12. #Watch!

"And what I say unto you, I say unto all...

Watch!" (Mark 13:37)

The signal to the nations that our time is short, is the miracle of Israel's reappearance on the world scene after two thousand years. Even the Hebrew language was lost since 200 AD - replaced by Arabic and the languages of the nations in which the Jews were dispersed. Today, miraculously, Hebrew is once again the official language of Israel. (1)

In Scripture, just before the return of Jesus, the third Temple is (re)built in Israel. The first Temple in Jerusalem was built by Solomon, King David's son and was destroyed in 587 BC by the Babylonians. The Second Temple was rebuilt in the 6th century BC and destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. We know there will be a third Temple built at the end of this Age, because of the Bible verses describing the "Anti-christ" or"man of sin"" entering into the Temple before the "day of the Lord".

“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition [antichrist], who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)

"That day" is the Day of the Lord. And prior to this day, Israel needs to be a nation that includes within its borders the Temple site in Jerusalem. As we have already discussed, this happened after the 6 Day War in 1967.

Israel has not rebuilt their Temple to date because The Dome of the Rock (A Muslim Holy Site), is currently residing on the Temple Mount. It seems inconceivable to the entire world that a Third Temple could ever be built on that site, as it would assuredly bring about WWIII.

Be that as it may, this has not stopped the Temple Institute in Israel pushing forward their agenda to rebuild the Temple and re-institute its ceremonies and services, including animal sacrifices on that site. The article below was written on July 3, 2019.

"The Temple activist movement is now more mainstream than ever before and it's effort to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound [Dome of the Rock]; the third holiest site in Islam, has advanced with great rapidity since the year began and has picked up precipitously in recent weeks. The Institute has created artifacts and structures to be used in the future Temple, the Institute also dedicated itself to training a new generation of Levite priests with the intention that they perform ritual [animal] sacrifices in the future Temple." (2)

One animal in particular that the Jews need to sacrifice [as an atonement for their sins] is a Red Heifer which they have not had in two thousand years. According to the same article,

"The Temple has used advanced techniques of animal husbandry and artificial insemination to recreate a Red Heifer." The Institute claims it has produced a suitable Red Heifer in 2018. (2)

It will take a miracle to rebuild the Temple on it's original site, however, when the site is procured - and it will be, the Temple Institute will have the Temple up and running in no time.

Another marker to look for prior to the return of Jesus is the increase of travel and knowledge.

"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 be increased." (Daniel 12:4)

Since the dawn of man until the turn of the 20th century, man rode on animals. Information was recorded in scrolls and eventually in books. If you needed information from one of the books - you needed to find the book! Now, with the advent of the Internet, we have a world of information at our fingertips.

We went from horse and buggy to... Ferrari's, Lear Jets, Atomic Submarines, Skyscrapers, Cell Phones, PC's, CERN, World Wide Web, Nuclear Fission, DNA mapping, Gene Editing, Mars Rover, Hubble Telescope, International Space Station, GPS, Nanotechnology, Artificial Intelligence, CRISPR... Am I missing anything?

It is undeniable, that is the span of just a few hundred years knowledge and travel have vastly increased and is continuing to do so.

Around 90 AD, John the Disciple recorded an absolutely unbelievable prophecy about a military force that would emerge prior to the return of Jesus of 200 million men!!! Called the Kings of the East. At the time John wrote this prophecy it is considered that the entire world wide population was approximately 150 million. Again, this prophecy was not believed by the same Bible Scholars that did not believe that Israel would ever become a nation again. Shame.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a Security Alliance of Asian nations. It held its 15th annual Defense Ministers Meeting in Bejing on 4/24/2018. The 8 SCO nations include Russia, China, India and Pakistan. (3)

This September (2019) Moscow held the SCO Military Exercise which also included members of the CSIO, Collective Security Treaty Organization military personnel.

"The largest exercises of the Russian Army are turning into a coalition with the participation of allied and friendly powers. [SCO - CSIO] This of course is a serious signal for the United States and NATO. If we estimate the combat potential of the countries participating." (4)

Guess what? We found our 200 million man army.

This 200 million man army is prophesied to march toward Israel through a dried up Euphrates River.

"And the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East." (Revelation 16:12)

"And the voice said to the sixth angel with the trumpet, "Release the four angels, who are bound at the great river Euphrates." So the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day and month and year were released to kill 1/3 of mankind. And I heard the size of their army, which was 200 million mounted troops." (Revelation 9:14-16)

The Euphrates? Drying up?

On Aljazeera.com "Iraq's Dying Rivers 2/16/2019" It states: "Iraq's ancient rivers [Tigris and Euphrates] and water resources have been seriously damaged by wars, economic sanctions, the construction of upstream dams and pollution."

On the Independent.co.uk "Catastrophic Drought threatens Iraq As Major Dams in Surrounding Countries Cut Off Water to it's Great Rivers." It states: Iraq is in danger of losing the water of the Tigris and the Euphrates. We need to preserve the memory of these places before the Tigris and Euphrates dry up. Some of them [waterways] will disappear next year because there will be no water."

A Newyorktimes.com article is entitled, "Iraq suffers as the Euphrates River Dwindles."

There is a website entitled: savethetigris.org

A counterpunch.org article is dated 8/5/2019 and is entitled, "Rivers of Dust: Water and the Middle East."

And finally, on GulfNews.com there is an article dated 4/7/2018 and entitled, "Iran, Turkey Dam Projects Drying Up Iraq's Water [Tigris/Euphrates]."

And there you have it. The mighty Euphrates is drying up.

Another place to watch is Damascus, Syria. There has been a civil war in Syria since 2011. In the first 5 years an estimated 400,000 Syrians were killed. "As of March 2019, roughly 5.7 millions Syrians have fled the country...And More than 6.1 million displaced inside of Syria. (5)

On CNN.com you can find many articles regarding the atrocities in Syria. Two articles dated 3/15/2018 are entitled, "How Seven Years of War Turned Syria's Cities in 'Hell on Earth.'" And "Greater Damascus Garden Of Eden Turned to Hell.'"

On January 21st of 2019, Israel retaliated against Damascus for firing a missile into the Golan Heights. Israel carried out a series of airstrikes in and around Damascus. These missiles targeted The International Airport, Intelligence Sites, Training Camps, Munition Depots and more. (6)

Why do we need to watch Damascus?

"The Burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap." (Isaiah 17:1)

"Damascus has become helpless; She has turned away to flee. Panic has gripped her; Distress and pangs have taken hold of her like a woman in labor...Therefore her young men will fall in her streets, and all men of war shall be cut off in that day,' says the LORD of Hosts." (Jeremiah 49: 24-26)

Damascus is considered to be among the oldest continuing inhabited cities in the world. In 734BC the Assyrians attacked Damascus (2kings 16:7-9). However, both the prophet Isaiah and the prophet Jeremiah who prophesied the destruction of Damascus lived after that event. This prophecy has not yet come to pass, however, considering the circumstances in Syria this unfortunate event could well come to pass any day.

Dear Reader, There are so many Biblical prophecies coming to fruition right now that we will have to continue on in the next blog. Do not be discouraged or dismayed. This was not all foretold to bring us anxiety, but to be signposts for us. So we may be ready in the day Jesus returns. God LOVES you too much for this day to take you unaware.

"For when they shall say Peace and safety; then sudden destruction comes upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. Buy you, brethren, are not in darkness [think veil], that that day should overtake you as a thief." (1 Thessalonians 5:3-4)

"But understand this: If the homeowner had known in which watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into." (Mathew 24:43)

"Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming." (Matthew 24:30,42)

"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away..." (Revelation 21:4)

1) baltimoresun.com Once Dead Language Brings Israel Back To Life.

jpost.com This Week In History: Revival of the Hebrew Language.

2) mintpressnews.com How the third Temple Movement in Israel Rebranded Theocracy as "Civil Rights."

3) thetrumpet.com Asian Nations Strengthen Military Cooperation

4) jamestown.org Eurasia Daily Monitor: Moscow Prepares Annual Strategic Military Exercise: Tsentr 2019

5) cnn.com Syrian Civil War Fast Facts 4/09/2019

6) cnn.com Israel Strikes Iranian Targets in Damascus After Missile fired at Golan Heights.