As of date of publication, there are two great wars currently happening. There is the Ukraine war to the North of Israel, and then there is the war with Israel and Hamas.
Antisemitism has also reared its ugly head in the West, which has seen the highest rates of Antisemitism since the 1930’s. There are other events which reek of the same spirit that dominated the world in the 1930’s. Just as much of the West was engaged in a mortal struggle with various strains of totalitarianism, so it is today. Much of “the free world” is free in name only, and the 2024 election in the United States feels a lot like Europe choosing between Nazism and Communism in the 1930’s. These perilous times threaten not only the Jews but Christians as well.
I believe that the current situation is ripe for numerous prophecies concerning Israel to be fulfilled, including the Ezekiel wars and the Final Great Awakening promised by Joel. These are part of a stream of prophetic events which include:
1. The return of Jews to the land of Israel.
2. The rebuilding of the waste places
3. The reconciliation of Israel to God
4. The installation of the Messiah as the King of Israel
Covenantalists deny that any if these have been fulfilled, and largely allegorize much of eschatology. This means that they cannot see either what the Christ is doing, and that they cannot see what the Antichrist is doing.
Dispensationalists affirm that all four have been fulfilled, and either deny or lowball the fact that Jews are largely still hostile to Jesus Christ, and that the current government of Israel is not the glorious government of the Messiah but one of 194 abominations we call national governments that are yearning for the global government of the Antichrist.
Messianic Christians realize that the first two are largely fulfilled while the second two are not.Messianic Christians realize that Israel is not yet reconciled to God.Messianic Christians realize that the bad stuff that is about to happen must happen until both Jews and Christians are ready to ditch their political idolatry and embrace Christ as King. Then the Final Great Awakening begins, with Jerusalem being the center of the Final Great Awakening. The advent of this Final Great Awakening will unleash events both good and bad that culminate in the Return of Jesus Christ to rule the earth as Priest and King.
The Final Great Awakening will complete the circle of greater revivals that began in Jerusalem and moved westward until the Final Revival begins back in Jerusalem.
1. Jerusalem 33AD
2. Antioch 45 AD
3. Asia Minor 100AD
4. Rome 300-400 AD
5. Wycliffe-Hus Bohemian Reformation Czech Rep 1400 AD
6. Hernhutt- London(Wesley)- New York(Whitefield-Edwards 1700’s
7. Finney (NY/Penn) – Kentucky Revival 1800
8. Moody Revival Chicago 1850’s
9. Holiness (IN)-Azusa Street (CA) 1900
10. Jesus Movement 1970
11. Chinese- Asia explosions 1950’s 2000’s
12. Iran explosions 2000-present
13. Final Great Awakening Jerusalem 2020’s-2030s
This is not an exhaustive list of revivals, and some revivals did happen in different directions than the trajectory here. One example is revival breaking out in Asbury, KY in both 1970 and 2023. This list, however shows the overall trajectory of the incidence of greatest revivals to occur and show the direction in which global Christianity is moving. As of the date of publication of this book, the most revivalized city on earth is Tehran, Iran.
Events in the near future will shift this center back to Jerusalem, where the Final Great Awakening will occur. While there is more to revival than merely having the right systematic theology, having a good systematic theology can lay a strong foundation to equip us for when God gives the last great outpouring of His Spirit to prepare His people for His return.Messianic Christianity can provide that foundation.