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one whose name shall be found
written in the book" (Daniel 12: 1).
Now pause for a moment and
think about this prophesied time
period. All three of the references
quoted are clearly referring to the
identical time of the end - a time
unparalleled in all history.
We can know that these proph–
ecies are referring to our modern
world, this present generation, be–
cause Jesus said that during this
time, global confiict would be so
fierce that all li fe on earth would be
threatened. He remarked, "And if
those days had not been shortened,
no human being would be saved"
(Matthew 24:22). Moffatt's trans–
lation makes
it
plainer: "not a soul
would be saved ALIVE"!
The Living
Bible
also clarifies it: " In fact, unless
those days are shortened, all man–
kind will PERISH." Also,
The New
English Bible
has it: "No living
thing could survive."
At no prior age was it even theo–
retically possible for all Life to be de–
stroyed by human cond uct or
warfare. But today, in a world of
overkill, of nuclear tipped míssiles
and nuclear bombers, the threat of
human oblivion has never been
more real or more urgent.
This awesome fact alone is cogent
evidence that we are living in the
days ofwhich Christ spoke, and that
no previous time could possibly
have been "the time of the end."
The Knowledge Explosion
But there is even more evidence
that we are living in the "time of the
end." In the book of Daniel, chapter
twelve, where the time of the end ís
described (see verses 1-3), Daniel ís
told to seal the words of the proph–
ecy until the time of the end (verse
4). Then, the angel adds, "Many
shall run to and fro, and knowledge
shall increase" (verse 4).
Consider that statement carefully.
Today, in our generation, knowl–
edge is doubling every ten years.
We are living amidst a tremendous
knowledge explosion. Technical, sci-
42
entific, engineering, military, indus–
trial, biological, and technological
knowledge is growing so rapidly
that scientists and educators them–
selves cannot keep up with it!
Further, just as Daniel was told,
thousands are running to and fro in
our age of rapid transpor tation. The
invention of the automobile, the
diese! engine, the airplane, and ad–
vances in the development of these
inventions has made
it
possible for
people to "run to and fro" on a scale
totally unparalleled in all the span
of human history.
Clearly, the n, there is over–
whelming evidence that we are liv–
ing in the time of the end!
Jesus declared that unless the
days of great strife and global con–
flict to occur in the future were cut
short, all life would be annihilated.
But, He added, those days will be
cut short - by Hís second coming to
stop mankind's suicida! plunge into
all-out global war!
Recapitulating what Jesus said,
there
will
be wars, famines, earth–
quakes, moral degeneration - al!
culmínating in global war and the
greatest holocaust the world has
ever seen (Matthew 24: 21-22). At
that time, many false saviors and
messíahs will arise, as predicted in
verses 23-26. But what will occur af–
ter that?
"Immediately after the tribula–
tion of those days," Jesus an–
nounced with authority, "the sun
will be darkened, and the moon wil l
not give its light (very likely refiec–
tive of tremendous volcanic activity
on earth which darkens the atmo–
sphere with volcanic ash and ob–
scures the Líght from those heavenly
bodies], and the stars [perhaps refer–
ring to meteorites] will fall from
heaven, and the powers of the heav–
ens wíll be shaken" (Matthew
24:29).
Luke also describes this epochal
event: "There will be signs in sun
and moon and stars, and upon the
earth distress of nations in per–
plexity at the roaring of the sea and
the waves, meo fainting with fear
and with foreboding ofwhat ís com–
ing on the world ..." (Luke 21:25-26).
Such a colossal event sets the
stage for an even greater event.
" The Doy of the Lord"
Biblical propbecy says the whole
earth will be in an uproar when
Jesus
is
about to return. Tumultuous
upheavals of nature, cataclysms
caused by earthquakes and volcanic
eruptions, and atomic and hydrogen
wars will be occurring.
This time of worldwide upheaval
and war is termed "the day of the
Lord" in· many places in Biblical
prophecy. The prophet Joel de–
scribes it this way: "And I will give
portents in the heavens and on the
earth, blood and fire and columns of
smoke. The sun shall be turned to
darkness, and the moon to blood,
before
the great and terrible day of
the Lord comes" (Joel 2:30-3 1).
Thus the amazing signs in the
heavens, also mentioned in Mat–
thew 24:29, occur just before the
day of the Lord - the time of God's
direct intervention in world affairs
to save mankind.
Zecha riah also speaks of this
frightful day. He declares: "Behold,
a day of the Lord is coming .. . For
1 will gather all the nations against
Jerusalem to battle, and the city
shall be taken and the houses plun–
dered and the women ravished ..."
(Zecbariah 14:1-2).
Notice! Here again we see nations
sending armies to the Middle East
at the time of the end. Thís massive
military attack is described in the
book of Revelation: ' 'The sixth an–
gel poured his bowl on the great
river Eupbrates, and its water was
dried up, to prepare the way for the
kings from the east. And I saw, is–
suing from the mouth of the dragoo
and from the mouth of the beast
A
TERRIFYING
eorthquoke - one of
mony troumotic events to occur in the
prophesied "doy of the Lord" -
is depicted in this grophic illustrotion
by noted ortist Bosil Wolverton.
PLAIN TRUTH April 1973