Over the past few days, there has been extraordinary movement and upheaval in our world. Wherever we look, individuals and nations alike seem to be undergoing a profound shaking, as in Iran and Venezuela, and it can be difficult to understand exactly what is unfolding before our eyes.
Yet it is precisely at such moments that we are called to turn our eyes back to God and His Word and to remember this foundational truth: He is in charge. He is sovereign.
I would like to share a prophecy that speaks powerfully to the times in which we live. At the close of the book of Daniel, the prophet is told, “But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.” Daniel 12: 4
Revealing More of Daniel
When Daniel is told to “conceal these words,” he is not instructed to hide the book itself, because the Scriptures have always been open to all to read. Rather, we are told that the full meaning of end-time prophecies would not be fully understood until the time near their fulfillment, when they would begin to unfold before the eyes of those reading the Scriptures.
Today, nearly 2,500 years after these prophecies were given, we are truly beginning to perceive and understand them; not fully yet, but sufficiently to recognize that the very elements they describe are taking shape in our own lifetime.
All of this points to one clear conclusion: we are very close. In this context, Jesus, speaking of the end times, says that when these things begin, events will no longer unfold slowly but will accelerate rapidly, using the vivid image of birth pangs.
Yeshua’s Own Prophecy
According to Yeshua’s own prophecy, the movement of the end times was triggered by the rebirth of the fig tree, that is, the reestablishment of the nation of Israel in 1948. “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.” Matthew 24:32-33
From that moment, when the fig tree’s leaves appeared, the nations of the world began to realign, exactly as the prophets had foretold. That realignment has not stopped since; it is still in motion, and we are witnessing it today. What is happening in places such as Venezuela and Iran is not random. In fact, these two countries have maintained significant ties. As one Venezuelan opposition leader stated, “Some people talk about an invasion of Venezuela. I respond that Venezuela has already been invaded. We have Russian agents, Iranian agents, and terrorist groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas operating freely in the country.”
Venezuela and Iran
The disruption and potential fall of the Venezuelan government are not only a regional issue; they are sending shockwaves far beyond Latin America and having repercussions that extend into the Middle East.
At the same time, growing unrest in Iran, marked by increasing protests reported this morning across the country, may push the regime to rely even more on Russia. This trend aligns with end-time prophecies that portray Iran and Russia forming a close alliance, one that ultimately stands against the West, especially against Israel.
Greenland and NATO
What about Greenland? Just this past week, after the U.S. expressed interest in taking control of the territory, even by force, it raised the unprecedented prospect of one NATO nation acting against another. The Danish prime minister warned that such an action would effectively mark the end of NATO. Her concern stems from Article 5, which holds that an armed attack against one member is considered an attack against all, a position that would deeply fracture the alliance.
From a biblical perspective, the eventual weakening or transformation of NATO should not surprise us. Scripture tells us that in the final stage of history, the Western world will no longer be represented by a broad alliance of many nations, such as the 32 nations today, but by a much smaller coalition. Both Daniel and the book of Revelation speak of a future alliance, a powerful yet reduced force of 10 nations. What we are witnessing today may be part of that gradual reshaping.
All of these things remind us that things do not happen by chance: The Lord directs the course of history. Soon, we will revisit these end-time prophecies to better understand the movement of this world.
“To and Fro”: Immigration
But have you noticed what else the Daniel prophecy tells us? The expression “back and forth” or “to and fro” comes from a single Hebrew word, שׁוּט (shut), which means to roam or move about, often at a rapid pace. This prophecy points to a dramatic increase in human movement in the last days. People will travel, relocate, and migrate from one place to another. If this includes immigration and emigration, what we are witnessing today is truly unprecedented in scale, speed, and global reach. Migration now involves almost every nation, either as a place of origin, transit, or destination.
And modern transportation further fits this picture. At any given moment, there are roughly 10,000 aircraft in the air worldwide.
Knowledge Increases: AI
But Daniel also says, “knowledge will increase.” If this refers to prophetic understanding, we are clearly seeing things today that could not have been understood even a century ago. If it refers to general knowledge, many once thought this pointed to the internet, and indeed it did. But today, artificial intelligence fits this prophecy even more precisely.
In a short span of time, we moved from the internet as a vast library of information to AI as an interactive guide that can summarize, compare, explain, translate, and apply information instantly. Knowledge is no longer merely stored; it is processed and used in real time. Never before has humanity had access to so much information so quickly. Truly, knowledge is increasing day by day.
Yet all of these things point to and confirm one powerful truth: God is fully in control, even when the world around us seems chaotic and directionless. And it is precisely this truth that lies at the heart of the portion of Malachi we are about to explore.
Click here for the Video: Israel and the Nations: Opening the Seal