1 22 SIGNS OF THE END. And Jesus answered and said unto them

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1 1 22 SIGNS OF THE END Disclaimer: What we re about to discuss here is not dooms-day preaching or sensationalism it is Bible prophecy! Jesus gave His disciples no less than twenty unique signs of the end and of His soon return. We will also show two additional signs that were shown to the apostle Paul for a total of 22 signs. Here was the scenario: Jesus disciples came to Him privately and asked Him this question: Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? Matthew 24:3 And Jesus answered and said unto them 1. Deception. Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. Matthew 24:4-5 Note that the very fist sign Jesus gave in response to the disciple s question concerns deception and being deceived. To deceive is to mislead or misguide either on purpose or out of ignorance. Jesus warns of deception at least three times (24:4, 24:11,24:24). 2. Wars and Rumors of Wars. And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars... Matthew 24:6 All you have to do is turn on your television or open your newspaper to know that this word is coming to pass every day. Consider escalating tensions between the West and Iran and North Korea, and between Israel and her neighbors for examples. 3. Nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom Matthew 24:7 Civil and political unrest in and among nations and between peoples and ethnic groups. Ethnic cleansing (genocide) in Rwanda, Kosovo, and Darfur, and bitter clashes between Sunni and Shia in Iraq are recent examples. Read the Book of Esther and you ll see that none of this is new.

2 2 4. Famines. and there shall be famines, Matthew 24:7 Catastrophic crop failures, food shortage or shortages of certain kinds of food, food rationing, and escalating food prices. All these are the telltale signs of famine. Famines are usually brought about by long periods of either droughts, or rainy seasons. Excessive heat and cold are also factors leading to crop failure. Famines are compounded by exploding demands produced by world population growth. 5. Pestilences. and there shall be pestilences [or disease epidemics] Matthew 24:7 Disease epidemic or pandemics such as Swine flu, H1N1, E.coli bacteria, etc. on a global scale. Look also for strains of new and familiar diseases for which there is no known cause, cure, vaccine, or vaccine shortage. 6. Earthquakes. and there shall be earthquakes, in divers places. Matthew 24:7 Again, all you have to do is turn on your television or open your newspaper to know that this prophecy is coming to pass on a daily, sometimes hourly basis! Chile, Haiti, and Indonesia are just a few recent examples. Look for greater numbers of quakes in places you would rarely expect them as well as quakes of increasingly greater magnitudes and devastation. The greatest earthquake in human history is still in the future. See Revelation 16: Religious persecution/affliction. 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. Matthew 24:9 Increased personal attacks on all people of faith, but especially Christians, at home and abroad. Look for changes in laws that either ban or make public assembly and religious expression more restrictive. 8. Personal offense and betrayal. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. Matthew 24:10 Notice, Jesus said And then shall many be offended The initial cause of this offense is persecution for right living and for the name of Jesus. A vast majority of Christians in the West are actually being set up to be offended because they re being taught that they will be gone in the Rapture BEFORE any of this happens.

3 3 TO OUR SKEPTICS: Yes, and by all means, we believe in both the Rapture and the Resurrection, but in the order the Bible teaches in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. Please read it for yourself and ask yourself if what you read consistent with what you hear on TV and are being taught. More and more believers are already offended and walking in unforgiveness because somebody offended them. Persecution and affliction will only make a bad situation worse. This will precipitate an increase in betrayals and broken relationships. Let me ask you are you offended at anyone? 9. False prophets will rise up and deceive many. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. Matthew 24:11 What you have in ever-progressive order is the perfect storm for people to be set up to be deceived and led away from the faith. Remember, many were already offended because of unexpected personal persecution and betrayal. While afflicted and offended, many false prophets are going to show up and deceive many. Again, are you offended? Is there anyone you have not forgiven and released from your heart? See Matthew 18: and 11. Sin and lawlessness producing cold hearts and cold love. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. Matthew 24:10 Two signs given here lawlessness and cold love one bears directly on the other. An increase in sin and lawless behavior in the world and in the church will lead to cold hearts in people. Look for distrust between people in the world and in the Church to increase. More people will hold grudges and flat out refuse to forgive. Look for fewer people at Church fellowship gatherings, home fellowships, and bonding friendships. Question: How important is going to Church and fellowshipping with other believers to you? See Hebrews 10:25 for the right answer. 12. The Gospel preached to all nations. 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. Matthew 24:14 This sign may not be as easy to discern as most of the others. What we can know for sure is when this Gospel of the Kingdom and not some watered-down version of it has been preached in all the world as a witness, the end will come and with it the return of our Lord and Savior!

4 4 13. Abomination of Desolation. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:). Matthew 24:15 Pretty much anything going in the house of God in the name of Jesus, religion, anointing and signs and wonders. One day, perhaps sooner than anyone thinks, a lawless and despicable man sent and possessed by Satan himself, will take his place in the Temple in Jerusalem and declare to the whole world that he is God. He will then proceed to abolish all religions and all the places of worship erected in honor of those religions. He alone will be worshipped. See Daniel 9:27 and 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10. NOTE: The Antichrist will be preceded by and later accompanied by the False Prophet, who will also be anointed by Satan to perform astonishing miracles in the presence of and on behalf of the Antichrist. See Revelation 13, Revelation 19:20, and 20:10. See event No Strange events in the skies, and roaring seas and strange tides on the earth. "And there will be strange events in the skies signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And down here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. Luke 21:25 Unexplainable phenomenon above, unusual eclipses, weather patterns, strange disfigurements and colorations of the sun, moon, and stars. Strange tides and roaring seas could also be produced by undersea earthquakes resulting in tsunamis, major floods, excessive downpours of rain, rain mixed with elements such as large hail, animals, unidentifiable objects, etc. 15. Fear on a global scale. The courage of many people will falter because of the fearful fate they see coming upon the earth, because the stability of the very heavens will be broken up. Luke 21:26 Fear possessing people, heart attacks, stress, worry, anxiety, etc. In general, great apprehension that does not go away, sleep disorders. 16. Great Tribulation. For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Matthew 24:21-22

5 Widespread persecution and open hatred, hostility, and aggression against the Church, the Bible, the name of Jesus, and everything that is sacred and holy. Also, look for teachings that water-down prophecy and explain away Jesus teaching and those of the prophets and apostles of old about the things that are coming on the earth and to the Church. NOTE: The snare that going s to catch and offend many Christians is the widely-accepted teaching that the Church will be in heaven at least seven years before any of the really bad stuff happens! What they don t tell you is what THE REALLY BAD STUFF IS or show and carefully explain it to your understanding from the Scriptures! Why don t they ever teach an entire Book of prophecy like Revelation or the Book of Daniel or Zephaniah? Prove me wrong ask them to show why you should believe what you are expected to believe using more than one Scripture from the Bible! In the face of crushing affliction and deception, many unprepared and now offended believers will simply throw up their hands, take the mark of the beast (Revelation 13), and abandon the faith in order to save their own lives and the lives of those they love more than Jesus. 17. An upsurge or increase of false Christs and false prophets. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here [is] Christ, or there; believe [it] not. 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. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, [he is] in the secret chambers; believe [it] not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Matthew 24:23-27 Increasing numbers of people (men and women) in and outside the Church who will claim to either be Christ or claim special giftings and/or anointing from Him! Also look for exaggerated emphasis on the five-fold ministry gifts (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers). It is through these very gifts that many in the Church are already deceived and many, many more will become deceived as Satan and Jesus both anoint and empower their followers for the final showdown. 5 Take heed, you ve been warned! 18. An upsurge or increase of false miracles, signs, and wonders. 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. Matthew 24:24

6 Who is their target? The very elect God s chosen people are in the cross-hairs of these false prophets and false christs! Dramatic demonstrations of power in the realm of the miraculous, supernatural, signs and wonders will be performed by these false Christs and false prophets. PRECAUTIONARY WARNING: Because God is also going to be working and moving wonderfully by the Holy Spirit at the same time, it is going to be extremely difficult to discern and distinguish the good guys from the bad guys! Again, take heed, you ve been warned! Life and lifestyles as in the days of Noah and Lot. And as it was in the days of Noe [Noah], so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 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. Luke 17:26-20 Generally speaking, an atmosphere of business as usual But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe [Noah] were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Matthew 24:36-29 Look for a lot of talk about the Rapture and how the Church could be raptured away any second while church leaders press full steam ahead with an attitude of peace and security, all is well, we re blessed in an atmosphere of comfort, ease and relaxation. There will be no discernible sense of urgency, loose living, self-indulgence, gross immorality, buying and selling, cutting business deals with the world, all the while overseeing multi-million dollar ministries and building programs. 20. Great falling away from the faith. Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and [by] our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

7 7 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; 2 Thessalonians 2:3 An exodus of people from the church or the so-called organized church, dramatic declines in church attendance in general and Bible study, and church fellowships in particular, etc. This exodus will be most obvious in the smaller congregations. The megachurches and multi-site, seeker-friendly churches will continue to experience spurts of growth. Church closures and foreclosures will become increasingly more common as disgruntled congregants exit their local churches and exhausted and disillusioned pastors pursue more rewarding lines of work. 21. Man of sin (aka the Antichrist) is revealed. Again: 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; 2 Thessalonians 2:3 This is the fulfillment of Daniel 9:27 and Matthew 24:15. He will exalt himself and defy every god there is and tear down every object of adoration and worship. He will position himself in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God. Don't you remember that I told you this when I was with you? And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. This evil man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. He will use every kind of wicked deception to fool those who are on their way to destruction because they refuse to believe the truth that would save them. 2 Thessalonians 2:4-10 Look for a super politician and statesman who will come on the world scene at the most critical stage in world history. He will woo and win the masses over to his side and way of governance with his knowledge, oration, and charisma. See also prophecy event No Chaos in the heavenlies. Choas in the heavenlies and heavenly upheaval will coincide with and preannounce the imminent, triumphant return of Christ in power and great glory with and for His elect! At this point, it doesn t matter what I say, your Pastor says, or some renown televangelist says WHEN DID JESUS (FROM HIS OWN MOUTH) PROMISE TO RETURN, AND WHAT IMMEDIATE SIGN WOULD PRECEDE HIS COMING?

8 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: 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. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:29-31 WHAT S AT STAKE WHAT EACH OF US STAND TO LOSE: Are you being taught to prepare for perilous times and unimaginable suffering BEFORE any of the bad stuff happens and Jesus returns, OR that you ll be in heaven at least seven years before any of what we ve already discussed happens? Which of the following two strategies would Satan most likely devise? IF I M WRONG If I m wrong and I prepare for the worse, and Jesus comes early I LOSE NOTHING except some face with you and maybe a much, deserved rebuke for being too zealous. BUT, IF I M RIGHT If I m right and you don t prepare for the worse YOU WILL LOSE YOUR SOUL AND ALL REWARDS WITH IT! Please don t take my word for it. Either Jesus and the prophets and the apostles are right in what they ve said and taught or your Pastor and/or favorite prophecy teachers, who have westernized and fictionalized the Scriptures, is right. I m betting Jesus is right! Take heed, you ve been thoroughly warned! 8