SIX SIGNS GIVEN BY JESUS TO INDICATE HIS COMING AND THE END OF THEAGE

In Matthew24:3 Jesus was asked, "Tell us, when will these things be,and what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?"Jesus told his apostles to look for the following signs prior to hissecond coming and the end of the age. 1. FALSE PROPHETS AND CHRISTS Matthew 24:5 "For many will come in my name, saying, I am Christ, andwill mislead many." Matthew 24:11 "And many false prophets will arise, and will misleadmany." In the last several years many have claimed to be the Messiah. JimJones and David Koresh are examples of these false christs as well ascountless others who are not as newsworthy. These false prophets area prelude to the ultimate false christ, the antichrist. Many New Agegroups, some even NGO's working for the United Nations, are anxiouslyawaiting the antichrist, preparing the way for his acceptance as thehead of the hierarchy of gods and the one who will usher in worldpeace. 2. WARS Matthew 24:6 "And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; seethat you are not frightened, for those things must take place, butthat is not yet the end." Rumors of wars in all areas of the world now occur frequently thanksto instant media coverage and the availability of a multitude of 24-hour news sources. Matthew 24:7 "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom againstkingdom, and in various places there will be famines andearthquakes." More people have been killed in warfare in this century than at anyother time in history. As the death toll rises in the Middle East,more and more countries work feverishly to develop devastating weaponsof mass destruction. Add to that the expanding threat of terrorismand unpredictable dictators such as Saddam Hussein, and the potentialfor the outbreak of war exists in nations, kingdoms and places acrossthe globe. 3. FAMINES Matthew 24:7 "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom againstkingdom, and in various places there will be famines andearthquakes." As white, Christian farmers are driven out of Zimbabwe in increasingnumbers, and foreigners move in to replace life-sustaining crops withpoppies that now supply 25% of the worlds drugs, famine spreads acrossthe African continent. The undernourished are not limited to Africa,however. A large portion of the worlds 5 billion people suffers froma shortage of food. 4. EARTHQUAKES Matthew 24:7 "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom againstkingdom, and in various places there will be famines andearthquakes." The number and intensity of earthquakes this century is at a levelhigher than any other time in history. A staggering number of seismicevents occur around the world daily. The earthquake seismic monitorIRIS shows all major earthquakes for the last year. Indicated byyellow and red circles, the seismic events of the last 15 daysprovides strong evidence of the fulfillment of Matthew 24:7 in ourday. By contrast, in the years from 1890 to 1900 there was only onemajor earthquake in the world. 5. TRIBULATIONS Matthew 24:8-9 "But all these things are merely the beginning of birthpangs. Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you,and you will be hated by all nations on account of my name." Christians are under attack throughout the world today. In the UnitedStates Christians still enjoy freedom to worship God without sufferingmuch more than ridicule, hatred, or discrimination at work andschool. However in many other countries such as China, Sudan, Africa,Saudi Arabia, Korea, Russia, and many Muslim nations, Christian suffermuch greater persecution and often times death for their faith.During the tribulation this suffering will be worldwide and willcontinue even to the point of martyrdom. These first 5 signs willincrease in intensity and severity as the tribulation approaches, muchlike the birth pangs or contractions of a pregnant woman worsen as thedelivery time approaches. 6. THE GOSPEL WILL BE PREACHED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD Matthew 24:14 "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in thewhole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shallcome." This prophecy has already been fulfilled through television, radio,missionaries, the translation of the Bible into many languages, andthe internet. People all over the world now hear the message ofChrist from missionaries who have the means to travel the globe, andvia technology that allows us to communicate with people on the otherside of the world right from our own homes, churches and offices. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TWO CHARACTERISTICS OF THE END OF THE AGE FROM THE APOSTLE PAUL -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. GODLESSNESS IN THE LAST DAYS II Timothy 3:1-5,7 "But realize this, that in the last days difficulttimes will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money,boastful, arrogant, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,unloving, unforgiving, malicious gossips, without self-control,brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers ofpleasure rather than lovers of god; holding to a form of godliness,although they have denied its power; always learning and never able tocome to the knowledge of the truth." For anyone who has watched television, read a newspaper, lost aretirement to corporate greed and corruption, or just walked outsidetheir front door, it is obvious this prophecy has been fulfilled byour generation. Our leaders are often corrupt; our cities are filledwith crime, brutality, and neon signs proclaiming our sinful, godlessnature. The New Age Movement brings in increasing numbers of mysticswho claim to be the enlightened ones. They are some of the mosteducated and influential people in our societies, and yet the mostlacking in real truth. 2. APOSTASY (FALLING AWAY FROM THE FAITH) I Timothy 4:1-3 "But the spirit explicitly says that in later timessome will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitfulspirits and doctrines of demons. By means of the hypocrisy of liarsseared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbidmarriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created tobe gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth." Churches today are becoming more and more ecumenical, embracing theNew Age interfaith agenda, and denying Christ as the only way tosalvation. Giving in to the politically correct media and a corruptsociety, they have embrace homosexuality as an acceptable alternatelifestyle and preach tolerance and compromise in place of God's truthfor the salvation of the world. The environmentalist movement withinthe New Age movement lures them into a worship of mother earth, beliefin past lives, reincarnation, and Karma while demonizing all those whowould eat the meat God gave us as nourishment for our bodies.

▶ Reply to This