Unfolding Prophecy Truth

Unfolding Prophecy Truth

More Signs of Christ’s Return

A while back we published an article entitled “Signs of the End Times” where we explored the disciples’ questions and Jesus’ answer regarding His Second Coming (Matthew 24:1-8). In this article, we will explore a few more signs of His coming (return) from other Scriptures besides Matthew. We like to establish a truth firmly grounded in Scripture, and we believe that God’s Word is the best commentary and verification of His Word. As we explore these twelve more signs suggesting that the Return of Christ is very near, see if the headlines we see every day don’t align with what the Bible predicted.

1. Increase of wars and rumors of wars: Mark 13:7-8:

And when ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.”

Keep an eye on North Korea, Isis, and the Middle East (Hamas, Hezbollah, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Iraq, even cartel wars in Mexico – and the list goes on . . .).

2. Extreme materialism and lawlessness: 2 Timothy 3:1-5:

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power of thereof: from such turn away.”

Riots and takeovers on campuses, snowflakes, fake news, Black Lives Matter, the “knock out game”, anti-Trump hate speech (it is about the speech and actions themselves not whom it is against), shooting representatives and police, and this list goes on . . .

3. Population explosion: Genesis 6:1; Luke 17:26

Genesis 6:1: “And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,”

Luke 17:26: “And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.”

We have reached almost 7.5 billion on the planet and growing (U.S. Census Bureau). We live longer, and although I don’t agree, many believe that we are overpopulated.

4. An increase in speed and knowledge: Daniel 12:4; 2 Timothy 3:7

Daniel 12:4: “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.”

2 Timothy 3:7: “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Instant information via the Internet; millions of books published yearly (many online); travel by air, train, bus, and ships are big business; yet people seem to believe the most bizarre things and reject sound truth. Our own government calls things that are evil good, and good people and things are attacked as evil.

5. Unification of the world’s systems and wholesale rejection of God: Revelations 13:4-8; Psalms 2:1-3

Revelations 13:4-8:

And they worshiped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven, And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Psalms 2:1-3: “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bans asunder, and cast away their cords from us.”

Our monetary systems are so entwined that one hiccup in some minor stock can cause the entire world’s exchanges to crash. At the same time, we see wholesale rejection of God’s Word, Christianity, Judaism, creationism, and anything to do with God.

6. Intense demonic activity: 1 Timothy 4:1-3:

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart form the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”

Not just occult, witchcraft, paganism, and other godless religious systems are growing, but so is violent Islam. What can we think about a group of people so bent on domination, destruction, beheadings, burnings, and other cruel forms of torture and death other than it is demonically motivated?

7. A departure from the Christian faith: 2 Thessalonians 2:3; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 4:3-4; 2 Peter 3:3-6

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;”

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;”

2 Timothy 4:3-4: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

2 Peter 3:3-6: “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willing are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished.”

We are watching our churches shrink. Young people go to college and seem to lose their faith, and Islam is now the fastest growing religion on the planet (Lipka, Hackett, 2017).

8. Abnormal sexual activities: Luke 17:26-30; Romans 1:26-32

Luke 17:26-30: “And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.”

Romans 1:26-32:

For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use unto that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgement of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

No additional comments needed here . . .

9. The abortion movement: (Especially note the three words: “without natural affection,” which can be accurately applied to mothers who murder their unborn children.)

2 Timothy 3:1-4: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;”

Is there anything more perilous than being killed in the womb? And the vast majority (if not all) are the result of convenience, not health.

10. Revival of an old empire: Daniel 2:41-42; 7:7-8; Revelations 13:1; 17:12

Daniel 2:41-42: “And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.”

Daniel 7:7-8: “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it; and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.”

Revelations 13:1: “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.”

Revelations 17:12: “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but received power as kings one hour with the beast.”

European Union, the Islamic Crescent of ten or eleven countries coming together – all covering the areas of Daniel’s and John’s visions.

11. A universal numbering system: Revelations 13:16-17:

“And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”

The world’s economic systems are already so closely tied together. Banks do huge (billions of dollars) exchanges every day electronically, and we are all moving to a cashless society so that one day our ability to buy or sell will be controlled by the governments and banks.

12. Hatred and ridicule of the Bible: 2 Peter 3:2-5; Jude 1:7-19

2 Peter 3:2-5: “That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:”

Jude 1:17-19: “But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.”

The Bible, and the Ten Commandments have been kicked out of the public arena, schools, and now personal beliefs are being attacked (when people can’t in good conscience support lesbian, gay, or transgender unions for example).

Look up, Church, His coming is getting closer every day!

May God bless and shalom to you all!

Bro. Joe

References

Lipka, M., Hackett, C. (April 6, 2017). Why Muslims are the fastest-growing religious group. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/04/06/why-muslims-are-the-worlds-fastest-growing-religious-group/

United States Census Bureau. U.S. and World Population Clock. Retrieved July 24, 2017. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/popclock/

Elkmont Baptist Church