“Watch, for YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT HOUR (hōra: a certain definite season) your Lord is coming…Therefore YOU ALSO BE READY, for the Son of Man is coming AT AN HOUR YOU DO NOT EXPECT.” (Matt. 24:42, 44)
Just what has to happen before the 2nd coming of Christ? “For behold, in those days and at that time, When I BRING BACK THE CAPTIVES of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also GATHER ALL NATIONS (see Eze, 38, 39), And bring them down to THE VALLEY OF JEHOSHAPHAT; And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people, My heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; THEY HAVE ALSO DIVIDED UP MY LAND. (notice God calls Israel HIS Land)” (Joel 3:1-2) Twice, Israel was taken out of their land, the first time by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the second time by the Roman General Titus in 70 AD. He, completely destroyed the temple, killed thousands of Jews and dispersed the rest all over the world. The Hebrew language, the oldest language in the world and many Jewish traditions were lost. This has never happened to any other nation. Now, once again Hebrew is the official language of Israel.
Miraculously on May 14, 1948, in ONE DAY, David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel. U.S. President Harry S. Truman recognized the new nation on the same day. “Thus says the Lord GOD: “Although I have cast them far off among the Gentiles, and although I have scattered them among the countries…says the Lord GOD: “I will GATHER YOU from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I WILL GIVE YOU THE LAND OF ISRAEL.” (Eze. 11:16-17) “Who has ever seen anything as strange as this? Who ever heard of such a thing? Has a nation ever BEEN BORN IN A SINGLE DAY? Has a country ever come forth in a mere moment?” (Isa. 66:8)
In Mathew 24 Jesus describes all the things that will take place at the end of time, “So, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, THIS GENERATION WILL BY NO MEANS PASS AWAY till ALL THESE THINGS TAKE PLACE.” (Matt. 24:33-34) The event that begins this all is May 14th 1948, on this coming May 14th it will be 74 years since this happened,
“Now when these things begin to happen, LOOK UP AND LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, because your redemption draws near.“ (Luke 21:28)
Your personal Pastor -Bill Stockham