7-26-19 Top 10 Signs of the Last Days
Top 10 Signs of the Last Days :: By Jonathan Brentner
We live in the last days of human history as we know it before the start of the tribulation.
We do not know the day or the hour when Jesus will come for His church or what day God’s fierce wrath will begin. The prophetic signs we see all around us, however, tell us these things are getting ever so close.
I shared this list a couple months ago through my newsletter. As events continue to point toward the soon return of Jesus, I decided to update the list and make it available to more who may be interested. I have also changed the order a bit.
In his May 26, 2019, prophetic update, JD Farag listed his top ten signs. My purpose is not to compete with him (his list is excellent, but his list prompted me do the same).
- The Temple (Matt. 24:15): Jesus predicted the antichrist would someday defile a temple in Israel just as Daniel prophesied (9:27). Everything is ready for construction to begin including the architecture plans, most of the furnishing, and priestly garments. The Temple Institute in Israel is now training Levites for service in the temple as priests while the government of Israel plans infrastructure to deal with the crowds they expect the temple will attract.
Many believe the covenant the antichrist makes with Israel will include the building of this third temple, something many in Israel long for today. A group of rabbis from Israel recently visited the White House to request that the rebuilding of the temple be included in the “deal of the century.”
We still await the details of President Trump’s peace plan.
- The rise of Anti-Semitism and Anti-Christian fervor: Scripture tells us the second half of the tribulation will be a time of great persecution against both Jews and those who come to faith in Jesus during this time.
Does not the dramatic increase we see in Anti-Semitism violence along with today’s fierce opposition to biblical values set the stage for the killing of Jews and believers during the tribulation?
In many places, hostility toward Jews and Christians has already turned violent. In Nigeria alone, Muslims kill tens of thousands of Christians every year. We see hatred of Jews and Bible-believing Christians already appearing in Congress and on the streets of cities throughout America.
- Wars and rumors of wars (Matt. 24:6-7): Jesus said that one sign of the end of the age would be “wars and rumors of wars.” While this has been true in some way or another for centuries, this sign defines the times in which we live. VP Mike Pence recently told West Point graduates to expect war in their future.
Since I first wrote this list, tensions with Iran have increased significantly. While this also points to the Gog and Magog War (number 8), it also increases the chances of a war before that time that might involve the United States. This is just one of many flashpoints that could quickly erupt into a war.
I moved this sign up in importance due to the significant military buildup in the Middle East.
- Israel: The miraculous rebirth of Israel as a nation cannot be overlooked. Just as Isaiah 66:8 says, on May 14, 1948, Israel became a nation in “one day.” This sign alone tells us we live in the last days before Jesus’ return to earth.
At that time, the land of Israel was a barren wasteland just as Ezekiel 36:34-36 said it would be when Israel returned to the land. In verse 35 the prophet says, “The land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden,” indicating how God would turn the desert into fruitful fields.
Today, Israel exports one billion dollars’ worth of fruits and vegetables. Is this not a fulfillment of Isaiah 27:6?
God’s protection of the current nation of Israel has been nothing short of miraculous. Israel’s victory in the Six-Day War of 1967 compares with the victories we read about in the Old Testament such as those of Joshua and Gideon. I read recently that as Israel was capturing old Jerusalem in 1967, 2,000 Jordanian soldiers surrendered to 3 Israelite soldiers!
- The battle of Gog and Magog (Ezek. 38-39): The armies that the prophet Ezekiel prophesied would invade Israel in the last days are currently in Syria, and their forces are growing by the month. The nations of the Middle East are aligned precisely as the prophet said they would be over 2,600 years ago.
We do not know the exact timing of this war in regard to the rapture, only that it seems probable the two will occur in close proximity to each other. We do know that tensions continue to escalate in Syria as Israel continues to bomb Iranian military installations. This does not, however, appear to discourage Iran from building up its military in the area.
- Scoffers (2 Peter 3:1-10): The mocking of our beliefs in a rapture and premillennial return of Jesus is prevalent both inside and outside the church. I see this ridicule with almost every one of my posts in which I mention the rapture; this mocking comes mostly from professing believers.
In the last few months, I have experienced this scoffing in person as a couple of sincere believers (who should know better) have laughed at my belief in the millennium.
JD Farag placed scoffing first in his list, and I understand why. We live in a day when even believers ridicule our hope in the rapture, the millennium, and the New Jerusalem of Revelation 21-22.
- Technology: I list technology as a prominent sign because the world now has the capability via computers, Artificial Intelligence, and gigantic data bases to control buying and selling on a worldwide scale, just as Revelation 13:16-17 says the antichrist will do in later years of the tribulation.
Many predict this is already on the way through chip inserts and tracking of products and bank accounts. With the world moving in this direction even before the appearance of the antichrist, how close must we be to the rapture and the tribulation? China has begun micro-chipping its population for the purpose of controlling them through rewards based on what they purchase and how they spend their money.
- Earthquakes (Matt. 24:7): During the past ten years, we have seen a dramatic rise in both the frequency and intensity of earthquakes. Rarely a week goes by without a strong earthquake somewhere in the world.
Since I originally comprised this list, two significant earthquakes have occurred in California with over 10,000 aftershocks of varying degrees of strength. Experts now warn us of a catastrophic earthquake for the west coast in the near future, as well as the eruption of long-dormant volcanoes.
I believe the predictions of the geologists will come true, but tend to think it will happen after the rapture. Due to recent events, I have moved this up on my list. I believe the rapture will occur before a catastrophic earthquake hits the west coast that results in the death of millions of people.
- The intense quest for globalism and a one-world religion: The push for globalism and a one-world religion is no longer kept hidden. Pope Francis openly and repeatedly calls for a one-world religion, as well as for a one-world government to combat climate change.
At the World Government Summit in February of 2019, thousands of leading globalists, communists, Islamists and others from around the world converged on the Arabian Peninsula. Their goal: promote technocratic globalism and plot the future of what they often call their “New World Order.” Senior officials from the United Nations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the European Union, Communist China, and central banks showed up to support UN Agenda 2030, which calls for the formation of a one-world governing body by 2030.
This is precisely what we see in the book of Revelation as happening during the tribulation. Once Jesus comes for His church, this new world order will leap into existence.
- The exponential increase in wickedness (2 Tim. 3:1-5): I placed this sign first because I believe this points to the soon arrival of the tribulation more than anything else. We have a political party in America that advocates the murder of children in the womb up to the moment of birth. Congress repeatedly fails to pass a law that would stop the current practice of killing babies that survive abortion. Recently, it broke my heart to read about a newborn baby crying as it was left to die after surviving an abortion attempt.
The sex trafficking of children in the United States has reached epidemic levels. The arrest of Jeffrey Epstein is just the tip of the iceberg. As many as 2.5 million men purchase sex from young boys and girls each year. In San Diego County alone, the DOJ estimates the yearly revenue from sex trafficking at $800 million.
The wicked assault of the LGBTQ against the children of our country defies human decency, sanity, as well as biblical values. A large banner in a recent gay pride parade had this message for all to see: “Satan loves.” It seems as though each week I read about some evil I previously thought unimaginable.
Even if I did not believe in the imminent return of Jesus and start to the tribulation, I would be certain of the Lord’s coming judgment as a result of the bloodshed and wickedness taking place in the United States, as well as throughout the world.
The correctness of my ordering of signs is irrelevant. All these things tell us Jesus’ appearing must be soon because the sudden destruction of the tribulation is rapidly approaching. Do not let this day overtake you as a thief (1 Thess. 5:1-3); it will happen when very few expect it.
Despite the ominous clouds that hang over our world, we so often hear the refrain of “peace and security” from world leaders. This in itself tells us we live in the last days of human history as we know it before the Lord says “enough” and comes for His bride.
Jonathan Brentner
Website: Our Journey Home
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E-mail: Jonathanbrentner@yahoo.com
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