Reasons that shout, "We're in the End Times!"

If you open up your homepage online or read anything on social media these days, you cannot miss all the stories coming out about the end of time. If you want to succeed instantly as an author, write a book about UFOs or the Book of Revelation, and "presto," you're a candidate for the New York Times Best Seller list. OK, back to the topic.   

People around the globe are searching for answers; they see the world crumbling all around them, and we, as Christians, must be prepared spiritually to address them in a logical, calm, and reassuring way. Our job is to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ and offer those seeking answers some hope and reassurance rather than death, deception, and doom. Satan is busy spreading the doom and gloom, so we need to counter his assault on the world.

There is no better time to do it when the world is in chaos. The secular world is looking for an anchor to help them fathom the worldwide storm, and they can't find it. They don't see one thing turning out right these days: our economy is in shambles, so you can't trust money. Inflation is taking more and more of our paychecks each week, so you can't place your faith and trust in the job market. Remember, a year ago, everyone was ranting about the "livable wage": "Give us $15.00 an hour, and that will solve the issue". Well, of course, these days, the unofficial minimum wage is about $15.00-$17.00 per hour, and anyone who has studied the Keynesian Economic model could have told you that when salaries go up, so do the retail prices of everything we purchase, so it ended up being a zero-sum game. Everyone makes more, but it costs more to provide the basics. No one at the ladder's lower rungs can move up. Like the old saying, 'the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer,' it applies to the times we're living in. 

Of course, some place their trust in the donkey and the elephant. How's that working out for us? We have a House of Representatives that can't keep a speaker; many of our representatives are retiring (what do they see coming?). We have a President who can't seem to string together more than three sentences, and the Tea Party, MAGA, Patriot, III%, and like groups still feel that Trump is the next best thing to the Messiah himself. I am a dire, rigid conservative, but I've lost faith in politics because the common denominator with politics is MAN, and MAN cannot solve the problems we're facing these days. So I've placed my trust in the other animal...that being the Lamb.  

As a Christian, I don't understand why, when the world is seeking answers, they try every solution there is under the stars, except Jesus. Drug use is on the rise; 21.4% of Americans ages 12 and up used illegal drugs last month (Jan 24). That's up almost 4% in one year. Here's another one for you: 11% of Americans ages 12 or over have an alcohol addiction. I'll stop there. Do you get the idea? People are in pain, and they feel the solution is drugs or alcohol. Many of you, me included, came out of that lifestyle, and you know it doesn't solve any problem; it creates more. Some of them come to their senses and see the Light that defeats darkness every time; the only solution that works for every problem is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  (NCDAS, 2023-24)

Jesus knew these days were coming, and He has given us signs to watch for, take note of, and prepare for physically, mentally, and spiritually. When you go through this list, you will immediately be able to identify critical events that are going on in the world at this very moment.  By the end of the list, you should be convinced that we live in the end times.

Many things likely come to mind when you think about the end times. You probably envision fire coming from the heavens, zombies walking about, chaos erupting globally, and life as we know it ending. While these are the signs that Hollywood shows us in their movies, there are several signs that will occur before the last days that we should pay attention to. These are just some significant signs of the end times that we must watch because Jesus tells us so. Here are the critical final signs of the end of the world.

Signs of Deception

One of the significant signs of the end of times is deception. The Bible warns of false prophets who claim to be the Messiah. The false prophets will also claim they have answers for all the world's problems. Jesus gives us definite warnings in Matthew 24. Here, He mentions the false prophets who will use various signs and wonders to deceive us. Even the church will be deceived. These false prophets can include people in our government, trusted officials, preachers, teachers, and other world leaders. We must be observant and guard ourselves from this apostasy. We must be watched and guard our hearts and minds. These will not be ordinary men. In the last few days, many will cry out for leaders and turn to these false prophets who claim to have the answers. This is how the anti-Christ comes to power. (White, 2023)

Hunger and Famine

Another significant sign of the end times is hunger and Famine. While in some parts of the world, billions of dollars are spent on weight loss, while in many parts of the world, people are starving. According to the UN, about 11 percent of the world's population is hungry. That equates to ~805 million people are undernourished daily. Millions go hungry daily while we are blessed with a large and fertile planet. Remember, our government pays farmers nowadays not to plant crops. Why is that? Is there a hidden agenda? I think so! However, the Word of God clearly states that a great famine is coming.

Matthew 24:6-7 "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must occur, but the end is not yet. For Nation will rise against Nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places."

Luke 21:10-11 "Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against Nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and in various places, famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven."

Natural Disasters

When natural disasters occur, you always hear this, this was an act of God. While God orchestrates everything on this planet, it's going to be changing drastically. Just this past year, we faced record-breaking heatwaves, the polar vortex not only in America but also in Europe. We're getting devastating flooding in some areas of the western US. Just count the number of earthquakes and natural disasters over the last few decades; the numbers are increasing almost exponentially. Again, this is clearly articulated in the two verses above from Matthew and Luke.

The Spread of New Diseases (Pestilence)

Revelation 6:5-8 warns that new diseases and subsequent plagues will rock our world in the end times. Luke 21:11 also cautions that there will be pestilences in various places and fearful events in the last days. 

Many have wondered if the COVID-19 pandemic was one of the new diseases the Bible speaks of. Possibly, but now, the new pestilence being discussed is Disease X. What in the world is Disease X? Well, the World Health Organization (WHO) doesn't know, but to keep things interesting, they prepare for it.  

Revelation 6:8 "I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth."

Zechariah 14:12: "And the LORD will send a plague on all the nations that fought against Jerusalem. Their people will become like walking corpses, their flesh rotting away. Their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths." They're coming! 

War

Since recorded history, there have only been 268 years of peace. Scripture warns us that a significant sign of Jesus' ultimate return is war among groups of people. This is another sign many people wonder about what is occurring. The Book of Revelation references a period called the Tribulation. We are told there will be a great deal of war during this period. We're seeing it all around us. I've heard more about World War III in the past six months than at any other time in my life, and I believe we're on the brink of it. We currently have the war in Ukraine and Israel, Russia has its finger on the nuke, China wants Taiwan, and now we have the Houthis and Iran and the US shooting at each other. We are spending more and more and more on weapons to kill more people, yet millions of people wish to have clean water and enough food. How sad. This world is marching to the drum of war; it ends with a great war called Armageddon, where Christ returned with His saints to destroy the Anti-Christ, the Kings of the earth, and their armies.

Rumors of War

In addition to listing war as a sign of the end times, Jesus also mentions rumors of war. Many people think that Jesus is simply warning us of war in the last days, but Jesus is instructing us not to allow rumors of war to concern or alarm us because "the end is not yet." Jesus was doing the same thing when He spoke of false Christ in Matthew 24:5. Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:8 that "all these are the beginning of the birth pains." (White, 2023) 

Signs in the Heavens

The 6th Seal of Revelation details the signs in the heavens that haven't been witnessed since creation. One of the most prominent passages that reference these signs is Revelation 6:12-14. This passage says, "When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place." While many believe these are signs of despair, they are signs of hope. How many blood moons, eclipses, and other astronomical events have occurred recently on significant biblical days? Here is just one for you to research: Apophis. You can check it out for yourself.  

https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/asteroids/apophis/ (NASA, 2023)

Persecution

One of the signs that most believers overlook, and that's not discussed a lot, is persecution. Here in the West, we see it happening in the Middle East, North Korea, and China. We never think about the possibility of Christians being persecuted here in the US. I believe it's only a matter of time before there will be persecution of Christians here in the US. The word says we will also see hatred and betrayal increase. Just before Jesus references the rise of false prophets, He warns the disciples, "Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from Me and betray and hate each other." This is why we must be disciplined in our prayer lives. This is one of the reasons we're preppers: To protect our families physically.

Lawlessness

Jesus prophesied in the final days that there would be lawlessness. It's everywhere; I work part-time at one of the big box home improvement stores (the blue one, not the orange one). I see thousands of dollars in loss each week from people brazenly stealing from us. They are basically in our faces and tell us that they know we can't stop them. 

Many people think the lawlessness associated with the end times is as simple as people disobeying the 10 Commandments; it goes deeper than that; 2 Timothy 3:2-4 says, 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,4 Traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

This is happening because Satan sees his time is short, and he's out on the move fully engaged. As the world gets darker and more sinister, and we face more spiritual warfare at a personal level than ever before, our only hope is not with Obi-Won Kenobi but through Jesus Christ. 

We must go back to the scripture that states no man knows the time or the hour when the Son of God shall appear (Matthew 24:36). So, we should be busy trying to get as many people saved as possible. The ark is not filled! There is still room!  

In closing, no one on this earth will ever know the exact day God will return. But we can know the season. We must remain alert, vigilant, and constantly on watch! We should be mindful of His return and see that He will come back like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2). So even though these events must happen before God's return, we must be ready and stay ready. Ensure you're physically, mentally, and spiritually prepared for the events. Start by accepting the Lord as your savior today. It's simple. Just ask Him to come into your life and be your Captain. He will take control and guide you out of your storms and into a safer area. 

Get your preps in order, and wrap your head around that the world is reeling like a drunkard. It will soon stumble and fall, and understand that you were born for such a time as this, that we are the generation that will see the glorious return of Christ and the fulfillment of the prophecies regarding the end of days.   

Worldwide evangelist Billy Graham said he was "sounding the alarm" to humanity right before he died. "Repent or die,". Those are harsh words, but they ring true. He said, "God keeps his promises, and this is why we can be sure that the return of Christ is near," Graham proclaimed. "Scripture tells us that there will be signs pointing toward the return of the Lord. I believe all these signs are evident today." (Grover, 2013)

Our Captain has instructed us to fasten our seatbelts and securely stow our tray tables as we may experience some turbulence ahead. Don't worry; He's got the stick.

Wouldn't you agree that we're in the last days?

Michael

Bibliography

Grover, S.  International Business Times: (2013, October 10) https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/billy-graham-christ-rapture-prediction

NCDAS. Substance Abuse and Addiction Statistics [2023-2024]

NASA. (2023, June 15). Apophis. Retrieved from Overview - NASA: https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/asteroids/apophis/

White, L. (2023, October 1). The Final Signs of the End of the World. Retrieved from www.beliefnet.com: https://www.beliefnet.com