Nation Rose Against Nation on A Gobal Scale in 2011

Matthew 24:4-8
4 And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you.
5 "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many.
6 "And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.
7 "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.
8 "But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

f all the signs prophesied relating to the Second Coming in Jesus’ Matthew and Luke texts, nation (ethnos; people) rising against their own nation, wars, and rumors of war top the list. There have been uprisings and wars in countries around the globe since the globe was created. But this past year, significant people rising up against their own people appeared in the Mideast land of Scripture Jesus’ prophecies were specifically directed at. The local truth of Scripture segmented Paul’s prophecies to Jew and Gentile: Jesus’ were to Jews and the local geography of Israel (see Interpreting the Rules of Interpretation in "Prophecy"). The 2011 "Arab Spring" (commencing a year ago December) as the media called it in which Egypt, Syria, Lybia, Bahrain, Yemen, Algeria, Jordan, Morocco, Oman, Lebanon, and other less known mideastern countries experienced revolutionary uprisings that captivated U.S. media. Some were more successful than others in removing their long-standing governments. When all is said and done in most of them, Sharia Law and the Muslim Brotherhood hope to take the reins of power. This could be setting up a mideastern world that Jesus will return to save and judge.

Nations rising against nations in western civilization also hit headlines this year, mainly over financial failures in Greece, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, and America. America’s Occupy Wall Street sit-in groups that were finally expelled from city areas for outlived welcomes in occupied parks looked like a paid for group of radicals sent on their mission by the Obama Administration. You want to know what radical Bill Ayres taught and preached, watch President Obama who is one of his avid students. Nevertheless, they rose up against nation blaming Wall street for not entitling them to paid off student loans, homes, cars, free i-Phones and other stuff. The Tea Party uprising in 2009-2010 proved to be the most effective national uprising ever in modern America, cleaning house of the Democratic majority in 2010 elections, with more on the way in 2012 elections in the White House and Senate. It is not popular with the Obama Administration spokespeople of mainstream media, so they have announced them only when necessary.

Question is: Can the Arab Spring and western rebellions tie into Matt 24 and Luke 21? It was the first time I saw anything like this in the Holy Land’s surrounding nations, so I’ve thought yes. If I’m right, it’s just another warned fulfillment of Jesus’ last-days prophecies. The 1948 restoration of Israel kicked off the Eschaton. Since then there have been wars and rumors of wars in Israel and around the world. We eschatalogians, regardless of rapture position, are looking in earnest for Daniel 9:27’s “prince who is to come,” who will come into a hostile Holy Land and make a 7 year peace (Daniel’s 70^th Week) that will be broken in the middle, launching the Abomination of Desolation, which Jesus said would constitute the “Great Tribulation” (Matt 24:21). It will be an authorized deception to fulfill God’s Word. Luke 21’s earthquakes, roaring of the sea and waves, signs in the skies, and powers of the heavens shaken (vvs. 25,26) Jesus spoke of will be local manifestations in Israel during the Great Tribulation.

The great earthquake that will topple a tenth of Jerusalem  killing 7,000, signs in the heavens, including angelic manifestations, and the smart bombs of the seven trumpets and seven bowls won’t be confused with regular earthquakes and hurricanes. Sea’s, waves, are shown in Scripture to be symbolic of people (Rev 13:1), and masses of them. The mirror still remains dark (1 Cor 13:12; Matt 24:44) on God’s ultimate triumph in rapturing his church and saving as many possible during Daniel’s seventieth week who will get the blessed opportunity to believe what they see.  How many who refuse God’s grace today would believe if angelic visitations physically preached God’s grace? This, not the lake of fire and Tribulation deaths is what Revelation is really all about (Rev 18:4). Judging those predestined to follow the devil to hades and ghenna, administrating 1000 years of perfect government over the saved and yet to be saved, culminating that period with the Great White Throne of Judgment, then recreating the world and mankind to walk and talk with Him as Adam once did is the message of Scripture from Genesis through Revelation. God created us, redeemed us through innocent animal blood, recreated our inward man through His own blood, in the future will recreate us in a rapture/resurrection with a body Jesus now has, then ultimately recreate us back into what Adam originally was -is the Bible’s prophetic message. Nation rising against nation in the local land of Jesus’ Second Coming prophecies is another possible fulfillment toward our glorious end.

Mark Norris