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This post was inspired by an article from Rapture Forums titled “50 Reasons why we are living in the end times“. I highly recommend reading that one, whether before reading this one or just by itself, because they do a much better job than I could ever hope to. So I’ll basically going through the six categories of signs they list and give my thoughts on them.
1. The Signs of Nature
And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
Like is mentioned in the article, “This category of signs has always been the least respected, even among believers. The mere mention of it usually evokes a sneer accompanied by the words, “Come on, what else is new? There have always been earthquakes and tornadoes and hurricanes”. There’s been times in the past when I tried to explain that the increased natural disasters is evidence that we’re in the End Times. Almost every time I’ve said that, even with fellow Christians, the response is something like, “We’re only hearing more about them because we have the internet”.
But that ignores the fact that they’ve still been recorded long before the internet existed. In fact, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the top 20 worst earthquakes ever recorded were all after 1900. The earliest one on that list is from 1906 and wasn’t the one that destroyed San Francisco the same year that is so famous that Bing auto-completed it when I typed the year to look for the linked Wikipedia page above.
My point is that earthquakes have been happening more since around the turn of the 20th Century than any other time in history. Which just so happens to line up with what Rapture Forums said.
"Since the time of the Balfour Declaration, we have witnessed throughout the 20th Century the appearance of sign after sign pointing to the Lord’s soon return.”
I got my facts not from some biased religious website trying to make a point, but directly from USGS. Only pointing that out because I know people will likely claim that I’m pulling facts out of thin air to further an agenda. You can’t fake real facts.
2. The Signs of Society
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;
This one is perhaps less disputed. You watch movies and shows from the 1950s and before and everyone was much better to each other. Granted, they still weren’t perfect, because they were still human. But you didn’t have the madness you have now. My grandfather once told me that he remembers when he was my age, he’d often leave his house unlocked when he’d leave for the day and never give it a second thought, but now you can’t even leave your door unlocked when you’re home.
3. The Spiritual Signs
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.
I’ve mentioned before that I don’t consider Joel Osteen a real pastor. He is more of a motivational speaker than a pastor. Yet people flock to him because he makes them feel good about themselves.
That’s what a bunch of churches have turned into, not just his church. Almost every church I have ever been to pretty much just covered the “easy” verses. Surface scripture, I like to call it. They discouraged diving deep into the Bible. Meanwhile, my current church is the first one I’ve ever been to that openly encourages diving deep.
Actually, that is why this website has a category for Misperception and Straight Outta Context. I am always hearing false biblical information spread, even by fellow Christians. when I started using the Bible to disprove what they were saying, they started attacking me because it wasn’t what they wanted to hear. I even had some long time friends block me on Facebook for spreading the Truth.
4) The Signs of World Politics
And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Not going to lie, when I read the line in the Rapture Forum article that read, “All the nations of the world are prophesied to come together against Israel in the end times over the issue of the control of Jerusalem (Zech. 12:2-3) — a prophecy being fulfilled today”, I immediately thought of Donald Trump’s recent announcement that Jerusalem was the capital of Israel. I assumed that the last part, about it being fulfilled today, was referencing that. But this article was posted 24 July 2016. Not only was that long before he said that, it was several months before he was even elected.
If I had read that article before he said that, I would have gotten more excited than I did. I knew it was a big deal in regard to End Time prophecy, but that article makes it clear that it’s not just a big deal, but the big deal.
(I feel I should point out that I am not a fan of Donald Trump, and not a supporter by any stretch of the imagination. Felt like I should point that out because I have a feeling people will assume I am a supporter for saying I got excited when he said that. I also liked his SNL episode, but that didn’t change my opinion on him)
5) The Signs of Technology
Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
I literally heard someone say one time that we don’t need God anymore because we’re so technologically advanced that we can solve any problem on our own. Which reminds me of a joke my grandfather once told me. The world had become so technologically advanced that mankind voted and decided they don’t need God anymore. So they get their most brilliant scientist to approach Him and tell Him we don’t need Him anymore. God responds, “Alright. If you can create a human out of dirt, I will leave you alone”. So the scientist picks up a handful of dirt, to which God says, “No, you have to get your own dirt”.
Moral of the story; We’re always going to need God, no matter how technologically advanced we get. I consider myself very tech savvy. I can pick up a new tech device and have it figured out quickly. I bought my Galaxy S7 a week after it came out, and within hours I already knew everything it could do, things that weren’t even advertised. Yet even with that being said, I’m still seeing things all the time that just blows my mind.
Some of the technological advances we’ve made in recent and coming years feels almost like witchcraft sometimes. I’m sure if I were to hop into a time machine (just give it a few years, Google will have one) and show someone in the 1600s my Galaxy S7, I’d be burned at the stake. Heck, if I showed them a standard flashlight from the 1980s I’d probably be burned at the stake.
6) The Signs of Israel
And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
I probably shouldn’t have gone too much into detail about Israel in the Politics section.
Like I said at the beginning of this, go read the article this was based on. They do a much better job at covering the subject than I did. While you’re at it, check out the rest of the site.