Signs of the End of the Age
A brief check list
(Not in order of importance)
We are presently living in "The last days" or
"The latter days", a period which began at the Day of Pentecost and
finishes at the return of Jesus.
References to "the last days" include the people
of
1. The
people of Israel will be in a position of ascendancy, i.e. national and
international power. This will apply to the house of
Genesis 49:1 And Jacob called unto his
sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you [that] which
shall befall you in the last days.
Isaiah 2:2 And it shall come to pass in the
last days, [that] the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the
top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations
shall flow unto it.
Micah 4:1 But in the last days it shall
come to pass, [that] the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established
in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and
people shall flow unto it.
2. The coming of the
Holy Spirit to all believers at the day of Pentecost will herald the beginning
of a time of unprecedented grace to the world.
Acts 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see
visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
2 Timothy 3:1 This
know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
James 5:3 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.
2 Peter 3:3 Knowing this first, that there
shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
3. The conditions on
earth just prior to the return of Jesus will be very similar to those just
prior to the great flood.
Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noah [were], so
shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Matthew 24:38 For as in the days that were before
the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until
the day that Noah entered into the ark,
Matthew 24:39 And knew not until the
flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man
be.
Matthew 24:40 Then shall two be in the
field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Matthew 24:41 Two [women shall be]
grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Matthew 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye
know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Matthew 24:43 But know this, that if
the goodman of the house had known in what watch the
thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house
to be broken up.
Matthew 24:44 Therefore be ye also
ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
4. The
fig tree, a symbol of the Jewish nation, was to put forth leaves but not fruit
just prior to the return of Jesus. Old Testament references have been included to show how God
uses the picture of a tree to depict a nation. Leaves represent nationhood, but
the lack of fruit represents the lack of righteousness required.
Judges 9:10 And the trees said to the
fig tree, Come thou, [and] reign over us.
Judges 9:11 But the fig tree said unto
them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted
over the trees?
Isaiah 34:4 And all the host of heaven
shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and
all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth
off from the vine, and as a falling [fig] from the fig
tree.
Jeremiah 8:13 I will surely consume them,
saith the LORD: [there shall be] no
grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade;
and [the things that] I have given them shall pass away from them.
Matthew 21:19 And when he saw a fig
tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and
said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently
the fig tree withered away.
Matthew 21:20 And when the disciples saw [it],
they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree
withered away!
Matthew 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig
tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth
forth leaves, ye know that summer [is] nigh:
Mark 11:20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the
fig tree dried up from the roots.
Mark 11:21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith
unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst
is withered away.
Mark 13:28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch
is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that
summer is near:
Luke 21:29 And he spake to them a
parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;
5. The trampling down
of
Luke 21:20 And when ye shall see
Luke 21:21 Then let
them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and
let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in
the countries enter thereinto.
Luke 21:22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which
are written may be fulfilled.
Luke 21:23 But woe
unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath
upon this people.
Luke 21:24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be
led away captive into all nations: and
6. When Jesus returns
his coming will take many by surprise. One reason why this happens is the fact that just prior to
his return the Church will be in a general state of confusion, ignorance and apostacy. (See point 6)
1 Thessalonians 5:1 But of the times and the seasons,
brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
1 Thessalonians 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that
the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
1 Thessalonians 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and
safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with
child; and they shall not escape.
1 Thessalonians 5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in
darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
1 Thessalonians 5:5 Ye are all
the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night,
nor of darkness.
1 Thessalonians 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as [do]
others; but let us watch and be sober.
7. The Laodicean church represents the type of Church in general
prevailing at the end of the age. It is described as "lukewarm" because it has become a mixture of godliness and
ungodliness, worldliness and spirituality. We see this clearly in the way
ecumenicalism, new Age teachings, false signs and wonders and heresy have
become widely established.
Notice that Jesus
is standing outside the door of the church
(not some individual sinner's heart) knocking to be let in. The reference
to spueing out of the mouth refers to the role which
the Church is meant to play i.e. the mouthpiece of God.
Revelation 3:15 I
know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert
cold or hot.
Revelation 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Revelation 3:17 Because thou sayest,
I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Revelation 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold
tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and
white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and
[that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine
eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest
see.
Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and
chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and
knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I
will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
8. The
Jewish nation would be established at the end of the Age, undefeated and
undefeatable.
Zechariah 12:1 The burden of the word
of the LORD for
Zechariah 12:2 Behold, I will make
Zechariah 12:3 And in that day will I make
Zechariah 12:4 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
Zechariah 12:5 And the governors of
Zechariah 12:6 In that
day will I make the governors of
Zechariah 12:7 The LORD also shall save the tents
of
Zechariah 12:8 In that day shall the LORD defend
the inhabitants of
Zechariah 12:9 And it shall
come to pass in that day, [that] I will seek to destroy all the nations that
come against
9. The
rise of the Pentecostal movement, has been the springboard for many deceptive 'miracle'
events, in which signs and wonders have ocurred. The '
As a result of the
false miracles, many thousands of sincere Christians have been led to accept
heretical teachings. The miracles have confirmed the teachings, in the same way
that visions of Mary have wiped out the clear Biblical teaching that the living
have no communication with the dead. Christians are also seeking the same thing
which followers of the occult seek, namely personal power.
Nobody is led
astray all at once. The 'signs and wonders' movement is aimed at: leading
astray God's people, undermining the authority of the written Word, and at
making fools of the saints.
As Jesus said : Matthew 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew
great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall
deceive the very elect.
The coming of the
'signs and wonders' movement is permitted by God, as a means of sorting out
those who adhere strictly to the written Word and those who do not.
1 Corinthians 11:19 For there must be also heresies
among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.
2 Peter 2:1 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.
One prevalent
heresy in the 'signs and wonders' movement is the idea that the Holy Spirit can
be imparted through the hands (or an inanimate object) into another believer
like some sort of fluid, transferred from one bucket to the next. This makes
nonsense of God the Spirit who is not at any preacher's beck and call, neither
is He transferable this way. As a Person He does what He wills, not what some
preacher wants.
Another heresy is
the teaching that there are categories of Christian :
those who are 'slain in the Spirit' and those who are not. If a Christian does
not receive some sign or wonder, they feel inferior to those who do. Not only
that but this heresy negates the clear Biblical teaching that all believers
have received the Holy Spirit.
2 Corinthians 1:22 Who hath also sealed
us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also [trusted], after
that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also
after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy
Spirit of promise,
Luke 11:13 If ye then, being evil, know how to
give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall [your] heavenly Father
give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit of
God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
1 Thessalonians 4:8 He therefore that despiseth,
despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto
us his Holy Spirit.