“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see THE DAY APPROACHING” (Heb. 10:25).

This verse sets forth the need for assembling together and exhorting one another, and it states that the need increases as we see THE DAY APPROACHING. I take it that THE DAY refers to the Day of the Lord, the time when MAN’S DAY will be over and the Lord’s righteous reign will commence. Scripture tells us that preparatory to the Lord’s 1,000 year reign there will be a time of tribulation which increases in intensity as the second coming of Christ draws near (Matt. 24:21-31). I truly believe that we are on the threshold of that period and that we are seeing all about us events that are “setting the stage” for this time of trouble. Whether we cast our eyes upon the social scene, the religious scene, or the political scene, all join to tell us the same thing: the tribulation period is near.

This period is also the 70th week of the famous prophecy of 70 weeks given to Daniel (Dan. 9:24-27). In verse 27 of this prophecy we learn that this week is begun by the making of a peace treaty. Many expositors believe that it will be made by the head of the revived Roman Empire (or perhaps an amalgamation of European nations, many of which were included in the original Roman Empire) with the Jews who are once again settled in the land of Palestine. Now is it not striking that this is exactly what the world is presently striving for, that is, peace in the Middle East. And is it just coincidental that many national leaders are saying that once the Persian Gulf crisis is settled the Israeli-Arab conflict will be settled next? Even Iraq’s President Hussein has sought to link peace in Palestine with peace in the Gulf.

One thing about the prophecy in Daniel 9 has confused me for some time. Verse 27 reads, “He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week” (that is, a week of years, or seven years). Why would any world leader make a peace treaty with another nation for a limited period of time such as seven years? A clue to this was recently provided by Henry Kissinger in an article in the January 28,1991, issue of Newsweek. Exploring possible approaches to peace between Israel and the Arab nations once the Persian Gulf War is over and assuming the defeat of Iraq, he proposes that Israel return certain territories “to Arab control for a specified amount of time, say five to ten years.” It is beyond the scope of this article to go into further detail on Mr. Kissinger’s proposals; it just struck me that here was an example of an interim, limited-time treaty, just like that mentioned in Daniel 9.

How clear it is that we are seeing THE DAY APPROACHING! And if that DAY is approaching, we know the rapture—the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to raise up the dead and the living saints to go to be with Himself (1 Thess. 4:13-18)—must be imminent, for I believe that the rapture precedes the tribulation period (Rev. 3:10).

Surely we are living in exciting times! But they are also solemn times in which we need to “watch and be sober” (1 Thess. 5:6). Oh! how we need such encouragement in these dark days! So may we be found in the company of the saints (whether for prayer, for Bible study, for open ministry meetings, etc.) as often as we can, and may EACH OF US seek to encourage one another. We need each other!