The signs are as follows:
- The Gospel will be preached in all the world before the physical return of Jesus Christ to the earth occurs at Armageddon, although exhaustive efforts are presently underway to accomplish this:
Matthew 24:14: 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.
- There will be a mixture of believers and false believers within the Church body:
Matthew 13:24-30: Another
parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is
likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men
slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his
way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then
appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and
said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from
whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done
this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and
gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares,
ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the
harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather
ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them:
but gather the wheat into my barn.
- There will be scoffers:
The Bible tells us one of the
key signs of the end times will be people doubting the return of
Christ will ever happen.
2nd Peter 3:3-4: Knowing this
first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after
their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for
since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from
the beginning of the creation.
- Humanity will be able to cross the globe rapidly and science will be advancing:
Daniel
12:4: But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even
to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge
shall be increased.
- Perilous times will come for mankind:
2nd Timothy 3:1: This know also,
that in the last days perilous times shall come.
- Mankind will deny God once flooded the earth:
2nd Peter 3:5-6: For this they
willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were
of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water,
perished:
- The earth will be swimming in a sea of violence:
As it was in the days of Noah
(Luke 17:26), so it shall be at the end. How was the earth in Noah's
time?
Look no further than Genesis
6:11: The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled
with violence.
- There will be warfare all over the globe:
Mark 13:8: For nation shall rise
against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
- Mankind will have the capability to destroy all life on the planet:
Unique to our generation,
this prophecy could not have been fulfilled prior to the invention of
weapons of mass destruction such as the nuclear bomb. Matthew 24: 22:
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be
saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
- Deadly diseases will be rampant:
Matthew 24:7: For nation shall
rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be
famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
- Famines will be common:
Matthew 24:7: For nation shall
rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall
be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
- Earthquakes will be occurring globally:
Matthew 24:7: For nation shall
rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall
be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers
places.
- There will be violent weather:
Luke 21:25- And there shall be
signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the
earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves
roaring;
- Children will be disobedient and rebellious:
2nd Timothy 3:2: For men shall
be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud,
blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
- Christians and Jews will be hated for their faith in and connection with Christ:
Luke 21:17: And ye shall be
hated of all men for my name's sake.
- Mankind will be in a state of moral, spiritual decay:
2nd
Timothy 3:2-5: For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous,
boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful,
unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers,
incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors,
heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such
turn away.
- Religious cults will flourish:
2nd Peter 2:1: But there were
false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false
teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies,
even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves
swift destruction.
- There will be progress made toward a global government:
The European Union, the
revived Roman Empire, is alive today and moving steadily toward the
fulfillment of this prophecy as seen in Daniel 7: 23: "The
fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be
diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and
shall tread it down, and break it in pieces." The Antichrist who
will lead this world government (after the rapture of the Christian
Church takes place) will be (or become) leader of the European Union
as seen in Daniel 9:26. He will be a descendant of the people who
destroyed the city of Jerusalem and its sanctuary in AD 70, the
Romans.
- The world will be desperately seeking peace:
1st Thessalonians 5:3: For when
they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon
them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
- Global means of communication will exist:
We know this because the book of
Revelation teaches us the entire world will see several events. This
is unique to our generation as only recently in mankind's history
have these technologies been present.
Revelation 11:9: And they of the
people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead
bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies
to be put in graves.
- Israel will exist as a nation in the latter days:
Read Ezekiel
37:1-14 to see this prophecy, which was fulfilled in 1948.
- Israel's birth as a nation will have happened in one day:
Fulfilled on May 14, 1948 as
seen in Isaiah 66:8: "Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen
such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or
shall a nation be born at once?"
- Israel will be in possession of Jerusalem (has been since 1967):
This happened as a result of the
Six-Day War in 1967. The capture of Jerusalem was critical from a
prophetic standpoint as the Antichrist will someday enter a rebuilt
Holy Temple that will be standing in Jerusalem at the midpoint of the
Tribulation Period where he will declare himself to be God. This
event, referred to by most as the abomination of desolation, is
documented in Daniel 9:27 and Matthew 24:15.
- Israel will be surrounded on every side by enemies:
Psalms 83:4: They have said,
Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of
Israel may be no more in remembrance.
- The possession of Jerusalem will be the source of international conflict:
Is this happening today or what?
It's a HUGE sign to us! Zechariah 12:3: And in that day will I make
Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden
themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of
the earth be gathered together against it.
- Christians will be lukewarm in their faith:
In
Christ's address to the seven churches, He says in Revelation 3:15: I
know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert
cold or hot.
- Many will claim to be Christ:
Matthew 24:5: For many shall
come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
- False Christs and false prophets will be very effective in the art of deception:
Matthew 24:24: For there shall
arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs
and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive
the very elect.
- There will be signs in the heavens:
Luke
21:25: And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in
the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;
the sea and the waves roaring;
- Mockers will abound because those who live according to their own desires love to mock those who try to live theirs in a manner pleasing to God.
Jude 1:18: How that they told
you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after
their own ungodly lusts.
- Idolatry will be common:
Revelation
9:20: And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues
yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not
worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone,
and of wood:
which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
- Many Christians and church doctrines will depart from the faith:
1st Timothy 4:1: Now the Spirit
speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from
the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
- Mankind's state of rebellion will be so great, the coming of Christ will catch them completely off-guard:
Luke 21:35: For as a snare shall
it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
- Homosexuality will be flaunted:
Leviticus 20:13: "If a man
also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have
committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their
blood shall be upon them."
This is also spoken of in Luke
17:28- 30: "Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did
eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and
brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be
in the day when the Son of man is revealed."
Although homosexuality is an
abomination in the eyes of God, all sin is! I bring up this point
because many Christians treat homosexuality as if it is the most
unforgivable sin of all. Jesus Christ forgives all sins and we, His
followers, should be reaching out to these people with love in our
hearts that they might be saved! Homosexuality is not an unpardonable
sin any more than any other sin is!
- Many will rejoice in their unrighteousness:
2nd
Thessalonians 2: 12: "That they all might be damned who believed
not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
These people, according to 2nd
Thessalonians 2:11, will be subject to believing the lie the
Antichrist will present to the world in the aftermath of the Rapture
of the Church, leading many of them to eternal damnation. God will
allow them to be deceived, it seems, as a reward for their bold
defiance of Him. What a frightening thought!
- Aliyah will be taking place:
What is Aliyah? Aliyah is the
Hebrew word used to describe the physical return of the Jewish
people, the children of Israel, to their ancient Promised Land, Zion,
from abroad.
In Scripture, God promised He
would bring the Jews (descendants of Abraham) back to their Promised
Land from all the nations of the world where He had scattered them!
It is happening even as you read these words.
Ezekiel 36:24: For I will take
you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and
will bring you into your own land.
39. There
will be signs Earth's environment is in trouble:
Romans 8:21-23: Because the
creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of
corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we
know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain
together until now. And not only [they], but ourselves also,
which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan
within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, [to wit], the
redemption of our body.
40. Technology
will exist capable of tracking the world's population, finances.
Revelation 13:16-17: And he
causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to
receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that
no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of
the beast, or the number of his name.
41. The
capability will exist for an army of 200 million
soldiers to be formed:
In Revelation 9:16, John sees a
specific number of soldiers/"horsemen" preparing for or
entering into war: And the number of the army of the horsemen
were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
Estimates of the total human
population of Earth during Christ's day typically vary between 100 to
400 million people. In 2004, the CIA determined China had an
estimated 208,143,352 in its population alone fit
for military service.
As of 2006, that number
had risen to 281,240,272 men
fit for military
service.
42. Drug
use will be rampant:
Revelation 9:21: Neither
repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries,
nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
The original Greek for the word
'sorceries' is pharmakeia {far-mak-i'-ah}. It means the use of or the
administering of drugs OR sorcery, magical arts, often found
in connection with idolatry and fostered by it.
43. Evil
men, seducers and deceivers will get worse and worse. (2nd Timothy
3:13)
One doesn't have to think too
hard to realize this prophecy is being dramatically fulfilled in our
times. Upon reading this, close your eyes for a moment and think of
how many people you know (or have heard of from reputable sources)
who seem to be evil to the core! Similarly, think of how many people
you know who have fallen victim to frauds and scams perpetrated by
seducers (deceivers/imposters). The world today seems full of these
types with no letup in sight.
44. There
will be wars and rumours of war.
Matthew 24:6: And ye shall hear
of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all
[these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
It seems that for every
international conflict that
exists at a given moment in our present time, there is potential for
another to manifest itself as well. It's as though our world is about
to blow apart at the seams!
45. When
we begin to collectively see the signs listed above, Christ's return
is near!
Luke 21:28: And when these
things BEGIN to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your
heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
Have you seen any of these signs in the world today?
