Can You Discern The Signs Of The Times?

CAN YOU DISCERN THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES?

Let's break this down into three categories; you see, there are plenty of signs to go around, but we see so much and don't always recognize it with focus in this manner. There are 3 facets to signs of the times: Physical, Social, and Religious.

PHYSICAL

Israel even now is becoming known for fertile farming and husbandry! "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. 2 It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God." (Isa. 35:1 - 2) Another prophecy of Israel's fruitfulness is in Ezekiel; "And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen." (Ezek. 36:30)

Now this sign seems apparent, but has not yet come to pass; nevertheless, when we see it, we shall know it for what it is! "Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when My people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it? And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: And thou shalt come up against My people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against My land, that the heathen may know Me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.'" (Ezek. 38:14 - 16)

This gate is walled shut, and the prophecy of this gate is also in Ezekiel; "Then He brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut. Then said the LORD unto me; 'This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut.'" (Ezek. 44:1 - 2) If ever this gate is discovered opened, rejoice; for it is a new sign of His appearance!

There is also this prophecy of the tribulation period, where the kings of the north and south will attempt a pincer move against the antiChrist, but they will be defeated. Despite all he has and will do, he will come to his end because of the victorious, returning Christ! "And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him." (Dan. 11:40 - 45)

Knowledge is indeed greatly increasing in this age! 5th graders today are educated at a much greater level than I was at the 5th grade level then! "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." (Dan. 12:4) People do indeed move great distances quickly than has ever been possible before, and missionaries for Christ are able to spread the Gospel everywhere in ways unprecedented in times past!

Christ Himself prophesied of the end times; "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places." (Matt. 24:7) While it is rather common for at least two nations to be at war at any given time, this should be considered to mean at a greater frequency than normal. There are already famines, but a greater scale of frequency can be expected in those days. The news has been reporting earthquakes more often and in unexpected places recently, and E. coli and Lysteria and other food contaminations have "blossomed" with a creepy frequency, haven't they?

Our omniscient Christ also spoke of the antiChrist to come: "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)" (Matt. 24:15) At this point, the antiChrist will get UGLY! Paul also spoke of the antiChrist in this point of tribulation: " Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." (2 Thess. 2:4)

Right before Christ's coming, Jesus predicted specific physical signs in the heavens and on earth. "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 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." (Luke 21:25 - 26) Ah, creation's "birth pangs" of the second coming of Christ! And we who believe should rejoice at THESE signs!

While it is a timeless thing that the rich who achieve their treasures do so at their peril, because wealth becomes their god, so it will be in the end times. "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days." (James 5:1 - 3) With rich treasures also is power. Look at those in power now; do they behave in a godly manner, or are they corrupt and perverse and deceitful and power mad?

Jewish worship during the tribulation time will have a specific temple in those days; "And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, 'Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.'" (Rev. 11:1 - 2) These are the physical signs of the end times; shall we see the social signs now?

SOCIAL

Here I want to point out that history is repeating itself. As it was in the days of Noah, so it is fast becoming today; "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (Gen. 6:5) As it was then, so it is now. Before God flooded the earth, man's wickedness was great; isn't it so now?   U.S. Congressman Barney Frank announced on 2.2.12 that he will be marrying his boyfriend - abominable!  "But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly." (Gen. 13:13) "But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, 'Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.'" (Gen. 19:4 - 5) How many Sodom and Gomorrahs do you recognize in the world today? I don't know about other countries, but here in the U.S. abortion is so great, it makes the Jewish holocaust pale in comparison, fornicators line up at clinics nationwide to have doctors murder their unborn conceptions, and the wicked lie in mothers' ears that there is no sin in choosing to have removed the unwanted "blob" in their wombs. And this is only one facet of man's wickedness! Pride, greed, selfishness, and much more are rampant in so many countries!

I next want to address a prophecy that happened long ago for us who live today, but it should be a proof to skeptics that the bible is true and ALL the prophecies should be heeded! It was prophesied before it happened, that the Jewish people should be scattered among the nations, and so it is today... "And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it. And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone. And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind: And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life: In the morning thou shalt say, 'Would God it were even!' And at even thou shalt say, 'Would God it were morning!' For the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see." (Deut. 28:63 - 67)

Ah, but these people of Israel He promised not to leave scattered forever, but they shall return from being scattered everywhere, and it is in progress TODAY! "For thus saith the Lord GOD; 'Behold, I, even I, will both search My sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out My sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.'" (Ezek. 34:11 - 13) "For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land." (Ezek. 36:24)

The end times for Jerusalem also have prophecy in that her enemies will find she cannot be moved. "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. 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. 'In that day', saith the LORD, 'I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open Mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.'" (Zech. 12:2 - 4)

Jesus, too, spoke of the social attitudes of the end days: "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...Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for My name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another...And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold...But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." (Matt. 24:6, 9 - 10, 12, 37 - 39) I want to make note that Jesus referred to the wicked in the days of Noe (Noah), and so therein lies my logic to refer to the Genesis condition of men not only in Noah's day, but also the condition of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Luke also noted Jesus' speech about the last days; "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. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot's wife." (Luke 17:28 - 32) In this you see why I earlier noted Sodom and Gomorrah's condition. "And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;...And He spake to them a parable; 'Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.'" (Luke 21:24 - 25, 29 - 33) So we shall know Jesus' 2nd coming is upon us!

In his last letter to Timothy, Paul seems to certainly paint the picture of men's souls who live today! It is as if he were listening to the godly of today speak of the ungodly and their behavior in magazines, on T.V., in radio, and in person! "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 thereof: from such turn away." (2 Tim. 3:1 - 5) By Paul's description, hello! we're there!

Oh, how John also paints the way men are today! And the last verse reminds me of the abortion mongers! "And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, 'Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.' And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt. And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts." (Rev. 9:13 - 21)

The lake of fire is also prophesied for those who are unbelieving of Jesus and stand before the great white throne. "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." (Rev. 21:8) Jesus Himself speaks more through John's book of Revelation for unbelievers; "For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." (Rev. 22:15) Lastly are the religious signs of the times in the last days...

RELIGIOUS

Daniel speaks on the antiChrist in his 11th chapter, and the religious merges with the physical signs of the end times; "And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain. And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him." (Dan. 11:36 - 45) The antiChrist's future career is herein given, how he shall be identified because of his behavior prophesied. The antiChrist will have no respect for religion or religious heritages. The antiChrist will be cruel, inhumane, and worship military might and the thrill of destruction.

Joel also speaks on the end days, when God's Spirit will be poured out on His people! "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out My Spirit." (Joel 2:28 - 29) This is to happen before the great and terrible day of the Lord to come!

Jesus predicted many false christs, and indeed, many have come. Some as famous as the leader of the "Moonies", some got so little fanfare, they went unnoticed. "For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." (Matt. 24:5) Yes, many deceivers of all sorts are in the world, yesterday and today; some false prophets lead an entire denomination! "And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many." (Matt. 24:11)

Missionaries are gone out into all the world today, and whom has not yet been witnessed to? "But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (Matt. 24:13 - 14)

Jesus also asserts that not one prophecy will be unfulfilled! "Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." (Matt. 24:34)

Paul reveals some pretty specific things to the Thessalonians in his 2nd letter regarding the last days; of the antiChrist sitting in the rebuilt temple, and the day of the Lord will come to pass after the revelation of the antiChrist. And that the Lord, when He comes, will destroy the antiChrist! "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming:" (2 Thess. 2:4 - 8)

In his first letter to Timothy, Paul tells of the end days when so many will go astray to heretical denominations and churches of many kinds. False teachers and even false bibles exist today! One of the sure signs of a false church is the requirement of another book to go along with the bible, and some have even published their own altered version of the word of God! "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; 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. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer." (1 Tim. 4:1 - 5)

Paul wrote in his 2nd letter to Timothy a little of the same, so it was very important to note that false teaching was going to be the rage in end days! "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 Tim. 4:3 - 4)

Peter also warned of false teachers in the last days, and even a little of what they would preach! "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of." (2 Pet. 2:1 - 2)

Peter also foretold the attitudes of the unbelievers in the end days; "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." (2 Pet. 3:3 - 4)

We will indeed be distinct from the world; even now we see the sheep and goats taking distinct sides, polarizing from gray to black and white! "And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness." (1 John 5:19)

The last religious sign of the times I want to cover is in Revelation. "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. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped 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. If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 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. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six." (Rev. 13:1 - 18) There are many stories already of verichips made to be surgically implanted under the skin of the hand or forehead for scanning personal information for buying and selling on account.   The antiChrist and beast will do this as a perversion of Deut. 6:8 - "And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.",  Can you read the signs of the times?