Fascinating Times

We are truly living in fascinating times. I am not an expert in Bible prophecy, but I confess I am intrigued by it. I also am more aware as time goes by that we are to be ready for the Second Coming of Christ. Someone told me recently, “People have been talking about that for years. When WWI occurred they said that the Kaiser was the Antichrist, then they said it was Hitler and then Kruschev and on and on.” Those things are all undeniable, and there was no good reason for a student of Bible prophecy to have said such things. Key events were missing in each of those settings. Now things are getting more interesting.
Two recent events call for watching. I make no predictions. I am just watching.

One event that I find most interesting is the recent announcement that a clay tablet, which apparently is a Dead Sea Scroll tablet, appears to speak of the Jewish Messiah as one who would die and rise again three days later. This tablet was written around 1 BCE. This is before the birth of Christ. This means that the view of a suffering Messiah, who would be raised from the dead was not unique to Christianity and was a view already held by some Jewish religious leaders by the time of Christ.

The tablet is not a new find, but the translation proposed by Israel Knohl, a professor of biblical studies at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, is new. In an article from HAARETZ, a major daily Israeli newspaper, Professor Knohl states "I identified a previously unrecognized Jewish notion that the blood of the messiah is necessary in order to bring about national redemption. The idea of a tortured messiah who was resurrected three days after his death was adopted by Judaism before the birth of Jesus. The main ideas of the Jesus myth existed in Judaism" (see http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=999719).

Naturally this recent translation has sparked quite a debate about the Messiah among Jews. Some are rejecting this interpretation, others are wondering if they should rethink their views about Jesus. How will God use this? Will it be a part of turning the Israelites to faith in the true Messiah?

Another recent event that I find exciting was the meeting of 43 nations to form the Mediterranean Union. How does this fit into prophecy? Time will tell. It is significant, though, that it includes virtually all the territory that comprised the former Roman Empire—all of Europe is included, plus all the Mediterranean countries except Libya. Muammar Gadaffi, Libya’s leader, formally denounced the Mediterranean Union as the rise of a "another Roman Empire." Interesting observation.

Of course, the MU has a long way to go to become an economic or military power. It faces many formidable obstacles, but the goal behind it is not only to create an economic superpower and bring stability to the Mediterranean region, but eventually to create a one world government with Europe the head of it. However, this develops it is exciting and fascinating.