Another sign is Europe, the rise of Europe.
Now, we can see that in 1981, I remember reading the newspaper,
Greece becomes the 10th nation.
You know, for those students of Bible prophecy,
Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 talks about this revived Roman Empire,
there would be a 10 nation confederacy that would rise out of Europe.
In 1981, when I read the headlines, it came out in a newspaper
that Greece became the 10th nation.
Wow, I had just chicken skin.
I said, wow, this is actually happening in my lifetime.
But of course, it wasn't God's timetable yet.
But today we have 27 nations in this European Union, but in 10 sections.
So this, a lot of prophecy analysts are saying this is a fulfillment of Daniel 2 and 7.
Now, we have a peace treaty movement.
We have, this is the key to Bible prophecy.
This is the most important prophecy yet to be fulfilled,
but this will launch us into the seven years of tribulation.
And this one prophecy can tell you how close we are to Christ's return.
This is 1993 with Bill Clinton.
How many of you remember this in the White House?
1993 when Yasser Arafat and Rabin signed this peace pact.
Now, since then there has been numerous attempts to push for this peace process.
Now, at one time that I really thought that the Lord would come was in 1999
because there was all of this news that we would head towards a comprehensive Middle East peace plan
in 1999 or 2000.
And this would launch us into that tribulation period
because all of the prophecies that I shared with you last weekend today were being fulfilled.
So there was a lot of Christians who followed Bible prophecy said,
all right, he's coming.
Now, I didn't go out and buy my white robe and stood out on the Pali lookout
waiting for the Lord to come, but I really felt that this could be the time.
Of course, it didn't happen.
But we are moving rapidly towards that event.
But what I think will happen before that is there has to be something major that will happen in the Middle East
that will really blow up.
And this whole financial crisis where we have to go to a one world government,
a one world economic system and a one world religion.
And we're in a vacuum of choice leadership, which we cannot find today.
And this is the stage that the Antichrist will launch himself from.
This will be the platform for the Antichrist when he comes upon the world.
This here, that was in July 15, 2008 of this year.
This really shook me up.
This one article because it says that 43 leaders pledge for peace.
And they were talking about this huge comprehensive Middle East peace plan with Israel in the Middle East.
And I thought, wow, we're close.
We're really, really close.
JD may have shared with you this recent crisis with Syria
when Israel found this nuclear weapons site in the Syrian desert that they bombed.
They sent five Israeli F-15s and they sent five Israeli F-16s to take out this one nuclear reactor site,
which was manufactured weapons grade nuclear weapons.
Now, Israel said if Syria even attempts to make any kind of weapons of mass destruction,
Israel will wipe out Damascus.
And this takes us to Isaiah 17, where it says that Isaiah will become a ruinous heap.
Now, Iran is threatening Israel's destruction with their nuclear problem program.
Just as Israel had taken out Iraq's nuclear program in 1981 and Syria's nuclear program in 2007.
Now, pundits are saying that this attack on Iran's nuclear program could take place before January
because of the window of opportunity that they have to act soon
before Iran's program is full weapons grade.
And now Russia has vowed to back up Syria.
And so all the players of Ezekiel 38 are all aligned.
And this never happened until recently, within this past couple of years,
that all of the nations that will come against Israel in the latter days are now together aligned.
Now, that's why all of the prophecies that supposed to take place during the tribulation period
are all being fulfilled today.
So how much closer are we to the rapture of the church?
Now, on Thursday, I'm going to continue this message of more evidence that demands a verdict.
Now, all of you are sitting here and you're thinking,
wow, in the past couple of Sundays, we've seen a lot of evidence.
Now, some people cannot see this.
No matter how much is presented to them, they're blinded to that.
They refuse to believe that all of this is fulfillment of biblical prophecy.
Now, for the life of me, I can't understand why they cannot see that.
But scriptures say that sometimes God has blinded the eyes of people.
They have eyes to see, but they do not see, and ears to hear, but they do not hear.
In my prophecy study group that I met with a few weeks ago, one of the class members asked me,
Frank, how is it that a lot of pastors don't preach on prophecy and they cannot see this?
And I said, that's an excellent question.
That is an excellent question. Either they're not aware of everything that's going around them,
or they're blinded, or they cannot connect the dots.
They cannot fit the Bible in one hand and current events together and seeing how it fulfills perfectly.
Exactly in God's timetable and in God's plan.
It's like a huge, huge picture puzzle that God is placing all of the pieces of the puzzle
in chronological area, timetable, and it's being fulfilled in our lifetime.
Now, what are the odds of that happening?
It's amazing.
You know, one scholar said, there are twice as many prophecies of Christ's second coming than his first.
And it's all being fulfilled in this day.
And that's why JD and I feel that excitement.
I mean, I'm looking forward to that day when I'll be transformed, changed in a moment.
You know, this morning we had a prayer time of, you know, a lot of people out there are dying of cancer.
They're suffering from incurable diseases.
I myself have rheumatoid arthritis and this is why I have all of these things.
This is not a fashion statement, by the way.
So, you know, rheumatoid arthritis is a very debilitating disease.
You become deformed.
And so I'm looking forward to that day when I have a new, changed, resurrected body, you know,
that we don't have to worry about sin and disease and suffering and pain.
And we're going to be home with the Lord.
How much more exciting can that be?
So with that, I want to close in a word of prayer.
Father, we just thank you, Lord, that you have given us your prophetic word, Lord,
that we can look forward to that day, Lord, when you return, that we can just fellowship with you, Lord.
Just sit at your feet, Lord, and learn from you and worship you, Lord,
and to just glorify you and to give you the honor and the praise, Lord,
for you and you alone are worthy, Lord.
And we just love you, Lord.
We just ask that you might fill us with your Holy Spirit and teach us and guide us
and give us wisdom in these last days and how we should walk
and how to be pleasing and obedient to your perfect will.
Lord, and if there is anyone here today that is not sure of where he or she stands with you, Lord,
I just pray, Lord, that the words in your prophetic message, Lord,
will just touch their hearts, Lord, that they need to come to know you, the Savior and Lord,
that you have the words of eternal life, Lord, that they really need to become born again.
They may think that they're saved, but they're trusting in their own good works,
their own righteous living, which is filthy rites in your sight, Lord.
I pray, Lord, that you might lead them and guide them
and direct their steps toward that they might come to a saving knowledge of you.
For it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
