When I led a team to the Holy Land in February, the Holy Spirit spoke these words to me: “The earth is groaning louder in Israel.”
I shared it with a few people and have been praying on it. I knew immediately the Holy Spirit was pointing me to Romans 8:22-24:
“We know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. Not only that, but we also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan within ourselves while eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For we are saved through hope, but hope that is seen is not hope, for why does a man still hope for what he sees?”
The whole creation includes the earth, stars, plants, animals and human beings. But the Holy Spirit specifically pointed to the earth groaning in Israel, and even louder in Israel than in other places.
What does this mean? It means we’re edging closer to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. After Joel prophesied about God pouring out His spirit on all flesh and people prophesying, having dreams and visions in Joel 2:28-29, he prophesied about the end times in verses 30-32:
“Then I will work wonders in the heavens and the earth—blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awe-inspiring day of the Lord comes. And it will be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors whom the Lord calls.” {eoa}
Click here to read the rest of this article.
Stephen Strang 
Charisma Media Staff 
Charisma Staff