The 3 Levels of "Birth pangs" Have we entered into the final stage?
by Ricky Scaparo on Monday, March 21, 2011 at 2:42am
Matthew 24:
3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows
ōdin
the pain of childbirth, travail pain, birth pangs
9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
Jesus tells us in this passage in Matthew 24 that the signs preceeding his return would be compared to "Birthpangs" in a woman who is about to give birth to a child. I commented on this process of child birth in several other articles I have previously written, however I wanted to emphasize the process of "Birthpangs" until the child is delivered.
There are 3 Levels of "Birthpangs" in delivery
1- The early phase:
During this early phase of labor, you may feel excited and nervous now that the moment that you have been waiting for has finally come. This phase typically lasts around half of the time of labor, so it gives you the chance to telephone people, get your partner back from the golf course or supermarket, and hunt down the crossword you didn't finish this morning.
You may want to rest, walk, shower, or eat lightly. It is very important to keep hydrated. You may experience leaking of amniotic fluid or 'show', the expulsion of the plug which may be stained with blood that has kept the cervix sealed.
Contractions in early labor become regular in their occurrence, from 10 to 20 minutes apart and lasting 30 to 60 seconds. Contractions are measured from the beginning of one to the beginning of the next
I believe we entered this phase of Labor Pains after 1948 after Israel became a Nation.
Ezekiel 36:8-12, 37:21
Speaking to the Land God said,
“You, O mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit for my people Israel, for they will soon come home. I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown, and I will multiply the number of people upon you, even the whole house of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. I will increase the number of men and animals upon you, and they will be fruitful and become numerous. I will settle people on you as in the past and will make you prosper more than before. Then you will know that I am the LORD. I will cause people, my people Israel, to walk upon you. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance; you will never again deprive them of their children.
And to the people,This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land.
Although Ezekiel wrote these words while the Israelites were in Babylon, they were not fulfilled in the nation’s return from exile there. Like Isaiah before him (Isaiah 11:11) Ezekiel was speaking of the second and final return. Therefore in 1948, when Israel took its place among the nations of the world again for the first time in nearly 2000 years, students of prophecy recognized the fulfillment of the primary sign that the end of the age was upon us. Jesus said that some from the generation being born when this happened would still be alive when He returned (Matt. 24:34). Both Psalm 90:10 and Isaiah 23:15 hint that an average Biblical life span is 70 years. Since 62 years have passed since Israel became a nation again after being absent for nearly 1900 years, students of prophecy have cause to believe that the end of the age is upon us and thus began the “Birth Pangs of the Messiah”.
2- The active phase:
Active labor is the next phase, and you will notice a change when you hit this stage. Contractions become regular and form a pattern of increasing frequency. You will do best if you are able to relax and concentrate on what your body is doing. Stay active, just as it is called. Relax during your contractions, with simple, regular breathing patterns. They will not stop with change of movement or position and they become progressively stronger.
Keep moving and changing positions, using gravity positive postures. Discomfort can often be helped by body positions that allow gravity to speed dilation, such as walking, squatting, kneeling forward on a chair or birth ball, or lying on your side. This will help the baby move down in the pelvis faster and less painfully. It is noted that the "Breaking of the Water" will tke lace in either this stage or the final stage prior to the birth.
I believe we entered this phase of Labor Pains after 1967 when Jerusalem became the capitol of Israel.
Luke 21:24
They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
The Lord prophesied that the reunification of Jerusalem as a Jewish City would be a sign that foreign (gentile) influence over His land, and indeed the world, was about to end (Luke 21:24). Fulfillment of this prophecy began in 1967, and scholars saw it as another major sign that the End of the Age had begun. The almost world wide effort to take the city apart again is in essence a battle of wills. Nearly every Israeli leader has stood firmly on a pledge to keep Jerusalem united forever as Israel’s capital, but the unbelieving leaders of the world are just as resolutely determined to divide it.
The Lord said that at the End of the Age He will make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling, an immovable rock for all nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. (Zechariah 12:2-3) This past year much of the attack against Israel has been focused on Jerusalem. American leaders, traditionally some of Israel’s most loyal allies, have publicly called East Jerusalem occupied territory and demanded that no more Jewish homes be built there. They’ve even tried unsuccessfully to halt construction in undisputed neighborhoods. Throughout the year the European Union has pushed for an official declaration dividing Jerusalem to make way for a future Palestinian State to have part of the city as its capital. And several Middle Eastern and South American countries are said to be working with the Palestinians to introduce a UN resolution that will unilaterally declare a Palestinian state in the Promised Land, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Behind all this of course is a spiritual battle of massive proportions. While there’s no doubt as to the outcome, the battle continues to be a fierce one.
Jerusalem will not really be free of Gentile “trampling” until the Lord returns. Daniel’s prophecy that Gentile Dominion would not end until the Lord establishes His kingdom (Daniel 2:36-45), Zechariah’s prophecy of the city being captured and divided just before the Lord’s return (Zech. 14:2), and John’s observations in Rev. 11:1-2 of the gentiles trampling the outer court of the Temple during the Great Tribulation all confirm this. But even so, the fact that Jerusalem is back in Jewish hands is another big sign that the End is coming soon.
In fact Israel is the biggest piece of the prophetic timepiece when it comes to Biblical prophecy. What takes place in the U.S or other places in the world is significant but nowhere on the scale of what happens to Israel. Jesus reveals this to the disciples in Matthew 24 and Luke 21.
Luke 21:
29 Then He spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. 31 So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away.
The fig tree was used as a picture of Israel not without a cause. As early as in the Old Testament, figs were identified with the nation of Israel by the prophets. Hosea wrote: ‘I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness, I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the fig tree in her first time" (Hosea 9:10). Jeremiah received the vision of two baskets of figs, which represented Israel: "Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah" (Jer. 24:5).
How soon was Christ’s prophecy fulfilled about the withering of the symbolic fig tree to be fulfilled?. In the year 70 A.D. the temple was destroyed. No longer was there a place to offer sacrifices, the opportunity to serve the Lord according to the precepts of the Law thus ended. Jerusalem fell into ruin, and the whole nation was expelled from their own land and dispersed throughout the world. Speaking about the time of his Kingdom approaching, Christ again turns his disciples’ attention to the fig tree. "Now learn a parable of the fig tree: When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth his leaves, ye know that summer is nigh. So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the door". (Matt. 24:32, 33)
It should be observed that this parable was uttered on the same day when the barren fig tree was cursed. Therefore it would be difficult to assume that when Christ told them to watch for signs taking place on that very kind of a tree, it was merely accidental. These two events constitute one whole. As a result of the rejection of the Messiah on the part of the Jews, during his first advent, God’s favor was turned away from them, as shown in the withered tree. Whereas, the softening of the branches and the bringing forth of leaves represents the return of favor to this nation during the time of the establishment of the Kingdom in Christ’s Second Advent. Let us, then, carefully observe this symbolic fig tree.
Some other interesting passages giving us clues to the timing of the Lord’s return is in the following verses:
Psalm 102:16-18
16 For the LORD shall build up ( Restore to its original state ) Zion; ( Jerusalem )
He shall appear in His glory.
17 He shall regard the prayer of the destitute,
And shall not despise their prayer.
18 This will be written for the generation to come, ( In Hebrew means the last of the last generation )
That a people yet to be created may praise the LORD.
Acts 3:19-21
19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began
Now when we put all these puzzle pieces together and look at the big picture we can see that why I believe the generation that was born after 1967 is the generation that very well could be the generation that will see the Lord return in his Glory (Psalm 102). And here is why if Israel is the Fig Leaf and the generation that sees Jerusalem be built up or restored, and Peter said in Acts chapter 3 that Heaven is restraining Jesus from returning until the restoration of all things spoken of by the prophets is fulfilled than how close are we considering that 7 major prophecies concerning Israel have been fulfilled:
- Israel would be restored as a nation in one day.
Isaiah 66:7-8. Zechariah 3:9. Hosea 3:4-5
Israel’s restoration process began during the 1800’s with the birth of the Zionist movement, but it was manifested to the world on may 14-15, 1948.
2- The land would begin to blossom and be fruitful.
Isaiah 35:1.-8. Isaiah 27:6.
Ben Gurion goals was to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah and make the desert blossom with vegetation. In 1953 at age 67, Ben Gurion resigned as prime minister of Israel to pursue his dream. This former Israeli leader and his wife, Paula moved into a 3 room wooden prefab hut at SDE Boker in the desolate Negev Desert. It was dry, empty sun baked landscape. Years later, Beersheba, the hometown Abraham, became a large town, and today more than 54 farms are scattered throughout a region called the Arabah the Negev and the southern part of Israel- producing tomatoes, peppers, melons, and a host of fruits and vegetables. Today the desert is blooming.
3- Water would break out in the desert for irrigation.
Isaiah 35: 6-7. Isaiah 41:18.
Ben-Gurion and other early Israeli settlers were also responsible for laying water pipelines to assist in irrigation. Years later, U.S satellites discovered a huge reservoir of water under the desert, which today is pumped out and is the lifeblood used in the drip irrigation process, enabling the desert to blossom with agricultural life.
4- Jerusalem would be in Jewish hands and expand its borders.
Psalms 102:16.
In 1967, Egyptian military forces, headed by Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser, threatened Israel and were planning an attack. Israel preempted the assault with an air campaign, destroying Egypt’s air force while the planes were still on the runway. During this 6 day war involving Egypt, Jordan, and Syria, Israeli paratroopers seized the eastern (Arab) half of Jerusalem. At this time, this section was known as the country of Transjordan. At the conclusion of the war, Israel annexed both east and west Jerusalem together, forming a united Jerusalem under Israeli control. At the moment Jerusalem was united as one city without walls and became the long promised capital of Israel.
5- Jews from gentile nations outside Palestine would return back to Israel.
Isaiah 43:5-6. Jeremiah 16:14-16.
From 1948-1967 Jews continually immigrated to Israel from surrounding nations; the Russian Jews living behind the iron curtain were forbidden visas to exit the communist stronghold. In the latter part of the 1980’s with the approval of Michal Gorbachev, Jews received visas to return from the north country of the Soviet Union back to Israel. Thus fulfilling the promises God gave them through Jeremiah and Isaiah thousands of years ago.
6- The early and latter rains would return in the last days.
Hosea 6:3. Joel 2:23. Amos 4:7.
In the early 1990’s there was a sudden return of the physical rains that soaked the soul of Israel, thus replenishing and nourishing the farmland, the deserts, and the upper Golan Heights, as the windows of heaven were opened, once dry riverbeds were flowing with fresh water. It was a sign of the return of the latter rains upon the land.
7- The walls of Jerusalem would be rebuilt by strangers and the gates open continually.
Isaiah 60:1-11.
Today the old city of Jerusalem is shared by the world’s 3 monotheistic religions: Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Out of the 8 gates built in the walls of the old city, only one, the eastern gate remains sealed with large stones. All other gates are opened to citizens and visitors. Children are seen strolling along the streets continually amidst noisy buses and cars, occasionally darting in and out of the crowd that fills avenues throughout the day.
3- The transition phase:
Though labor may be difficult at this point, you are getting close as you enter that final phase of stage one, known as transition. Transition, or the turning point right before birth is the hardest and most intense. It is also the shortest of the 3 stages,
You will have a contraction every two minutes or so and each one will last a minute or more. You may at this point decide to yell and holler. The tried and true method is to squeeze your partner's hand until he is yelling too, or to tell him what a bastard he is for getting you in this condition.
This is your body's last effort to open the cervix fully to allow for birth. Your hormones are working with your baby's at full speed to prepare for delivery. Once you have dilated to 10 cm, you will begin taking an active participating role in what your body is doing.
I believe in 2001 we entered the final stages of Labor Pains.
I believe The horrible events of September 11, 2001 were not only a tragic day for United States history but on a grand scale of things prophetically, I believe it thrusted us into the final stages or “Birth Pangs” of the Messiah. Since this day nearly 10 years ago we are getting closer and closer to the merging of a Global Government, Increase of Disasters and the focus is once again slowly coming back to the Middle Eastern region where all the end time activity will emerge. We have now entered into a new war with Libya that no one really knows will turn out or how bad will escalate? However one thing is for sure according to what Jesus said in Matthew 24.
Matt. 24:6-8
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.
When you include places like Korea where a truce is in place but the war isn’t over, there are currently 70 active wars in the world, with 200 other “hot spots” smoldering. with recent uprisings taking place in Egypt, North Africa and the Tunisian government falling. Libya now in chaos and is now in a war with the United States, and other allies. Saudi Arabia is on edge with building concerns of uprising in this region, Iran’s population being predominately 30 years of age and younger many of the youth are rising up in revolt against the Ayatollahs and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Earthquakes are continuing to run well above normal with major quakes (7.0-7.9 on the Richter scales) achieving 140% of their 15 year USGS average during 2010. And has shown no let up in the New Year with the recent Earthquakes striking in New Zealand killing multitudes and the recent Mega Quake of 9.0 that struck in Japan sparking a Tsunami and killing potentially tens of thousands.
But many experts say the big story in the birth pangs area for 2011 could be famine. According to the World Bank, in the last 6 months world wheat and corn prices have risen 57%, rice and sugar are up 45% and 55% respectively and soybeans are at their highest price in 16 months. This is mostly due to shortages caused by crop failures in various places. When prices go up due to shortages the limited supplies go to markets that can pay. Those who can’t are left out. When only luxuries are involved nobody cares, but when its basic things like flour and rice, people begin dying. Already 1 out of every 6 people in the world go to bed hungry every night. Experts have said it would only take one or two years of poor crop production to bring a serious famine to the world. Many are concluding that 2010 was a bad year and 2011 won’t be any different.
Climatologists say weather is becoming a more unpredictable factor with average temperatures on a steady decline that could last 30 months or more. This has already begun to effect crop production in northern climates with shorter growing seasons. Further compounding the problem, energy prices are once more on the rise with oil expected to top $100 per barrel again before spring (It’s at $91 now). Energy cost is a factor in everything we buy, including food. All things considered 2011 could well become known as the year the famines began.
The Lord said these birth pangs would be the early warning signs of the approaching End of the Age, The consensus from the professionals seems to be that things aren’t going to get better any time soon and could likely get much worse by the end of 2011. In fact if we take a look at what has happened just in the first 3 months of the year I think we can only assume it is going to be a rough ride the rest of this year.
January 11 – Flooding and mudslides in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro kill more than 800
January 14 – 2010–2011 Middle East and North Africa protests: The Tunisian government falls after a month of increasingly violent protests; President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali flees to Saudi Arabia after 23 years in power
January 24 – At least 36 people are killed and more than 100 others wounded in a bombing at Domodedovo International Airport in Moscow, Russia
February 11 – 2010–2011 Middle East and North Africa protests: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigns after widespread protests calling for his resignation, leaving control of Egypt in the hands of the military until a general election can be held
February 22 - March 14 – The uncertainty of continued Libyan oil output causes crude oil prices to rise 20% over a two week period following the 2010–2011 Middle East and North Africa protests
The 2011 Christchurch earthquake was a 6.3-magnitude earthquake that struck the Canterbury region in New Zealand's South Island at 12:51 pm on 22 February 2011 local time (23:51 21 February UTC), causing widespread damage and multiple fatalities. The earthquake was centred 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) west of the town of Lyttelton, and 10 kilometres (6 mi) south-east of the centre of Christchurch, New Zealand's second-most populous city.It followed nearly six months after the 7.1 magnitude 2010 Canterbury earthquake that caused significant damage to the region but no direct fatalities.
At least 166 people had been confirmed dead as of 17 March 2011, with the final death toll expected to be around 182 making the earthquake the second-deadliest natural disaster recorded in New Zealand
March 11 – A 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami hits the city of Sendai, in the Miyagi Prefecturate of Japan causing over 7000 deaths with 20,000 missing from several towns. Tsunami warnings are issued in 50 countries and territories. Emergencies are declared at four nuclear power plants affected by the quake (Fukushima I nuclear accidents, Fukushima II Nuclear Power Plant).
March 17 – The United Nations take a vote on a no-fly zone over Libya. The resolution is passed with ten for, five abstained, and none against.
March 18 – After threats of a British air strike, the Libyan Loyalist government declared an immediate ceasefire with the Anti-Gaddafi forces
March 19 – In light of the continuing attacks on Libyan rebels by Gaddafi forces, military intervention authorized under UNSCR 1973 began as French fighter jets flew reconnaissance flights over Libya. United States Navy ships were said to be preparing for bombardment of Libyan air defenses
It may be true for the world that things will get much worst but we’re told to walk by faith not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7) because our citizenship is in Heaven and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil. 3:20). When we see these things begin to take place we’re to stand up and lift up our heads because our redemption is drawing near (Luke 21:28). These promises have never been truer than they will be in 2011.
No comments:
Post a Comment