The return of the Jewish people to their land and the return of Jerusalem to Jewish control are the two great signs that we are at The End Of The Age.

The disciples asked Jesus this question: “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?” (Matthew 24:3) Jesus answered by predicting Israel’s future. He predicted the fall of the Temple, the conquest of the City by Gentiles, the scattering of the Jewish people and the eventual return of Jerusalem to Jewish control. (See Matthew 24, Mark 13, and in Luke 21.)

In summary Jesus says that He will NOT return in power UNTIL the following events take place:

(1)         Jerusalem will be taken by Gentile forces, (Luke 21:20)

(2)         The Temple will be destroyed (Matthew 24:2)

(3)         The Jewish people scattered the nations (Luke 21:24) and

(4)         The Jewish people will be regathered and Jerusalem will come back under Jewish control. (Luke 21:24) The Gentiles will trample down Jerusalem UNTIL the times of the Gentile’s are fulfilled. “They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” (Lk 21:24) [See Appendix 2]

NOTE: “UNTIL” means ‘not forever,’ so when Jesus says that Jerusalem will be under gentile control “until” the gentile time is fulfilled, He is telling us that gentile control of Jerusalem will eventually come to an end.

“TIMES OF THE GENTILES” means “the period of gentile domination of the city of Jerusalem” Jerusalem remained under Gentile domination until 1967. [See Appendix 2]

Jesus is also telling us that when the time of the gentiles is fulfilled (i.e. when Jerusalem comes back under Jewish control) we shall be at the end of the age, because He his answering the question “what is will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”(Matthew 24:3) Since Jerusalem is now under Jewish control we know we are at the end of the age and we are, therefore, the first generation ever that can intelligently hope for the Lord’s return in our lifetime. When we see Jerusalem back under Jewish control we are to “look up for our redemption is near!” (Look 21:28

THE WORD “REDEMPTION” refers to the completion of our personal redemption (including the redemption of our bodies), the redemption of Israel from the oppression of its enemies and the redemption of the planet from corruption under systems that are demonically influenced and not submitted to God. These events are all part of our BLESSED HOPE and will take place at the return of the Lord. The end of the ‘times of the Gentiles’ i.e. the return of Jerusalem to Jewish control is the sign that the redemption is near. Since Jerusalem is now under Jewish control since 1967 we can say that we are the first generation of believers that can intelligently hope for the return of the Lord and the redemption to take place in our lifetime.

Until Jesus returns the earth will continue to be a place convulsed by wars, natural disasters, war, political strife and persecution of Jews and Christians. (Matt. 24:6-7; Luke 24:11) Less than 40 years after Jesus spoke these words the Romans brutally captured Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple and scattered the Jewish people. In 1967 Jerusalem came back under Jewish control for the first time since the Roman Conquest. According to Jesus the return of Jerusalem to Jewish control is THE SIGN that we are in the end of the age i.e. the end part of the last days and the times that immediately precedes His return.

 “The Latter Days” is the period between Jesus’ Ascension and Return.

“The End Of The Age” is (according to Jesus) the period between the Return of Jerusalem to Jewish control and the Return of the Lord.  Since Jerusalem retuned to Jewish control in 1967, we now know that the end of the age began in 1967. We are therefore the first generation of people to be living at the end of the age.

    The end of the age is also “The Time Of The Harvest” (Matthew 13:39) Jesus says, “The harvest is the end of the age” i.e. the end of the age is the time of the harvest. We are therefore now living in The Latter Days, in The End Of The Age and in The Time Of The Harvest.

According to Daniel “the end of the age” will be characterized by a time of increasing travel and information.  “But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” (Daniel 12:4)

This is an amazing and precise description of this present time.  It will also be a time of continuing political upheaval and geological disruption but it will be also characterized by a harvest of global evangelism (harvest). “And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.  But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:12-14)

THREE GREAT MOVEMENTS

AT THE END OF THE AGE

     As we have seen above in Daniel 12:4, the end of the age will be characterized as a time of global travel and of increase of knowledge. These are cultural and sociological phenomena. But what spiritual happenings will be taking place at the end of the age?

Three great movements from heaven will characterize the end of the age

(1)  The Regathering Of Israel To Its Land

(2)  The Preaching Of The Gospel To The Nations

(3)  The Preparation Of The “Bride Of Christ”

(1)THE REGATHERING OF THE JEWISH TO ITS LAND  (Luke 21:24; Ezekiel 36 & 37; Jeremiah 23:3: Isaiah 11:11; Amos 9:11)  

“In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush,  from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea.  He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11:11)

      “Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the nations where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply.” (Jeremiah 23:3)

Notice in the above passages that the Lord has promised to bring Israel back from all the nations. The great prophets, from Moses to Jesus, foretold this regathering of the Jewish people from “all the nations”.  The regathering from Babylon was from only one nation but today’s regathering is from “all the nations” and from “the four corners of the earth”.

 Many will recognize that it was the hand of the Lord that scattered Israel for her disobedience. But if we recognize His hand in their scattering we must also recognize it in their regathering. “Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.” (Jeremiah 31:10)

(2)                     THE GOING FORTH OF THE GOSPEL TO THE NATIONS (Matthew 24)

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14)

Since the end of the age is the last part of the latter days we know for sure that during this period God will continue to pour out His Sprit on all flesh. “And it shall come to pass in the latter days, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh your sons and your daughters shall prophesy your old men shall dream dreams and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servant in those days I will pour out my Spirit.” (Joel 2:28-29)

Peter interpreted this passage as being fulfilled by outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all who call on the Lord (Acts 2).  This has been going on since the Book of Acts.   

In Acts 15 the apostles gathered to decide what to do with Gentile believers experiencing signs and wonders.  James interprets this as the fulfillment of Amos 9 referring to Jew and Gentile together before the Ark at the Tabernacle of David. (Acts 15:16). In Amos 9 14-15, the prophet speaking of today says; “ I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. (Amos 9:11-15)

The vine was not grown in Israel during Turkish rule (1417-1917) but since the Jewish people have returned to their land it is once again flourishing. Here we see the Lord connecting together the regathering of Israel to the land, the preaching of the gospel with signs and wonders and the coming together of Jewish and Gentile believers in Him. 

(3)                     THE PREPARATION OF “THE BRIDE.”

The Spirit of God will be especially active at the end of the age to prepare the "Bride" to meet the "Bridegroom". The Bride is a metaphor for dedicated disciples who trust and obey Him and put all their hopes in Him and His plan for the earth. When Jesus returns He will not reign as a Monarch. He will reign with His companions, the Bride of Christ, The Overcomers, The Sons of God.

“Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; I it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure - for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.” (Rev 19 - 7-8)

The Bride is in preparation now. She is “putting off” everything not pleasing to the Lord and “putting on” “the righteous deeds of the saints” which can only come from surrender to His righteousness within, and not from any religious activity.  God is calling us to Himself to live in union with Him and to align our lives with Him and with His agenda. He wants us to be alert to the signs of the times like the ‘wise virgins in the parable (Mt. 25).  He calls us to set our “hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:13) and to live fruitful lives in this world without being entangled in its ways or agenda.

The Book of Revelation uses two metaphors for those who will rule and reign with Jesus on His return, “The Bride of Christ” and “The Overcomers”.  While Chapter 19 speaks about the Bride of Christ,  Chapters 2 & 3,  speaks about The Overcomers. These chapters show us clearly that the Bride/Overcomers are not ones that escape tribulation but go through it without compromise or loss of faith. They learn to overcome evil with good and adversity with faith. “And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith.” (1 John 5:4)

God uses the adversities of this world to purify His overcomers and to prepare them for Himself. He is coming for a “Bride without spot or wrinkle” - a people who will be like Him and who have overcome the pressures of the world, the flesh and the devil.

 “He who overcomes, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.” (Revelation 3:21)

 “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?  If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?  For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, THAT WE MAY SHARE HIS HOLINESS.  For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:7-11)

The Bride will share His holiness.

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