286 When will the world come to an end

When will the world come to an end?

The world that we live in is fast deteriorating, because of mankind’s greed to get all they possibly can from the ground as raw material to produce the things required to live at the high standard we have become accustomed to. Mining companies have been exploiting arable land, rendering it useless for the future and the ever increasing demand for electric energy, with coal and nuclear fueled/fired generating stations, as well as the rapid increase in the use of motor vehicles have polluted the air and water, so much so that it is beginning to effect the health of people living in and around the cities of the world. However, the current situation where the whole world has been brought to a standstill, due to the Corona virus causing many deaths throughout the world and has many people concerned and speculating that we are very close to the end of the age.

Environmentalists are most concerned about the condition of our planet and try to stem the ongoing destruction, by making all sorts of demands on the governments of the world, who most readily agree to resolutions, but rarely implement the same due to financial and other constraints.But, very few are really concerned with the underlying cause of it all and with what YHVH requires of us. In addition, obeying Torahthe only real solution to ourproblems is far from their way of thinking. They are not even aware that YHVH wants to bring an end to the false Babylonian systems of the world, where much good is done, but equal amounts evil prevents any real advancements. Yes, we should be careful how we live and how we use the resources given us by Elohim, but He is planning a much brighter future for those who will survive the COVIT - 19 virus and eventually the pending great tribulation and live on into the Millennium. After all He is able to quickly restore the planet into what it was before Adam and Eve sinned and was driven out of the Garden of Eden, as witnessed in Isaiah 11: 6 – 12, in this way: ‘And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy will lead them. (7) Also the cow and the bear will graze; their young will lie down together; and the lion will eat straw like the ox. (8) And the nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. (9) They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of YHVH as the waters cover the sea. (10) Then it will come about in that day that the nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; and His resting place will be glorious.(11) Then it will happen on that day that YHVH will again recover the second time with His hand the remnant of His people, who will remain, from Assyria, Egypt, Pathos, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. (12) And He will lift up a standard for the nations, and will assemble the banished ones of Israel, and will gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.’

However, concern about the condition of the world or more specifically society has been the fear of many people throughout the ages. We see from Matthew 24: 3 (KJV) that the original 12 disciples also questioned Messiah about the “end of the world,” and the signs that would point to His return, saying: “Tell us, when will these things be and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and the end of the world?”’ But, what did Messiah’s disciples really mean when they asked Him about the “end of the world”?The Renewed Covenantoriginally inspired by Elohim, was translated into the Greek language and the Greek word translated “world” in the King James Version of Matthew 24: 3 is’aion.’ The correct translation of the Greek word ‘aion’ is ‘age’ and definitely not the physical planet on which we live. This New American Standard Bible correctly translated the word ‘aion’ to the same question in Matthew 24: 3, as follows:“Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” So we see that the disciples questioned Messiah about the ‘end of the age’ and about His planned return, but definitely not about the destruction of the planet earth we call home. When this civilization of man comes to an end, it would mean the end of the age of man’s rule over himself, but the earth would continue to exist.Yahshua prophesied about the end of this age telling His disciples about the great tribulation to occur during a time immediately prior to His return to earth in Mark 13: 19, saying: “For those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which Elohim created, until now (meaning at this end time), and never shall.” Yahshua continued in verse 20 of Mark 13, saying: “And unless YHVHhad shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect whom He chose, He shortened the days.” Verse 20 is not talking about spiritual salvation, but to being saved from physical annihilation or an untimely death. In addition it is telling us that the world will not be a safe place to be in at that time and that no life would be saved, unless YHVH intervenes to prevent the extinction of all mankind. This will be when Messiah returns to establish the kingdom of Elohim on earth and to put an end to human governments, which would otherwise lead to chaos and the destruction of all human life.

A second witness to the coming tribulation is recorded in Matthew 24: 21, as follows: ‘For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall.’The prophet Jeremiah referred to the great tribulation, as Jacob’s distress in Jeremiah 30: 7, saying: ‘Alas! For that day is great, there in none like it; and it is the time of Jacob’s distress, but he will be saved from it.’ It is clear from these verses that even though mankind had lots of problems during the past 6,000 years, there has never been trouble as severe as what was brought about by the COVIT – 19 epidemic, which could eventually result in financial woes and famine that will cause the next world war.Elohim inspired the prophet Joel to graphically describe this time of trouble before the end of this age in Joel 2: 1 – 3, saying: ‘Blow a trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of YHVH is coming; surely it is near, (2) a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn is spread over the mountains, so there is a great and mighty people; there has never been anything like it, nor will there be again after it to the years of many generations. (3) A fire consumes before them, and behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them, but a desolate wilderness behind them, and nothing at all escapes them.’ All the prophets spoke about the same time of trouble soon to occur, before the end of this age, sinceonly during this age with chemical, nuclear and biological weapons so readily available is such total destruction possible.

Yahshua our Messiah showed Rav Yochanan, the disciple whom He loved, this time of trouble during the last days when much suffering and killing will result from the use of deadly modern weaponry in Revelation 9: 2 – 10 & 16 – 19, as follows: ‘And he opened the bottomless pit; and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. (3) And out of the smoke came forth locusts upon the earth; and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. (4) And they were told that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of Elohim on their foreheads. (5) And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. (6) And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; and they will long to die and death flees from them. (7) And the appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads, as it were, crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. (8) And they had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. (9) And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. (10) And they have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is the power to hurt men for five months. (16) And the number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. (17) And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone. (18) A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone, which proceeded out of their mouths. (19)For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads; and with them they do harm.’ No doubt, Yochanan was describing the awe-inspiring military weapons available today, as seen in a vision that Yahshua revealed to him. He had to use symbolic language in trying to describe what he saw, since he had never seen armored cars, helicopters, planes and tanks in his lifetime. Nothing could be clearer; can you see that we are living in the time Yahshua spoke of in Mark 13? We are alive during a time when people have enough military power at their disposal to destroy all life from earth.

Yahshua continued showing Yochanan what is about to happen during these last days in Revelation 6: 1 – 8 by the first four seals, or the horsemen of the apocalypse. In fact Yahshua our Messiah also explained the fifth seal of earth-shaking events to occur in Matthew 24: 9, saying: “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations on account of My name.” Those people who only receive material from ministries like ours are not aware that our computers are attacked regularly because people do not like what we preach. During the past month someone again tried to hack into my phone, but fortunately the anti-virus program I have installed protected me. But as Yahshua explained, this is only the beginning! Yahshua further continued telling His disciples(including us His modern day disciples) what will happen as a result of this persecution in Matthew 24: 10 – 13, saying: “And at that time many will fall away and will deliver up one another and hate one another (don’t forget this is talking about called-out believers). (11) And many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many. (This is already happening - there are many who want to distract us from worshipping according to the Hebrew calendar, so that we may not be ready and keeping the Feast of Trumpets when our Master returns one day.) (12) And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. (13) But the one who endures to the end, he shall be saved.” Many true believers will become so lukewarm and so out of contact with Elohim and fellow believers, that they will turn against their brethrenand will as a result not be counted worthy to escape the coming great tribulation, as Messiah warned in Luke 21: 36, saying: “But keep on the alert at all times (be totally aware of what is happening around you and make sure that what you are doing conforms to Torah),praying in order that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

We see from Revelation 6: 9 – 11 how the great tribulation is depicted as the fifth seal during which time the saints are martyred, in this way: ‘And when He broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of Elohim, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; (10) and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Master, holy and true, wilt Thou refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (11) And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they have been, should be completed also.’ The fifth seal is obviously about the martyrdom of converted, but lukewarm begotten children of Elohim, as is also spoken about in Revelation 12: 17, as follows: ‘And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of Elohim and hold to the testimony of Yahshua.’ There are two martyrdoms pictured here – the first group of martyrs died during the religious persecutions throughout the middle ages, which was only a type of what is about to happen during the end of this age. The future martyrdom will occur at a time to which Yochanan the author of the Book of Revelation was carried forward to in a vision, immediately before Messiah’s return. These martyrs are dead in their graves, having been sacrificed because they kept the commandments of Elohim and their faith in Yahshua. We see from Revelation 11: 3 – 10 and especially verse 7 that the two witnesses will also be killed after they prophesied for twelve hundred and sixty days, in this way: ‘And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them.’ Revelation 17: 4 - 6 tells us that the woman representing the false church and her daughters inspired by Satan, will be responsible for this end time persecution, as follows: ‘And the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, (5) and upon her forehead a name was written, a mystery, “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” (6) And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Yahshua. And when I saw her, I wondered greatly.’

The next great event to occur after the great tribulation are the heavenly signs as recorded in Revelation 6: 12 & 13, in this way: ‘And I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; (13) and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind.’ The sixth seal comprises spectacular heavenly signs, with both the sun and the moon becoming dark and the stars falling. This means there will be incredible meteor showers that will make the stars appear to fall from the sky. Continuing in verses 14 – 16, we read: ‘And the sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. (15) And the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; (16) and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.”’ All these occurrences are meant to warn the world about Elohim’s wrath about to be unleashed upon rebellious mankind; that ‘the day of YHVH’ with its penalty for sin is about to start, as witnessed in verse 17 of Revelation 6, as follows: ‘For the great day of their wrath has come; and who is able to stand?’

We see the reason for this punishment to be unleashed upon mankind given in Isaiah 24: 4 – 6, in this way: ‘The earth mourns and withers, the world fades and withers, the exalted of the people of the earth fade away. (5) The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants, for they transgressed laws, violated statutes, broke the everlasting covenant. (6) Therefore, a curse devours the earth, and those who live in it are held guilty. Therefore, the inhabitants on the earth are burned, and few men are left.’ Elohim will bring distress upon defiant sinful men who hate the truth and love evil.Even so, Elohim’s punishment will be a demonstration of His love for mankind, as testified in Hebrews 12: 4 – 7, as follows: ‘You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; (5) and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF YHVH, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; (6) FOR THOSE WHOM YHVH LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.” (7) It is for discipline that you endure; Elohim deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?’ There are some who believe that the plagues Elohim brought upon ancient Egyptand will again bring upon the whole earth in the near future, represent a great exception to the belief that ‘Elohim is Love’ as Yochanan testified in 1 John 4: 8. Such people hold that the time of salvation will soon end. Then, a vengeful Elohim filled with wrath will glut His rage and passion by pouring out unbearable torture upon helpless humanity. However, this idea is pagan, totally untrue of the one and only true Elohim.

The good news is that Elohim promised to intervene in world affairs to prevent the eradication of humanity, and to bring world peace, at last. However, in order to ensure ongoing peace, He will have to also prevent future wars by stopping that which causes war. Rav Yaa’cov explained in James 4: 1 & 2 what the source of war is among mankind, saying: ‘What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? (2) You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.’ Uncontrolled human nature consisting of pride, vanity, envy, jealousy, greed and lust, is basically the main reason for war.The prophet Daniel wrote about the end of the age in Daniel 12: 4, saying: ‘But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.’Considering our means of transport and all the modern gadgets and information technology advancements available to us today, it is clear that we are definitely living in the end of time. People are traveling all over the world and both Scriptural and other knowledge have increased phenomenally over the past few years. The problem with the increase of knowledge is that it causes mankind to believe they are capable of doing whatever they please. It is as Rav Shaul wrote in the second part of first Corinthians 8: 1 (KJV), saying: ‘Knowledge puffeth up, but charity (love) edifieth.’ Because we live in an age of ever increasing scientific and other knowledge it has become possible for people to obtain and possess tremendous power. Their lust for power has inspired them to become better and better and eventually waxfrom bad to worse, since power in the wrong hands usually corrupts, as Rav Shaul said in 2 Timothy 3: 13: ‘But evil men and imposters will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.’ It is further witnessed in Proverbs 14: 12, in this way: ‘There is a way which seems right to man, but its end is the way of death.’ Similar to average citizens, leaders are at times driven to make snap irrational decisions by their greed and emotions, believing that their evil deeds are best for the world. The prophet Jeremiah tells us in Jeremiah 17: 9 (KJV) what deceives us into believing that actions which end in death will eventually bring peace, as follows: ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?’World governments work for and promise their countrymen peace, but their actions and decisions only bring war.

A major problem with mankind is that we do not know the way to peace, as the prophet Isaiah testified in Isaiah 59: 7 & 8, saying: ‘Their feet run to evil, and they hasten to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; devastation and destruction are in their highways. (8) They do not know the way of peace, and there is no justice in their tracks; they have made their paths crooked; whoever treads on them does not know peace.’ Isaiah wrote further about what will happen to humanities plans for peace in Isaiah 33: 7 – 9, saying: ‘Behold, their brave men cry in the streets, the ambassadors of peace weep bitterly. (8) The highways are desolate, the traveler has ceased, he has broken the covenant, he has despised the cities, he has no regard for man. (9) The land mourns and pines away, Lebanon is shamed and withers; Sharon is like a desert plain, and Bashan and Carmel lose their foliage.’ War is depicted throughout the Scriptures as the result of lust or greed. Greed is a main characteristic of human nature. The past 6,000 years has proven that man left to himself is totally incapable of bringing about change. Negotiations for peace have since the creation of man been accompanied by plans of war.Nothing has changed today. Human governments are incapable to put an end to war permanently. Only Elohim has the ability and power to change human nature. The question is: how will Elohim create and maintain world peace? To find the answer, we need to turn to the Scriptures, since Elohim does not intervene in world affairs without revealing it to His prophets, as we read from Amos 3: 7, in this way: ‘Surely YHVH Elohim does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets.’ In fact YHVH revealed His plan to establish His kingdom on earth to Isaiah many years ago, as recorded in Isaiah 2: 1 & 2, as follows: ‘The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. (2) Now it will come about that in the last days, the mountain of the house of YHVH will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it.’ YHVH also revealed to Daniel in the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon that the kingdom of Elohim will be established by Him during the end of this age and will be a literal world-ruling kingdom, as recorded in Daniel 2: 44, in this way: “And in the days of those kings the Elohim of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.’

Once Elohim has established His kingdom on earth, there will be no more conflict and war as Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 2: 4, saying: ‘And He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples; and they will hammer their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war.’ The Word of YHVH, the creator of mankind is returning to establish Elohim’s government on earth, and to change human nature for the better. Instead of being taught how to create instruments of war, people will be taught how to exercise self-control. Isaiah even went so far as to identify who would establish Elohim’s kingdom on earth in Isaiah 11: 1 – 4, saying: ‘Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse (David), and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. (2)And the Spirit of YHVH will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of YHVH. (3) And He will delight in the fear of YHVH, and He will not judge by what His eyes see, nor make a decisions by what His ears hear; (4) but with righteousness He will judge the poor, and decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; and He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.’We see from what is written in Acts 13: 22 that David is identified as the stem or son of Jesse, in this way: ‘And after He had removed him (King Saul), He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, “I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY HEART, who will do all My will.”’

In fact the prophet Daniel prophesied about a time when true believers will be given rulership over the earth in Elohim’s kingdom under Yahshua in Daniel 7: 18, 21 – 22 & 27, saying: ‘But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.’ (21) “I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them (22) until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom.”(27) ‘Then the sovereignty, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.’ This was the message that Yahshua brought to earth almost 2,000 years ago. Yahshua’s message or gospel is not primarily a message about Himself, or about ‘receiving Him’ in our hearts;it is not merely a message about the events in His life and of Him becoming the Savior of the world, even though it includes that; it is a message about the coming Kingdom of Elohim to be ruled by Yahshua and His saints for a thousand years, and then into eternity.The true gospel is about Messiah coming as Supreme Ruler to rule all nations of the world, by the Laws, statutes and judgments of Elohim. That is the gospel that Yahshua preached whilst He was on earth, as recorded in and among others Mark 1: 14 & 15 and Mathew 9: 35 as follows:

Mark 1: 14 & 15: ‘And after Yochanan (the Immereser) had been taken into custody, Yahshua came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of Elohim, (15) and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of Elohim is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Matthew 9: 35, ‘And Yahshua was going about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.’

After Yahshua’s death and resurrection He commissioned His disciples (and also us His modern day disciples) in Matthew 28: 19 & 20 and Mark 16: 15 to go into the entire world and proclaim the same gospel to all creation. As a matter of fact Yahshua made the preaching of the gospel a precondition for His return, saying in Matthew 24: 14, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come.’ Notice that this is not saying we need to convert the people of the world, but only to witness to them about the coming kingdom of Elohim. Brethren, it is time for us who are alive at the end of this age to wake up and tell those Israelites scattered among all the nations of the world, to return to the covenant YHVH made with our forefathers at Mount Sinai. We know Messiah’s disciples did not fully understand the plan of YHVH while Messiah was with them, since they thought the Kingdom of Elohim would be established in their day. But before they died, they understood Messiah was to return at a much later date. In addition Rav Kepha understood the reason for the delay in Messiah’s return, saying in 2 Peter 3: 9:‘YHVH is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.’ YHVH is patient and has hold back from intervening in world affairs for nearly 6,000 years. He has allotted mankind 6,000 years in which tolearn that his own ways bring nothing but pain, suffering and ultimately death. The Scriptures contain chronological dates showing that mankind was created about 4000 BCE. Almost another 2,000 years have elapsed since then, totaling almost 6,000 years.

How absolutely significant that in our time in history; the very time the world is threatened with the extinction of all life,the allotted 6,000 years has almost elapsed. How exiting that Yahshua Himself said that we alive at this time will see the events that He prophesied taking place, before His return to usher in the Kingdom of Elohim on earth as it is now in heaven, Halleluyah!