Do bible code predictions have any credibility?

While this is an old issue in most Christian circles, some people are just now learning about “the bible code.”

History Channel creations such as Bible Code: Predicting Armageddon(2003) and Bible Code II: Apocalypse and Beyond (2004) as well as references to the bible codes in numerous other television series help foster the impression that existence of a “bible code” is established fact.

It’s been more than two decades since the so-called “bible codes” were first introduced in the public forum, and the sensational claims of some of its proponents can at best be described as statistically insignificant.

Yet, The History Channel continues to run its “documentaries” on the bible code, which in turn, prompts people to personally investigate the codes only to find dead ends, disappointment, or hours of wasted time.

So why should we care?

Well, if some people are promoting the bible code and bible code predictions as proof of God’s divine authorship of the Bible, then non-believers who investigate the claim could potentially be turned away from Christianity when they discover the facts about the bible code.

In case you aren’t familiar with it, here’s some background on the bible code phenomenon…

The Bible Code

In 1994, Doron Witztum, Eliyahu Rips, and Yoav Rosenberg published the paper, “Equidistant Letter Sequences in the Book of Genesis”, in the scientific journal Statistical Science.

In their paper, the authors set out to prove that the names of famous rabbis could be found with the Book of Genesis in close proximity to the dates of their births and deaths in such a way that chance alone could not explain.

The process relied upon “Equidistant Letter Sequencing (ELS),” whereby researchers take a single letter, skip ahead a certain number of spaces to a second letter, and then repeat the process using the same numeric interval.

For instance, let’s say you have the following line of text:

A Q J W D E B L S J N U I O S T R

By itself, this line of letters looks like gibberish, but if you bold every third letter, you get this:

A Q J W D E B L S J N U I O S T R

Looking at every third letter, spells out “Jesus.”

Now, while a line of text from the Book of Genesis is not gibberish, code researchers place lines of its text into randomly chosen “matrices” creating an almost inconceivable number of possible random lines of text to choose from.

Two years after the publication of “Equidistant Letter Sequences in the Book of Genesis,” journalist Michael Drosnin injected “the bible code” into pop culture with the publication of his book The Bible Code (1997).

In his book, Drosnin claimed not only the existence of hundreds of messages encoded in the Torah, but also the existence of what he believed were bible code predictions.

For example, Drosnin claimed to have found a bible code prediction of Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination prior to the event’s actual occurrence.  He even claims to have warned Israeli leaders of what “the bible code” foreshadowed in the imminent future.

But is any of this true?

Does the Book of Genesis, or any book in the Bible, really contain coded messages or predictions from God?

Bible Code Hoax?

While it’s probably not accurate to label the bible code as a complete hoax, it is accurate to say the claims of its significance have been highly exaggerated.

We have no reason to believe the result of Witztum, Rips, and Rosenberg’s paper was premeditated and intentionally misleading.  But it is likely that they wanted to believe in the code’s existence in order to prove the Bible’s divine authorship to an unbelieving world.

As a result, a more thorough and rigorous examination of the code’s statistical significance did not take place until later.

This is certainly understandable.

When the bible code and bible code predictions first came to light, many Christians and Jews jumped on the bandwagon, viewing the existence of “secret codes” as irrefutable evidence of a higher intelligence who intricately crafted every letter of the Bible.

I’ll admit that when I first heard of the bible codes, I was excited.  Like everyone else, I wanted further “evidence” and “proof” which would illustrate to an unbelieving world that the Bible was the undisputed Word of God.

Unfortunately, a thorough examination of the bible code and bible code predictions just does not hold up to scrutiny.

Why?

Well, in the years since the initial publication of the bible code phenomenon, the public at large has had ample opportunity to test the bible code, recreate the initial experiments, and test alternative texts.

In 1999, this led to the publication of a peer-reviewed criticism in the same journal Statistical Science.  Among some of the notable conclusions of the authors:

·         A similar experiment conducted with the text of Tolstoy’s War and Peaceachieved similarly statistically significant results.

·         Alternative selection of rabbinical names and dates conducted by an independent expert failed to achieve the original statistically significant results.

·         The text of Genesis used by the authors in the original experiment is substantially different from the original.

These are just a few of the criticisms leveled at the bible code and its proponents.

For instance, while some amazing and relevant ELS word patterns appear throughout the Torah (such as the repetition of the name “Yeshua”), other words and phrases crop up as well – including outright lies such as “Jehovah is a liar,” “There is no God,” and “Satan is Jehovah.”

If we attribute great significance to ELS codes in the Bible which assert Jesus is the Messiah, then how can we then ignore similar codes which blatantly depict false statements which contradict the Bible?

More importantly, if God is truly behind “the bible code,” we should be able to pull up unfulfilled bible code prophecies and await their fulfillment.

As the Lord says:

“‘Present the case for your idols,’ says the Lord. ‘Let them show what they can do,’ says the King of Israel. ‘Let them try to tell us what happened long ago so that we may consider the evidence. Or let them tell us what the future holds, so we can know what’s going to happen. Yes, tell us what will occur in the days ahead. Then we will know you are gods.’” Isaiah 41:21-23 (NLT)

Is the bible code really from God, or is it a modern day idol?

If it is from God, the Lord says to prove it by telling us “what will occur in the days ahead.”

The Predictive Power of the Bible Code

If ELS codes are the handiwork of God, where are the bible code predictions?

In The Bible Code (1997), Michael Drosnin cites several “messages” extracted from ELS codes in the Torah which he states portend future events.

Here’s one example:

On page 179 of his book, Drosnin states the bible code “also seems to state that the Apocalypse starts now, that within a decade, we may face the real Armageddon, a nuclear World War.”  He later associates the words “atomic holocaust” with the years 2000 and 2006.

In another part of his book, Drosnin associates the Jewish year 5757 (which ended in October 1997) with a “holocaust.”

In his follow up book The Bible Code II (2002), Drosnin ends the introduction with this:

“This book begins a search for the key that may unlock the code completely, reveal our forgotten past, and our entire future.  And now the search has become urgent.  Because the bible code warns that we may have only three years to survive.”

Notice that he writes “may have only three years to survive.”

Proponents of the bible code tend to ignore its false predictions by stating such things are “possible futures,” rather than failed prophecies that never came to pass.

If this is the case, then it essentially confirms what we already know to be true – that “the bible codes” are a series of random man-created messages, some true and some untrue.

If a proponent makes 100 bible code predictions and, by chance, one comes true – then they’ll hold up that one example as “proof” of the bible code’s legitimacy, like Drosnin did with his Yitzhak Rabin assassination prediction.  In the meantime, they’ll conveniently ignore the 99 additional failed predictions.

Even one false prediction out of one hundred is evidence that God isn’t behind the predictions to begin with.

As the Lord states:

“You may wonder, ‘How will we know whether the prophecy is from the Lord or not?’ If the prophet predicts something in the Lord’s name and it does not happen, the Lord did not give the message. That prophet has spoken on his own and need not be feared.”
Deuteronomy 18:21-22 (NLT)

The Bottom Line

In the end, we need to ask the question…

Why do we need bible code predictions?

Is it to prove divine authorship of the bible?

Jesus Christ, fulfilled bible prophecy, the holy spirit, and mountains of additional evidence already attest to the divine authority of the bible.

We don’t need the bible code to verify the Bible as God’s Word.

Do we need bible code predictions in order to know what’s going to happen in the future?

Nope.

The bible already tells us in plain language what’s going to happen in the future.

In fact, if you just read the plain text of the Bible, you don’t need elaborate software programs or computer scientists to “decode” bible prophecy.  It’s right there in plain daylight for anyone who wants to read it.

This is the truly remarkable design of God’s Word – not hidden codes.

God Himself insists His Word is not beyond our understanding:

“This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you to understand, and it is not beyond your reach.  It is not kept in heaven, so distant that you must ask, ‘Who will go up to heaven and bring it down so we can hear it and obey?’  It is not kept beyond the sea, so far away that you must ask, ‘Who will cross the sea to bring it to us so we can hear it and obey?’  No, the message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it.”  Deuteronomy 30:11-14 (NLT)

Bible Code Predictions That Have Come True

That said, here are just a few examples of  “bible code predictions” that have come true, and not one of them requires special software or a masters degree in mathematics in order to decipher.

In fact, they aren’t “bible codes” at all.  They’re just the plain text of scripture:

Bible Prophecy: The Messiah will be born of a virgin.

Old Testament Prophecy: “All right then, the Lord himself will choose the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel – ‘God is with us.’” Isaiah 7:14 (NLT)

New Testament Fulfillment: “But while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her fiancé, being a just man, decided to break the engagement quietly, so as not to disgrace her publicly. As he considered this, he fell asleep, and an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. ‘Joseph, son of David,’ the angel said, ‘do not be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary. For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’” Matthew 1:18-21 (NLT)

Bible Prophecy: The Messiah will bring light to Galilee.

Old Testament Prophecy: “Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will soon be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiless, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory. The people who walk in darkness will see a great light – a light that will shine on all who live in the land where death casts its shadow.” Isaiah 9:1-2 (NLT)

New Testament Fulfillment: “When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he left Judea and returned to Galilee. But instead of going to Nazareth, he went to Capernaum, beside the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.”Matthew 4:12-16 (NLT)

Bible Prophecy: The Messiah will be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver.

 

Old Testament Prophecy: “And I said to them, ‘If you like, give me my wages, whatever I am worth; but only if you want to.’ So they counted out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.” Zechariah 11:12 (NLT)

New Testament Fulfillment: “Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests and asked, ‘How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?’ And they gave him thirty pieces of silver.” Matthew 26:14-15 (NLT)

Bible Prophecy: The 30 pieces of silver will be thrown in the potter’s field.

Old Testament Prophecy: “And the Lord said to me, ‘Throw it to the potters’ – this magnificent sum at which they valued me! So I took the thirty coins and threw them to the potters in the Temple of the Lord.” Zechariah 11:13 (NLT)

New Testament Fulfillment: “When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and other leaders. ‘I have sinned,’ he declared, ‘for I have betrayed an innocent man.’ ‘What do we care?’ they retorted. ‘That’s your problem.’ Then Judas threw the money onto the floor of the Temple and went out and hanged himself. The leading priests picked up the money. ‘We can’t put it in the Temple treasury,’ they said, ‘since it’s against the law to accept money paid for murder.’ After some discussion they finally decided to buy the potter’s field, and they made it into a cemetery for foreigners. That is why the field is still called the Field of Blood.”Matthew 27:3-8 (NLT)

All of these prophecies were known by the Jewish scholars of His day, yet most failed to recognize Christ’s coming.

This is why Jesus accused them of failing to recognize the “signs of the times”:

“One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus’ claims by asking him to show them a miraculous sign from heaven. He replied, ‘You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow, red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.’ You are good at reading the weather signs in the sky, but you can’t read the obvious signs of the times!’” Matthew 16:1-3 (NLT)

Just like the Pharisees and Sadducees, our generation ignores the obvious signs of the times while demanding a miraculous sign in order to believe God’s Word.

In the eyes of the world, an imbedded code unable to be deciphered until the age of computers and then only understood by mathematicians and cryptographers who can “verify” and “authenticate” said code is a “miraculous sign” – something the world can finally believe in.

But would the world really believe, even in the presence of a miraculous sign?

The Bible itself, as it’s written in plain language anyone can read and understand, already constitutes a miraculous sign!

We don’t need hidden codes to verify the authenticity of God’s Word.

Instead of wasting precious hours, days, or years of life scouring through “bible codes,” why not spend that time actually reading the Bible itself?

In it, you’ll find that God reveals a number of things, such as…

“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, ‘He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness.’  And again, ‘The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise; he knows they are worthless.'”1 Corinthians 3:19-20 (NLT)

Witnessing to Others

One of the reasons some people are quick to buy into the bible code is because of its perceived power as a tool for witnessing to others.

But we don’t need the bible code to witness to others.  Given the past scrutiny and the immense evidence of the bible code’s illegitimacy, it’s doubtful it would have any impact anyway.

Just because the perceived wise men of this world take a position which aligns with ours (such as “the Bible is divinely authored”), it doesn’t mean we should endorse the same methods they use to draw a conclusion. For those who are labeled “wise” by this world are often foolish in the eyes of God:

“I expose the false prophets as liars and make fools of fortune-tellers.  I cause the wise to give bad advice, thus proving them to be fools.”  Isaiah 44:25 (NLT)

Using the bible code to witness to non-believers is potentially disastrous. If they associate true believers in Christ with believers in the bible code, and then find out the bible code is false, then they might summarily assume that a belief in Jesus Christ is also false.

This is the ultimate danger in following any teaching which strays from the plain truth of the Bible.

Because of this, the bible code harbors some potentially negative consequences, especially when touted as “real” on networks like The History Channel, which most people perceive as a trusted arbiter of “fact.”

So what about those who already believe?

If a real bible code does exist, can it help them?

Probably not.  After all, believers already believe.

Our faith is strengthened by the Holy Spirit and mountains of additional evidence.  So why do believers need a “bible code”?

In light of this evidence, it’s difficult to see what good the bible code and bible code predictions can do in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ or strengthening the faith of current believers.

One of the best tools for witnessing to others and strengthening the faith of believers is bible prophecy itself.

Take the following example:

“Therefore, give the exiles this message from the Sovereign Lord: Although I have scattered you in the countries of the world, I will be a sanctuary to you during your time in exile. I, the Sovereign Lord, will gather you back from the nations where you were scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel once again.” Ezekiel 11:16-17 (NLT)

God’s promise to gather His people back into the nation of Israel – a clearly fulfilled prophecy in our day and age – dwarfs any perceived claims of so-called bible code predictions.

We should look to the bible for guidance, not mankind’s rearrangement of it into “codes.”

As Paul says:

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.  God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”  2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT)

Rely on the Bible as it is, and you won’t be disappointed.

What are the signs of the end times?

It’s important to know so we can explain to others why Christians believe what we believe.

As Peter says:

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” 1 Peter 3:15 (NLT)

Unfortunately, too many Christians are unable to explain why they believe we’re in the last days when the opportunity presents itself.

One argument in particular seems to catch today’s Christians off guard.

Peter forewarned us of this argument:

“Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, ‘What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.'” 2 Peter 3:3-4 (NLT)

The particular version I hear most often is, “Sure, you think Jesus is coming, but so have previous generations.”

The implication is that our generation will pass without the Second Coming just as those previous generations passed without His Coming.

Aside from being illogical, this assertion flies in the face of plain observation as well as mountains of irrefutable evidence.

A Sign of the End?

Is the prevalence of Peter’s end time skeptic argument in-and-of itself a sign of the end times?

No.

But let’s take a second look at what he said:

“They will say, ‘What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.'” 2 Peter 3:4 (NLT)

Sound familiar?

How many times have you heard someone say, “It’s the same now as it’s always been” or at least something along those lines?

Probably a lot.

But is it?

Is it really the same?

When non-believers tell you there are no signs of the end times which are unique to our time, you need to be prepared to set the record straight.

Below are at least seven signs of the end times.

Commit them to memory, and as Peter says, “be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”

Clear Signs of the End Times

Below is a list of seven clear signs of the end times, which highlight the nearness of Christ’s return.  In fact, He’s so close He’s knocking on the door:

1) The Holocaust and the Re-Emergence of Israel

One of the preeminent signs of the end times is the Jewish survival of the Holocaust and the re-emergence of the nation of Israel as a Jewish state.

Over 2,600 years ago, the prophet Ezekiel foretold these events:

“Then he said to me, ‘Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones – all hope is gone.’ Now give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 37:11-13 (NLT)

As God says, the bones in Ezekiel 37 represent the people of Israel – otherwise known as the Jews.

Following the first century Roman conquest of the Holy Land, the Jews were banished from the land of Israel.  The Romans renamed the area Palestine, and exiled its people to farthest corners of the Roman Empire.

Yet, in Ezekiel 37, God promised to bring the Jews out of exile.  He promised to bring them back into the land of Israel.

Not only did He promise to restore their nation, but God promised to do so by opening their “graves” at a time when the Jews feel that “all hope is gone.”

The aftermath of Hitler’s Holocaust of the Jewish people created these very conditions, nearly destroying an entire race of people and draining the hope of countless survivors.

But out of the Holocaust, God brought the Jewish people back into the land of Israel, just as He had promised.

On May 14, 1948, the nation of Israel reappeared in fulfillment of not just Ezekiel 37:11-13, but countless Old Testament prophecies.

Of all the signs of the end times, the re-establishment of Israel as an independent nation is the clearest and most unmistakable sign that we are in the last of the last days.

2) Jerusalem is a Burden to the World

Another visible sign of the end times is the world diplomatic struggle over Jerusalem.

The prophet Zechariah foresaw this event centuries ago:

“I will make Jerusalem and Judah like an intoxicating drink to all the nearby nations that send their armies to besiege Jerusalem. On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone, a burden for the world. None of the nations who try to lift it will escape unscathed.” Zechariah 12:2-3 (NLT)

Since 1967 when the Israelis retook Jerusalem in the Six Day War, the division of Jerusalem and ownership of the Temple Mount in particular, have been a source of countless U.N. resolutions, diplomatic crises, and calls for war.

The struggle over the “Peace Process” in the Middle East is the stated number one priority of world diplomats, and Jerusalem resides at the center of discussions about “land for peace.”

With the threat of World War III casting a shadow over every decision to rebuild Jewish settlements or expand Israeli society, the City of Jerusalem is no doubt “a burden for the world.”

Is this “the way it’s always been”?

No.

Until this generation, Jerusalem was not “a burden for the world.”  In fact, prior to 1948, world diplomatic leaders rarely mentioned it.

3) The Dramatic Increase in Travel and Knowledge

One of the signs of the end times that anyone can easily recognize is the recent explosive increase in travel and knowledge.

In a vision, God revealed to Daniel that in “the time of the end,” travel and knowledge will increase:

“But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end. Many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.” Daniel 12:4 (NLT)

According to the book of Daniel, two things will increase in “the time of the end” – travel and knowledge.

Is this the case now?

Yes.

At the time the Book of Daniel was written, horses were the world’s the fastest mode of transportation.

In fact, horses remained the world’s fastest mode of transportation for over 2,000 years until the Industrial Revolution spawned such innovations as the steam boat, the locomotive, and the horseless carriage.

Prior to the 20th Century, most people rarely traveled more than 30 miles from where they were born.  Today, people routinely travel from one continent to another within the same day.

Today’s world is definitely not “the way it’s always been.”

Frequency and speed of travel have markedly increased!

What about knowledge?

In Daniel’s time, few people received a formal education.  In fact, basic literacy was a foreign concept to all but an elite minority of the world until the past 100 to 150 years.

Yet, in the past century alone, human knowledge of science, biology, technology, and countless fields of endeavor has exploded.  And the advent of the Internet has created a worldwide archive of human knowledge that far exceeds even the wildest dreams of the great ancient civilizations.

Is humanity’s knowledge base today “the same as previous generations”?

Absolutely not.  Human knowledge has also markedly increased.

Given that all this can be ascertained from mere observation, how can anyone say with a straight face that “things today are the same as they’ve always been”?

4) Exponential Growth Marks the Times

If a marked increase in travel and knowledge constitute one of the most clearly observable signs of the end times, then the two are merely components of a much larger sign of the end times – exponential growth.

Jesus pointed to exponential growth as a sign of His Coming:

“Later, Jesus sat on the slopes of the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and asked, ‘When will all this take place? And will there be any sign ahead of time to signal your return and the end of the world?’ Jesus told them, ‘Don’t let anyone mislead you. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will lead many astray. And wars will break out near and far, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must come, but the end won’t follow immediately. The nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this will be only the beginning of the horrors to come.'” Matthew 24:3-8 (NLT)

This translation fails to communicate an important revelation from Jesus – that the end times will be analogous to the birthing process.

According to Strong’s Concordance, the word “horrors” as translated above comes from the word “odin” which is best translated as “the pain of childbirth” or “birth pangs.”

This means that, much like birth pangs, signs of the end times will appear with greater frequency and intensity as Christ’s return draws near. This is why Jesus mentioned this sign first when answering his disciples’ questions “When will all this take place? And will there be any sign ahead of time to signal your return and the end of the world?”

According to Jesus, three things in particular will increase in frequency and intensity as the world draws closer to His return:

1) Wars; 2) Famines, and 3) Earthquakes

Have we seen these three things increase in frequency and intensity in the recent past?

Yes.

Let’s take a brief look at wars, famines, and earthquakes over the past 500 years.

Wars – A Sign of the End Times

According to a Wikipedia list of wars, the past 500 years have witnessed an increase in the frequency of wars:

15th Century – 29 wars

16th Century – 59 wars

17th Century – 75 wars

18th Century – 69 wars

19th Century – 294 wars

20th Century – 278 wars

The first decade of the 21st Century has already witnessed 55 wars, putting humanity on course for 550  wars over the next one hundred year period.

Have these wars increased in intensity?

Yes.

For most of human history, wars were fought through individual hand-to-hand combat.  But the past few hundred years have witnessed the ascension of more accurate guns, machine guns, and aerial bombing. Today, a single weapon of mass destruction can kill hundreds of thousands of people.

Famines – A Sign of the End Times

According to a Wikipedia list of famines, the past 500 years have also witnessed an increase in the frequency of famines:

15th Century – 6 famines

16th Century – 10 famines

17th Century – 24 famines

18th Century – 28 famines

19th Century – 30 famines

20th Century – 44 famines

The first decade of the 21st Century alone has already witnessed 12 famines, putting humanity on course for 120 famines over the next one hundred year period.

Have these famines increased in intensity and severity?

Yes.

As the population of the world has grown, famines have caused more and more death and destruction in their wake.

In fact, while the Roman Empire’s entire population at the time of Jesus is estimated to have been approximately 55 million people, the first half of the 20th Century alone witnessed these famines:

The 1921 famine in Russia (5 million+ dead)

The 1928-1929 famine in China (3 million+ dead)

The 1932-1933 famine in Ukraine (2.6 and 10 million+ dead)

The 1932-1933 famine in Kazakhstan (1.2 and 1.5 million+ dead)

The 1936 famine in China (5 million+ dead)

The 1942-1943 famine in China (1 million+ dead)

The 1946-1947 famine in the Soviet Union (1 million+ dead)

That’s an estimated 18.8 to 26.5 million who perished from famine just from these seven famines alone!

And from 1959 to 1961, the Great Chinese Famine is estimated to have killed more than 36 million people.

Famines have dramatically increased in both frequency and intensity since Jesus first answered His disciples’ questions.

Earthquakes – Another Sign of the End Times

According to a Wikipedia list of earthquakes, the past 500 years have witnessed the following number of earthquakes described as a magnitude 7.0 or greater:

15th Century – 2 earthquakes

16th Century – 3 earthquakes

17th Century – 7 earthquakes

18th Century – 13 earthquakes

19th Century – 29 earthquakes

20th Century – 123 earthquakes

The first decade of the 21st Century has already witnessed 144 earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.0 or greater, putting humanity on course for 1,440 such earthquakes over the next one hundred year period!

The dramatic increase in devastating wars, famines, and earthquakes from the time of Jesus until today is one of clearest signs of the end times.

5) Rise of the Gog / Magog Alliance

Yet another sign of the end times is the current rise of the Gog / Magog Alliance.

The details of this future military alliance against Israel are found in the Book of Ezekiel, Chapters 38 and 39:

“This is another message that came to me from the Lord: ‘Son of man, prophesy against Gog of the land of Magog, the prince who rules over the nations of Meshech and Tubal. Give him this message from the Sovereign Lord: Gog, I am your enemy! I will turn you around and put hooks into your jaws to lead you out to your destruction. I will mobilize your troops and cavalry and make you a vast and mighty horde, all fully armed. Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya will join you, too, with all their weapons. Gomer and all its hordes will also join you, along with the armies of Beth-togarmah from the distant north and many others.'”Ezekiel 38:1-6 (NLT)

The nations cited in the verses above are associated with their Old Testament predecessors, but they all represent nations that exist today.

Below is a list of those nations, each followed by its modern day equivalent:

Magog, Meshech, and Tubal = Russia
Persia = Iran
Cush = Ethiopia
Put = Libya
Gomer = Turkey
Beth-togarmah = Turkey, Armenia, and the Turkish-speaking people of Asia Minor

According to God, Russia will mobilize a coalition that includes these nations in the last days.

Throughout human history, there’s never been a cooperative military alliance between the nations of Russia and Iran – at least until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Since then, a cooperative diplomatic and military alliance between Iran and Russia has formed and slowly expanded, ultimately leading to Russia’s assistance in providing Iran with the necessary support to make the Bushehr nuclear power plant operational in 2010.

So when does the Bible tell us this alliance will form?

It definitely says, “in the last days”:

“Get ready; be prepared! Keep all the armies around you mobilized, and take command of them. A long time from now you will be called into action. In the distant future you will swoop down on the land of Israel, which will be lying in peace after her recovery from war and after the return of her people from many lands. You and all your allies – a vast and awesome horde – will roll down on them like a storm and cover the land like a cloud.” Ezekiel 38:7-9 (NLT)

According to Strong’s Concordance, “in the distant future” is better translated as “achariyth shaneh” which means “end years.”

6) The Rise of Global Government

Another sign of the end times is the current trend toward globalization.

According to the Book of Revelation, globalization involves more than just multinational corporations and global commerce.  One day, a single man will rule all the people and nations on the earth:

“And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation.” Revelation 13:7 (NLT)

With each passing day more and more nations are ceding their sovereignty to larger institutions such as the European Union, the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Court.

Given the current global financial crisis and the potential catastrophe of a global war, more and more diplomatic leaders and world politicians are calling for global government.

And as human technology continues to advance and mature, we’re quickly reaching a point where global totalitarian rule will be possible.

7) The Good News Preached Throughout the World

Jesus revealed the following sign of the end times to His disciples in response to their questions about the end of the age and the sign of His coming:

“And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14 (NLT)

According to Christ, His Coming is preceded by the preaching of the Gospel “throughout the whole world.”

This idea is reiterated in the Book of Revelation.

“And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world – to every nation, tribe, language, and people.  ‘Fear God,’ he shouted. ‘Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all the springs of water.’” Revelation 14:6-7 (NLT)

In the time of Jesus, the Gospel was confined to a relatively small number of people in and around Israel.  And much of the earth’s land mass was completely unknown to the disciples of Jesus, so the odds of the disciples preaching the Gospel of Christ “throughout the whole world” in their own time was quite remote.

Yet, 2,000 years later, the Gospel is preached in every nation, the Bible is translated in hundreds of languages, and the Gospel of Christ is delivered through thousands of ministries via radio, cable TV, satellite, and the Internet.

Is this “the way it’s always been?”

Nope.

The truth is our generation is closer to preaching the Gospel “throughout the whole world” than any preceding generation.

Signs of the End Times

These are just seven signs of the end times, but they aren’t the only signs.

The Bible has much to say about the last days and the time of the end, and as followers of Christ, we are warned to recognize the signs of the times.

“Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.” Matthew 24:28 (NLT)

Why?

Because if we acknowledge the signs of the end times as well as our Lord’s command to stay awake and alert, we will be driven to live Godly lives. Paul emphasized this in his letter to the Romans:

“Another reason for right living is that you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for the coming of our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” Romans 13:11 (NLT)

Remember, all prophecy exists to give a clear witness for Christ:

“For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus.” Revelation 19:10 (NLT)

And prophecy is telling us that Christ is coming.

“In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door.”  Matthew 24:33 (NLT)