Chapter 2:
You Are Here

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Chapter 2: You Are Here

Now that we've laid the groundwork for our journey through God's prophetic timeline, let's delve deeper into where we currently stand. As we've seen, understanding our position in God's plan is crucial for navigating the times ahead. So, let's explore in detail the signposts that mark our current place in prophecy.

As we reflect on the depiction of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, specifically the lower part of the statue's legs and feet, we find ourselves at a pivotal point in the prophetic timeline. Daniel 2:33 describes the legs as being made of iron and the feet partly of iron and partly of clay. This representation symbolizes the current era, where we stand at the feet, just before the toes, which signify a later stage in the prophetic timeline (Daniel 2:41-42).

The Lord's prophecy in Matthew 24:6 aligns with our present position, indicating that we are in a time of wars and rumors of wars. However, this is not yet the culmination of events, as the second seal of Revelation foretells the removal of peace from the earth (Revelation 6:3-4). For peace to be taken away, there must have been an established global peace, which we currently witness in most parts of the world, despite pockets of disturbance.

Continuing with our exploration of where we stand in the prophetic timeline, we turn our attention to the book of Malachi. In Malachi 4:5-6, we read:

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, that I not come and strike the earth with a curse."

This passage contains a conditional prophecy concerning the coming of Elijah the prophet before the great and dreadful day of the Lord. The prophet's role, as stated, is to turn the hearts of fathers to their sons and the hearts of sons to their fathers. However, if this condition is not met, the Lord will strike the earth with utter destruction.

We find ourselves at a crossroads, for the nations have outwardly rejected the ways of the Lord, as evidenced by the media's overt departure from God's precepts. The major world powers are rejecting the Lord on a wholesale level, and we can expect this trend to continue. As a result, the conditional prophecy of Malachi will not work in favor of the people, and the utter destruction foretold will become imminent. The kings and rulers will one day seek refuge from the great day of the Lord, asking the mountains and rocks to fall upon them (Revelation 6:16).

Our generation is being exposed to and gravitating towards abominable practices such as gay marriage, rampant sexual immorality, necromancy, witchcraft, sorcery, and seeking guidance from the dead – all of which are abhorrent to the Lord. Clearly, the condition of turning away from the Father, as prophesied in Malachi, is at hand.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:3, we are cautioned not to be deceived into believing that the day of the Lord has arrived, for it cannot come until the great rebellion occurs first. While we witness individuals leaving the professed path, this does not yet constitute the "great rebellion" spoken of. The Lord will not come until this wholesale global rebellion against God takes place, where people will choose the path of the Dragon and the son of perdition (Revelation 13:4).

We are not yet at the point of the great rebellion, but we are witnessing the events leading up to it. The guidance and statutes given by God for our benefit are being rejected as archaic, a liability, and an impediment to human progress. There is a push to discard the Lord's instructions, which are meant to lead us to life (Deuteronomy 30:19-20).

Any significant shift requires various elements to take place before the conclusion. Therefore, we must understand our current position to be grounded and discern the things to come. We are in the early stages of the Lord's response, as described in Matthew 24 and Revelation 6.

Revelation 3:14-22 reveals that the spirit of the Church of Laodicea, the lukewarm church, is the overwhelming presence we find ourselves in. The vast majority of those who claim to believe in the Lord are neither hot nor cold, sitting on the fence, unsure of their allegiance. The Laodicean church has a problem with trust and fear, which is where we stand.

The Lord introduces Himself as the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the head of the creation of God (Revelation 3:14). He knows their works and declares that because they are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, He is about to vomit them out of His mouth (Revelation 3:16). While other church ages like, for example, the persecuted church of Smyrna may be represented in certain parts of the world today, the Laodicean church age is the largest population of those who confess to be followers of the Lord, yet are lukewarm in their faith.

Turning to Psalms 2:1-3, we find a description of the atmosphere we currently inhabit. The nations rage, and the people imagine a vain thing. The kings of the earth and rulers take counsel together against the Lord and His Anointed (Messiah), saying, "Let us break their bands in two and cast away their cords from us" (Psalm 2:1-3).

This passage in Psalms describes a specific point in time, one that is highly relevant to our current situation. The kings and rulers of the earth are promising great things to humanity, envisioning a future timeline that has no prophetic relevance. They have created their own path that excludes God and the testimony of Yeshua. Consider, for example:

• - Space exploration and colonization plans: Nations and private companies are developing ambitious strategies to establish permanent settlements on Mars and other planets, imagining a future where humanity spreads across the solar system.
• - Transhumanism: There's a growing movement to use technology to enhance human physical and cognitive capabilities, with some even pursuing the goal of achieving immortality through technological means.
• - Artificial Intelligence: Many envision a future where AI governs major aspects of society, potentially replacing human decision-making in areas of government and economy.
• - Global governance: There are ongoing efforts to establish new forms of international cooperation and governance that don't account for the prophesied reign of Christ.
• - Environmental plans: While care for the environment is important, some long-term climate strategies extend hundreds of years into the future, not considering the imminent return of Christ and the establishment of His kingdom.
• - Middle East peace plans: Various political initiatives aim to resolve conflicts in the Middle East without considering God's eternal covenant with Israel. These plans often ignore the prophecies concerning Israel's role in the end times and God's promise that Israel will always remain a nation before Him (Jeremiah 31:35-37).
• - One-world religion efforts: There are movements promoting the idea of unifying all religions, disregarding the unique role of Yeshua as the only way to the Father and the prophesied events surrounding His return.

These visions of the future are called "vain things" because they will not come to pass as imagined. They fail to account for God's prophetic timeline, including the return of Christ, His millennial reign, and the eventual establishment of a new heaven and new earth. Yet the nations are convinced otherwise, accepting the possibility of removing the cords and bands of God (Psalm 2:1-3). They believe it's possible to chart a course for humanity that sidesteps God's authority and His revealed plan for the future, including His unbreakable covenant with Israel.

As we reflect on the prophetic timeline, a key reference point is the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar, recorded in the book of Daniel. This dream, which occurred around 600 BC, provides a sweeping overview of world empires from Nebuchadnezzar's time until the establishment of God's eternal kingdom.

In this dream, Nebuchadnezzar saw a great statue with a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet partly of iron and partly of clay. Importantly, the feet had ten toes, also made of a mixture of iron and clay. Daniel, guided by God, interpreted this dream, explaining that each part of the statue represented a different kingdom:

• - The head of gold represented Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian Empire.
• - The silver chest and arms symbolized the Medo-Persian Empire that followed.
• - The bronze belly and thighs represented the Greek Empire under Alexander the Great.
• - The legs of iron depicted the Roman Empire.
• - The feet and toes partly of iron and partly of clay represent a final kingdom or group of kingdoms, divided and not fully united.

The ten toes, as described in Daniel 2:41-43, symbolize a confederation of ten kings or kingdoms in the last days. These will be partly strong (iron) and partly brittle (clay), indicating a union that attempts to blend strength with weakness but ultimately fails to fully cohere.

Daniel 2:34-35 describes the statue's destruction by a stone "cut out without hands," which grows into a great mountain filling the whole earth. This stone represents God's kingdom, which will ultimately destroy and replace all human kingdoms.

In our current era, we find ourselves at the prophetic point of the statue's feet, just before the formation of the ten-toe kingdom confederation. Daniel 2:33 describes these feet as partly iron and partly clay, symbolizing a time of both strength and fragility in human governance. This representation aligns with our present global situation, where we see powerful nations and alliances, yet also significant divisions and instabilities.

This dream provides a crucial framework for understanding our place in prophetic history. We stand at the culmination of human kingdoms, just before the establishment of God's eternal reign. As we examine current events and future prophecies, this vision serves as a valuable reference point, reminding us of God's sovereignty over history and His coming kingdom.