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by Bill Perkins
When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies, then I shall be sanctified through them in the sight of the many nations. Ezekiel 39:27
In the not-too-distant future, Israel will again be in the forefront of God’s actions on earth—and the whole world will be watching! Like the time of the Egyptian plagues, the world will again see God in visible action.
I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. Ezekiel 36:23
Currently we’re living in the “Church Age,” and the Lord reveals Himself to individual people via His invisible Holy Spirit. But the Church Age will soon end with the sudden disappearance of all living Believers. A shocked world will immediately know things have changed.
When the Rapture dust settles, the horrific seven-year Tribulation begins. All Hades will break loose on earth and close to two billion people will die! TWO BILLION!!!
I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth. Revelation 6:8
That’s a lot of tribulation! But we know that number is true because God inspired every word in the Bible.
…no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. 2 Peter 1:20-21
So the Bible is penned by man, but 100% inspired/authored by God. It’s perfect in every way. Perfect in word, doctrine, design… even perfect in number. You can depend on His numbers—there will be BILLIONS who die in the Tribulation.
The law of the LORD is perfect, Psalms 19:7
Jesus left no doubt about how accurate God’s Words are:
For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished. Matthew 5:18
If God is the author of every word in the Bible, they are perfect and all prophecy will be fulfilled, then it’s not surprising to see that numbers used in the Bible are consistent from Genesis through Revelation.
For instance, when using the number 5, and/or multiples of 5, it always refers to grace. Jesus had 5 wounds on the cross. Almost all measurements in the Jewish Temple are multiples of 5.
Eight is the number of new beginnings—there were 8 people on the Ark and the 8th day of the week is a new week. Forty is the number of testing— Jesus fasted in the desert 40 days and Israel wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. Six is the number of man—as in 666.
But the most interesting of all the numbers is 7, God’s number He uses to indicate “completion.” There are 7 days in a week and there were 7 days in the creation week. Israel had 490 years assigned to her by the Lord…and 7 years are still left to be fulfilled in the future—called the “Tribulation” or “Time of Jacob’s trouble.”
Keep Your Eyes On Israel We know we’re very close to the end of the Church Age because Israel is being readied by God to again bring her and her land to the forefront of the world. Consider these fulfilled prophecies in the last 69 years:
1) In the latter days God would gather Israel back to her homeland after being scattered around the world. He did.
When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies… Ezekiel 39:27
…I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; Ezekiel 37:21
2) Israel would return to their homeland as a pure race. She did.
And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: Revelation 7:4
3) Israel would take over her land in a day. She did.
Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once? Isaiah 66:8
4) Israel would have a mighty army. She does.
So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.” Ezekiel 37:10
5) Israel would have nuclear weapons. She does.
Now this will be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples who have gone to war against Jerusalem; their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongue will rot in their mouth. Zechariah 14:12 (Ezekiel 39:11-16)
6) The regathered nation would be a problem to the whole world. She is.
It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it. Zechariah 12:3
7) Iran would be her enemy. They are.
Persia, … with shield and helmet; Ezekiel 38:5 (In 1932 Persia changed her name to Iran.)
Israel is in her “regathering” period, a length of time predetermined by God. It’s also called “The Time of God’s Patience.”(1)
So, for pure fun, how much time would you expect God to have predetermined for this period of time between Israel becoming a nation again and the start of the Tribulation?
Using God’s numbers as a guide, my guess is that it’s likely to be 70 years, God’s number for completion.
Seventy years from 1948 puts us at 2018. For the record, let me repeat, this is not a prediction, merely an observation or a guess based on God’s use of numbers in the past.
But you could just as well theorize that God might count 70 years from Israel’s takeover of Mount Moriah and the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem in 1967.
Or it could be anywhere in between. We don’t know for sure because the Rapture is a signless event. But Israel’s time clock is tick tick ticking. Keep your eyes on Israel!!
Any way you slice it, we’re definitely living in the last of the last days! How exciting that God has predetermined the day of our great titillating departure, and when it arrives, millions will be missing because we’ll have disappeared in the twinkling of an eye! Exactly as predetermined on God’s perfect schedule!
Until that day, use us, Lord!
Shalom!
Bill Perkins, Founder & Executive Director
1) https://compass.org/store/products/Article%3A-God%27s-Patience-in-the-Last-Days.html
© 2017 Compass Int’l, Inc.
Bill and Susie Perkins founded Compass International, Inc. in 1993 as a non-profit, nondenominational ministry. For information on Compass’ Steeling the Mind Bible Conferences, Good Morning Lord! Bible studies, books, DVDs and Biblelands Cruises, go to compass.org
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