Signs of the Times: last

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Saturday, June 10, 2023

News Headlines Reflect the End Times

For a number of years I followed the news and captured headlines that I felt were indicative of the end times. I eventually gave up trying to track these things, because the pace at which they are happening is now too fast to keep up.

But the list of events I created will give you a good sampling of what's been happening, beginning with the more recent events and going back to some rather historical ones that occurred in the last sixty years.

Headlines

Worst floods in living memory hit Australia - 3-4-22
Russia invades Ukraine, kicking off WWIII - 2-24-22
Stock market crashes worldwide on Black Monday - 3-9-20
Locust swarms the size of big cities across Africa - 2-14-20
Coronavirus becomes global "pandemic" - 2-12-20
Massive bat plague terrorizing Australia - 2-6-20
Large swaths of Australia devastated by worst wildfires in decades - 1-13-20
African swine fever kills millions of pigs around the world in pandemic - 10-19-19
Deadliest California wildfires in history, 31 dead, hundreds missing - 10-13-17
Massacre in Las Vegas, 59 killed, 515 wounded - 10-1-17
Hurricane Maria causes "apocalyptic" destruction in Puerto Rico, as well as islands recently hit hard by Irma - 9-26-17
Magnitude 7.1 Quake hits Mexico, 300 dead, thousands homeless - 9-19-17
Hurricane Irma slams Florida after devastating the Caribbean islands - 9-11-17
Massive solar storm, sun releases X9.3, largest solar flare in over 12 years - 9-6-17
Texas coast devastated by Hurricane Harvey, 47 dead, tens of billions of dollars in damage - 8-30-17
Airport Massacre Ft Lauderdale, FL, 5 killed, 6 injured - 1-6-17
6.2 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Italy, 247 killed - 8-24-16
Intel announces new "Merged Reality" technology - 8-16-16
Airport terror attack in Istanbul, Turkey kills 41, wounds 230 - 6-28-16
Orlando, FL Terrorist attack on gay bar kills 49, wounds 53 - 6-12-16
Beetle plague of "biblical proportions" hits Argentina - 3-2-16
Earth experiencing over 3,000 earthquakes per month - 2-15-16
Mass animal death numbers astronomical and rising worldwide - 2-15-16
Record number of worldwide shark attacks in 2015 - 2-15-16
Record number of fireballs sighted in the skies worldwide in 2015 - 2-15-16
Tornadoes increased in number in the US in 2015 - 1-1-16
San Bernadino, California attack kills 14, seriously injures 22 - 12-2-15
Paris terrorist attacks kill more than 100 - 11-13-15
2015 Among the Most Damaging Year for Wildfires Ever - 10-16-15
30 Large Whales Die in Alaska Waters - 8-26-15
U.S. Supreme Court Makes Same-Sex Marriage a Right for Americans- 7-26-15
Pope Frances Supports Homosexuality - 2-28-14
Giant sinkholes are forming all over the world - 8-12-13
Pope Benedict XVI resigns amid criminal charges - 2-11-13
Vatican Seeks World Government & New World Order - 12-3-12
Hurricane Sandy strikes US, affecting 24 States, doing $71 billion in damage - 10-26-12
Youth riots across England for 5 days, 1500 arrested - 8-11-11
Mississippi River flood at 70-yr record level, affects LA, AR, IL, KY and MO – 5-20-11
Wild fires scorch more than 2 million acres in TX – 5-13-11
Record number of tornadoes in a single month in all of American history in April 5-1-11
Two of the four biggest tornado clusters ever recorded, occurred in April in the US – 4-28-11
226 tornadoes strike US in single day, more than any other day in history, 334 killed - 4-3-11
Magnitude 9.0 earthquake & tsunami hits Japan, death toll reaches 12,087 - 3-11-11
6.3 Magnitude earthquake hits Christchurch, New Zealand, dozens killed - 2-22-11
Iranian "Day of Rage" begins a long series of protests across Iran - 2-14-11
Egyptian revolution and overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak - 1-25-11
Toxic chemical spill overflows through towns, causing ecological disaster in western Hungary 10-1-10
Leaking well gushing oil into Gulf of Mexico, 5000 barrels per day - 4-20-10
Magnitude 7 earthquake hits Haiti, death toll reaches 316,000 - 1-12-10
Young girl from Ecuador dies and sees heaven and hell - 11-7-09
Over the last three months, central banks put 63 % of their new cash into euros & yen – 10-14-09
Obama sends 15,000 additional troops to Afghanistan unannounced – 10-12-09
Gold hits record high at $1,064 an ounce – 10-12-09
Arabs launch secret moves with China, Russia & France to stop using dollar for oil – 10-6-09
UN calls for new reserve currency to end dollar supremacy – 10-6-09
7.6 magnitude earthquake strikes Padang, Indonesia, killing 529, maybe thousands – 9-29-09
Obama Says Financial Regulations Must Be Strengthened Globally 9-20-09
At least 100,000 children are used in prostitution every year in the US – 8-15-09
Closure of Colonial BancGroup Inc., marked the biggest U.S. bank failure this year – 8-15-09
California Declares State of Emergency as Wildfires rage – 8-15-09
1 Million Evacuated as Typhoon Hits China – 8-10-09
Bank Failures rise to 72 this year with collapses in Florida, Oregon – 8-9-09
Helicopter and plane collide over the Hudson River in NY, killing all nine aboard – 8-8-09
Russian tensions with Georgia flare up once again – 8-6-09
Russian nuclear subs patrol off US east coast for first time in over a decade – 8-6-09
Russian secret service helped Hizballah discover and bust Israel's Lebanese spy rings – 8-5-09
A high impact collision occurred on Jupiter, leaving a huge black scar on its surface – 7-31-09
Russia builds key naval HQ in Syria: Missile presence worries Israel – 7-22-09
Terrorists detonate Explosives in Jakarta Hotel – 7-17-09
Group committed to an international Islamic empire holds 1st official US conference – 7-17-09
Iranian passenger jet crashes in northwest Iran, killing all 168 people on board – 7-15-09
Al Qaeda plot against Suez Canal foiled by 26 arrests – 7-10-09
Tehran refuses to halt its nuclear program or “retreat by a single step” – 7-10-09
Al Qaeda plots multiple attacks on US-, Israel-bound airliners - 7-9-09
Russia blocks concrete measures at G8 summit on Iran's nuclear drive – 7-9-09
Pope officially calls for new world financial order guided by search for common good – 7-7-09
Ethnic riots in western China between Muslims and Han kill 156, injure many more – 7-5-09
Cargo train carrying liquid gas explodes in Italy train station killing 12, injuring more – 6-30-09
Yemeni A310-300 airbus from Paris crashed in Indian Ocean killing 153 people – 6-30-09
Democratically-elected Honduran president Zelaya ousted in a coup - 6-28-09
Open homosexual activist nominated to become US State Department’s top lawyer - 6-26-09
10 die in widespread flooding in Central Europe – 6-26-09
9 killed and 70 injured in Washington DC subway train crash - 6-23-09
A surge of people reportedly coming to faith in Christ in Iran – 6-13-09
17 killed & many injured as Iran military crushes protests of election fraud – 6-13-09
WHO declares Swine flu a level 6 pandemic as 30,000 cases confirmed in 74 countries - 6-11-09
Homosexual activist leader receives appointment to oversee public school “safety” – 6-2-09
Air France flight 447 crashes over Atlantic killing all 228 people aboard – 6-1-09
Obama tells PA Pres. Abbas U.S. foresees Palestinian state with Jerusalem as capital – 5-30-09
Subcutaneous GPS Chip Implant Invented To Track, Eliminate Undesirable Humans – 5-17-09
Alan Keyes, former diplomat, arrested on Notre Dame campus, protesting abortion – 5-8-09
Two pastors arrested, praying outside White House on National Day of Prayer – 5-7-09
NATO member Turkey and Syria hold first joint military exercise – 4-27-09
Swine flu declared public health emergency, as 11 new cases in US confirmed – 4-25-09
Obama W.H & FBI Assess & Declare American Patriots to be Extremists & Terrorists – 4-19-09
In growing piracy threat, pirates now hold about 12 ships with over 200 crewmembers – 4-12-09
Obama appoints gay-rights activist to the federal government’s faith-based initiative – 4-7-09
260 killed and 1,000 injured by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake that struck L'Aquila Italy 4-6-09
G20 creates new world order with US markets having lesser role – 4-2-09
Over 90 killed in US mass shootings in past yr., 47 of those in the past month – 4-3-09
14 die in third mass shooting in US in a month – 4-3-09
World leaders announce creation of supervisory body for global financial system – 4-2-09
World leaders pledged $1.1 trillion to International Monetary Fund – 4-2-09
Sun Plunges into the Quietest Solar Minimum in a Century – 4-1-09
Pres. Obama announces plans to form a new world order in conjunction with the UK – 3-25-09
China supports Russia’s proposal to create a new supra-national global currency – 3-23-09
Israel suddenly withdraws troops from Gaza strip “for inauguration of Pres. Obama” – 1-20-09
Israel launches air strikes on Gaza Strip – 12-27-08
Cease-fire between Israel and Hamas expires – 12-19-08
Terrorist attack on Mumbai, India, 140 killed - 11-25-08
Wildfires rage across southern California – 11-16-08
World leaders want IMF to be the world's financial watchdog – 11-15-08
British PM Brown calls for a “new global society” 11-11-08
Eastern Europe stands on the verge of insolvency and deep and protracted recession 10-24-08
European Central Bank (ECB) granted Hungary a bailout worth €5 billion – 10-16-08
EU pledged to shore up banking system with a €2 trillion package – 10-16-08
Fox News reports US is in worst credit crisis since Great Depression – 9-29-08
Dow dropped 777.7 points or 7%, suffering worst 1-day point loss ever - 9-29-08
Fed Reserve Loans AIG $85B, rescuing the world's largest insurer from collapse – 9-16-08
After 158 yrs in business, Lehman filed bankruptcy, largest filing in U.S. history – 9-15-08
Dow Plummets 504 Points in worst percentage loss in more than six years – 9-15-08
Hurricane Ike strikes Galveston, Texas leaving millions without power in Houston – 9-13-08
Federal government takes over giant creditors Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac– 9-7-08
Russia attacks Georgia and starts a war on 8-8-08
Total solar eclipse – 8-1-08
US Gas prices peak at new record high of $4.36 per gallon in California - 7-28-08
Scientists find largest sample of distant galaxies ever seen, 13 billion light-yrs away – 7-25-08
High-level international talks on Iran's nuclear program end without agreement – 7-19-08
Over 1,780 California fires sparked by lightning from San Diego to the Bay – 6-20-08
Wendy Alec receives prophetic word of impending judgment over San Francisco - 6-14-08
John Kilpatrick has dream of impending devastating earthquake in middle America - 5-20-08
Gay Marriage Ban Overturned By California Supreme Court – 5-15-08
7.5 Earthquake in Sichuan China; 50,000 dead, 5 million homeless – 5-12-08
John Kilpatrick has vision of impending disastrous earthquake - 4-27-08
A series of unstoppable fires started in Southern California near San Diego - 10-23-07
Australian pastor raised from the dead during parliament prayer meeting - 10-22-07
CA Gov. bans terms “Mom and Dad” & “husband and wife” from use in CA schools - 10-13-07
Iranian Pres. Ahmadinejad visited NY to address the UN General Assembly– 9-30-07
Largest burst of a supernova was recorded this year & it was 7.5 billion light yrs away - 2007
7.5 Earthquake near Lima, Peru. 337 people killed, over 827 injured – 8-15-07
Severe flooding in North Korea, 200 people dead or missing, 33,000 homes destroyed – 8-14-07
Romania is experiencing a severe drought – 8-14-07
Bridge Collapse Kills at Least 22 in Fenghuang, China – 8-14-07
Destructive tornado hits Brooklyn, NY, $10 million damage, 1 killed – 8-8-07
South Asia Monsoons Kill More Than 200, Displace Millions – 8-4-07
Bridge collapse on Interstate 35 over Mississippi River in Minneapolis, 5 killed, 60 hurt – 8-1-07
Mysterious substance spread from small plane south of Detroit 7-31-07
Poison spread at DC Metro Stations - death of birds – 7-29-07
Number of Atlantic tropical storms developing annually doubled in the past century – 7-29-07
2 TV news helicopters collided in midair on live TV in Phoenix, AZ, 4 killed – 7-27-07
2 WWII planes at air show in Wisconsin collided while landing, killing one of the pilots 7-27-07
500 died across Hungary last week, due to heat wave in central and southeast Europe 7-25-07
Serbia battled 50 forest fires on hottest day of the year, temperature topping 109 degrees 7-25-07
Pilot trying to break speed record on way to Wisconsin air show crashed in Switzerland. 7-23-07
Bus carrying Polish pilgrims when it crashed near southeastern French city – 7-22-07
Airbus crashes in Brazil, 176 people killed, worst aviation accident in Brazil's history – 7-17-07
6.8 earthquake in Japan, 11 dead, over 900 injured, nuclear power plant damaged 7-17-07
Monsoon rains & flooding in India leaves 660 dead & more than a million stranded – 7-07
UK flooding continues at height of popularity of song “Umbrella”. 2B pounds damage – 7-07
Glasgow Airport in UK hit by terrorist attack - 6-30-07
More than 200 people died during severe storms in Karachi, Pakistan's biggest city – 6-07
UK experiences worst floods in modern history – 6-10-07 to 6-30-07
South Africa got first snowfall in 25 yrs; rest of world had warmest temps since 1800s – 6-27-07
Bridge in China Guangdong province collapsed when cargo vessel hit it, killing 9 – 6-15-07
US gas prices hit new record high of $3.20 per gallon 5-30-07
Mine explosion kills 38 in Russia 2 mos. after similar explosion in nearby town killed 110 – 5-07
Kenya Airways plane crashed in Cameroon killing all 114 people on board – 5-5-07
VA Tech student kills 32 students in most deadly shooting rampage in U.S. history – 4-07
Magnitude 8.1 quake & ensuing tsunami Solomon Islands - 34 dead & thousands homeless 4-07
Indonesia Airlines plane crashed, killing 22 of the 140 people on board - 3-7-07
Explosion kills 110 in Russian coalmine - worst mine disaster in recent Russian history 3-19-07
20 people died when tornadoes and thunderstorms ripped through central Florida - 2-2-07
Stampede by pilgrims on the annual hajj killed at least 360 in Mecca Saudi Arabia – 1-12-07
Adam Air Flight crashed in Indonesia, killing all of the 102 people on board – 1-1-07
Ferry carrying 600 people sinks during a heavy storm, at least 400 people dead - 12-29-06
7.1 Earthquake in Taiwan region - 12-26-06
Heavy rains & winds, 1.5 million without power in WA & OR, causes 14 deaths -12-14-06
Typhoon in Philippines caused massive mudslide burying over 500 people - 11-30-06
8.3 Earthquake in Kuril Islands - 11-15-06
Windstorms and tornadoes swept through six U.S. states over 2 days, killing 12 - 11-14-06
Deadliest tornado in Japan, where tornadoes are rare, killed 9 people - 11-7-06
Flash flooding in southeast Turkey killed 32 people - 11-1-06
Boeing 737, crashed in Nigeria after take-off, killing 103 - 10-29-06
Strong storms & tornadoes, Midwest & South U.S. destroy 400 structures, & kill 13 - 10-22-06
Strong storms in North Korea left more than 7,300 homeless 10-21-06
2 subway trains collide in Rome, Italy, killing one and injuring at least 60 people - 10-17-06
Torrential rains in southeast Texas flood roads, spawn tornados, and kill 4 people - 10-16-06
6.6 Earthquake hits Hawaii – 10-15-06
Freak early snowstorm dropped 2 feet of snow on Buffalo, 3 killed - 10-12-06
Typhoon Xangsane hits central Vietnam, killing 68 - 10-1-06
Boeing 737, crashed in Amazon rainforest, after colliding with corporate jet, 154 killed - 9-29-06
Typhoon Xangsane hit island of Luzon, Philippines causing flooding and killing 110 - 9-27-06
Heavy rains triggered floods in fifteen Kentucky counties, killing 10 people - 9-22-06
Comair commuter jet, crashed on takeoff in Lexington, KY, killing 49 - 8-27-06
Russian Airliner, crashed in Donetsk, Ukraine, killing all 170 – 8-22-06
7.0 Earthquake in Scotia Sea, south of S. America -8-20-06
Flooding in Ethiopia since July killed at least 870 people – 8-06
Flooding from heavy rains in India and Pakistan killed more than 300 – 8-06
Flash floods on the Dechatu River in Ethiopia killed more than 200 - 8-6-06
Severe floods killed hundreds in North Korea, perhaps 800–900 in 7-06
Record hot weather caused 13 deaths in Europe - 7-19-06
7.7 Earthquake in South of Java, Indonesia kills 730 people - 7-17-06
Warmest summer on record in U.S., heat waves/blackouts contributed to over 150 deaths – 7-06
Tropical storm Bilis floods Chinese provinces, millions evacuated, over 500 killed - 7-14-06
Explosions struck 7 trains/stations in India & killed at least 190 people and injured 600 - 7-11-06
Airbus slid off end of runway after landing in Irkutsk, Russia, killing at least 122 people - 7-9-06
Worst flooding in 30 years in south China caused over 340 storm-related deaths - 6-06
Heavy rain on East Coast kills 16 in storm-related deaths & causes extensive flooding - 6-22-06
Bus plunged into a ravine in Tanzania, killing 54 people – 6-9-06
6.3 earthquake, Java, Indonesia kills over 5,700 people & destroys 135,000 homes – 5-26-06
7.4 Earthquake in Kermadec Islands Region – 5-16-06
Pipeline explosion in Nigeria killed more than 165 people - 5-12-06
13 in. of rain over 8 days in New England, cause region's worst flooding in 70 years - 5-10-06
Airbus A-320, crashed in the Black Sea off Russia, killing all 113 aboard - 5-3-06
7.9 Earthquake in Tonga - 5-3-06
7.6 Earthquake in Koryakia, Russia - 4-26-06
Terrorists set off 3 bombs in Sinai Peninsula resort city of Dahab, killing 18, injuring 85. 4-24-06
Bus returning from religious festival veers off road, plunges down ravine, & kills 47 - 4-17-06
91 tornadoes battered the southeastern U.S. states, killing 12 people in Tenn. 4-7-06
86 tornadoes & storms sweep 8 Midwest states, destroy buildings & kill at least 23 - 4-2-06
3 earthquakes, southwest of Tehran, Iran kill 70 people & destroy more than 40 villages 3-31-06
Chartered cruise boat, carrying 137 people, capsized, killing 57 in Persian Gulf. 3-30-06
Ship, carrying 150 people, sank in Gulf of Guinea, Cameroon. 123 killed - 3-23-06
Dam collapsed on in Hawaii sending 300 million gallons of water into valley, 7 died. 3-14-06
Over 100 tornadoes hit 5 states in U.S. Midwest, killing 10 - 3-10-06 to 3-13-06
200 wildfires in Texas destroy 15 homes, kill 10,000 cattle/horses, burn 191,000 acres. 3-6-06
Market roof collapsed in Moscow, killing 56 people. 2-23-06
7.0 Earthquake in Mozambique - 2-22-06
Mudslide engulfed town of Guinsaugon, Philippines burying more than 1,000 people. 2-17-06
Red Sea ferry sinks 60 miles off Egyptian coast, killing more than 1,000 on board. 2-3-06
67 people died from collapse of roof at International Exhibition Hall in Poland - 1-28-06
7.6 Earthquake in Banda Sea - 1-27-06
Train derailed and plunged into canyon in Montenegro, killing 46 and injuring 19 - 1-23-06
Hotel collapsed in Mecca, Saudi Arabia killing at least 76 pilgrims on the annual hajj – 1-5-06
Heavy snowfall caused roof of ice skating rink to collapse in Germany, killing 15 - 1-2-06
7.2 Earthquake in Fiji region – 1-2-06
7.4 Earthquake East of the South Sandwich Islands - 1-2-06
Mudslide buried 200 homes in Indonesia and killed at least 200 people - 1-06
Worst weather-related economic losses in US history totaling $200 billion - 2005
Military plane crashes near Tehran hitting 10-story building, killing 110 people – 12-6-05
Earthquake strikes northern Pakistan killing over 73,000 people – 10-26-05
Category 5 hurricane Wilma strikes Naples Florida, cuts orange production by 15% - 10-25-05
Airliner crashes in Nigeria, killing 117 people – 10-22-05
Category 5 hurricane Rita hits the Gulf Coast, - 9-26-05
Number of category 4 & 5 hurricanes has doubled over 35 years - 9-16-05
Airliner crashes in Indonesia, killing 117 people – 9-5-05
U.S. gasoline price high of $3.05 per gallon, following Hurricane Katrina – 9-2-05
Category 5 hurricane Katrina devastates Gulf Coast, destroys New Orleans, kills 1300 – 8-30-05
Torrential rains caused havoc across central & eastern Europe, killing 36 people – 8-24-05
Israeli Prime Minister Sharon, and Palestinian President Abbas Declare End to Violence – 2-8-05
Russia and Iran set to sign nuclear fuel deal that will aid nuclear weapons program– 2-7-05
Russia and Syria sign major weapons deal; this is part of a new global order – 1-28-05
Pope invokes the Apocalypse before 7,000 people, discusses ultimate defeat of evil – 1-13-05
Unidentified fireball falls from sky and sparks blaze on ground in Chino, CA – 1-8-05
Meteor roars over South Dakota and Wisconsin with light and noise – 1-5-05
Members of South Korean church see Jesus, heaven, and hell during prayer rally - 1-2-05
Tsunamis hit south Asia & east Africa. 152,000 dead in 12 countries, one year later to the hour of the Bam, Iran quake. 5 million people displaced. – 12-26-04
Earthquake 9.0-magnitude strikes off Sumatra coast, disturbed Earth’s rotation– 12-26-04
Texas Receives Up to 13 Inches of Snow – 12-26-04
Unidentified fireball falls from sky, causes loud explosions near Jakarta, Indonesia - 12-19-04
Hundreds in China see unidentified shining object fall from sky and shake the earth – 12-12-04
Members of Reestablished Sanhedrin Ascend Temple Mount, first time in 1600 yrs. – 12-9-04
Same-sex couples in Israel will now have many of the same rights as heterosexual spouses & rabbis warn Israel risks becoming next Sodom and Gomorrah – 12-9-04
Corporate jet carrying 6 people crashed at Montrose Regional Airport in Colorado – 11-28-04
4 typhoons hit the Philippines in 2 weeks. 1,000 dead - 11-2004
Plane that was supposed to carry former President Bush crashes in Houston, 3 killed – 11-22-04
100,000 websites offer illegal child porn, and child porn generates $3B in annual revenues – 11-9-04
Child sexual abuse is gaining respectability – 11-9-04
20 - 50,000 women & children annually trafficked into the US for sexual exploitation – 11-9-04
Public schools nationwide teach children as young as five homosexuality is normal – 11-9-04
There are 4.2 million pornographic websites – 12 % of all websites in the world – 11-9-04
FBI Probing Punctures in US Airway Jets at Charlotte, NC not likely caused by normal wear and tear – 10-20-2004
3 dead in mysterious small plane crash in McMinnville, Oregon – 10-20-2004
2 dead in mysterious small plane crash in downtown Atlanta, GA – 10-20-2004
13 dead, in mysterious Millard, MO American Airlines Commuter Plane Crash – 10-19-2004
Pilots Dead in Jefferson City, MO Commuter Jet Crash 300 miles from IL small plane crash hours earlier - 10-15-2004
Pilots Dead in small plane crash near townhouses in Joliet, IL - 10-15-2004
FBI raids Missouri-based charity; treasury officials allege direct link to terrorists – 10-14-2004
Crew of 7 dead in Cargo Jet crash in Nova Scotia, Canada - 10-14-2004
Oil prices closed at a record of $54.76 per barrel - 10-14-2004
Large earthquake shakes Manila – 10-8-2004
Obscure federal agency working on technology to monitor all vehicles through GPS devices – 10-7-04
Mt. Saint Helens volcano erupts – 10-1-2004
Hurricane Jeanne circled around and came back again to hit Florida, the fourth hurricane to slam the state this season, a scenario unmatched in more than a century. – 9-26-2004
Historical records of solar activity indicate solar radiation has been increasing since late 19th century – 9-2004
Hurricanes Charley, Frances & Ivan hit FL over a span of 5 weeks, causing billions of dollars of damage and more than 70 deaths – 9-2004
Hurricane Jeanne left nearly 2,000 dead and 300,000 people homeless in Haiti – 9-18-2004
Tragedy at Russian school in Beslan on first day of class, where 20-30 terrorists kill 350, half is children – 9-3-2004
Two Russian jets downed by terrorist bombs within 3 minutes of each other near Moscow, 89 dead – 8-24-2004
Earth is perhaps 150 years into the collapse of the Earth's magnetic field – 7-2004
More people died of AIDS in 2003 – three million – than in any previous year – 7-6-2004
Federal judge ruled the law banning partial-birth abortion is unconstitutional – 6-1-2004
Roof collapses in new passenger terminal at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris – 5-23-04
Massachusetts legalizes gay marriage and 1,000 homosexual couples are legally married - 5-17-2004
Mexican air force released video of 11 unidentified flying objects that were only visible via an infrared camera. – 5-12-04
Dozens of UFO sightings this year, some possibly meteors, excite Iran - 4-28-2004
North Korea Train Blast Kills Hundreds – 4-23-2004
The Abu Ghraib Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal becomes public – dozens of US soldiers charged – 4-2004
Train Bombing in Madrid by kills 190 - 3-11-2004
Janet Jackson bears breast at Super Bowl half time - 2-1-2004
Egyptian jet plunged into the Red Sea killing 148 people 1-3-2004
Earthquake measuring 6.6 hits Bam, Iran, killing 26,000 people – 12-26-03
Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein captured by US Special Forces, on the outskirts of Baghdad- 12-13-2003
40 million people estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS – 12-2003
Judge Roy Moore removed from bench for refusing to remove the Ten Commandments from courthouse- 11-14-2003
9 major solar eruptions occur during 2-week period during the middle of the 9-year solar "minimum" season 10-2003
In the past 6 weeks, New York, Northeast US, Canada, Mid-Atlantic US, London, and Rome have been hit by massive black outs – 9-28-2003
15,000 people have died in France of heat-related causes this summer – 8-14-2003
Devastating oil spill off Pakistan's coast, 24,000 tons of oil spilled - 7-27-2003
Columbia Space shuttle disaster, disintegrates over Texas, all 7 crew members lost – 2-1-2003
78 people killed in world's worst airshow disaster at an airfield in the Ukraine 7-27-2002
Russian jet collides with Boeing cargo jet midair over Germany, 71 killed – 7-2-2002
2.7 million acres of forest have burned across the US so far this year, hundreds of homes consumed – 6-2002
Earthquake rocks northwestern Iran, killing at least 500 people and injuring 1,600 – 6-2002
At least 400,000 people test positive for Malaria in India – 6-2002
Two members of satanic cult in Germany stab man to drink his blood – 6-2002
Daily attempts by Palestinians to send suicide attackers into Israel – 5-2002
14 dead after interstate highway bridge in Oklahoma hit by barge, collapses – 5-26-2002
60 wedding guests electrocuted, bus they were in hit high-voltage wire in India – 5-25-2002
Train crash kills 196 in Mozambique, injures hundreds more – 5-25-2002
China Air jetliner Flight 611 crashes into Taiwan Strait – 225 killed – 5-25-2002
Huge ice shelf 10 times bigger than Manhattan plummets into the sea near Antarctica – 5-2002
First humans receive subcutaneous ID chips – 5-2002
Islamic militants bomb holiday parade - Kaspiisk, Russia, 41 killed, 150 injured – 5-2002
Roman Catholic priest pleads guilty to possessing child pornography – 5-2002
Two Navy jets crash into the Gulf of Mexico – 5-9-2002
Suicide bomber kills 13, injures 23 in Karachi, Pakistan – 5-8-2002
Hamas suicide bomber kills 16, dozens injured in blast in Israel – 5-7-2002
China Northern Airlines jet crashes in northeast China, killing 112 people – 5-7-2002
Egypt Air Plane Crashes in Tunisia - at least 15 deaths – 5-7-2002
EAS Airlines Plane crashes in Nigeria - 148 people killed – 5-4-2002
Scoutmaster, Manhattan Troop 666, pleads guilty to 4 counts of 3rd degree sodomy – 5-2002
Showtime cable network announces addition of gay cartoon "Queer Duck" – 5-2002
Gay TV program celebrates drug use, promiscuous sex, and statutory homosexual rape – 5-2002
18 Pipe bombs delivered to rural US mailboxes in 5 states by 21-year-old – 5-2002
Zimbabwe officially in famine condition – 5-2002
Russia and China to hold joint military exercises in August (first in 30 years) – 5-2002
High blood pressure affects about 50 million – or 1in 4 – American adults. – 5-2002
Suicide blast outside a Jewish synagogue in Tunisia kills 14 – 4-2002
Woman blows herself up in an outdoor market in Jerusalem, killing six- 4-2002
109th Space shuttle flight returns to earth – 4-2002
International Criminal Court gains necessary international backing to exist – 4-2002
Erfurt Germany school shooting – 4-2002
Air Force F-15C Eagle fighter crashes into the Gulf of Mexico – 4-2002
Swiss pilot crashed aircraft into Milan's largest skyscraper – 4-2002
Flight CA129 Air China crash in Korea – 4-2002
Mysterious deaths of eleven prominent microbiologists – 11-2001 to 3-2002
Terrorists kill 5 worshippers in an Islamabad Protestant church – 3-2002
Larsen B ice shelf the size of a small European country collapses in Antarctica– 3-2002
Earthquakes in Afghanistan 3-2002
Israel launches offensive against Palestinian militants 3-2002
51 percent of Americans 65–74 years of age use 2 or more prescription drugs – 2-2002
100 different kinds of cancer now kill over 5 million people every year – 2002
40 million people estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS – 2-2002
Philadelphia archdiocese reveals names of 35 priests guilty of child sex abuse – 2-2002
Child sex scandal hits the Roman Catholic priesthood – 2-2002
Plagues in Afghanistan – 2-2002
Islamic radicals kidnap, murder Wall Street Journal reporter –Karachi, Pakistan – 1-2002
Volcano erupts in Congo – 1-2002
Fourth expedition crew arrives at international space station – 12-2001
Nigerian pastor dies in car accident, raised from the dead three days later - 11-30-01
American Flight 587 Crash on Long Island – 11-2001
War in Afghanistan – 10-2001 to present
Two planes crash at Milan's airport in Italy- 114 people killed – 10-2001
Russian Tu-154 airliner crash in Black Sea – 10-2001
Anthrax – 10-2001
Queen Isabella Causeway Bridge collapses in Texas, 8 people died -- 9-2001
World Trade Center towers and Pentagon attacked- more than 2,800 people killed- 9-11-2001
Andrea Yates bathtub murder – 6-2001
Earthquake in Peru – 6-2001
Building collapses during wedding banquet in Jerusalem, killing 25 people - 5-2001
Tanker Spills Iraqi Oil into the Persian Gulf – 4-2001
Two American missionaries killed when private plane shot down in Peru – 4-2001
Wildfires Blaze in Florida – 4-2001
Volcano in Java erupts – 4-2001
Volcano Erupts in Nicaragua – 4-2001
Tremor Jolts Idaho and Wyoming – 4-2001
Famine and drought in Afghanistan and Pakistan – 4-2001
Italy's Mount Etna erupts – 4-2001
Earthquake in Argentina – 4-2001
Earthquake in Japan – 4-2001
Earthquake in Seattle – 2-2001
Earthquake in El Salvador – 2-2001
Earthquake in El Salvador – 1-2001
Earthquake in India – 1-2001
Galapagos Islands oil spill – 1-2001
Bombing of British Embassy in Yemen – 10-2000
Bombing of USS Cole - 17 American sailors killed and 30 wounded - 10-2000
Palestinian carry out more than 60 suicide bomb attacks on Israelis - 9-2000 to 5-2002
Israeli Palestinian escalation of violence - 9-2000
Concorde Jet crash in France – 7-2000
Brush Fires in California – 1999-2000
Campaigns against Christians in 35 countries (including China, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Burma, Greece, Ethiopia, Vietnam) - 1999
Over 200 million Christians worldwide are living under the threat of persecution – 1999
Egypt Air Flight 990 Plane Crash off Nantucket – 11-1999
Earthquake in Mexico – 10-1999
Earthquake in Taiwan – 9-1999
Earthquake in Turkey – 8-1999
Columbine High school shooting – 4-1999
Kosovo Conflict – 3-1999
30 million people infected with HIV disease – 2-1999
Construction of International Space Station begins – 11-1998
Bombing - US Embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – 12 killed, 85 injured – 8-1998
Bombing - US Embassy in Kenya - 213 killed, 5,000 receive medical treatment – 8-1998
Tsunami in Papua New Guinea – 7-1998
Jakarta Indonesia riots – 5-1998
Bacteria that causes pneumonia & ear infections evolving into untreatable forms - 1998
Malaria, Tuberculosis, Cholera becoming resistant to antibiotics, killing millions – 1998
Typhoid, diphtheria, and Black Death epidemics afflicted India & Soviet Union – 1998
HIV virus, which causes AIDS, had infected at least 13 to 14 million people – 1998
Eritrea-Ethiopia War - 1998-2000
Heath High School shooting - Paducah, Kentucky – 12-1997
Rwanda genocide – 7-1997
Albania genocide following collapse of economy - 1997
TWA Flight 800 - crashed into Atlantic off Long Island, New York - 7-1996
Cyclone hits Andhra Pradesh, India – 11-1996
Tsunami in Irian Jaya – 2-1996
Tsunami in Peru – 2-1996
Tsunami in Sulawesi Island – 1-1996
Oil Spill off Rhode Island coast - 1-1996
Tsunami in Mexico – 10-1995
Earthquake in Sakhalin Islands, Russia – 5-1995
Seven Colombian Youth receive a tour of heaven and hell - 4-1995
Murrah Federal Building bombed in downtown Oklahoma City – 4-1995
Russian troops kill tens of thousands, attempting to crush Chechen rebellion - 12-1994 to 8-1996
Texas woman ushered into throne room of God on eve of Hanukkah - 11-28-1994
Tsunami in Philippines – 11-1994
Tsunami in East Java - 6-1994
War in Chechnya, 1994-96
½ of the 24,000 people groups worldwide have a church movement of their own - 1993
One in ten humans is a Bible believing Christian – 1993
Tsunami in Japan – 7-1993
Korean Pastor Raised from the Dead - 3-1998
World Trace Center bombed – 6 killed and 1,000 injured – 2-1993
Oil tanker Braer ran aground off Shetland – 1-1993
Bosnia Conflict 1992-1995
Tsunami in Flores Island – 12-1992
Tsunami in Nicaragua – 9-1992
Somalia Conflict – 1992-1995
Tajikistan, Civil War - 1992-96
Haiti coup – 1991-1994
Sierra Leone revolution - 1991
Cyclone in Bangladesh kills 138,000 people - 1991
300 Oil fires rage in Kuwait – 1991
Oil released into Persian Gulf by Sadaam Hussein - 1991
Persian Gulf War – 1991
Moldova civil war – 1990-1997
Magnitude 7.1 earthquake hits the San Francisco Bay – 10-1989
400-800 killed in China’s Tienamen square – 6-1989
Exxon Valdez oil spill - Prince William Sound, Alaska – 3-1989
The First and Second Liberian Civil Wars 1989-2005
Separation of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union - 1989-91
Collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe – 1989
Kashmir, Civil War - 1989
Panama invasion – 1989
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed by Libyan terrorists & crashes over Scotland – 12-1986
World’s worst nuclear accident occurred at Chernobyl – 4-1986
Space Shuttle, Challenger disaster – 1-1986
Eruption of volcano in Colombia – 11-1985
Brazilian death squads – 1985-1994
Massive magnitude 8.1 quake jolts Mexico – 9-1985
Japanese airliner crashes into Mt. Osutaka, Japan, killing 520 people - 8-12-1985
Grenada invasion – 10-1983
Marine barracks bombed in Beirut, Lebanon – 10-1983
Zimbabwe political violence - 1983
Falkland war – 1982
Ghana war - 1981-1994
Gambia coup - 1981
Space Shuttle Columbia, first space shuttle flight – 4-1981
Iran hostage crisis of 1979-1981
Honduras genocide – 1980-1988
Shining Path insurrection in Peru – 1980-1999
Jamaica election violence – 1980
Bridge collapses in Florida's Tampa Bay, killing 35 – 5-1980
Kwangju Uprising in South Korea – 1980
El Salvador Civil War - 1979-1991
5,000 killed during the Iranian revolution – 12-1979
Jonestown, Guyana Massacre 11-1978
Magnitude 7.8 quake slams Iran – 9-1978
Sri Lanka violence -1977- present
Pan Am flight 583 crashes into Canary Islands killing 583 people - 3-27-1977
Zaire Farmer's Rebellion – 1977-83
Argentina, Military Junta - 1976-83
Magnitude 8.0 quake rocks Tangshan, China – 7-1976
Laotian civil war – 1975-present
Cambodia Genocide - 2,000,000 deaths - 1975-1979
Extreme violence in Turkey – 1975-80
Supreme Court decides to legalize abortion on demand - 1-22-1973
Rhodesia genocide 1972-79
Syria massacres - 1971-2000
Jordan Black September Uprising – 1970-71
Magnitude 7.8 quake in northern Peru – 5-1970
Equatorial Guinea massacres - 1969-79
Congo Mercenary Uprising 1967-68
The Hough race riots in Cleveland, Ohio lasting six nights, four killed, thirty injured - 7-18-1966
Chad civil war - 1965
Congo revolt - 1964-65
Zambia domestic violence – 1964
Kenya Border dispute w/ Somalia - 1963-67
Sino-Soviet War 1963-69
Sino-Indian War - 1962
New Guinea Irian Jaya violence -1962
Supreme Court decides to remove all prayer from public schools - 6-25-1962
Tunisia – France war – 1961
Collision over N.Y. Harbor between United DC-8 jet & TWA Super-Constellation – 12-1960
Vietnam conflict – 1954-75
Israel becomes a nation state - 1948
United Nations established – 1946
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan destroyed by atomic bombs – 8-1945
Second World War death toll 50-70 million – 1941-1945

But He replied to them, "When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' "And in the morning, 'There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?
(Mat 16:2-3)

"Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.
(Mat 24:32-33)

If you have not yet put your faith in Christ, I urge you to do that today. He loves you and wants you to know Him.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: You must take responsibility for your own actions. Nobody knows the day or the hour, and in no way am I date setting. This is only to provide you with information, so that you can make your own decisions, for which you will be accountable to God.

You may also visit our Signs of the Times Directory, and access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International. He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Friday, December 13, 2019

Darkened Skies in the Last Days

During the last days, the skies will be darkened to the point where it will be like midnight in the middle of the day. Many people have seen this in visions and dreams, but here are some Scriptures that say so.

Jesus said, "Immediately after the distress of those days 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'" (Mat 24:29)

"The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine." (Joe 3:15)

"I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD." (Joe 2:30-31)

"Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand— a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness..." (Joe 2:1-2a)

"Will not the day of the LORD be darkness instead of light, Even gloom with no brightness in it?" (Amo 5:20)

"In that day," declares the Sovereign LORD, "I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight." (Amo 8:9)

"The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light." (Isa 13:10)

"I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty; and at the heavens, and their light was gone. I looked at the mountains, and they were quaking; all the hills were swaying. I looked, and there were no people; every bird in the sky had flown away. I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert; all its towns lay in ruins before the LORD, before his fierce anger. This is what the LORD says: 'The whole land will be ruined, though I will not destroy it completely. Therefore the earth will mourn and the heavens above grow dark, because I have spoken and will not relent, I have decided and will not turn back.' At the sound of horsemen and archers every town takes to flight. Some go into the thickets; some climb up among the rocks. All the towns are deserted; no one lives in them." (Jer 4:23-29)

"Give glory to the LORD your God before He brings the darkness, before your feet stumble on the darkening hills. You hope for light, but He will turn it to utter darkness and change it to deep gloom." (Jer 13:16)

"When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light. All the shining lights in the heavens I will darken over you; I will bring darkness over your land, declares the Sovereign LORD." (Eze 32:7-8)

"The great day of the LORD is near— near and coming quickly. The cry on the day of the LORD is bitter; the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry. That day will be a day of wrath— a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness— a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers. 'I will bring such distress on all people that they will grope about like those who are blind, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their entrails like dung. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the LORD's wrath.' In the fire of his jealousy the whole earth will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live on the earth." (Zep 1:14-18)

"When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss." (Rev 9:2)

"I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind." (Rev 6:12-13).

The following passage also seems to allude to the time of the Lord's return:

"The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry. Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him— the dark rain clouds of the sky. Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning. The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy, with great bolts of lightning he routed them. The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, LORD, at the blast of breath from your nostrils. He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me." (Psa 18:7-17)

Closing Words
Based on these Scriptures, we know a day is definitely coming when the sky will be completely darkened, and this will be a sign of Christ's soon return. It will be a day of clouds and blackness, a day of darkness and gloom.

On a related note, this same phenomenon occurred when Jesus hung upon the cross, two thousand years ago, and took the punishment for our sins. He felt what it was like to be forsaken by God at that moment. It says:

"At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?' (which means 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?')." (Mar 15:33-34)

No greater love has any man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. Jesus Christ laid down His life for you. Sin separates us from God, and Jesus took all our sins upon Himself on the cross. He took the punishment for our sins, so that we don't have to spend eternity in hell, separated from God. He died for us and rose again, so that all who believe in Him would not perish but have eternal life.

Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near. Don't delay your decision. It's going to get dark soon. Call upon Jesus' name today. Believe me, you don't want to go through the Great Tribulation with its darkness and separation from God. That will be the hour when darkness reigns on the earth. And if you die without Christ, then you will be doomed to spend eternity in hell. Yes, hell is real, and the reason I am warning you is that I don't want you to go to that terrible place. I want you to come to know, as I have, that Jesus' light is greater than the deepest darkness.

Attribution notice: Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®.

Author's note: You must take responsibility for your own actions. Nobody knows the day or the hour, and in no way am I date setting. This is only to provide you with information, so that you can make your own decisions, for which you will be accountable to God.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Prophetic End Time Warnings from Little Children, Wars and Rumors of Wars, The 311 Moment, The Land Mourns in the Last Days, The End Time Plagues, Cosmic Rays Intensifying, Peace, Safety, and the Thief in the Night, Outline of Endtime Events, The Coming Wrath of God, Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster, my daughter's poem, The Midnight Hour, her video called The Coming, and the other posts in this blog available through the Signs of the Times Directory. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Sunday, October 8, 2017

America's Doom Punctuated by a Boom!

We have been reading through the book of Revelation as a family, and last night something amazing happened as we were doing so during our family devotions. We were reading the entire chapter of Revelation 18 about the fall of Babylon and had just finished reading the following verses:

“When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, you mighty city of Babylon! In one hour your doom has come!’" (Rev 18:9-10, NIV).

Immediately after we read the words "In one hour your doom has come!" there was a huge explosion near our home that made a great big "BOOM!" sound and shook the house. We marveled at how the boom had so emphatically punctuated the verse we had just read. It was unlike anything I have ever heard in the civilian world in my whole life. Although in the Army infantry during the late 1980's, I heard plenty of explosions from military ordinance that would be comparable to that.

That happened at 10:45 PM EDT on October 7, 2017 about 300 miles inland from the east coast of the United States. We did not see any flash, fireball or flames, but we were inside our home with the blinds closed, so that doesn't mean that none of these things accompanied the sound of the explosion. When I spoke to the 911 emergency dispatcher at 11:00 PM EDT, she said they had received multiple calls about it, but she could not tell me what it was*. We never heard any sirens from emergency vehicles or police arrive in response to it, nor did we see any flashing police lights, but she did say an officer was coming to the area to investigate it. That was all.

So we speculated among ourselves as to what it could have been. Some wondered if it was a bomb. I checked the weather to see if it could be a lightning strike, but there was no storm activity in our area on the weather website's radar, and we couldn't see any outside our window. Besides, it didn't sound like thunder anyway. One of my children thought it was a meteor that hit the earth. When I heard that suggestion, I thought it was quite possibly a meteor breaking the sound barrier as it flew very closely past our home. Later on, my youngest one said he thought it might have been the voice of God speaking; as the Scripture says, the Father spoke to Jesus audibly from heaven. "The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him." (Joh 12:29, NIV). That instance had occurred in response to Jesus praying, "Father, glorify Your name," as you may recall. "Then a voice came from heaven, 'I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.'” (Joh 12:28b, NIV). Therefore, when God speaks, others may hear it and it may sound like thunder or a great booming sound.

In my opinion, we may find out one day what the explosion was, and there may be a natural explanation like a meteor. Or we may never find out, because there may be no physical evidence for police to determine the cause of it. But regardless of what caused it, I think it was certainly more than a coincidence that it occurred right after we had just read the prophetic words of God, "In one hour your doom has come!"

Just prior to reading this chapter, we had just watched a video on Youtube by a sister in Christ who said the Lord spoke to her and told her that He is going to bring judgments upon America, such as the coast lands of California, Florida, and New York. She described America as the great Babylon we read about in Revelation 18. And we had not planned to watch that video either, in order to make it coincide with the chapter we were going to read during devotions. The video was suggested to us in the side bar while we were watching something else, and the title of it did not indicate that she would be speaking about Revelation 18.

Katy Perry stands singing atop giant beast

The other coincidence is that on the previous night, right before we read Revelation 17, I had just read a couple of articles about President Trump by Nathan Leal on Watchman's Cry. The first article made numerous references to America being Mystery Babylon, as described in Revelation 17. In fact, it showed a photo from Superbowl 49 in 2012 of Katy Perry dressed (in my opinion) like a prostitute, entering on a giant beast with red eyes. That was the first article I had read before our family devotions.

The second article I had just read about President Trump made reference to Revelation 17:1-2 with regard to the sexual decadence of America as Mystery Babylon spoken of in that chapter.

It just so happened that after that, we prayed and opened our Bibles to the next chapter of Revelation that we were due to read, and we noted that it was Revelation 17, just as I had just been reading about before devotions.

I believe these things were more than coincidence. If you still have difficulty accepting this, then I suggest you read some of my other articles that help to prove America is Mystery Babylon and judgment is coming upon this nation. I recommend reading Prophetic End Time Warnings from Little Children, The Contractions Are Coming Closer Together, The Vegas Massacre Marks a New Chapter, Wars and Rumors of Wars, Urgent End Time Warning from the Lord, and The Coming Wrath of God. I also recommend my daughter's poems Judgment of Babylon and America, Turn Back to God.

These are the last days, my friends, and it is high time for holiness and consecration to God. It's time for all of us to repent with all our hearts and seek the face of God. Jesus Christ is coming soon. Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near.

Afterword
Two days after this event occurred, the local news reported the story on Monday, October 9, 2017. It stated in part, "At about 10:45 pm Saturday, police received calls from residents reporting what sounded like a loud explosion that left the windows of their homes shaking. The reports came from residents who live in a radius several miles wide..." It went on to say, "Officers checked the area and have not yet discovered an explanation for the event. No homes in the area appeared to be damaged and no injuries were reported."

Another news station interviewed residents who heard it. Some of the residents said things like, “It sounded like a legit concussion. It sounded like a bomb.” And “That doesn’t normally happen. It wasn’t thunder.” A local geologist told the news station that there is no data to confirm seismic activity caused the boom. Police also checked the local landfill and confirmed there had been no evidence of methane issues or any other explosions. It remains a mystery to local residents and police.

In November 2017, after this article was posted, mysterious booms like this were reported being heard around the world in places like Connecticut, New Jersey, Alabama, North Carolina, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Indiana, Michigan, Arizona, California, Idaho, Washington, Australia, Russia, and the United Kingdom. They have also been reported earlier in 2017 and even in 2016. The Lord is warning us that He is coming soon.

Author's note: You must take responsibility for your own actions. Nobody knows the day or the hour, and in no way am I date setting. This is only to provide you with information, so that you can make your own decisions, for which you will be accountable to God.

I also encourage you to read Prophetic End Time Warnings from Little Children, Urgent End Time Warning from the Lord, The Coming Wrath of God, America’s Destruction is at Hand, Word of Warning for America, Urgent Revelations of Christ's Imminent Return, Repent and Flee the Coming Wrath, Grieve and Lament for the Church, Repentance That Leads to Life, Rapture Revelation Given to Sister Claire Andoun, Rapture Revelation to Angelica Zambrano, Rapture Revelation to James Agboola, Rapture Revelation to Angelica Zambrano, Sequence of Signs Preceding the Coming of Christ, Peace, Safety, and the Thief in the Night, and The Timing of the Rapture, as well as The Messiah Is Coming. You may also visit our Signs of the Times Directory, and access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Monday, August 1, 2016

Times and Epochs the Father has Determined

Let me begin by saying that I would not consider myself a dispensationalist and have studied outside those circles. While in Bible school and graduate school decades ago, I studied under people with various different schools of thought. And since that time, I have also sat under the teaching of those who were definitely not dispensational in their theology. However, I have reached my conclusions based on the Bible, which is the book I read most of the time, and not men's opinions. I don't follow any dispensational teacher or book. I follow the Bible.

Dispensations in the Bible
Dispensational theology is one that views all of biblical history and the future as a series of dispensations, or time periods when God dealt with mankind or with a certain people in a particular way. For example, a dispensational teacher may illustrate on a timeline chart all the epochs that have occurred since the world began, such as the age of innocence, the age of conscience, the age of human government, the ante-deluvian age (pre-flood), the age of Law, the age of grace or favor, the time of Jacob’s trouble or the Tribulation, and the millennial reign of Christ on earth.

The term dispensationalism itself is not a biblical term, but one that man has made up. However, even if we had never heard of dispensationalism before, and there was no such categorization for a field of theological thought, we could look at the Bible (like good Bereans should) and see there are clearly dispensations. The dictionary definition of dispensation is "a system of order, government, or organization of a nation, community, etc., especially as existing at a particular time."

So if I look at the Bible, I definitely see a "government" or "organization of a nation," or a "community" that was "existing at a particular time." I don't have to force anything to try and make it fit to support that point. It's just obvious. For example, there was the Israelite “community” during the period when they were in the desert under the leadership of Moses, as well as in the Promised Land under Joshua. They were “organized into a nation” called Israel. So without even trying, we can find that one easily.

And if we look at the period of judges, that was a government that existed at a particular time under leaders like Samson, Gideon, Barack, Deborah, and others. And the period of kings was another one. You cannot deny that these periods are in the Bible. And the fact that they were under the Law of Moses and the Mosaic covenant during a particular period is undeniable, too. When Christ came and instituted a New Covenant, He took preeminence from that point forward, while His teaching and His commandments took precedence. Like the Father said from the cloud, when Elijah and Moses appeared next to the Lord, representing the Law and the Prophets, "This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!" (Luk 9:35)

The “community” that existed in the book of Acts and still exists to this day is the Church under the government that is on Christ's shoulders (Is 9:6). The description of the congregation or “community” of believers in the following passage from Acts is unlike anything ever seen in any prior period in biblical history.

“And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all.” (Act 4:31-33)

This marked a new era, an age of grace, when all believers were filled with the Holy Spirit. The crucifixion of Christ on the cross and His subsequent resurrection was the turning point when this age began, which some might call the Church age.

The Lord Spoke of Ages and Time Periods
When the Lord began His public ministry, He announced this new age of grace by saying that He had come to proclaim the year of God’s favor.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord." (Luk 4:18-19).

He read this from the scroll in the prophet Isaiah, and He stopped short of saying the very next words that Isaiah prophesied in that sentence. Isaiah prophesied, “…To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God…” (Isa 61:2a). The Lord proclaimed the favorable year of the Lord, but did not finish the verse by the referring to the day of vengeance of our God, since that was yet another time period in the future. Nevertheless, we cannot deny that the Bible speaks of these two time periods, one of them of God’s favor and a subsequent one of God’s vengeance.

The Lord also spoke about the time of His Second Coming often, using various expressions like "which day your Lord is coming," "that day and hour no one knows," "the Master of that slave will come on a day," "the day that the Son of Man is revealed," "the days of the Son of Man," and "will the Son of Man be in His day." I would like to especially draw your attention to the expression, “the days of the Son of Man.” This clearly refers to a time period that was yet future at the time when the Lord spoke of it.

In the following passage, note the many uses of the expressions “the days” and “His day”:

“And He said to the disciples, ‘The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. They will say to you, “Look there! Look here!” Do not go away, and do not run after them. For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in His day. But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house must not go down to take them out; and likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back.” (Luk 17:22-31)

The Lord spoke of “the days of Noah,” “the days of Lot,” and “the days of the Son of Man.” These all refer to different time periods, and it is clear that “the days of the Son of Man” were still future at the time when Jesus spoke these words, since He referred to them as coming after His suffering and rejection.

By the way, I would like to point out that the word for “day” and “days” in this passage is “hemera”, which – depending on the context -- can mean either literally a 24-hour day or figuratively a period, such as an age or time or period of years. According to Strongs, hemera means “day, that is, (literally) the time space between dawn and dark, or the whole 24 hours (but several days were usually reckoned by the Jews as inclusive of the parts of both extremes), figuratively a period (always defined more or less clearly by the context): - age, time, while, years.”

The Lord also spoke explicitly of a future "age". Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection." (Luk 20:34-36)

The word "age" is "aion" in the Greek, meaning "properly an age; by extension perpetuity (also past); by implication the world; specifically (Jewish) a Messianic period (present or future): - age, course, eternal, (for) ever (-more), [n-]ever, (beginning of the, while the) world (began, without end)." -- Strongs. In the context of Luke 20, "age" is the appropriate translation of "aion."

So He taught that you and I are "sons of this age." And He also taught about those who are considered worthy to attain to "that age and from the resurrection from the dead." Therefore, according to Christ, there is "this age", which we are presently living in, and there is "that age", which is future, after the resurrection.

Likewise, he also referred to "this age" and "the age to come" in other passages. For example, in His teaching about the unpardonable sin, He said, "Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come." (Mat 12:32). And in His teaching about rewards for service, He said, "...he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life." (Mar 10:29-30)

Moreover, the Lord also used the expression "end of the age" to refer to the last days. Here are some examples:

"So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous," (Mat 13:49; also see Mat 13:39-40)

"Teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Mat 28:20).

Finally, while speaking about the signs that would occur at the end of the age, the Lord spoke of a period that He called "the times of the Gentiles." He said, "...Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." (Luk 21:24; cf., Rom 11:25). (See The Times of the Gentiles).

The Apostles Spoke of Ages and Times
The apostles spoke about ages and times. One example was when they spoke to the Lord right before His ascension. “So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, ‘Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;’” (Act 1:6-7)

The apostles used the expression “at this time,” and the word “time” is “chronos,” meaning “a space of time which designates a fixed or special occasion; it denotes a particular period or interval; by extension an individual opportunity; by implication delay: season, space, time, while.” They were asking whether this was the space of time when He was going to restore the kingdom to Israel. They referred to a government and a particular period of time, which is the precise definition of the term "dispensation."

The Lord did not deny that there would be a time or period when he would restore the kingdom to Israel. He simply told them that it was not for them to know the times or epochs which the Father has determined by His own authority. The word for “times” in verse 7 when Jesus replied to the apostles was the same word used in verse 6 in their question to the Lord, which was “chronos.” The word used for “epochs” in verse 7 is “kairos” meaning “an occasion, that is, set or proper time: opportunity, (convenient, due) season, (due, short, while) time, a while.”

While these two words, “chronos” and “kairos” have different shades of meaning, they are also used somewhat interchangeably in the Bible.

For example, both Jude and Peter wrote about a period called the “last time”, but one of them used the word chronos and the other used the word kairos.

Jude wrote: “But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, ‘In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.’" (Jud 1:17-18). In Jude’s expression “last time”, the word for “time” is “chronos.”

Peter used this same expression “last time”, when he wrote: “…who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1Pe 1:5). However, in this passage, the word “kairos” is used instead of “chronos.” Nevertheless, whether kairos or chronos is used, we cannot deny the fact that the “last time” refers to a particular period. It is a period that occurs at the end and happens last, at the end of time.

There is another expression similar to “last time”, which is “last days.”

Peter used this expression when he wrote in his epistle, “Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts,” (2Pe 3:3). This corresponds exactly to what Jude wrote in the passage I have already cited above in Jud 1:17-18, except that instead of calling it the "last time," Peter calls it the "last days."

Peter had also used this same term on the Day of Pentecost. He proclaimed, “'And it shall be in the last days,' God says, 'that I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;’” (Act 2:17).

Peter was quoting from the prophet Joel, chapter 2. He was teaching that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit happening on that day was the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy regarding the last days. From this we can ascertain that the last days began with Pentecost.

Paul spoke of the last days, too. He wrote, “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.” (2Ti 3:1)

James wrote, “Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!” (Jas 5:3)

In the book of Hebrews, we learn that at the time it was written, the last days were already in progress, and were called “these last days.” It says, “In these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.” (Heb 1:2)

The apostle John affirmed that the last days had already begun during his days, when he wrote, “Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.” (1Jn 2:18). He spoke of the last hour in the present tense.

The apostles asked Jesus about the end of the ages. "As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, 'Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?'" (Mat 24:3)

In Hebrews, it says, "But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." (Heb 9:26). Other versions have it as "the fulfillment of the ages" or the consummation of the ages," but they all carry the same meaning, which is that the sacrifice of Christ on the cross for our sins happened at the end of the ages.

In Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians, he also wrote, "Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come." (1Co 10:11). He spoke of the end of the ages as having come upon him and his readers. The end of the ages began with the earthly ministry of Christ, especially His crucifixion, and continued throughout the first century. Since it has not yet reached its conclusion, we know it continues to this day.

Therefore, we know from the apostles’ use of the terms “last time,” “last days,” “last hour,” and "end of the ages," that there is such an age or period that began in the first century and continues up until now. If the first century was considered the last days, then we in this present generation are living in the last of the last days! If it was considered the last hour in the apostle John's day, then we are in the last minute or the final second! We can truly say that the end of the ages has come upon us! This present age that Paul spoke of is about to conclude, and "the age to come" is about to commence (Eph 1:21; Heb 6:5).

The apostle Paul also wrote about the time of God’s favor, which I have already mentioned was part of Christ’s teaching. Paul quoted from the prophet Isaiah (49:8), when he wrote:

“For He says, ‘At the acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.’ Behold, now is ‘the acceptable time,’ behold, now is ‘the day of salvation.’" (2Co 6:2)

In saying this in the context of God’s grace (2 Cor 6:1), Paul declared that the acceptable time, which the Holy Spirit had spoken about through Isaiah, had begun, and the day of salvation was now in progress. This is the same time period that the Lord referred to in Luke 4:18, calling it “the favorable year of the Lord,” as I have already mentioned. Incidentally, the word for “time” in 2 Cor 6:2 is “kairos” and the word for “day” is “hemera”, both of which I have already defined.

Finally, Paul taught that God has set a certain day when He will judge the world with justice. He said, "For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.” (Ac 17:31, NIV). (See The Judgment Seat of Christ).

The Prophets Spoke of Ages and Times
Not only did the Lord and His apostles speak of ages, times, and days, but so did the prophets, which they often quoted. I have already mentioned some such passages from Isaiah, but another example is found in Daniel. Here is how that book ends:

“As for me, I heard but could not understand; so I said, ‘My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?’ He said, ‘Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand. From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days! But as for you, go your way to the end; then you will enter into rest and rise again for your allotted portion at the end of the age.’" (Dan 12:8-13)

As we can clearly see from this passage, there will be a future period, which the angel Gabriel referred to as “the end time” (v. 9). Gabriel told Daniel specifically when this time would occur, and exactly how many days it would last (v. 11). He also made reference to “the end of the age" (v. 13).

The Hebrew word for “time” in verse 9 is “eth,” which can mean literally a 24-hour day or figuratively an age. And the word for “age” in verse 13 is “yom”, which can either literally mean a day or figuratively an age or season, depending on the context.

The Time of Jacob's Trouble
Another age that I would like to mention from the prophets is a time period known as Jacob’s Trouble. Jeremiah wrote, “Alas! for that day (Hebrew, yom) is great, There is none like it; And it is the time (Hebrew, eth) of Jacob's distress, But he will be saved from it.” (Jer 30:7). Jeremiah described it as a time of terror, of dread, when there is no peace, when every man has his hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth, and all faces are turned pale (Jer 30:5-6). Jeremiah prophesied of these coming days when the Lord would restore the fortunes of His people Israel and Judah, and bring them back to the Promised Land (Jer 30:3). It will be a time when the Lord will destroy completely all the nations where He has scattered His people Israel and Judah, But He will not destroy His people Israel and Judah completely. He will chasten them justly and will by no means leave them unpunished (Jer 30:11). The Lord will wound them with the wound of an enemy, with the punishment of a cruel one, because their iniquity is great and their sins are numerous (Jer 30:14). But Jacob will eventually be saved from it (Jer 30:7). Therefore, once again we have in the prophets a future age foretold, which corresponds with "the day of vengeance of our God" that Isaiah and Christ spoke of.

The Day of the Lord
The prophets also spoke of the day of the Lord. They referred to it as a coming day of clouds, of darkness and not light, even gloom with no brightness in it, a time of doom for the nations, as destruction from the Almighty, great and terrible, very awesome, cruel, with fury and burning anger, to make the land a desolation and exterminate its sinners from it. It will be a day when the warrior cries out bitterly, a day of wrath when all the earth will be devoured in the fire of His jealousy, for He will make a complete end, indeed a terrifying one, of all the inhabitants of the earth. (Isa. 13:6,9; Eze. 13:5; 30:3; Joel 1:15; 2:1,11,31; 3:14; Amos 5:18,20; Oba. 1:15; Zep. 1:7,14,18; 2:2,3; Mal. 4:5).

Reign of Christ on Earth
One last future age I would like to mention is that of the literal reign of Christ on earth. This is spoken about in the Psalms and the Prophets. For example, Isaiah wrote, "Then the moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed, For the LORD of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, And His glory will be before His elders." (Isa 24:23). There are too many passages to cite, but many people have spiritualized them, rather than taking them literally. One that I will mention that explicitly states Christ will reign as king on earth is found in Zechariah. It states:

"Behold, a day is coming for the LORD when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south. You will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him! In that day there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle. For it will be a unique day which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at evening time there will be light. And in that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter. And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one." (Zec 14:1-9)

In this passage, it says, "in that day..." (Hebrew, yom), meaning that this is an age or time period. Moreover, it says that "His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem," and "the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one." This is precisely the same time period as described in Revelation 20, which says:

"Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time. Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years." (Rev 20:1-4)

Here we are told that this age of Christ's reign on earth will last for a thousand years, which is where we derive the term Millennium. I choose to take that literally, rather than figuratively or spiritually.

Dispensation is a Biblical Word
While the term "dispensationalism" itself may not be a biblical term, the word “dispensation” is in fact found in Scripture. You won't find it in most of the modern translations, but the Geneva Bible, King James Bible, and American Standard Version all contain it. It comes from the Greek word "oikonomia," which means “a (religious) ‘economy’: - dispensation, stewardship.”

Paul said, "That in the dispensation of the fullness of the times, he might gather together in one all things, both which are in heaven, and which are in earth, even in Christ." (Eph 1:10, GNV).

John Wesley commented on this verse, "That in the dispensation of the fullness of the times" means "In this last administration of God's fullest grace, which took place when the time appointed was fully come." This is the dispensation we live in today, the final administration of God's grace. The time appointed for it by God was fully come during the life of Christ on earth, and is now about to reach its conclusion. You may not agree with Wesley's viewpoint, but it makes no difference, because I have already proven (without using the word "dispensation") that there are dispensations in the Bible.

In connection with that same passage above in Ephesians, I would also like to present one final passage, in order to further demonstrate that the word "dispensation," or "oikonomia," is in the Word of God. In the third chapter of that same epistle, the apostle used four terms that are synonymous with "dispensation," as shown in the chart below:

Synonymous terms	Verse
Dispensation of the fullness of the times	"That in the dispensation of the fullness of the times, he might gather together in one all things, both which are in heaven, and which are in earth, even in Christ." (Eph 1:10, GNV).
Dispensation of the grace of God	"if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you." (Eph 3:2, NKJV).
Mystery of Christ	"That by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,” (Eph 3:3-4, NASB)
The Gospel	"This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus." (Eph 3:6, NIV)
Dispensation of this mystery	"and to make plain to everyone the administration (oikonomia) of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things." (Eph 3:9, NIVUK)

This chart shows that "the dispensation of the fullness of the times," "the dispensation of the grace of God," "the mystery of Christ," "the gospel," and "the dispensation of this mystery" are all interchangeable expressions. They mean exactly the same thing in this context. What is true of one is true of all five expressions. Therefore, the current dispensation of grace that we are in today was not made known to men in other generations, but was kept hidden in God for ages past as a mystery, only being revealed at the appointed time in the gospel, and is now made plain to everyone through the preaching of the gospel.

Putting it All Together
As we can see, the Lord, as well as the prophets and apostles spoke of times, epochs, days, ages, and years. I don't derive that from any man, but from the Lord and His Word. That's what we've got to base our lives on, rather than the traditions of men.

We have established the fact that there are definitely dispensations in the Bible. Dispensations are not unbiblical or erroneous. That does not mean that I promote any particular brand of dispensational doctrine. It just means that we do not need to be afraid of the concept of dispensations. So as we study God’s Word, we can expect to learn about ages or periods of time when God is dealing with people, including His own people, in a particular way.

Therefore, be free, as you study God’s Word, to learn directly from the Holy Spirit about these interesting, wonderful -- often frightening and terrible, as well as glorious ages. In eternity, which is outside of time, time is not kept by days or weeks or months or years, according to the movements of the sun and moon. But there will always be ages throughout eternity, for Scripture speaks of "the coming ages" (Eph 2:7). God changes not. He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Mal 3:6; Heb 13:8). He has always been, is now, and always will be the King of the Ages. "To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." (1Ti 1:17 ESV).

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. "Time is At Hand" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note: I recommend watching my daughter's music video: The Coming. You may also want to read my other related posts:

The End Time Plagues	America’s Destruction is at Hand	Are You Rapture Ready?
The Land Mourns in the Last Days	The Times of the Gentiles	Grieve and Lament for the Church
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster	The End Has Come	Mark of the Beast (666)
The 311 Moment	Sequence of Signs Preceding the Coming of Christ	Synching Up the Seven Seals with the Gospels

You may also visit our Signs of the Times Directory, and access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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