Nations on the Run—another Remarkable Prophecy

“Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! For what good is the day of the Lord to you? It will be darkness, and not light. It will be as though a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him! Or as though he went into the house, Leaned his hand on the wall, And a serpent bit him! Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light? Is it not very dark, with no brightness in it?” (Amos 5:18-20)

How often have we heard many professed Christians longing for the day of the Lord, not so much because they desired the returned of the Lord and their meeting with him, but because they wished punishment upon their enemies, these reveal that they are unfit for the kingdom honors of ruler ship with the Lord? They give evidence that they have not learned the lessons the Lord would have them learn about forgiveness, mercy, compassion, love.

Many of these expect that they will be spared what is coming, that they will somehow be mysterious whisked away in a supposed rapture. But as the Lord alludes here it will in fact be a dark day for such when they finely realize there is no rapture and that they were never actually his people in the first place, except in name only.

“In Amos’ prophecy the fleeing man represents the world’s experiences in this dark “time of trouble.” At the dawning of our era, Great Britain ruled the most expansive empire on earth. The lion in this prophecy, Britain’s national symbol, appropriately illustrated the mighty nation that devoured (colonized) weaker nations. Colonialism’s suffocating grasping led to the world’s fleeing to another form of government.

The man in Amos 5:20 escaped the lion only to meet the bear—a form of government diametrically opposed to the grasping greed of colonialism—communism! The former Soviet Union, the “bear” of Amos’ prophecy, offered man another hope for safety in this time of trouble. Communism’s failure to rescue man was underscored by its precipitous fall.

The nations are now seeking another hope of security—nationalism.

Nationalism definition is – loyalty and devotion to a nation; especially : a sense of national consciousness exalting one nation above all others and placing primary emphasis on promotion of its culture and interests as opposed to those of other nations or supranational groups

Entering the “house” of nationalism has been anything but comfortable for the world. Bosnia, Serbia, Germany and other nations now seeking safety in nationalism are suffering civil war, economic malaise, the rise of new “hate groups” and other ills. The same is now taking place here in the U.S.

While in the supposed security of ultra-nationalism (will church and state reunite?) the people place their hand on the wall. Seeking rest in the supporting structure of human government will result in being bitten by the serpent. That old Serpent, the Devil and Satan, which once deceived the nations that they were Christ’s Kingdom (Rev 12:9) will bite them once again. Then the nations will feel the rebuke of Jehovah in the great time of trouble.

Nations on the run is one of the signs of the “day of the Lord,” the day of Christ’s presence.

There are many additional signs that prove Christ as already returned, but the ones we have considered are more than adequate to establish a point. “What shall be the signs of thy parousia [presence]?”

The fact that we have seen these signs fulfilled in our day proves we are living in the period of Christ’s secret presence—the period before “every eye shall see him.” (Excerpts were taken from the booklet, “I Will Come Again” Edited)