Signs of the Times – TV?

“Jesus is coming back!” How many times have we heard that? People point to supposed ‘signs of the times’ and have been saying – and believing – that phrase for around 2000 years now. So far He hasn’t shown up, and this leads some people to believe that the Word of God is incorrect, untrustworthy or somehow faulty. Nothing could be further from the truth! Jesus was very specific about the signs that would help signal the nearness of His return.

We should look to God’s Word to get our information, and there are certain passages that can’t be explained apart from modern knowledge and understanding. Certain Scriptures claim things that (at the time they were stated or written) were impossible to conceive of, even as recently as just a decade or two ago. As a consequence I believe the Word of God provides references to some modern-day items that play an integral part in the fulfillment of prophecy. They are just more ways for us to understand the wisdom and foresight of our God!

I’d like to pose a question for those among us who think the Word of God is “a collection of fairy tales.” Did you know that there is a reference to TV in the Scriptures? Yes, television – the thing nearly everyone in an advanced society has access to. While I’m not dogmatic about this concept, I am confident that the only way they can be explained is through understanding the Word with a modern, technologically advanced mindset. One of those things referenced sounds like TV coverage (think FOX News or CNN).

To start, let’s examine a few passages;

Matt 24:15-19
“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.”

Luke 21:20-22
“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.”

In the above Scriptures Jesus is talking about the signs of His imminent return, in His answer to that very question which was posed by His disciples. The “abomination of desolation”  is when the Antichrist will enter the Temple, desecrating the Altar of Sacrifice, proclaiming that he himself is God in the flesh. And, while there are many things to think about within this one passage we are focusing on TV.  😉

Here’s some points to think about;

1. Jesus states, “When you SEE the abomination…”  Please consider the following;

•    He states specifically that this event will be seen and not simply heard of.

•    It is a specific event in the future, just before His return.

•    How could all the people “SEE” this happen? The Temple is to be sealed off from the outside, contained or separated from the outside world within a border (such as the Tabernacle was fenced off by a wall of curtains). Only a limited number of people could possibly physically see this happen.

•    He goes on to mention how those who “see” this happen were to flee. He isn’t just talking about those within the Temple complex, either, but those in the city and even throughout the whole country! That is a physical impossibility, having that many people “see” the event at the same time.

•    It is critically time-sensitive as to how people should respond to “seeing” this event, so much so that people aren’t to waste time trying to do anything else but attempt to get away to safety. There is no time allowed for the slow word-of-mouth passing of information (which was all they had available at that time). They weren’t even to stop and get clothing!

•    It can’t be a reference to Antiochus Epiphanies, as this had already happen around two centuries before Jesus was speaking to them. He was referencing something which was yet to happen, a future event, and not something which had already transpired.

Another passage gives us some insight into the possibility of TV coverage;

Rev 11:3-10
“And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.
When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

Again, here are a few things to ponder;

•    It states that the Two Witnesses have power to perform plagues and judgments within and upon the whole earth, and not just in Israel (the land).

•    It references those “from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations” indicating all the people of the world will “see” their bodies.

•    They will only remain dead for 3 ½ days. How can everyone in the world, or even in the whole city, see them in such a short amount of time? There are currently over 8 million people in Israel, and over 780,000 in Jerusalem alone, not counting the outlying cities. They would have to file by one at a time, then still have time to ‘party’ by purchasing, wrapping and exchanging gifts to each other.

•    If just the people of Jerusalem alone were to file past and see the bodies, they would have to hustle through at the rate of approximately 2.5 people per second to walk by the bodies within 84 hours (3 ½ days). That is not going to happen, even under the best of circumstances!

•    Logistically and statistically speaking, these things are pretty much impossible.

Now, I know there are some who would say that the references to the plagues and such only apply to the nation of Israel, and not the whole world. They assume that helps to ‘explain’ the prophetic nature of what Christ said. That, however, is (I personally believe) not the case. Let’s look at how the Bible refers to the land of Israel versus the whole earth;

The territory of Israel is referred to as The Promised LAND, not the Promised EARTH;

Gen 13:15-16
“…for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever.”

1 Kings 8:33-34
“When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and when they turn back to You and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication to You in this temple, then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to their fathers.”

Ex 6:8-9
“And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the Lord.”

Josh 1:2-3
“Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them — the children of Israel.”

Lev 23:10-11
“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest.”

Some other places the land is used in respect to a specific location (and not the ground, or the whole earth) are Num 11:12-13; Ezra 9:10-12; Deut 1:8;  Neh 9:23; Ezek 20:15-17.

Jeremiah the prophet offers us a little different view which helps to confirm the notion of the land refers to a nation or national boundaries. He refers to the place where Israel would be carried away – a specific nation/location, in this verse;

Jer 17:4
And you, even yourself, shall let go of your heritage which I gave you; and I will cause you to serve your enemies in the land which you do not know…”

Compare the above verses with other verses which talk about the whole earth, and just a specific nation/location (land);

Ezra 1:2
Thus says Cyrus king of Persia:
All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me.”

Ex 9:16-17
“But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.”

Neh 9:6
“You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and everything on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You.”

Job 1:7
So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”

Ps 2:8
“Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession.”

Prov 8:15-16
“By me kings reign, and rulers decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, all the judges of the earth.”

Isa 5:26
He will lift up a banner to the nations from afar, and will whistle to them from the end of the earth; surely they shall come with speed, swiftly.”

Other verses referencing this concept (the whole earth) are Gen 1:1-2; Lam 4:12; Ezek 27:33; Dan 2:39-40; Hab 1:6; Lev 11:46-47; Josh 4:23-24.

A great comparison can be made between the ways these two terms are used in the same context is contained in the following;

Jer 24:8-10
‘And as the bad figs which cannot be eaten, they are so bad’ — surely thus says the Lord — ‘so will I give up Zedekiah the king of Judah, his princes, the residue of Jerusalem who remain in this land, and those who dwell in the land of Egypt. I will deliver them to trouble into all the kingdoms of the earth, for their harm, to be a reproach and a byword, a taunt and a curse, in all places where I shall drive them.’

There are other details we can look at to help our understanding about this, but I think we’ve covered enough for now. These Scriptures show us that the effects of the End Times will touch every life on the planet, not just those people living within Jerusalem or even just the nation of Israel. If that is the case, then we should seriously think about what these Scriptures may mean – especially if these things happen while we’re still here!

This is a lot to consider, and I don’t expect everyone (or even most) to agree with it. As I stated earlier, I am not dogmatic about this, but it makes sense – Scriptural, historical, statistical and logistical sense.

Should you base your salvation on these thoughts? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Does this just possibly give you another glimpse into the complexity, majesty and awesomeness of God? I hope so, because that’s what it does for me.