By John Roberts, January 26, 2001

What is the significance and relevance of this story to last days prophecy?

Scripture provides us with many indicators that point to the timing of the Second Coming of the Lord. An increase in knowledge is one sign that the Lord will soon return. Advancements in military systems reflect the increase in knowledge that we are seeing right now.

Our generation will see more change than any other generation that has ever lived on the face of the earth. This is due to the increase and availability of information. And information is now increasing at a pace that is faster than our ability to apply or use it.

If all R&D were stopped for the next ten years researchers and inventors would still not be able to apply the current information sitting on shelves and on hard drives. It is now impossible for humans to view in a lifetime even a fraction of the data available on the web.

An increase in travel is another sign of the Second Coming. People traveled mostly by foot in our Lord's time. A journey from Rome to the distant reaches of the Empire would take months. Today you can fly to any spot on the globe in less than 30 hours. The average American family can hardly get by with a three-car garage.

So it is not surprising to find a very prophecy in the book of Daniel dealing with an increase in travel and knowledge.

"But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase." Daniel 12:4

It may sound strange to find knowledge and travel in the same verse but these two are linked. Advancements in transportation always bring the spread and advancement of knowledge.

Greek philosophers frequently went down to sea ports and ship docks to gain knowledge from merchants traveling from far off lands. Invading armies always sought to gain information from the nations they conquered. This has continued in modern times. The British, Americans and Russians raced to capture secret German facilities and key scientists after WWII.

In Nahum we find a perfect description of a modern day freeway at night.

For the LORD will restore the excellence of Jacob like the excellence of Israel, for the emptiers have emptied them out and ruined their vine branches. The shields of his mighty men are made red, the valiant men are in scarlet. The chariots come with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and the spears are brandished. The chariots rage in the streets, they jostle one another in the broad roads; they seem like torches, they run like lightning. Nahum 2:2-4

It would be wonderful if nations raced to obtain the knowledge of the gospel like they do to get weapons of mass destruction.

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