Hi! Weelcome to my column, PROPHETIC WATCH WITH PASTOR ANDREW MORDGRIGDE, where God willing we willl be looking at issues and happenings in the world to show you where we are in prophecy and how best to prepare for the coming of the Lord. That, Jesus will come back to take His children to heaven is an immutable fact -it does not matter whether you agree or not. It will happen, because the Bible says so!

Writing in WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON, Dr. David Jeremiah tells of a pastor who once boasted that he did’nt preach about prophecy because, in his words, “Prophecy only distracts people from the present.” An astute colleagu deftly resorted, “Well, there’s certainly a lot of distractions in the Scriptures,” fulfilling is one of God’s calling cards.

Indeed one of the most convincing evidences of biblical inspiration is the staggering number of prophecies that have been fulfilled with pinpoint accuracy. Perhaps, the most familiar examples are the fulfillments of more than three hundred prophecies relating to Christ’s first coming to earth. In his book The Rapture, Dr. Tim LaHaye remarked, “No scholar of academic substance denies that Jesus lived almost 2000 years ago. And we find three times as many prophecies in the Bible relating to His second coming as His first. Thus, the second advent of our Lord is three times as certain as His first coming, which can be verified as historical fact.

The Bible has proven to be absolutely dependable. Therefore, as we can trust it as the one source of reliable information about the meaning of the events of our day and what those events tell us about our hope for the future as we look towards the return of Christ. The Lord Jesus Himself spoke of the wisdom of discerning the signs of the times and of taking appropriate action as we wait for His return (Mathew 24, Mar 16). The Bible gives us clues conveying crucial information for interpreting the signs as the days of man’s rule on earth wind towards the end.

In each of the ten chapters of this book, we will apply these clues and point out these signs, viewing current events from the perspective of God’s wonderful word. We will be warned abd challenged but we will also be encouraged and comforted. Our purpose is not to make fearful, but to make you aware so you can be prepared!

Don’t hide under the cloak of what Jesus said, “but of that day and hour knoweth no man”(Mathew 24:36). Jesus who said it obviously knew the DAY and HOUR are dinstinctly different from MONTH, YEAR OR SEASON. And the reason of His second coming is surely made plan in the Scriptures because God is not secretive and does not leave Himself without a witness (Isaiah 45:19, Amos 7:7, Mathew 23:34). He told Noah when it was 7 days to the destruction of the world (Genesis7:4-10). He told Abraham and Lot when Sodom and Gomorrah were to be destroyed (Genesis 18:16-33, Genesis 19:1-13). He spoke of the Egyptian bondage and deliverance of Israel 400 years before it happened (Genesis 15:13-14). Israel’s entrance into the Canaan land he predicted 40 years ahead (Number 14:33-34).. He predicted their return from exile (Babylon) 70 years ahead before it happened (Jeremiah 25:11, Daniel 9:2).. He predicted the death of the Messiah 483 years before it happened (Daniel 9:25-26). Even the ressurection of Christ was predicted, and ir happened as said, (Mathew 12:40, John 18:22).

Now, is it too much for Him to warn us concerning the jugdement ahead? Have you not read “the secret things belong unto the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law (know what He wants and what He does not want, emphasis mine) Deuteronomy 29:29. He has also called us His friends stressing that we are supposed to know what the Lord doeth at anytime (John 15:15).

Yes, the issue and timing of the rapture is a secret, but it is given unto the sons of God at the end of timev to know. That is why they could shout with all confidence in Mathew 25: 6, “Behold the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him.” They are like the sons of Isaachar of whom the Bible says, “And of the sons of Isaachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Isael ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred and all their brethren were at their commandment,” (1Chronicle 12:32).

Those who continue to hide under the cloak of what Jesus said, “of that day and hor knowth no man,” as an excuse to live a wayward Christian life, and to refuse the revelation of the end being given by God will be so busy living to please themselves that they will not see the end glaring at them (Luke 21:34; Daniel 12:4b, 10b). They will miss the rapture and partake of the Great Tribulation wherein the Lord will judge the world with mighty earthquakes, failing heavenly bodies, floods and famine. He will even turn all the waters in the world to blood and finally allow men to kill themselves in the battle of Armageddon as they use their atomic weapons to cause blood to flow for 200 miles 5 feet high (Revelation 6:8-9, 11, 14, 17,20). Only the rapture can save one from this judgement. That is why we write to warn.

#Pastor Andrew Morgridge is the Associate Pastor and Administrator of The Christian Brethren Church (TCBC), Ejigbo, Lagos.