We read in Revelation 7:13-17 that God will wipe away every tear from the eyes of those who come out of the great tribulation. To wipe away the tears of another, you must look into their eyes. When Yeshua comes and wipes the tears from our eyes, He will look through them as the window into our soul. What He will see is the story of those who went through the challenge of the End of Days.
No one knows exactly when the Messiah will come but we do know from Matthew 24, that before His second coming we can expect the following:
- Many coming in His name to deceive us
- Wars and rumours of wars
- Nation rising up against nation and kingdom against kingdom
- Famines, pestilences and earthquakes
- Offense, betrayal and hatred of one another
- False prophets
- Lawlessness resulting in the love of many growing cold
Looking into the Eyes of Suffering
I once witnessed a soldier consoling the mother of a fellow soldier killed in a wartime explosion. Her son had been killed instantly, but the second soldier was only wounded. I looked into the eyes of that 19 year old boy and saw confusion, guilt, suffering and questions. I could see the self-blame as he said, “It should have been me and not him.” The mother, who loved her child, comforted the soldier. She had lost her son and yet was encouraging his friend who was suffering in the depth of his soul. I see a parallel for us as we stand before Yeshua in the time when the world will change from a safe planet into a planet engulfed in war and chaos.
Who and Where?
No one knows where the antichrist will come from. In 1933 Hitler was elected in a democratic election, and Germany became his tool for world domination. If the nations of the world had only known that he would bring us into the Second World War, so much more would have been done to stop him. But the future is hidden from our eyes. At that time Germany was the heart of “civilized humanity,” and then suddenly became the channel for unimaginable horror and suffering! It’s the same today. We don’t know who and where, but we know it will come.
I write this letter to help prepare our hearts for the changes we will likely see in our lifetimes, going from security to chaos. Whatever comes, we must remember that we are not fighting a battle against humans, but a spiritual battle which also affects the visible realm of humanity. Be encouraged, Yeshua will ultimately return to Jerusalem. Our King will sit on His throne!
We as believers need to stay in a deep relationship with Yeshua, listening to His voice. He will guide us to the fountains of living waters in times of turmoil.
This article originally appeared in Israel’s Restoration Newsletter October 2016 and reposted with permission.