We set aside a few minutes most Sunday mornings to identify connections between unfulfilled Bible prophecies and current news & events.
Pastor Greg Laurie said, “Jesus Christ is coming back again! The signs all around us – multiplying and converging as never before – remind us of that fact. And that means we could be hurtled into eternity in the blink of an eye.”
Some folks think we ought not look for any “signs.” But it was Jesus who encouraged it. He said, “You have a saying that goes, ‘Red sky at night, sailor’s delight; red sky at morning, sailors take warning.’ You find it easy enough to forecast the weather – why can’t you read the signs of the times? An evil and wanton generation is always wanting signs and wonders. The only sign you’ll get is the Jonah sign” (Matthew 16:1-4 The Message).
Jesus compares His future death, burial, and resurrection to the experience ofJonah (Matthew 12:39-40).Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of a great fish, and similarly, Jesus would be in the tomb for three days and three nights before rising again.
I hope you saw the video this week of a kayaker being momentarily swallowed by a whale![1]
CharismaNews.com reported on it. They said,
“Did someone just experience a real-life Jonah and the whale kind of encounter? Off of the coast of Chile, 24-year-old Adrián Simancas was kayaking with his father close to the San Isidro lighthouse when he was briefly swallowed by a massive humpback whale,Simancas’ father caught the entire moment on camera, which shows the whale swallowing Adrián and spitting him out soon after.”[2]
In passing I want to mention that it the Bible, the “whale” is described as a great fish specially prepared for Jonah to check-in for 3 nights!
This incident isn’t a major sign. You may not think it a sign at all. I think that the Lord has a flair for the dramatic, and a sense it humor. A news story like this reminds people that Jesus rose from the dead and is alive.
He is alive & He is coming back.
Jesus promised to resurrect & rapture His Church prior to His Second Coming, and before the Great Tribulation would come upon the whole Earth.
We will not see the revealing of the Antichrist.
The resurrection and rapture of the church is presented as an imminent event. It could occur anytime. Right now, for example.
Are you ready for the rapture? If not, get ready, stay ready, and keep looking up.
Ready or not Jesus is coming!