The Last Days – The 50th Year Begins

Many Christians now realize that we live in the Last Days. It’s a reluctant acknowledgement because no one really wants to go through the horrors that await us. We shy away from contemplating the wholesale destruction of our civilization, but it comes, no matter how we feel about it.

However, those of you who have come to the realization that we live in the last days must now think more carefully about WHERE we are in the Last Days. So many lies have been preached that it’s hard to even SEE the Last Days at all.

So, where ARE we in the Last Days?

The 50th year. It begins on Tuesday.

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The Last Days – The 50th Year Begins

I am perplexed by willful ignorance. I shouldn’t be, because I’ve been ‘willfully ignorant’ myself too many times in the past. And, I may even now have some lasting vestige of willful ignorance. (I so truly hope not!)

I guess that our life in Christ is one long struggle against such willful ignorance. That’s a thought that never quite occurred to me in that way, until just now.

May God help us as we struggle to see what we do not wish to see.

And, I say that to myself, more than to you.

However, there is one bit of willful ignorance that I have never needed to struggle very much with, and it surrounds these prophetic words of Jesus Christ:

And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

 – Luke 21:24

Reality Just IS

I have never understood why that verse is so difficult to understand. But, over the last few years, I have come to realize that the fear of living in the Last Days is so great, that people will change even their concept of reality to avoid believing that they are living in that moment in time.

I’ve always been fascinated by the ability for people to deceive themselves, so I’m not surprised when I see this in Christians. Unfortunately, it’s also a very fleshly and worldly condition, and far too many Christians have fallen prey to their own desires for a good life and pleasant living. They want a bright and ever brighter future, for themselves and their children, and they have forced themselves to believe that what they want is real.

But, as they say:

If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

Unfortunately, reality is not interested in what we want. Reality just is. Trying to remake reality into something more pleasing will only end in tears for you – as well as everyone that you love.

Trying to wish away the reality of these Last Days will not end well for anyone.

So, what is this ‘reality’ that I want everyone to pay attention to?

The Last Days

It starts with an understanding of what the Last Days really are all about. It is the penultimate (aka, second-to-last) struggle between God and Satan. (The Ultimate struggle will be at the end of the Millennium.) Three chapters in the New Testament give us the words of Jesus about what would happen in the Last Days:

Matthew 24

Mark 13

Luke 21

(John does not appear to give an account the discussion found in the above three chapters.)

You MUST Start With Jesus

In fact, I would argue that ANY discussion of ‘Eschatology’ MUST begin with those three chapters. After all, they are the words of Jesus, and Jesus is the foundation of our faith – as well as our hope for eternal life. To start anywhere else… well …I would have to wonder at your sincerity.

Do you REALLY want to know the truth?

If so, then start with Jesus. Everything else – and everyone else – is secondary. Jesus is our foundation. He is our Rock, the Chief Cornerstone. To start anywhere else, is to show a lack of understanding of who Jesus is.

Matthew 24

Unfortunately, Matthew 24 doesn’t quite relate a beginning point for the Last Days. It appears to me that the beginning of the Last Days starts with verse five and goes through to verse eight, where it says:

All these are the beginning of sorrows.

 – Matthew 24:8

But, the list that begins in verse five, is a bit ‘fuzzy’. There have been lots of those things over the past two thousand years. The only change that I can see is one of intensity. Since I have a compulsion for ‘specificity’, let’s turn to our next chapter to see if I can find what I’m looking for.

Mark 13

Unfortunately for us, Mark 13 pretty much says the same thing as Matthew 24. However, BOTH Matthew and Mark give us something quite specific and valuable:

The length of time for the Last Days

I’ll choose Mark to make the point:

So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.

Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.

 – Mark 13:29-30

So, from the time that we see the beginning of the Last Days, that generation will not pass. Of course, THAT makes me want to know even MORE when the Last Days begins, because it gives me an idea of how FAR we are into the Last Days. After all, a ‘generation’ is not very long.

This is where Luke helps us out.

Luke 21

I don’t quite know why Luke’s account brings in other details than the previous two. Speculation might point to the fact that he was a physician, possibly providing us with a clue to his interest in different details. Although, I’m not sure that it matters.

What matters is that he gives us the precise moment in time when the Last Days begin. And he does it with a verse that is exactly one thousand, eight hundred and ninety seven years long. But, before I go into that verse, let’s examine the chapter a bit.

In all three discussions of the Last Days, they begin with the awe that the disciples have over Jerusalem and the Temple. Jesus quickly drowns that awe in the bad news of the Fall of Jerusalem that would later happen in AD 70. Matthew and Mark move quickly past the destruction of Jerusalem and to the Last Days, but Luke spends time writing down what Jesus said about the destruction of Jerusalem.

I believe that people have tripped over that difference, with some going so far as to say that the Tribulation has already passed. That’s incredibly foolish. Even though the Great Tribulation will be the worst moment in human history, it still follows a familiar pattern. You can see that pattern in all the lesser tribulations that we have experienced for thousands of years.

Words That Are 1897 Years LONG

So, from verse eight to the first part of verse 24, Jesus appears to be speaking of the period of time up to the destruction of Jerusalem and then afterwards. The dividing line is verse 24:

And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

 – Luke 21:24

Verse 24 is a very interesting verse with intense historical significance. The part where it says…

And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations:

…THAT happened in February of AD 70.

The part that is 1897 years long, is this part:

…and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles

The Word ‘UNTIL’

But, wait…

…How do I know that it is 1897 years long?

Because of this one word:

until…

Okay, so you’re probably confused.

Why would the word ‘until’ be so definitive?

The word ‘until’ always describes an ‘end point’.

Your employer will deposit money into your bank account UNTIL you stop working.

You might give your kids an allowance UNTIL they reach the age where they can work on their own.

You will live UNTIL you die.

Era Of The Gentiles Fulfilled

The word, UNTIL, is used to describe a point in which the Gentiles will NO LONGER control Jerusalem. Unfortunately, lots of people do not like the words that follow that word, UNTIL:

the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

They make all kinds of excuses for why the times of the Gentiles cannot have been fulfilled. I am a ‘Gentile’ myself, and the idea that ‘our’ time is over… well …it’s unsettling. I don’t particularly like that idea.

However, when you read the Bible, you see Peter bringing in the Gentiles. There’s a sense of this being a really big and new thing… the Gentiles coming in.

But, was it a complete end of the Jews?

No. In fact, throughout the last two thousand years, there have always been Jews entering the church. And, in the beginning, the Jews outnumbered Gentiles in the church, for many years. Only over time did the Jews become a minority.

Israeli Jews Coming To Christ

And, I can tell you from experience that the Jews are coming back to Christ. I consider my home church to be in Jerusalem, Jerusalem Assembly, and the numbers of Jews in the Body of Christ are increasing dramatically.

In the ’70s and even ’80s, you could put all the born-in-Israel-born-again Jewish Christians all together in one rather small room. Now, they number in the thousands.

Jerusalem Is The Sign

But, for me, that’s not the biggest sign.

What’s the biggest sign?

Jerusalem.

On June 7th, 1967, the Jewish people captured the old city of Jerusalem. Weeks later, the government of Israel made it official, but I believe that the central moment was when the Israeli flag was flown from the spire of the Dome of the Rock.

I ran across a picture of that flag over the Dome of the Rock many years ago, and I have been interested in getting another copy of it. In fact, just now, I spent HOURS looking for an electronic version of it. Eventually, I’ll find a copy.

Oh, and we have confirmation that an Israeli flag DID fly from the spire of the Dome of the Rock, because we have a record of Moshe Dayan ordering it to be taken down.

Israel Does NOT Want A Temple

The ordering of the flag being taken down was also iconic for a different reason. It wasn’t a concession of sovereignty. It was a statement of what kind of state Israel was and still is. Even though Israel claims to be a Jewish state, it is not a religiously Jewish state.

Most Gentiles do not understand this, because they think that all Jews are the same and that everyone in Israel is religious. That could not be further from the truth. Until the Likud party won their first election in 1977 (as a result of the debacle of the Yom Kippur War), the Labor Party had been in power, and they DID NOT WANT A TEMPLE. And, even though most Israelis believe that there IS a God, they are far from wanting a Temple.

At the moment, only a fringe movement is attempting to get a ‘Third Temple’ built. In my 15 years in Israel, I do not recall meeting anyone who wanted this fringe group to succeed.

So, the reason why there is not a ‘Third Temple’ is that Israelis don’t want one, don’t trust any of the groups that want to build one, or don’t wish to pay the political price for getting one built.

That’s a far cry from Israel – the Jewish State – not being in control of the Temple Mount, or the rest of Jerusalem.

Remember that Jesus was speaking of Jerusalem, NOT a third temple.

Oh, and how do we know that the Jews control ALL of Jerusalem?

Well, I’ve been talking about this for a while, and you see me repeat myself all over this site. So, why don’t I just quote myself:

Quote From: ISRAEL – The Truth

from:

http://www.omegashock.com/2016/04/01/israel-the-truth/

I’ve lived a very long time in Jerusalem. The city of Jerusalem is under COMPLETE control by the Jewish people. For those of you not so sure, let me ask you this:

How do we know when someone is in control of something, in this day and age?

Law.

When you break the law in America, you go to an American court and you are penalized under American law. When I break the law here in Taipei, I go to a Taiwanese court and am penalized under Taiwanese law.

What happens when you break the law in any part of Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount?

You go to an Israeli court, and you are penalized under Israeli law.

Here, let me emphasize this a bit with a picture:

Who rules over the Temple Mount of Jerusalem?

Israeli police officers walk in front of the Dome of the Rock, on the Temple Mount.
March 17, 2010. (photo by REUTERS/Baz Ratner)

Those are Israeli policemen.

Does that give you an idea as to WHO rules over the Temple Mount, and the law that prevails over it?

Yeah. It’s Israeli law, applied in Israeli courts. If you violate the law of Israel on the Temple Mount, you pay an Israeli fine or go to an Israeli jail.

Is there anyone ELSE who governs the Temple Mount?

No. Of course not. Otherwise, the Palestinians wouldn’t be nearly as desperate as they are now, to get control of that place.

However, please understand that Jesus specifically made the connection to Jerusalem, and I find that the be particularly significant. He was saying that Jerusalem was the key, not the Temple.

(http://www.omegashock.com/2013/08/07/jerusalem-is-the-key/)

Okay, all of that should tell you that Jerusalem is no longer being ‘trodden down of the Gentiles’.

If you’re still having trouble with the idea, look at the articles connected here:

http://www.omegashock.com/tag/luke-2124/

Israel – THE TRUTH

By the way, before raising the multitude of objections about Israel …being a part of the Last Days… A sign of the Last Days… or anything else having to do with Israel, please check out the following first:

http://www.omegashock.com/2016/04/01/israel-the-truth/

That should answer MOST of your objections. If you think that the above doesn’t cover it, feel free to leave a question or comment.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled article…

It’s All So Very Simple

I’m almost 2300 words into this article, so maybe I should cut to the chase and get to the main point. So, here it is:

The Last Days started 49 years ago, and we are now entering the 50th Year.

Jesus gave you everything that you needed to know about the beginning of the Last Days. In fact, throughout His ministry on this Earth, Jesus kept things direct, to the point and very simple. You don’t need a Th.D. to get this. You don’t need years of experience being a Christian.

All that you need, is to see that the Gentiles do NOT control Jerusalem.

(and, THEY DON’T!)

Once you see that, you know how far we are into the Last Days and – since you know that the Last Days are only a generation long – you know that the end of the Last Days is getting close.

It’s really THAT simple.

The 50th Year

Then, there’s this thing about the 50th year. The Year of Jubilee (or Yuval) is always the 50th year. I’m not into numerology, so I’m not making a big deal about the number 50. But, if the 50th year of anything is important…

Does it mean that the 50th Year of the Last Days is important?

or:

Is this that final bit of rest (or, Jubilee) before everything falls apart?

I don’t know, but events in the world that appear to be accelerating. And, that makes me begin to think that this 50th year of the Last Days is important. Here is a list of just a few important events, right off the top of my head:

  • Economic and financial collapse is imminent.
  • Conditions for the coming of Gog and Magog – along with Ezekiel’s Fire – are building.
  • Sin and degradation are exploding.
  • The world has gone mad over insane ‘isms’ – multiculturalism, transgenderism, transhumanism, socialism – along with a host of insanities.
  • Anti-Semitism is exploding everywhere, especially in the United States.
  • Matthew 24:7 is being fulfilled before our eyes, right now, in Europe – and soon… the US.
  • We have passed the peak in oil production.
  • Cheap and easy genetic engineering directly threatens the human genome more and more every year.
  • Nuclear Weapons are spreading to rogue nations.
  • Threats of war increase every day.

I could go on, but…

…do I need to?

The Bottom Line

Here’s what you must do. You MUST understand that…

…the Last Days began a long time ago, exactly 49 years ago.

…Jerusalem is at the center of all of this.

…the situation WILL NOT GET BETTER. It’s all downhill from here.

…you have a job to do.

We were chosen to live at this moment in time, to serve God at this time. It’s the final act, and we all have our parts to play.

Are you going to get to work, serving God?

or…

Are you going to sit on your hands?

It’s almost too late for you to decide to serve God. Almost.

Decide.

Now.

 

I truly hope that you’ll be ready for this
(That’s a link. Click it for a discussion on preparation.)

A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.Proverbs 22:3

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If you find a flaw in my reasoning, have a question, or wish to add your own viewpoint, leave a comment on the website. Your input is truly welcome.

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