Urgent Warning

Prophecy, throughout Biblical history, usually serves as a warning from God. The prophets warned of impending judgement and captivity by Ninevah and by Babylon. They also warned of drought and peril. Prophecy is not designed to merely satisfy curiosity, or to tickle your fancy with good news.

When I wrote the book, Right At The Door, I sought to re-examine and explain the prophecies of the last days. I did not emphasize the warning inherent in those prophecies. But I am changing the tone of my message. Prophecy is not merely a theological debate; it is an urgent warning. A warning both for the saved and for the unsaved.  The warning to the unsaved is obvious. They need to trust in Jesus as their savior and redeemer if they want to spend eternity in His righteous kingdom. The warning to Christians is not so obvious, at least not to those who believe in a rapture occurring before the Great Tribulation. The warning is completely lost if you believe that we will escape the turmoil and destruction of the last days. All you need to be concerned about is booking your next cruise, investing in a new beach house, or managing your 401k. After all, you are taking exit number seven, getting off the highway before it leads to destruction.

What makes the prophecies of the last days so urgent, though? Who among us is watching, waiting, and prepared for the destruction of America, prophesied in Daniel 7:11-12? Who has a plan for living through turmoil and tribulation without electricity, without refrigerators, cell phones, or internet. Without gas, propane, heat, stoves, transportation or grocery stores. 

How close is the end of the age? The seven trumpet warnings of Revelation began with World War I, in 1914. Trumpet warnings 2, 3, 4, and 5 have also taken place. We are now waiting for trumpet six, the buildup to Armageddon. And if the timeframe of warning prior to the Great Flood is any indicator, God’s warning of major judgment spans a timeframe of 120 years. “As in the days of Noah” may be an indicator that God’s patience is about complete. If so, then we might expect that the return of Jesus to engage the enemies of Israel at Armageddon might take place in 2034. Prior to that point in time the Arab alliance must eliminate America as a deterrent to their invasion of Israel. So sometime prior to 2034 we can expect that America will be destroyed. It is at the time of the second coming of Christ that Christians will be caught up, at the seventh trumpet.

Perhaps I am wrong on the 120-year timeframe. Then consider another timeframe. If five of the seven trumpet warnings have already taken place, starting in 1914, do you really think that God has in mind to wait much longer before He imparts the judgment of which He is warning? The end of the age is not twenty years away, or fifty, or a hundred years. It is imminent.

There you have it. We urgently need to prepare for dark and difficult days ahead, for sword, famine and plague (Rev 18::8). We will not be raptured away. No blissful escape. God’s judgment will soon fall upon America, and Christians will not be spared. The word “maranatha” will take on a whole new meaning. The blessed hope will become a desperate hope for the Lord’s return.