When God was making the earth, the sky and the sea and all that is in them, He paused five times to look at what He was creating and "saw that it was good" (Gen.1:10, 12, 18, 21, 25). It was on the sixth day that He created man and woman. He made them with a free will and gave them "dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth" (verse 28). He gave them "every herb bearing seed" and every tree with fruit "yielding seed" (verse 29). After He finished all that He had created, He took a good look at the completed job, and this is the report the Bible gives of that final inspection: "And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good" (Gen.1:31).

But, oh, my goodness, just look at what we have done to His creation! God help us! We have turned what was very good in the sight of God into an ungodly trash heap! The Bible now says, ". . . the whole world lieth in wickedness"! (1John 5:19).

Such a sight could be very depressing, but don't let it get you down. It is just a sign of the times. Don't be discouraged, try to put up with it just awhile longer; then, hang onto your hat, because this old world is about to change--drastically! Soon you will hear an announcement that will jar the world to the core! The Almighty Creator of the universe is getting ready to reach for His trumpet and send out a sound that will wake up the living and the dead! Along with the mighty blast from His Trumpet, there will be a great shout from an archangel (1Thes.4:16). That trumpet blast and shout will vibrate Heaven and earth and bring a hush to all the noise in the world. Everyone and everything in all creation will come to attention. No one will be able to miss it; all will hear, for it is the announcement of the return of Christ!

Oh, how different will His visit be this time! He will not come as a baby through the womb of a virgin to a manger in a small village as He did the first time. Nor will He be recognized only by some shepherds and a few wise men. This time He will come in great power and glory with all His mighty angels. On that Great Day those who died believing in Christ shall rise first, and then all who are alive on earth that are in Christ shall rise to meet Him in the air (1Thes.4:16,17). Those remaining on the ground will not be ignorant of what is happening; they will know exactly who it is that has come, for every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord (Phil.2:11). All will acknowledge Him as "Lord of lords, and King of kings"! (1Tim.6:15).

Regardless of how much darkness the world will be in at the time, no one will be able to hide in that darkness from the face of Christ, the Lamb of God. The Light of His coming will annihilate the darkest darkness. The evil Antichrist will be destroyed at the brightness of Christ's appearance (2Thes.2:8).

This time Jesus will not be coming to be crucified for the sins of mankind, for He has already accomplished that. He will be coming to take this old earth, fold it up as a vesture and then spread it out new (Heb.1:12). The earth with all its trash will be melted with a fervent heat before He forms the new earth "wherein dwelleth righteousness" (2Pet.3:12,13). Every day, every hour, every moment that passes is drawing us closer, closer to the greatest event that the world will ever experience. Be ready. He is coming soon!

How soon? We cannot set a date because Jesus said that no one, other than the Heavenly Father, knows the day or the hour of His return (Mark 13:32). However, we can have an awareness of when the time is drawing near. He told us to be ready and to be watching; He said, "And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch" (Mark 13:37). And the way to watch is by looking for the events that the Bible reveals as the signs that will take place on earth leading up to that Great Day. These signs are clearly seen; they are the Signs of the Times. There are Signs of Sorrow and Signs of Joy.

Some early signs called "the beginning of sorrows" (Mat.24:6-8) are wars, rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, plagues and earthquakes. These are no longer begin- ning signs for they have advanced into late warning signals. The development of ghastly destructive weapons has made the report of any war a grave concern for the whole world. Famines are now endan- gering the lives of millions. AIDS is one of the last day plagues that has gone out of control, and who can claim that the drug plague that is engulfing the whole world is only in its beginning stage? Powerful chemicals have been developed to fight insects and these deadly chemicals have gotten into the food chain and the water veins. Earthquakes are being reported fre- quently throughout the world as scientists keep predicting the big one that is yet to come.

More Signs of Sorrow are: the persecution of Christians, the rising of false prophets, and the love of many growing cold (Mat.24:8-12). Last day signs that cannot go unnoticed are: men being unthankful, unholy, having unnatural affection, and becoming fierce and out of control; also, being disobedient to parents, loving pleasure more than God, and putting on a religious front while denying the power of God (2Tim.3:1-5).

All these Signs of Sorrow are so overwhelming that it is difficult to look beyond them to see the Signs of Joy, but they are right there in plain view and are a glorious sight to behold! One big, wonderful Sign of Joy is hard not to see because it is bringing new, everlasting life to people throughout the world. This sign is the preaching of the gospel in a big, BIG way! "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come" (Mat.24:14). Recently, using modern telecommunication, an evangelist, in a single television broadcast, spoke the gospel to more than a billion people in many different countries. For those who do not have access to modern technology, they will still get the message. A man from Africa wrote asking me to send him some gospel literature so that he could bring it to people who live in such a remote area of his country that the only way he can reach them is to travel by canoe up a river, and then walk to their village. That, too, is preaching the gospel in a big way.

More and more people are sharing the gospel in these last days, mostly one on one; wherever they are, in the schools, on the streets and in the workshops, the good news about Jesus is being proclaimed everywhere in very special ways. Not long ago a man from my town, who throughout his life was a hard one to talk to about the Lord, was near the point of death when a nurse in the hospital he was in went to his bedside and gently spoke to him about Jesus and the sacrifice He made for him on the cross. The man's heart was drawn to the Lord; He was grateful for the message and received Jesus just before he departed from this earth.

This magnificent Sign of Joy (the preaching of the gospel to all people in all nations) is too great to be fulfilled by people alone; there will be much assistance from above. The Apostle John, on the isle of Patmos, wrote about a vision he had: "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people" (Rev.14:6).

Most all the signs stated in the Bible that we should look for to reveal the soon coming of Christ are clearly visible for anyone who wants to see them. They are hard to miss, even for those who try to avoid seeing them. However, there is one final sign that is not as easy to see; it is not displayed for public view like the others. This one has to be viewed in a different way--through the eyes of faith. It is the most glorious of all the signs. Once you get a clear view of it, your life will never be the same! It is the building of the Last Temple! The reason so many cannot see this brightest of all signs is because they are looking for it to appear in the wrong place.

Scores of religions have structures that men call temples of God, but there is only one true Temple of God. Many people around the world are watching and waiting for the building of that final Temple. Most are expecting it to be built in Jerusalem, for it is the city that holds the attention of both Heaven and earth. There is no other city in the world that has the recognition Jerusalem has. It is a city the Bible speaks of over three hundred fifty times. It is so important that ancient maps place it in the center of the earth. It is "the city of our God"; "the joy of the whole earth"; "the city of the Great King" (Ps.48:1,2). It is where the Son of God was crucified for the sins of mankind. Could there be a more appropriate place for the Last Temple of God to be built than where salvation for every person on earth was purchased? Still . . . that is not where the final Temple of God is being built!

Recently, a national television news broadcast showed a scene in Jerusalem of a group of Jews vowing to destroy a Moslem mosque that is on the sight where they believe the Temple of Solomon once stood. They said that what is on that land must go to make room for the temple of God that they are going to build. They reported that they have the cornerstone of the new temple ready to be set in place to begin the construction.

Now, there may or may not be another temple built in Jerusalem in the short time remaining before our Lord returns, but Jerusalem is not the place to watch for the building of the Last Temple! The Temple of God seen in the New Covenant is not made of wood and stone; it is not a structure built by man. I have got some news for those would-be temple builders in Jerusalem: We, who belong to the Lord, are the ones who have the Cornerstone for the Temple of God. The Cornerstone is Jesus (Eph.2:20); (1Pet.2:6) . . . and we have Him right in our hearts!

Reality is God's word. He speaks things into being. That is when something happens, when God declares it. The Bible says, "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth," and "For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast" (Ps.33:6, 9). The Bible states that Christ, the Lamb of God, was "slain from the foundation of the world" (Rev.13:8). That is when the crucifixion happened; yet it actually took place in our time and space dimension about two thousand years ago. The plan for the salvation of mankind was ordained by God long before man was created and then carried out by Jesus when He came the first time; yet it is not complete to the individual until he or she personally receives Christ. It is the same with the building of the Last Temple. It is built on the crucifixion of Christ from the foundation of the world; yet the building of it in time and space began with the resurrection of Christ. But still, it begins with the individual when he or she receives Jesus as Savior. God loves you and has been planning for you to be part of His Temple for a long time: "According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love" (Eph.1:6).

What a glorious Builder is our God! And what a magnificent Building He is bringing together in Christ: individual people being born again by the Holy Spirit, then being placed in one Body of Believers. The Bible says, speaking to you who belong to Jesus, "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1Cor.3:16); and "Ye are God's building" (1Cor.3:9). How can anyone get enthused over any physically structured temple after seeing the spiritual house that God is building with "living stones" (precious people)?! "To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house" (1Pet.2:4,5). Why would anyone want to try to make themselves be some other kind of a house by building a self image, when they can see the wonderful work God is doing on the new creation within their inner being?!

The Bible states that before the return of Christ, the Antichrist will be revealed. It says, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God" (2Thes.2:3,4). This scripture verse appears to say that the Antichrist will sit in the temple and claim to be God. It does not say that Satan will actually sit in the Temple of God, but rather that he will exalt himself to that position. Satan is always exalting himself; he will exalt himself to that position, but only in his ambition. He never has and never will sit in the seat of Almighty God! He tried it before the angels and was cast out of Heaven like a bolt of lighting (Luke 10:18); (Rev.12:9). When he tries it again before people, he will be destroyed by the brightness of the coming of the Lord (2Thes.2:8).

Looking further on in the book of Second Thessalonians, chapter two, we can see that the power of the Antichrist will be in lying signs and wonders to deceive those who do not love the Truth and will believe a lie, those who will not come to Jesus and be saved but have "pleasure in unrighteousness" (verses 9-12). We who belong to Jesus have the protection of God from the wiles of the devil. So rather than being fearful of the boastful lies of Satan, we should, by faith, put on the whole armor of God (Eph.6:11), and resist the devil by standing firm in the promises of Christ. Satan is not allowed in the Temple of God. He cannot enter the sacred area in your inner heart where Jesus dwells: "Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world" (1John 4:4). The Antichrist may sit in some manmade temple of wood or stone, but he will never, ever sit in the real Temple of God.

The Temple of God will surely be built to completion, but it will be made, not by man, but, by the Hand of God. The Bible says, "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it" (Ps.127:1). God is the Builder; He is the excellent, almighty, all skillful Masterbuilder who does His work perfectly. We do have the blessed privilege of working with Him by helping as He leads.

Watching the Heavenly Father building the Last Temple is the most glorious sight on earth. Who cares to look for some temporary, natural structure being built by men, when one can watch an eternal edifice being formed by the Hand of God that will shine throughout eternity?!

It is a wonderful sight to see, as the gospel goes forth, people coming to Jesus and receiving the new birth. That is the beginning of the building of the Temple of God. It could be called the gathering of the material for the construction of the Temple that is being built in Christ. The whole world can see this gathering, but to have the privilege of seeing the Heavenly Father building His Temple, one must first belong to Jesus and then learn to view, by faith, the new creation that God has placed within.

Not only can we who belong to Christ see the Lord working on the best of all His creations, but we have the awesome privilege to actually work with Him! He loves to have us do that work, but there is a problem: we have our own building plans. We want to take over the job, and then we ask God to help us. We have drawn up our own blueprints for building our spiritual lives, which includes trying to produce Godly behavior in our own strength. We have been taught how to perform to be better Christians; how to work and earn from God; how to build a good self image; and how to place our trust in unrighteous mammon (money). Enough of that. It is time for a change!

Changing our own way of working at the building of our lives is difficult, if not impossible; but if we stop to take a look at what we have built compared to the glorious Temple that the Lord is building, we will be willing to let go of the control and do things His way, as He leads. All it takes is our willingness; He will do the rest. Even if we try to change our ways, that still is us trying to do it. It is so much easier to let Him give what it takes to build His Building. He will give us all we need, including a renewing of the mind, so that His thoughts become our thoughts, and then we will be able to see things from His viewpoint.

When we see our Lord building us, His Temple, up in His righteousness, His Joy, His faith, His patience and His unlimited love, let us with thankful hearts say, "Lord, You keep doing the building, and as we embrace Your invitation to help, teach us to do things Your way, for You are The Magnificent Builder."