Dangerous Signs of the times
Pastor Dale Morgan
Dangerous Signs of the times
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Posted: November 4, 2006
I don't know about you, but I am beginning to distrust the weatherman.
It seems like when they tell us it will be warm, it's cold; when they
tell us it will be rainy, it's sunny. It seems like I could do just as
good of a job of predicting the weather for the day by simply looking
out of my window.
Jesus said, "You have a saying that goes, 'Red sky at night, sailor's
delight; red sky at morning, sailors take warning.' You find it easy
enough to forecast the weather – why can't you read the signs of the
times? (Matthew16:2-3 The Message)
In the same way, all you have to do is pick up your morning paper, watch
the news on TV to see "signs of the times." And what do these "signs"
tell us? That Jesus Christ is coming back!
Jesus mentioned certain signs, or "birth pains," that would indicate the
time of His return and the end of the world:
Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name,
saying, "I am the Christ," and will deceive many. And you will hear of
wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these
things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise
against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines,
pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the
beginning of sorrows. (Matthew 24:4-8)
Are we seeing evidence that these signs are appearing in greater and
greater frequency in our generation? Let's consider some of the facts.
No. 1 – The explosion of religious deception
In the Last Days, there will be an emergence of false teachers, false
prophets, gurus and so forth who will "deceive many." This will
culminate in the emergence of the ultimate deceiver, the Antichrist.
For many years now, we have witnessed an explosion of cults, such as
Jehovah's Witnesses, the Mormons (also known as The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints), the Christian Science Church, the Church
of Scientology and other groups. Then there have been newer cults like
the followers of Jim Jones who committed mass suicide in Guyana in 1978;
the Branch Davidians and their leader, David Koresh, who died in a
standoff with federal agents in Texas in 1993; and the Heaven's Gate
suicides in Southern California in 1997.
There also has been an explosion of New Age mysticism and spirituality
in recent years. I find it interesting how many people today will say,
"I am spiritual, but I am not into organized religion." It is their way
of saying that they want to have a belief system, but they want to live
as they choose. So many people today talk about how they have found
their own truth and their own path. I believe all of this is pointing to
the emergence of the Antichrist and the beginning of the Tribulation
period described in Revelation 6:
Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the
four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, "Come and see."
And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and
a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
(vv. 1-2)
Who is this rider these verses are speaking of? Is it Jesus Christ? No,
it is the Antichrist. I find it interesting that he rides a white horse
and has a crown, because we read later on in Revelation that when Christ
comes back, He will be riding a white horse and will be wearing many
crowns (see Revelation 19:11-12). This reminds us that the Antichrist is
essentially an imitator. He is an imitation of the real thing.
The prefix anti- not only means "against" but also means "instead of."
In many ways, the Antichrist, or the Beast as he is also called,
masquerades as the Messiah. The Antichrist will succeed where others
have failed. He will bring temporary solutions politically, militarily
and economically. In fact, his accomplishments will be so spectacular,
far-reaching and unprecedented that many will hail him as the very
Messiah. But in time he will impose his own religion on the world and
will have his false prophet working alongside him.
No. 2 – Wars and rumors of wars
This leads us to another sign pointing toward the Last Days, which will
be "wars and rumors of wars" (see Matthew 24:6). Think of all the wars
our planet has seen so far in its history. We know that more than 10
million people lost their lives in World War I, which was thought of as
the war that would end all wars. But it took only 20 years for a new and
even more terrible war to develop. During World War II, 50 million
people died.
These wars, as horrible as they were, will not compare to the scale of
war that will be unleashed by Satan during the Tribulation period. How
it will happen we don't know. It could be cataclysmic. We know that God
could pour out His wrath on the earth. Then again, God could allow
humanity to unleash all the weaponry that it has been amassing for years
now.
To date, nations with nuclear weapons have been able to keep one another
at bay. But now there are rogue nations that have gotten hold of nuclear
weapons. Some terrorist organizations have been trying to obtain them
for some time. It could be that, in this terrible war, all of that
nuclear weaponry would be released. Such war would give an explanation
as to the global famine and pestilence that will follow the emergence of
the Antichrist.
No. 3 – Famines and pestilences
In addition to "wars and rumors of wars," global famine and pestilence
will be one of the signs of the last days (see Revelation 6:8). Contrary
to what some may think, famine isn't a problem of the past. According to
the United Nations' World Food Program, more than 800 million people go
hungry every day, while 24,000 people die each day from hunger and
hunger-related causes.
When it comes to global pestilences, think of what has happened in our
generation alone. Thirty-eight million people presently live with
HIV-AIDS. Of these, 95 percent live in developing nations, mostly on the
African continent, where there is a pandemic of AIDS. Eight thousand
people die every day of the AIDS virus. Certainly, this would be one of
the things the Bible is speaking of. Also, it seems that on a regular
basis, some new kind of epidemic is breaking out, more recent ones being
SARS and the bird flu.
As we look at this and what is happening in our world, we can certainly
see the birth pains that seem to be getting closer together.
No. 4 – Earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis
Jesus said, "And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and
famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great
signs from heaven." (Luke 21:11)
Consider the tsunami that struck Southeast Asia, Dec. 26, 2004. It was
caused by the fourth most powerful undersea earthquake on record – an
earthquake so powerful that it moved the entire island of Sumatra 100
feet southwest of its original position. Geologists said the tsunami was
so powerful that it set the whole earth vibrating. It interfered with
the earth's rotation to the degree that time stopped for three microseconds.
According to the U.S. Geological Society, the occurrence of earthquakes
is on the rise. For the past 50 years, the number of recorded
earthquakes has increased every decade – not just the minor ones, but
the "killer" quakes as well. The earthquake that caused the tsunami that
struck Southeast Asia was one of the strongest ever, with more than
286,000 casualties in its wake. More earthquakes will come.
Then there is the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. All of these are
signs of the times.
No. 5 – Religious persecution
Another sign of the times will be persecution. Jesus said, "But watch
out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you
will be beaten in the synagogues. And you will be brought before rulers
and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them. And the gospel must
first be preached to all the nations." (Mark 13:9-10)
We have seen persecution against the church for centuries. There was a
martyr period in church history that extended from A.D. 100 to A.D. 314,
where literally thousands and thousands of courageous men, women and
children stood up for their faith with their blood. Many secular
historians suggest there were 10 great persecutions intended to wipe out
Christianity, beginning with Caesar Nero and ending with the Roman
emperor Diocletian.
During this time, believers were fed alive to wild animals. They were
killed in Roman arenas for sport. They were torn apart, tortured, burned
at the stake and crucified. Diocletian felt that he had been so
successful in eradicating Christianity from the face of the earth that
he had a coin struck that read, "The Christian religion is destroyed and
the worship of the Roman gods are restored." Needless to say, Diocletian
was proved wrong. Instead of being destroyed by persecution, the church
actually grew stronger.
We need to remember that if we are true followers of Jesus, we, too,
will be persecuted. The Bible says, "All who desire to live godly in
Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." (2 Timothy 3:12). In John 15,
Jesus said:
If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you
are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the
world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, "A servant is not
greater than his master." If they persecuted Me, they will also
persecute you. (vv. 18-20)
When we stand up for our faith, it will make some people angry,
especially when we declare that Jesus Christ is the only way to God (see
John 14:6). In our pluralistic society of moral relativism, when someone
makes a statement such as, "All roads don't lead to God – only one road
leads to God; all truth is not yours to choose – there is only one real
truth, and Jesus Christ is the only way to God," some people will not
like it.
In fact, in our own country today, we see our religious liberties
evaporating before our eyes. For example, in 1962, the U.S. Supreme
Court found prayer in public schools unconstitutional. In 1980, the
Court banned the posting of the Ten Commandments in public schools. In
1989, the Court ruled that a nativity scene in a government building was
unconstitutional. In 1992, prayer by clergy members at public school
graduation ceremonies was ruled unconstitutional. In 2003, Alabama Chief
Justice Roy Moore was removed from office for refusing to remove a Ten
Commandments monument from the state's Supreme Court building. And at
the time of this writing, a national debate is under way as to whether
marriage should be defined as a union between one man and one woman and
whether or not we should keep the phrase "One Nation Under God" in the
Pledge of Allegiance.
Here in the United States, some people have been attacked physically –
even killed – because of their faith in Christ. Fresh in our memories
are the tragic shootings at Columbine High School in 1999, where 13
people lost their lives. Among them were Cassie Bernall and Rachel
Scott, who were singled out for their Christian faith.
Outside U.S. borders, we know that persecution is far worse. For
example, thousands of Christians in Sudan have been beaten, driven from
their homes and martyred for their faith. In Iraq, the radical Muslim
group responsible for the kidnapping and murder of Kim Sun-il of South
Korea in June 2004 claimed they killed him because he "tried to
propagate Christianity in Iraq."
Persecution will only get worse in the Last Days – that is what
Scripture tells us.
No. 6 – Jerusalem as an international focal point
Jerusalem, the city of David, has always had a central role in
Scripture, and it figures prominently in prophecies about the Last Days
in which God will "restore the fortunes" of Jerusalem (see Jeremiah
32:44; Danield 9:25; Joel 3:1). In Mark 13:28-29, Jesus said the rebirth
of Israel will be a supersign of the last days: "Now learn this parable
from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender, and puts
forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see
these things happening, know that it is near – at the doors!"
On more than one occasion in Scripture, Israel is compared to a fig tree
(see Judges 9:11; Hosea 9:10; Joel 1:7-8). I believe that Mark 13:28-29,
along with many other Scripture passages, such as Ezekiel 37-39, speak
of the rebirth of Israel – the regathering of God's people. When the
nation of Israel comes back into existence, Jesus was stating
prophetically, it is a supersign that His coming is near.
Of course, we know that this prophecy was fulfilled not that long ago.
On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion stood before the masses gathered in
Tel Aviv and declared Israel's independence. Israel announced to the
world that she was once again to be a free state. Having lost 6 million
Jews to Nazi concentration camps, the Jewish people began returning to
the very land that God had given to them centuries before. It was
unprecedented in human history for a nation to essentially cease to
exist and then to come back into existence.
After the state of Israel was declared in 1948, five Arab states came
against Israel, and the resulting war left the city of Jerusalem
divided. Jordan retained control over the old city, including the Temple
Mount and most historic sites. During the six-day war in 1967, Israeli
forces once again captured the old city and reunified all of Jerusalem.
The city of Jerusalem was under Jewish control for the first time in
many centuries. Bible prophecy had been fulfilled perfectly.
God said, "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). So when God says that Jerusalem will be the
focal point of the last-days scenario, we see this already happening.
You can hardly scan today's headlines without reading about conflict in
the Middle East. So often it centers on Jerusalem. There are many, many
passages of Scripture that specifically say Jerusalem will be at the
heart of it all. Jerusalem, of course, remains at the heart of the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Many Arab leaders worldwide insist that
the old city and entire West Bank are rightfully Palestinian territory
and must be ceded back as a condition for peace. Scripture tells us that
God will gather all the nations of the world together against Jerusalem
(see Zechariah 12:2-3; 14:2). The only true peace that will ever come is
when the King of kings, Lord of lords, and the Prince of Peace comes
back and establishes His kingdom on earth. This is what we need to be
looking for.
So what is all this about? Are we really in the Last Days? The answer is
yes. What we see today are the labor pains of what is yet to come. As we
watch these things happen in our world, as we sense these labor pains
getting closer and closer together, they tell us the coming of Jesus
Christ is near. In fact, I see nothing in Scripture that needs to occur
before the Rapture of the church can take place. In my understanding of
Bible prophecy, it is the next event on the prophetic calendar. And it
could happen at any time.