UNDERSTAND THE TIMES - Preparing ourselves with holy living for the Lord's return - Jesus warned us that there would be false prophets in the last days, and the prophecy would be so subtle and the false signs so powerful that even the elect might be deceived. There are millions who have no clue of the current times and seasons. So, we're faced with a challenge and a profound, multi-faceted responsibility: to acknowledge the significance of our times, to awaken others to this reality, to rightly discern true from false prophecy, and to know what to do about the things we rightly discern. Wow! Not an easy task. We have a prophetic "anchor"... a fundamental sign, missing throughout all of Church history, until our day. This sign is the rebirth of Israel as a nation. Many of the OT prophets foresaw the in-gathering of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland. Isaiah prophesied the nation's rebirth in a single rhetorical question, "Can a nation be born in a day?" WATCH very carefully, and PRAY as the developments in the Middle East conform themselves to the Word of God. The prophetic clock is ticking toward the final hours of this age when the Lord Yeshua will return in power and great glory to judge the entire world of men.

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 Understand the Times!

Preparing ourselves with holy living for the Lord's return

Worthy Ministries

“And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.” 1 Chronicles 12:32

“Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” Luke 21:36

Among the mighty men of David were those of the tribe of Issachar whose special gift was their understanding of the times, a gift of prophetic insight; and this was such a precious gift because included in their discernment was the ability to know how to apply it.

In our time prophecy is everywhere.

Yeshua (Jesus) warned us that there would be false prophets in the last days, especially approaching His second coming, and He said the prophecy would be so subtle and the false signs so powerful that even the elect might be deceived if that were possible; [Matthew 24:24]

While it's clear to many of us that we're living in prophetic days, there are also millions who have no clue of the current times and seasons.

So, we're faced with a challenge and a profound, multi-faceted responsibility: to acknowledge the significance of our times, to awaken others to this reality, to rightly discern true from false prophecy, and to know what to do about the things we rightly discern.

Wow! Not an easy task. How do we even begin?

I believe that we have a prophetic "anchor"...a fundamental sign, missing throughout all of Church history, until our day.

This sign is the rebirth of Israel as a nation.

Many of the OT prophets foresaw the in-gathering of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland in the latter days. [Jeremiah 30; Isaiah 43:5-6; Amos 9:14-15; and many others].

Isaiah prophesied the nation's rebirth in a single rhetorical question, "Can a nation be born in a day?" [Isaiah 66:8].

One hundred years ago Israel, (then called "Palestine" by the Romans, as an insult to the Jews), was a barren, sparsely inhabited province in the Ottoman empire, and Jerusalem was hardly ever mentioned in conversation unless someone was reading scripture.

Today, Israel is a thriving resurrected nation, reclaimed from desolation, established in one single day, (May 14, 1948), and Jerusalem is in virtually every daily newspaper, the subject of intense controversy throughout the civilized world.

This one sign assures me, personally, that we are really and truly living at the end of the age.

I believe we must acknowledge this, share it, WATCH very carefully, and PRAY as the developments in the Middle East conform themselves to the Word of God.

The prophetic clock is ticking toward the final hours of this age when the Lord Yeshua will return in power and great glory to judge the entire world of men.

The sons of Issachar understood their times, and knew what to do. Watching and praying, we can too.

Preparing ourselves with holy living for the Lord's return, we must also warn those who live in ignorance of these amazing days by showing them the prophetic sign of Israel's resurrection, and warning them to repent, believe the gospel, and be accounted worthy to escape all these things and to stand before the Son of Man!

Worthy Ministries is a Christian organization based in the United States and Israel with a global outreach to more than 120 countries on a daily basis.

Though we are an internet ministry, we are also significantly involved in the land of Israel.

Each week, Worthy Ministries delivers thousands of daily devotionals and news briefs across the globe. This past year alone, we have sent out more than 5.2 million news briefs and inspirational devotionals. We have received thousands of encouraging responses from appreciative subscribers. And many millions have utilized our sites and services, including Worthy News, Worthy Chat, Worthy Devotions, and Worthy Christian Forums.

https://www.worthydevotions.com/christian-devotional/understand-the-times

JESUS IS COMING SOON - The #1 Most Overlooked Prophetic Sign - We can know the general season of Jesus’ return. Because Jesus told us so. He said certain signs will indicate His return is near. But I want to focus on just one of those signs. It's a sign so obvious, people take it for granted. It may even be the most important sign. Yet, while it's in full view of every man, woman, and child on earth, most people still ignore it. So, what is this sign? It's the Gospel. The spread of the Gospel is the most overlooked sign of the Second Coming. Our generation is on the verge of fulfilling this sign. Right now, the Gospel is being preached in every nation on earth. It's an unmistakable sign of the times in which we live. Yet, it's the #1 most overlooked sign. The world, and even many Christians, take it for granted.

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Jesus Is Coming Soon!

The #1 Most Overlooked Prophetic Sign

BY BRITT GILLETTE

ENDTIMESBIBLEPROPHECY.COM 

  

". . . look up, because your salvation draws near" (Luke 21:28).

Can we know when Jesus is coming back? No.

No one knows the day or the hour of His return (Mark 13:32).

However, we can know the general season of His return. Why do I say this? Because Jesus told us so. He said certain signs will indicate His return is near. 

And today, we see them. Those signs include (but are not limited to):

- the rebirth of Israel as a nation (Jeremiah 23:7-8)...

- The Jewish people in control of Jerusalem (Luke 21:24-28)...

- A marked increase in travel and knowledge (Daniel 12:4)... and many more.

Centuries ago, Jesus and the prophets pointed to dozens of signs just like these.

Jesus said when you see them, you should "look up, because your salvation draws near" (Luke 21:28).

But I want to focus on just one of those signs. It's a sign so obvious, people take it for granted. 

It may even be the most important sign. Yet, while it's in full view of every man, woman, and child on earth, most people still ignore it.

Hard to believe isn't it? But it's true.

One of the foremost signs of the Second Coming is either ignored or dismissed by almost everyone in the world.

The Most Overlooked Sign of the Second Coming

So, what is this sign? It's the Gospel.

That's right. The spread of the Gospel is the most overlooked sign of the Second Coming.

When Jesus was asked, "When will the end come? And what will be the signs of your coming?"

He said, "the Good News will be preached to the whole world so all nations will hear it, and then the end will come" (Matthew 24:14).

Our generation is on the verge of fulfilling this sign. 

Right now, the Gospel is being preached in every nation on earth. It's an unmistakable sign of the times in which we live.

Yet, it's the #1 most overlooked sign. The world, and even many Christians, take it for granted. 

Those people say, "What's the big deal? Why wouldn't the Gospel spread across the world? We live in an age of satellite TV, the Internet, and global travel."

True. Technology partially explains the recent explosion of the Gospel. Print books, ebooks, websites, television, radio, and more take the Gospel to millions on a daily basis.

But is technology solely responsible? No. Technology alone will not make a message go global. 

So what will? The power of the message. God is the one behind the spread of the Gospel. Don't doubt it.

As Gamaliel observed, "If the Gospel is not from God, it will soon fade away. But if the Gospel is from God, no one will be able to stop it" (Acts 5:38-39). 

How many others have tried to spread a different message and failed? The Gospel has spread because it's the Word of God.

The Bible says the Word of God always produces fruit. It will accomplish all God wants it to and prosper everywhere He sends it (Isaiah 55:11).

No one should take this for granted. After all, the global spread of the Gospel is nothing less than a miracle.

Think about it. A first century carpenter on the outskirts of the Roman Empire said His message would be proclaimed to the ends of the earth.

He said "the whole world" and "all nations" will hear it. That's a bold claim.

Remember, Jesus only had a few followers at the time. He had no great wealth. He didn't hold a high or important government position. 

He wasn't a conquering hero. He was a poor wandering preacher in an all but forgotten province of the mighty Roman Empire.

He lived in a time when TV, radio, the Internet, and the printing press did not yet exist. Nothing indicated His name and message would spread to all nations.

Yet, here we are today, where the name of Jesus is known throughout the world.

Do we really grasp the significance of this? When Jesus made this bold claim, His followers didn't even understand what "the whole world" was.

Perhaps they had heard of India and China, but Japan? Australia? North and South America? 

All these places were unknown to the disciples. No one at the time knew how large the world was or even how many nations existed.

The idea of reaching them all was absurd. Yet Jesus knew.

As God in the flesh, He knew how big the world was. And He said the global spread of the Gospel would be a sign of His return.

The Spread of the Gospel

Following the crucifixion, the Gospel spread throughout Israel.

But it took several decades to reach the rest of the Roman Empire.

For the first 1,000 years of Christianity, the Gospel rarely left western Europe and the Mediterranean region.

So, for fifteen centuries, no Christian could point to this sign of the Second Coming. 

Many honored the Lord's command to "go into all nations and make disciples" (Matthew 28:19), and they tried to fulfill this sign in their time. But only in recent years could anyone claim this sign is nearing fulfillment. 

Today, the Gospel circles the globe on a daily basis. Missionaries take it to the most remote corners of the world.

Radio and television transmit the Word of God into nations hostile to Christianity, and the Internet brings the Gospel to everyone with an electronic device.

Yet, despite all this, the spread of the Gospel goes largely unnoticed. Jesus said this would be a sign of His return. 

He said in the days of Noah, people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all (Luke 17:26-30).

The people of Noah's day did not believe a flood was coming. But the flood did come, and so will Jesus.

Remember, Jesus said, "The Gospel will be preached to all nations, and then the end will come" (Matthew 24:14).

He didn't say, "The Gospel will be preached to all nations, and then I'll come 50 years or 100 years or 1,000 years later."

No. He said, "And then the end will come."

Our generation is on the verge of seeing the Gospel preached to all the nations. That means Jesus is right at the door. He's coming soon!

Britt Gillette is author of the ebook Coming to Jesus as well as the books Signs of the Second Comingand Racing Toward Armageddon. 

https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?popular_news_slot=2L

THE HOLOCAUST & THE HIDDEN FACE OF GOD - The Hebrew phrase “hester panim,” the hidden or concealed face of God, is a concept in Judaism that is sometimes applied to the Nazi Holocaust. It is one explanation for God’s seeming absence during the horrors. In Deuteronomy 31:17, the Almighty warned that he would hide His face and withdraw his favour from his people if they disobeyed and served other gods. During many dark periods during the Diaspora, the Jewish people have had to perceive God’s hand of preservation in the shadows. Indeed, miracles of preservations are happening all the time, but they are not as obvious as the parting of the Red Sea. But increasingly, for those who have eyes to see, God is shining out from behind the clouds.

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The Holocaust & the Hidden Face of God

By Christine Darg, Jerusalem Channel

“Truly, You are a God who hides Himself, O God of Israel, Savior!” (Isaiah 45: 15)

As we meditate on Holocaust Memorial Day, the Hebrew phrase “hester panim,” the hidden or concealed face of God, is a concept in Judaism that is sometimes applied to the Nazi Holocaust.

It is one explanation for God’s seeming absence during the horrors.

The concept of hester panim is also alluded to in Purim commentaries since the Book of Esther does not overtly mention the name of God (although his name is encoded as an acrostic).

The hidden or concealed face of God is one reason why during Purim masks and costumes are worn.

In the Torah in Deuteronomy 31:17, the Almighty warned that he would hide His face and withdraw his favour from his people if they disobeyed and served other gods:

“And in that day I will become angry with them and forsake them; I will hide my face from them, and they will be destroyed. Many disasters and calamities will come on them, and in that day they will ask, ‘Have not these disasters come on us because our God is not with us?’”

Consequently, according to the great commentator Rashi, it would appear “as if” God didn’t see the distress of his people.

In Deuteronomy 31:18, in the original Hebrew, there is an idiomatic expression, a play on words that does not translate into English but amounts to a double hiding.

The conclusion, interestingly, is that the Jewish sage of the Middle Ages, Aben Ezra, as well as the Ramban and other revered rabbis have explained that there would be two hidings of God’s face in Jewish history.

The first hiding was after the destruction of the First Temple during the Jews’ exile to Babylon; that hester panim lasted only a relatively short time — 70 years —  about a generation.

But the second hiding has been extensive — the current Diaspora in the nations, which started with the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD, and is coming to a conclusion beginning with the rebirth of the modern state of Israel.

During many dark periods during the Diaspora, the Jewish people have had to perceive God’s hand of preservation in the shadows.

Indeed, miracles of preservations are happening all the time, but they are not as obvious as the parting of the Red Sea.

But increasingly, for those who have eyes to see, God is shining out from behind the clouds.

Recall during the Gulf War how Iraq rained down 39 Scud missiles on Israel, and Israel’s divine preservation was a public miracle!

As an evangelical believer, I find it infinitely fascinating that the Talmud comments on Jerusalem’s widowhood after the destruction of the Temple as a temporary situation. 

Jerusalem is likened to a woman whose husband has gone overseas but who has every intention of returning! 

The same analogy is made in the Midrash in Kohellet Raba — a parable about a woman who makes herself beautiful in the absence of her husband, because she must be ready for his imminent return.

Revelation 19:7 speaks of the Bride of the Messiah, who anticipates his imminent return: “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.”

According to the Jewish Tanach, the Hebrew Scriptures, God himself has described his hester panim in Hosea 5: 14-15

“For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion,

And as a young lion to the house of Judah;

I, even I, will tear and go away,

I will take away, and there shall be none to deliver.

I will go and return to My place,

Till they acknowledge their guilt, and seek My face;

In their trouble they will seek Me earnestly.”

The Bible makes it clear that the time of hester panim will end after the Holocaust, according to Ezekiel 37:

“Then he said to me: ‘Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.” 

“¹²Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.’

“¹³Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 

“¹⁴I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’ ”

Thankfully, living on Israel’s resurrection side of the Holocaust, we know that the second period of hester panim is drawing to a close. God is coming out of hiding.

Jerusalem will experience the outpouring of the spirit of grace and supplications. (Zechariah 12:10)

All Israel shall be saved. (Romans 11: 26) It is the most exciting prophetic time to be alive!

“’In an outburst of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, But with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you,’ Says the LORD your Redeemer.” ~ Isaiah 54: 8

“’I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,’ declares the Lord GOD.” ~ Ezekiel 39: 29

“In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His presence saved them: in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bare them, and carried then all the days of old.” ~ Isaiah 63: 9

The Jerusalem Channel is a media ministry with the vision to share the Gospel from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. Through videos, news and insight, the Jerusalem Channel brings you the latest information on events in the Holy Land and global news with a Judeo-Christian perspective.

https://jerusalemchannel.tv/2019/01/26/the-holocaust-the-hidden-face-of-god/