Signs of the Times and the End of the Age

Intro

ESCHATOLOGY Lesson 6 Signs of the Times and the End of the Age

This may be one of the more enlightening lessons of this study due to the active fulfillment of Bible prophecy before our very eyes. Never forget that the Bible is a book of hope and the study of these topics should bring hope and not fear. Let us look at the signs of the times.

Matthew 24:3–14 ESV

As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, 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. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

In this very famous Bible prophecy chapter, Jesus spends His entire discourse answering three questions put forth by his disciples:

When shall these things be? (The destruction of the Temple. Answered in Luke 21:20-24; fulfilled in 70 A.D.)

Luke 21:20–24 ESV

“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

What shall be the sign of thy coming? What shall be the sign of the end of the world (period of time, age)?

Below are the signs preceding the coming of the LORD, not the Rapture, but the second coming. However, since the Rapture precedes the second coming by only seven years, we can use these events to help us recognize the season in which we live. Just as the spirit of antichrist is already at work in the earth, though the Antichrist has not yet manifested, these signs are already working in the earth as the last week of Daniel’s prophecy comes to fruition.

The following are what Jesus Christ called “the beginning of sorrows,” or early labor pains. These are the contractions of the end of the age.

Deceivers

The greatest warning issued by Jesus in response to these questions was “be not deceived.” This warning is proffered three times in Matthew 24. Jesus emphasized this point more than any other. This must be the greatest sign of the last days: a proliferation of deception. Never before have so many voices in the earth spoken so little truth. Guard your heart and stay in the Bible (Matthew 24:4,5,11,23,24). Deceivers may be the greatest enemy of the Church. This will be covered more in another lesson.

Wars and Rumors of Wars

Jesus warned there would be wars and rumors of wars. In the last 2,000 years there have been over 25 notable wars. Over 390 million people have been killed in those wars. Daniel prophesied wars would continue until the end of time (Daniel 9:26 NIV). Jesus promised that these things must be. There is no sense in marching against them.

Ethnic Uprisings

Not only will nation rise against nation, but also people group against people group. The smaller the world has become, the more people of different races have settled in foreign countries producing xenophobia (the fear of strangers) and stirring up racial tensions. Even though we are called the great melting pot, our own country is unable to move past racial divisions. Racism of any kind is demon inspired. Resist its influence.

Since the 15th century, ethnic uprisings have produced great seasons of genocide. Approximately 26 million people have been killed because of genocide in the last 600 years.

We might also include eugenics in this prophecy. This has been called the science of improving human population by controlled breeding, but in practice it is forced sterilization and abortion. China has forced over 300 million abortions and sterilizations in the last 50 years alone. America began funding eugenics around the world in the 1960s. They tactfully call it “population control” and “save the planet.”

Famines

The occurrences of famines over the last 2,000 years have increased exponentially as have the death tolls. There have been over 140 major famines over the last 2,000 years claiming over an estimated 143 million lives.

Pestilences

A more modern term for pestilence is plague or epidemic. We have now been familiarized with the term “pandemic.” In the last 2,000 years there have been over 200 major epidemics brought on by diseases such as smallpox, influenza, bubonic plague, typhus, measles, yellow fever, dengue fever, cholera, malaria, polio, HIV/AIDS, and mumps. The estimated worldwide death toll for these combined epidemics is over 240 million people, or nearly a quarter billion deaths.

Earthquakes in Divers Places

This may be the most subtle and lethal of all the signs prophesied due to its nature.

The Word will make you deception-proof; Wars don’t happen over night and can be fled; Ethnic uprisings can also be fled; Famines don’t happen over night and can be fled; Plagues can be vaccinated against; Earthquakes happen suddenly, without warning, without prevention, instantly destroying cities and even nations. Earthquakes take more lives in less time than any other event prophesied about in Matthew 24. For Example: 2010- Haiti Earthquake- According to official estimates, 316,000 people killed; 300,000 injured; 1.3 million displaced. Compared to: 1945- Nagasaki and Hiroshima- Approximately 200,000 killed by the two bombs with roughly half of those being killed instantly, the others dying in the following weeks and months from radiation poisoning or other diseases and complications.

Luke’s Gospel calls them “great earthquakes” (Luke 21:11). Jesus didn’t say there would be an increase in earthquakes. He said there would be “great earthquakes in divers places.” Earthquakes have killed over 2.3 million people . . . in the last 100 years.

Iniquity Shall Abound

Lawlessness, wickedness, and contempt for order will abound right before Jesus Christ comes. This is evident today when peaceful demonstrations turn to riots and anarchy. Not only do prisons overflow with those who have been caught, but also the hearts of many who have not been arrested overflow with lawlessness. We have even coined the phrase, “Rules were made to be broken.” This is lawlessness.

The Love of Many Will Grow Cold

This is an unnerving prophecy because the Greek word for love in this verse is agape. Only a Christian can have agape working in their heart (Romans 5:5). Jesus is promising us that many Christians will grow cold in their “God-kind-of-love.” To “wax cold” in the Greek (psycho) means “to cool by blowing upon.” The spirit of the world will successfully blow upon many Christians to cool them off. A psycho is someone who can cooly cut people out of their life (murder) and not care. Jesus said, “If you love me, you’ll keep my commandments” (John 14:15). A lack of love is tied directly to lawlessness. This is a symptom of apostasy.

DANIEL’S SIGNS (Daniel 12:4)

Daniel’s vision gives us two more signs of “the times of the end.”

Running To and Fro

Many shall run to and fro. Through technology and invention, the world has gotten smaller. Every day, approximately two million people fly in airplanes in the US alone. 220 million people drive cars in the US every day. That is a lot of people coming and going, to and fro.

Knowledge Shall Abound

In our day, knowledge increases so fast it is nearly impossible to track. In computer technology alone, a law has been developed called Moore’s Law. This law states that technology doubles every 24 months. The world’s knowledge is at our fingertips and even in our pocket with smartphones. Over 500,000 new books are published every year. It has been estimated that every minute scientists add 2,000 pages of new material to man’s knowledge base. All this knowledge and no peace, joy, or hope.

Certainly, we are living in the last of the last days.

• And when these things being to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Luke 21:28