Well go ahead and holler and yell about 2024 being the pivotal year when everything will collapse, gloom, despair, woe!
I've heard fearmongering all my life. It gets old after a few decades.
I've heard fearmongering all my life. It gets old after a few decades.
We need to reconsider the sign of Jonah.
16 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.
2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.
3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.
Is it simply a coincidence that Jesus juxtaposes this sign in heaven where the sky is red with the sign of Jonah? Notice that the sign has two sides to it, in one case it indicates fair weather the next day and in the other case it indicates foul weather. This is what we see with the sign of Jonah. For the Ninevites that cannot discern God is willing to give them a reprieve because they repented. For Jerusalem it was different. They could discern and I would argue the "40 days of preaching repentance" began on the 8th of Av, the feast of new wine, which we call "Pentecost" in 31AD. I would argue the first day of the 40th year was the 9th of Av in 70AD the day the temple was cast down. For those that could discern the judgement did not delay but came fast and furious. However, 2031 would be 2,000 years later or 40 jubilees. If Armageddon is on the 9th of Av in 2031 then the same holds true for the world, they were given 40 jubilees to repent whereas the Jews were given 40 years.
Now Jesus compares discerning the signs with a weatherman. To him it is the same thing. You know what all the factors are in your little equation and you look at what is happening on the Earth and you can discern the weather. He says we are good at that and yet "we can't discern the signs of the times". I don't think the true meaning of can't here is "unable" but rather "not allowed". It may be for many, they are "unable". But they depend on their experts, their pastors, to do this for them. That is a big mistake, we should not be trusting in man for our salvation. However, those pastors and experts and naysayers, they will receive the greater judgment. So why aren't they "allowed" to discern the signs? The US has 501c3 churches. These all have a board of directors. These churches are all very much focused on "growth" and "new members". They have been instructed to not talk "politics" which means don't talk about current events and government policies like the move of the globalists. They are also instructed to not talk about prophecies or the antichrist. So even though this makes up 25% of the Bible they "can't discern the times", that is they are not allowed to.
But you might argue that doesn't make sense. Look at all the Hollywood movies about the apocalypse and the "Left Behind" series, and the success of Hal Lindsey, etc. Doesn't that contradict this? Nope, Jesus said a "wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign". All of that is "seeking after a sign". Think of the movie called "Signs" where he gets this list of numbers that was in a time capsule that corresponds with all kinds of catastrophic events which he then sees as "signs". They aren't seeking after Jesus they are seeking after a sign. They don't want the all knowing and all wise God, they want to be god, they want to be all knowing and all wise. Their seeking after a sign is simply a form or rebellion. It is evidence that they are an adulterous and evil generation.
But it is not all doom and gloom. Anyone can look up at the sky and see that it is red. In fact the last few days they have been doing this all over the earth. You don't need a pastor or talking head or expert to tell you. If you have eyes in your head you can see it. Now the sign has a very simple interpretation, is it the end of your day or the start of your day? Is the sun rising or setting on this sign. The sign is Jesus crucifixion, does your day end with His death or this an opening for you. Like the Antichrist are you waiting for the restrainer to be removed so that you can rule and reign? The sign is only doom and gloom if your heart is rebellious, adulterous and evil. If during the last two thousand years (or in the case of the Jews in Jerusalem over the 40 years) your response is to repent for Jesus death, then it will be fair weather for you in the kingdom.