General Articles

Do You Recognize the Signs of the Times? :: By Britt Gillette

Published on: by RR7

About two thousand years ago, Jesus rebuked the religious elites of His day. He criticized them for their failure to recognize His Coming. He told them, “You know how to look at the sky and predict the weather, but you don’t know how to recognize the signs of the times” (Matthew 16:1-3). Just like you and me, the religious leaders could see dark clouds on the horizon and know a rain storm was on its way. In the same manner, Jesus said they should have seen the signs and prepared for His arrival. The Pharisees and Sadducees knew the Old Testament Messianic prophecies, yet they failed to recognize the Messiah.

But their failure is relevant to our day and time as well. Why? Because Jesus wasn’t simply addressing the Pharisees and Sadducees when He said this. He had a second audience in mind – you and me. That’s right. Jesus was also talking to our generation. The Bible is filled with prophecies about the Second Coming, and Jesus commanded us to watch for Him (Mark 13:35-37). Our generation is also expected to recognize the “signs of the times.” But are we? Do you recognize the signs of the times?

 The World is Complacent

Unfortunately, much of the world (including a large number of Christians) are not watching for Jesus. They’re asleep when it comes to the Second Coming, even though Jesus warned against it. Why do I say the world is asleep? Because right now, a flood of signs surround us. Never before have so many signs of the Second Coming been present. Here are just a few from 2020:

COVID-19 – Since emerging in Wuhan, China is late 2019, COVID-19 (a.k.a. “the coronavirus”) has wreaked havoc on the world stage. It first led to the shutdown of several major cities in China. Eventually, the shutdowns spread to the rest of China, then Italy, Spain, the United States, and countless countries throughout the world. While many nations have made inroads to “flatten the curve” and even force a decline in new cases, the coronavirus is far from gone. Many fear a “second wave” while others argue the first wave never went away. While some local areas may have temporarily seen a decline in case counts, the number of new confirmed global cases has grown from 2 million in mid-April to over 8 million today. That’s a four-fold increase in two months. Far from being in the rearview mirror, the coronavirus pandemic is still an ongoing global emergency. A form of pestilence, it’s one of the signs Jesus told His followers to look for (Luke 21:11).

Global Riots – In late May, the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer sparked nationwide protests in the United States. Unfortunately, alongside countless peaceful protests, riots erupted in several cities. Minneapolis saw several days of riots, looting, and burning buildings following Floyd’s death. In Seattle, the police and National Guard have abandoned six city blocks in the downtown area, ceding control to various radical groups. In Atlanta, rioters attacked the global headquarters of CNN. In London, authorities boarded up a statue of Winston Churchill to protect it from those threatening to tear it down. Throughout the world, we see images of arson, looting, and mayhem as a spirit of lawlessness prevails. The Bible says this is what people will be like in the last days (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

A Global Depression – Despite all the talk of a “V-shaped” recovery for the economy, no such thing is happening. The global travel industry is a fraction of what it was in early January, and it will likely be years before we see travel return to the old “normal.” Restaurants, hotels, and retail outlets have a fraction of the foot traffic they once had. Last week, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development estimated global GDP could plummet as much as 7.6% this year – twice what it previously announced in March. The World Bank estimates global GDP will fall 6.2%. If these figures are correct, the current economic downturn will be twice as bad as the Great Recession and the worst economic contraction since the Great Depression.

Last week also brought bad news on the employment front. More than 1.5 million people in the United States filed new unemployment claims. This is after most states have “re-opened” their economies. To put this number in perspective, prior to March, the largest weekly unemployment claim number in U.S. history was 695,000 in October 1982. Even with many people returning to their jobs following state restrictions, continuing unemployment claims remain over 20 million. This is the worst global economy since the Great Depression, and it doesn’t look like it will get better any time soon. This creates fertile ground for the rise of a dictator. The Great Depression paved the way for Adolph Hitler. The Bible says a similar economic catastrophe will pave the way for the Antichrist (Revelation 6:5-6).

Swarms of Locusts – This year also saw the emergence of one of the worst locust plagues in decades. Swarms of billions of locusts, ranging anywhere from a third of a mile to a 100 square miles or more, have attacked crops on two continents. The hardest hit areas so far have included East Africa (Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, and Ethiopia), the Middle East (Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Iran), and Southwest Asia (Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India). The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization projects these swarms will continue to thrive and spread well into late-July. As these locust swarms destroy crops, millions face the prospect of famine in parts of the world where food insecurity is already common. Famine is one of the signs Jesus said to look for (Matthew 24:7).

Rumors of War – On July 1, the Israeli government will formally consider annexation of large parts of the West Bank. If it does, Jordan has said it will end its 27 year-old peace treaty with the Jewish State. The Palestinian Authority has said it will end its relationship with Israel, and Hamas has warned any such annexation will ignite a new Intifada. If Israel moves forward with plans to annex all or part of the West Bank, it will almost certainly face widespread condemnation in the international community and violent resistance from its longtime enemies. Only time will tell what July brings, but rumors of war are widespread. Jesus said rumors of war will be another sign of His coming (Matthew 24:6).

The Converging Signs

But these are just the latest signs. Many of the signs Jesus and the prophets said to look for appeared long before 2020. Generations of Christians lived and died without witnessing a single sign of the Second Coming. Yet our generation is witness to all of them. Those signs include:

Israel Back in the Land – God promised to bring the Jewish people back into the land of Israel before He returned (Jeremiah 23:7-8). He said He would call them from “among the nations” (Ezekiel 39:28), from “the farthest corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11:12), and from “north, south, east, and west” (Psalm 107:3). He promised to welcome them home from the lands where they were scattered (Ezekiel 20:34). When they did, He promised to return and establish His everlasting kingdom (Isaiah 11:11-12).

Israeli Control of Jerusalem – Jesus said armies would surround Jerusalem, destroy the city, and enslaves its citizens. This happened in A.D. 70 when the Roman legions did exactly that. Jesus then said people other than the Jewish people would control Jerusalem for a time, then the Jewish people would once again control Jerusalem. When they did, Jesus promised to return (Luke 21:24-28). Since 1967, the Jewish people have been in possession of Jerusalem.

The Gospel Preached Throughout the World – When asked about the end of the age and the signs of His coming, Jesus said the Gospel will be preached throughout the entire world. Every nation will hear it. Then, the end will come (Matthew 24:14). For centuries after the crucifixion, the Gospel was confined to a small area surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. In the past two centuries, Christians have brought the Gospel to every nation in the world. Today, missionaries live in every nation. The Bible is translated in hundreds of languages, and the message of Jesus is sent around the world by radio, TV, satellite, and the Internet. Our generation is literally on the verge of spreading the Gospel to every last person on earth.

Increased Travel and Knowledge – Six hundred years before Jesus, an angel gave Daniel a special message. He said “travel and knowledge” will increase in the end times (Daniel 12:4). For centuries of human history, dramatic gains in travel and knowledge did NOT take place. Yet the last two hundred years have seen explosions in the speed and frequency of travel as well as the amount and availability of knowledge.

Arrival of the Exponential Curve – Jesus said a variety of global signs will come before His return and the end of the age. These signs will be spiritual, natural, societal, and political in nature. And He said they will appear in a distinct way – “like birth pains” (Matthew 24:3‐8). This means the frequency and intensity of these signs will increase as we near His return. Our generation has seen the exponential increase in war and famine Jesus said to look for. In the 20th Century alone, more people died from war and famine than lived on the earth when Jesus spoke these words.

Israel Surrounded by Enemies – The Bible says enemies will surround Israel in the end times. Those enemies will say “Come, let us wipe away the nation of Israel. Let’s destroy the memory of its existence” (Psalm 83:4) and “Let us take for ourselves these pasturelands of God” (Psalm 83:12). Ezekiel said Israel’s neighbors will say “God has given their land to us” (Ezekiel 11:14‐17), and “Israel and Judah are ours. We will take possession of them. What do we care if their God is there?” (Ezekiel 35:10). Ever since the rebirth of Israel in 1948, the daily headlines have included these Bible verses. Israel’s Muslim neighbors claim the land of Israel for themselves, and they have no regard for the God of Israel.

Israel’s Exceedingly Great Army – Ezekiel said, in the end times, Israel will field “an exceedingly great army” (Ezekiel 37:10). Zechariah said Israel will be like a fire among sheaves of grain, burning up the neighboring nations (Zechariah 12:6) and even the weakest Israeli soldier will be like David (Zechariah 12:8). Since 1948, Israel has fought no less than four conventional wars against its neighbors. Despite being outnumbered more than 50 to 1, Israel has achieved overwhelming victory every time.

Rise of the Gog of Magog Alliance – The Bible says a military alliance that includes Russia, Iran, Turkey, and a number of Muslim nations will attack Israel “from the north” (Ezekiel 38:15; Ezekiel 39:2) “in the latter days” (Ezekiel 38:8) when God brings His people home from among the enemy nations (Ezekiel 39:27). Today, we see those very nations forming an alliance that has never existed in world history, and all three have troops in Syria – a nation on Israel’s northern border.

Rise of a United Europe – The Bible says a revived Roman Empire will come to power in the end times (Daniel 2, Daniel 7, Revelation 17). According to Daniel, it will be a ten nation alliance of weak and strong nations. Some parts will be as strong as iron, while other parts will be as weak as clay (Daniel 2:42). We see the beginning of this alliance in the European Union – a coalition of weak and strong nations struggling to stay together.

The Rise of Global Government – The Bible says a single government will rule the world politically (Revelation 13:7), religiously (Revelation 13:8), and economically (Revelation 13:16‐17) in the last days. It will rule over “all people, tribes, and languages” on the face of the earth (Revelation 13:7). Its authority will be so complete no one will be able to buy or sell anything without its permission (Revelation 13:16‐17). For centuries, a true global government was impossible. Today, world leaders openly discuss it. And cryptocurrencies and electronic banking foreshadow an economic system where people can be shut off from commerce.

Denial of the Signs – Almost two thousand years ago, Peter issued a warning. He said in the last days people will mock the idea of Jesus returning. They will make fun of those who believe in the Second Coming and say things like, “I thought Jesus was coming back? What happened to His promise? Generation after generation has said He’s coming. Yet, since the beginning of the world, everything has remained the same!” (2 Peter 3:3‐4). This is exactly what we hear people say today.

Given all these signs, you can be certain of one thing: Jesus is coming, and ours is the generation that will witness His return. How can I be so sure? Simple. All these signs are converging. Jesus said when you see these signs come together, you can know His return is near. In fact, He said the generation witnessing these signs will not pass away before He returns (Matthew 24:34). Keep in mind – for 1,878 years of Christianity (A.D. 70 – A.D. 1948), none of these signs were present. Today, all of them are. That means Jesus is right at the door (Matthew 24:33).

As in the Days of Noah

When the disciples asked Jesus to describe the signs of His coming and the end of the age, He pointed to many signs. But one of the most overlooked is the idea that when He returns, the world will be “like it was in the days of Noah.” Jesus said, “In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes” Matthew 24:38-39 (NLT).

Look around. Despite all the chaos and turmoil, people are living their lives as if everything is normal. As in the days of Noah, they don’t realize what’s coming. Noah’s generation didn’t think the flood would come, but it came. Our generation doesn’t think Jesus will come, but He will. And all the signs say He’ll come in our generation.

Britt Gillette is author of the free ebook Coming to Jesus as well as the books Signs of the Second Coming, Racing Toward Armageddon, and The End Times. Receive his book 7 Signs of the End Times for free when you sign up for his monthly newsletter.

Signs of the Times: Part 1 of 2:: By Ron Ferguson

Published on: by RR7

How Do We Understand This, Our Age?

Matt 16:2-4 “But He answered and said to them, ‘When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today for the sky is red and threatening.’  Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?”

Matt 16:4 “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and a sign will not be given it except the sign of Jonah,’ and He left them and went away.”

The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus, trying to trick Him to gain an advantage; and He spoke those verses and made reference to Jonah which had to do with His death, burial and resurrection.  His enemies were reprimanded for not being able to discern the signs of the time. They knew how to discern the atmospheric signs and tell the next day’s weather, but they had no idea how to discern the signs that indicated Jesus was the Messiah, confirmed by His undisputed miracles. If they had known the scriptures, they would have recognized that Jesus was the Messiah. It was as clear as that. Had they been Old Testament scholars as they claimed they were, then they would have known all the scriptures that supported that. They were frauds.

What is meant by “the signs of the times”? For me, it means being able to understand the days in which we/you live in relation to God’s program and prophecies in the bible, and the unfolding events in the world; in other words, indicators of events. This is what makes it so exciting. Christians are distressed at the growing evil and anti-godliness in the world, and that has happened so very quickly in our generation.

The items covered in Timothy for “the last days” (2 Tim 3:1-5) sit right in our time. Another verse says evil men will grow from bad to worse. The verse in context explains why Christians face increasing difficulty in these days. “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Tim 3:12-13).

I am not going to examine the many facets of government in Australia which have led to God’s order being overthrown, and who are the people involved in this.

I think we need to note this very carefully. The opening verse in 2 Timothy 3 is this – “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.”

The word “perilous” – (KJV) “difficult” (NASB, Holman, ESV) “terrible” (NIV) – means “hard to do or to bear; troublesome, harsh, fierce, oppressive, annoying, fiercely difficult to cope, even injurious.”  Consider each of those carefully. For some Christians and people generally in some countries, this is happening for them. We in Australia and the developed world are more sheltered. Has the world reached that place yet? The Chinese virus and the failed oil price (April 20th) with the collapsing financial money market has placed us in those times.

Throw into all that this current pandemic, the “corona virus” or the “Chinese virus,” and you have a vulnerable world, scarcely able to cope. The world struggles for a solution, but China has manipulated this for its own advantage. It is eyeing the distressed world because its brand of communism wants world rule. For some time, China has been spreading its influence throughout, buying up large enterprises in many countries. Numerous countries have many of their assets in Chinese hands already. I think it is worthwhile reporting a News release from 13 April 2020 where Chinese scientists were sharing their research in this virus with peer scientists in the world, and now the Communist Government has censored it:

“Hong Kong (CNN) China has imposed restrictions on the publication of academic research on the origins of the novel coronavirus according to a central government directive and online notices published by two Chinese universities, that have since been removed from the web.

Under the new policy, all academic papers on Covid-19 will be subject to extra vetting before being submitted for publication. Studies on the origin of the virus will receive extra scrutiny and must be approved by central government officials, according to the now-deleted posts. A medical expert in Hong Kong who collaborated with mainland researchers to publish a clinical analysis of Covid-19 cases in an international medical journal said his work did not undergo such vetting in February. The increased scrutiny appears to be the latest effort by the Chinese government to control the narrative on the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed more than 177,240 (April 22nd) lives and sickened 2.56 million people worldwide since it first broke out in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December.“

That means that the world is again disadvantaged as it was in the outbreak of the virus when China refused to tell the world, but let it spread through the world before the world knew what was happening. Evil governments produce evil men. I don’t need to explain to you the injustice, the wicked policies that have been made law, or the decay of all morality, which also includes justice, honesty, fairness, and the pursuit of goodness. We see that decay continually.

Returning to the signs of the times, how do we understand our current world? Everything needs to be examined scripturally. God has given us His prophetic program, so that is the basis for interpreting our times. Our Bible study group has been working through the Minor Prophets in great detail, and we understand what is ahead for this world. The nation of Israel is key to much of this prophecy, and the wise Bible student will keep his eyes on Israel.

The Rapture of the Church is the event on the horizon. We understand that to be very, very close as we study the signs of the times. After that, the events of the Tribulation unfurl from Rev 6:1 onwards, and some of those events can be understood in some small measure as we understand our world. The current pandemic is a mild forerunner of the pale horse, the 4th one of Rev 6; the whole earth seeing events in Jerusalem instantly as required by Rev 11:8-10, and is understood in cell/mobile phones – these things we must study.

At this juncture I must say something about the great rise of self-proclaimed prophets coming on the scene.

2 Pet 2:1-3 “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned, and in their greed they will exploit you with false words.  Their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”

I won’t name them, or at least the ones I know, which is only a drop in the bucket. I don’t wish to offend anyone, but there are no prophets today. They ceased with the completion of scripture in AD 96 when God’s entire will and program was delivered to us. There is no more revelation. None, but these false prophets are on about predicting happenings and reading dates, setting dates, and blood moons and making nebulous prophecies like, “There is someone listening to me who has pain in the lower back….”

A BIBLICAL PARALLEL: One matter that I have been considering quite seriously concerns our current times. I speak for Australia and the United States. As I talk about this, I am aware that some may disagree, and that is fine if you have studied it in detail and have an understanding of our times that is biblical but different from mine. We need to look at a biblical time before destruction descended on Judah around 597 B.C.

Manasseh, son of King Hezekiah, was probably the most wicked king to reign in Judah (2 Kings chapter 21) and did horrible abominations. He also had the longest reign of 55 years. Wickedness like that permeates among the people, but it is true that a wicked people gain over them a wicked ruler as evil leaven. A wicked generation wants wicked rulers. So it was in the case of Manasseh.  When he died, his son Amon ascended the throne, but he was just as evil as his father. His rule was short because, after two years, his servants conspired and killed him. His place was taken by his son Josiah, the most godly man to reign over Judah and stands shoulder to shoulder with David in godliness.

God’s judgment was mounting for Judah, and the prophet Jeremiah warned over and over about it; but his message fell on deaf ears, for the sinful people would not repent. God held off His judgment against the nation while Josiah was alive. Josiah’s reforms and spiritual initiatives were enough for the people to take note and repent or face judgement. They refused but paid lip service.

When the godly king died, one of his worthless sons took the throne, and he was evil. He was Jehoahaz, but the interesting thing is that he was installed as king by the people of the land. This is the populace plotting its destiny and its destruction, and the end was nigh, for Nebuchadnezzar came; and it was not long after before destruction fell on the nation. I believe God gave breathing space for Judah to repent while Josiah was king, but they would not, and the destruction came as God promised.

I see a very interesting parallel here with the present conditions. We are living the days of the signs of the time at the end of the Church age. President Trump is a professed Christian, but people have taken note of propaganda against him from his many enemies of the left with communist beliefs. He is hated for recognizing Jerusalem as the true capital of Israel, and that would not be surprising as there is a hatred for Israel from the socialist left, many main media outlets and social networking sites. He opposes abortion and other socialist agendas as does the Christian Vice President, Mike Pence.

God’s judgment will fall on godless America but is presently held up with this last chance given to the people to repent. This will be their last chance, I believe. Once Trump has to leave office, the nation will be in the hands of the Democrats (possibly), then destruction will not be far away.

I believe we are that close to the Rapture, and then the world enters the Tribulation. This is the last chance for the USA and Australia to repent.

My nation, Australia, also stands at the crossroads. The Morrison Government replaced a very dysfunctional Australian Labor Party rule with its abortion and homosexual marriage and gender travesty and socialist/communist/green agendas. Scott Morrison has something of a Christian leaning, and like Trump, has prayed for his country. Sadly, in the Liberal Party, which Morrison leads, there are weak members and those with socialist, politically correct agendas. Morrison could be replaced possibly at the next election by another Labor Government, and Australia, now godless, will decline so rapidly. This too is Australia’s last chance. Evil men in Australia are going from bad to worse. Christians are generally hated in the country.

The corona virus has attacked, worst of all, the nations of western Europe that formed the powerbase of the old Roman Empire. Italy, Spain, France, the UK, part of Germany, and Belgium were the strength of the old Roman Empire. The Antichrist (world leader of the new, revived Roman Empire, 10 members) will have those 5/6 mentioned nations as his nucleus. However, they are all weakened by this pestilence and may not recover, or not recover well.  If the Rapture occurs very soon, then the beast (Antichrist) who arises will be looked on as the saviour who can rescue these nations, the rider coming on the white horse of Revelation 6:1 and of the first half of Revelation 13.  I know it has been said for decades, but this evil man, the beast, Antichrist, could be living today.

Israel is in place. The nations of Europe are in place. Phone coverage reaches to every part of the world (necessary for Revelation chapter 11). The prophecies of the last days in the book of Timothy are clearly here. The signs of the time announce the coming Rapture and the subsequent Tribulation of judgment. When? No one can say, but it must be close.

Stay tuned for The Signs of the Times, Part 2: How Do We Understand This, Our Age.

ronaldf@aapt.net.au