Twelve Signs of the End Times

The following article was obtained through the website, jesus-resurrection.info 

Here is a summary of twelve trends or signs of the end times. We can see that events are coming together for things to wrap up soon.

1. Earthquakes: "And there will be great earthquakes in various places ..." (Luke 21:11). There are 12,000 to 14,000 earthquakes per year or about 35 per day. More and more often we see earthquakes of disastrous magnitudes that cause great loss of life and misery to affected people. See list of major earthquakes since 2001. Many people label these as "Acts of God" without realizing that it is God's character to seek to protect His children from Satan, who is the destroyer, and from the forces of nature. Earthquakes are one of the best known of the signs of the end times.

2. Environmental Crisis: In the final events of earth's history, a moment comes when "... them that destroy the earth" (Rev 11:18) are themselves destroyed. This implies that there will be people held responsible for their part in destroying the earth. While we have to live here and use some of its resources we should be doing that responsibly. However, there are people who are doing things (and knowing better) that are destroying the earth for their own financial gain or other purposes. We are, even now, experiencing environmental degradation from these actions as one of the signs of the end times.

3. Wars: "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars ... For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom." (Matt 24:6-7). In the last 100 years, there has been World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnamese War, the Arab-Israeli Wars, the war in Bosnia, the Gulf War, Kosovo, Ireland, wars in the Congo, Rwanda, Somalia and the Sudan and other places in Africa, wars in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan etc. Surely this is one of the prominent signs of the end times "When they say, 'Peace and safety!' then sudden destruction comes upon them ... And they shall not escape." (1 Thess 5:3) This verse suggests that the only thing that will end war in the world will be the end of the world.

4. Violence: "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be before the coming of the Son of Man" (Matt 24:37). One of the major aspects of what was it like in Noah's day was that: "The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence" (Gen 6:11). Evidently, violence was everywhere before the flood, as it is today. Surely, this is a result, in part of people including violence in their entertainment in TV, the movies etc. By beholding we are changed.

5. Pleasure-seeking "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power ..." (2 Tim 3:1-5) .As we look at society we see this fulfilled in many areas that we are, perhaps, all too familiar with.For many people, this is one of the signs of the end times that they are so involved in that they can't discern any of the others.

6. Financial woes: "Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days." (Jam 5:3) We have seen more and more problems in the economy and these problems are the result of the greed of men who are looking out for no one other than themselves. Expect more and more troubles in the markets and wild fluctuations in reaction to world events.

7. Disease and Stress: "... distress of nations, with perplexity ... men's hearts failing them for fear ..." (Luke 21:25-6). People are stressed-out everywhere, are much to busy and are not taking responsibility for their own health. Heart disease (the number one cause of death) and other chronic disease are rampant. Pain (see my other website: www.natural-pain-relief-guide.com and suffering in so many forms are everywhere. Mostly, these problems are a result of our own poor choices. If Satan can keep us so Busy Under Satan's Yoke that we can't see the signs of the end times, then he has got us.

8. Medicine/pharmacy: "... for by thy (speaking of Babylon) sorceries were all nations deceived." (Rev 18:23). The word "sorceries" is translated from the Greek work "pharmakeia" from which we get the word English word "pharmacy." There are major drug companies (with government involvement) who are promoting drugs as the only cure of disease, even fighting against God-given, natural, simple remedies and making enormous sums of money doing it. This has the effect of controlling people and making them dependent on "the system." This is perhaps one of the least known of the signs of the end times but it is an important tactic of the enemy as he seeks to so weaken our physical and mental powers that our will to resist will be defeated.

9. Knowledge: "But you, 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" (Dan 12:4). Knowledge is now said to double every few years. As we look at the world of technology and the amount of information that is available to anyone via the internet, we can see that this surely is true. The question is what are we doing with it and are we bothering with knowledge in the most important areas that will influence our eternal destiny? Along with all the other increased knowledge, is there an increase of knowledge of the signs of the end times?

10. False Religious Teaching: "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; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (2Tim 4:3-4) Revelation predicts a world-wide religious system called "Babylon," which means "confusion." Babylon, near the end, falls "... because she made all nations drink of the wine (false doctrine) of the wrath of her fornication" (Rev 14:8). Also, false Christs will abound: "Many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." (Matt 24:5). It makes sense that some of these religious teacher's would also teach false signs of the end times.

11. The Mark of the Beast: "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." (Rev 13:16-7). We can see the beginning of this now as the whole world is being amalgamated into one system of finances, there is more talk of one-world government, a new world order etc. The world is shrinking, people are expected more and more to conform to the norm, to go along with the system. Fashion and entertainment and so many areas of culture dictate what is expected. We are being groomed to take the Mark of the Beast in opposition to the Seal of God.

12. Preaching of the Good News: "And this gospel shall be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then shall the end come" (Matt 24:14). With all of our modern means of communication and, lately, the internet, availability of the message of salvation and the truth about God's character is rapidly spreading across planet Earth. The question is: will people leave the pleasures and business of their lives long enough to pay attention to it?

So there are twelve signs of the end times with a little detail of each. Rather than being scary, signs of the end times should encourage us.

"Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near" (Luke 21:28)

Unrecognized Modern Brushes With the Supernatural

The following article was obtained through the website, End Times Prophecy Report.

“And no nation or tribe to my knowledge has not acknowledged that there are many invisible beings, and that they divide into good spirits and evil spirits, according to how they benefit man.” — Anne Rice, Witching Hour

As has been mentioned before in these pages: there is ONE nation which has NOT acknowledged ANY invisible beings. At one time, that nation was called the United States of America.

The USA has STEADFASTLY refused to make such an acknowledgement. Because of this refusal, Americans have remained, for the most part, ignorant of the world which surrounds them.

“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” – Hebrews 13:2

Being filled to the brim with various bits of minutia–recipes, details of their favorite celebrities, music or TV shows– many Americans are totally convinced that they are informational powerhouses–and CANNOT be fooled about ANY detail of the modern world in which they live their modern lives.

IN FACT, the ‘smarter’ one is, the more totally convinced that person usually is of their command of the facts about the world in which they live.

BUT, nothing could be further from the truth.

“It’s easier to fool people than it is to convince them that they have been fooled.” — Mark Twain

Americans (and increasingly, ALL moderns–no matter where they may live) are raised on a steady diet of STORIES about their world. These stories are NOT true and hide the truth from those foolish enough to believe them.

QUESTION: Why does the reader think that those who imagine they control the world finds it advantageous to lie about the existence of invisible beings?

And so, Americans are treated to a number of stories about HOW the world around them came to be.  They also are educated and entertained by STORIES about HOW the modern world ‘works.’

Lastly, Americans are given STORIES in case they happen to stumble over the truth at some point.

“Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.” — Winston Churchill

And, these STORIES, for the most part, have worked.

Clarke’s Three Laws

British science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke formulated three adages that are known as Clarke’s three laws, of which the third law is the best known and most widely cited. They are part of his ideas in his extensive writings about the future.

These so-called laws are:

1. When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
2. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.
3. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

And so it is that when many moderns experience daily brushes with the supernatural, it is THAT MODERN himself who explains away any supernatural connections.

NOT the government; NOT the popular culture; NOT the educational system: but that person who has had the experience.

NO DOUBT, most readers have had these supernatural experiences.

NO DOUBT, most readers have explained away these experiences as soon as they occur.

And so it is that MANY of modern experiences with the supernatural are ‘explained away’ with the one doing the explanation feeling uneasy about that ‘explanation’ and being bothered by it at some later point when the experience is recalled.

MOST experiences with the supernatural are NOT ONLY explained away: they are not even RECOGNIZED for what they are.

What does that person USE to explain away his experience?

Most often, that person resorts to the STORIES he has been told: preferring the lie he has been taught to the truth he has experienced. And THAT is the crux of modern deception, in particular, AND modern life, in general.

HAS the reader ever encountered an event for which there was no worldly explanation?

HAS the reader ever encountered an event for which there was no world explanation, but the reader ‘explained’ that event–mostly to himself–with an unsatisfying story he had been told, ONLY to be mentally bothered by this ‘unexplained’ event at a later time?

It is not YET too late: there is still a little time to change direction (repent), place your faith (hope) for the future entirely on Jesus Christ and enter the kingdom of heaven.

THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. ” – 1 Corinthians 15:1-8

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“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” – Romans 1:16

[Portions of this piece appeared originally in End Times Prophecy Headlines: October 6, 2021.]

Related Articles:

All Things, Visible and Invisible

The Nature of Spiritual Deception

Science Constantly Changes, The Truth Never Changes

IF One Does Not Know the Problem, One Can Never Find a Solution

Holy Books of Islam

There are four major holy books associated with the religion of Islam: 

1) the Quran - the most important book in Islam. It contains the teachings and story of the chief prophet of Islam, Muhammad.      

2) the Torah - which are the first five books of the Christian Old Testament, written by Moses.     

3) the Zabur - which are the Psalms of David.     

4) the Injil - a testament gospel of Jesus. 

The following books of religious material is commonly associated with the religion of Islam...

The Main Components of Islamic Literature 

Quran

 

The Quran is the central religious text and the most important book of Islam. Its adherents, known as Muslims, believe the book to be a revelation from Allah (God) to the prophet Muhammad. The Quran is divided into chapters (surah), which are then divided into verses (ayah). Muslims believe the Quran was verbally revealed by Allah to Muhammad through the angel Jibril (Gabriel), gradually over a period of approximately 23 years. The Quran is widely regarded as the finest work in classical Arabic literature.

Islam was founded in 610 A.D. by a Arab man named Muhammad. During Muhammad’s time, polytheism reigned. His people were worshipping multiple gods. During one of Muhammad’s trips as a trader, he had a vision from a being he perceived to be an angel who said, “There is only one God, and His name is Allah. Worship Him.”  The prophet was thus inspired to write the Quran. The final verse of the Quran was completed in 632 A.D. after Muhammad delivered his sermon at Ghadir Khumm. 

The basis for Islamic doctrine is found in the Quran. The Quran was only in oral form while Muhammad was living, which means it was constantly interpreted by Muhammad and his disciples. 

Islam has seven fundamental beliefs that every Muslim must accept as a part of his/her religion. Every Muslim learns this formula as a part of his/her religious training. The fundamental beliefs are:

• Belief in one God (the standard word for “God” in Arabic is “Allah”)
• Belief in the angels (both good and bad)
• Belief in the revealed Books of God (in reference to Islamic religious books)
• Belief in God’s many prophets (including Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus)
• Accepting there will be a Last Day (known as Judgment Day)
• Belief in the divine measurement of human affairs (including miracles, interaction, etc.)
• Belief in life after death (known as "Akhirah")

As a works-oriented religion, Islam requires that its adherents earn their way to heaven by performing the Five Pillars of Islam, which are Islamic teachings found in the Quran and the Hadith.

• Confession of Faith - A Muslim must confess, "There is no God but Allah and Mohammad is the prophet of God."
• Praying - Muslims pray five times a day: shortly before sunrise, mid-morning, noon, mid-afternoon and after sunset.
• Almsgiving, or Charity - It is considered to be the personal responsibility of all who have to give to those who have not.
• Fasting - Where the adherent to Islam denies himself food and water during certain times of the year and certain times of the day.
• Hajj, or Pilgrimage to Mecca - It is the duty of every able-bodied Muslim to travel to the holy city of Mecca at least once in a lifetime.

The Quran contains 114 chapters and its text has been remained unchanged for the past 1500 years. The basic element of the Quran is to provide guidance to people.

Tawrat

The Tawrat (known as the Torah in Judaism), is believed by the Muslims to have been given by God to the prophets and messengers amongst the Israelites ("Children of Israel") during the B.C. era. When referring to the traditions from the Tawrat, Muslim adherents have not only identified it with the Pentateuch, but also with the other books of the Hebrew Bible as well as with Talmudic and Midrashim writings... 

"Indeed, We sent down the Torah, in which was guidance and light. The prophets who submitted [to God] judged by it for the Jews, as did the rabbis and scholars by that with which they were entrusted of the Scripture of God, and they were witnesses thereto. So do not fear the people but fear Me, and do not exchange My verses for a small price [i.e., worldly gain]. And whoever does not judge by what God has revealed - then it is those who are the disbelievers." ~ Quran 5:44

The word "Tawrat" is mentioned 18 times and the name of Musa (Moses) occurs 136 times throughout the Quran. While it is not mentioned anywhere in the Quran that Moses alone was given the divine laws, it is written [in the Quran] that the prophets governed with the Tawrat. 

According to the Quran, the Tawrat was revealed to Moses but Muslims argue that the current Tawrat (Torah) has suffered corruption over the years, and is no longer a reliable source. Moses and his brother Aaron (Hārūn) used the Tawrat to preach the message to the Israelites. The Quran states the Tawrat had words of wisdom and all the subsequent prophets, sages, priests and rabbis in Israel used its Law for guidance and instruction. Because he believed the Quran replaced it, Muhammad did not teach from the Tawrat but referenced it heavily.

Zabur

The Zabur, often interpreted as being the Book of Psalms, is mentioned in the Quran three times and is designated as being the holy scripture revealed to King David (Dawud). The Quran itself says nothing about the Zabur specifically, except that it was revealed to the second king of Israel (David). Scholars have often understood the Psalms to have been holy songs of praise, and not a book administering law. The current Psalms are still praised by many Muslim scholars, but Muslims generally assume that some of the current Psalms were written at a later date and are not divinely revealed. Quran 21:105 and Psalm 37:29 are direct counterparts...

"We have written in the Psalms, after the Reminder, that the earth will be inherited by My righteous servants." ~ Quran 21:105  

"The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever." ~ Psalm 37:29      

One hadith, considered valid by Muhammad al-Bukhari, and narrated by Abu Hurairah, says:

"The Prophet said, "The reciting of the Zabur (i.e. Psalms) was made easy for David. He used to order that his riding animals be saddled, and would finish reciting the Zabur before they were saddled. And he would never eat except from the earnings of his manual work." — Sahih al-Bukhari, 4:55:628

The Christian monks and ascetics of pre-Islamic Arabia may be associated in pre-Islamic Arabic poetry with texts called zabūrs, which in other contexts may refer to palm leaf documents. This has been interpreted by some as referring to psalters. Among many Christians in the Middle East and in South Asia, the word Zabur is basically used for the Book of Psalms in the Christian Bible.

Injil

The Injil was the holy gospel revealed to Jesus (Isa), according to the Quran. Although some lay Muslims believe the Injil refers to the entire New Testament, most scholars and Muslims believe that it refers not to the New Testament but to an original Gospel, given to Jesus as the word of Allah. 

Therefore, according to Muslim belief, the Gospel was the message that Jesus, being divinely inspired, preached to the Children of Israel. The current Canonical Gospels, in the belief of Muslim scholars, are not divinely revealed but rather are documents of the life of Jesus, as written by various contemporaries, disciples and companions. These Gospels, in Muslim belief, contain portions of the teachings of Jesus, but neither represent nor contain the original Gospel from Allah.  More commonly, Muslim scholars have argued that the Injil refers to a text that is now lost or hopelessly corrupted. For example, Abdullah Yusuf Ali wrote:

"The Injil (Greek, Evangel equals Gospel) spoken of by the Qur'an is not the New Testament. It is not the four Gospels now received as canonical. It is the single Gospel which, Islam teaches, was revealed to Jesus, and which he taught. Fragments of it survive in the received canonical Gospels and in some others, of which traces survive (e.g., the Gospel of Childhood or the Nativity, the Gospel of St. Barnabas, etc.)."

The word Injil is also used in the Quran, the Hadith and early Muslim documents to refer to both a book and revelations made by Allah to prophet Isa (Jesus).

Another Notable Book of Islam 

Hadith

The Ḥadith [or Athar, which literally means "tradition"] refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. In other words, the hadith are reports about what Muhammad said and did. 

While the number of sunnah's (verses) pertaining to law in the Quran is relatively few, the Hadith gives direction on everything from details of religious obligations (such as ablutions for salat prayer), to the correct forms of salutations and the importance of benevolence to slaves. Thus the "great bulk" of the rules of Sharia (Islamic law) are derived from the Hadith, rather than the Quran.

Hadith has been called "the backbone" of Islamic civilization, and within that religion the authority of hadith as a source for religious law and moral guidance ranks second only to the Quran. Scriptural authority for hadith comes from the Quran, which enjoins Muslims to emulate Muhammad and obey his judgments in verses such as...

"Say, “Obey God and obey the Messenger.” But if they turn away, then he is responsible for his obligations, and you are responsible for your obligations. And if you obey him, you will be guided. It is only incumbent on the Messenger to deliver the Clarifying Message." ~ Quran 24:54

Among scholars of Sunni Islam the term hadith may include not only the words, advice, practices, etc. of Muhammad, but also those of his companions. In Shia Islam, hadith are the embodiment of the sunnah, the words and actions of Muhammad and his family the Ahl al-Bayt (The Twelve Imams and Muhammad's daughter, Fatimah).

Additional Scrolls and Texts

The Quran also mentions two ancient scrolls:

Scrolls of Abraham

The Scrolls of Abraham are believed to have been one of the earliest directives of scripture, which were given to Abraham (Ibrahim), and later used by his sons, Ishmael (Ismail) and Isaac (Isḥaq). Although usually referred to as "scrolls", many translators have translated the Arabic suhuf as "books". The Scrolls of Abraham are now considered lost rather than corrupted, although some scholars have identified them with the Testament of Abraham, an apocalyptic piece of literature available in Arabic at the time of Muhammad. The verse mentioning the "Scriptures" is in Quran 87:18-19 where they are referred to, alongside the Scrolls of Moses, to have been "Books of Earlier Revelation".

Scrolls of Moses

The Scrolls of Moses are ancient works of scripture mentioned twice in the Quran. These scrolls contain some of the revelations of Moses and are understood by Muslim adherents to refer not to the Torah but to epiphanies aside from the Torah. Some Islamic scholars have stated that they could possibly refer to the Book of the Wars of the Lord, a lost text spoken of in the Christian Old Testament and the Hebrew Tanakh in the Book of Numbers. The majority of Islamic believers claim the Scrolls of Moses were inspired revelations Moses received and wrote himself during his years of prophetic teaching. The verse mentioning the "Scriptures" is also found in Quran 87:18-19.