Of all the prophecies and signs of the coming End Times, the following 12 are probably the most significant. This list is taken from the 2004 edition of Southwest Radio Church Ministries Prophecy Calendar.
1. The Return of the Jews - From Deuteronomy 28 to Revelation 12 the dispersion of the Jews into all nations is prophesied, as well as their eventual return to the land of Israel. Jesus foretold both events: "And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (Luke 21:24)
2. Increase of Knowledge - The Prophet Daniel was instructed that in the last days knowledge and travel would greatly increase: "Be 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" (Daniel 12:4) It is evident that in the past century both education and travel have exponentially accelerated.
3. The Days of Noah - Jesus Christ said that at the time of the end it would be like it was in the time of Noah (Matt 24:37). Of the days of Noah we read, "And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth... The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence" (Genesis 6:1,11). After the judgment of the flood, when only eight people survived, 4,300 years were required for earth’s population to reach one billion (A.D.1830). Today, the population of earth is almost seven billion, and the last billion was added in only six years. Violence is once more filling the earth.
4. Increase in Earthquakes - Jesus prophesied concerning the last days and His second coming, "...nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diverse places" (Matt. 24:7). According to the U.S. Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center, earthquakes are increasing at an alarming rate, from 16,612 in 1990, to 27,456 in 2002.
5. Wars of the Last Days - Jesus said a sign of His soon return would be "...wars and rumors of wars..." (Matt. 24:6-8). Many other prophecies warn of the scope and magnitude of the wars of the last days. Since 1914 there have been two world wars and continued war between nations and empires. (I read somewhere that more people have been killed in wars during the last 90 years, then in all previous history).
6. The Revived Roman Empire - According to the prophecies of Daniel, chapters 2 and 9, the Roman Empire would break into pieces. This happened in about A.D. 500. The same prophecies also foretold that at the end of the age, these pieces would come back together and reform the empire. This is happening today in the European Union.
7. Famines - Jesus said another sign of His soon return would be world "...famines... in diverse places" (Matt. 24:7). Fifteen million starved to death in the communization of the Ukraine, and the 2003 edition of Europa World reported that 20 million were starving in Africa. With the exponential increase in populations, a breakdown in transportation would cause a world famine of tribulation proportions.
8. Nuclear Weaponry - Jesus warned of the coming abomination of desolation that would occur just before His return. We read in the book of Revelation about all grass and one-third of the trees being burned up. The prophet Joel in 800 B.C. warned of coming Tribulation when there would be "...wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke" (Joel 2:30). Only the use of nuclear weapons that have been made in the last 60 years could cause such death and destruction.
9. Pestilences - According to UNAIDS, over 30 million have died from Aids, and another 5 million are dying each year, making it the worst disease ever visited upon the world. In addition, 2 million are dying each year of tuberculosis, and 2.7 million are dying each year from malaria. The exponential population increase and rapid world travel spreads a local disease to a pandemic disease in less than a week. There is also concern about germ warfare unleashed by world terrorists. Jesus said that an end-time sign would be pandemic disease epidemics: "...pestilences...in diverse places..." (Matthew 24:7).
10. Signs in the Heavens - There are many prophecies in the book of Isaiah, Joel, and others, regarding signs of the last days that would occur in both the earth and the heavens. Jesus is recorded as saying in Luke 21:11, "And great earthquakes shall be in diverse places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall be from heaven." Today, airplanes fill the first heaven and man has walked on the moon in the second heaven. But there is yet to come catastrophic judgments that will occur in our sun (Rev. 16:9).
11. The Falling Away - "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils" (1 Timothy 4:1). "...That day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition" (2 Thess. 2:3). In Europe today very few go to church, and in America millions are forsaking their churches or wandering after men who conform to this world rather than to the will of God. The great paradigm in Christendom is now occurring in the Purpose Driven Church Movement.
12. Israel Against the World - Zechariah prophesied, "Behold, the day of the Lord cometh... I will gather all nations against Jerusalem..." (Zechariah 14:1-2). From 1955 to 1992 the United Nations passed 65 resolutions against Israel simply for protecting its own borders. On December 1, 2000, the U.N. passed 6 resolutions against Israel, which stated in part: "Israel control over Jerusalem is illegal and therefore has no validity." Only the United States has befriended Israel... and this may not be so for very long.
By George Konig
March 20, 2005
www.georgekonig.org
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