8 Signs that the end is near!
(Matthew 24:3-8)
And as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the world?
And Jesus answered and said to them, “Take heed that no man deceive you. For many will come in My name, saying, I am 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 occur; but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in different places.
All these are the beginning of sorrows.”
1) Deception!
This is the greatest sign. The world will not only be in chaos but the ability to separate truth from fiction will be on overdrive. With today’s technology voices can be faked, realistic images and even video can be created by AI (Artificial Intelligence) with a simple sentence. The media of today is controlled by powerful entities which do not serve the interest of Salvation for the human race!
2) Natural Disasters
Earthquakes, famines, and pestilences as signs preceding His return. Throughout history, natural disasters have been interpreted by many Christians as indicators of the nearing end times, signaling God’s judgment and the fulfillment of biblical prophecy.
3) War and Conflicts
Our world is currently in tremendous turmoil. Even though the Ukraine and Israel are the current focus, there are so many wars and conflicts.
4) Famine and Disease
Jesus speaks of “famines and pestilences” as indicators of the coming end. Today there a sudden surge in these threats. Many people live in fear and dread of what may come next. The governments of the world have even gone to extreme efforts to bind the world under the leadership of the World Health Organization should a Worldwide Pandemic be declared.
5) Moral Decay
The apostle Paul, in 2 Timothy 3:1-5, mentions moral decay as a sign of the coming end, where people will be “lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.”
Christians throughout history have paid attention to periods of moral decline and spiritual apostasy as potential signs preceding the return of Christ.
6) False Prophets
Back in Matthew 24:5, Jesus warns of false prophets who will arise during the last days and deceive many. Throughout Scripture, false prophets are depicted as individuals who claim to speak on behalf of God but propagate deceitful teachings and lead people astray from the truth.
In modern times, false prophets continue to exist, disseminating misleading teachings and exploiting people’s spiritual vulnerabilities for personal gain. Examples of false prophets and deceptive religious movements can be observed in various contexts.
7) Persecution of Believers
Jesus cautions in Matthew 24:9-10 that during the last days, believers will be persecuted and hated because of their faith. Throughout the Bible, persecution is depicted as a hallmark of discipleship and a fulfillment of Jesus’ words that “in this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33).
8) False Christs
Finally, as the return of the Messiah nears, the Devil will bring more counterfeit versions. In Matthew 24:24, Jesus cautions that during the end times, many false messiahs will arise and deceive crowds of followers. False christs are individuals who claim to be the Messiah or Savior but propagate deceitful teachings and lead people away from the true faith.