Welcome to the final article in our “Signs In Our Times?” series. Throughout this entire time, we have been going through parts of the Bible that talk about the last days prior to the rapture and the tribulation. (For a full discussion on these topics, please see the articles “Vanishing People?” and “How Will the World End?” ) Today, our goal is to summarize what we have discussed and try to see what it is all telling us.
According to the Bible, if we are, in fact, living in the last days before the rapture and the tribulation, we should see:
- Israel become a nation in one day and Jews from all over the world returning to Israel (The Nation of Israel)
- Russia turning against Israel (Russia Vs. Israel) and geo-political events lining up for the Gog-Magog War from Ezekiel (The Gog-Magog War)
- Systems, technologies, and ideologies in place that pave the way for the Antichrist (A Red Carpet for the Antichrist Part I and Part II)
- A worldwide collapse of strong leadership (Leadership Collapse)
- Wars and rumors of advanced warfare (including cyber war and nuclear war) throughout the world (Wars & Rumors of Wars)
- Pandemics, new diseases, and general world-wide fear surrounding them. (Pestilence)
- The threat of worldwide famine exacerbated by rampant inflation (Famine)
- There would be an increase in violence related to race, gang warfare, politics, and religion (Nation Against Nation)
- Increased threats and violence focused on Jerusalem (Epicenter Jerusalem)
- People would become increasingly self-centered, discontent, negative, ungrateful, entitled, money focused, and getting their own needs met at the expense of others. Children would become more disobedient toward their parents. There would be a turning away from God and the church, the church would become apathetic and worldly, and people would celebrate what the Bible calls sin. (Paul’s Warning to Timothy)
So are we living in the final days before the tribulation? Will Christians be called to meet Jesus in the air (raptured) during out lifetime? I don’t know!
“However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.
“When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.
“Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.
Words of Jesus recorded in Matthew 24:36-41 (NLT)
So if Jesus tells us that we won’t know, why should we even study this? Because in the very next verses, Jesus tells us to watch for his coming and what we should do while we watch.
“So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.
“A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? The master will return unannounced and unexpected,
Matthew 24:42-50 (NLT)
Most of the Jews living when Jesus came to earth missed their Messiah, because they weren’t watching for him. Had they studied the scriptures and prophecies of what we call the Old Testament, they would have been able to not only recognize Jesus, but they would have known the exact day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey! Although we can’t know the exact day, we can be aware of the signs in our times and live our lives as though the rapture could happen any second.
The apostle Peter also gives us a warning and a command related to this:
Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.”
They deliberately forget that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.
But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.
Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.
And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.
2 Peter 3:3-14 (NLT, emphasis mine)
Studying end times prophecies cause some to be fearful, but in truth, they should give us hope and motivate us to witness to those who are not saved. Jesus will return, and when he does, it will be a beautiful day for the believer. Everything in scripture suggests that Jesus will call the church, his bride, to be with him in Heaven before unleashing judgement on a Christ-rejecting, sinful world. It is simply not in his nature to punish his bride along with others. And although the Tribulation period will be horrible, it is what is necessary to open the eyes of the Jews to their Messiah and to turn the hearts of others to the truth of the Bible. As horrible as that time will be, it is nothing compared to an eternity separated from God in hell and it will serve as a final opportunity for salvation for many.
So let us look forward with hope and joy, watching continuously for our Savior!
For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.
Titus 2:11-14 (NLT, emphasis mine)
Songs of Victory
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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