What are signs of the end times?

"You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don't know how to interpret the signs of the times! Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign..." —Matthew 16:3-4 (NLT)

On the Mount of Olives one day, Jesus' disciples asked Him, "Tell us...what sign will signal your return and the end of the world?" (Matthew 24:3). They had a concept that He was somehow "leaving" and coming back later, though they were far from understanding that He would soon endure death and resurrection.

Big Signs of the End Times

In answer to His disciples' question, Jesus goes into a description of a season to come when the world will be in chaos (Matthew 24:1-14). There will be false Messiahs, claiming to be Him, but that they should not be believed. His disciples will be persecuted, killed, and hated for His name's sake. But even that will not signal the end of the world.

There will also be wars and rumors of wars. There will be increased famines, plagues, and natural disasters. There will be false prophets who will lead believers away from the faith. Sin will be everywhere, and the love in people's hearts will grow cold (Matthew 24:6-12). A one-world government will arise in power and authority, headed by Satan himself, and the devil will receive worship from "all the world" (2 Thessalonians 2:3; Revelation 13:2-7).

What about Israel?

According to the Bible, God has a special plan for the nation of Israel, and Satan wants to defeat that plan. So Israel will have its own part to play in the end of times. Some prophecies mention rebuilding a Jewish temple in Jerusalem (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15) and increased hostility toward Israel (Jeremiah 30:7).

God promised Abraham that his posterity would have Canaan as "an everlasting possession" (Genesis 17:8), and Ezekiel prophesied about a physical and spiritual restoration of Israel (Ezekiel 37). In 1948, Israel was recognized as a sovereign state, essentially for the first time since 605 BC, when the Babylonians took control of Judah. Having Israel as a nation in its own land is significant because of how much Israel appears in end times prophecies (Daniel 10:14; 11:41; Revelation 11:8).

But still, there has been turmoil, conflict, and persecution in Israel ever since it existed as a nation. So even conflict in Israel is not necessarily a sign of the end times.

Are the signs happening now?

"People will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good." —2 Timothy 3:2-3 (NLT)

Some want to point to every natural or political disaster or every violent attack on Israel and say that it's a sign of the end times. Some dedicate their entire lives to studying and predicting things about the end times. (It's a field of study called eschatology.)

The Bible does speak of how there will be much evil and moral rot in the world in the end times (2 Timothy 3:1-9). And truly, all it takes is one look at the news headlines to make us question, "Is Jesus coming soon?" But this stuff has been happening for centuries, and the end has not yet come. Evil has been on the rise for the past 2,000 years, and it will continue to rise until Jesus returns.

When will Jesus return?

"No one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows." —Matthew 24:36 (NLT)

Some believe that Jesus will return to take those who follow Him before the period of seven years in which God's judgment is poured out on sinful humanity (Revelation 6–16). Then there will be a final judgment on those who survived the time of tribulation (Matthew 25:31-46). After that, Jesus will establish His 1,000-year reign, after which, a final battle (Revelation 20:7-10) and final judgment (Revelation 20:11-15) will take place.

Others believe that He won't take up the Church until after the tribulation—or that He'll take the church halfway through it! Still others believe that the final judgment could happen at any moment, after which they would immediately be sent to their final destinations—either the New Heavens or the Lake of Fire.

And yet others believe that Jesus' 1,000-year reign is taking place right now through the Church's influence on the world, and we still have upwards of thousands of years ahead of us before Jesus returns.

But, as Jesus Himself said, no one can know when He will return (Matthew 24:36). So as soon as someone says they know the date He'll be back, they're automatically incorrect. Even during Jesus' time, people misunderstood His mission and how He would fulfill prophecies during His ministry (Luke 19:11; Acts 1:6).

What do we do when we see these signs?

"Be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do." — Ephesians 5:15-17 (NLT)

The truth is, we've been in the "End Times" for over 2,000 years. The world entered the "End of the Age" the moment that Jesus ascended to heaven (Hebrews 1:1-2; Acts 2:17). As we approach the end of the end of time, we can take this as an encouragement to be careful about the way we live our lives and to make as great of an impact for God's kingdom as we can (Matthew 5:13; Ephesians 5:15-17).

While it can be important to discuss views about the end times and form your own opinions, it's of even more importance to practice humility by stating, "I believe this, but I might be wrong. Let Jesus return in His perfect timing, according to the perfect way God wills." Because, regardless of who ends up being "right," the fact remains that Jesus will return, and until then, we should continue to follow Jesus' command to share the gospel and continue to serve Him for as long as we live (Matthew 28:18-20).

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