Revelation’s Greatest End-Time Signs

Tonight’s topic is: Revelation’s Greatest End-Time Signs

When we look around the world tonight we see many people are perplexed. People of all backgrounds and cultures are anxious. They are worried as they look toward the future. They wonder what is coming next.

The book of Revelation clearly reveals God’s plan for the future.

Let’s repeat our theme for this series: If it’s in the Bible, I believe it. If it disagrees with the Bible, It’s not for me.

The book of Revelation begins and ends with the glorious climax of the coming of Jesus. Revelation 1:7 “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him.

And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.”

Revelation leads us to lift our eyes from the earth below to heaven above. It leads us to lift our eyes from the problems, trauma, and disappointments of life to the God who will send His Son to solve this world’s problems. Revelation 1:7 states it clearly:“Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him.” The last chapter of the book of Revelation confirms the nearness of the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 22:20 “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” In Revelation 22 it says three times, “I am coming quickly.” The book of Revelation beats with expectancy, with vibrancy, anticipating that soon all the promises of God will be fulfilled and Jesus will return. But there is a question:

How quickly is quickly? How soon is soon? and How near is near? Haven’t Christians down through the ages believed His coming was near? Haven’t they believed His coming was soon?

Is there any evidence throughout the Bible that the coming of Jesus is near? that you and I might see the coming of Jesus personally? What signs might there be? We are not the first to ask that question. Jesus’ disciples wondered what signs pointed to His coming. They came to Jesus and asked,

Matthew 24:3 “What will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

In Matthew, chapter 24, Jesus outlines more than 20 signs of His return.

In a masterful presentation, Jesus blended the events associated with the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD with those that would take place at the end of the world. He gave signs of His return that would be occuring in

the World of Religion;

The World of Politics;

The World of Nature;

The World of Society.

The first of these signs is in the World of Religion.

Jesus said before the end there would be false christs and false prophets.

Matthew 24:24 “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders.” Before the coming of Christ we should expect an explosion of interest in religious leaders who are leading people from the word of God and leading them astray by false signs and miracles.

Merely because a miracle has been worked does not mean that the one who claims to have worked the miracle is from God. There can be another source behind the miracle. The Bible teaches that evil spirits can perform miracles:

Revelation 16:14 “For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world,

to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” These false teachers point to the miracles they are doing as evidence that what they are saying is true. But these signs will be demon inspired to deceive men and women. The are counterfeits. The closer they get to the original, the more credible the counterfeit appears.

Beware if any religious teacher leads you from the Bible. Beware! If anyone comes to you even if they claim miraculous signs and they can heal the sick. If they disregard the plain teachings of the Bible, beware!

That’s why every meeting we invite you to write down each text and look it up in your own Bible. That’s precisely why we put each Bible text on the screen so you can see it with your own eyes. We want you to see for yourself what we are sharing comes directly from the Word of God I want to make a covenant with you, to not say anything from this platform that we cannot support, directly from God’s word. And I invite you to study it out and see if it is so and then follow God’s leading in your life. Is that fair enough?

False teachers leading religious cults are rising up around the world. In 1992 Shoko Asahara published a book declaring himself “Christ,” Japan‘s only fully enlightened master and also took the title “Lamb of God.” Asahara claimed that he could transfer spiritual power to his followers; take away their sins and bad Karma. Three years after this book was published his followers released a deadly gas in theTokyo subway killing 13 and injuring thousands. In the last 50 years, there has been a rapid increase in those claiming to be divine spiritual leaders.

On the continent of Africa, Joseph Kibwetere, and Credonia Mwerinde, led their cult followers to a fiery death.

Jesus words tell us to expect an explosion of interest in the occult world - in psychic phenomena. That is happening today just as Jesus predicted 2000 years ago.

Books on the occult are selling in multi-millions. The number of books, magazines, movies, TV programs and Internet sites on the occult is exploding today. People are turning to psychic seers. They’re turning to occult artists. The signs Jesus gave in the realm of religion are being fulfilled before our eyes. These false christs and false prophets are a sign of the last days.

The Savior then moves to the area of politics.

He discusses international conflict-War Jesus predicts the very events we see occurring around us today.

Matthew 24:6 says, “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.” Haven’t we always had wars down through history? If we’ve had conflict throughout the centuries what sense does it make to say war is a sign of the end of the world? Let’s notice carefully what Jesus said, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars.” “Wars” is in the plural.

Matthew 24:7 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.”

Jesus predicted just before the end there would be international conflicts on a global scale. In other words there would be world wars.

Having launched into the 21st century we look back on the 20th century as the bloodiest of all. One sociologist estimated in the 20th century there were 180 million deaths from war alone.

The 20th and 21st centuries have been engulfed in the flames of war. 21st Century Second Congo War War on Terrorism Darfur Conflict Israeli-Lebanese conflict Russia-Georgia conflict Baluchistan War Burundi Civil War Ivory Coast Civil War India-Bangladesh Conflict Ethiopia-Somalia War Yemen Civil War Ukraine Civil War Gaza War ISIS Insurgency Think about the devastation in Sudan as war rages on, and what about the uncertainty in so many of the African nations and the devastation that is taking place in Libya. Of course the Middle East is a hotspot of conflict. Iraq and Syria have been devastated by war. Jesus’ words are being rapidly fulfilled. [mention current conflicts]

World peace is very fragile. The Bible predicts that all human attempts to achieve world peace will fail. The apostle Paul describes it this way:

1 Thessalonians 5:3 “For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them . . . and they shall not escape.” A classic example of a peace treaty that was supposed to end all war is the:

Treaty of Versailles June 28, 1919 leading to The League of Nations Of course it wasn’t long until the worst world war in history, World War II, broke out. This led to the formation of:

The United Nations, 1945 For all of its best efforts the United Nations has failed to achieve world peace. War has continued to engulf the planet.

The Bible says, “When they say peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them.” We are seeing these prophecies being fulfilled today. The Bible is so accurate. It speaks of our day. The Bible says Jesus would come at a time when the human race has the-

Potential for world destruction. Never before in history has the human race had the ability or the capacity to destroy itself. Revelation describes it this way:

Revelation 11:18 “The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints,

and those who fear Your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth.” So when Jesus comes to give out His reward He comes at a time when the human race has the capacity to destroy the earth.

Did the human race have the ability to destroy the earth 100 years ago? Certainly not. Today we have nuclear weaponry enough to destroy the earth multiple times over. There have never been weapons made that have not been used. Jesus said that when the world would be gripped with fear, He would step across the threshold of eternity into time. He will come to deliver us.

Luke 21:26: “Men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth,

for the powers of heaven will be shaken.” When you are fearful, don‘t look around you. Look up for the coming of the Lord draws nigh.

I think I hear the footsteps of the coming of Jesus. All of history is moving to a grand climax. Jesus says lift your eyes off the earth and focus them on divine reality. “I am about to return.” Revelation reveals there is hope. There are signs in the world of religion, signs in the world of politics, and

Signs in the world of nature. The Bible predicts that all nature will be out of control just before the coming of Jesus. We should expect tornadoes fires, floods, hurricanes, and an epidemic of destruction that we can hardly imagine.

Among these natural disasters is the Bible’s prediction for world-wide hunger and famine.

Matthew 24:7 “There will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.” Haven’t we always had famines? Haven’t there always been hungry children? We have always had famines. There have always been hungry children down through the ages.

But here is the difference. Jesus didn’t predict a famine but He said there would be famines -plural - famines on an international scale; hunger on an unprecedented scale just before the coming of Jesus. As we look out over our world, indeed, this prophecy as others is being fulfilled.

The United Nations reported recently there is a severe food shortage in 38 of the major countries of the world.

One-sixth of the world’s population will go hungry tonight. It is staggering when you look at the immensity of world famine. Experts estimate that for two billion people in the world today - nearly one third of the world’s population - chronic hunger is an ever present part of daily life. Jesus’ prediction regarding famine is coming true with uncanny accuracy.

10,000 people per day, 3.5 million per year die of Starvation There are more and more people to feed and less and less food to feed them.

Drought in the horn of Africa in 2011 resulted in the death of tens of thousands. Half the population of Somalia was affected by famine. An estimated 260,000 people, half of them under the age of 6 perished.

Then He said there would also be pestilences.

Matthew 24:7 “There will be famines, pestilences.” What is a pestilence?

A pestilence is a strange disease which afflicts human beings, crops and the environment. They can result from natural causes or be triggered from the carelessness of human beings. Matthew 24 says, there will be famines and pestilences. This prophecy is being rapidly fulfilled. You’ve heard of pesticides on crops. The reason farmers put pesticide on crops is because these diseases are destroying them. Pestilences are rapidly spreading in various parts of the world.

Every year there are more than 1 billion cases and over 1 million deaths from vector-borne diseases [pestilences] such as malaria, dengue, schistosomiasis, human African trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis and onchocerciasis, globally. -World Health Organization, 2016

Recently 104 Nobel Prize winning scientists plus more than 1500 prominent international scientists signed a document entitled - “Warning to Humanity.” They declared, “No more than one or a few decades remain before the chance to avert the new threats we now confront will be lost and the prospects of humanity immeasurably diminished.”

Jesus said there would be earthquakes.

Matthew 24:7 “There will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.”

It is estimated that the world currently experiences 50 earthquakes/day or nearly 20,000/year

Since the turn of the new millennium, it is estimated that there have been over 800,000 deaths from earthquakes and related tsunamis. Jesus continues:

Luke 21:11 “And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences;

and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.”

This upheaval in nature would reveal itself in various ways. Hurricanes, typhoons, tornadoes, floods, and fires would manifest themselves in rapid succession.

The news is full of disasters affecting millions. In just the years since 2001 there have been countless thousands more killed, injured, displaced or financially disrupted by fires, floods, heatwaves, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes and typhoons, tornadoes, or drought.

These natural disasters are signs of the return of our Lord. All of earth is crying out - “Oh Jesus, Come quickly.” Hearts are indeed failing for fear and for expectations of those things that are coming on the earth. We’ve seen an increase in the signs that Jesus foretold all around us. When you look at our world today it does seem that all nature is out of control. But those of us who have confidence in the Bible believe these are signposts on the way pointing to Jesus’ soon coming. We’ve seen what the Bible says regarding the signs of Jesus coming in the world of religion, world of politics and the world of nature-

Now let’s look at His predictions regarding the social life around us.

Our Lord predicted the moral fabric of society would fall apart just before the return of our Lord. Moral decay and corruption would be prevalent everywhere.

Matthew 24:37,38 “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Jesus said, “As it was in the days of Noah.” Many are familiar with the story of Noah’s ark full of animals that escaped the flood waters that destroyed the earth. But what was society like in Noah’s day, before the flood? Jesus gives a glimpse as He continues…

For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,

until the day that Noah entered the ark.” What’s wrong with eating and drinking? Nothing! What’s wrong with marrying and giving in marriage? Nothing! This passage describes a people who continued living self-centered godless lives.

They took eating and drinking to excess. Pleasure dominated their lives. And they ignored the signs of the times.

Noah proclaimed, “A flood is coming.” Noah pointed out the decay of morality. He indicated that a flood was coming and yet people of his day continued to live their self-centered lives. They were not spiritually moved. They did not repent of their sins. Their minds were too occupied. They were enchanted with the here and now. Eternity was crowded out of their thinking. What about today? Jesus predicted there would be loose morality at the end of time, just like it was in the days of Noah. When Jesus uses the phrase, “marrying and giving in marriage” He was predicting:

1) The break-up of the family unit, and, a complacent attitude toward spiritual things and moral living. Do we see that happening today?

The Biblical model for the family is being shattered in modern society. Divorce, separation, and failed relationships affect millions of homes every year. Children from fatherless home are especially vulnerable to suicide, criminal behavior, drug addictions, behavioral disorders, being rape victims or rapist, teenage pregnancy, and a higher risk of going to prison later in life. (DivorceSource.com) The Bible’s prophecies are being fulfilled before our very eyes tonight. But what a tragedy that love has degenerated into sexual immorality in so many cases. What a tragedy that homes are breaking up.

We can thank God that whatever circumstances you find yourself in tonight, even if you are one of those statistics we have just looked at, God can heal your heart. God can give you a new sense of his love and care. He will put His arms around you. He offers you a new future. Whatever mistakes you may have made God can forgive you and give you a new start.

We live in a world of rising crime and violence, similar to Noah’s day

Genesis chapter 6 verses 11, 12 state it this way: “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.” In Noah’s day God destroyed the world with a flood because it was filled with violence. Is our earth filled with violence? Is it a global concern? Are world governments concerned about violence? Yes, governments are concerned.

In 2014 the World Health Organization reported a shocking summary of the problems of global violence and the efforts to address them. 475,000 homicide deaths per year, 1 in 4 children has been physically abused, 1 in 3 women has been a victim of abuse, and 1 in 17 elderly persons has been abused in the past month .

The Bible also predicts economic uncertainty as a sign of the last days.

James 5:1-3 describes it this way: “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. . . .

Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.”

Revelation 18:17 “For in one hour such great riches came to nothing . . .”

Wars have caused millions to flee their homes and become destitue living in refugee camps. Stock markets have crashed, earthquakes, tsunami’s, hurricanes, typhoons, floods, fires, and tornadoes have destroyed homes, businesses, causing tens of millions of people to struggle to survive on very, very little. Jesus is coming! These prophecies are being fulfilled before our very eyes.

Signs are being fulfilled:

1. False christs and prophets 2. Wars and rumors of wars 3. Cries of peace, but no peace 4. Famines 5. Pestilences

6. Earthquakes 7. Sexual immorality 8. Homes falling apart 9. Violence filling our lands 10. Economic uncertainty All these signs are fulfilled. But there is one more sign which will prove beyond any shadow of a doubt that indeed we are living in the very last days of this worlds history.

The final sign that Jesus gives of His soon return in Matthew 24 is the gospel being proclaimed to the entire world.

Matthew 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

Revelation 14:6 also echoes this thought: “Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel

to preach to those who dwell on the earth-to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people.” In Revelation Jesus says you will know we have come to the end by the final sign.

When you see the gospel going quickly around the world. This prophecy is rapidly being fulfilled today. Today the Gospel leaps across all barriers through radio, television, and the Internet. How many of you have a cell phone? Many people can receive text messages and Biblical presentations right on their cell phones today. God is reaching people in every way possible. In a mountain village of Southeast Asia, a remote tribe received a transistor radio. They began listening to the Short Wave signal of Adventist World Radio, a Christian radio network, broadcasting truth filled Gospel presentations. As they listened to the Word of God, the whole village was transformed by God’s grace and became Christians. In a wealthy Middle Eastern home, a Muslim family began watching Christian Television, their lives were changed and they too now are committed to walk with Jesus. In a Siberian Prison, a hardened criminal heard the message of Christ through a satellite transmission and now is a consecrated believer. In a crowded European city, a desparate young man picked up a brochure advertising a series of meetings on Revelation’s prophecies just like the one you are attending. New hope flooded in to his heart and his life was changed. From remote villages to barren deserts, to wealthy homes in gated communities, prisons and the cities with their teeming masses, the Gospel is going forth in these last days in remarkable ways. God is working miracles around the world today. Millions are being stirred as never before with a sense of the urgency of the times. Millions are turning from the uncertainty of this world to seek for a better world to come. Many have sacrificed all to take the gospel to the far regions of the world.

God is on the move. Prophecy is being fulfilled. Around the World, God is doing something special. He is fulfilling His word. We are on the verge of the kingdom of God. The signs that our Lord gave are being fulfilled. It is the midnight hour. And God is appealing to men and women, He is appealing to you and me, to be ready for His return.

Would you like to raise your hand tonight and say “Yes, Jesus, I believe you are coming soon.” How many of you would want to say, “Lord, I want to be ready for your coming?” Is there anything in your life that would keep you from being ready for Christ’s coming? Would you like to raise your hand right now and surrender that thing to Jesus as we pray?