Signs of the End of the Age
Straight from Scripture
How close are we?
Signs of the End of the Age
Straight from Scripture
How close are we?
Holly Deyo
One theme running throughout the Bible is that God never judges or punishes without first warning His people. Warnings were given before The Flood (Genesis 6), before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18-19), before events of the Passover story (Exodus 12) and in the warning to Israel that he would be held captive by Babylon 70 years. (Jeremiah 13-18)
Instead God does His utmost to shake us loose from complacency and wrong behavior so that all may be saved. The Lord is . . . not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
This is one reason for the judgments in Revelation. His children have been thoroughly warned so none can complain they didn't have a clue. These times will see such catastrophic, horrific events none would survive except that the Lord cuts these judgments short.
Throughout scripture, in both the Old and New Testaments, God gives many, many indications when End Time Prophecies are about to be fulfilled.
In Matthew 24:32, Jesus tells us to watch for the rebudding of the fig tree - a symbol of Israel. He warns two verses later when this happens, the generation that sees it "will not pass" until all these things (the judgments and return of the Lord) take place.
The nation of Israel became re-established in 1948. This event has set the Lord's clock in motion and he warns that "when you see all these things, recognize that I will be near, right at the door" (Matthew 24:33). So while that we may know only "the times and the seasons", not a specific date, the Lord could arrive literally at any moment.
Jews will come back to their country. (at the close of 2012 Israel's population swelled to 7.98 million)
Isaiah 11:10-12
In that day the Root of Jesse (Jesus) will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.
And in that day the Lord shall again lift up His hand a second time to recover (acquire and deliver) the remnant of His people which is left, from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Pathros, from Ethiopia, from Elam [in Persia], from Shinar [Babylonia], from Hamath [in Upper Syria], and from the countries bordering on the [Mediterranean] Sea.
And He will raise up a signal for the nations and will assemble the outcasts of Israel and will gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
Amos 9:13-15
Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine and all the hills shall melt [that is, everything heretofore barren and unfruitful shall overflow with spiritual blessing].
And I will bring back the exiles of My people Israel, and they shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards and drink the wine from them; they shall also make gardens and eat the fruit of them.
And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be torn up out of their land which I gave them, says the Lord your God.
Ezekiel 37:1-12
The Valley of Dry Bones
THE HAND of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones.
And He caused me to pass round about among them, and behold, there were very many [human bones] in the open valley or plain, and behold, they were very dry.
And He said to me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, You know!(A)
4Again He said to me, Prophesy to these bones and say to them, O you dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.(B)
Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath and spirit to enter you, and you shall live;
And I will lay sinews upon you and bring up flesh upon you and cover you with skin, and I will put breath and spirit in you, and you [dry bones] shall live; and you shall know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service].
So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a [thundering] noise and behold, a shaking and trembling and a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.
And I looked and behold, there were sinews upon [the bones] and flesh came upon them and skin covered them over, but there was no breath or spirit in them.
Then said He to me, Prophesy to the breath and spirit, son of man, and say to the breath and spirit, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath and spirit, and breathe upon these slain that they may live.
So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath and spirit came into [the bones], and they lived and stood up upon their feet, an exceedingly great host.(C)
Then He said to me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, Our bones are dried up and our hope is lost; we are completely cut off.
Therefore prophesy and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, O My people; and I will bring you [back home] to the land of Israel.
When Jews return to Israel, the desert will bloom.
Isaiah 35:1-2
The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
Itshall blossom abundantly and rejoice even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the excellency of [Mount] Carmel and [the plain] of Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty and splendor and excellency of our God.
The Hebrew language will be revived.
Zephaniah 3:9
For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.
They will occupy Jerusalem.
Luke 21:24
And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
Israel's statehood will be re-established.
Matthew 24:32-34
Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: (Israel*); As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.
Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it[a]is near, right at the door.
I tell you the truth, this generation[b] will certainly not pass away until all these things (tribulation) have happened.
Mark 13:28-29
Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: (Israel*); As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.
Even so, when you see these things (tribulation) happening, you know that it is near, right at the door.
NOTE: Israel* We know that Israel is often depicted as a fig tree from this: When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert; when I saw your fathers, it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree. But when they came to Baal Peor, they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol and became as vile as the thing they loved. —Hosea 9:10
Their military strength will become mighty.
Zechariah 12:6
In that day will I make the chiefs of Judah like a big, blazing pot among [sticks of] wood and like a flaming torch among sheaves [of grain], and they shall devour all the peoples round about, on the right hand and on the left; and they of Jerusalem shall yet again dwell and sit securely in their own place, in Jerusalem.
World politics will focus on Israel and many (most) countries will turn against her.
Zechariah 12:3
On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves.
Signs in Societal Breakdown
People will have no regard for the law, becoming violent, immoral, greedy, selfish, hedonistic and rebellious. Total family break down will be common, all of which brings on great despair.
2 Timothy 3:1-4, 6
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God;
They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires,
Mark 13:12
Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.
Matthew 24:12
Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,
Other indicators of these times include drug use.
Revelation 9:21
And they did not repent of their murders or their practice of magic sorceries, or their sexual vice or their thefts.
NOTE: The Greek word for sorceries in Rev 9:21, "pharmakeia", means pharmaceuticals or drugs.
And increased homosexuality.
Luke 17:28-30
It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.
Romans 1:24, 26-27
Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.
Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
These same problems were seen in Noah's time when God wiped the slate clean with The Flood; now the same transgressions are rampant.
Matthew 24:37-39
But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Global Political Signs
War and talk of war. (See list of current conflicts)
Matthew 24:6-7
And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened or troubled, 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 place after place;
Mark 13:7-8
And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not get alarmed (troubled and frightened); it is necessary [that these things] take place, but the end is not yet.
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines and calamities. This is but the beginning of the intolerable anguish and suffering [only the first of the birth pangs].
Luke 21:10
Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom
Ezekiel 38, 39
The Magog (Russian) Invasion
Rise of a European superstate
Dan 7:1-7
Daniel's Dream of Four Beasts
IN THE first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions in his head as he was lying upon his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the gist of the matter.
Daniel said, I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of the heavens [political and social agitations] were stirring up the great sea [the nations of the world].
And four great beasts came up out of the sea in succession, and different from one another.
The first [the Babylonian empire under Nebuchadnezzar] was like a lion and had eagle's wings. I looked till the wings of it were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand upon two feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.(A)
And behold another beast, a second one [the Medo-Persian empire], was like a bear, and it raised up itself on one side [or one dominion] and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, Arise, devour much flesh.
After this I looked, and behold, another [the Grecian empire of Alexander the Great], like a leopard which had four wings of a bird on its back. The beast had also four heads [Alexander's generals, his successors], and dominion was given to it.(B)
After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast [the Roman empire] – terrible, powerful and dreadful, and exceedingly strong. And it had great iron teeth; it devoured and crushed and trampled what was left with its feet. And it was different from all the beasts that came before it, and it had ten horns [symbolizing ten kings].
Dan 7:17-23
The Interpretation of the Dream
These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth.
But the saints of the Most High [God] shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.
Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast--which was different from all the others, exceedingly terrible and shocking, whose teeth were of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke and crushed, and trampled what was left with its feet--
And about the ten horns [representing kings] that were on its head, and the other horn which came up later and before which three of [the horns] fell, the horn which had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things and which looked greater than the others.
As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them
Until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High [God], and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.
Thus [the angel] said, The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all other kingdoms and shall devour the whole earth, tread it down, and break it in pieces and crush it.
In the "latter days" after Israel had became a nation, there would be a great military power to their extreme north in the land of Magog (Russia).
Ezekiel 38:2-16
Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of [a]Magog, the prince of Rosh, of Meshech, and of Tubal, and prophesy against him,
And say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince (ruler) of Rosh, of Meshech, and of Tubal.
And I will turn you back and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you forth and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them handling swords--
Persia, Cush, and Put or Libya with them, all of them with shield and helmet,
Gomer and all his hordes, the house of Togarmah in the uttermost parts of the north and all his hordes--many people are with you.
You [Gog] be prepared; yes, prepare yourself, you and all your companies that are assembled about you, and you be a guard and a commander for them.
After many days you shall be visited and mustered [for service]; in the latter years you shall go against the land that is restored from the ravages of the sword, where people are gathered out of many nations upon the mountains of Israel, which had been a continual waste; but its [people] are brought forth out of the nations and they shall dwell securely, all of them.
You shall ascend and come like a storm; you shall be like a cloud to cover the land, you and all your hosts and many people with you.
Thus says the Lord God: At the same time thoughts shall come into your mind, and you will devise an evil plan.
And you will say, I will go up against an open country [the land of unwalled villages]; I will fall upon those who are at rest, who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls and having neither bars nor gates,
To take spoil and prey, to turn your hand upon the desolate places now inhabited and assail the people gathered out of the nations, who have obtained livestock and goods, who dwell at the center of the earth [Palestine].
Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish, with all their lionlike cubs [or satellite areas], shall say to you, Have you come to take spoil? Have you gathered your hosts to take the prey? To carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take a great spoil?
Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, Thus says the Lord God: In that day when My people Israel dwell securely, will you not know it and be aroused?
And you will come from your place out of the uttermost parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great host, a mighty army.
And you shall come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. In the latter days I will bring you against My land, that the nations may know, understand, and realize Me when My holiness shall be vindicated through you [vindicated and honored in your overwhelming destruction], O Gog, before their eyes.
Footnotes:
1. Ezekiel 38:2 Gog is a symbolic name, representing the leader of the world powers antagonistic to God (see also Rev. 20:8). Meshech and Tubal are understood to have been the same as the Moschi and Tibareni of the Greeks--tribes that inhabited regions in the Caucasus. Rosh, which some would identify with Russia, must have designated a land and people somewhere in the same area. And therefore the Gog of Ezekiel must be viewed as in some sense the head of the high regions in the northwest of Asia. (Patrick Fairbairn, The Imperial Bible-dictionary).
Rise of an Asian nation capable of assembling 200 million troops (the only country capable of these numbers is China)
Revelation 9:15-16
And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number..
Revelation 16:12
Thesixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East.
Rise of global government
Revelation 13:7
With the destruction of Babylon, a global economy moves into position.He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation..
1Thessalonians 5:3
Revelation 18
Signs in Nature
Earthquakes, famines, disease
Matthew 24:7
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
Mark 13:8
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.
Luke 21:11
There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
Disease will be rampant the world over
Revelation 6:8
I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
There will also be frightening events seen in the sky including UFOs, comets/meteors, wild weather and malevolent storms.
I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
All of these events will so frightening, they will cause men to faint and suffer heart attacks.
Luke 21:25-26
There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.
Spiritual Signs
Apostasy - doctrinal and moral departure will be seen in the church.
2 Timothy 3:5
Having a form of godliness, but denyingits power. Have nothing to do with them.
Matthew 24:12
Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,
2 Thessalonians 2:3
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Even worse, some will turn from the Lord to Satanism.
1 Timothy 4:1
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
There will be those who mock the "End Times".
Jude 1:18
They told you beforehand, In the last days (in the end time) there will be scoffers [who seek to gratify their own unholy desires], following after their own ungodly passions.
Christians and Jews will experience increased persecution.
Matthew 24:9
Thenyou will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.
Mark 13:9, 11-13
You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them.
Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
Luke 21:12-17
But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. This will result in your being witnesses to them. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of me.
There will be trends toward Ecumenical religion leading to the one world religion.
Revelation 13, 17, 18
Many will claim to be the Lord.
Matthew 24:5 and Mark 13:6
For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
Matthew 24:11, 24
And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
Forfalse Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect – if that were possible.
Mark 13:21-23
At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect – if that were possible. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.
Luke 21:8
He replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them.
Yet through all this, the Gospel will spread worldwide.
Matthew 24:14
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Mark 13:10
And the gospel must first be published among all nations.
And not until then will Bible prophecy become clear.
Dan 12:4, 8-9
But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge."
I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, "My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?"
He replied, "Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end.
And there will be a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Joel 2:28-29
Andafterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
There will be an explosion in knowledge and travel.
Daniel 12:4
But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge."
Computer technology is needed to implement the Mark of the Beast.
Revelation 13:16-17
He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.
Use of robotics, holograms, clones or other technology.
Revelation 13:14-15
And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
Satellite transmission
Revelation 11:3, 7-9
And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth."
Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.
Use of nuclear weapons
Revelation 6:8
And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
Revelation 16:8-9
The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire. 9They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.