What is ahead for believers in Christ?

What is ahead for believers in Christ?  

We should begin with the words that Jesus used when speaking about the Eschatology that was pending centuries later.  As he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately and said, “Tell us, when will this happen, and what sign will there be of your coming, and the end of the age?”  Jesus said to them in reply, “See that no one deceives you.  For many will come in my name, saying “I Am the Messiah,” and they will deceive many.  You will hear of wars and reports of wars; see that you are not alarmed, for these things must happen, but it will not yet be the end.  Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be famines and earthquakes from place to place.  All these are the beginning of the labor pains.”  (Mt 24: 3 - 8).

From the prophet Ezekiel in chapter 38 we read the first prophecy against Gog;  (Gog is not one of the descendants of Noah listed in Genesis 10).  That name appears 12 times in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39).  Thus says the Lord God.  See!  I am coming at you, Gog, child prince of Meshash and Tubal.  I will lead you forth with all your army, horses and riders all handsomely outfitted, a great horde with bucklers and shields, all of them carrying swords.  Persia, Cush, and Put with them.  Gomer with all its troops.  Prepare yourself, be ready.  (Persia is now the nation of Iran).  The nation of Iran (Persia) has become the hotbed of militant Islam and anti-Semitic hatred.  The name Gomer, as mentioned above, indicates that this nation (Germany) will provide a powerful army in the assault on Israel.  We are beginning to see the number of nations gearing up to the final invasion of Israel and the coming of the final age against the Jews.  All of this and more are written as prophecies 2500 years before the birth of Christ.     

In Ezekiel we are told three times that part of the force that invades Israel will come from the distant north.  The land that is most distantly north and remote to Israel is Russia.      

Moving ahead by 2,000 years we are in the beginning of what is known as the end times.  What that might mean for us in the 21st century, with a World War III pending, and the definite removal of any semblance of Almighty God in our schools and secular society, is anyones’ guess.  All of this brings us to the events Jesus spoke about and brings up again to the readers of events that are building to overtake Israel, destroy Judaism from this world, and embarris the Lord God in its premise; is Satan making his attempt to remove from modern thinking he does not exist, weakening man’s belief that all of this is hyper-bole.  

There are many signs that are preparing us for a new period of fear that could produce panic when the attacks against Christianity begin and many will not be ready.  With all the anti-Semitism rallies that are breaking out nationwide and across the globe are perpetrated by Satanic influence and be sure he exists and is on the march to destroy Israel beginning with an intense hatred of our closest ally.

There may not be enough preaching, writing, and gathering the willful desire of Christian and Jewish proponents to make a difference in the future sanctity of the worlds believers in God, but we must never take a holiday from presenting Jesus Christ as the Savior and his mission through the Incarnation to save the nation of Israel.   “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  However, the Gentiles came first believing in the Savior; Christ the Lord.  (Mt 15: 24).

The future of the world, as we know it, is upon us and keeping our heads in the sand and allowing what is upon us as if in a novel of disbelief is real and about to suddenly appear.  This is not a time to cower in fear but to pray for strength as the future will confront our faith.  Never become pawns of evil to fall before the attacks of Satan.  Instead stand up and be counted as Christians ready to fight for holiness in our beliefs.  

Ralph B. Hathaway