David Hathaway comments on the end times

David Hathaway

Many today ask the question, when will the second coming of Jesus be? His coming is certain, in the Bible there are 137 prophecies all literally fulfilled at His first coming, but over 200 regarding His second coming! Even His disciples asked Him, "Tell us, when will You come back?"

Bible scholars and modern prophets have always tried to predict times and dates - but certain things are clearly evidenced from Scripture showing us that He IS coming soon.

Armageddon
The question often asked by the secular media when there is a major threat to civilisation such as threatened nuclear war, terrorism, a collision with an asteroid or any other major disaster, is: "Is this the coming Armageddon?" In the West there is this underlying fear of a judgment - a punishment - an ultimate horror - based on the Biblical prophecy. But Armageddon is fact, it has been prophesied not just by 'prophets' but by the inescapable, undeniable, infallible authority of the Word of God Himself!

I have visited Megiddo more than 50 times, the place where 3000 years ago Solomon built a fortified city defending the valley of 'Armegeddon' with his 'armoured divisions' (war chariots). The Biblical Armageddon is the literal place of the battle, when all the armies coming down from the north - uniting Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya and Russia (Ezekiel 38) - will launch the final attack on Jerusalem in order to do what Iran and Hamas have already declared to be their next objective - the destruction of not only Israel but Jerusalem itself. This is not just a fact from either history or prophecy but the declared aim of the current president of Iran and the declared purpose of Hamas's existence in Gaza and the West Bank.

Four years ago I believe that the Lord revealed something to me, after the war in Iraq had begun. I was reading Rev 9 where it speaks of the 4 demons held in the river Euphrates for a specific hour, a day, a month and a year - who, when released, would kill one third of mankind with an army of 200 million. The Euphrates is in Baghdad - with what is happening there now, have these demons been released? Will they precipitate Armageddon?

We are living in the time of the greatest fulfilment of Biblical prophecy in the history of the world since the birth of Christ! Yet what does it mean? To the true believer this means that the 'whole of creation is groaning', waiting in anticipation - for what? The advent of a new era, a new civilisation, a world at peace with no war, no death, no suffering - something which politicians and poets dream of, but which is totally unobtainable by any human power, where the lion will lie down with the lamb, swords will be turned into farming implements and the whole world will be at peace.

The Bible declares that Jesus Christ will return to rule the world and restore it to the original paradise God created 6000 years ago. Neither Armageddon, nor the return of Jesus, mean the 'end of the world'. It means simply that God's original plan for this world will be brought into effect by the only ruler capable of controlling all men and every nation - Jesus - King of kings and Lord of lords. And the Bible shows that in anticipation, God will 'pour out His Spirit on all flesh' - Joel 2 - and 'put in the sickle' and reap a mighty harvest of souls in the last great revival - before the great darkness when, for a brief moment of time, the devil takes control and precipitates the final battle - Armageddon!

Global Warming
Today we are being told by scientists and politicians that the most serious problem facing our civilisation is 'Global Warming'. To me the greatest problems are the breakdown of family life resulting in the collapse of law and order - the rebellion against God's laws - the increasing threat of worldwide terrorism - and secularism, political correctness and human rights becoming a conspiracy to control our lives.

However, the fact is that the Bible says, as long as the world lasts, summer and winter, seedtime and harvest will not fail. This means two things, first that God must know more about global warming than we do, especially as the Bible declares that Christ will rule this world for 1000 years. Before the flood in Noah's time, for two thousand years there was no rain on the earth. I have heard scientists explain that this was probably caused by a 'greenhouse effect'. In the millennium will we have the same effect - no rain but the earth watered by the dew? In other words is God already preparing for the coming of Christ?

Mark of the Beast
Look at the evidence that we are in the last days: Dan 12:4 says knowledge and the speed of travel will increase; there will be earthquakes, wars, famines and worldwide terror, Matt 24, Lk 21. And in Rev 13 it speaks of the Beast and that no one will be able to buy or sell without the mark of the Beast in their hand or forehead. Who the Beast is I do not know, but believers must not have this mark. There has been much speculation as to what it is - but I believe we are very close to it now. To prevent fraud the banks are experimenting with replacing credit cards with a chip embedded in your hand. It cannot be stolen or copied and it is so easy to use, just pass your hand over the machine! Now British scientists have produced a plastic chip instead of the silicon. It has even been proposed to 'chip' all the children!

1967-2007
In Luke 24, Jesus said, "this generation will not pass till all is fulfilled". Many commentators agree that this generation began with the ending of the 'times of the Gentiles', Lk 21:24, in 1967, when for the first time in over 2000 years the old city of Jerusalem came under Jewish control. My first visit to Jerusalem was in 1961. The 1948 war had ended with an armistice and the city was divided, leaving the old city in Jordan and a 'Berlin Wall' running through the new part of the city. In my Bible smuggling/travel company days I would make the crossing up to 8 times a year through the Mandelbaum Gate, from one side of Jerusalem to the other, with groups of tourists in my tour buses. Jews could not visit the temple area or the Wailing Wall, or even Bethlehem - that was in Jordan.

I was there when the Six Day War started in 1967, hurriedly evacuating two groups, one out of Israel by sea, myself with the other group forced to drive my bus back through the war zone across Jordan, through Syria and back into Turkey! But the Israeli army reunited the old city and, as the war ended, Israel occupied most of the places Joshua conquered 3500 years before! For the first time since the Romans invaded Jerusalem in the time of Jesus, no Gentiles controlled the city! - The end of the times of the Gentiles!

Now we have entered the 40th year - one Biblical generation since this happened. I am convinced that this year 2007 is the time when many Bible prophecies will be fulfilled! Watch and pray!

Revival
How much time do we have? Jesus was the first to warn us in Matt 24 that before His return, 'because of wickedness the love of many will grow cold'. In Jn 9:4 He says, 'a night comes when no man can work'. In 2 Thess 2:7 Paul warns, 'The power of lawlessness is already at work; but the One who holds it back will continue until He is removed.' So there is coming a time when even the Holy Spirit will be removed and there will be no more salvation. Jesus also asked, 'and when the Son of Man returns, will He find faith on the earth?'

Will revival come? Yes in Russia where prophecy will be fulfilled, that is why my heart and work have been in Russia for the last 40 years! But will there be revival elsewhere? Yes - in Africa, South America, China, India. yes, in my life, I believe I have revival now and have had ever since fire fell on me in Jerusalem 46 years ago. Why - I began a new walk with God - by faith - and by obedience - which led me through many trials, and prisons, and wars, and dangers, and tragedies - yet through it all I have learned to trust in Jesus, through it all I have learned to depend upon His Word!

Revival is the greatest challenge to every believer - what is it? It is when Christians worldwide stop huddling together in little groups - stop thinking only of themselves - stop forming themselves into social clubs - and realise that we are in a spiritual battle to defeat the devil, win the lost for Christ, make the Name of Jesus glorious and triumphant in all the world - heal the sick, raise the dead, preach the Gospel with power and fire, receive a new anointing of power through the Holy Spirit and become men and women of action, in the Name of Jesus triumphing over every difficulty, living daily not by human power but by the Spirit of the Living God, walking in faith and waking up, rising up, to become a mighty army of prayer warriors, intercessors, financiers, helpers, armour-bearers. That is what revival is. Not a few gifted evangelists or preachers but the whole Church of God in action - on its knees - and on its feet! This is the answer - this will be the last revival!

This article is re-produced with permission