 All right. Good morning everyone and welcome to BC 213, our course on the end times. Here we are. That's your line. Thank you. Let's pray. Let's take one to pray together and start. Can somebody please read us in front of me? Good. All right. We are actually in our last lesson on the signs of the end times. So the purpose of this course, one was to give us a good overview of the timeline, the sequence of events of the end times. So we will revise that, but I want us to be clear that this is the sequence why we say that and how we answer one question around that sequence, why do you say that after is going to happen before the tribulation and so on. So I want us to be clear on that. And the next important thing for us in this course is to recognize some of the signs that are telling us that we are very close to the end. Of course, nobody can give a date. Nobody can say about this date. People have tried that. Nothing is worth. But at least we know we are close. We are coming close. So what are some of the signs? We have looked at a few. We will look at some more today. So on page 78, I will just quickly review some other things we already saw. Number one, Israel being formed as a nation that was very important. Because without that many prophecies would not be able to be moving. That was like the signal and the start. I come to the beginning of the end. So that is very important for us to know and also what the Lord Jesus said is one generation will see everything. Of course, we don't know one generation means how many years, 40 or 80 or 120. So somewhere in that range one generation will see everything. Second is about Jerusalem itself. It's becoming a place of conflict. Even today now it's in time. Jerusalem is another Jerusalem. And then you saw the fact. So the fact that Jerusalem has become a place of conflict is fulfillment of Bible prophecy. It's a build up towards the end of Bible prophecy. Then number three page 18, the Temple Mount and people are ready to rebuild the temple. So that is also important because a lot of the things that have to do with the antiques has to do with the temple. Check, check. And online people hear my audio. Hello, check, check. Sorry, my audio. I didn't make that change. Should be better now. Thank you. Let's continue. So, thank you. The third thing we were saying is the temple has to be ready. Temple Mount. Because a lot of what the antiques is going to do is connect it to the temple. First, he's going to let the sacrifices resume. So there has to be a temple. Middle of the seven years he'll come and say, stop. I'll put himself up as God. So you have to worship me. So for all of that, this Temple Mount has to be there. And as we see that there are certain Jews who have made all the preparations for ready to do it. I'm not saying every Jewish person, don't stop some Jew and say, hey, you own the temple. Some Jews won't care. They're living in their own world. We're talking about the fundamental Jews. Those are really serious about this. They're made preparations. Number four is the part of what Daniel had prophesied. He talked about 10 leaders, 10 horns, the Lord had shown Daniel who will come emerge from what used to be the former Roman Empire which covers today overlaps with a lot of modern-day Europe. So from that region, there'll be 10 leaders of 10 nations and there will be a little horn which is a small leader coming. He will influence three of them and with their help, he will come into power. So all of that is in place in the sense it's ready. There are those 10, actually more than 10 nations in the European Union that we're looking at and so any of these 10 leaders, who are very prominent leaders can then help bring up this small leader and put them into power. So that's also in place. Number five which we spoke of last week is that today we are living in a time when it is possible to have a global system for currency and even a global currency and identification system. These are two things that will happen when the Antichrist comes to power. This Revelation 13, without receiving his number, you cannot buy and sell. You cannot transact. You cannot do financial things without receiving the mark of the beast. So we are living in a time when something like that can be fulfilled which like we said, maybe even 30 years ago, was not possible. Very difficult. But we are living in a time it's possible. Globally, it can be connected. So even that sign is ready to happen. It can be implemented. So we stopped there. Let's go forward. Number six. So one of the major prophecies, if we attempt to be pleased to Ezekiel chapter 38 even as we recognize that Israel has a very important part to play. Jerusalem has a very important part to play. So we are looking at Israel. We are looking at Jerusalem. There is also this very interesting prophecy. In Ezekiel chapter 37, Ezekiel has the vision of the dry bones which is speaking prophetically about God bringing all the Jewish people back to their own lands. God saying, I will bring you back. I will establish you in your own lands. That is chapter 37 which today we say has been fulfilled. Israel is there. People are there. They have their own identity. They have their own land. But in chapter 38 Ezekiel is describing another situation which is to take place. But he also mentions names of tribes and agents that are very, very interesting. We can recognize them. I won't read the whole chapter but we will just pick up some verses and you can read the whole chapter to see what he is saying. But let's look at it. We'll just read from verse 1 onwards and I'll jump around in a few verses. Ezekiel 38. Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, Son of man, set face against Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Michel and Tupel and prophesy against him. So people say, what is Gog and Magog? Well, then he identifies the leader of Rosh, Meshach and Tupel. So again I'm not a person who studies tribes and anthropology but people who study that say the Rosh, Meshach and Tupel are tribes that are now part of Russia, living in Russia. So Gog and Magog has to do with reference to certain parts or certain regions of Russia because he's talking about Rosh, Meshach and Tupel, these tribes. So we learn, we take it from people who understand that. That says, the Lord God, behold, I'm against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshach and Tupel. I'll turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and lead you out with all your army, horses and horsemen all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. So that means he's talking about an army coming from Gog and Magog, Rosh, Meshach and Tupel. I'm going to cause you to come, like a big army from this region and then he says verse 4, oh sorry, verse 5 Persia, Ethiopia and Libya are with them all of them with shield and helmet, Gomer and all its troops, the house of Tugerma from the far north, all of its troops, many people are with you. So now he's identifying other regions. Persia is the old name for Iran. So until recently, they were known as Persia, that region was known as Persia until they renamed Iran. So Persia, Ethiopia may know part of Africa, Libya, Gomer and all its troops, the house of Tugerma. So Tugerma is reference to Turkey, from the far north, so Turkey is right north of Israel Tugerma. Gomer I'm not really sure, I have to look it up. So again, I must pin up the tribe, another group. Turkey I remember, Tugerma I remember, refers to Turkey north, many people are with you, verse 7. So all these people are joining together, they're joining together with Russia. So how Russia is relating to Iran Turkey is useful for us to think about, because here he's talking these people are all joining together. So today look how are these nations aligning themselves. And what's happening verse 7, prepare yourself and be ready you and all your companies that I gathered about you, be a guard for them. After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of visitor. So in the latter years, Ezekiel is talking about sometime in the future, what will happen? This is all of you will come towards these people who have been gathered, the Jews, they have been gathered, they have suffered violence, they have suffered so much. They have suffered a lot. They have come back to the mountains of Israel, which long had been brought out of the nations and all of them dwell safely. So we are in that situation Israel, people have been brought from all the nations, they're dwelling in their own lands, but while these people are dwelling in their own land, Gog and Magog you know, Rosh, Meshach, Tubal, Persia Tugorma, Ethiopia, Libya all of you will join together and you will come against Israel. So he's already said in the latter years, you're going to do this. You will ascend coming like a storm verse 9, you will ascend coming like a storm covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you. So they're going to come. Let's read on a little bit, it's quite interesting. It says here verse 10, thus says the Lord God, on that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your minds and you will make an evil plan. You will say, I will go up against a land of unwalled villages. I will go to a peaceful people who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls and having neither bars nor gates to take plunder and to take booty to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited and against the people gathered from the nations who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land Sheba didan and merchants of Tarsus and all the young lions will say to you, have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty to carry away silver and gold to take away livestock and goods to take great plunder? Therefore son of man prophesied to God, thus says the Lord, on that day when my people Israel dwells safely, will you not know it? No, you will come from your place out of the far north. So that's again verse 15. Again a very important clue. North of Jerusalem, far north of Jerusalem is Moscow. Straight line, straight line. Far north of Jerusalem is Moscow. So he is saying, you will come from the far north. While my people Israel are dwelling safely, they are living, they are built up their own houses etc, etc, they are living, you will come verse 15. Then you will come from your place out of the far north. You and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company in the mighty army you will come up against my people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It will be in the latter days, again latter days that I will bring you against my land so that the nations may know me when I am hallowed in you, oh God, before their eyes. That says the Lord, are you he of whom I have spoken in former days by my servants, the prophets of Israel, the prophesied for years in those days that I will bring you against them. So it's very clear Russia along with some other allies like Iran some Ethiopia, Libya, some others will join together, will come against Israel. But when you read through chapter 39 what will happen is Israel will be able to push them back. Israel will not be captured will not be conquered, push them back right? So then they will regroup and then they will attack again, they will try to attack. So there is this build up with Russia moving in Israel pushing them back and then we read about that build up will lead to the eventual what we could say all nations getting involved which we read about Revelation 19 the battle of Armageddon so we are looking so this is point number 5 and we know in Revelation 16 he talks about the armies of the kings of the east coming in. They will also join in. So our interest looking is how is Russia, Turkey, Iran China, how are they aligning themselves? And today we can say very clearly China and Russia are very you refer to them as superpowers or big influential powers political powers in the world. On the other hand you have the United States, you have the European Union, you have other countries that are aligned but you can see that Russia China are having building good relationships not only with each other but also with Turkey, Iran with those countries China has extended its influence almost across Africa by offering to build infrastructure and railroad and all those things in many countries in Africa. So they already come in and establish their presence and Russia is having good relations, I mean building that relationship with China. So we look at these interactions now you know what's happened in the last couple of years when Russia has attacked Ukraine trying to you know take over and of course other countries are supporting and helping Ukraine defend itself and reclaim their own land and protect themselves and so on but it's like Iran has been supplying ammunition to Russia. Okay I'll give you weapons, your fights. So it's behind all those things happening. Iran has been supplying ammunition to Palestinians, the Lebanese the Yemen rebels and so on so so they're not directly coming but they're helping others so it's kind of interesting to see all this happening because these countries have been mentioned or referenced here in chapter 38 and for this to be fulfilled now of course Ezekiel said in the latter days, in the latter time so we know it's out in the future for that to happen what we can say is today's political situation is actually moving towards fulfilling the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38. It's actually moving in that direction you know it's amazing that Ezekiel would of course with the Holy Spirit could prophesy and say all this in his day. So we keep an eye on the news and see basically how these main countries and of course smaller countries will be joining in, how they are joining together because this will actually build up towards the battle of Armageddon. Any questions? So in UNO we'll play any role on this like there is an organization among the unity among the nation so UNO will play anything for this. So I think the role of the UN which we will see in point number 7 of course the United Nations, their goal is to kind of like oversee all the nations we all live peacefully and do things that are good for everyone but they cannot force anything like they can't jump in pressure from, they can only speak they can give advice, give counsel, have meetings and yeah sometimes they send troops and people aid and all of those kind of things but they also have to be careful. What we can see and we will come to point number 7 is that the United Nations is playing or is taking a position, let us try to bring peace to this conflicts Israel and Palestinians how mainly by telling Israel Israel in a nice way, you give the land to the Palestine, let them have the land, you live peacefully, you give them the land and don't build settlements on their land. So Israel has continued to keep building its own settlements, villages, everything on that land United Nations will always keep issuing letters, orders, please don't, we don't recognize this, don't do it. Israel keeps building but they're trying to bring peace but their approaches, Israel you have to give up your land, give up your land to them. Why should we do that? So even though the United Nations is a big body and of course a lot of it operates on based on who votes for what they try to be very democratic in the process you can see that in point number 7 let's look at that. So the other point number 7, next sign is and Joel prophesied about this, let's read that. Joel chapter 3 verse 1 and 2, Joel said for behold, this is on page 82 Joel chapter 3 verse 1 and 2, for behold in those days and at that time when I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem I will also gather all nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat into judgment with them there on account of my people my heritage Israel whom they have scattered among the nations, they have also divided up my lands. So God is saying, he spoke to the prophet Joel I am going to bring the nations here this is the valley of Jehoshaphat, this is basically the valley of Megiddo, this final battle of Armageddon nations are going to come and I am going to judge them why? they have divided up my land and when you look at what is happening almost every proposal to bring peace to the Middle East is Israel, you give them their land you stay this side, divide the land basically, let them live there are two parts to it, they are on the west bank on Gaza, let them stay there, you give the land and you stay on the other side, that is the proposal but Israel refuses, so ultimately Joel said they are going to come to divide up the land and God says I will step in, I will judge the nations so this is what you know that when you look at just every past American president who has attempted to bring peace many resolutions passed by the United Nations even a proposal submitted by the European Union everybody says please Israel, we are recommending you give the land, you divide the land, that is the way the approach to peace and this has been going on for few decades but it's not going to happen it's very difficult for Israel to give up the land and the second point of conflict which we are very aware of is the city of Jerusalem itself by the temple mountains to some extent after the 1967 war when Israel recaptured, they captured the whole city of Jerusalem, they captured everything back but in order to maintain peace, they said Jordan, neighboring country Jordan, you manage the worshippers who come and go to the mosque and the Domo Dara you manage that, okay it is your religious, you manage that but we have control over the city of Jerusalem, we have control we have captured it, so there is always that tension, especially now like during the time of Ramadan even now, so this year there is even more tension because of the attack by the Palestinians from Gaza, October the attack so that war or that fighting is still going on but now it's the holy month coming up, I think it must have started or is starting now Ramadan, so the Muslims want Arabs, they want to come and worship there, pray there, but too much tension what if something happens so it's a very delicate, volatile situation of course there are other governments like the United States and other countries but nobody can bring a solution they can say some nice things but nobody is able to bring a solution as of now, so we are looking at that everybody, every proposal is divide the lands give them, live peaceful but that is the very thing, Joel chapter 3 verse 1 and 2 Joel prophesied, the nations will come against Israel they are forcing them to give the land and that will lead to this final battle and God says I will judge the nations so right now it's only talk, it's only proposal but I think a time will come when the end of the tribulation so all that happens during the tribulation is going to build up towards this the reason I hear about this organization which all the countries in the world like in the unity there is a head for it and then now recently Russia is out of it so I don't know that name but like something like that organization or like the head, they can't do anything about these issues they can't make them sit and speak something is happening in our states, there is one president like that I mean the only organization that we can think of right now which could do something is United Nations but there it's very, it's one it's supposed, it's a democratic process meaning like you said we will try to sit and talk but people don't want to agree, you can't force anything you know some things will happen by vote, how many support, how many don't support some people say we don't vote, they don't want to say this side or that side so it's a democratic process so they're not able to actually find a resolution you can't force anything, they can try to, they call it through diplomatic relations okay let us sit and talk and please come and talk nothing, nothing is going to happen but what is interesting is Joval already said they're coming to divide up my lands until now the only solution is only proposal that has been coming out is a two state solution, you have to give both this side and this side, you all live peacefully that's been no other proposal right, no solution, so it's interesting because it's very aligned towards all already prophesies, this is what's going to happen number eight, while all that is happening in the world something also has to happen to the church because Paul the Apostle in Ephesians, he said something about the church, he said you know the Lord has given prophets apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists and they're all going to do their work and they're going to do their work in order to bring us bring the church to the full measure of the stature of Christ so the church has to come to this place of the full measure of the stature of Christ, in the Sermon Acts 3 Peter said that Jesus Christ must, literally this means whom heaven must receive or whom heaven must retain Acts 321, that means Jesus will be held in heaven until the time of the restoration of all things as God has spoken by the mouth of His Holy Prophet so you can understand in two ways, that is until the restoration of all things or until the time comes for all things to be restored, until there is so when you look at it the first way, that means the church has to be restored which has happened, the church has gone through a great journey of restoration it is coming to this place of maturity and Paul again in Ephesians 5 he said Paul present her to himself a glorious church a glorious church so the church that Jesus is coming back for is a fully restored, mature, glorious church so we have to observe, see what is happening in the church and we can see very clearly in the last about 400 years starting towards the end of the 16th century there has been this whole journey of reformation and the church has come to a place today where it has understood who the church is its place as the body of Christ and so on the Apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers even all those offices have been restored, they were not there if you see about 500 years ago the church was in a dark state there was no preaching and teaching but much preaching and teaching of the Gospel but in just about 400 years or so, so much has happened so the Lord has accelerated the work, the restoration of all things in the church, it's happened and he's bringing us to a place to be a glorious church so that's another sign we're getting close to the Lord returning it's coming back for a glorious church number nine, the Gospel to all the nations, this we have already seen Matthew 24 14, Jesus said one of the signs this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, then the end will come so the word nations there is ethnic people groups, so in terms of nations as we understand politically it's gone to all the nations but Jesus said ethnic, meaning people groups, so we're going one level lower and saying okay almost, I don't know exact number we could see maybe online in Joshua project will tell us, this is the way we are they say like we're now to the last mile last mile we have only so many people groups to be reached, otherwise the Gospel has literally gone to every tribe and tongue and nation it's gone only few left so even from that perspective we're coming close to the end and the Gospel has gone into all the nations and it is reaching all the people groups, they're very close but then the end will come some of the other signs which we have read in yes God, it doesn't mean like there is no one on the earth that doesn't know about Jesus like everyone at least one time in their life they will know, so he didn't say like every person he said every people group people reach every people group, so it doesn't mean every individual has to hear, it means it has to reach every people group, that means like you can say people group meaning every tribe it has to reach everyone, every people group so it doesn't mean every person has to hear so for example they have to hear, so that is why that last effort is being made for the last Maya, that means example the Gospel has come to India, it has reached I think in every city in India, every town almost every village and we can't say every village has been reached but almost and almost from there if you go out of the villages then only next leftist tribes, some people living somewhere in some jungles like far away who have not been touched so we are down to that level so has the Gospel reached India, yeah reached India long time ago as a nation covered every city, yeah almost every town, village now we are down to maybe which are the villages that haven't received the Gospel, which are the tribes, the tribal groups so that can you know we can actually count and say okay this is where we are, so it doesn't mean every person in each village or every person in every group, tribal group has to hear but it will reach them if it reaches one person or two people, it's reached that group because now it is their responsibility to share it and generally these groups are very small, you know like maybe in a few hundreds of people or maybe a few thousands that's it so we are in that state, we have reached down to that level okay let me just see online, are there any questions any questions from online students, okay what are the signs which we aren't familiar with because we have read them in Matthew 24 and in Luke 21 there will be increased persecution Jesus said, you know they will lay hands on you they will persecute you, they will bring you before kings and rulers but it's an opportunity for you to testify so part of the signs that Jesus gave was there will be people who are preaching you because of the name of Jesus there will be increased persecution and this is true I mean we can see it in our own country as well as in other parts of the world even in the nations that once were called the Christian nations Christians are being persecuted for their faith you know may not necessarily be physical persecution but the persecution or the attacks can come through other ways by speaking against them demeaning them, calling them names and so on the persecution, so there is this increased persecution another sign is increased deception, spiritualism and false spirituality, so Jesus said in fact one of the first signs he said be careful that nobody deceives you because many will come saying I am Christ and will deceive many so this whole thing about false Christ people who claim to be anointed who claim to have answers they will deceive many Paul also wrote in 1 Timothy 4, 1 and 2 in the latter times people will depart from the faith so in the latter times things will happen people will give heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, people will depart from the faith and this is actually so shocking to see in recent times there have been pastors I mean I am talking about from the western world pastors are mega churches, say I am no longer a believer in Jesus like they have been pastoring churches of thousands of people suddenly something happens I am not a follower of Jesus anymore, they write one big book they have written, why I am no longer following Jesus and these are the people who once were pastors, they wrote books Christian books, now suddenly something has happened in their life they have renounced the faith and they have become they call them humanists or just something we just believe in humanity, that is it we don't believe in God, we don't believe in Jesus so people departing from the faith in fact a study was released not too long ago that in the last 30 years more people, and this is again the western world more people have left the faith than who came to the faith in the revivals and through the preaching of Ligraha and all those crusades, more people have left the faith in the last 30 years, the numbers than those who came to the faith in the past revivals and crusades so Paul wrote about it, people will depart from the faith, they will give heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons so this is happening our day and time which means that for us to be believers, we have to be really serious we have to take our faith seriously, we have to be very firm in our faith because there are these deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons that will flood the earth in this time and it is happening it's happening, it's seeing it happen and it is quite disturbing so let's pause here, we'll go for a quick break, come back and then we'll finish this up we'll have some time for questions as well so let's take a quick break and come back and we'll continue after the break alright, see you in 10 minutes thank you