End Times?
Do you remember the song “Signs” by the Five Man Electrical Band? This popular tune made it all the way to number 3 on the Billboard charts during the summer and fall of 1971. The refrain concludes with the words, “Sign, sign, everywhere a sign, sign, sign, sign.”
Now that I have that song firmly ensconced in your mind, I will move on to a different type of sign that I see everywhere I look. These multiple signs point to the coming tribulation and the end of the age.
Many today ignore these signs, believing that our day is no different than any other previous time in history. I beg to differ with this sentiment. I believe there is something radically different about what we are now witnessing today in our world.
The signs we see today differ in many ways from any previous time in history. We see it in the exactness with which Old Testament prophecies are coming alive before our eyes. We see it in the increased intensity and frequency of the signs Jesus gave to us. We see it in the great number of signs that all point to the rapidly approaching tribulation.
Consider the following examples.
The Alliance of Russia, Iran, and Turkey
Ezekiel 38 predicts a latter-day invasion of Israel led by a coalition of Russia, Iran, and Turkey. It’s almost as if the prophet was reading news stories from just last week. On November 22, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, and Turkish President Erdogan met together at the Russian Black Sea resort town of Sochi to discuss the future of Syria, where all three have a significant military presence. They have no intent of leaving, only that of increasing their power in the nation.
This public display of harmony between all three nations is exactly what we would expect ahead of the battle of Gog and Magog in light of Ezekiel 38-39. Such unity signifies, for example, that if Israel attacks Iran the other countries would respond as well. Russia made that clear a couple weeks ago, and now Turkey is also a part of this alliance.
It’s possible that this accord could dissolve and their armies could leave Syria. However, it’s much, much more likely this indicates that the assault against Israel predicted by Ezekiel could become a reality in the coming months or years.
Why Would They Attack Israel?
The next question is this: Why would they attack Israel? Are we seeing events that could spark the war of Ezekiel 38? Yes!
The Times of Israel this week reported the warning Benjamin Netanyahu gave to Syrian President Bashar Assad. He said that if he allows Iran to set up a permanent military presence near Damascus, Israel will intervene militarily in the Syrian civil war. Is this a serious threat? Absolutely! Netanyahu will attack if Iran continues to build up its forces so close to his nation’s border.
Satellite images confirm that Iran is setting up a large military camp near Damascus, just thirty miles from the Israeli border. The warning by Netanyahu this week is just one of many he has made regarding the expanding Iranian presence so close to Israel.
Do you see how this could lead to a much greater conflict? With Russia and Turkey now so closely aligned with Iran, they would certainly join in responding to the attack along with the other Muslim nations mentioned in Ezekiel 38 who seize the opportunity to take part in destroying Israel.
The prophet says that God will lure Gog, the head of Russia, into the battle because of the spoil he could gain from the invasion (Ezek. 38:12). Until recent years, Israel has never possessed the type of wealth that would interest her enemies. Now they do. Israel possesses a large deposit of natural gas just off her shore and a massive reservoir of oil under the Golan Heights.
These are exactly the two things Putin desires and needs to help his flailing economy. Furthermore, possession of Israel’s oil would greatly enhance his standing as the world’s new “energy czar,” a title Putin recently appropriated for himself. Do you see the preciseness of Ezekiel’s prophecy in these events? I could write for several more pages about how the nations are lining up exactly as Ezekiel predicted.
Wars, Wars, and Wars
On Tuesday of this past week, North Korea launched a missile many believe is capable of reaching any city in the United States. They have a hydrogen bomb that is capable of totally destroying cities anywhere on the globe.
Yes, we have always heard threats of war throughout history, but the current ones differ in intensity such as not seen since the cold war. With North Korea possessing such deadly weapons, tens of millions could die instantly in a war with them. With so many nations possessing nuclear warheads, the threat of potential devastation is something the world has never seen before now. Not only does this fulfill Jesus’ words regarding wars (Matt. 24:6-8), but also the potential for all humanity to die (24:22).
Besides the daily threats of wars and even rumors of WWIII starting soon, numerous wars are already in progress. At this moment, there are 17 wars taking place with at least one thousand deaths in the past 12 months. That number jumps to 45 if we make the minimum deaths one hundred in number.
The Shaking
Jesus said that earthquakes of increasing frequency and intensity would mark the last days before His return (Matt. 24:7). Not only would they resemble birth pains in this regard, they would occur in a wide variety of places.
Is this not what we are seeing today? Earthquakes are becoming much more numerous than ever before in history and are occurring with greater intensity as well. In the past seven days, there have been 130 earthquakes in the world with an intensity of 4.0 or greater. An earthquake occurred in Dover, DE of all places just this past week.
California has seen a dramatic increase in minor earthquakes during the past month and as many as one hundred in just the past week. This has intensified fears that the long anticipated major earthquake could occur quite soon, perhaps within weeks.
Scientists expect we will see a significant increase in catastrophic earthquakes during 2018 due to an ever-so-slight slowing of the earth’s rotation, this added on to their already historic frequency and intensity.
This trend of more frequent and severe earthquakes will continue on into the tribulation.
One World
During the tribulation, the antichrist will setup a one-world government supported by a one- world religion. Do we see evidence of this happening today as never before? Absolutely!
The UN 2030 agenda calls for precisely such a world order by the year 2030. Almost every world leader supports this goal as do the major banking powers in Europe. The leaders of both major political parties in America agree with this strategy, which is why they bitterly oppose the “Make America Great” strategy of President Donald Trump, which has temporarily interfered with their plans.
Pope Francis has been quite vocal in the past several years calling for both a new world order as well as a one-world religion. Never before in history have we seen a high-ranking religious leader calling for such a government or for all faiths to unite as one, such as is prophesied for the coming tribulation.
Yes, this has been building for a long time. But now, as never before, everything is ready for the implementation of this new world order.
Technology
The advances in technology make it entirely possible now for the coming antichrist to control buying and selling throughout the world. Some companies are already implanting chips in their employees, such as what will happen worldwide during the tribulation.
One commercial shows a man walking through a grocery store, filling his pockets with various items, and walking right out the door. At first you think he is a shoplifter, but then the security officer tells him he forgot his receipt. Chips on him and his purchases instantly recorded the payment from his account for everything he purchased.
With the advances in artificial intelligence, it’s becoming increasingly possible for someone to control all buying and selling worldwide from one central location. We have never before seen such capability to fulfill the words of Revelation 13:15-18.
The advances in artificial intelligence are mind boggling. One person recently started a new religion to worship it. This has the word “tribulation” written all over it!
There is a great difference in the signs we see today of the approaching tribulation. I have just scratched the surface of all the prophetic indicators that this time of great turmoil upon the earth could start at any moment. The preciseness of prophetic fulfillment abounds as well as the increase in frequency and intensity of the signs, just as Jesus said would happen at the end of the age. This all points to the soon return of Jesus for His church, which I believe will occur before the tribulation, which seems to be much closer than many realize.
I admit that I also struggle with what is happening in our world. On the one hand, the signs seem so strong that I wonder if we will even see Christmas this year before Jesus comes for us. On the other hand, I know He could hit the pause button, give people more time to repent, and as a result we may see more holidays before Christ appears.
Are you ready if Jesus should come today? Is your trust for eternal life solely in Jesus and His saving work on your behalf? With all the indicators pointing to His soon return, you may not have tomorrow. Can you really take the chance that Jesus will delay His arrival any longer?
Jonathan C. Brentner