Catastrophic calamities will soon strike the earth; economic systems are going to crumble; life as normal will be severely disrupted; and the world will be plunged into a time of tribulation such as we have never before experienced. It is not a question of if these things are going to happen; the Bible clearly predicts their occurring. The only questions are when will these things occur? And will we be ready for them? How do you plan to make it through the difficult days the Bible says are definitely coming?
Jesus said that in the last days there will be false christs, wars and rumors of wars, famines, and earthquakes (Matt. 24:5-7). We can also track the increase in unusually devastating natural disasters in the daily news. Beyond that, Jesus said, “nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Matt. 24:7). Interestingly, the word He used for “nation” was ethnos, from which we get our word ethnic. In other words, Jesus predicted “ethnic cleansing” long before it became a descriptive term on our newscasts.
Jesus also informed us that there will be a flagrant increase in lawlessness, people will betray one another, and many people’s love will grow cold (Matt. 24:10-12). Love for the Lord will wane, as well as love for each other.
Skeptics scoff, saying, “We’ve always had these natural disasters, and men and women have been at each other’s throats since the beginning of time. What’s new?”
Plenty. Jesus stated plainly that “when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door” (Matt. 24:33). Jesus implied that the awful things that are to come upon the earth will intensify, that they will converge at one point in human history, and they will be so bad that our very survival will be in question. He said, “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall. And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be cut short” (Matt. 24:21-22).
Yes Revelation times are here and more are to come. Read Acts 2:19-21 and you will see there is hope in the midst of our storms. Verse 19 says “And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood and fire and vapor of smoke: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord comes”. And the next verse is the good news! Verse 21: “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” That means you and me, whosoever!
