Text: 2 Tim. 3:1-7

Introduction:

With the recent conflict in Israel and the events which are taking place around the world, I thought it expedient to spend a few moments on what the Bible teaches about the last days.

It is evident, given the world situation, that many are wondering if all of the events we are witnessing are "signs" of the end. Are we living in the "last days?" Could ours be the "terminal" generation?

I know that every previous generation has thought the same. There have been circumstances and events that have occurred throughout history which has lead many to suppose that the world is coming to an end. But our generation is unlike any other because of the world-wide coverage of conflict, natural disasters, evil, hatred, etc. that is taking place. Today, we view events on a global scale. This in itself leads to an "increase" of such events.

The Bible makes it clear that certain defined events will occur before the coming of the Lord. And we are to "watch" for those things so as not to be taken unaware, or taken as a "thief in the night" (See 1 Thess. 5:1-4).

We have been told by many prophecy teachers that our focus should be on Israel. This has been inculcated into the minds of countless believers for many years, especially since the re-formation of Israel in 1948 after almost 1900 years of non-existence. And indeed, Israel does play a major role in end-time prophecy as we shall see.

So what about the recent conflict with Israel and Lebanon? Does this have something to do with end-time prophecy? I believe it does. All of this is what I believe Jesus describes as "the beginning of sorrows" (Matt. 24:8).

I want us, for the next few moments, to examine the Biblical signs that are to indicate the nearness of our Lord's coming.

But before we examine the signs, I want to dispel a "myth" that is taught in some Christian circles which emphasizes that we cannot know the time of end. It is true that no man knows the day or the hour (Matt. 24:36). But this does not mean we will not know the approximate time of our Lord's coming. On the contrary, Jesus gives several "signs" which will indicate His nearness (See: Matt. 34:32-33; Mark 13:28-29; Luke 21:30-31). These verses give us the understanding that it is possible to know the approximate time of our Lord's coming. It is significant to note that in the context of the verses, in all three references, our Lord speaks of "this generation" not passing away until all of these things (these signs) are fulfilled. I take the passage to mean that the signs our Lord speaks of will indicate that we are living in the last "generation." Thus I think the Bible clearly teaches that no one knows the day or the hour, but we can know the generation.

This also is borne out in 1 Thessalonians 5:

1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 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. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief . [Emphasis Mine] 

The Signs of the Times

One of the things our Lord criticized His generation for was not discerning the "signs of the times" (Matt. 16:1-3; Luke 12:54-56). I wonder if our eyes are truly open to the signs that we're seeing all around us. Can we not see the many signs which indicate that we are living in the last days? That this is indeed the "last generation" of which our Lord spoke in Matthew 24?

What are the signs of the end?

A Time of Deception

Matthew 24:4 "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

Matthew 24:5 "For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many "

Matthew 24:11 "And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many."

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."

Wars and rumors of wars

Matthew 24:6 "And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end."

Nation shall rise against nation

Matthew 24:7 " For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. "

Distress among the nations with perplexity

Luke 21:25 "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;"

Famines, Pestilences, Earthquakes in various places

Matthew 24:7 " For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places."

Persecution of the saints

Matthew 24:9 "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake."

Betrayal of one another

Matthew 24:9 "And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

False Prophets will arise

Matthew 24:5 "For many will come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and will mislead many."

Matthew 24:11 "And many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many."

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."

Increased Iniquity (Days of Noah, Lot )

Matthew 24:12 "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."

Matthew 24:37 "But as the days of Noe were , so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."

See Luke 17:26

The Gospel preached in all the world

Matthew 24:14 "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."

The abomination of desolation

Luke 17:28-30 "Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. ?Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed."

The Great Tribulation

Matthew 24:20-22 "But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21 ?For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 ?And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened."

Signs in the Cosmos

Matthew 24:20-22 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 ?And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."

Increased Spirituality (Many signs and wonders)

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."

I Timothy 4:1-3 "But the spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons. 

II Timothy 4:3-4 "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 ?And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."

Matthew 24:14 "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come."

Perilous Times

II Timothy 3:1-5,7 "But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.  For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of god; holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."

A Great Falling Away (The Apostasy - This is a falling away from the truth)

2 Thessalonians 2:3 "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come , except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;"

There will be talk of Peace

I Thessalonians 5:1-4 "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 ?For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 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. 4 ?But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 ?Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness."

Daniel 9:27 "And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolation, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate."

Increase in travel and knowledge

Daniel 12:4 " But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased ."

Rebuilding of the temple

2 Thessalonians 2:4 "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God , shewing himself that he is God ."

Revelation 11:2 "Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months."

Daniel 9:26 "Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary."

All nations will gather against Israel

Zechariah 14:1-4 ?"Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. 2 ?For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3 ?Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. 4 ?And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south."