“Take heed: no one knows the day or hour when the end is coming. The messengers in heaven don’t know, nor does the Son. Only the Father knows.” (Mark 13:32, VOICE)
“What I’m about to tell you is true. The people living now will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.” (Luke 21:32, NIRV)
“Nations will do battle with nations, and kingdoms will fight
neighboring kingdoms, and there will be famines and earthquakes. “ (Matthew 24:7, VOICE)
“There will be disturbances around the
world—from great earthquakes to famines to epidemics. Terrifying things will
happen, and there will be shocking signs from heaven. “(Luke 21:11, VOICE)
“There will be signs in the sun, moon, and
stars. On earth, nations will be afraid and confused because of the roar and
fury of the sea. People will be so afraid they will faint,
wondering what is happening to the world, because the powers of the heavens
will be shaken.
Then
people will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
When these things begin to happen, look up and hold your heads high, because
the time when God will free you is near.” (Luke
21:25-28, NCV)
No one can tell us with certainty what will happen in the future except the One who knows it. No human can predict with certainly the date of Jesus' second coming back to Earth. When one sees the signs described in scripture here, His return is nearer than we anticipated.
These
signs can be useful if we see them as hopeful reminders that Christ will return
to fix to its original condition all of creation. In this way, when we see
these events transpiring, we might know that Christ is near and take heart and
so that we might also prepare ourselves. To help you perceive these events for
what they actually are, let’s take a look at the six biblical signs of the period
of Christ’s return (which could be today):
1.
A Great Tribulation: The Great
Tribulation is a bit of an argumentative sign. Some interpret surrounding
scripture to mean that believers will be taken up into Heaven
(pre-tribulationist), and spared this difficult time.
Others believe that they will not be taken up until after (post-tribulationist).
This
Tribulation will be set off by an action of the Antichrist, and conclude with
the coming of the true Christ. The Book of Revelation gives us a few details
about what this time period will entail. God’s wrath will be on the earth, the
Beast will be revealed, and plagues and suffering will occur throughout the
earth.
It
may be that this Tribulation is the combined effect of all the other signs: a
world torn by war, inhumanity, natural disasters, and heavenly disturbances
would certainly qualify as a tribulation. Whatever the case, and whatever you
believe about this troubling time, keep your eyes open for it, and make sure
your heart is prepared for the coming of Christ.
2.
Earthquakes
in Many Places: We cannot point to every earthquake that happens and think
the end is coming—this sign is something different, something more widespread.
Like many of the signs, this will be something we’re familiar with, but greatly
intensified.
These won’t be just any old
earthquakes, but something that rocks the very foundations of the earth, and so
do in many places at once. The final earthquake corresponding with the seventh
bowl of God’s wrath being poured out on the earth. This is described as “a
great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since
men were on the earth.
This is another sign that will be
difficult to miss, but take care to interpret it correctly. These signs are
merely the birth pains of Christ’s return, as Christ, Himself, says. Even in
these frightening times, there is hope for a better world.
3.
False Prophets: These false prophets will
look like the real deal. They’ll preach like a Christian, be charismatic, and
draw in many, many followers. Those followers will sincerely believe that they
are doing the work of God. These false prophets are not of God at all. Their
messages will be subtly corrupt. They’ll even perform miracles. This brings to
mind many a corrupt religious leader. If we read the Bible, we can plainly point out those who are not like Him. So
study up, and be prepared for the false prophets.
4. Moral Decay: “And know this: in the last days, times will be hard. You see, the
world will be filled with narcissistic, money-grubbing, pretentious, arrogant,
and abusive people. They will rebel against their parents and will be
ungrateful, unholy, uncaring, coldhearted, accusing, without
restraint, savage, and haters of anything good. Expect them to be treacherous,
reckless, swollen with self-importance, and given to loving pleasure more than
they love God.” (2 Timothy 3:1-4, VOICE)
Since human beings have always been all of these things, we
must assume that these traits will occur at an unprecedented level (more
brutal, more heartless, and more greedy and proud than ever). The fall from
God-inspired morality to relativity is a mark of the postmodern age. Ours is a
society that has become suspicious of anything labeled truth, and this may very
well be the beginning of this sign. Moral belief allows for the creation of personal
codes of morality, of personal interpretations of truth (everything is up to
the individual).
This may eventually
allow for the extreme behaviors listed in this sign. The fruits of the spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23 are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Live by these, and you’ll avoid the
trap of moral decay that so many are destined to fall into.
5.
Nation against nation: Since
war has been raging ever since the biblical fall, this means something far more
destructive than what we’ve yet seen. And knowing what we’ve already been
through (things like WWII) it is difficult to imagine anything worse. With
world tensions growing tense, and with most every country now possessing the
most powerful weapons in history, this sign is fast approaching.
Consider
North Korea, and its boasts of nuclear retaliation. Think on Russia’s growing
tension with the United States. Think of the myriad conflicts in the Middle
East. And don’t forget that China, one of the world’s superpowers, is growing
increasingly hostile with the West. With all that’s going on, we can’t help but
be reminded of Christ’s return.
6.
Signs
in the Stars: This is an interesting one that appears in several places in
the Gospels. Some of the other verses speak of roaring in the Heavens, as well
as some kind of trouble in the seas. One thing that’s certain is this sign will
not be one to be missed.
It’s possible that this sign is
simply speaking of human weaponry (satellite-based defenses) capable of firing
on the planet, missiles and bombs that streak down from the sky, and whatever
other objects of destruction the human mind will contrive in the coming years.
When the sky darkens, the stars disappear, and the moon becomes as red as
blood, you will know that Christ is near.
“When Jesus comes we must be doing His work, and we must be living His teachings. He must recognize us quickly and easily as truly being His disciples.” (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland)[i]
[i] Sources used:
No comments:
Post a Comment