Be prepared - marked by God

by Daniel Yahav

Not all are aware, but before our eyes is being fulfilled one of the ancient end time prophecies, which were foretold by God already 3500 years ago. God told Moses about the exile of the nation of Israel, as well as our re-gathering, (Deuteronomy 30:1-5) and it is being fulfilled today. We are back to our homeland. This is the physical restoration which has been foretold also by Ezekiel 37:1–14. And when we look around us, we can see many other prophecies being fulfilled. Here are a just few of them:

1- Cities without walls and gates. Ezekiel prophesied 2500 years ago, that when God will bring us back to our land, the cities will be without walls or gates (Ezekiel 38:8-11). This was unheard of in his days. Today all our cities are without walls and gates.

2- Developed transportation and much knowledge. Daniel was told by God that in the end times many will be going here and there and there will be much knowledge. Today hundreds of millions of people fly all over the globe or travel by ship, train and car, all over. Today also there is much scientific knowledge which enabled mankind to even travel to outer space.

3- That a very strong enemy called Gog, will come against Israel from the far north, together with Iran on the east, Sudan on the south and Libya on the west (Ezekiel 38: 4-6) Today Russia, the great power on the far north of Israel, is working hand in hand with Iran, helping them to develop their nuclear program. Iran has wowed to destroy Israel and they are fighting in Syria with the Russian military. North Sudan and Libya are enemies of Israel. We can see how these powers are coming together.

4- The New Testament foretells that in the last days, there will be a mark on the right hand or front head of people, without which they will not be able to buy or sell. This technology exists already today. It is amazing to see how it is getting very close to be implemented.

These are only very few end time prophecies. The Lord said that when we see these things, we should raise our heads for our redemption draws near. Dear brothers and sisters, the word of God is true! It is real! And it is very relevant to the times we live in. How absurd it is, that the majority of the people in the western world have turned away from God and from his word. This is very tragic as the Holy Spirit foretold through the apostle Paul that in the last days people will abandon the love of the truth of God’s word, and because of it they will be handed over to very strong deceiving spirits. 2 Thess. 2:8-12. All around us we can see the decline of moral standards. Because people have left God, they have lost any anchor to keep them from drifting away, as a ship in stormy seas. It is critical that God’s children prepare themselves for what is coming next. Paul says these will be very difficult times. 2 Timothy 3:1-5.

The lord has laid a message on my heart for us these days. It is taken from Ezekiel 9:1-11. In this passage God was about to judge Jerusalem because of the great sins of her people. At the time the sin included idol worshiping, lack of righteousness, bloodshed and more. Today multitudes of people worship the idol of Mammon. They want more and more money, cars, houses, material things. Laws are being made which stand in strong contradiction to God’s word. The courts rule by these unjust laws. Crime rate has gone up tremendously over the last 100 years. Terror attacks, and child abortions are all ways of spilling innocent blood. Our society is getting very ripe for God’s judgment.

In this passage in Ezekiel, God wanted to mark the people who should be saved from his punishment. It is interesting to note which people God chose to spare.

In Ezekiel 9:4 he describes them. These are the people who really did not agree with the sins of their neighbors. The Hebrew bible says that they were moaning and crying for all the abominations done by the people of their generation. Interestingly enough, the Hebrew word for the mark which was to be put on their forehead is called: TAV. This word has two meanings in Hebrew: it is used to mention a mark, but it is also the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In bible times this letter was written with two lines in a shape of a cross. This sign holds a hidden message. It is those who have chosen to believe in the son of the God, Yeshua, who came to die as a sacrifice for our sins (Isaiah 53). It is by his atonement that all God seeking people, will be marked and saved from the coming punishment.

Dear brothers and sisters, in Revelation 9:1-4, we read that suffering will come on those who do not have God’s mark on their foreheads. This means that also today God is marking His people. Also the devil will be marking his fallen slaves. This is prophesied in Revelation 13:16-18. It will be the mark of Anti Christ. Without which no one will be able to buy or sell. All who have this mark on them, will end up in the lake of fire and stay there for ever, Revelation 14:8-14.

Dear brothers and sisters, what about you? Do you cry in your heart when you see the sin abounding all around you? Or are you indifferent? Or worse yet, do you take part in it and even enjoy it?! Whoever loves God, can not stay indifferent to it. It is written about Lot that he suffered from the sins of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. 2 Peter 2:6-9. God went to a lot of efforts to take him out of the city shortly before fire came down from heaven to destroy it. We are called today to come out of Babylon lest we participate in her sins and take part in her punishment. Revelation 18:4.

Three main things marked ancient Babylon:

A- They were humanists. That means they put themselves in the center and not God. This can be seen by them wanting to make a name for themselves, by building the tower.

B- They rebelled against God. While God gave clear instructions to Adam and later to Noah, to go and spread out and fill the earth, they listened to the devil who deceived them to gather into a city and reach heaven. The devil wanted originally to take over God's place in heaven, and was thrown down. The people of Babylon wanted to build a tower going up to heaven. This idea came to them from the devil. Today we want to go up to outer space. To conquer heavens.

C- They had one language. Language is a means of communication. We have today the INTERNET. It is a means of communication that has turned our planet into one village.

“Come out of her my people...” This is God’s call to us today! We can not leave this world. But we should pull away from every and any thing that is leading us into sin. Pornography is one such sin that is very wide spread in the INTERNET. Dear brothers and sisters, our Lord is coming soon to take his bride. Let’s wash our garments clean. Revelation 7:14. Let’s get ready for the coming wedding. Revelation 19:5-9.

The days we are living in now are a time of separation. While the world is sinking deeper and deeper into sin, the children of God are called to grow in holy and righteous living. Revelation 22:11. May God help us all to draw closer to Yeshua our Lord, and stay connected with him, living our lives daily with the expectation of his soon return.