These Things Must Come to Pass, But the End is Not Yet!

Commentary By:  Gordon King

When we read news reports of people around the world suffering from natural and man-made disasters we can feel sympathy for them, we can even have love and compassion for them, but do we realize that these very things that are happening to other people, which may be far away from us geographically, could very well also happen to us?!

Not only do I believe that they may happen to us, but that many of these things will happen to us, or will at the very least hit very close to home!

I also believe that what we see happening around the world is a shadow of things to come, a precursor, just a glimpse of what will happen on a grand scale!

Recently I wrote about the censorship in both China and Iran, but it won’t stop there, no, this is also a precursor to what is coming upon the world.  Censorship is in the making, as is increased persecution of Christians and Jews.  What is holy and righteous will be seen as evil and wicked, those who seek to spread the good news of Jesus Christ will be persecuted for their faith, much more than they already are.

1 Peter 3:14

‘But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” ‘

But it doesn’t stop there, what we see happening in Venezuela is also a shadow of things to come upon the world, economic collapse, food shortages, widespread civil unrest, looting, rioting and the like.

2 Timothy 3:2-3

“For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,“

Along with these things there will be increased wars and rumors of wars, just as the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is threatening to attack America with a nuclear weapon, just as Iran is threatening to wipe Israel off the face of the map, and just as the tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate!

Matthew 24:6-7

“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.…“

There will also be increased famines and pestilence, further increasing civil unrest, violence, and lack of self control.  People will do whatever they have to in order to feed themselves and their families, rioting, looting, and even murdering.

Matthew 24:7-8

“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these are the beginning of sorrows.“

We currently read about earthquakes increasing in numbers and intensity, but we also read about volcanic activity increasing in numbers and intensity.  They are inter-related, when we see the increase in one then we will see an increase in the other.  And I believe that we will also see an increase in other natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires and droughts, not only an increase but more intense and more deadly.

Perhaps all of this is leading to the revealing of the Antichrist, a man with supernatural charm and charisma, a man with all of the answers, with a plan to feed the world, to calm the masses, and to unite people together under one leader under a One World Government.

If we read and study the bible then we know that things are going to get worse as time goes on, that these things will happen, and I believe in biblical proportions, both natural and man-made disasters!

I also believe that we will see more animal deaths in great numbers, that creation itself is groaning and laboring in pain, suffering until Christ redeems us and the earth.

Romans 8:22

“For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.“

All of these things shall come to pass, but do not worry, do not fear, for the Lord our God is with us!  We have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind.

God is with us always and will never forsake us, He is our shield and our strength, our rock and our fortress, He delivers us from the hands of our enemies and from times of trouble.

Psalm 18

“I will love You, O Lord, my strength.
² The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
³ I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.

⁴ The pangs of death surrounded me,
And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
⁵ The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
⁶ In my distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried out to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.

⁷ Then the earth shook and trembled;
The foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken,
Because He was angry.
⁸ Smoke went up from His nostrils,
And devouring fire from His mouth;
Coals were kindled by it.
⁹ He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With darkness under His feet.
¹⁰ And He rode upon a cherub, and flew;
He flew upon the wings of the wind.
¹¹ He made darkness His secret place;
His canopy around Him was dark waters
And thick clouds of the skies.
¹² From the brightness before Him,
His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire.

¹³ The Lord thundered from heaven,
And the Most High uttered His voice,
Hailstones and coals of fire.
¹⁴ He sent out His arrows and scattered the foe,
Lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished them.
¹⁵ Then the channels of the sea were seen,
The foundations of the world were uncovered
At Your rebuke, O Lord,
At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.

¹⁶ He sent from above, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
¹⁷ He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me,
For they were too strong for me.
¹⁸ They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the Lord was my support.
¹⁹ He also brought me out into a broad place;
He delivered me because He delighted in me.

²⁰ The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the cleanness of my hands
He has recompensed me.
²¹ For I have kept the ways of the Lord,
And have not wickedly departed from my God.
²² For all His judgments were before me,
And I did not put away His statutes from me.
²³ I was also blameless before Him,
And I kept myself from my iniquity.
²⁴ Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
According to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.

²⁵ With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful;
With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;
²⁶ With the pure You will show Yourself pure;
And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.
²⁷ For You will save the humble people,
But will bring down haughty looks.

²⁸ For You will light my lamp;
The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
²⁹ For by You I can run against a troop,
By my God I can leap over a wall.
³⁰ As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the Lord is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

³¹ For who is God, except the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?
³² It is God who arms me with strength,
And makes my way perfect.
³³ He makes my feet like the feet of deer,
And sets me on my high places.
³⁴ He teaches my hands to make war,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

³⁵ You have also given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your right hand has held me up,
Your gentleness has made me great.
³⁶ You enlarged my path under me,
So my feet did not slip.

³⁷ I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them;
Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed.
³⁸ I have wounded them,
So that they could not rise;
They have fallen under my feet.
³⁹ For You have armed me with strength for the battle;
You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
⁴⁰ You have also given me the necks of my enemies,
So that I destroyed those who hated me.
⁴¹ They cried out, but there was none to save;
Even to the Lord, but He did not answer them.
⁴² Then I beat them as fine as the dust before the wind;
I cast them out like dirt in the streets.

⁴³ You have delivered me from the strivings of the people;
You have made me the head of the nations;
A people I have not known shall serve me.
⁴⁴ As soon as they hear of me they obey me;
The foreigners submit to me.
⁴⁵ The foreigners fade away,
And come frightened from their hideouts.

⁴⁶ The Lord lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let the God of my salvation be exalted.
⁴⁷ It is God who avenges me,
And subdues the peoples under me;
⁴⁸ He delivers me from my enemies.
You also lift me up above those who rise against me;
You have delivered me from the violent man.
⁴⁹ Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the Gentiles,
And sing praises to Your name.

⁵⁰ Great deliverance He gives to His king,
And shows mercy to His anointed,
To David and his descendants forevermore.“

We are not to be troubled when we see all of these things happening, for they must happen before the end will come, before Jesus Christ comes to redeem the world, to setup His kingdom on earth, to rule for a thousand years, then to create a new heaven and a new earth for eternity.  This should give us great hope and joy!

1 Corinthians 2:9

‘But as it is written:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” ‘

Matthew 24:14

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.“

God bless my friends!  Maranatha!