Written by: David Millard
Article source: JOY! Magazine
The return of Jesus Christ is a fundamental belief of Christianity and one of the dominant themes of the New Testament. His coming is a time of judgement, and the Bible warns us to be ready. When the Bible speaks of the time of the end it refers to the period preceding the coming of Christ and describes the conditions we can expect to find.
Israel will be the focal point
We know the world will be characterised by religious deception. A key event is the Jews’ return to the land of Israel. Importantly, Israel will be the focal point of events. The Bible says the land of Israel will be divided – which happened when the United Nations voted to partition Palestine into two states in 1947. It was the first attempt at a two-state solution, which many attribute as the start of the Arab-Israel conflict.
The great apostasy
Along with the re-establishment of Israel, a key indicator is the great falling away. With the restraining influence of Christianity being removed, it’s no surprise that the world is characterised by immorality. And like the days of Noah, there’s violence and corruption. People will be doing the same as in Noah’s day without any thought of God or the coming judgement.
Wars and rumours
“And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but the end is not yet” (Matt 24:6). The world will be in conflict for nation “will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom” (Matt 24:7).
Natural disasters
There will be an upsetting of the natural order. Natural disasters such as famines, pestilences, earthquakes, and powerful storms will be increasing in frequency and intensity. This isn’t “climate change”, it is God’s judgement.
People won’t know this because while knowledge shall increase, people will have little knowledge of God. This period will see churches without sound doctrine; fake Christianity evidenced by self-proclaimed prophets, apostles, and faith healers. Having moved so far away from Christianity and even with signs that indicate the time is near, many will scoff at the idea of Christ’s return.
A geopolitical prediction
On a geopolitical level, there are several things that can be deduced from scripture. Russia will emerge as a great power; Russia is already reasserting itself on the global stage. Israel features prominently in this period and the Bible says Jews will be hated. Recent events in the Middle East have seen widespread international criticism levelled against Israel. Israel is accused of being a violator of human rights and primary obstacle to peace in the Middle East. Opposition to Israel is now on a global scale. In Europe, antisemitism is on the rise, with attacks on Jews and synagogues – there’s a strong anti-Jewish sentiment. Historically, Europe’s antisemitism has come from the far right, but the bigger threat is now from its growing Muslim population (fuelled by the Palestinian cause). But it’s not just directed at the Jews! The Bible says that Christians will be persecuted and even put to death. This is already happening in the Middle East and other parts of the world.
The distress of nations
This period will see distress of nations – economies collapsing and people losing their jobs. In one hour, everything will change. The Bible indicates the world will be divided into ten regions and will be governed by a central world government. Among the issues it will attempt to resolve is the issue of Jerusalem and final status negotiations. The city was captured by Israel in the Six Day War and has since become the object of a diplomatic tug-of-war that remains unresolved. Jerusalem is compared to a heavy stone that causes injury to anyone that tries to remove it from its place. A third Jewish temple will be built in Jerusalem and daily sacrifices reinstated. There are already plans to do this. China will be a force to be reckoned with – the Bible describes an army of two hundred million men coming from the East. Russia will form an alliance with Iran and Turkey as well as other Islamic nations. Ezekiel foretold a Russian-led invasion of Israel in the end times.
The coming tribulation
But the final evidence we’re living in this period will be that the Gospel has been preached to all nations. When all the elect have come to faith, believers will be taken out of the world. For believers in Christ, this is our hope. The world’s economy will collapse, and money will be worthless. Then will come a time called the tribulation. The Bible speaks of the hour of trial which will come upon the whole world. Daniel describes it as a time of trouble never seen before in the history of the world, nor will it be surpassed in intensity. This will be a destruction upon the whole earth.
The coming antichrist
Out of the chaos, a leader will emerge. He will come out of Europe (as scripture says he comes from the people who destroyed the city and the sanctuary, referring to the Romans). He will impose a peace agreement between Israel and its enemies – what the Bible calls a covenant with death – and then he will move his seat of power to Jerusalem. He will exercise universal authority and will be worshipped by everyone on earth. He will cause all to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead – no one may buy or sell without the mark. In the middle of the tribulation, the antichrist will break the covenant with Israel. He will defile the temple in Jerusalem and put an end to daily sacrifices, committing what the Bible calls an abomination of desolation against the living God.
After the tribulation
Immediately after the tribulation, the world will be marked by a wide variety of cosmic disturbances and terrifying natural events. With signs in the heavens, the sun will be turned to darkness. The powers of the heavens will be shaken with men’s hearts failing them for fear of what is coming upon the earth.
In the last days, Israel will be attacked
A coalition of nations will come against Israel soon before Christ returns. The country that will lead the invasion is identified as coming from the uttermost north of Israel (Russia). The text describes a coalition of nations led by Russia that will attack Israel and will include Iran, Turkey, and other Islamic nations. The Bible says this war will occur when the Jews have returned to the land of Israel. The book of Revelation says, “And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.” This final battle of the tribulation will be fought in the plains of northern Israel. Israel will face a great judgement and only one third will survive. Jerusalem will be captured. Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations. The primary reason for Christ’s return will be to save Israel from being destroyed.
Come, Lord Jesus
The Bible says that He will come suddenly. “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with power and great glory. When He comes the whole world will see it.” Zechariah tells us He will return to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. The mountain will be split in half, causing a deep valley that will provide a way of escape for the besieged people in Jerusalem. The Lord will intervene on Israel’s behalf against the attacking nations.
The battle of Armageddon
The battle of Armageddon will be the greatest war in history and will see an unbelievable quantity of bloodshed. The Bible says the result of Christ’s defeat of the human armies gathered for battle will be “up to the horses bridles for one thousand six hundred furlongs”, or about 320 kilometres.
God will establish His Kingdom
God will destroy Israel’s enemies. Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet. The Bible tells us the Jewish people will be ready to meet their King and that they will look upon Him and mourn for Him. God will judge the nations at this time. All the nations will be gathered before Him. On that day, Christ will divide the world into those taken to judgement and those left to live and reign with Him. It says He shall execute the heads of many countries and He will establish His Kingdom in what today is modern Israel.
A prophesied day
The day of the Lord is a major theme of the Old Testament. Of the 16 prophets 13 address this subject. The book of Joel describes it as a terrible time of judgement while Zechariah equates it with the war of the latter years.
The end is near!
When the end comes, it will come quickly. The events of the end times will fall within one generation. Where we don’t know the day or hour of His return, we can know the general time as there will be signs consistent with what the Bible says. All the signs are here – Christ’s return is imminent. This should motivate us to get our lives in line with what we believe. His coming may be sooner than we think.
HAVE YOUR SAY:
Many Christians have many different opinions about the end times. We’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Date published: 07/12/2023
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