Six Reasons Why I Believe the End is Very Near!

In response to several comments on my last blog about the Blood Moons, I would like to clarify several points about the “end times” and signs that we have in Scripture concerning this. How can I state so categorically that I believe we are living on the verge of the events foretold in Scripture?

 

After studying these things for most of my life, and having been taught them at Multnomah Bible University, I feel I can speak to you about this topic. Let’s take a look at one of the most astounding passages in the Bible about end times signs.

All of the signs of the Lord’s return to this earth that He gave His disciples in Matthew 24 refer to His second coming, not to what is known as the rapture of the church.

When Christ comes for His “bride,” He does not touch the earth. He is in the clouds and calls His people to Himself to meet Him in the clouds. The Second Coming means His literal return to planet earth when He sets up His earthly, 1,000 year kingdom in Jerusalem. This event has been foretold by all the prophets, beginning with Isaiah down through Zechariah. This is NOT heaven. Christ’s kingdom will be in the earthly sphere, and there will still be death, sickness, sin and sorrow on this earth. Satan and the demons will be chained during this time, and, yes, His coming will bring about fantastic changes to nature (the wolf and the lamb will lie down together), but we see a huge rebellion against Christ arising in the world and culminating in a huge war against the King at the end of the 1,000 years. This does not sound like heaven to me.

In thinking of this, we understand that there are NO signs given for the Rapture of the church. The Rapture will occur (we believe in a pre-tribulation rapture) sometime before the beginning of the Great Tribulation and it may usher in that time period. (See II Pet. 2:9) The Great Tribulation lasts for seven years. So if we see the signs that Jesus gave being fulfilled in our day, then we know His coming is close. He is standing at the door. The angels are poised to blow the trumpets.

Things are about to change.

What are the signs of our Lord’s return to this earth?

The disciples asked that question of the Lord in Matt. 24:3, “As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age.'”

Jesus answered the last question first. The answer to the first question is found in v. 42, “Therefore, be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.” And again in Matt. 25:10, “Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.” No one knows the day or the hour. This is spoken about people who are living during the Tribulation and who believe in Christ. These people will be looking for the Lord’s return to earth even more intensely than we do today, for they will be persecuted and killed like rats. They will be hunted down, beheaded, and tortured. They will be hated even worse than the Jews were during the Holocaust. Jesus says they will not know the day or hour, but they should know the year, for if they count the time from the rapture to their present day, they will know when the seven years are accomplished.

The answer to the second question applies to the Great Tribulation period of time, seven years, during which the believers from this age will be in heaven with the Lord.

Remember that with the rapture of the church (all true believers in Christ), the focus shifts to Israel and the Jews. It is a time of purifying the nation of Israel so they will receive Christ when He comes, and it is also a time of worldwide judgment of God against sin and sinful mankind, much like the flood. For a fuller explanation of these days, read Rev. 6-18.

In Matt. 24,verses 4-14 refer to the first half of the Tribulation period. These signs include: false “christs” who proclaim to be Christ and will mislead many away from God; wars and rumors of war; worldwide wars; famines and earthquakes. We are told that these will increase and become more frequent as the “day” approaches, much like birth pains when a woman has a child. We learn that Jesus also said that people would persecute believers and hate them and kill them during the first half of the Tribulation period. Many will “fall away” and recant their faith in God to keep from being persecuted. Many false prophets will arise. Lawlessness will increase. People will cease to have a “natural” love for one another and will even betray their own family members. The Gospel message will be preached to all the world during this time, as well.

In Matt. 24, verse 15-28, we see the signs for the last half of the Tribulation period when things really heat up and God’s judgments are poured out on the earth. These include: the Anti-Christ (evil world dictator who proclaims himself to be God and Christ) when he enters the Temple and desecrates it by enthroning himself as god. This world ruler will then persecute the Jews, so they must flee Jerusalem.

The chapter closes with several parables that Jesus gives that illustrate the need for people of all ages to be ready and alert for His coming.

Jesus said in v. 36 that great wickedness will cover the earth much like it did in the days of Noah. But God will have the final say. He will judge. He will come. When the nations are amassed in the valley of Armageddon to destroy Israel, He will appear in the sky (and we will be with Him!) and with a breath, He will destroy all His enemies.

Matt. 24:40-41 is probably one of the most misunderstood passages in the Bible. I remember singing a song, “I Wish We’d All Been Ready,” that referred to this passage. In the song, the person who is “taken” is supposedly taken in the rapture of the church. But this is not so. These verses are talking about the end of the Tribulation period just prior to when Christ comes to set up His kingdom. So the one “taken” is taken for judgment and hell. The one “left” is left to enter the Kingdom with Christ as one of His redeemed ones.

So why do I believe that we are in the last days of this age?

Are the signs Jesus gave being fulfilled even as I write? And if the Church is taken out of this world seven years BEFORE His coming, how much closer are we now to the fulfillment of Christ’s prophecies that He gave in Matthew 24?

1. The sign of the blood moons.

Now I must clarify that there are “blood moons” occurring during the Tribulation period as a sign from God that people should repent, that He is shaking and disturbing the moon and sun to show people He is God and should be feared and obeyed. If we see this same phenomenon in our world today, does this say to us that we are very close to the end of the age? Yes, we can.

2. Increase in earthquakes.

Have you noticed how these are increasing in intensity and frequency in the last few months? And that the volcano under Yellowstone Lake is beginning to be more active? These are signs to us that we should notice because God is warning that our time on earth is very short.

3. Increase in evil and the disregard for righteousness and for God and His Word.

I won’t go into detail about the many faces of evil in our world today because you see it all around you. The persecution of Christians around the world has increased in severity and scope. These are signs we should notice even in our age that God is going to come. He is going to judge. He will not remain silent much longer.

4. Increase in false teachers.

Many have come proclaiming they are the messiah, the christ, the lord of all. Yet they die and their followers find someone else to fill their shoes. These false teachers, like Jim Jones and others of his ilk, lead many astray to their deaths.

5. Russia is on the move and is forming alliances with former enemies like Turkey and Iran.

Have you been noticing? How could Russia form an alliance with Turkey and Iran, their sworn enemies? Yet it is happening as I write. Russia is on the move. Watch what is happening there. We are told in Ezekiel that Russia (the land of Gog and Magog) will form an alliance with many nations and will march against Israel to take it over. We see this happening today. Yet God will destroy this mighty army entirely.

6. Israel’s enemies are poised to attack. Iran, Iraq, Syria, Egypt — all the ancient enemies of Israel who have sworn to “drive Israel off the face of the world” — are poised to attack God’s people and nation.

Will God stand by and allow this to happen? Will these nations eliminate Israel and the Jews from the face of the earth? I don’t think so.

Why does God tarry? How we long to hear that trumpet sound! The answer is in II Pet. 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” It is His great love and mercy that stays His hand.

 

And what are we to do while we wait?

1. Pray and witness like never before.

Now is the time to be bold, my friends! If you thought that Christ was coming TOMORROW, would you be afraid to knock on a few doors and warn people of the coming doom? Why are you afraid to do it today?

2. Ask God to cleanse you, change you, and conform you to His image.

Get in the Word and allow it to cleanse you and set your focus on things above, not on things of this earth.

3. Get involved in a ministry in your church or neighborhood to actively reach out to the lost.

Is your church doing a VBS program this summer? Volunteer to help. Get involved with the youth group, with an outreach to seniors, with whatever God puts before you. You say you can’t because you’re too busy? Ah, my friend. The time is too short. MAKE time. You know you can, because you make time for the things you really want to do. Set your priorities to be God honoring, not self honoring.

Luke 21:28, “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Are you ready?

What are your thoughts about this topic? What does it mean to you that Christ and His angels are poised to move into human history and change everything? Leave me a response.