As those who love the Lord and yearn for His return, we need to see the signs of the Lord’s second and imminent coming; the greatest sign at the end of this age is the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom, and another sign is the restoration of the nation of Israel.
There are many signs that the Lord Himself pointed out will take place at the end of this age, and there are many signs that the Bible both in the Old and in the New Testament points out to take place at the end of this age.
A great sign at the end of this age is the vision of the great human image in Daniel 2, which needs to be studied prayerfully not merely out of curiosity to see when the Lord comes back, but for us to be prepared as His bride for His return.
Many believers and unbelievers today seek signs; they are full of curiosity about what will happen at the end of the age, what events will take place, how will the world situation change, and who will come and do what on the world stage.
They like to put things together like a puzzle, trying to figure out how this will happen and when will that take place.
But there’s an element of mystery in the times at the end of the age, and our prayerful consideration and study of the Bible on this matter should be with the Lord’s return in view, for we want to be prepared and made ready for His coming.
Nebuchadnezzar saw a great human image in his dream, and this image had four parts: the head was of gold (signifying the Babylonian Empire), the breast and arms were of silver (signifying the Medo-Persian Empire, which took over the Babylonian Empire), the abdomen and thighs were of bronze (the Grecian and Macedonian Empire with Alexander the Great), and the legs were of iron with the feet part of iron and part of clay (the Roman Empire, part autocracy and part democracy).
As far as the human government is concerned, we need to consider what part of the great human image we’re in today; the Babylonian Empire, the Medo-Persian Empire, and the Grecian Empire are over, but in essence, we are still in the intrinsic significance of the Roman Empire today.
The laws, the way of government, the architecture, the transportation, and many other things are influenced by and initiated by the Roman Empire.
We are at the very feet of the great human image – very close to the ten toes, the ten kings under Antichrist; we are very close to the stage of Christ’s return.
The ten toes signify the revived and restored Roman Empire under Antichrist, who will be the last Caesar.
Then, as Dan. 2 reveals, a God-cut stone comes down from heavens and strikes the human image at its feet (the ten toes including Antichrist as the ultimate ruler), and this stone is a corporate smiting stone – Christ and His overcomers – who will destroy Antichrist and the totality of the human government!
Hallelujah, when Christ returns with His overcomers, He will crush the entire human image, and this will become like chaff from the threshing floor – it will all be blown away, with no trace of human government to be found anymore!
But that stone becomes a great mountain filling the whole earth to be the kingdom of God filling the whole universe! Hallelujah!
If we see that we are right at the feet of the great human image today, we will realize we are so close to the Lord’s second coming, and we will pay attention in a prayerful way to the signs of the Lord’s second and imminent coming, the signs at the end of this age, so that we may be prepared as His overcomers, His bride, for Him to take when He returns!
The Greatest Sign at the End of this Age is the Preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom to the Whole Inhabited Earth
The greatest sign at the end of this age is the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom to the whole inhabited earth (Matt. 24:14); when this gospel of the kingdom will be preached for a testimony to all the nations, then the end will come.
This is what the Lord Jesus told us, and this is what we prayerfully carry out today. What is the gospel of the kingdom, and why is it called “of the kingdom”?
This gospel includes the gospel of grace (Acts 20:24) and it brings people not only out of sin and into God’s salvation but also into the kingdom of the heavens (Rev. 1:9), having the kingdom as its focus.
Regarding the gospel of grace, we can say that it emphasizes forgiveness of sin, God’s redemption, and receiving the eternal life of God; regarding the gospel of the kingdom, it emphasizes the heavenly ruling of God and the authority of the Lord.
The Lord Jesus didn’t preach only that people would repent, but that the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near; His preaching was with the kingdom of the heavens in view.
We need to cooperate with the Lord first by knowing the gospel of the kingdom and being constituted with it, and then to speak it to the whole inhabited earth for a testimony.
The gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole earth for a testimony to all the nations before the end of this age; this is the greatest sign at the end of this age.
This preaching of the gospel of the kingdom is signified by the white horse of the first seal in Rev. 6:1-2, and it is a sign of the consummation of this age.
The end of the age – the consummation of the age – refers to the time that the last three and a half years of the great tribulation are about to begin; before this time, the gospel of the kingdom must be preached.
Our great privilege and solemn responsibility in the church life is to know the gospel of the kingdom and speak it to the end of the earth.
We can see the reality of the kingdom of the heavens in Matt. 5-7, the appearance of the kingdom in Matt. 13, and the manifestation of the kingdom in Matt. 25.
The gospel of the kingdom has been opened up to us; it is a full gospel, including both the gospel of grace and all the divine truths of God’s eternal economy, the truths released through the ministry of the age in the Lord’s recovery.
The gospel of the kingdom includes the truths of the entire Bible, the truths in the New Testament with God’s economy, which is the reality, and the typological significance of these truths as seen in the Old Testament.
Outwardly in human history, we see these four-horse race – three of them are “bad news” and one is “good news”.
War, famine, and death are running wild on earth, and along with them, we see the gospel of the kingdom being preached to the whole inhabited earth!
May we not pray in a wrong way, that is, may we not pray for war, famine, or death to stop – but may we pray for the gospel horse to run faster and reach the ends of the earth for the Lord’s second and imminent coming to be hastened!
When the gospel of the kingdom is preached to the whole world, we should realize that it is near – the last three and a half years are about to begin.
There are many things that will take place before this time, but they are not the signs of the end of the age; however, when the gospel of the kingdom is preached to the whole inhabited earth for a testimony, the end is near.
Lord Jesus, we love You and we want to hasten Your second and imminent return. Amen, Lord, may the gospel of the kingdom be preached on the whole inhabited earth for a testimony to all the nations, so that the end would come! We give ourselves to You, Lord, to be filled and constituted with the gospel of the kingdom and speak it to the ends of the earth! May the white horse of the gospel run faster and faster on earth, even as we see war, famine, and death spreading in place after place. Dear Lord Jesus, we want to cooperate with You to hasten Your return by preaching the gospel of the kingdom to end this age and bring You back!
The Restoration of the Nation of Israel is a sign of the Lord’s Coming and the End of this Age
Another great sign of the Lord’s coming is the restoration of the nation of Israel, as prophesied by Jeremiah in Jer. 24:2, 5, 8, and by the Lord Jesus in Matt. 24:32-35.
The Lord spoke concerning the fig tree when its branch becomes tender and it puts forth its leaves, know that it is near.
To the believers the fig tree is a sign of the end of this age; when Israel – signified by the fig tree – is restored as a nation and is engaged in outward activities, we should know that the Lord’s return is near.
The restoration of the nation of Israel is a sign of the Lord’s coming and the end of this age.
In Matt. 21:18-20 we see how the Lord came to the fig tree and there was no fruit for Him there, so He cursed it; the fig tree is a symbol of the nation of Israel, who didn’t produce fruit for the Lord, so it withered. The Jews lost their nation, their country, and their temple, and they were all scattered.
However, the prophecies in the Bible said that they will recover their nation, and when the fig tree branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, the end is near; this has already taken place. The recovery of the nation of Israel is another sign of the Lord’s second coming.
The nation of Israel passed through a long winter – from the first century to A. D. 1948 when Israel as a nation was restored.
This restoration of the nation of Israel was signified by the branch becoming tender; life has come back into this nation, and there are some outward activities that took place.
There was a time of tribulation for the nation of Israel for many centuries (Matt. 24:7-21), and there will be a time of summer in the age of the restored kingdom (Luke 21:30-31), but today we are at the time of the fig tree becoming tender and putting forth its leaves.
On one hand, the greatest sign of the end of this age is the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom, and on the other, the restoration of the nation of Israel is a sign concerning the Lord’s coming.
When we see these signs, when we see that the nation of Israel is restored, they regain the city of Jerusalem, and they have some activities, we need to realize that the full restoration of the Messianic kingdom is near – the Lord’s return is near!
As Luke 21:24 said, Jerusalem was trampled until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled; these times were fulfilled, Jerusalem was trampled, but now Jerusalem was restored to Israel, and soon the rebuilding of the temple will start!
When we see that all things take place in outward human history, we need to know that it is near – the Lord’s coming is near, right at the doors.
On one hand, the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom is the greatest sign of the end of this age (as the Lord prophesied in Matt. 24:14), and on the other, the restoration and recovery of the nation of Israel (even though not in full, based both on geography and population) is a sign of the Lord’s second and imminent return.
As we see the signs of the Lord’s return, shall we not give ourselves to the Lord to be prepared as His bride, His overcoming bride, for whom He will return to rapture before the consummation of the age?
Dear Lord Jesus, we love You! We yearn for Your return. We look to You and we prayerfully read Your word to see the signs of Your second and imminent coming. Amen, come, Lord Jesus! Thank You for restoring the nation of Israel and making it a sign of Your coming. Amen, Lord, thank You for what You are doing in the world situation for the fig tree to become tender and put forth its leaves. We give ourselves to You, Lord, to be prepared for Your return. Produce us to be Your overcoming bride, the overcomers in this age who will bring You back! Amen, dear Lord, come soon! Prepare us, make us ready, and come quickly!
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Sources of inspiration: the Word of God, my enjoyment in the ministry, the message by Ed Marks for this week, and portions from, Life-study of Matthew, msg. 63 (by Witness Lee), as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, The Christian Life, the Church Life, the Consummation of the Age, and the Coming of the Lord (2020 fall ITERO), week 2, Watching and being Ready in Order to be prepared by the Lord for His Second Coming.
- Hymns on this topic:
– Come let us speak till the kingdom of the Lord comes down. / Yes, let us speak till the kingdom of the Lord comes down. / Why hold your peace? / The Word release. / Let us speak until the kingdom of the Lord comes down. (Hymns #1294)
– Now this gospel of the kingdom / Shall be preached until the end; / Till the Lord who with the kingdom / Of the heavens does descend. (Hymns #1263)
– Israel will be restored in the coming age; / With Your overcomers they’ll enjoy / All Your riches which will consummate / In new earth and new heav’n for eternity in the New Jerusalem. (Song on, The Central Thought of Jeremiah)
About aGodMan
