This is Daniel Whyte III with the Second Coming Watch Update. This is update #959. Let’s take a quick look at today’s prophecy-related headlines which point towards the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and the end of the world as we know it.
First, today, under the Sign category of TURMOIL IN THE MIDDLE EAST — According to Ynet News, Syrian air defenses were activated in the capital Damascus and its southern suburbs Sunday night to repel an Israeli missile attack. State TV quoted an unnamed military official as saying that most of the Israeli missiles, which originated from the Golan Heights, were shot down before reaching their targets near Damascus. An Israeli military spokesman declined comment when asked about the report. There was no word on casualties. In a briefing to supporters of his party, Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Israel was taking action “almost weekly” to prevent Iranian entrenchment in Syria.
Second, today, under the Sign category of FAMINES — According to Deutsche Welle, in December 2019, locusts started swarming into Kenya triggering the worst outbreak the country has experienced in 70 years. Various parts of Kenya were then hit by a second wave of the voracious insects last November. Now, a new generation of pests is breeding and hatching, threatening farmers who are still reeling from the previous swarms as well as years of droughts and floods. Kelvin Shingles, Kenya Country Director for German Agro Action, an aid organization, said in a press release, “We expect the worst if the young hatch in March and April.” Livestock farmers, who now lack feed for their stock, are particularly hard hit, according to the organization. Without feed for their livestock, they lack “vital income from sales of milk and meat.” Kenyan authorities have sprayed pesticides on thousands of hectares of land but it’s difficult to get rid of the locusts from one day to the next. Keith Cressman, senior locust forecaster at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, said, “It’s not like a fire that you can put out quickly in a couple of days. It takes months and months, perhaps even years, to bring it under control.”
Third, today, under the Sign category of WARS & RUMOURS OF WARS — According to the Times of Israel, The Israel Defense Forces does not anticipate the outbreak of a large-scale war in the coming year, but does expect that Hezbollah and other terror groups will likely initiate more limited rounds of violence. In recent months, the Israeli military has come to believe Hezbollah is increasingly emboldened and is operating under the assumption that it can launch attacks on IDF targets without this leading to full-scale war, as it previously assessed. This change in the terror group’s assumptions were on display last week when Hezbollah fired anti-aircraft missiles at an Israeli drone flying above southern Lebanon. Those surface-to-air missiles missed their target, and the IDF refrained from retaliating. Had the attack succeeded, however, the military was prepared to retaliate significantly, potentially leading to a multi-day conflict, something Hezbollah must have known before opening fire.
Fourth, today, under the Sign category of RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF ISRAEL — According to the Jerusalem Post, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have discussed expanding cooperation in facing common enemies. An Israeli official familiar with the matter said the matter is being “informally discussed.” All four believe a nuclear Iran would be a major threat and have been eyeing the Biden administration’s plan to rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal with concern. The remarks came following an article by World Jewish Congress president Ron Lauder in Arab News calling for a “NATO of the Middle East.” The Prime Minister’s Office in Israel said it was “not confirming the report, but we are always interested in upgrading ties with our Middle East partners.”
Fifth, today, under the Sign category of WARS & RUMOURS OF WARS — According to SpaceWar.com, according to a new report from The National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, the U.S. federal government is not prepared to address threats posed by the increased adoption of artificial intelligence. The report recommends that the United States invest $40 billion in AI research to keep up with adversaries including China and Russia in the AI field, and set a goal of becoming ‘AI-ready’ by 2025. The report says, “This is not a time for abstract criticism of industrial policy or fears of deficit spending to stand in the way of progress. In 1956, President Dwight Eisenhower, a fiscally conservative Republican, worked with a Democratic Congress to commit $10 billion to build the Interstate Highway System. That is $96 billion in today’s world. Surely we can make a similar investment in the nation’s future.” The report argues that the United States is currently ahead, falling behind in guarding against the increased use of foreign powers to spread disinformation online and launch cyberattacks.
——–
The prophetic passage of Scripture that we are looking at today is Ezekiel 38-39.
Ezekiel 38:1-4 which reads: “And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:”
Allow me to share with you some commentary on this passage from Exploring Bible Prophecy from Genesis to Revelation, by Tim LaHaye and Ed Hindson.
In terms of the future, the reason this concern needs to be addressed is that before Israel will inherit these promises and experience the restoration and the millennial temple, it will go through the Tribulation. During the first half of the Tribulation Israel will see the rebuilding of the temple and probably experience a time of national revival and regathering of Jews from among the nations. If the temple is rebuilt through the covenant made with the Antichrist, who will be a global Gentile ruler, Israel may indeed experience an unparalleled period of international Gentile respect. Since these conditions would appear to fulfill the restoration expectations of the prophets, many Jews will undoubtedly be deceived into believing that the era of redemption has finally arrived. However, at the midpoint of the Tribulation, the temple will be desecrated and the Jewish people persecuted, ending the illusion of restoration. Therefore, before they come to this time of trouble in which all the promises of God could be called into question, thus rendering the Jewish remnant susceptible to the worldwide delusion by the Antichrist and his false prophet, God will leave His people with a lesson confirming His power and purpose.
If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at the prophetic passages of the Bible in our next broadcast / podcast.
Our Second Coming quote for today is from Anne Graham Lotz. She said, “There is no greater cure for hypocrisy than to live in the light of the second coming of Christ.”
Let’s Pray
***
If you are not ready for the return of Jesus Christ, may I encourage you to get ready today by receiving Him as your Savior. Here is how.
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here is the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will. Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Keep looking up for your redemption draweth nigh. Let us join in the prayer of John the Revelator — “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” God bless you.
Second Coming Watch Update 