Det finns ett antal händelser i Bibeln som måste äga rum och tjänar som färdplan för framtiden. Dessa framtida händelser har vi fått veta av Jesus, vilket innebär att de måste ske eller Gud är en lögnare, så att vi kan räkna med dessa tecken och använda dem för att mäta var vi är kronologiskt .

A number of Christians are confused about prophecies in the Bible and how they match with current events. Jesus never told us when events would happen, but He did give us the sequence in which they will happen. Matthew 24:32-36

ROAD SIGNS There are a number of events in the Bible that must take place and serve as roadmap as we head into the future. These future events are decreed, meaning they have to happen or God is a liar, so we can count on these signs and use them to gauge where we are timewise.

THE FIRST SIGN The first sign was given by Jesus. Matthew 24:4-5 According to Jewish records, there have been scores of Jews since the time of Jesus who said they were the Jewish messiah; all of them died and their bodies are still in the grave. Sabbatai Sevi (1626-1676) was the first man to make such a claim and be taken seriously. Sevi made the declaration in 1666 and the majority of Jews living at that time became his disciples. A hundred years later, Jacob Frank (1726-1791), a Polish Jew declared he was the reincarnation of Sabbatai Sevi. Thousands of Jews became part of the Frankist movement, which is a Kabbalistic movement, and there are still thousands of Jewish followers in 2016. Rabbi Menahem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994) was the seventh rabbi of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. He was a Russian born Jew, who in 1941, came to New York with his wife and eventually became the leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, which currently has some 200,000 Jewish hardcore members. Schneerson hinted that he was the Jewish messiah, and when he died, his followers stated that he would be resurrected and finish the redemptive work as the messiah. His body is still in the grave. There have also been many Gentiles who claimed to be Jesus. In the 19th century, eight men publicly stated they were Jesus, 22 men made the claim in the 20th century, with another 6 men making the same claim in the 21st century. The first sign is being fulfilled.

THE SECOND SIGN The second sign was also provided by Jesus. Matthew 24:6-8 War has existed on the earth for thousands of years but Jesus specified there would be a succession of wars in conjunction with famines, pestilences and earthquakes. Jesus 2 said there will be four events (wars, famines, pestilences and earthquakes) happening in the same time period. The last 100 years has been filled with these four events and we are now in the “time of sorrows” preceding the coming of the Antichrist.

SPIRITUAL CLIMATE DURING THE “TIME OF SORROWS” Christians will be hated, persecuted and killed during the Time of Sorrows. There was a period of persecution 300 years after Christ which stopped and did not pick up until the 12th century, when the Roman Catholic Church instituted an inquisition that would last until 1826. 1. Christians were killed when the communists took over Russia in 1917. When the Soviet Union enslaved the Eastern European nations after WWII in 1945, Christians were imprisoned or killed until 1990. The same held true when the communists took over North Korea in 1945, China in 1949, North Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in 1955 and Cuba in 1959. Christian missionaries were either killed or driven out and native pastors, elders and deacons were hunted down to be imprisoned or executed. When World War II ended in 1945, the emerging Muslim nations began to eradicate the Christians living in their respective nations. Some of the most offensive nations are Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and lately the “stan” Muslim nations which were set free from the Soviet Union in 1991. The climate in the United States is turning ugly for Christians as more and more people reject the Bible and show their contempt for Christians. Once the Antichrist comes on the scene, the persecution will dramatically increase. In Europe, most people are not Christian and therefore not friendly toward born again believers in Christ. Matthew 24:9 2. Jesus stated that many Christians would be offended and betray one another. History has shown this to be true as it was common in the communist dictatorships. Betrayal and hate will increase among Christians who are not walking in the Holy Spirit. verse 10 3. There have never been so many false prophets and teachers as right now. Some of the worst offenders in America are Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, Bill Hybels, Kenneth Copeland, Joyce Meyers and Ulf Ekman from Sweden and the late Kenneth Hagin. verse 11 4. Sin is going to increase to a level not previously seen since the days before the Flood. Just look around you to see the following things: fornication, adultery, homosexuality, pedophilia, bestiality, rape, incest, prostitution, sex slaves, killing unborn babies, euthanasia, Satanism, witchcraft, filthy movies and television programs, murder, violent video games, occult video games, drug abuse, gambling, etc. There is no end to the increase in sin that is washing over the world like a tidal wave right now. Love is diminishing as people’s consciences are hardening and they are becoming increasingly cruel and selfish. verse 12 The apostle Paul warned about this condition of increased sin. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 3

CHRISTIANS DON’T HAVE TO LOSE Jesus stated that the Christians who stay faithful and refuse to yield to the demands of sinful men and women will be kept alive until the end, when they are saved from this sinful world. Matthew 24:13 God gave the prophet Daniel a vision about this time. Daniel 11:32-35

THE GOSPEL WILL BE PREACHED TO ALL NATIONS Jesus did a teaching three days before He was arrested and crucified. Matthew 24:14 The great commission was not given until after the resurrection and it must have surprised the apostles that the Gospel should be preached to all nations before the end of the world. Jews, including the apostles at this time, believed that Gentiles were like animals and had no souls. So they were surprised at Jesus’ command to preach to all nations. Matthew 28:18-20 The Gospel has been preached to every nation on earth and missionaries from different nations are trying to reach the remaining ethnic groups with the Gospel and translating the Bible into their languages. This prophecy is in the process of being fulfilled. Remember, it’s not so important how you begin your life after salvation, but how you finish it! Do you have an ear to hear with?

FRÅN: J Torell  http://www.eaec-se.org/predikningar/arkiv/2016/pdf/RLJ-1536.pdf