“Because,” said John Edwards, “for the first time in twenty-five hundred years, the Jews were actually in charge of their own capital city.”

“I don’t see it,” Carl said. “I know there’s been a lot of flack over Jerusalem, but what does a little old town in the Middle East have to do with the end of the age?”

“Carl, the Lord established the Jewish people to be His prophetic time clock about four thousand years ago. Three thousand years ago, Jerusalem became their capital.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t really answer the question,” Carl said.

“Jerusalem is now the spiritual center for Jews and Christians alike,” said John. “So, what happens in Jerusalem has great spiritual significance. I’ll show you in a minute.

“Later,” he continued, “the Jewish nation split in two. Ten tribes formed the northern region called Israel, two tribes formed the southern region called Judah. In 721 B.C., virtually the entire population of Israel was carried captive into Assyria. Later, in 586 B.C., Judah was carried captive into Babylon. The descendants of those who came back from Babylon, seventy years later, rebelled against the Romans in A.D. 70. The Romans, under the Emperor Titus, crushed them, and that was the end of the Jewish nation for nearly two thousand years. But, as if by a miracle, in 1948, a new Jewish nation was formed at the very site of ancient Jerusalem, just as the ancient prophets had promised would happen. Ever since that time, Christians have been waiting for this prophecy about Jerusalem to take place.”

Lori said, “Jack, I’m sorry, but I still don’t understand why this is such a big deal.”

“Here’s why it’s so important, Lori,” John answered. “Jesus said that the age of the Gentiles, which is the age we’re living in now, would be over whenever the Jews got control of Jerusalem again. I believe the Jewish victory in 1967 started what I would call the generation of the end of the Gentile age. A Bible generation is forty years. So, that puts the end of the Gentile age around 2007.”

“Whoa, Pastor Jack!” Dave exclaimed. “Do you mean it’s all gonna be over in seven years?”

“Dave,” said John Edwards, “you know the Bible well enough to realize that none of us can tell the exact date when Jesus will return. But we can certainly look at the signs, because He put them there to point us in the right direction.