“And as He was sitting 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?” Matt 24:3

This week, I visited with a good friend of mine who does not yet know Yeshua, the promised Messiah.  While we spoke, he asked me for my opinion about the times in which we live today.  This is a question that people have been asking for thousands of years now. The disciples during Yeshua’s time were asking this question, and many people today (both those who follow Him and those who don’t follow Him) are asking the same thing.

“And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.  “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.” Matt 24:6-7

There is no doubt that as we look at the current events throughout the world, many believe that this is the fulfillment of Yeshua’s prophesy: the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the tension between North and South Korea, and now the Arab Spring that is turning into something much bigger.  Famines and earthquakes are only increasing throughout the world, which are also good indications that we are getting closer …

Coming from Israel, one of the most common questions that people ask when I travel is, “When will Israel bomb Iran?” Many people are excited about the possibility of Israel throwing Iran back into the dark ages, and are eager to get my input.  I don’t mean to be rude, but the truth is that I simply answer,  “I don’t know, and it doesn’t concern me”.

Let me explain… In my opinion, we believers spend too much of our time focusing on things of the world; we get excited, we think that we are in control, that we know everything, etc. The reason that I don’t care whether or not Israel will bomb Iran is that I don’t think this is the important question we should be asking. The reality is, based on the scripture above, we know that these events will happen, and when they do, it will only be as the Scripture says “…merely the beginning of birth pangs.” Matt 24:8

The reality that lies ahead is a grim one; people will suffer greatly, terrible violence will occur, and people will die.  Therefore, I believe that the most important question that we should be asking is, “Am I ready? What am I doing to prepare others?” Perhaps the most important question we must ask ourselves is, “Do I know Him?”

We know that in the end times, many will come in His name but will be liars and mislead many away from the true Messiah:

“…Yehsua answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will mislead many. “ Matt 24:4-5

It is not a coincidence that before Yeshua spoke to His disciples about the signs of the times, He warned them to be careful, to be aware, and to make sure that no one would mislead them. He foretold that we will see many false messiahs coming. In other words, I believe Yeshua was saying, “Make sure you KNOW me!

It’s interesting to note that the word “Yadah” in Hebrew, denotes an intimate knowledge of something or someone.  The English language does not differentiate between the two kinds of knowing – a head knowledge versus a personal knowledge – but Hebrew does. It is one thing to know about Yeshua, but quite another to know Him personally and intimately. How crucial it is, however, to truly know Him so that we will not be misled, but will continue to follow Him until the very end.

“But the one who endures to the end, he shall be saved.” Matt 24:13

Do You Know Him? What are you doing with that Knowledge?

Shabbat Shalom,

Moran