The Last Days

Anita Clark

“I WILL STAND UPON MY WATCH, AND SET ME UPON THE TOWER, AND WILL WATCH AND SEE WHAT HE WILL SAY UNTO ME...” Habakkuk 2:1

In these last days we have been given an opportunity to stand upon a watch. In olden days, before modern conveniences, sentinels would be posted as watchmen around a camp. They would be the first to see the enemy sneaking up for attack, and were responsible to warn others of impending danger. We as Christians have been given the responsibility and privilege to be on guard, watching for the coming of Jesus. We desire to be faithful to that charge. Jesus is coming very soon. The signs continue to appear in the news around the world. Here are just a few which speak, calling us to be faithful upon our watch.

RUSSIAN BEAR IS STIRRING - Vladimir Putin, the new president of Russia, has come into authority with great power. This change took place after President Yeltsen resigned, naming Putin to take his place in office.

Putin is young, smart, and persuasive. He is a former KGB officer, and is a communist. One of his first presidential acts was to persuade the Duma (Russian parliament) to ratify and sign the START II disarmament treaty, allowing the reduction of nuclear powered missiles. He says that at first only those missiles whose services life has already expired will be removed.

The START II treaty was made between President Bush and Yeltsen, when Bush was in office, but was never ratified by either nation until now. The treaty gives the two countries until 2007 to cut in half their nuclear arsenals to 3,500 warheads each. Last year it was brought before the USA congress and was rejected, causing much disappointment for President Clinton of the USA.

This treaty being signed by Russia is very significant to end time events. Treaties limiting weaponry in the endtime speak loudly that the prophesied time of false peace is coming soon. It is spoken of in Rev. 6:2, by the white horse rider. In I Thess. 5:3, It says, “when they shall say, peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.”

The world will enter into a time of false peace before a terrible war breaks out. We know according to Ezekiel 38 and 39, Russia will once more flex its muscles, along with Libya, Persia (which included Iraq & Iran), and Ethiopia. These will come against Israel, but will be stopped by miraculous means. Ezekiel 38:22 says, “And I will plead against them with pestilence and blood, and I will rain upon him and upon the many people with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstone, fire and brimstone.” Russia cannot be trusted. They will unite with Muslim nations to try to overthrow Israel in the future. God will stop them from annihilating Israel, but other terrible things will happen to them during the tribulation period. Much trouble is ahead for Israel.

In Ezekiel 39:2, God says that only a sixth part of Gog (ancient name for people of Russia) will be left. Remember a few years ago, how worried people were about Russia, especially the USSR. Note what God has done through the fall of the Berlin wall and break-up of the USSR.

WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION MEETS IN WASH. D.C. - Amid demonstrations and riots, World Trade Organization, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund Organization met together.

Similar demonstrations were staged in Seattle, WA, last December. It is not really clear why these are protesting, but we know from the Scripture that it will come to pass that all the world will be controlled by one world government with one world monetary system. The nations of Europe are now under one monetary system. According to the Bible, gradually nations will join together in every way under the control of the antichrist, reasoning that richer nations will be able to share with poorer ones bringing more equality and an end to starvation and poverty to millions in the third world countries.

Daniel 11:43 prophesies concerning this evil ruler (antichrist), “He shall have power over the treasuries of gold and of silver. Revelation 13:16, &17 warns of the “mark” of the beast, that all people will have to have to “buy and sell” in that evil day, when the antichrist reigns in that one world government.

Recently, the stock market in the USA plummeted downward. This affected the stock markets of Europe and Japan also. This shows how inter-connected the monetary systems of the world are already.

NUDITY MORE ACCEPTABLE TO THE PUBLIC - Evil is abounding. Nudity is being exhibited more boldly. T.V. news is covering “trashy” subjects more and more. Recently, it showed college girls on spring break, caught up in revelry, exposing their breasts to rock singers during a concert. Also, on prime time a new off Broadway show was advertized during prime time news, where the whole cast is entirely nude for the entire show. Excerpts of the show were shown on the news. Why was this a news worthy item to be displayed on the news cast? It shows how low we have fallen as a nation, that it is supposed that people want to see this kind of trash. Being exposed to these evil things repeatedly causes the conscience to be “seared with a hot iron” (I Timothy 4:2). When this happens, the conscience loses its proper response to evil. People begin to call “good, evil and evil, good.”

CHRISTIAN PROTESTORS - Some Christians are “Up-in-arms” so to speak, organizing, and protesting against such things as this. Each Christian must be lead of the Holy Spirit as to their actions. Personally, I do not feel that all our protesting does any good. Evil will continue to grow until God has had enough. Jesus said in Matthew 24:37, “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Remember how the Bible depicts Noah’s time? Genesis 6:3 says, “And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man.” Vs. 5-6 says, “and God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually, And it repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart.” So the Lord says in Vs.7, “I will destroy man who I have created.” The Creator has the right to judge His creation that has gone away from Him.

We are watching and waiting for Jesus to come. Our hearts long for Him. We love Him more than life, more than anything. How about you, reader? Are you ready for His return? Jesus will make you ready if you will let Him work in your life. Philippians 3:13, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” “Faithful is he, who also will do it.” I Thess. 5:24