Signs of the Times

Posted 10/20/2007

How to tell when the end is near?
Mat 24

•   "Many will come in my name"
• I am the Christ, the anointed, the Messiah, your deliverer! So many people have proclaimed their methods or their solution as the salvation of the world - and many will believe them. Self-help, tolerance of other beliefs, and all sorts of cure-all drugs are proclaimed in every advertisement Mat 24:5
• Tribulation and distrust will also be a fertile environment for false prophets to lead many astray Mat 24:11
• False Christs and false prophets will show great signs and wonders Mat 24:24
•  "Wars and rumors of wars"
• Don't be afraid, they have to happen. But, unfortunately, as bad as wars are, they are not the end Mat 24:6
•  "Famines and pestilences and earthquakes" Mat 24:7
• Even in the midst of plenty here in America, millions around the world are starving. Water shortages in the news today show how dependent we are on God to bring the right weather to us at the right time
• Data trends don't go very far back, but "large" earthquakes have been happening fairly regularly every couple weeks, with a particularly big blip with the 2004 quake in Indonesia that killed over 280,000 people
• "You will be hated by all nations" Mat 24:9
• This is happening in a few places, but not "all nations" because of Jesus' name. Death and torture will be coming for those true to Christ, as has happened in the past
• Because of hard times, many will fall away and betray and hate each other
• "Lawlessness is increased" Mat 24:12
• It's hard to love your neighbor as yourself when that neighbor is a convicted criminal, or for whatever reason is completely untrustworthy
• "Gospel shall be preached in the whole world" Mat 24:14
• Everybody is going to hear, which isn't all that difficult with broadcast and print media reaching so much of the world, in addition to missionaries throughout the world