Do You Recognize the Signs of the Times?

What We See Now Indicates Jesus is Coming Soon…

About two thousand years ago, Jesus rebuked the religious elites of His day. He criticized them for their failure to recognize His Coming. He told them, “You know how to look at the sky and predict the weather, but you don’t know how to recognize the signs of the times” (Matthew 16:1-3). Just like you and me, the religious leaders could see dark clouds on the horizon and know a rainstorm was on its way. In the same manner, Jesus said they should have seen the signs and prepared for His arrival. The Pharisees and Sadducees knew the Old Testament Messianic prophecies, yet they failed to recognize the Messiah.

But their failure is relevant to our day and time as well. Why? Because Jesus wasn’t simply addressing the Pharisees and Sadducees when He said this. He had a second audience in mind – you and me. That’s right. Jesus was also talking to our generation. The Bible is filled with prophecies about the Second Coming, and Jesus commanded us to watch for Him (Mark 13:35-37). Our generation is also expected to recognize the “signs of the times.” But are we? Do you recognize the signs of the times?

The World Remains Complacent

Unfortunately, much of the world (including a large number of Christians) are not watching for Jesus. They’re asleep when it comes to the Second Coming, even though Jesus warned against it. Why do I say the world is asleep? Because right now, a flood of signs surround us. Never before have so many signs of the Second Coming been present. Here are just a few of the most recent signs:

Advanced Technology

Technological breakthroughs mean ours in the first generation of Christians able to witness some of the events foretold in the Book of Revelation outside of a supernatural fulfillment.

For instance, the Bible tells us one nation, and one man, will control the earth (Revelation 13:7). How could one man conquer and control the entire earth? Again, outside of the supernatural, it’s been impossible for all human history. To control an empire so vast was a bureaucratic nightmare. But today? The arrival of new technologies such artificial intelligence and quantum computing make such control possible. In China, the government can find a single person in a busy crowd within seconds using facial recognition technology. Furthermore, the social credit system in China gives the government the ability to control every aspect of a person's life. When molecular manufacturing arrives, the ability to conquer the globe with impunity will also arrive. Again, this was an impossibility for past generations.

In addition, the Book of Revelation says the entire world will look upon the bodies of the two witnesses in Jerusalem over the course of three days (Revelation 11:9). Outside of the supernatural, this was impossible when the Book of Revelation was written, and it remained impossible up until very recently. Today, with broadband satellite technology and smart devices, people all over the world can watch events take place anywhere in the world in real time.

The Rise of the Beast System

The Bible also says the Antichrist and false prophet will implement a system during the Tribulation wherein everyone must receive a mark on the right hand or on the forehead, and without that mark, no one can buy or sell (Revelation 13:16-17). As with other advanced technologies, the ability to do this was (outside of the supernatural) impossible for past generations to implement. While a global government could have demanded such a system, it’s unrealistic to believe they could have ended all black market activity. With today’s digital currencies and surveillance technologies, it’s easy to see how such a system could be implemented today. In fact, the infrastructure is currently being put in place right now to make central bank digital currencies, tokenized assets, and digital IDs the backbone of a new global monetary system.

Right now, 134 countries representing 98% of global GDP are exploring the use of central bank digital currency (CBDC). The Atlantic Council hosts a CBDC tracker where you can check the status of these rollouts. CBDC is centralized, digital fiat currency. But unlike the currencies of the past, CBDC will be fully programmable. This means central banks can manipulate it in real-time. They’ll have the ability to raise and lower interest rates on your currency in real-time. They’ll have the ability to put restrictions on your currency in real-time, such as where you can spend it and on what. And with CBDC, governments will have full insight into every financial transaction you make. Throw in tokenized assets and digital IDs, and you get a gated global financial system indistinguishable in function from the mark of the beast system.

Rumors of War

Jesus said rumors of war will be another sign of His coming (Matthew 24:6). Since the outbreak of war between Russia and Ukraine in February 2022, we’ve seen a constantly escalating conflict between NATO and Russia – most recently in the form of Ukraine using U.S.-made ATACMS missiles to strike targets inside Russia while Russia used its new Oreshnik missile on Ukraine to send a message to NATO.

The U.S. defense readiness condition (DEFCON) level isn’t public, but some estimate we’ve been at DEFCON 3 (a level reached only three times in history) since the start of the war – almost three years now. None of those previous instances lasted more than a few days, making this is the longest period of heightened U.S. nuclear war readiness in the more than six decades of the alert system’s existence. A strong case could be made we’re closer to nuclear war now than we’ve ever been in the post-World War II period.

But the Russia/Ukraine conflict isn’t the only source of rumors of war. Since the October 7^th attack, Israel has been actively engaged in a campaign to eliminate the existential threats on its border. Ongoing conflicts with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria have threatened to erupt into a wider regional war throughout the past year. And with the recent fall of Syrian leader Bashar Assad, it remains to be seen what new conflicts could emerge.

In addition, Taiwan has lived under the threat of imminent Chinese invasion for several years now. Time and again, China has sent ships into nearby waters and warplanes into Taiwanese airspace, and with the Chinese economy trapped in a deflationary spiral, war may be the preferred option of China’s leadership when it comes to avoiding civil unrest at home.

Meanwhile, we continue to hear rumors of war in other parts of the world - Israel/Iran, India/China, North Korea/South Korea, and countless other places. The sheer number of possible conflicts between major powers, many armed with nuclear weapons, makes this the most dangerous time since World War II.

The Converging Signs

These are just some of the latest signs. Many of the signs Jesus and the prophets said to look for have been around for years now – yet generations of Christians lived and died without witnessing a single sign of the Second Coming. Those signs include:

Israel Back in the Land

God promised to bring the Jewish people back into the land of Israel before He returned (Jeremiah 23:7-8). He said He would call them from "among the nations" (Ezekiel 39:28), from "the farthest corners of the earth" (Isaiah 11:12), and from "north, south, east, and west" (Psalm 107:3). He promised to welcome them home from the lands where they were scattered (Ezekiel 20:34). When they did, He promised to return and establish His everlasting kingdom (Isaiah 11:11-12).

Israeli Control of Jerusalem

Jesus said armies would surround Jerusalem, destroy the city, and enslaves its citizens. This happened in A.D. 70 when the Roman legions did exactly that. Jesus then said people other than the Jewish people would control Jerusalem for a time, then the Jewish people would once again control Jerusalem. When they did, Jesus promised to return (Luke 21:24-28). Since 1967, the Jewish people have been in possession of Jerusalem.

Caption: Alberto Saleh

The Gospel Preached Throughout the World

When asked about the end of the age and the signs of His coming, Jesus said the Gospel will be preached throughout the entire world. Every nation will hear it. Then, the end will come (Matthew 24:14). For centuries after the crucifixion, the Gospel was confined to a small area surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. In the past two centuries, Christians have brought the Gospel to every nation in the world. Today, missionaries live in every nation. The Bible is translated in hundreds of languages, and the message of Jesus is sent around the world by radio, TV, satellite, and the Internet. Our generation is literally on the verge of spreading the Gospel to every last person on earth.

Increased Travel and Knowledge

Six hundred years before Jesus, an angel gave Daniel a special message. He said “travel and knowledge” will increase in the end times (Daniel 12:4). For centuries of human history, dramatic gains in travel and knowledge did NOT take place. Yet the last two hundred years have seen explosions in the speed and frequency of travel as well as the amount and availability of knowledge.

Arrival of the Exponential Curve

Jesus said a variety of global signs will come before His return and the end of the age. These signs will be spiritual, natural, societal, and political in nature. And He said they will appear in a distinct way – "like birth pains" (Matthew 24:3‐8). This means the frequency and intensity of these signs will increase as we near His return. Our generation has seen the exponential increase in war and famine Jesus said to look for. In the 20^th Century alone, more people died from war and famine than lived on the earth when Jesus spoke these words.

Israel Surrounded by Enemies

The Bible says enemies will surround Israel in the end times. Those enemies will say “Come, let us wipe away the nation of Israel. Let’s destroy the memory of its existence” (Psalm 83:4) and “Let us take for ourselves these pasturelands of God” (Psalm 83:12). Ezekiel said Israel’s neighbors will say “God has given their land to us” (Ezekiel 11:14‐17), and “Israel and Judah are ours. We will take possession of them. What do we care if their God is there?” (Ezekiel 35:10). Ever since the rebirth of Israel in 1948, the daily headlines have included these Bible verses. Israel’s Muslim neighbors claim the land of Israel for themselves, and they have no regard for the God of Israel.

Israel’s Exceedingly Great Army

Ezekiel said, in the end times, Israel will field "an exceedingly great army” (Ezekiel 37:10). Zechariah said Israel will be like a fire among sheaves of grain, burning up the neighboring nations (Zechariah 12:6) and even the weakest Israeli soldier will be like David (Zechariah 12:8). Since 1948, Israel has fought no less than four conventional wars against its neighbors. Despite being outnumbered more than 50 to 1, Israel has achieved overwhelming victory every time.

Rise of the Gog of Magog Alliance

The Bible says a military alliance that includes Russia, Iran, Turkey, and a number of Muslim nations will attack Israel “from the north” (Ezekiel 38:15; Ezekiel 39:2) “in the latter days” (Ezekiel 38:8) when God brings His people home from among the enemy nations (Ezekiel 39:27). Today, we see those very nations forming an alliance that has never existed in world history, and all three have troops in Syria – a nation on Israel’s northern border.

Rise of a United Europe

The Bible says a revived Roman Empire will come to power in the end times (Daniel 2, Daniel 7, Revelation 17). According to Daniel, it will be a ten nation alliance of weak and strong nations. Some parts will be as strong as iron, while other parts will be as weak as clay (Daniel 2:42). We see the beginning of this alliance in the European Union – a coalition of weak and strong nations struggling to stay together.

The Rise of Global Government

The Bible says a single government will rule the world politically (Revelation 13:7), religiously (Revelation 13:8), and economically (Revelation 13:16‐17) in the last days. It will rule over “all people, tribes, and languages” on the face of the earth (Revelation 13:7). Its authority will be so complete no one will be able to buy or sell anything without its permission (Revelation 13:16‐17). For centuries, a true global government was impossible. Today, world leaders openly discuss it. And cryptocurrencies and electronic banking foreshadow an economic system where people can be shut off from commerce.

Denial of the Signs

Almost two thousand years ago, Peter issued a warning. He said in the last days people will mock the idea of Jesus returning. They will make fun of those who believe in the Second Coming and say things like, “I thought Jesus was coming back? What happened to His promise? Generation after generation has said He’s coming. Yet, since the beginning of the world, everything has remained the same!” (2 Peter 3:3‐4). This is exactly what we hear people say today.

Given all these signs, you can be certain of one thing: Jesus is coming, and ours is the generation that will witness His return. How can I be so sure? Simple. All these signs are converging. Jesus said when you see these signs come together, you can know His return is near. In fact, He said the generation witnessing these signs will not pass away before He returns (Matthew 24:34). Keep in mind – for 1,878 years of Christianity (A.D. 70 – A.D. 1948), Israel did not exist. Today, it does. For 1,897 years of Christianity (A.D. 70 – A.D. 1967), the Jewish people did not control Jerusalem. Today, they do. These are NOT signs that have always been present, and while some of them have been present for decades now, they still weren’t present for over 93% of Christian history. With each passing year, new signs have emerged and converged, and that means Jesus is right at the door (Matthew 24:33).

As in the Days of Noah

When the disciples asked Jesus to describe the signs of His coming and the end of the age, He pointed to many signs. But one of the most overlooked is the idea that when He returns, the world will be "like it was in the days of Noah." Jesus said:

"In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn't realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes." Matthew 24:38-39 (NLT)

Look around. Despite all the chaos and turmoil, people are living their lives as if everything is normal. As in the days of Noah, they don’t realize what’s coming. Noah’s generation didn’t think the flood would come, but it came. Our generation doesn’t think Jesus will come, but He will. And all the signs say He’s coming in our generation.

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