‘In the Bible Jesus talked about people being light. In fact he called his followers [disciples] to be light to the world and even called Himself, "the light of the world". Those who chose to follow him [by obeying His commands] were to bring the world’s attention to Him and not to themselves. Other people looking at them, were not to see what they were like, but what He was like through them.

In the previous verse, disciples of Christ are called "the salt of the earth". And then we read: "But if the salt looses its saltiness - in other words, if it ceases to act as a preservative to help keep society from becoming more and more immoral and corrupt - how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men". (Matt. 5: 13). What a sobering thought that is! Disciples of Christ loosing their Christ-like quality!: and if a remedy for this backsliding (repentance), cannot be found before the rapture or the tribulation, they will not be "able to escape" (Luke 21: 36). I will it do no good then to cry: "I’m a follower of Jesus", "Get me out of here?"

How easy to go along with the majority by acting and believing as they do; and not having any thoughts about those whom Jesus calls His "little flock"! What a peculiar adjective to use when we think of the countless millions of saved people over the centuries! On the other hand, it is much more difficult to stand up for the truth, particularly when the beliefs of others are contrary to ours, and we are not "in the limelight" or "enjoying the buzz of praise and adulation". In such circumstances, we need God’s help to enable us to (1) stand firm when we recognise these particular dangers and (2) have the courage and desire to humbly point them out to others; and (3) most importantly, we need the wisdom to know how to be able to deal with these dangers in a Christ-like way.

Will the "celebrities" and "entertainers" in our Christian gatherings today, be amongst the "little flock" in the age to come? Will they be able to escape unscathed the coming judgement and Tribulation by crying unto their Lord: "Get me out of here"? Not according to my Bible. - Ed.]

Ample information is given in the Word of God to provide a clear, concise answer to the preceding. "What time is it?" The answer which Scripture provides reveals beyond any shadow of a doubt that it is much later than many care to think or admit. The return of the Lord to remove His Church* into the heavens and following events comprising the Tribulation upon the earth (which immediately precede Christ's return to the earth) are just around the corner. "Time" before these events begin to unfold could be counted in hours, or days, or weeks, or months, or even possibly a few years. To think of this "time" though as even approaching a century, much less a millennium, is completely out of line with Scripture.

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and Sadducees during the time He was on earth over nineteen hundred years ago for not being able to discern "the signs of the times" (Matt. 16: 3). And this is a rebuke which must be understood not only in the light of Christ's first coming but also in the light of His second coming as well, for the same conditions which prevailed in Israel 2,000 years ago prevail in Christendom today. The same unbelief and unpreparedness existing in Israel immediately preceding Christ's first coming exist in Christendom today immediately preceding Christ's second coming.

[* The author believes the whole church of Christ will be removed before the Great Tribulation. The Lord Himself teaches the contrary: "Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth" (Rev. 3: 10; cf. Luke 21: 34-36.). Here is a conditional promise which every believer may or may not fulfil: only those who obey the command will be kept from "the hour of trial" That is, the Great Tribulation. - Ed.]

[* Scripture quotations are mainly from the New International Version.]

The way the Greek text is worded in Matthew 16: 3 shows two things about the way Israel’s religious leaders understood "the appearance [‘face’] of the sky" but lacked understanding when it came to "the signs of the times" : (1) They had learned to discern weather patterns by the appearance of the sky through experience, and (2) they had learned enough about the matter that they were able to do it quite well. Just the opposite though is shown by their inability to discern "the signs of the times":(1) Experience was lacking, and (2) they had correspondingly learned very little about the matter.

It is not taught in Matt. 16: 3 that the religious leaders in Israel, and even the nation at large, knew nothing about the signs of the times. Other Scriptures make it quite clear that they did know some things about these signs. They knew enough, for example, to know what the appearance of ‘the Star in the East’ meant (Matt. 2: 2, 3), and they knew enough to know the identity of ‘the Heir’ when he appeared (Matt. 21: 38, 39). Matt. 16: 3 simply shows that their knowledge and interest lay, not in the spiritual, but in the natural. They were quite knowledgeable about something which, by comparison, was of little consequence; but they lacked the same degree of understanding in that which should have been uppermost in their thinking.

. . . The house of Israel was then left desolate, and the King, following His death, burial, and resurrection, returned to the place from whence He had come (back to heaven) until such a time as His offenders (the Jewish people) would acknowledge their offence, and seek His face (Matt. 23: 38, 39; Hosea 5: 15).

During the interim, God is calling out a separate and distinct people for his name - taken mainly from the Gentiles, though also from Israel as well - who comprise the "one new man" in Christ (Acts 15: 14; Rom. 11: 5, 25; Gal. 3: 26-29; Eph. 2: 13-15). And the offer to occupy positions with Christ in the kingdom of the heavens, which at one time was extended to Israel, is presently being extended to those comprising this one new man - [to Christians, i.e., regenerate believers].

. . . God’s dealings with the house of Israel will resume during "a time of trouble for Jacob" (Jer. 30: 7-11) but until that time God is going to concern Himself with household dealings separate and distinct from those (both past and future) with the house of Israel.

God’s present household dealings though will terminate after a similar fashion to His past household dealings (Rom. 11: 21). Apostacy, ignorance, unbelief - all in relation to the proffered kingdom - will mark the end of the present dispensation (Rev. 3: 14ff). But even so, God will still realise His purpose behind setting Israel aside (Rom. 11: 29).

(Bear one thing in mind. Many Old Testament saints [Israelites] qualified to rule from the heavens; and even though the nation of Israel forfeited this right, these saints will still realise heavenly promises and blessings [Matt. 8: 11; Luke 13: 28, 29]. And it is the same in Christendom. Even though the present dispensation, as the last, will end in apostasy, ignorance, and unbelief in relation to the kingdom of the heavens, such will have nothing to do with those saints who qualified [or are presently qualifying] to realise heavenly promises and blessings.

Actually, during the coming age, it seems that the Old Testament saints who qualified to occupy regal positions from the heavens will rule over Israel; and the New Testament saints who qualified to occupy such positions will rule over the Gentiles. God has been calling out rulers to occupy heavenly positions in the kingdom for the past 4,000 years, spanning two dispensations [the present dispensation] have been promised power only over the Gentile nations, not over Israel [Rev. 2: 26, 27]. However, there will have to be rulers over Israel under David and the twelve apostles [Ezek. 34: 23, 24; 37: 24, 25; Matt. 19: 28], and such will very likely consist of those Old Testament saints who qualified to rule from the heavens.)

There was a small segment of the people in Israel watching and waiting for the Messiah’s first appearance (note Simeon and Anna for example [Luke 2: 25-38]), and there is a small segment in Christendom watching and waiting for His reappearance. A small segment of the religious leaders then were not content to go along with the mainstream of thought exhibited by their piers (note Nicodemus for example [John 3: 1, 2]), and there is a small segment in Christendom today who are not content to do the same. But, by large, this was not the case then; and, by large, it is not the case today.

As there was a chronological sign surrounding Christ’s first appearance, there is likewise one surrounding His reappearance, though not based on a 490-year period of time. Then there is the sign of the fig tree (Israel), with corresponding activity among Gentile nations. And in conjunction with events surrounding Israel and the Gentile nations there is also to be a repetition of the days of Noah and Lot immediately preceding Christ’s return (Luke 17: 26-31).

In the chronology of time surrounding Christ's reappearance, one can easily ascertain that the time for Christ's return is very near by reference to the septenary arrangement of Scripture. We are living at a time very near the end of six days (6,000 years), dating from man's creation, or very near the end of two days (2,000 years), dating from Christ's first appearance. And Christ will return at the end of six days, dating from the former, or at the end of two days, dating from the latter. *

[* That is, "After two days [not immediately after two days] will he revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, [not at the beginning of the third day] and we shall live before him" (Hosea 6: 2; cf. 1Pet. 1: 11; 2 Pet. 3: 8). - Ed.]

In the chronology of time in Scripture, one can ascertain the exact number of years from the creation of Adam to the Exodus from Egypt under Moses. The total number of years between these two events was 2,508, which, in order to better understand the overall picture, should be broken down into at least three divisions: It was 1,656 years from the creation of Adam to the Flood during Noah's day (cf. Gen. 5:1-32; 7:6); then from the Flood to the birth of Abraham was 352 years (cf. Gen. 11:10-26, 32;12:14); and from the birth of Abraham to the Exodus from Egypt under Moses was 500 years (cf. Gen. 15:13, 14; 21:5; Ex. 12:40, 41; Gal. 3:17).

When Christ was upon earth the first time, He cursed a fig tree which had leaves but no fruit; and the fig tree dried up "from the roots." The fruitless fig tree "withered away," but the roots remained (Matt. 21:18-20; Mark 11:12-14, 20, 21).

The "fig tree" represented Israel, which was about to experience the same fate because of its fruitless condition. The house was left desolate, and forty years later Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed and the Jews subsequently driven to the ends of the earth. The house of Israel, left desolate by Christ and subsequently dispersed by a Gentile power throughout the nations of the earth, ceased to exist as a nation, but the roots remained.

Christ though, in the first of the Olivet Discourse parables, referred to the reappearance of Israel in a fruitless condition, again under the symbolism of a "fig tree," with leaves only (Matt. 24:32). Israel's reappearance after this fashion was to occur near the end of the present age. And this reappearance of Israel as a nation in the Middle East is the revealed event which sets things in motion among the Gentile nations of the earth, anticipating Christ's reappearance.

Israel is the "apple [lit. ‘pupil’] of God's eye" (Zech. 18). The capital of Jewry, the city of Jerusalem, has been placed "in the midst of the nations" (Ezek. 5:5). God looks upon the Gentile nations through Israel, occupying a place in the geographical centre of the nations; and God has set the bounds of these nations and assigned their inheritance upon the earth "according to the number of the children of Israel" (Deut. 32:8; Acts 17:26).

Thus, Israel occupies centre-stage when it comes to the nations of the earth. When the "fig tree" (Israel) put forth leaves once again (appeared as a recognised nation once again, which occurred May 14, 1948), this marked the beginning of events transpiring among "all the trees" (all the Gentile nations). In Luke's account of the Olivet Discourse, the fig tree would not shoot forth alone. All the trees would shoot forth at this time as well (Luke 21:29, 30).

Scripture is very clear that the generation of individuals seeing these things occur will be the same generation living when Christ returns (Matt. 24:33, 34; Luke 21:31, 32). Thus, in this respect, the emergence of Israel as a nation once again (which portends events among the Gentile nations of the earth) would have to be considered the key sign which God has given signaling Christ's soon appearance.

According to Ezek. 38, 39, a nation north of Israel will, "in future years," launch a major military attack against Israel. This nation, along with certain satellite nations, will come down into "a land that is recovered from war, whose people are gathered from many nations." They will "attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people - all of them living without walls and without gates and bars" in order to "plunder and loot" (Ezek. 38:8-12).

The nation launching and heading this military attack against Israel can be easily identified in Scripture. First of all, the people comprising this nation are descendants of Magog, Meshech, and Tubal (sons of Japheth); and these three individuals, following the Flood, settled in tile regions to the North, which would be north of Israel or north of the whole Middle East (Ezek. 38: 2). Second, this nation is referred to by the Hebrew word, Rosh, translated "chief" in Ezek. 38: 2, 3 (K.J.V). Rather than "chief prince," the translation should literally read, "prince of Rosh." Gesenius, one of the greatest of the Hebrew lexicographers from past years, associated Rosh in this passage with "Russia," which would seem to be very much the case. Third, this nation will come against Israel from "the far north" (Ezek. 38: 6, 15; 39: 2). The literal rendering in all three instances should be, "the utmost parts of the north." This is a superlative expression, pointing to the farthermost inhabited land north of Israel, which can only be Russia.

Satellite nations coming down into Israel with Russia can also be easily identified. Five nations or geographical regions are mentioned in Ezek. 38:5, 6: "Persia," "Ethiopia," "Libya," "Gomer," and "Togarmah." "Persia" is simply Iran of today. The name was changed from Persia to Iran in 1935; "Ethiopia" and "Libya" would seem to be the same countries called by those names today; "Gomer" is a reference to Germany (possibly East Germany as we see the present alignment of nations); and "Togarmah" is a reference to the region occupied by Armenia and Turkey.

Since the emergence of Israel as a nation over forty years ago, events have been rapidly transpiring within these countries which will culminate in the fulfillment of that which was prophesied over 2,500 years ago. Current events within these countries, in this light, are interesting; but one need not understand all the details involved to know that we're living very near that time when Russia will think "an evil scheme" and make her move against Israel, accompanied by these countries.

Intervention of this nature is exactly what will occur, seemingly during the first year of the Tribulation (Ezek. 39:9). And when Russia makes such a move, nations identified as "Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all her strong lions" are going to question her actions (Ezek. 38:13). "Sheba" and "Dedan" would appear to point to Arabian tribes, "Tarshish" to the British Isles, and the "strong lions" of Tarshish to countries settled by individuals from the British Isles - Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States.

(Ezek. 38:13 is the only place the United States is mentioned in Biblical prophecy, for this is the only place in prophecy that the United States, as a nation, enters into God's dealings with Israel.)

On one side there will be a superpower with certain other nations coming down into Israel. One the other side there will be another superpower with certain other nations questioning Russia's actions. However, before the nations voicing their disapproval can act, God is going to step in and take care of Russia Himself (Ezek. 38:18ff).

Events leading into the fulfillment of Ezek. 38, 39 form one of the major signs of the times with which Christians should be very familiar. Christians should be able to view what is happening in the world, especially the Middle East, and know that the fulfillment of Ezek. 38, 39 can only be very near, correspondingly knowing that the coming of the Lord for His Church can only be even nearer yet.

Christ referred to conditions existing on the earth during both the days of Noah and the days of Lot as being like conditions which will exist immediately preceding His return: "Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of man . . . it was the same in the days of Lot . . . It will be just like this on the day the Son of man is revealed" (Luke 17:26, 28, 30).

Preceding the Flood, "People were eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage"; and these conditions continued until the day "Noah entered the ark" (Luke 17:26, 27). Preceding the destruction of the cities of the plain, the people "were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building"; and these conditions continued until the day "Lot left Sodom" (Luke 17:28, 29).

It is evident that the Lord was not referring to pursuits of life which were evil in and of themselves, though "marrying and being given in marriage" during Noah's day would include the cohabitation of the sons of God with the daughters of men. The thought is that the people were going about their everyday activities after a fashion which left them completely oblivious to the impending destruction. Note the words, "And they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away" (Matt. 24:39). And these same conditions will prevail on the earth immediately preceding Christ's return for the Church.

The world though cannot be expected to follow any other course. "The whole world is under the control of the evil one" (1 John 5:19). Satan is the "god of this age" and "all the gods of the nations are idols [lit. ‘nothing’; the translators of the Septuagint Version used the Creek word daimonia, referring to ‘demons’]" (2 Cor. 4:4; Psa. 96:5). The world is enmeshed in humanism, with its goals, aims, ambtions, aspirations, following a humanistic approach to all things in life. Thus, it is only natural for the world to pursue a pattern of life as given in the text.

The entire thought centres around a warning to the saved, not the unsaved: "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth" (Luke 21:34, 35). Christians, though engaged in many of the same normal pursuits of life as the world, are to govern their affairs after an entirely different fashion. They are to conduct their affairs within these pursuits of life after a manner which bespeaks their belief in that which has been revealed concerning the coming of the Son of Man.

A major problem exists when Christians ignore or neglect that which has been revealed and become caught up in the ways and affairs of the world (cf. Heb. 11-3), for the world knows nothing of impending change wrought through Divine intervention; and Christians, through an association with the world after this fashion, will gradually find themselves assuming a very similar attitude. They will be lulled to sleep, and "that day" will come upon them in the same manner as it will come upon those of the world - "like a thief in the night [in a sudden, unexpected manner]" (cf. 1 Thess. 5: 1 ff.)

The coming of the Son of Man will "come upon" such Christians unaware, and they will not know what is about to occur until that time when it does occur. Just as those during the days of Noah did not know "until the flood came," many Christians during the coming day (because of their involvement with the world) will not know until . . .

In the discourse which Christ delivered to His disciples on Mount Olivet, two days prior to His crucifixion, three things are mentioned which every Christian who would keep himself unspotted from the world must keep in mind: (1) Christ will return (conditions as they presently exist will not continue on and on indefinitely (Matt. 24:37-39). (2) No man can know the day or hour of Christ's return (these specifies have been reserved for the Father alone (Matt. 24: 36). (3) Man though can know when the time is near through the signs of the times (God has seen fit, for definite purposes, to reveal these things to man (Matt. 24: 32-34).

Christians living in the world, but not of the world, must govern their lives after a fashion which bespeaks their belief in the Revelation of God concerning Christ’s return. Christ will return; and, although we cannot know the day or hour, it has pleased the One Who reserved this knowledge unto himself to reveal certain signs of the times. God has not left His people in darkness; and the admonition of Scripture, in the light of that which God has revealed, is to "Be careful . . .Watch . . ."

The end result of unbelief in Christendom, wrought through failure of those whom the Lord has placed in positions of leadership to prepare the people for Christ’s reappearance, can be clearly seen in Christ’s words to the Church in Laodicea: "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot or cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth" (Rev. 3: 15, 16).

Christ, upon His judgment seat, will reject those who are shown to lack works of a nature resulting in fruit-bearing. They will have failed in their calling as household servants and be disapproved (1 Cor. 9: 27; James 1: 12). They will not be allowed to ascend the throne with Christ and rule over the nations. Instead, Christ will do exactly as He has stated. He will spit (vomit) them out of His mouth, showing not only their rejection but also Christ’s attitude toward their prior unfaithfulness.

Every Christian will hear one of two things in that day: "Well done, good and faithful servant! . . ." or "You wicked. lazy servant! . . ." (Matt. 25: 21, 23, 26). Which depends entirely on faithfulness to one’s calling as a household servant during the present day.

God, in the opening verses of Genesis, does not move beyond the "seventh day" as He begins His revelation to man (Gen. 1: 1-2: 4). There is no reference to an "eighth day," which would signify a new beginning, pointing to the ages beyond the coming Sabbath of rest, the ages beyond the Millennial Age. Thus, God at the outset, makes known that His revelation to man is going to concern events during seven days, seven thousand years of time - events from the creation of Adam to the end of the Messianic Kingdom.