Shalom Partner and Friend of Israel,

As humans, our hearts beat with the hope that somehow, someway, and someday, the “chaos” on earth will be quenched especially as we see lawlessness and terrorism is on the increase and morals are on the on decline. It is a hope that is addressed by major political leaders and religions. The hope of the soon coming Kingdom of our Messiah of righteousness and peace is a yearning of every Jew and Christian. While today many people don’t see a need for God or believe that He controls mankind’s future, the best hope humanity has for survival, peace and prosperity is found in the plan of our Creator has for His Creation – written in His Word the Bible!

Time did NOT exist in the “Eternal” Past… When God created the heavens and the earth He also created space and time. Before “time” began there was only “Ëternity!” God is a timeless being and time only began with His creation of the universe. However, we should not assume that God was inactive prior to creation. The Bible speaks of our loving God planning before the earth was created. Yeshua (Jesus), in His prayer to our Abba, Father - before His betrayal, said: “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world,” John 17:24. The Apostle Paul also spoke about God’s eternal plan: “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,” Ephesians 1:4. And, again in Titus 1:2; “In hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.” Therefore, God’s activity before creation assumes God dwells in time. The Bible says that God has eternally existed and that “space and time” were created by Him. God, the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, were NOT inactive before creating the world. God planned and purposed it before humanity came on the scene and once we were created, God then directed His love and energies toward us. All we need to know about God is what He has done …and what He plans to do in the future! He has revealed this to us in the Bible - the Word of God. Some interesting facts; (1) before God created the heavens and the earth – water existed and from it He divided the waters (Genesis 1:2) and created the firmament and divided the waters from waters (Genesis 1:6). (2) God used water to destroy man and beast (Genesis 6:17; 7:17-21) in the flood. (3) When we were in our mother’s womb being formed we are covered by water (amniotic fluid) to produce life! (4) Yeshua (Jesus) is our “Living Water!”

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep,” Genesis 1:1-2. The earth was a shapeless, “chaotic” mass, with the Spirit of God hovering over the dark vapours. It was shapeless; it was useless in its present condition. Here we see that; “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void.” The first thing God created was not order… He brought order, and out of “chaos” out of came order! In the original Hebrew language Moses wrote these words to describe how God took the earth from chaos and confusion and turned it into a place of order, beauty and peace – the Garden of Eden. If God left it as it was there would be NO life! The Hebrew word translated “without form” is “Tou.” It is used 25 times in the Old Testament. Some translations of “Tou” are: confusion, desolation, emptiness, futile, meaningless and chaos. When God first created the heavens and the earth, the earth was in a state of “chaos” and there was NO life or water or air …and everything was without any recognizable form. Read how the word “tou” is described in Isaiah 24:10.

God brings “order” out of “chaos!” But then, if God made everything, didn’t God also make the “chaos?” He had to make that shapeless, chaotic mass to begin with? The Biblical picture of our God who sometimes creates a perfect and beautiful chaos, and sometimes one that is terrifying. For one, this creation picture suggests that sometimes “chaos” can become order and reminds us that there is such a thing as "a luminous darkness" …and that such darkness “is one filled with God's presence!” He is the God not only of peace and order …but of a divinity dark and mysterious (1 Kings 8:12) - if we ever forget the God who first created an earth that was without form and void. And, before there was “a created order,” there was “a created chaos” over which the Spirit hovered! When God, in the Creation week brought “Order” out of “Chaos” we rightly believe that in disobeying God in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve unleashed sin and another “chaos” into the created order. When God created everything, He did it by starting with a formless void and then shaping it with His Word. He did that to show that, in the same way, our lives are a formless void until God’s Word comes in to bring life and peace, beauty and order! The opposite is true as well, when God’s Word departs from our lives, we descend back into “chaos” and darkness!

“Chaos” on earth brought the flood of Noah…. The conditions brought about by the flood in Genesis 6-9, can be compared to Genesis 1:2. The Hebrew word “mabbul” mayim - meaning a “mighty deluge by waters.” In fact, mabbul is used only one other time outside of the Flood narrative in; Psalm 29:10. The whole of Psalm 29 is a description of the “Noahic Flood” where God’s power reigns even over the torrents. The term “mayim” (water) has application to various waters in other usages …but here it can only be referring to the surges of the Great Flood. The two Hebrew words together; “mabbul mayim” might best be understood as a “deluge” – severe flood. No other flood-like event can compare. The “deluge” (severe flood) was the mighty power by YHVH – Yahweh God, to destroy an evil world. Noah’s story has a lot more to tell us than simply that God saved all the giraffes and zebras and other animals on a big boat. Moses inserted Noah’s story into the flow of his account of Genesis the book of “Beginnings” for a purpose!

It seems God gave humanity 120 years to change its evil ways. God said… “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years,” Genesis 6:3. The 120 years here refers to the time God’s longsuffering would continue with that generation. During those 120 years, Noah preached a warning message, and God had waited patiently for heartfelt reform (1 Peter 3:20). Living in this pre-flood evil society that refused to repent, Noah alone had found favour in God’s sight as a “righteous” person. We’re told that he was “moved with godly fear” and built an ark (Genesis 7:1; Hebrews 11:7). Because of the widespread violence in the world at that time, God decided to repopulate the earth through this faithful man and his descendants (Genesis 6:17-18).

Genesis 6 is only two chapters later from man’s fall from innocence in the Garden of Eden …and yet how quickly man has fallen; “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually,” Genesis 6:5. Here we see that man had filled the earth with “chaos” (violence, sexual perversion, and sin).  The creatures God created to multiply and fill the earth were filling the earth with “chaos” because of man’s sin. And so, the Lord determines to; “blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals …for I am sorry that I have made them,” Genesis 6:7.  God was going to begin with a clean slate.  Here God acted on His Word and wiped the face of the earth clean like a freshly washed plate…  It was a do-over! But, in the midst of this, Moses holds one man as a solitary hope in the midst of the chaos of sin; “But Noah found favour in the eyes of the LORD,” Genesis 6:8.

However, that floating above all the “chaos” was that one hope – Noah, because of his righteousness… “But God remembered Noah…and God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided,” Genesis 8:1.  This is the beginning of a re-Creation, a re-Genesis.  Just as the Creation began with God’s Spirit (Hebrew – “ruach”) hovering over the face of the waters ready to subdue the “chaos” and bring “order,” so now, God makes a wind (ruach) to subdue the waters.  Slowly the “chaos” recedes, and land begins to reappear, as it did in the Creation. Finally, the land dries, and Noah and his family and all the animals emerge into a fresh, NEW world.  The author, Moses, gives us a sense of hope and anticipation.  Noah, after all, was the… “one (who) shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands,” Genesis 5:29.  Surely Noah and his family could now get their act together in this fresh re-Genesis?  Surely Noah and his family will do better than Adam and Eve? God re-issues Noah with the same blessing and command he gave to Adam and Eve… “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth,” Genesis. 9:1. God even includes an extra command, pointing out that they shouldn’t murder one another (Genesis 9:6), so that no one falls into the trap of Cain’s vengeance again.  Certainly, this fixes the problem? Surely this new Creation, this re-Genesis, won’t head down the same path as the original? But, even in the midst of blessing his re-Creation, God seems to think all is NOT well… “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth…” Genesis 8:21. It didn’t take long…  We were so sure that Noah, a man blameless and righteous, would NOT be tainted by the effects of his ‘grandparents’ sin?  Only three verses after the completion of God’s beautiful “rainbow covenant,” Noah and his family had fallen (Genesis 9:21-22).  The very place we hoped to avoid is the place we have fallen into.  Noah and his family have fallen right back into sin, and the “nakedness” that exposed the sin, guilt, and shame of their forefather Adam has come upon Noah!  He escaped the “chaos” of God’s judgment, but he and his offspring fell back into sin.

As it was in the “Day of Noah” … We see through God’s Word – the Bible, that the major reason for God’s bringing the great Flood was that the earth was filled with evil - ‘chaos” (violence, rebellion and sin) (Genesis 6:13). Discussing with His Disciples about the time near His return to earth, Yeshua (Jesus) declared; “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all,” Luke 17:26-27. It appears people thought that they were living normal lives during the time Noah lived, just before the Flood. They were oblivious to the impending disaster. So, what was Yeshua talking about?

Since Yeshua (Jeus) said that the Last Days would parallel the society of Noah’s day, we can look no further into God’s Word to learn what He meant to see what the conditions were like at that time! Consider the age we live in; there’s been an alarming increase in global violence just in the past 100 years and today we have Islamic radical terrorism claiming thousands of lives across the Middle East and Northern Africa. A silent form of “violence” is perpetrated around the world by deliberate murder in the name of “planned parenthood” through abortions of innocent babies. Each year about 44 million abortions are performed globally! God views a murder not only of the baby but a future generation lost!

In Genesis 18:16-21, God informs Abraham that a great outcry against the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah had come up before Him, and so He was going to destroy the cities for their wickedness. Abraham, knowing that Lot and his family lived in Sodom, pled with God to NOT destroy the cities if righteous people could be found within. In one of the most amazing and challenging passages about prayers of intercession in the Bible, Abraham goes from persuading God to spare the cities if 50 righteous people are found within them, all the way down to only 10 righteous people (Genesis 18:23-33). Here we pause to wonder ….Abraham stopped at 10 and so how low a figure God would have gone. Would God have agreed to 5 or to 1? What if Abraham had simply said, “My nephew, Lot, lives there. I doubt that even he is righteous, but I love him. Would you spare the city just for him?” Regardless, these are questions with NO answers, for they were questions that were not asked!

Genesis 19 shows some of the depths of depravity to which Sodom had sunk. When the angels (messengers) visit Sodom, Lot invites them to stay in his house. Such hospitality was expected at that time. That night, the men of Sodom gather at Lot’s house, demanding that he send the visitors out so they can rape them. Lot, showing that he himself is not so righteous, offers the mob his two daughters instead, but the crowd will not be dissuaded, and demand that he hands over the two visitors or they will do worse to him (Genesis 19:9). The angels strike the crowd with blindness, and tell Lot to flee the city with his family because… “the Lord has sent us to destroy it,” Genesis 19:13. Lot pleaded with his two sons-in-law, but they would not flee, and ultimately, Lot was forced to flee the city with only his wife and two daughters. The destruction that was coming upon Sodom and Gomorrah had been coming for a very long time, and God had been holding back this destruction …but the situation has grown so bad that the people had departed from God’s protective hand. Yet God was faithful, loving, and merciful, and did what He could to rescue as many people as possible from the fire and brimstone. When it appeared that not even Lot was going to leave the city, God almost forcibly removed Lot, his wife, and his daughters from the city as an act of pure mercy toward him (Genesis 19:16, 19). Even though God tried to rescue Lot’s wife, and Lot’s two sons-in-law, they were unwilling to be rescued, and there was nothing God could do to prevent their destruction. Even Lot himself did not want to obey the commands of God. When instructed to flee to the mountains, Lot argued, and begged instead to be allowed to flee to Zoar (Genesis 19:20). Since this was a city that would not be destroyed, God allowed Lot to go there instead (Genesis 19:21). Once again, we see God’s mercy at work in the midst of widespread destruction.

The Flood of Noah’s day, like the destroying “fire” of Lot’s day, are examples of punishment for disobedience. The Apostle Peter echoed Yeshua (Jesus) connection between these two events, explaining that God; “did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly,” 2 Peter 2:5-6. (and Luke 17:26-30). So, as we have seen in Noah’s Day (Genesis 6:5, 11, 12) that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. In Lot’s Day; “Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire,” Jude 1:7. Not only is our world today full of “chaos,” violence and sexual immorality, including homosexuality. These evils have now been turned into entertainment! This world is now being entertained by the very things that God DESTROYED the old world in Noah's and Sodom and Gomorrah in Lot's day! God's Spirit is still striving with man, to convict him of sin and to turn to Yeshua (Jesus) and obey Him and keep His commandments. But as the verse in Genesis 6 says; 'My spirit shall NOT always strive with man!” God will give everyone a chance, which He is doing right now, to turn to Him with all their hearts and to turn away from sin. But, if they choose to continue to ignore the promptings of the Holy Spirit and the warnings from God's Word, then His Spirit will be withdrawn and the Day of Judgment will come upon them swiftly unawares.

The majority of people on this earth are choosing the 'broad way' that leads to destruction… They say you don't need to keep God's Commandments. They say it is ok to like the things of this world and be a friend of the world. They say many things that are clearly contrary to the Word of God. Why? Because, they walk after the flesh rather than the Spirit. The constant indulgence of sin that existed in Noah's day and Lot's day, exists today! But, take a look at something else that is true for today… “For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,” Matthew 24:38. We must remember that only 8 people were saved in the days of Noah, and Yeshua (Jesus) confirmed that only few will be saved in the end (Matthew 7:14). Will our generation heed the warning and be ready for that “Great and Dreadful Day” when our Lord returns? Will we be with the saints at the end when Yeshua returns?

We see for instance, in the “plagues” that God sends to Egypt in “the Exodus.” Moses brings a word from God directly to Pharaoh …and when Pharaoh rejects it, the “plagues” begin. If we’re not reading closely, we might just think of the plagues as random cosmic punishment! But, they follow a pattern of creation unravelling; the Nile turns to blood and out of the Nile come frogs …from the dead frogs come gnats; from the gnats come disease. When God’s Word is rejected, order becomes disorder - light becomes literal darkness, and goodness becomes terror! Had God simply wanted to flex his muscles for Pharaoh, He could have just used His power -- shrinking Pharaoh’s army down to nothing or having Moses levitate or something. That might have gotten the job done. God wasn’t merely demonstrating His power …but also, perhaps more so, demonstrating what “sin and rebellion” do. Sin tears creation apart at the seams!

God’s role in bringing “order” - out of “chaos” is a prominent Biblical theme! He did it when He was creating the Nation of Israel (Exodus 7–14). When God said it was time to bring the Hebrew people out of Egypt, Pharaoh objected. His nation’s economy depended on the Hebrew workers (slaves), so Pharaoh didn’t want to lose them. To change Pharaoh’s mind, God sent the 10 plagues to convince him. Pharaoh’s magicians were able to duplicate the first two plagues, but, they could not reverse the plagues - any of them. They could cause “chaos,” but they could not restore order. Only God can do that! In Joshua 7 -  right after the victory at Jericho, Israel was in a state of “chaos” when they suffered a defeat at Ai. So, for order to be restored God revealed the sin that was in the camp and when it was dealt with Israel experienced peace and order once again. Sin brought about the chaotic state that Israel was in. Sin will always bring about “chaos” in our lives too. The only way to have any order is to ask God for forgiveness and to repent. Most of the time it was Israel’s rebellion that brought about the chaotic situation and we read in Joshua 7:10-11 even in the “chaos” that sin brings, God still speaks… “So the LORD said to Joshua…!” It’s not always life’s circumstances or the devil that causes “chaos.” Sometimes the “chaos” in our lives are caused by the sin that is in our lives or nation. That sin may have to be revealed and dealt with before the “chaos” will be done away with. During the time of the Judges Israel experienced a lot of “chaos” …but, God used an Othniel, Ehud, a Deborah and others to bring about “peace and order” once again. God used individuals during the time of the Judges to bring about order to Israel and does the same still today.

It is difficult, if not impossible, to discern whether the historical chaos we experience at any given time, place or nation is the result of human sin or the judgment of the Divine Holiness of God. But, in either case, the Prophets tell us that the “chaos” is not, and never will be, the last word. In fact, often it is the first word - a divine movement that surprises and alarms …and Sometimes “chaos” comes to remind us of the mysterious, unfathomable nature of our Abba Father in heaven. Sometimes it is a sign of a terror-filled judgment. But in either case, we are assured that the Spirit is hovering over the turbulence, preparing to create, sooner or later, something remarkable!

Birth pangs before birth… “See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. You will be hearing of wars and rumours of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs,” Matthew 24:4-8. The phrase; “the beginning of birth pangs” is a translation of the Greek meaning of the phrase, as “the beginning of sorrows” and direct reference to birth pangs (labour pains) that ultimately lead to the full-scale contractions and travail, which then leads to the actual birth of a baby.

In 1948 Israel was literally reborn in one day just as the Word of God revealed through Isaiah’s prophecy… "Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once? As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons. Shall I bring to the point of birth and not give delivery?" says the LORD. "Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?" says your God. Be joyful with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who love her; be exceedingly glad with her, all you who mourn over her, that you may nurse and be satisfied with her comforting breasts that you may suck and be delighted with her bountiful bosom. For thus says the LORD, "Behold, I extend peace to her like a river, And the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; And you will be nursed, you will be carried on the hip and fondled on the knees. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; And you will be comforted in Jerusalem. Then you will see this, and your heart will be glad, And, your bones will flourish like the new grass; And the hand of the LORD will be made known to His servants, but He will be indignant toward His enemies. For behold, the LORD will come in fire And His chariots like the whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire. For the LORD will execute judgment by fire And by His sword on all flesh, And, those slain by the LORD will be many," Isaiah 66:9-16. Consider also; Ezekiel 36:24, which was written 2,500 years ago, includes the following words that are attributed to God; "For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land." Israel is back in her land just as God promised and this promise of God was fulfilled in our day …but the enemies of Israel aren’t happy! In the same way before our Lord’s return will bring great "labour pains" and "chaos" with judgement for unbelievers.

The “Birth pangs” – “Labour Pains” of the Nation of Israel… “O LORD, they sought you in distress; they could only whisper a prayer, your chastening was upon them. As the pregnant woman approaches the time to give birth, she writhes and cries out in her labour pains, thus were we before you, O LORD. We were pregnant, we writhed in labour, we gave birth, as it seems, only to wind. We could not accomplish deliverance for the earth, nor were inhabitants of the world born,” Isaiah 26:16-18. Instead of giving “birth,” to a child, which would be the natural expected conclusion of labour pains, instead Israel only gives birth “to wind.” But, then the Lord intervenes and promises Israel that despite the “great pains” of the past, the day is indeed coming when Israel will in fact give birth! However, the birth is not merely a baby, …though a very special baby - Yeshua (Jesus) would later indeed be born. Instead, the “birth” here is reference to the “physical resurrection of the dead; the judgment of the gentile nations; the deliverance of the Jewish people …and ultimately, the redemption of the whole earth! The promises of the Lord in the very next verse declares; “Your dead will live; their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, for your dew is as the dew of the dawn, and the earth will give birth to the departed spirits,” Isaiah 26:19. In Isaiah 66, the themes of birth and resurrection are emphasized again. What is so interesting about this particular reference is that it specifically addresses the mystery that the Messiah would actually be born long before the labour pains even begin… “Before she travailed, she brought forth; Before her pain came, she gave birth to a boy. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things?” Isaiah 66:7. But then the Lord promises that unlike Israel’s former experiences, she would indeed give birth. Gone would be the days of labour pains without birth. The Lord promises that He will indeed bring about the Messianic Age. With it will come the redemption, resurrection, vindication and many comforts of that glorious age (Isaiah 66:9-16).

“Birth Pangs” before the Lord’s Second Coming… We can expect to see an increase in frequency and intensity of catastrophes and disasters, both natural and man-made, as we draw closer to the Lord's return; “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near,” Luke 21:25-28. Yeshua (Jesus) told us “to watch” for specific signs leading up to His return and these signs are “birth pangs” (Matthew 24:6-7; Mark 13:7-8; Luke 21:9-11). When these “signs” begin to happen, we know our redemption is near. While this redemption is ultimately speaking of Israel at the Second Coming of our Lord, the “birth pangs” have already begun! In other words, as the “birth pangs” increase in frequency and intensity, we know that the Church's redemption in the RAPTURE is that much sooner.

Those who study the Bible know that we are living in the “Last Days” and the times of these prophesied “birth pangs” are currently ramping up! Every major Last Days’ prophecies anticipated in the Bible are being positioned into its place! God is often blamed for the loss of life in catastrophic world events. “Where is God?” is a natural question in the face of extreme suffering. “How could a good God allow tragedies to occur?” The painful truth is that God is NOT the cause of mankind’s suffering. Most often man is! Time and chance can be the reasons for a specific person’s suffering, but overall humanity brings suffering upon itself. Good examples today are; ISIS, radical Islamic terrorists, North Korea and other rogue nations building nuclear bombs to kill and destroy not only life but harm the earth …and the list is long. Humans are the ones who chose “evil” from the beginning way back in the Garden of Eden and who still continue to choose ways of life that bring on suffering today. God is not responsible for the “chaos” in our world today.

When one chooses “evil” that person or nation does the work of Satan. The prophet Isaiah expressed this mistake of trusting solely one’s own reasoning apart from God’s instructions when he wrote: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil. … Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” - Isaiah 5:20-21. And, God said, “For My people are foolish, they have not known Me. They are silly children, and they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge” - Jeremiah 4:22. Without the knowledge of the way of life that leads to peace and prosperity, the ancient peoples of Israel and Judah went into captivity. They paid a dear price for refusing to obey God’s commands. Given to the “chaos,” suffering and misery that inevitably accompany the rejection of God’s instructions! So, why haven’t humans today learnt from the past and realized that their choices aren’t working? Why can’t they see what they are bringing upon themselves? The reason the world is reeling in “chaos” and will continue its downward spiral is because humans have been blinded to the root cause of the problems and have forsaken God, their creator. The “serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan has deceived the whole world” - Revelation 12:9; 2 Corinthians 4:4. Time is short. We must place our trust in Yeshua HaMasiach - Jesus Christ as Creator, Lord and Saviour today; “Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away,” James 4:14. Yes, events are climaxing. Time is short! Therefore, the MOST important questions today for each of us to answer; “Do we know the Lord?” …and “Are we prepared to meet our Creator?” God is merciful wants everyone to be saved and to fully understand the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). There is only one way and that is to live our lives for God!

Time seems to be accelerating quickly... The hours, days, years and seasons appear to fly by faster than ever before. An hour no longer feels like 60 minutes and one week seems to run into the next. It’s as if we’re watching the blur of a speeding train pass by. The pace of life has certainly increased, but is time speeding up? If an acceleration of time is occurring …is it anticipated in the Bible? When describing the Great Tribulation period, our Lord stated; “And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened,” Matthew 24:22. Yeshua (Jesus) said that if He didn’t cut those days short, man would destroy all flesh! The Lord’s coming back to earth to rescue His people from the intense “chaotic” trials which will come upon the earth during the Tribulation. Yet, as is often true of other Bible prophecies, could this perceived speeding of time foreshadow that which will be fully realized during the Great Tribulation?

The apostle Paul reminded us that…  “The creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God; For we know that the whole creation groans and labours with birth pangs together until now,” Romans 8:21-22. As the time of delivery draws near, birth pangs always increase in both intensity and frequency. Therefore, the creation itself would travail with increased frequency as the time of delivery draws near! Interesting fact; Scripture teaches that “time” is a physical property and is therefore part of God’s creation (Genesis 1:1; 2 Timothy 1:9). Therefore, the dimension we call time would also travail, and perhaps increase, as earth’s final days climax. Certainly, God Himself; “changes the times and the seasons,” Daniel 2:21. God does this as He sees fit. He is the one and only Sovereign God and He alone determines kings and nations and ordinances and times and seasons. So, it is NO surprise that His Word anticipates this time increasing by acceleration! Scripture even informs us that the Antichrist… “shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law…” Daniel 7:25. Another Scripture that imply this quickening of life include Daniel 12:4; “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.” Today we are witnessing an explosion of available knowledge!. With the dawn of the computer, and now the Internet, it is estimated that the cumulative knowledge is doubling every five years. And, since the Industrial Revolution, multitudes are running “TO and FRO” (backwards and forwards and side to side) - just as the Bible prophesied. This rapid increase in available knowledge, and the ability to travel conveniently at accelerated speeds, is beyond what anyone could have imagined only 50 years ago!

During the Great Tribulation period, which is described in Revelation chapters 6-19, here we read that the judgments will follow in rapid succession! Once the Tribulation begins, these events will transpire very rapidly (Revelation 11:14). As we draw closer to these climaxing events, we should expect the last days’ signs to also occur with increased rapidity! Furthermore, Yeshua (Jesus) declared; “Behold, I am coming quickly!” - Revelation 3:11. In fact, the Lord reiterates three times in the last chapter of the Bible that He is coming quickly (Revelation 22:7, 12, 20). The Lord is not only declaring that His return is imminent, but that this also indicates that once these events begin to occur they will follow in rapid succession. Zephaniah 1:14 tells us that the last days are near and End of the Age hastens quickly; “The Great Day of the LORD is near; it is near and hastens quickly…” Maranatha Yeshua – Jesus!

God’s Word is true! He IS watching to see how the nations are treating His people. God will have mercy on Israel through Gentile believers acting as mediators towards them. This is one of the most amazing revelations ever given to the church – an opportunity to do something that carries the highest priority in the heart of God. Yet, sadly, so few have seen the potential and the rewards of serving God in this manner - as agents of mercy to Israel and the Jewish people! Israel was and still is despised today and a despised nation continually turning away from God but nothing ever altered the purpose of God for that nation. The despised element is always a noticeable element in the purpose of God. When the Saviour of the world came, He came of that despised nation; like Israel… He Himself was “despised and rejected by men,” …and there is that despised element; “…things that are despised God has chosen,” 1 Corinthians 1:28. Now, more than at any time is the time to support Israel and the Jewish people - the Lord’s Brethren! We are witnessing the nations and people turning their backs on Israel. Should you wish to be a part of what God is doing a list of areas your donation would be a blessing to the needy in Israel - please click on the link below: Secure PayPal Donations. Thank you once again for your prayers and generous support!

We hope that you enjoy and become more informed by our work. We serve an awesome God and we are humbled by this opportunity to bring you this information. With Shalom to you and your family always,

Alf & Julie Saunders

01^st November, 2017

This can be done SECURELY through PAYPAL on our Donations page where you will find the list of ministries where you can be a blessing to. Thank you for your love and support for God's chosen people (Ruth 2:12).

John Bunyan once said, "You have never lived successfully until you have done something for someone who can NEVER repay you!"