Few people realise that God has a plan with the earth and that He has set a limit on the time during which man will govern himself. The Bible contains many signs which point to the time when God’s Kingdom is to be established on earth with Jesus Christ as King.
God has set a limit on the time of man’s self-rule
“And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the earth and hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation … And times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent;
Because He hath appointed a day in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised him from the dead.” (Acts 17:26-31).
The angels promised his disciples at Jesus’ ascension that he would return to earth
“This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).
Today Jesus has control of the nations, guiding their affairs until he returns
Jesus: “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18).
The exact time of Jesus’ second coming is not revealed in the Bible, but there are general signs which point to his near return:
The return of the Jews
One of the signs that Jesus is coming soon is the return of the Jews to their own land and the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.
Jesus foretold this event in his prophecy given on Mount Olivet:
“And they (the Jews) shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (Luke 21:24).
In his prophecy, Jesus also spoke a parable about the nation of Israel’s resurgence at the end of the “times of the Gentiles”:
“Behold the fig tree (a Biblical symbol for the nation of Israel – Joel 1:6, 7) and all the trees; when they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.
So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the Kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled” (Luke 21:29-32).
Along with Israel, we have seen many other peoples obtain their nationhood in recent times (symbolised by Jesus’ reference to “all the trees” shooting forth).
The land of Israel has prospered since 1948, but as a nation the Jews do not accept Jesus as their Messiah. While today Israel works constantly to maintain peace with its neighbours, in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 the Bible predicts this peace will be short lived.
World turmoil
Jesus’ prophecy in Luke 21 also includes a description of a world in turmoil with no way of escape from its distress just prior to his return. Using figurative speech, Jesus foretells signs in the ruling powers of human government (the sun, moon and stars) and their peoples (the earth, the sea and the waves):
“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring. Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven (or world governments) shall be shaken.
And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (Luke 21:25 – 27).
Invasion of Israel foretold
In Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39, the Bible foretells that at the time just prior to Christ’s return (described as the “latter years”) the nations will be divided into two opposing camps, warring over the land of Israel.
“In the latter years, thou (the invader from the north) shall come into the land that is brought back from the sword and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste, but is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely (Hebrew – confidently) all of them …. Thou shalt say I will go up to the land of unwalled villages …. To take a spoil and to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited and upon the people gathered out of the nations which have gotten cattle and goods and dwell in the midst of the land” (Ezekiel 38:8, 11, 12).
The invaders named
A confederacy of nations headed by Russia will invade the land of Israel:
“Gog, the land of Magog, the chief (Hebrew – Rosh) prince of Meshech and Tubal … Persia, Ethiopia and Libya with them … Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters … and many people with thee” (Ezekiel 38:2, 3, 5, 6).
Some of these names are identified by historians (Josephus and Bochart) and by ancient maps as:
Russia (Rosh)
Moscow (Meshech)
Tobolsk (Tubal)
Northern Germany (Gog and Magog)
France (Gomer)
Turkey (Togarmah)
The challengers to the invasion named
“Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? Hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? To carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle, and goods, to take a great spoil?” (Ezekiel 38:13).
These challengers are described as a group of merchant and seagoing peoples and can be identified with Britain, America and its allies in the British Commonwealth. Both Britain and America have had a long association with the Middle East. However, they will be powerless to stop the overthrow of Israel, for Ezekiel predicts that the invaders will come up against Israel “like a cloud to cover the land” (Ezekiel 38:9).
The battle of Armageddon
World war will centre in the Middle East because God says He will gather “all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat (Megiddo or Armageddon) and will plead with them there for My people and for My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations and parted My land” (Joel 3:1, 2).
This battle is also referred to in the book of Revelation: “And He (God) gathered them (the kings of the earth v. 14) together into the place which is called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon” (Revelation 16:16).
The Bible tells us, however, that the nation of Israel will be delivered. Its invaders will be defeated in the battle of Armageddon by a returned Jesus and his followers who have been given immortality (see Zechariah chapters 12 to 14; Revelation 2:26 – 27).
The punishments they will rain on the confederacy headed by Russia are defined in Ezekiel 38:
“And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord God, that My fury shall come up in My face …. And I will call for a sword against him throughout all My mountains …. every man’s sword shall be against his brother.
And I will plead against him (the invader) with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire and brimstone. Thus will I magnify Myself and sanctify Myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord” (verses 18, 21 – 23).
It will happen soon
When speaking of the establishment of the State of Israel, Jesus has given a time limit of the life of a generation to these events:
“So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the Kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled” (Luke 21:29-32).
The generation who have witnessed the budding of the Jewish fig tree are now living. Jesus encourages us in these words: “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads: for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28).