find themselves in a world full of end-time evil and chaos, it can be a great source of comfort.

TESTING THE SPIRITS

Throughout our age the word to the Church has been "...test the spirits to see if they be of God"; but at the end time when the Church itself is being tested, this command will have special significance to the Body. Of course, for the Church to obey this command, it will have to study the Word on an individual basis so that each member might show himself approved unto his God and have a first-hand knowledge of the Scriptures—especially of its prophetic portions! After all, it is only through the Scriptures that the end-time Church will be able to understand the things going on around it. Likewise, the Scriptures will alert the end-time believer to the self-ordained, self-serving leaders in the churches, and the false prophets in its midst who would use the prophetic Word to alarm the believers and have them running scared instead of standing in the gap whereunto they are called.

In this chapter, we've talked about nature being on a rampage and about sin increasing on every hand, including a rise of false teachers and teachings in the church. As we'll see when we get into our next chapter, this panorama of our first end-time sign sort of goes hand-in-hand with our second sign; i.e., the falling away.

THE FALLING AWAY--AN END-TIME SIGN

We took a brief look at the falling away when we discussed the misunderstanding being taught at the church at Thessalonica concerning the day of Christ (II Th. 2:1-12). We discussed how that they believed the millennium to be the day of Christ in its entirety—not perceiving that the day of Christ would include three prophetic periods of which the millennium would be but the second--being sandwiched between the other two, the 1st and 2nd halves of Daniel's 70th Week. We also looked at Paul's explanation—how that day they were expecting (the millennium) wouldn't begin until two major negatives took place. Those two negatives will be (1) the falling away of the Church associated with the tribulation period at the end of our age and (2) the revealing of the beast which will be a key event in the first 3 ½ years of Daniel's seventieth week. (During this 3 ½ year period, the unconverted Gentiles and the Jews will be experiencing the first half of the great and terrible day of the Lord on earth; while the Church will be in heaven for the wedding, enjoying the first part of the Day of Christ. [See illustration #5 below.]) In addition, we considered Paul's explanation that the beast wouldn't be revealed until after the Church goes up; and that the events they thought to be imminent, those having to do with the setting up of the millennium, would not take place until after their Lord returned to the earth from the wedding as per II Thessalonians 2:7b-8: "Only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed , whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:" [cf. (II Th. 1:7-8)].  Prophetically, this passage would be read: "Only he who now letteth [the Holy Spirit] will let, until he be taken out of the way [taken up dispensationally with the Church at the time of the Rapture]. And then shall that Wicked be revealed [the end-time beast--Satan's henchman for the first 3 1/2 of Daniel's 70th Week], whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming [at the end of the first 3 1/2 years of Daniel's 70th Week when He defeats Satan and those he's deceived and sets up His kingdom for the Millennium]:")

The Order of End-time Events at the end of our age

-Illustration 5-

ANOTHER LOOK AT END-TIME EVENTS

To help us fix in our minds the order of the key events that will precede the millennium, let's look again at some of the end-time events that Paul underlined in his explanation to the Thessalonians.  As we've already noted, he pointed out:

1. the taking up of the Church and the Holy Spirit (dispensationally) in the Rapture,
2. the revealing of the beast,
3. the return of Christ and His Bride with His holy angels from the wedding in heaven, and
4. the ensuing battle with Satan and his followers that will rid the earth of the rebellious and make it ready for the millennium.

But before all this, in the period just before the Rapture, Paul tells us that there must first come a falling away. Because this falling away is given as an end-time sign for the church, let's give it some thought.

THE LOCAL CHURCHES

When we look at the predicted apostate state of the church in I Timothy 4:l, II Timothy 4:3-4, I John 2:l8-29, etc., and we look around us at the growing, alarming number of churches that have either folded or are just holding on (those with just enough attending to pay the light bills but having few, if any, children in their strangely quieted class rooms on a Sunday morning.)—it would appear that we are in the middle of a prophecy being fulfilled. In addition, we are seeing an unprecedented growth in cults taking place at the same time the mainline churches are falling away from the fundamental truths of the Word. This departure from the age-old truths once taught in the churches has placed their membership in the dilemma of having to accept some form of modernism or having to look elsewhere in an attempt to fill the void—all of which can be seen as a very probable cause for the unusual growth in the cults.

THE FAITH OF THE CHURCH

Another consequence of this falling away from the Word has been a falling away from the faith of the early Church. Perhaps Jesus had this in mind when He said concerning the wintering Jew: "And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily." And then note the next question, "Nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?" (Lk. 18:7-8). Doubtless, in this passage Jesus was talking about the gift of faith that moves mountains (I Cor. 12:9) and not the personal saving faith that is given to all men and exercised by those who choose Christ as Lord and Savior. The Scriptures speak of Jesus returning for a Bride that will be without spot or wrinkle, but every born-again believer who has been washed in the blood is without spot, even whiter that snow, although there are always wrinkles that need ironing. And it's also true that every generation has its giants of faith (even this generation has a few local Church bodies that are on fire of heaven), but nowhere in the Scriptures do we see an end-time church that will move the world with the faith of the early Church. Rather, we read of a church that will be full of apostasy and error.

THE CHURCH AND THE "NATURAL BRANCH"

Further, in Romans 11:11 Paul gives us some more insight on the end-time Church. He begins by speaking of the dispersed Israelites.

(Romans 11:11)
I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

Then to the Gentiles who are now recipients of God's grace, Paul says,

(Romans 11:20-23)
Well; because of unbelief they [the Jews] were broken off, and thou [you Gentiles] standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest He also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou [you Gentiles] continue in His goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.

We're told elsewhere in the Scriptures that the Gentiles shall be broken off and the Jews grafted back in; that as the Jews of old grew high-minded and fell from faith, so, too, will the Gentile church. Contrary to what we may hear preached, the Bible does not present an on-fire, end-time Church that will "go up" in a blaze of glory.   Instead, we read of a scattered, powerless church full of confusion and false teachers and wolves in sheep's clothing, which causes its Master to ask "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?" Hopefully there will be some that will hear their Master say "Well Done!"--but this will not be the word for the church overall.  Instead we read of a Church that will have need of repentance; and thank Goodness, in the parable of the ten virgins, we read of a Church in the hands of the Holy Spirit (the "oil in their lamps) that will be doing just that (i.e., trimming its lamp).  Remember, it would appear that the great falling away will not be a falling away in numbers solely, but that it will also be a falling away from the Word and the faith once delivered unto the saints. May each of us consider this and determine in our hearts to contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints--lest we become a part of the falling away! 

Also, we should make note that this faith must be qualified, for it's not just a matter of faith, but the object of the faith that is the crux of the matter. Those outside of Christendom believe in their many, varied dogmas and in their prophets; often they are willing to die for that belief. We can see their problems, but how sad that we're not willing to see our own errors inside the professing church. It would do us well to remember that the Israelites of old were not broken off because of a lack of religion. In fact, they did believe in their Talmud, their church quarterly, which told them what parts of the Bible to study and what they meant. And people do not give religiously as they did if they do not have a faith in something. But as it is too often today, the Israelites’ faith was misplaced. They were going about to establish their own righteousness in preference to, by faith, submitting themselves to the righteousness of God. Because of the delusion that comes with pride, this generation that rejected Christ couldn’t comprehend that David believed God, Abraham believed God, Daniel believed God, and they were counted as righteous, their works being a fruit coming out of the righteousness they had received by faith—in this they had fallen away!

THE "SINGULAR UNIQUENESS" OF CHRISTIANITY

The world today is full of teachers, pastors, preachers, and priests who would say, "Take our Jesus and leave the thinking to us!" The list of things—yes, and often of people—that we're asked to put our faith in goes on and on, but Paul tells us that there's only one gospel with one Christ who died to seal the new testament with His own blood. Only one name is given under heaven whereby men must be born again into one body by one Holy Spirit. The Church is given one blessed hope and one faith in one Lord, and that Lord is the Christ of the Bible. In this age wherein men want to control what we think and make merchandise of us, truly it's time to get back to the Bible, literally. If we do, we'll find that the glorious light of the gospel will illuminate our souls and the shackles of bondage to man will soon dissolve; but if we don’t, the only alternative is to be sucked into the great falling away!

So then, the great falling away will be the state of the church at the close of our age, and it will serve as a sign of the time to those who have an eye on the Clock of the Ages. Without a doubt, the church has already entered into a falling away. The following are some of the reasons for this falling away.

1. The church has been content to let its preachers study the Word in its stead.
2. The world has had so much to offer the believers that they have become bedazzled and entangled.
3. And the church is infiltrated with dubious individuals claiming special insights from the Lord.

It is obvious that the Church has not put individuals such as these to the test of the Scriptures. Moreover, as could be predicted, those who have been drawn away by them have been lulled asleep.

If this falling away that we are experiencing proves to be the great falling away, then for a while, the church will be content to let the "experts" handle the Bible in their stead. But when their fruit begins to mature, the Spirit-filled body will see things as they are—though not before harm has been done. This period of slumber and apostasy will be cut short by the cry that will come from the friend of the Bridegroom at the midnight hour. Awaken! The Bridegroom cometh! This awakening will be brought forth by the joint operation of the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom and the stirring of the Spirit. At the cry, the believers will begin to trim their lamps; i.e., they will give themselves to Bible study and prayer, and turn their backs upon the things of the world—all of which brings us to our next chapter "The Preaching of the Gospel and the Stirring of the Spirit."

© 1996 Don Love Ministries ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

In Hosea 6:1-2 we read this concerning the dispersed Jews of our age: "Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight." According to the seven-day doctrine, this would be read thus: After two days (2,000 years) He will revive us (the dispersed Jews) and we shall live in His sight (the Kingdom Age). Hmmhh!?!

In Matthew 17:1-8 we see the account of the transfiguration. Let's read the first verse, "And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart...." Then we're told that Jesus was transfigured or glorified before them. Let's apply the seven-day doctrine to this passage and see if it fits. After six days (The earth is just now finishing up 6,000 years under the curse) Jesus took three of the main Apostles of the new Church up into a high mountain apart (Could this represent the Rapture?) when Moses and Elijah, two champions of Israel, appeared (Could they typify Israel in the latter days). Hmmhh!?!

Are the wordings of these passages just coincidental? Well, if they are, there are many more that are just as coincidental. For starters, get your Bible and read Luke 13:32, and the eleventh chapter of John, and try reading the parables of the kingdom of heaven again with "God’s time" in mind. 

THE SEVEN-DAY DOCTRINE AND SCRIPTURAL NUMEROLOGY

In addition, as we get into the numerology of the Bible, we’ll see that it and the seven-day doctrine work hand in glove. For instance, we talked about man having rule over the earth for six days or 6,000 years. In numerology we’ll see that the number six is the number of man and that any number times 1,000 indicates fullness or completeness.

One of the things in favor of the doctrine is the fact that God is an unchanging God; and what He has done before, He may very well do again. This being so, let’s look at the first period of God’s long-suffering with the sins of man, the span of time from the fall of Adam to the (?) flood. (It could be argued that the testimony of Adam carried through to the time of Abraham.) We usually think of this period as two days God’s time when it actually covered the time from 4,000 B.C. to 2,319 B.C. (or from 4,000 B.C. to 1967 B.C.). The second two-day period of God’s long-suffering runs from the end of this period on up to the day of the cross. But the timing of these divisions and the accuracy of Archbishop Ussher's time line (the time line most commonly accepted in the Church) introduce another ingredient in the seven-day doctrine, for some feel that his time line is off four or five years. Also, just as a six-day journey can be thought of as six days on the road, even though it may not include every minute of the six days, likewise, the first six days of the seven-day doctrine may not necessarily be inclusive. This is because in real life situations, we rarely consider a day in the strictest terms of 24x60 or 1,440 minutes. As we look at these first two periods of God’s long-suffering, a similar tendency seems to emerge for God’s time. Both spans may be considered in the general sense as "two days"; although neither are precisely 2,000 years in duration. With this in mind, it is hard to see how one can use this doctrine to predict our Lord’s return in the year 2,000 A.D. with stopwatch accuracy. After all, the first two measures of two days missed the strict interpretation of the seven-day doctrine by several years!

Also, those who feel that God has locked Himself into the year 2,000 A.D. for the return of His Son, fail to understand His love and grace as manifested in the Scriptures. In His dealings with King Hezekiah, for example, we can see His heart being touched by the king’s sincere prayers so that His mind was changed as to the time of Hezekiah’s death. In response to Hezekiah’s broken and contrite heart, God added fifteen years to his life. Also, God disregarded His chronological Clock of the Ages on Israel’s behalf when He stopped the sun’s daily rotation so that Joshua and his army might have light in which to slay Israel’s enemies.

IS ITS FULFILLMENT A PART OF THE END-TIME EXPECTANCY?

In this author’s opinion, there is nothing in the prophetic Word, the seven-day doctrine included, that justifies the prognosis that our Lord will return in the year 2,000 A.D. Although we are coming close to the end of 6,000 years for the sons of Adam and we are drawing near to the end of Hosea’s two days prophesied for Israel’s dispersion, the overall preciseness of the seven-day doctrine does not justify such a stance. What it should do for the Church, though, when viewed alongside all the end-time signs that are fast coming to pass, is heighten its expectation for the return of its Savior. Indeed, if things in the spiritual realm continue to degrade at their present rate, I, for one, would vie for His return to come before the predicted, apocalyptic 2,000 A.D. In fact, I full heartily concur with John’s last word in Revelation, the final punctuation to the whole Bible.

(Rev. 22: 20-21)
He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

 

THE BUDDING OF THE FIG TREE--AN END-TIME SIGN

There is another teaching in the church that seems to be Scriptural, but it also seems to make many nervous because they feel it's too much like date setting. Nevertheless, the Scripture is there and—well, let's look at the teaching and we can each make up our own mind. Let's call this sixth of the seven end-time signs "the budding of the fig tree."

THE FIG TREE AND SPIRITUAL VEGETATION

We have already looked at how the Bible uses things in nature to represent things in the spiritual realm. (See booklet #2.)  And who doesn't know that Jesus is the Rock of all the ages, the cornerstone that the builders rejected or that the Bible is a lamp unto our feet and that the Holy Spirit is the oil that keeps our lamps burning. But what may not be so well known is the fact that the Bible uses the fig tree to symbolize Israel under the dispensation of the law.

ISRAEL, THE FIG TREE UNDER THE LAW

That the fig tree represents people in the Bible is indisputable. In Jeremiah, chapter 24, we have a very clear analogy. "The Lord shewed me, and behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the Lord…" begins verse one. Then Jeremiah goes on to explain that one basket had very good figs and one had naughty figs, and what God would do to the good Israelites and to the bad Israelites.

In Mark 11, beginning with verse 12, we read,

(Mark 11:12)
And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he [Jesus] was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find anything thereon: And when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.

Let's look at what we've got so far. Remember, Jesus said of Israel that they honored God with their mouths but their hearts were far from Him. Here, Mark said of the fig tree that it was afar off. He also said it had nothing but leaves for the time of figs was not yet, and then in the next verse he records Jesus saying that no man should eat fruit of it hereafter forever.

The time wasn't right at this point for Israel to bear good figs because it had the nature of the bramble. Oh, there would come a time that if would bud and even bear figs again; but the fruit would never ripen so that it could be eaten.

THE CURSING OF THE FIG TREE

We're going to come back to this passage from Mark; but before we leave it, let's read verse 14, taking special note of the last sentence.

(Mark 11:14)
And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

A strange statement, Jesus talking to a tree, but the sentence that follows stands out maybe even more. Of course the disciples heard what Jesus had to say. Undoubtedly, they hung on to His every word. But Mark wanted us to know that they had really heard this. The disciples knew the Scriptures; they understood that Israel was represented by the fig tree, and they knew Jesus was talking about their beloved nation. What they didn't know, though, was their Lord's plan to finish up the Age of the Law and to bring in the Age of Grace. Understandably, they were concerned!

THE FIG TREE AND THE VINE

Let's go now to the Song of Solomon for the panorama of end-time events as recorded in the second chapter. We'll begin with the tenth verse. Here in prophetic terms, the Church is telling the reader what Jesus has been telling it. "My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away" (S. of Sol. 2:10). Then Jesus, speaking of the Rapture, explains why it's time to rise up. He expounds prophetically upon the things that must take place before the Rapture, but from a point in the future—as though the things had already happened. "For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in the land. The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grapes give a good smell." And again He says, "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away" (Song of Sol. 2:11-13).

Let's back up now and look again at the things in this passage that must take place before the Church goes up—things couched in prophetic language. We'll look first at "the winter is past." We've already mentioned that the time of the Jews' dispersion among the Gentiles is also known as their wintering period and that it runs concurrently with the time of the Gentiles which is also known as the Church Age or the time of the latter rain. This time of Israel's winter will be brought to a close when they see their sign; i.e., the one that they pierced coming in the clouds for His Church.

Another factor that we should consider at this point is the Hebrew system of time. In Genesis 8:22 we're told that they had seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night, but nowhere in the Scriptures is there a mention of the four seasons common in the English speaking realm. Spring and autumn, or fall, are just not mentioned; they had only winter and summer.

Now, let's go back to Mark 11 and the disciples' concern over what Jesus had just done to the nonbearing fig tree. Beginning with verse 20, we read,

(Mark 11:20-21)
And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.

THE DISCIPLES' CONCERN FOR THEIR NATION

As he did so often, Peter is speaking for the disciples, and he is expressing their concern for their beloved Israel. After all, their national heritage, their spiritual roots, the reason for their family unity, and all the promises given to Abraham and his seed were wrapped up in Israel; and they were beginning to perceive that their nation was in jeopardy!

A PROPHETIC PRAYER

Beginning in verse 22, Jesus begins reassuring them; and in so doing, He gives us one of the most quoted Scriptures in the Bible having to do with faith.

(Mark 11:22-24)
And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

ISRAEL'S PREVENTION

Here we see a group of smitten disciples who are very dismayed about the word they've just heard concerning their beloved Israel. In response to their bewilderment, their master instructs them on how to pray; and let's note the prophetic connotations of that prayer. The purpose of this prayer seems to be the removal of a mountain. Symbolically speaking, a mountain is thought of as something that hinders people in their purpose; but what is a mountain in prophecy? What has prevented Israel from coming back into its own all these years? Well, obviously, her attitude has been unacceptable. We're given insight into this in our next two verses, Mark 11:25-26, wherein Jesus explained that because they were unwilling to have forgiving hearts, they would not be forgiven. Paul picked up on this in Romans 11:1-36, explaining that, because of the hardness of their hearts and their unbelief, Israel had been broken off the way of faith; and the Gentile Church, the mountain, had been grafted in. In addition, Paul went on to explain that one day the Gentile church will also fail because of the same unbelief; and in that day the Israelites would be grafted back in. So what has "prevented" Israel all these years? Well, it has been more than attitude, for we see that before the Jews can be grafted back in, the Gentile church must first be broken off—it is the "mountain" that stands in their way.

And let's notice how they were to pray about the mountain: be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea. To help us understand what Jesus is saying, let’s go to Mt. 13:47-50, and a parable that depicts another division of the kingdom of heaven (those who profess to believe in the God of Abraham and Isaac). In the parable, we see a net being cast into the sea (the masses of people without a covenant with God) which caught trash fish (tares) and good fish (those who exercise a living faith in God). The net in this parable will be gathering fish until the final tick of the Clock of the Ages. Then at the end (the end of the world), the angels, who have been gathering the good into vessels, will cast the bad into the fire. However, the allegory of the mountain being removed applies not to the end of the world, but to the end of our age—to the time when the good fish in the church "will be removed" (the rapture) while the trash fish will be "cast into the sea" (the masses) to undergo the first half of the day of God’s wrath.

Now, with all this as our background, let's go to Matthew 24 and read the passage dealing with the "budding of the fig tree."

(Matthew 24:32-34)
Now learn a parable of the fig tree; when his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

That Israel had to "bud" or again become a nation is obvious because those things that must happen to her as a nation can only be fulfilled when she is a nation. It's true that Jesus could have said in plain everyday language, "Boys, know this and understand that from the time Israel again becomes a nation, all these things must take place in the lifetime of that generation." Of course, it's also true that all other prophetic events are couched in prophetic language, so why not this one?

WHEN DID ISRAEL "BUD"?

There is much discussion as to when Israel "budded." Did it bud in November of 1917 at the time of the Balfour Declaration when a grateful England declared their commitment to help reestablish Israel as a nation—due, in large part, to their gratitude to Mr. Weizmann, a Jew, for his help in developing the bombs that helped turn the war in their favor (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1982); or did it bud in 1948 when they actually began coming back to their homeland?

WHAT IS A GENERATION?

Also, there is much discussion over what is meant by a generation. Does it really mean a generation or something else? If it's really a generation, how long is a generation? Is it an age? a lifetime? 70 years or 100 years...?

In anticipation of all the hullabaloo this teaching would cause among date setters, Jesus preempted them in this discourse.

(Mt. 24:35-36)
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

These things shall happen, He's saying, but don't waste your time (in disobedience) trying to set a date!

WHAT TIME IS IT FOR THE CHURCH?

Let's consider. If the Lord's coming is still afar off, what time is it for the child of God? Well, it's time to take the precious gifts our Lord has left with us and invest them so that we'll have dividends when He returns. It's time to use that love, that faith, that insight and compassion; and invest them in those around us as though at any moment they might slip into eternity. It's time to invest them so that we'll hear "well done" when our Lord returns. And if the Lord's return is imminent ("soon, and very soon" as the songwriter puts it), what time is it for the child of God? Well, it's time to take the precious gifts our Lord has left with us and invest them so that we'll have dividends when He returns. It's time to use that love, that faith, that insight and compassion; and invest them in those around us as though at any moment they might slip into eternity. It's time to invest them so that we'll hear "well done" when our Lord returns.

Granted, the seven-day doctrine and the budding of the fig tree are controversial because they do fence in the time of our Lord's return. If He doesn't come back sometime shortly before or after the year 2,000 A.D., then the seven-day doctrine didn't hold water. And if "this generation" refers to those alive at the time of the budding of the fig tree, then, again, our Lord must return somewhere around the year 2,000 A.D. or the literal interpretation of the "generation" was incorrect.

It is this author's opinion that if aids were to slow down sodomy and bring to repentance those in the miserable "gay" community, that if the church were to return to the Word on an individual basis so that false teachers and teaching could be dealt with, that if the violence on every hand were to begin a noticeable decrease rather than to continue increasing, that if nations were to begin loving one another more rather than increasing in their violence and cruelty one to another, that if Hollywood were to have a change of heart so that movies could once again uphold decent moral standards and promote gentleness and goodness, that if the public school system would again instill in their students a reverential fear of God and respect for the law and the police and those in authority, that if these things were to happen, then this author wouldn't give the seven-day doctrine or the budding of the fig tree much credibility. However, unless something puts a brake on the world's skid into Godlessness and perversion, then Church, we need to be investing the precious commodities of faith, hope and love. And we need to be doing so with a sense of urgency as we see all the end-time signs given to the Church coming together?

So far, we've looked at six of our seven end-time signs: the time of the excess wherein sin and nature will be on a rampage, the great falling away, the Gospel to all nations, the stirring of the Holy Spirit, the seven-day doctrine, and the budding of the fig tree. The seventh sign we'll look at has to do with the ten horns of Daniel's prophecies, and it relates to the political scene.

THE DIFFICULTY IDENTIFYING THE PROPHETIC END-TIME HORNS

As we’ve already asserted, very little can be said with pinpoint accuracy concerning the ten horns or powers that shall arise in the end-time out of the Old Roman Empire: the powers from which shall arise a little horn which shall subdue three kings and become a powerful world figure identified in the Scriptures as the "beast." There are two reasons for this. First, we're told in II Thessalonians 2:5-9 that the beast will not be revealed until after the Rapture; so, those who try to deduce which power is his and, consequently, who he is are on their own. And second, things in the political realm are so fluid that what is here today may be gone tomorrow; and what is not here now might crop up overnight.

What should probably be considered as significant, though, is the fact that the European nations which are located in what was once the Old Roman Empire are fast moving towards a common market. This, when viewed alongside the popular computer on the world scene with its super Internet highway, could very well be seen as setting the stage for the beast and his rule. Undoubtedly, we all will wonder about the beast and some media ministers will probably even try to identify him. And though their efforts should be viewed as futile exercises, nevertheless, their activities should not be seen as a total waste; for their activities can be seen as a part of the end-time atmosphere.

Church, the Bible gives us many things to watch for at the end time: things that, for the most part, can be grouped into the seven general categories that we’ve just considered. And as the Clock of the Ages races towards the end of our age, and as things continue to deteriorate towards the final breakdown of morals, decency, and godliness, the alerted believer will see more and more of these signs coming to pass. For now, though, let's return to Matthew 24 consider the events to take place immediately after the abomination of desolation, events that will impact Israel and fill the world with dread.