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t is quite quite fascinating that every year for the last 2,000 years most Westerners, and many Easterners, on the same day, December 25, have celebrated the birth of the child, Jesus, who was born to lowly parents in a stable and laid in a manger in a little town called Bethlehem—and celebrate his crucifixion, death and resurrection every Easter.

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When this child grew up, he claimed to be the Son of God. And the world was impressed sufficiently to date our calendar according to his birth.

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No informed person would deny that Jesus Christ lived 2,000 years ago, any more than they would that Julius Caesar lived. It is interesting to note that the Encyclopedia Britannica actually gives more space to the life of Jesus than it does to many of the world\'s great leaders combined. The famed historian Josephus, who lived in and wrote about civilization in Bible times, also verified the historical Jesus.

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The vital question is, \"Will Jesus Christ, who specifically stated he would return to earth, come again before we destroy ourselves through overpopulation, pollution, chemical warfare, or nuclear holocaust?\"

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Let\'s look at what the Bible claims.

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First, there is the promise that Christ will come again. According to Bible scholars, every prophet in the Bible\'s Old Testament (except Jonah) makes reference to the end of the world and/or Christ\'s return to earth.

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Christ himself promised he would return to earth at the end of the world. \"But don\'t worry,\" he told his disciples, \"trust God and trust me. In heaven there are many places. … I am going there to prepare one for you. And if I go I will come again to take you back there with me.\"¹

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Angels reinforced this promise. When Christ returned to heaven, he ascended from the Mount of Olives. This was witnessed by many of his followers. Imagine their amazement when two angels appeared and said, \"Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.²

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Furthermore, in the New Testament alone there are some 308 references about Christ\'s return. God repeatedly gives us this promise from the first book in the Bible to the last page. Its closing message simply states, \"Even so, come, Lord Jesus.\"³

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Second, there is considerable evidence to support the validity of Christ\'s promise, one of which is seen in the many Bible prophecies already fulfilled.

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For instance, the nation Israel\'s entire history is one continual story of God keeping his promises and fulfilling his prophecies. God said through Moses 3,600 years ago, that Israel would disobey him and be driven from their homeland and scattered among the nations.⁴

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When this child grew up, he claimed to be the Son of God. And the world was impressed sufficiently to date our calendar according to his birth.

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The signs of the end times are
now all standing up at once.

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It took 900 years to happen, but it did! In 721 BC, northern Israel was taken captive by Assyria. In 586 BC, southern Israel was taken to Babylon. Seventy years later, a small remnant of 40,000 returned to rebuild Israel. But in 70 AD, Jerusalem was again destroyed, this time by the Romans, and those who survived were scattered among the nations—where most Jews still live today.

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A thousand years after Moses, God said through Ezekiel: \"I will gather you (Israel) from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.\"⁵

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God also predicted that Israel would once again \"blossom as the rose,\"⁶and that he would \"gather the scattered Israelites from the ends of the earth.\"⁷

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Through Amos, God added, \"I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and live in them.\"⁸

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Israel\'s survival against incredible and overwhelming odds, and its present restoration as a nation on May 14, 1948, could very well be the restoration that God said would take place preceding Christ\'s return.

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There are also many fulfilled promises and prophecies concerning Christ\'s first coming.

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Fifteen hundred years before he came, Moses stated that Christ would come to Israel through the tribe of Judah.⁹ Five hundred years later, Samuel said Christ would come through the family of David,¹⁰ and in 700 BC, Micah wrote that Christ would be born in Bethlehem.¹¹ At the same time, Isaiah prophesied that Christ would be born of a virgin.¹² A hundred years later, Daniel predicted the very time of Christ\'s coming.¹³ All happened exactly as the Bible predicted.

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David and Isaiah both foretold in detail the sufferings of Christ, the manner of his death (\"they pierced my hands and my feet\"), his resurrection, and his ascension into heaven, hundreds of years before it all took place.¹⁴

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The exact fulfillment of all these prophecies is sufficient evidence to ensure that God will fulfill all his remaining promises regarding Christ\'s second coming and the end of the world as we know it.

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According to the signs that God said would precede Christ\'s coming, that time could be any day, as these signs of the end times are now \"all standing up at once.\" As God seemed to indicate through Daniel 2,500 years ago, the end times will be marked by a time when \"many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.\"¹⁵

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We know the present world system cannot last forever. For instance, every hour, 9,584 babies are being born in today\'s world. That\'s a staggering 230,000 every single day!

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It doesn\'t seem so long ago that the world\'s population hit the four billion mark. Today, it is over six billion and increasing at an incredible rate! According to the International Programs Center, U.S. Bureau of the Census, the total population of the World, projected to 3/19/01 was 6,135,589,280. In 2010 it was estimated at 6,871,600,000.

Obviously, the world population cannot keep doing this and survive. Something of major dimension must happen at some time in the future. Of that we can be certain.

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Every hour, 9,584 babies are being
born in today\'s world. That\'s a
staggering 230,000 every single day!

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Predictions warn that there will not be enough jobs, housing or food. Poverty will be rampant. Increased pollution may bring on the plagues the Bible seems to indicate will mark the end of the world. The gap between the \"haves\" and the \"have-nots\" will widen, with the \"have-nots\" becoming more and more hostile towards the \"haves.\" Crime will increase. War, terrorism, and a nuclear holocaust will become ever-increasing threats.

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While many people don\'t accept all of what God\'s Word, the Bible, claims, it is fascinating to read what it predicts and says about the coming world climax, especially about Jesus Christ.

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God has repeatedly warned us about the end of the world as we know it, which will be climaxed by the return of his Son, Jesus Christ. We have this promise. We have all the proof we need. But most important of all, are we prepared for his coming?

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Christ said that at that time two people would be in a field: one would be taken, the other left behind.¹⁶ If he should come today, would you be taken or left behind?

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\"Be ready,\" Jesus said, \"for when you are not even thinking about it, suddenly and unexpectedly, I will come.¹⁷ You can be ready for Christ\'s return by responding to his call to accept him as your personal Lord and Savior. For help, please click on the God\'s Invitation link below.

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1. John 14:1,3, Paraphrase. 2. Acts1:11, (NIV). 3. Revelation 22:20. 4. Leviticus 26:32,33. 5. Ezekiel 36:24, (NIV). 6. Isaiah 35:1. 7. Isaiah 11:12, (TLB). 8. Amos 9:14, (TLB). 9. Genesis12:3 with 49:10. 10. 2 Samuel 7:12-16. 11. Micah 5:2. 12. Isaiah 7:14. 13. Daniel 9:25, 26. 14. Psalms 22:16; Isaiah 53; Psalms 16:8-11, and 68:18. 15. Daniel 12:4, (NLT). 16. Luke 17:34,36. 17. Matthew 24:44, Paraphrase.

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