Are we living in the End Times? Six Signs given by Jesus to indicate his coming and the end of the age
1. False Prophets and Christs
Shortly before his crucifixion, Jesus preached regarding profound events that would occur at the end of the age just prior to his Second Coming. Jesus emphasized that the false Christs will perform great signs and miracles, and will manifest terrible deception.
Matthew 24:5 “For many will come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and will mislead many.”
Matthew 24:11 “And many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many.”
2. Wars and Rumors of Wars
Rumors of wars in all areas of the world now occur frequently thanks to instant media coverage and the availability of a multitude of 24-hour news sources.
Matthew 24:6 “And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.”
Matthew 24:7 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.”
3. Earthquakes
Matthew 24:6-7 (New International Version) “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.”
Some relatively recent statistics suggest that Christ’s earthquake predictions are coming true at an alarming rate. In the year 1970 when there were 4,139 recorded earthquakes. Then in 1980 there were 7,348 and in 1990 there were 16,612, more than double the amount in year 1980 and four times the amount in 1970. In 2000 there were 22,256 recorded quakes.
5. Tribulations
Matthew 24:8-9 (New International Version) “All these are the beginning of birth pains.”Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.”
Christians are under attack throughout the world today. In the United States Christians still enjoy freedom to worship God without suffering much more than ridicule, hatred, or discrimination at work and school. However in many other countries such as China, Sudan, Africa, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Russia, and many Muslim nations, Christian suffer much greater persecution and often times death for their faith.
6. Gospel will be preached throughout the whole world
“This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matthew 24:14.
Before the fall of Jerusalem, Paul, writing by the Holy Spirit, declared that the gospel was preached to “every creature which is under heaven.” Col. 1:23. So now, before the coming of the Son of man, the everlasting gospel is to be preached “to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.” Rev. 14:6, 14. God “hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world.” Acts 17:31. Christ tells us when that day shall be ushered in. He does not say that all the world will be converted, but that “this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”
Today this prophecy is being fulfilled by the same means as in Paul’s day, however the messages are also going out via the powerful technologies of radio, television, and the internet.
2 Signs given by the Apostle Paul to indicate the end of the age
1. Godlessness in the last days
II Timothy 3:1-5,7 “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of god; holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
America is in the midst of a tremendous crisis. An epidemic of pornography, crime, illegal drugs, and moral degeneracy is threatening to overwhelm us. Suicide is becoming a popular solution to human problems. Divorce rates are climbing wildly, with nearly one marriage in two ending in the divorce court. The current immoral generation–with its obsession with sex and filth, with its increasing church membership but decreasing true spirituality–is plain and positive fulfillment of God’s Word. For a real shock, see how many of the last-day sins listed in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 you can find depicted in any issue of your Sunday newspaper. Nothing short of the coming of the Lord will stem the tide of evil that is now engulfing the world.
2. Apostasy – Falling Away from the church
I Timothy 4:1-3 “But the spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons. By means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.”
Many people today, including a vast number of the heads of nations, seek counsel from psychics, channelers, and spiritualists. Spiritualism has invaded the churches, as well, with the false teaching of the immortality of the soul.
1. False Prophets and Christs
Shortly before his crucifixion, Jesus preached regarding profound events that would occur at the end of the age just prior to his Second Coming. Jesus emphasized that the false Christs will perform great signs and miracles, and will manifest terrible deception.
Matthew 24:5 “For many will come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and will mislead many.”
Matthew 24:11 “And many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many.”
2. Wars and Rumors of Wars
Rumors of wars in all areas of the world now occur frequently thanks to instant media coverage and the availability of a multitude of 24-hour news sources.
Matthew 24:6 “And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.”
Matthew 24:7 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.”
3. Earthquakes
Matthew 24:6-7 (New International Version) “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.”
Some relatively recent statistics suggest that Christ’s earthquake predictions are coming true at an alarming rate. In the year 1970 when there were 4,139 recorded earthquakes. Then in 1980 there were 7,348 and in 1990 there were 16,612, more than double the amount in year 1980 and four times the amount in 1970. In 2000 there were 22,256 recorded quakes.
5. Tribulations
Matthew 24:8-9 (New International Version) “All these are the beginning of birth pains.”Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.”
Christians are under attack throughout the world today. In the United States Christians still enjoy freedom to worship God without suffering much more than ridicule, hatred, or discrimination at work and school. However in many other countries such as China, Sudan, Africa, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Russia, and many Muslim nations, Christian suffer much greater persecution and often times death for their faith.
6. Gospel will be preached throughout the whole world
“This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matthew 24:14.
Before the fall of Jerusalem, Paul, writing by the Holy Spirit, declared that the gospel was preached to “every creature which is under heaven.” Col. 1:23. So now, before the coming of the Son of man, the everlasting gospel is to be preached “to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.” Rev. 14:6, 14. God “hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world.” Acts 17:31. Christ tells us when that day shall be ushered in. He does not say that all the world will be converted, but that “this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”
Today this prophecy is being fulfilled by the same means as in Paul’s day, however the messages are also going out via the powerful technologies of radio, television, and the internet.
2 Signs given by the Apostle Paul to indicate the end of the age
1. Godlessness in the last days
II Timothy 3:1-5,7 “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of god; holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
America is in the midst of a tremendous crisis. An epidemic of pornography, crime, illegal drugs, and moral degeneracy is threatening to overwhelm us. Suicide is becoming a popular solution to human problems. Divorce rates are climbing wildly, with nearly one marriage in two ending in the divorce court. The current immoral generation–with its obsession with sex and filth, with its increasing church membership but decreasing true spirituality–is plain and positive fulfillment of God’s Word. For a real shock, see how many of the last-day sins listed in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 you can find depicted in any issue of your Sunday newspaper. Nothing short of the coming of the Lord will stem the tide of evil that is now engulfing the world.
2. Apostasy – Falling Away from the church
I Timothy 4:1-3 “But the spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons. By means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.”
Many people today, including a vast number of the heads of nations, seek counsel from psychics, channelers, and spiritualists. Spiritualism has invaded the churches, as well, with the false teaching of the immortality of the soul.
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