So, in light of the signs of the times, what comes next on God's prophetic agenda?
But first, why should we even ask or discuss that question? Is it not just a distraction from cracking on with the business of Kingdom building? Does it do any good to speculate and chart-draw about the future, especially regarding end times events that have the propensity to induce fear and cause a 'bunker-mentality'? Does it not just glorify the devil to obsess about terribly future events that bear his fingerprints?
I actually respect those challenges. There is far too much unhealthy obsessing about end times charts, speculations, and destructive fear-mongering. It helps nobody to be focus on future calamities and the spread of darkness. And a 'bunker-mentality' is certainly the opposite of good fruit, since true revelation gives us faith to live boldly knowing 'the gates of hell shall not prevail' because 'the kingdom of God advances and the violent take it by force'
Nevertheless, again we must remember the Lord did say 'from the fig tree learn its lesson', and 'when you see all these things, you know He is near'. If we see the first green shoots on the fig tree, there is wisdom interpreting the times according to biblical expectations of the nature of these times.
So then back to our question: what comes next on God's prophetic agenda?
A brief recap of our previous coverage of the signs of the times, framed by the graphic below.
Since we are in the church age, prior to the 7 seals being opened, we are 'watching' the 3rd category of signs: the pre-Antichrist signs. And we previously noted that all 13 pre-birth-pang signs are manifesting and maturing, so much so that we are probably the first generation in history where it is possible for all 13 signs to be fulfilled in our lifetime, and hence for the Day of the Lord to commence.
With that in mind, there are 2 sets of things to watch for:
The 13 pre-Antichrist (or, pre-birth pang) signs (Category 3) coming into full bloom. And,
The birth pang signs (Category 2) beginning, starting with the first Seal, the 'white horse rider'.
We will cover those in order in posts to come, but first a note. Scripture gives us no information about the degree to which these pre-Antichrist signs will be fulfilled BEFORE the seal and trumpet judgments are released, vs. after. For example, the 'great apostasy' could largely happen before the first Seal is broken; or only begin afterwards. In that sense, the title 'pre-Antichrist signs' can be misleading. The title is not meant to imply that these signs must be fully manifest before the next phase (the 'Birth pang signs' in Phase 2 of the illustration above) of signs commence. The title is merely meant to imply that the pre-Antichrist signs are the ones to watch for before the birth pang signs begin, starting with the 'white horse rider' of Rev 6:2, the Antichrist. So it would be a mistake to await the complete maturing of the 13 pre-Antichrist signs before watching for the birth pang signs. We must watch for both sets of signs at this point.
More on both sets, to come…
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