PITP #04

Father, we come before You tonight, just as we sang in that last song, "Walk by Faith, Not by Sight." It is so easy sometimes for us to only want to walk by sight, the things that we see and know. Lord, You've called us to a life of faith; from faith to faith, the just shall live by faith. We thank You for the way that You provide for us as we walk by faith, both financially, Lord, and also spiritually and emotionally.

We know that there are people within our community and within our own body who are in a place of need tonight. We lift up this offering into Your hands and ask, Lord, that You would take these tithes and offerings and use them to bless, encourage, and strengthen, but also to further Your kingdom. As we get into Your Word tonight, I pray that You would speak to us and give us understanding into the times, just as the tribe of Issachar understood the times and knew what their nation, what Israel, was to do. I pray that we would be those who understand the times and know what we individually, for our families, and as a people ought to do. For we ask this in Your mighty and powerful name. Amen.

Last week, I had intended to be here to go through the Word with you, but, of course, as I mentioned on Sunday, I experienced a bit of a family tragedy and was with Andrea and her family last Wednesday night. It was kind of a last-minute thing. I called Eric at about 5 o'clock in the evening and said, "Hey, Eric, I need you to step up and teach." I praise the Lord that he had a word from the Lord to share.

Tonight, we are going to look at some more things relating to prophecy, as we've been taking our Wednesday night study, "Profiting in the Prophets." When I mention the prophets, a lot of times our minds go to the major and minor prophets of the Bible. However, when you look at the Psalms, the Proverbs, and even the Book of Song of Solomon, you see that God has a prophetic word for His people in those books. We are actually going to look at a passage of Scripture tonight that you may not specifically associate with prophecy, but I believe that the Lord definitely has a word for us in it.

Now, any of you who have any understanding of Judaism and the way that Jews worship the Lord know that they do not worship on Sunday. What day do they worship on? On the Sabbath, on Saturday. Typically, when they go to synagogue, they look at different portions of the Torah.

The Book of the Law, the first five books of the Bible, contains many portions of the Torah that are read every single week throughout the year. This coming Sabbath, which is Saturday, their Torah portion will be from Exodus, specifically from chapter one through the end of chapter five. Many Jews and rabbis believe that the Torah readings each week align with or tie into the events occurring in the world, having both historical and prophetic significance.

As we examine the portion of Scripture from Exodus chapters one through five, we find some very interesting connections to the current events in the world today. If you would open your Bibles to the Book of Exodus, we will look at some significant events that happened with the nation of Israel while they were in a foreign land, specifically in Egypt.

As you read through the Book of Genesis, you see that God first created man. Then, mankind rose up, turned against God, and departed from the Lord. The Lord called a man and his family unto Himself through Noah. Noah built an ark, and God destroyed the earth with a flood, but He saved Noah and his family. From Noah, we see the nations begin to be built up once again, but they soon depart from the Lord again.

God then called a single man to be His people, setting apart the nation of Israel through Abraham. This call to Abraham is found in Genesis chapter 12. From Abraham, God called one son, Isaac, and then from Isaac, He called one son, Jacob. Jacob was renamed Israel, and he had twelve sons. The nation of Israel began through Jacob and his twelve sons, known as the twelve tribes of Israel, who, by the end of the Book of Genesis, found themselves in the land of Egypt.

They remained in Egypt for over 400 years. At the beginning of their time there, one of Jacob's sons, Joseph, had accomplished remarkable things in Egypt, saving the nation during a great famine. However, 400 years later, when we come to the beginning of the Book of Exodus, we find that there is new leadership in that foreign land from which God would eventually call His people, the children of Israel. This is detailed in Exodus chapter 1, verse 7, which lists the tribes of Israel in the first six verses and discusses their situation.

Being down there in the land of Egypt, we read in verse 7 of Exodus chapter 1, "And the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly and multiplied and waxed exceedingly great and mighty. And the land was filled with them."

Now there arose a new king, or a new leader, over Egypt who did not know Joseph. He said unto his people, "Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more mightier than we. Come on, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply. And it come to pass that when there falls out any war, they join also with our enemies and fight against us. And so get them up out of the land."

Therefore, they set over the children of Israel taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. They built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Ramses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. The Egyptians were grieved because of the children of Israel. They made the children of Israel serve with rigor, and they made their lives bitter with hard bondage in mortar and in brick and in all manner of service in the field. All their service wherein they made them serve was with rigor.

The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of which the names of some were Shiphrah and the name of another Puah. He said, "Notice that verse 17. The midwives feared God and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive." The king of Egypt called for the midwives and said unto them, "Why have you done this thing and have saved the male children alive?"

The midwives said unto Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women, for they are lively and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them." Therefore, God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and waxed very mightily. It came to pass that because the midwives feared God, He made them houses.

Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, "Every son that is born, you shall cast into the river, and every daughter shall you save alive." This is the beginning of the portion that is going to be read within many Jewish synagogues.

This weekend, many will be looking at the first five chapters of the Book of Exodus. In these chapters, we see the children of Israel in a foreign land under a new leader. This new leader does not view them with favor and has a different perspective than the leader before him.

Isn't it interesting that in less than a week, our nation will also have a new leader come into power? Next Tuesday, we will witness the inauguration of the 44th president of our nation, Barack Hussein Obama. It is clear from many of the things he has said and some of his views that he does not hold the same favorable position towards the children of Israel, the land of Israel, and the Jewish people as the current administration does.

I find it very interesting that as we read through this passage, which is the Torah portion for this time, it aligns somewhat similarly with what is happening in the world, just as many Jewish rabbis have observed for centuries. There are some notable events in this passage, particularly in the first chapter and the following five chapters, that stand out to me.

First, we see a new king coming into power, a leader who will rule over the children of Israel in a foreign land, much like what we are experiencing today. This new leader imposed unrighteous decrees and heavy burdens upon the people. One of the decrees he issued was directed at the midwives, those who delivered the children among the Israelites. He commanded them that whenever they saw a male child being born, they were to kill the child, committing infanticide as the baby was being born.

However, these midwives feared the Lord and refused to carry out the Pharaoh's command. When the Pharaoh observed that the children of Israel continued to grow mightily and were blessed by God in the land of Egypt, he became increasingly upset. As we see in verse 7, they were fruitful and increased abundantly. In response to this, the Pharaoh issued a decree in verse 22, not just to the children of Israel but to his entire nation, stating that every male child born should be cast into the river.

They shall all be cast into the river to die. Every daughter you shall save alive.

It may not be the most politically correct thing to point out that this new president has a different view than our former president, the one who is going out, as it relates to the issue of abortion. One of the things he has said, in fact, in July of last year, as he spoke before a group of Planned Parenthood leaders, is that one of the first things he plans to do in the first hundred days of his term in office is to sign into law something called the Freedom of Choice Act. The Freedom of Choice Act really overwrites just about all the laws that have come to pass recently that are against abortion, pro-life.

I find it interesting that in these days, the position of pro-life has been posed in a different term. We are no longer called pro-life; those within the Christian conservative groups that believe that abortion is against the law of God are now called anti-choice, while they are called pro-choice. It is interesting that they have turned it in such a way that we are seen as negative, as the bad ones, while those who support abortion are viewed as pro, as being in a good position. Obviously, we do not agree with that.

As this new president comes into power, he has made it very clear that one of the first things he plans to do is to sign into law the Freedom of Choice Act. The Catholic Church has stated that if it is signed into law, it will force every hospital in our nation to provide abortion on demand. The Catholic Church runs about 30% of the hospitals in our nation, and because it is against their doctrine, they have said they will not be able to do that and may have to shut their doors.

We see that there is this stance. There are those within the Christian community who say they will not do what is being asked of them, just like the midwives in this passage. I believe that the Lord will bless that stance and those who say they will not comply. Many of you know that my wife is a nurse, and during her whole process of going through nursing school, one of the topics discussed was abortion. At this point, nurses have the ability to say, "I’m not going to be involved; I don’t want to do that." They are allowed to step away from that due to their religious beliefs. However, the Freedom of Choice Act will remove that ability. They will no longer be allowed to do that.

There has been an email, and some of you may have seen it, stating that President Obama is going to sign this into law on the 21st. It has not gone through the standard protocol through the legislature yet for him to sign.

It is expected that sometime in February or March, a new law will come to the President's desk, and he will sign it, as he has already stated he would. I find it very interesting that we have a new leader coming into power, just as we see in Exodus chapter 1, which is the Torah portion for this weekend. Jewish rabbis have said for many years that this portion aligns with what is happening in the world today.

Not only is a new leader coming into power, but he is issuing similar unrighteous decrees to those given by the Pharaoh in Egypt. This leader not only issued unrighteous decrees but also laid heavy burdens upon the children of Israel. He commanded them to continue making bricks and mortar, and he appointed taskmasters over them to enforce this labor. As we see in the later chapters of this passage, not only did they impose more work on the Israelites, but they also took away the straw needed to make the bricks, making life very difficult for the children of Israel as they lived in that foreign land.

One of the things I believe you will begin to see in our nation is an increasing distancing from the children of Israel, from the land of Israel, and from the Jewish people. We are already witnessing this very clearly. With this new administration, I think this trend will continue, just as we see in this passage.

As these unrighteous decrees and heavy burdens were placed upon the people, we also find in Exodus chapters 1 through 5 that the children of Israel began, for the first time, to cry out to God. This was a good thing. Amen? It is always a good thing to cry out to God. However, while they were in the land of Egypt, until this new leader arose who did not know Joseph or the history of the children of Israel, the Israelites had it pretty good. They multiplied greatly in the land, and everything seemed to be going well, so there was really no reason for them to call out to the Lord.

I don't know if you have noticed, but the Jewish people have had it relatively good in our land, in the nation of America. If you read through history, especially over the last 1,900 years since Israel was disbanded and the Jewish people were scattered, known as the diaspora, you will see that in every nation they went to, they faced persecution, violence, and were often forced out.

Whether it was the pogroms in Russia, the Inquisition in Spain, or simply reading through the last 1,900 years of history, it is evident that the children of Israel have been dealt harshly with wherever they went. However, until the founding of this great nation, there were many among the founding fathers who held a favorable view of the children of Israel. In fact, some believed that this land we now live in is the new Jerusalem, a new land for them to come to. As a result, they were given relatively favorable treatment and a safe haven in our nation.

If you look at the population of Jews in the world today, you will see that, as of 2008, the largest number of Jewish people outside of the land of Israel is in the United States of America. In fact, tonight, there are about six million Jews in the United States. Some in this room may even have Jewish blood or heritage. This number is significantly higher than in any other nation in the world, except for the land of Israel, which also has about six million Jews. The next closest country is Russia, with just about one million Jewish people. However, for the last 15 years, there has been a significant exodus from Russia to the land of Israel.

One of the ministries we have been connected with over the years is called For Zion's Sake. This ministry helps refugees coming from Russia and returning to the land of Israel. Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, there has been a large influx of people returning to Israel from Russia, and the 800,000 Jews remaining in Russia is quickly diminishing.

For some reason, most of the Jews living in America have found it quite good to stay here. It may not be immediately clear why, but many of their names are associated with some of the largest financial institutions in our nation. Additionally, most of the movies you see or that come out are produced by many Jewish families and groups that run Hollywood. Thus, Hollywood and the financial industry in America are largely influenced and held by Jews. Recently, however, we have seen many of those financial institutions facing significant problems. I don't know if you've noticed it.

There is a beginning resurgence of Jews leaving America to return to the land of Israel because they are given a great call from the land of Israel to come back. When they return, they receive favor from the government in Israel. There is a lot of financial prosperity taking place in various locations within the land of Israel. I believe that in the coming years, and particularly in this coming year, we will continue to see an exodus, similar to what we read about in the book of Exodus, of the children of Israel leaving our nation to return to the land of Israel.

Currently, there are six million Jews in America, the largest population outside of the land of Israel. However, I believe we will begin to witness a significant shift. The economy in America plays a role in this movement. I think it has initiated a trickle that will accelerate the return of people to the land. Additionally, I believe there is something else on the horizon that aligns with what we see in this passage from the book of Exodus: the perception of the people of Israel is going to shift in our nation. This shift is already starting. It began some time ago, but it will gain momentum as we see a new administration come into power, a new leader who does not remember Joseph and does not view the Jewish people as favorably as the previous administration did.

We are witnessing this change in light of the most recent war that began in the land of Israel 19 days ago. I don't know if you keep up with the news and are aware of what has been happening in the Gaza Strip. It was two years ago, in August 2006, on the 9th of Av—a very significant day in the history of Israel—when the children of Israel were instructed to leave the Gaza Strip. They left because they had been trying to give up land for peace. They were told that if they relinquished that land, they would achieve peace. Yet, ever since that point, thousands of rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel, as well as from southern Lebanon into Israel.

You may remember that around August and September of 2006, we witnessed a war between southern Lebanon and the nation of Israel due to thousands of Katusha rockets being fired into the Golan Heights, the northern portion of the nation.

Israel fought back, and there was a ceasefire for a period of time. UN peacekeeping troops were sent to southern Lebanon to ensure that hostilities did not resume. However, there have still been some rockets fired from Lebanon. Since then, tons of rockets have been launched from the Gaza Strip. Until just a couple of weeks ago, on the 27th of December, a Saturday, the children of Israel once again began sending airstrikes into the Gaza Strip. A week later, on the Sabbath, they deployed ground troops. We have seen that ground troops have entered the Gaza Strip to try to stop the barrage of rockets coming into their land, but those rockets continue to come.

As a result of this ongoing conflict, we are witnessing a shift in our nation that largely started in Europe. Europe has been saying for some time that every time Israel defends itself, they need to practice restraint. They argue that Israel should not act as it has been. However, Israel is defending itself. Just this week, if you saw President Bush's last news conference, he reiterated that Israel has the right to defend itself, and we support what they are doing. But I guarantee you, in about six days, that support is going to change. A new leader is coming into power, a new king, and he is bringing unrighteous decrees, particularly concerning issues like abortion. He is imposing heavy burdens on the children of Israel, telling them that they should not defend themselves in the way they have been.

I believe there are prophetic similarities to what is described in this passage in Exodus. As we see these prophetic events starting to unfold, the third point I mentioned was the cry of the children of Israel to God. As their only ally begins to pull away from them, they will have only one place to turn. This is a good thing. I want you to recognize that even if America withdraws its support from the nation of Israel, which I will discuss further in a moment, it may ultimately be beneficial for the children of Israel and for the coming of the Lord. If the United States withdraws its support, the children of Israel will have only one place to turn. We are their closest and biggest ally, and for many years, we have helped them and stood by their side as they defended themselves.

If you look at a map of the nation of Israel, you will see that it is very small.

In fact, you can drive from the northernmost tip of Israel to the southernmost tip of Israel in one day. They have a very small population; the Jewish population in the land of Israel is just over six million. If you look at that map and see who they are surrounded by, you'll notice that they are surrounded by neighbors who don't really like them very much. These neighbors do not stand upon the principle that we do: love your neighbor as yourself. That's not in the Quran, and they don't believe that scripture at all.

We know, and the Jewish people know, that this is the second greatest commandment in the law: love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. There they are, poised with about a billion enemies who do not like them. For a very long time, those enemies have been saying, "You need to give up portions of your land, and we'll give you peace." However, every single time they give up portions of the land, they receive no peace.

There is a group within that great number of enemies who say, "No, we don't just want you to give up pieces of your land. We want you to be pushed off into the Mediterranean Sea." They would like to wipe Israel off the map. In fact, one of the biggest proponents of this is a man by the name of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. You've probably heard his name; he is the president of Iran. He has had a lot of interesting things to say about both Israel and the United States. For the last several years, he has spoken at a conference called A World Without Israel, and he recently spoke at a conference called A World Without America.

Ahmadinejad is very intent upon bringing war to the West and destroying the land of Israel. He believes, from his view of the Quran and his interpretation of Islam, that by doing so, he will usher in the Messiah of Islam, known as the Mahdi. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad holds this view, and you've probably heard him speak. He spoke at the UN, and Columbia University opened its doors wide to him, saying, "Come on in and speak." Although Columbia University has said since the 60s that ROTC cannot come here, they allowed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak.

I find that puzzling. What I believe we will see, just as we see here in this book, is that we have a new ruler coming into power, a new leader who does not have the same view for the children of Israel. He is bringing with him unrighteous decrees for our own nation, but he is also bringing heavy burdens for the children of Israel.

Telling them they cannot defend themselves in the way that they do, I believe that you will see a cry of the children of Israel to God. As you see in the book of Exodus, God answered the cry of His people. What did God send to them? He sent them Moses. Moses is a type of the Messiah.

Remember what Moses told the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 18, verse 15. He promised them at the end of his life, just before he died, that the Lord thy God would raise up for them a prophet from the midst of them, of their brethren, like unto him. Moses said, "And unto him you shall hearken." Who is Moses speaking about? He is speaking about Jesus. He was prophesying about the coming of the Lord.

When the children of Israel were in a foreign land, in the land of Egypt, a leader rose up who did not know the children of Israel or did not look favorably upon them. This leader brought with him some unrighteous decrees and heavy burdens. The children of Israel called out to God, and God answered by sending a deliverer.

I believe that we are positioned in a very similar time, in a very similar situation. A new king is coming to power, bringing unrighteous decrees and heavy burdens. The children of Israel will be forced to call upon God because their strongest ally here upon the earth will withdraw their support. As they call upon God, He will hear, as He promised. He told them through the prophet Jeremiah, "Call to me and I will answer you."

God desires that His people, the children of Israel, would call unto Him. He still has a plan and a purpose for those people called the children of Israel, from Abraham. Just as Paul tells us in Romans chapter 9 and Romans chapter 11, God does have a plan for the children of Israel. He is waiting, seeking, and hoping for the time that they will call out to Him. I believe that we are seeing the beginnings of that.

As they cry out to God, God calls. God commissions and sends Moses, a type of the Messiah. But when that one begins to come, when the deliverer begins to come...

He comes, and what does he bring first? Before he delivers them out of the land of Egypt, what does Moses bring? Plagues. Ten plagues are spoken of. We're going to look at it a little bit, possibly next week, in Exodus chapters 6 through 12. We will see these plagues poured out on the land of Egypt, which is a type of the world. Pharaoh was the leader of the world.

Now, I'm not saying that Obama is going to end up being the leader of the world. But isn't it interesting that as he was elected on November 4th, hundreds of countries and nations in our world wrote in their papers the very next day, expressing excitement about the new president? In fact, there in Kenya, where Obama has family relations, they said that he is not just the president of the United States, but the president of the world. Did you know that now, in Kenya, the number one name given to children that are born is Barack? They look at and think about Barack Obama.

There are many in the world tonight who cheered when they saw him elected. When he went to Berlin, you remember that, and stood before the people of Berlin, he said that he was not just a citizen of the United States, but a citizen of the world. Very interesting things are taking place. I believe that you and I, when we see these things, should look up because our redemption draws near. I believe that the Lord is doing a great work and He is on the move.

But when He moves, He is first going to come with plagues upon Egypt, the world. Read through the book of Revelation; you will see that there are plagues mentioned. In fact, at the end of the book of Revelation, the Lord tells us that anyone who adds to or takes away the prophecies of this book will have the plagues of this book added to them. You see, the tribulation spoken of in the book of Revelation is called plagues.

Very interesting, because we see that a new king, just like in the book of Exodus, comes into power. He comes with unrighteous decrees and heavy burdens. He does not look favorably upon the children of Israel. The children of Israel lose their strong ally and cry out to the Lord, and the Lord answers by sending a deliverer who first brings plagues before He brings deliverance. Does anybody see the correlation to our days? The children of Israel, this week, as they go to the synagogue on Sabbath...

They will read from this very portion, Exodus chapters 1 through 5. For many years, rabbis have said that the portions read from the Torah mimic what is going on in the world. Here, we see these things coming to pass. I believe that God is on the move and that He is doing a work. We, as the body of Christ, need to take notice and see that He is doing a work.

Now, this also has implications for our nation. If you turn to Genesis chapter 12, we see a promise spoken to Abraham, the father of the nation of Israel, when God called him. This promise speaks to us. In Genesis chapter 12, we read in verse 1: "Now the Lord had said to Abram," which was his name before God changed it to Abraham, "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee. And I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing."

I will note this in verse 3: "I will bless them that bless you, and I will curse him that curses you. In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed." God called and chose this people, the children of Israel, in Genesis chapter 12. He says, "I want you to come and follow me, and I’m going to make you a great nation." Surely, God has made good on that promise as we sit here thousands of years later.

He also says to Abraham, "I will bless them that bless thee, and I will curse him who curses you." I don't believe that this is the only reason, but I think it is a reason why our nation has seen great blessing in its 232-year existence. We have looked favorably upon and blessed the nation of Israel, taking care of the people of Israel, the line from Abraham. As a result, I believe we have seen blessing.

This is not the only reason, but it is a reason. I also believe that, in just the same way, if we turn against the children of Israel, the nation of Israel, God's chosen people, we may face consequences.

If we will curse them, then God says, "I will what? I'll curse you." Now, I know that when I say that, no one here likes the sound of it. I also know that it would be politically incorrect to say such a thing. There have been several interesting books written in the last several years that show that every single time our nation has given a decree or any sort of policy ruling that was against Israel, we've suffered some sort of calamity immediately after. I have one in my office; I'll show it to you if you'd like to see it.

In fact, when we supported and pushed for the Land for Peace deal and called for them to get out of Gaza in 2006, what happened that very same week? Katrina. That's just one example of what has taken place. There's a long list of them if you look at this book and several others that are out. "I'll bless whom who blesses you, and I'll curse him who curses you. And in thee all the nations of the earth shall be blessed."

Now, that blessing ultimately comes through Jesus Christ. I believe that you and I, who are in Christ, receive a blessing because of the work that He has done. However, there is a curse spoken to those who will turn against and curse God's people, the ones He chose.

You may ask, "Why did God choose the children of Israel? They're not perfect." And you're right; they're not. As we look tonight at the land of Israel and the people of Israel, you will see a people who are largely secular, who have not believed in the Messiah, who have rejected Jesus Christ, and who have turned their back on God in many ways. In fact, the nation with the highest per capita number of atheists has been said to be the land of Israel. Very interesting.

You might wonder, "How could God possibly look upon them favorably? How could God love them and tend to them in such a way?" Well, He answers that question for us in Deuteronomy chapter 7. He tells the children of Israel there, "I didn't call you. I didn't choose you because you were more in number than all the other nations; you were the least. You were nothing. I didn't choose you because you were so great and so wonderful. I chose you because I loved you," is what God said.

So tonight, God still looks favorably upon the children of Israel, the children of Abraham, even though they have departed from Him, because at one point, many of them will turn back to Him.

You read the book of Revelation, and you'll see that there will be a large group of the children of Israel, those who are children of Abraham by blood, not just by faith like you and I are. They will turn to the Lord once again, but this will happen when the rest of the world turns against them completely. Until this point, they have had a very strong and great ally in our nation, the United States of America. However, there is a shift that is taking place, and we need to recognize it.

God says, "I'll bless him who blesses you, and I'll curse him who curses you." When we look at the prophetic passages of Scripture, I don't believe that we see the United States of America in those passages. I don't fully know what that means or what it might take to bring that about, that we would not support the land of Israel. In fact, when you read in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39, there is going to come a great war when many nations gather together and come against the children of Israel in the land of Israel. There will be nobody that stands with them, but the Lord will defend His people, as He promises.

The list given to us in Ezekiel chapter 38 is very interesting. How many of you have read and looked through Ezekiel 38 before, where we read of Gog and Magog? When you read of Gog and Magog, you see several different nations mentioned, and one of those nations is called Persia, which until 1913 was its name, but now it is called Iran. Many Bible scholars believe that Gog and Magog refer to Russia. There are many connections to that through the Scythian people, and you can do a lot of different studies on them to find out who they are.

We are seeing in our day that the nation of Russia, associated with Gog and Magog, is making treaties and arms deals with Iran. In fact, this is really the first time in 2,500 years since Ezekiel spoke that prophecy that we are seeing these things come to pass. When the prophet Ezekiel lists those names and nations, he speaks of nations that are predominantly radical Islamic nations. We see that radical Islam has come back to the forefront in our day, and we observe that Russia is building arms deals and treaties with them. There are also some very interesting things happening in Russia as well.

It was in 1989 that we saw the fall of the Iron Curtain and the fall of the Berlin Wall.

We saw that Russia, in large part, seemed to be dead. Communism had died. Yet now, there in Russia, we see a great possibility. Many Russian politicians believe that one by the name of Vladimir Putin may be seeking to come back into power as president, even this year. Just at the end of 2008, a couple of weeks ago, the president of Russia, Medvedev, signed into law a new term limit for the president of Russia. It is believed by many in Russia that this year, Medvedev will step down from being president, and the prime minister, Vladimir Putin, will step back into power with new term limits of six years per term. He could stay in power until after 2020.

This situation is very interesting because Putin was the head of the KGB for a period of time, and it is clear that he has global ambitions. He is not just interested in Russia. As we see these things coming to pass, there is a lot going on in Iran, in Russia, in the Gaza Strip, and surrounding the nation of Israel, in Syria, and in Lebanon. All these events lead us to wonder: could we be approaching the time that Ezekiel talks about?

One of the things that Bible scholars have looked at with wonder for a number of years is the list of nations that came against Israel in Ezekiel chapter 38. Babylon was not mentioned. Babylon was one of their number one enemies for a very long time, and people wondered why it was not mentioned. Tonight, we could probably answer with a definitive yes as to why. Babylon, the nation of Iraq, which used to be against the land of Israel, is not an enemy tonight because of the very work that our nation has done there in the last several years.

We do see in the book of Revelation that Babylon will become a major player again. I believe that the nation we call Iraq today is very likely going to become a major player, with all of its oil riches and the money coming in from the biggest nations of the world to rebuild it. However, in Ezekiel 38, they are not mentioned as a nation that comes against the land of Israel. But Iran, Russia, and many other Islamic nations are.

Tonight, as we sit here, Israel is planning attacks on Iran. This has been something they have been discussing for quite some time now.

I just printed out this article this afternoon. It was from January 12th, just a couple of days ago. The time clock has run out. Israel is ready to strike Iran, and there are some who believe Israel has even said they will strike Iran before the inauguration. I don't know; the next six days could be very interesting.

Why would they strike the Gaza Strip if they're going to strike Iran? It seems like that would be kind of splitting up their military. They need to have a handle on the Gaza Strip before they strike Iran because where is their number one problem going to come from if they strike at Iran from the Gaza Strip? In the last two weeks, specifically the last 19 days, Israel has moved in and positioned themselves to ensure they don't have any problems when they strike Iran, if they strike Iran. However, they also have enemies on their northern border in Lebanon and Syria.

Another interesting article that came out this morning, actually just seven hours ago, reported that rockets hit Israel from Lebanon. There have been rockets being shot into Israel from southern Lebanon. Today, another article that came out just six hours ago stated that Israel sent automated telephone calls to all those living in southern Lebanon, telling them not to fire rockets because if they do, Israel will strike back. Israel has said that if they are struck by their neighbors, their first strike will be at Damascus, Syria.

This is interesting because in Isaiah chapter 17, we are told that Damascus will be a ruinous heap. If you do even a short study on the city of Damascus, the capital city of Syria, you will see that it tops the list of the longest inhabited cities without destruction. It has never been completely destroyed, and yet God prophesied in Isaiah chapter 17 that Damascus will be a ruinous heap.

All I can say is that God has given a lot of prophecy to you and me, and we are seeing the chess pieces positioned for all of those things to come to pass as we sit here tonight. I believe that God is most certainly on the move, and He desires for you and me to take notice.

If you would, turn back in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 24, a passage that we've looked at many times before. There, in Matthew chapter 24, Jesus speaks to His disciples about the end of the age and His return.

He says to his disciples, as they show him the temple and all the buildings of the temple, "Do you see not all these things?" In Matthew 24, verse 2, he continues, "Verily I tell you the truth, that they shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down," speaking of the temple there in Jerusalem.

He went and sat on the Mount of Olives, and his disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of your coming and of the end of the world?" Jesus answered and said unto them, "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and shall deceive many."

He warned, "And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that your heart is not troubled, for these must come to pass, but the end is not yet." Have you heard of any wars and rumors of wars? Nations shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There shall be famines and pestilences. Have you heard of famines anywhere? Lack of food? How about pestilences, plagues, or what we now call pandemics?

If you talk with any law enforcement in our county or any medical professionals, they will tell you that our government is preparing them for pandemics and pestilence. They are very concerned about bird flu and many other things. Eric will tell you he has worked with a lot of these groups. I know my wife and some of her nursing classes discuss pandemics and pestilences frequently.

Jesus says, "You're going to hear of pestilences and earthquakes in diverse places." Did any of you feel that earthquake last week? I was sitting in my living room, working on something on my computer when that earthquake came. Nation rising against nation, famines, pestilences, earthquakes—these are the beginning of sorrows.

I don't believe that these things are the signs, but there is a quickening pace of these events until the Lord comes. Then they shall deliver you to be afflicted, and they shall kill you, and you shall be hated of all nations for my namesake. Have you seen persecution of Christians? We don't see it so much here in our nation, but let me tell you, persecution of Christians is happening, and I believe it will come to our nation. We're going to see it.

In fact, in August of last year, our leaders in Washington signed or passed a hate speech law, but it was withheld.

From the president's desk, President Bush didn't have an opportunity to sign it, but President-elect Obama has said he will sign it. We'll talk a little bit more about what that will mean for us as the church and as the body of Christ when it's passed. It is very clear that the hate speech mentioned in this sort of legislation is directed at the church and what it has to say about sin, especially regarding homosexuality.

But they will kill you. They will afflict you and persecute you for My name's sake. Many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and deceive many because iniquity will abound, and the love of many will wax cold. Have you seen love for the neighbor in our day just kind of waning? But he that endures to the end shall be saved. What a great promise! I desire to endure and to stand strong.

And you know how we stand strong? In the Lord. He is our strength. Amen? He has given us the armor of the Lord, as we see in Ephesians chapter 6, so that we may be able to stand.

Notice what Jesus says here in verse 14: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come." Remember, they asked Him for a sign, and He says, "Then shall the end come." In verse 15, He continues, "When you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place, he who reads, let him understand."

We've talked about this before—the abomination of desolation. The children of Israel, when Jesus spoke this, believed that it had already happened. In 168 BC, Antiochus Epiphanes, a wicked king from Syria, came in and desecrated the temple. The children of Israel in Jesus' day thought that it had already come to pass. Josephus, the Jewish historian, makes that very clear.

But Jesus says, "No, that was just a type. That was just a foreshadowing. There is going to come one who will desecrate the temple." You might say there is no temple in Israel. You're right, but there is going to be one. I guarantee there will be a third temple. Until May 14th, 1948, there was no large Jewish presence in the land of Israel, but now there is. Until June 6th, 1967, there was no major Jewish presence in the city of Jerusalem, but now there is. As we looked at several weeks ago,

Daniel the prophet speaks of in Daniel chapter 9, and he says that there will be 70 weeks determined for the children of Israel. He mentions a seven times seven, 49-year period. If you take 49 years from June 6th, 1967, it brings us until Yom Kippur 2015. I don't know; it's very interesting. Maybe it's just a coincidence, right? But then the rabbis say coincidence isn't kosher.

When you therefore see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place, there has to be a temple. There also has to be this one who stands up as a leader, proclaiming himself to be God, standing there as well. Then, he says in verse 16, "Let them which be in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house. Neither let him that is in the field return back to take his clothes. Woe unto them that are with children and to them that give suck in those days. But pray that your flight be not in winter, neither on the Sabbath day."

For then shall great tribulation come, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, nor ever shall be. Except those days be shortened, meaning that it will be for a very short period of time, there should no flesh be saved. But for the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened.

Then, if any man shall say unto you, "Lo, here is Christ," or "There," believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and they shall show great signs and wonders, so much that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you beforehand, Jesus says. You see, God wants us to know what's going to come down, what's going to come to pass. He doesn't want us to be ignorant of these things. He wants us to see and understand.

Behold, I have told you before; wherefore, if they shall say unto you, "Behold, he is in the desert," do not go forth. Or, "Behold, he is in the secret chambers," believe it not. For as the lightning comes out of the east and shines even unto the west, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be. When he comes, every eye shall see, is basically what we're told here. For wheresoever the carcass is, there the eagles or the birds will be gathered together.

Then, in verse 29, immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened and the moon...

Shall not give her light. The stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be shaken. Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. All the tribes of the earth, or all the nations of the earth, shall mourn. They shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. He shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four corners, or four winds, of the earth, from one end of heaven to the other.

Then he says in verse 32, "Now learn the parable of the fig tree. When his branch is yet tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So likewise, when you shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the door." Truly, I say that this generation shall not pass till these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass.

In context, when Jesus speaks about the fig tree here, it's talking about all these signs that we see in this passage. However, another view, which I think is equally as important, is that oftentimes in Scripture, Israel is associated with the fig tree. There have been many within the body of Christ for a number of years, since Israel became a nation once again on May 14, 1948, who have said this generation will not pass away. As the generation gets older and older, they keep spreading it out a little bit. They say, "Well, then it was in June of '67 when they took Jerusalem that that starts."

But listen, Israel is in the land, and they're talking about building a temple. There is going to be more of a push for them to build that temple among their own people. We are seeing in our day that the nations of the world are turning against the people of Israel, God's people, the children of Israel. Just as the prophets foretold, Jerusalem has become a cup of trembling, this small city. Not just Jerusalem, but most specifically this 40-acre piece of land called the Temple Mount has, in our days, just as the prophets foretold, become a cup of trembling to the whole world. All eyes are on Jerusalem, and everybody's wondering what's going to happen.

Just as we see here in Exodus chapter 1, a king, a new ruler, is coming to power. A new ruler with unrighteous decrees and heavy burdens.

A new ruler does not look favorably upon the children of Israel. I believe that we will see a new kind of exodus as more and more of the six million Jews in America begin to return to their homeland, back to the land of Israel. As their allies turn against them, I believe they will once again begin to call upon the name of the Lord. As they do, God will hear from heaven and send His deliverer, who comes with plagues before deliverance. He will come.

As the body of Christ, what should be our position? What should be our posture in all of this? Just as we see at the end of Revelation, we say, "Come, Lord Jesus, come." The word is Maranatha. We look forward to His soon return. Jesus says, "When you begin to see these things, look up because your redemption draws nigh." I believe that the Lord is going to return, and I believe it will happen in our lifetime. I sincerely believe it.

I'm not going to set dates for you at all because I don't think that we are supposed to do that, nor do I have a clue when it will happen. However, we are told to take note of the times and the seasons. We are told to be watchful, to look around and see. In verse 36 of Matthew 24, it says, "But of that day and hour no man knows, no, not the angels in heaven, but my Father only."

As in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of Man. For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark. They knew not until the flood came and took them all away, and so shall also be the coming of the Son of Man.

Then there shall be two in the field; one shall be taken and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; one shall be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, church, for you know not what hour your Lord does come. But know this: if the good man of the house had known in what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and would not have suffered his house to be broken into.

In 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, it says that the Lord will come like a thief in the night, but not for those who are watchful. Here it says, "If the good man knew when the Lord was coming, he would watch so that he wasn't taken by surprise by the thief." We, as the body of Christ, need to open our eyes and watch.

Paul told the church at Thessalonica that we are to walk circumspectly, understanding the time because the days are evil. Church, open your eyes and open your ears. God is speaking, and He wants us to know that He is on the move. He will come with ten thousands of His saints. That's you; that's me. He is going to come.

Now, we are living in a day when a lot of people within the body of Christ have become very liberal. They don't believe in the inspired Word of God any longer. They don't believe that this is infallible and true, and they have become the sleeping church. They have become that church that we read of in Revelation and the letters to the churches that is lukewarm. They have become that church that is dead, and they will be taken like a thief in the night. Far be it from us that we not be aware of what is happening. Amen?

Let's stand and pray. Father, I do thank You for Your Word that is truth. I thank You that You did not want us to be ignorant of these things, that You want us to know what is going on. Lord, help us to open our eyes and to read Your Word with understanding. Just as You told Daniel that the words of this book would be sealed up until knowledge would be increased, we recognize that we are living in a day when we see knowledge doubled every 18 months.

Lord, we know that this is a time when knowledge is increased, and You have opened this book that we would understand. God, I pray that we would read with understanding as You teach us by Your Spirit. And Lord, that we would be watchful and that we would be ready. But Lord, not only that, that we would preach this gospel of the kingdom. Though people tell us to keep our mouths shut, we would be bold in our proclamation of the truth.

So I pray tonight that You would give this church, myself included, boldness to speak the truth wherever we are. For we ask it in Your name. Amen.