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7 Prophesies That
Will Be Fulfilled Before Jesus Returns
These things are yet to
come
By Stephanie Hertzenberg
There
have been innumerable sermons on the subject of the end times, and there are
probably about as many blogs devoted to arguing about the Rapture as there are
Christian churches.
If
a person types in the name of any controversial leader into Google, one of the
most likely suggested searches will end with “is the anti-Christ.”
A
Jewish homeland will be established in Israel.
Before
Christ returns, the Jews will be truly settled in their ancestral homeland.
Jerusalem will once again be in Jewish hands.
Many
believe that this sign will come to pass soon as Israel is currently a Jewish
state. Jerusalem, however, remains split between various groups.
That
said, with the United States finally moving its embassy to Jerusalem in order
to line up with more than a decade of America’s official stance that Jerusalem
is the capital of Israel, Jerusalem is closer than ever to returning to Jewish
hands.
The
Gospel will be preached to the entire world.
Christ
will not return until after the Gospel has been preached to the entire world.
Many
people see this prophecy as being nearly fulfilled, but there is potential that
this has already come to pass.
When
the Bible was written, the phrase “the world” meant something different
than it does today.
When
people speak of the entire world today, they are referring to the globe as a
whole and interpret this prophecy as meaning that the Gospel must be preached
in every country on Earth.
During
the time when the prophecy was first written down, however, “the world”
was used to refer not to every inch of land on Earth, but to the extent of the
Roman Empire.
Worldwide
communications will exist before the final two witnesses.
One
of the better-known tales of the end times is that God will send two final
witnesses to preach the Gospel.
The
two witnesses will be killed, and their bodies will be seen by everyone in the
world.
In
order for this to come true, the entire world must be interconnected and able
to communicate with each other in extremely rapid fashion.
Once
again, the conditions required for this prophecy to be fulfilled are nearly
complete.
With
the rise of the internet, social media and smartphones, it is easier than ever
for people to relay information to each other.
Events
that happen on one side of the world can be broadcast to the other in
milliseconds.
The
world is also becoming more and more hostile toward Christianity.
Things
have not yet boiled over, but it is easy to believe that the time of the two
witnesses is fast approaching.
Natural
disasters will be widespread.
The
end times are going to be disastrous. There is a reason why the words “apocalypse”
and “Armageddon” are associated with catastrophic destruction.
During
the end times, God will turn nature against mankind. There will be pandemics,
flooding, fires, earthquakes, famines and what many scholars identify as
meteorite strikes or even a comet colliding with Earth.
These
numerous disasters will take place all across the world and kill billions.
War
and violence will run rampant.
Not
all of the disasters that come with the end of the age will be caused by
nature. Many of them will be things that mankind brings on themselves.
War
and all sorts of violence will run rampant before Christ returns to Earth. Men
and women will attack and kill their enemies, their friends and even their own
families.
Even
as natural disasters raze cities, people will still continue to inflict
violence on each other.
A
charismatic and convincing false prophet will appear.
No
sign of the end times has captured the imagination of the world as much as the
anti-Christ.
This
figure will be as charismatic as they are evil and will lead millions astray.
They
will cause the deaths of hundreds of thousands and turn innumerable people
against God before Christ returns to Earth.
God’s
people will be hunted and killed.
Before
Christ returns, God’s people will be hunted and killed by nonbelievers.
Those
who dare to cling to their faith will find themselves unable to trade or do
business with others.
They
will be driven out, seen as outcasts and eventually, they will be hunted down
and killed.
Given
the rising rate of lethal Christian persecution in the Middle East, Africa and
Asia as well as the ever-increasing ostracism and hatred faced by Christians in
the West, the time when faith will once again become a matter of life and death
for Christians may not be as far away as some believe.
Christians
have always watched for the signs that indicate that Christ is soon to return.
In
the first century, Paul urged Christians to be alert and prepare themselves for
Christ’s return.
In
the 21st century, endless blogs and websites are dedicated to predicting that
incredible event.
Regardless
of what century Christians were watching from, the fact remains that everyone
is waiting to see when the final signs will be fulfilled and Christ will return
once again to His people.
Stephanie Hertzenberg is a writer and editor at Beliefnet. She is a graduate
of the College of William and Mary where she majored in Religious Studies and
minored in Creative Writing. She maintains an avid interest in health, history
and science.
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