Podcast Title: "The Urgency of Knowing the Time"
Introduction
Welcome, Brothers and Sisters, to today’s podcast of Understanding the Scriptures! Today, we’re diving into a topic that’s been burning in my heart: the urgency of knowing the time we’re living in. We’ll start by unpacking a powerful moment in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter sixteen—a passage many of us have read time and again. I’ve probably read it hundreds of times myself. But recently, the Holy Spirit stopped me in my tracks, shining a spotlight on this Scripture in a way that made me feel its weight like never before. It’s a wake-up call, and I’m excited to share it with you today. So, grab your Bible, open your heart, and let’s dig in.
The Pharisees and Sadducees: Blind to the Times
In Matthew 16, we find the Pharisees and Sadducees approaching Yeshua—demanding a sign from heaven. Now, these were the religious elite, the ones who should’ve known better. Yet, Yeshua’s response is sharp and piercing. He calls them hypocrites and says, “You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times” (Matthew 16:3). Think about that. They could predict the weather—red sky at night, sailor’s delight; red sky in the morning, sailor’s warning—but they were utterly blind to the spiritual reality unfolding right in front of them.
This hit me hard. Yeshua was telling them they were spiritually deaf, blind, and as good as dead because they didn’t know what time it was. They missed the Messiah standing before them! And that raises a critical question for us today: Do we know what time it is? Are we awake and prepared, or are we stumbling around in the dark like they were? If we’re blind to the hour, we’re in serious danger. Knowing the time isn’t just nice information—it’s life-or-death.
The Last Hour: A Call to Urgency
To grasp the weight of this, let’s turn to 1 John 2:18, where the apostle John writes, “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.” John penned these words over 1,900 years ago, in the first century, and he was convinced it was the last hour then. If that was the last hour back then, what does that make today? I’d argue we’re in the last minute of the last hour. The return of the Messiah is imminent—He’s at the door, ready to step in.
John’s not just giving us a casual update here. His words carry urgency, almost a holy panic. It’s a call to get our houses in order—spiritually, emotionally, and practically. I remember a time in my life when the message “Yeshua is coming soon” rang out with such intensity that I’d wake up every day thinking, “This could be it!” That urgency shaped how I lived, how I prayed, how I shared the gospel. But today, I look around at the Church, and that fire seems to have dimmed in many places. That’s terrifying. Have we grown complacent when we should be sounding the alarm?
Biblical Voices of Urgency
This isn’t just John’s perspective—it’s a thread woven throughout Scripture. In 1 Peter 4:7, Peter declares, “The end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.” The Greek word for “serious” here means sober, clear-minded, fully awake. Peter’s saying, “Wake up! Pay attention! The end is right here!”
Then there’s Isaiah. In Isaiah 13:6-9, we read, “Wail, for the day of the Lord is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty… Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate.” This isn’t a gentle nudge—it’s a siren blaring. The Day of the Lord is coming, and it’s not a day to take lightly. Isaiah paints a picture of terror and judgment that should shake us to our core.
Yeshua Himself seals this urgency in Revelation 22:12: “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work.” That word “quickly” in the Greek doesn’t mean “someday”; it means suddenly, unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. He’s not delaying—He’s ready to burst onto the scene. Are we ready for Him?
A Personal Audit: Do We Believe This?
Here’s where it gets real. If we truly believed Yeshua’s return is imminent, how would it change us? Take a moment and do a personal audit. What have you been meditating on the past few days? What’s on your mind for the days ahead? Are you consumed with worldly worries—bills, schedules, entertainment—or are you fixed on the things of God? How much time do you spend in the Word, in prayer, in fasting, compared to scrolling social media or binge-watching TV?
When I did this audit myself, it was convicting. If we really believed He’s coming soon, we’d be immersed in Scripture, crying out in prayer, and sharing the gospel with a fire that can’t be quenched. There’d be a refining process—clarity from the Holy Spirit showing us the world’s deceptions, drawing us away from its allure, and fixing our eyes on eternity. Romans 13:11-12 puts it perfectly: “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand.” It’s time to cast off darkness and put on the armor of light.
The Rise of Antichrists and False Prophets
John doesn’t stop with the last hour. He adds, “Even now many antichrists have come.” These aren’t just random troublemakers—they’re false prophets who emerged from within the Church itself. In 1 John 4:1, he warns, “Test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” These antichrists deceive, leading people astray with lies dressed up as truth.
Paul picks up this thread in 2 Timothy 3:13: “Evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” And in 2 Thessalonians 2:7-10, he speaks of the “mystery of lawlessness” already at work, building toward the revelation of the ultimate Lawless One—the Antichrist. This figure, empowered by Satan with signs and wonders, will embody rebellion against God. If this was happening in the first century, how much more today? Deception is spreading like wildfire, and we’re seeing it unfold before our eyes.
Signs of the Times: Delusion and Rejection
Look around—what do we see? Mass delusion grips the world. People reject truth for lies that defy reason. Consider the debate over unborn life: one moment it’s a “blob of cells,” the next it’s a human with rights. Or the transgender movement, where biology is tossed aside for feelings, and new pronouns multiply overnight. This isn’t progress—it’s psychosis, a detachment from reality foretold in 2 Thessalonians 2:10-11: “God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie.”
Then there are the scoffers. 2 Peter 3:3-4 says, “Scoffers will come in the last days… saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?’” I’ve heard it myself—people mocking the idea of Yeshua’s return, calling us delusional for believing it. Yet, this mockery is a sign itself, proving we’re in the last days.
And what about “peace and safety”? In 1 Thessalonians 5:3, Paul warns, “When they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them.” The United Nations, founded on October 24, 1945—coincidentally the 17th of Cheshvan, the day judgment began in Noah’s time—exists to promote “peace and security.” Its very existence echoes this prophecy. Add to that the division of Israel’s land (Joel 3:2), and the signs are undeniable. We’re at the edge.
The Tower of Babel: A Prophetic Mirror
Let’s go back to Genesis 11—the Tower of Babel. After the flood, the people united in rebellion, building a tower to escape God’s judgment. Josephus tells us Nimrod, a type of Antichrist, led them, defying God with boldness and tyranny. They wanted independence from Him, a name for themselves. Sound familiar? Today’s global unity—think United Nations—often opposes God’s principles, seeking human solutions over divine authority. The parallels are chilling. As they built then, so we see now—until Yeshua returns to scatter and judge.
The Call: Today, Not Tomorrow
So where does this leave us? Psalm 95:6-8 cries out, “Oh come, let us worship and bow down… Today, if you will hear His voice: ‘Do not harden your hearts.’” Not tomorrow—today. James 5:8-9 echoes it: “The coming of the Lord is at hand… Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!” There’s no time to delay. People say, “I’ll repent later, like the thief on the cross.” But that’s a gamble you can’t win. Today is the day to choose.
"The Urgency of Knowing the Time - Part 2: Signs and Warnings"
Introduction
Welcome back, Brothers and Sisters, to Understanding the Scriptures and the second part of our series, "The Urgency of Knowing the Time." In our last episode, we explored Matthew 16, where Yeshua challenged the religious leaders for missing the signs of the times. We talked about the importance of being spiritually awake and discerning the season we’re in. Today, we’re taking that a step further by diving into the specific signs Yeshua gave us about His return—and connecting them to a powerful prophetic warning from David Wilkerson’s 1973 sermon, End Time Visions. If you haven’t seen it, you can watch it in full on YouTube at this link. It’s a message that still echoes with relevance, urging us to prepare for what’s ahead.
So, let’s open our Bibles, tune our hearts to the Holy Spirit, and explore the signs and warnings that are unfolding all around us.
David Wilkerson’s 1973 Vision: A Call to Wake Up
Let’s start with David Wilkerson. In 1973, this pastor—famous for The Cross and the Switchblade—stood before a crowd and shared a vision that shook him to his core. He said God had placed him there to warn of an "intense hour of persecution" for Spirit-filled believers. He spoke with conviction, saying, “The Holy Spirit is my witness that you’ve been warned here and now. Prepare to be hated, rejected, maligned, and ridiculed.” He tied this to Acts 2:17—where God promised visions and prophecies in the last days—urging believers to take it seriously.
Wilkerson described five calamities he saw coming to America and the world:
A worldwide recession sparked by economic confusion, affecting every wage earner.
Nature’s labor pains, with supernatural disasters like earthquakes, famines, and cosmic storms.
A flood of filth, with immorality and pornography overwhelming society.
Rebellion in the home, where children would despise their parents.
Persecution madness against Christians who truly love Yeshua.
He saw these as urgent warnings from God, not mere predictions. Looking at the world today—economic instability, natural disasters, moral decay, family breakdown, and rising hostility toward faith—it’s hard not to see his vision playing out. This ties directly to our last discussion: we must know the time we’re in and prepare accordingly.
The Fig Tree: A Signpost for the Last Days
Now, let’s turn to Scripture. In Matthew 24, Yeshua’s disciples ask Him, “What will be the sign of Your coming and the end of the age?” He doesn’t leave them guessing. In verses 32-33, He says:
“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!”
Yeshua uses the fig tree as a prophetic symbol. Just as its budding leaves signal summer, certain signs signal His return. But this isn’t a new idea—it’s rooted in the Old Testament. In Song of Solomon 2:10-13, we read:
“My beloved spoke, and said to me: ‘Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come… The fig tree puts forth her green figs…’”
This is a prophetic picture of the Bridegroom—Yeshua—calling His bride at the end of the age. The fig tree budding in spring points to summer, which Amos 8:1-2 connects to “the end”—judgment. Yeshua’s parable tells us: when you see the “leaves,” the end is near.
What Are the Signs?
So, what are these “leaves”? Yeshua lists them in Matthew 24:6-9:
Wars and rumors of wars: Nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom. Think World War I and II—unprecedented global conflicts.
Famines, pestilences, and earthquakes: From pandemics to natural disasters, these are intensifying.
Persecution: “They will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.”
These are the “beginning of sorrows,” and they match Wilkerson’s vision—economic chaos, nature’s upheaval, and persecution. Today, Christians face hatred worldwide, even in the West, where faith is mocked and maligned. The leaves are sprouting.
The Days of Noah and Lot: A Mirror of Today
Yeshua gives us two templates for the end times. In Matthew 24:37-39, He says:
“As the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be… They did not know until the flood came and took them all away.”
In Luke 17:28-30, He adds:
“Likewise, as it was in the days of Lot… it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be…”
What do these days look like? Genesis 6 describes Noah’s time as wicked, violent, and corrupted by the Nephilim—offspring of fallen angels and humans. The Book of Enoch elaborates: these angels taught forbidden knowledge (weapons, sorcery, cosmetics), leading to godlessness, cannibalism, and sexual sin. Today, we see parallels:
Technological leaps: AI, genetic engineering, and transhumanism echo the “secret knowledge” of Noah’s day.
Moral collapse: Pornography and immorality flood our culture, as Wilkerson predicted.
Violence and rebellion: Family breakdown and hatred mirror Enoch’s account.
In Lot’s day, Sodom was defined by sexual immorality—especially homosexuality. Ancient rabbis said Noah’s generation was judged when same-sex marriage was legalized. Today, it’s global. These are massive fig leaves telling us the time is short.
The Urgency: Get Ready
Wilkerson warned us to use the “few good years left” to prepare. Those years are gone, and the signs are here. Yeshua said, “When you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!” (Matthew 24:33). We’re not just in the last days—we’re in the last moments. People will scoff, saying, “Everything’s normal,” just as in Noah’s day. But we’re called to see the fig leaves and act.
Conclusion: Live with Expectation
Friends, Yeshua is coming soon. Matthew 24:44 says, “Be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Repent, pray, study God’s Word, and share the gospel. Watch Wilkerson’s sermon—it’ll light a fire in you. Let’s live ready, eyes fixed on our King.
(Closing Prayer)
"Yahovah, we come before You, recognizing Your sovereignty over all creation. We acknowledge the signs of the times and the urgency of Your message. We ask for Your guidance as we examine our hearts and seek to align our lives with Your will. Help us to repent of our sins and draw closer to You in these critical days. Father, we thank You for Your love and mercy. We hold fast to the promise of salvation for those who are prepared and trust in Your grace. Grant us the strength to live according to Your will, to share Your message of hope, and to stand firm in our faith amidst the challenges of these times. We are grateful that You are with us, guiding us through these prophetic times. May we find peace in Your presence and courage in Your promises. In Yeshua’s name we pray Amen."
Stay awake and study, pray and seek Him. This was Understanding the Scriptures, until tomorrow.
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