Again we consider the words of the greatest of all prophets. He is the greatest of all prophets, of course, because He is God.
The words of Jesus Christ are reverberating today to all who are familiar with end-of-the-age signals. And one instruction the Lord Himself gave for this very generation, I’m convinced, is the most significant. It is the “heads-up” we’ve looked at continually for months and even years.
And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. (Luke 21:28)
Jesus had just stunned His disciples, telling them that the beautiful Temple they were looking at would be completely thrown down. The Lord then addressed the questions Peter, James, John, and Andrew had asked:
“Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?” (Mark 13:4).
We’ve gone over the Olivet Discourse many times, learning all of the things Jesus said would come to pass. He told of the horrors of the coming Tribulation, the arrival of Antichrist, and the plight of the Jewish people at the time of the Great Tribulation.
But let’s remember that Jesus wasn’t limited to only prophesying things that were scheduled for fulfillment. Concerning Jesus Christ, we are told: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).
Every single prophecy in God’s Word, no matter the prophet through whom it is given, is a foretelling by the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Word! So whether we’re considering the prophecy given under Ezekiel’s watch, or those given under the Apostle Paul’s, or those presented by anyone else in Scripture, it is the same as the Lord Himself speaking.
When Jesus left us with the command to “look up and lift up your head” when “you see all these things begin to come to pass,” He was saying that we should pay close attention to every prophecy for the end of the age. He was directing believers to carefully observe all prophetic signals when we know these things are beginning to happen, because, at that time, He is on the very cusp of calling all of His children to Himself.
So we look now at the title of our commentary: “Foreshadowing Foretellings.”
Jesus said we will “see these things begin to come to pass” (Luke 21: 28). He didn’t say “if” we see them come to pass. He was telling obedient believers who “watch,” as given in Mark 13:37, that we will know He is drawing near when we see things prophesied for the end of the age “begin” to come to pass.
Observation of these signals involves “foreshadowing of foretellings” found throughout the Word of God. We’ve looked—in practically every blog, article, and book I’ve written—at how things are precisely setting the stage for fulfillment of prophecy.
We’ve looked at the events and issues of these times that foreshadow the formation of the New World Order; we’ve seen the forming Babylonian beast that both Daniel and John said casts a darkening cloud of coming horrors upon the geopolitical landscape at this late hour.
We’ve gone over Israel’s rebirth into modernity and the prophecies surrounding that miracle. We have examined the headlines involving Israel’s enemies to the north as foreshadowing the Gog-Magog attack Ezekiel foretold.
The man of sin’s platform of world power seems almost ready for Antichrist’s ascendance.
We recently looked at the world’s governmental and religious leaders now coming together at the traditional Mount Sinai (Sharm El Sheikh) in Egypt—to pay homage to the planet by bringing their unholy machinations to bear in their insane efforts to save Mother Earth. We thereby see the foreshadowing of the false worship system of Revelation chapter 17—the whore that rides the beast foretold by Daniel (chapter 7) and John (Revelation chapter 13).
Time and time again, we ‘ve gone over the cultural and societal wickedness that has saturated our nation and the world with Sodom and Gomorrah-like evil. These blasphemous, debased developments foreshadow Jesus’ prophetic words of Luke 17: 6–30.
A number of personalities arising in world leadership seem to foreshadow entities foretold to appear at the end of the age.
Vladimir Putin of Russia, for example, seems to have the characteristics of the one who will be the “Gog” Ezekiel described. And all circumstances surrounding what’s going on in the Middle East and with Mr. Putin add to the intrigues regarding the possible soon fulfillment of the Gog-Magog prophecy.
And now I find most interesting the 33-year-old Jewish rabbi who is praised and even worshipped in some Jewish Orthodox circles. Rav Shlomo Yehuda is believed to be a miracle-worker who can quote the Torah and other Jewish holy scrolls with instant and total recall. He has been filmed performing healing and other miracles, according to reports.
Whether or not he might turn out to be the False Prophet—the second beast of Revelation chapter 13—his appearance at this time certainly is a false Messiah-type foreshadowing. That is, it seems to foreshadow Jesus’ foretelling about deceivers who would come in His name as the time of His return nears.
Jesus told Israel that they would reject Him, but would accept as Messiah another who would come in His name.
When I began my novel a number of months ago—MESSIAH and the Prince That Shall Come, this candidate for that end-times partner of Antichrist wasn’t in view.
Jesus’ words about these things beginning to come to pass are now on a fast track. Let us follow his directive!
But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch. (Mark 13:32–37)
SOURCE: PROPHECY LINE
