This is Daniel Whyte III with the Second Coming Watch Update. This is update #949. Let’s take a quick look at today’s prophecy-related headlines which point towards the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and the end of the world as we know it.
First, today, under the Sign category of PESTILENCES AND FATAL EPIDEMIC DISEASES — According to Reuters, British scientists are trying to establish whether the rapid spread in southern England of a new variant of the virus that causes coronavirus is linked to key mutations they have detected in the strain. A group of scientists tracking the genetics of the virus said the new variant includes a mutation in the viral genome region encoding the spike protein, which – in theory – could result in coronavirus spreading more easily between people. The British government on Monday cited a rise in new infections, which it said may be partly linked to the new variant, as it moved its capital city and many other areas into the highest tier of coronavirus restrictions. As of December 13, 1,108 coronavirus cases with the new variant had been identified, predominantly in the south and east of England.
Second, today, under the Sign category of TURMOIL IN THE MIDDLE EAST — According to the Jerusalem Post, Hamas vowed on Monday to continue the fight against Israel “until the liberation of Palestine, from the [Mediterranean] Sea to the [Jordan] River.” In a statement on the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of its establishment, the terror group that rules the Gaza Strip said that it would “continue to carry the banner of resistance” against Israel “until we achieve our people’s goals of freedom, the right of return [for Palestinian refugees and their descendants to their former homes inside Israel] and the restoration of our land and holy sites.” Hamas pledged to confront “all attempts to liquidate the Palestinian cause, first and foremost the Deal of the Century,” a reference to US President Donald Trump’s plan for Middle East peace. Hamas also vowed to confront normalization agreements between the Arab countries and Israel, dubbing them a “national sin that only serves the Zionist enterprise in the region.”
Third, today, under the Sign category of RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF ISRAEL — According to the Jerusalem Post, a diplomatic source said Sunday that Oman and Indonesia could be next in line to establish diplomatic relations with Israel in the coming weeks. The Trump administration is continuing in its efforts to bring more Arab and Muslim countries into the Abraham Accords. The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco have agreed to normalization with Israel, with Morocco normalization announced on Friday. After Bhutan agreed to forge ties with Israel outside of the framework of the accords, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night said Israel is “in touch with additional countries that want to join and establish relations with us.” The diplomatic source identified Oman and Indonesia as two countries with which talks have advanced and with whom normalization could be announced before US President Donald Trump leaves office on January 20. However, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry denied any such efforts were underway and reaffirmed its support for Palestinian statehood.
Fourth, today, under the Sign category of EARTHQUAKES IN DIVERS PLACES — According to CNN, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck off Davao [DAH-VOU] Occidental on Wednesday morning and was felt in nearby provinces. The tectonic quake that hit the area at 7:21 a.m. had a depth of 16 kilometers. The agency initially reported the tremor to be at magnitude 6.1 along Sarangani, but revised and upgraded it in a follow-up advisory. In a media briefing later in the day, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology Director Renato Solidum [REY-NAH-TOH SOL-IH-DUM] said there were no reported damage following the tremor, but added that aftershocks are still possible.
Fifth, today, under the Sign category of FAMINES — According to BBC, New swarms of desert locusts are threatening the livelihoods of millions of people in the Horn of Africa and Yemen despite a year of control efforts. The UN says there have been good breeding conditions in eastern Ethiopia and Somalia, with Kenya also at risk. And breeding underway on both sides of the Red Sea poses a new threat to Eritrea, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. This year had already seen the worst East Africa invasion in 70 years. Keith Cressman, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation’s senior locust forecasting officer, said, “For Kenya, the threat is imminent, it could happen any time now. It could be as bad as what we’ve seen in the past year because the area of breeding ground in these countries is as big as 135,000 square miles.”
The prophetic passage of Scripture that we are looking at today is Ezekiel 37:15-25.
Ezekiel 37:4-9 reads: “And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord.”
Allow me to share with you some commentary on this passage from Exploring Bible Prophecy from Genesis to Revelation, by Tim LaHaye and Ed Hindson.
The prophet now presents his audience with another of the symbolic acts (signs) that characterized the first division of his prophecy. This sign (verses 15-20) is of two sticks upon which are incribed the names of the two kingdoms into which the nation was split after the death of Solomon in 931 B.C. This schism was never healed even though representatives of both kingdoms returned to the land in 538 B.C.
During the second temple period, Israel never regained its former status with a Davidic monarchy and Zadokite priesthood. The division was caused not by mere physical geography, for the tribes had always been separated by territorial allotments. Rather, the kingdoms lacked spiritual unity. The departure of the ten northern tribes from the house of David was considered a rebellion because under the Davidic Covenant, only the house of David had been given the right to rule the nation. Also, the southern kingdom had the proper place of worship (the temple), toward which prayer had to be directed in order to receive God’s blessing.
If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at the prophetic passages of the Bible in our next broadcast / podcast.
Our Second Coming quote for today is from G. Campbell Morgan. He said, “To me the second coming is the perpetual light on the path which makes the present bearable. I never lay my head on my pillow without thinking that maybe before morning breaks, the final morning may have dawned! I never begin my work without thinking that perhaps He may interrupt my work and begin His own. I am not looking for death, I am looking for Him.”
Let’s Pray
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If you are not ready for the return of Jesus Christ, may I encourage you to get ready today by receiving Him as your Savior. Here is how.
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here is the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will. Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Keep looking up for your redemption draweth nigh. Let us join in the prayer of John the Revelator — “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” God bless you.
BCNN1 WP 