8 – Are We in the End Times?
As you know, I love learning about what the Bible calls “The End Times.” It has
been on my mind since I was 6 years old. In fact, learning about the Rapture of the Church in
Sunday School and that I needed to ask Jesus into my heart (not just love Him) in order to be part
of that “Rapture” caused me much distress waiting for that Sunday school lesson to conclude so I
could make my salvation sure. Obviously, the End Times are closer now than they were 60 years
ago, but I’m feeling a quickening in my soul that perhaps the times are right around the corner. (I
think God wants us to feel that way because if we truly believe that we will “throw caution to the
wind” and make sure our loved ones will know about our God and how to become part of His
family.)
We know that Jesus will come back for His church because He told us He would. That
concept has been given a name, “the rapture.” The word “rapture” is not found in the Bible, but
comes from these next verses in I Thessalonians. “Caught up” literally means “to snatch away”
and that is what the rapture is all about. Jesus is coming to snatch His Bride (the church) away.
Some in the church in Paul’s day were getting anxious because they knew Jesus would be coming
back to take His church to heaven with Him, but some in their congregation had died. They didn’t
want their loved ones to miss out because they died before Jesus returned for them. In I
Thessalonians 4:13–18, Paul explains to the church:
“Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep (die), or to grieve
like the rest of men, who have no hope….For the Lord Himself will come down from
heaven, with a loud shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God,
and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and remain, will be
caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be
with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”
So, be encouraged! Jesus is coming! My first reason for believing we are indeed in the
End Times is that after 2,000 years, Israel as a nation is back in their land! When has a people
group been dispersed over the entire world for over 2,000 years and come back together as a nation
to their previous land? Only Israel. Only God could do that. And, God said it would happen!
While speaking of the End of the Age, Jesus says in both Luke 21:29-32 and Matthew 24:32-34,
“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out,
you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near,
right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these
things have happened…”. Israel is often referred to as a fig tree. These verses seem to say that
when we see the fig tree get ready to bloom, the end of the age is close. If Israel is that fig tree,
Israel would have to have a specific identity. Rome destroyed Israel in 70 AD and scattered the
Jews all over the world…until 1948. Israel, the fig tree, ripened and became a nation, in their own
land again.
Another sign we can be looking for is found in Matthew 24:7&8, “Nation will rise against
nation, and kingdom against kingdom…All these are the beginning of birth pains.” (Of course,
there have always been nations at war in the world, but things seem to be “amping up” on a
worldwide scale in my opinion.) An interesting thing I just learned, “nation” and “kingdom” do
not have the same meaning. Two different words are used. “Kingdom” speaks of a governmental
system which would mean that countries will be at odds with each other. While the word “nation”
in this text is the word “ethnos” meaning ethnic tensions. In the book, “Bible Prophecy: The
Essentials,” Pastor Barry Stagner says, “Jesus was saying there are going to be ethnic tensions in
the last days that are spurred on by demonic forces that are driving things in the direction of allthings anti-God and anti-Israel. The word ethnos can be understood as referring to non-Jewish
people. When used in the Septuagint, ethnos speaks of foreign nations that do not worship the true
God. This implies that people bound by religious or ideological ties will also be at odds with each
other, in addition to the racial tensions that will be on the rise as the day of the Lord approaches.”
(pg. 43). We are seeing this in the explosion of Critical Race Theory, “social justice,” Replacement
Theology, and the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement to name a few. People are
being blamed for injustices in the world merely because of the color of their skin. There are so
many wars all over the world. Physical wars as well as wars of words.
Then, Paul writes about the last days to Timothy in II Timothy 3:1-5:
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers
of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents,
ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not
lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of
God – having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”
YIKES! Sound familiar? This was written to Timothy as a warning about associating with
godless people in his time. It is also a warning to us. As the End Time approaches, our world will
be characterized in this manner more and more. I have seen a surge in these characteristics just
since 2020. Selfishness, pride, abusiveness, ungratefulness, unforgiveness, slander, no self-
control, brutality… – all you have to do is look at the news on any given day.
So, what are we to do? Be encouraged! God is at work! Watch and pray, continue to live
life as children of our Heavenly Father. Ephesians 5:1, “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly
loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a
fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” and Ephesians 5:15 “Be very careful, then, how you live
– not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”
And LOOK UP!
8 – Are We in the End Times?
As you know, I love learning about what the Bible calls “The End Times.” It has
been on my mind since I was 6 years old. In fact, learning about the Rapture of the Church in
Sunday School and that I needed to ask Jesus into my heart (not just love Him) in order to be part
of that “Rapture” caused me much distress waiting for that Sunday school lesson to conclude so I
could make my salvation sure. Obviously, the End Times are closer now than they were 60 years
ago, but I’m feeling a quickening in my soul that perhaps the times are right around the corner. (I
think God wants us to feel that way because if we truly believe that we will “throw caution to the
wind” and make sure our loved ones will know about our God and how to become part of His
family.)
We know that Jesus will come back for His church because He told us He would. That
concept has been given a name, “the rapture.” The word “rapture” is not found in the Bible, but
comes from these next verses in I Thessalonians. “Caught up” literally means “to snatch away”
and that is what the rapture is all about. Jesus is coming to snatch His Bride (the church) away.
Some in the church in Paul’s day were getting anxious because they knew Jesus would be coming
back to take His church to heaven with Him, but some in their congregation had died. They didn’t
want their loved ones to miss out because they died before Jesus returned for them. In I
Thessalonians 4:13–18, Paul explains to the church:
“Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep (die), or to grieve
like the rest of men, who have no hope….For the Lord Himself will come down from
heaven, with a loud shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God,
and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and remain, will be
caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be
with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”
So, be encouraged! Jesus is coming! My first reason for believing we are indeed in the
End Times is that after 2,000 years, Israel as a nation is back in their land! When has a people
group been dispersed over the entire world for over 2,000 years and come back together as a nation
to their previous land? Only Israel. Only God could do that. And, God said it would happen!
While speaking of the End of the Age, Jesus says in both Luke 21:29-32 and Matthew 24:32-34,
“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out,
you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near,
right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these
things have happened…”. Israel is often referred to as a fig tree. These verses seem to say that
when we see the fig tree get ready to bloom, the end of the age is close. If Israel is that fig tree,
Israel would have to have a specific identity. Rome destroyed Israel in 70 AD and scattered the
Jews all over the world…until 1948. Israel, the fig tree, ripened and became a nation, in their own
land again.
Another sign we can be looking for is found in Matthew 24:7&8, “Nation will rise against
nation, and kingdom against kingdom…All these are the beginning of birth pains.” (Of course,
there have always been nations at war in the world, but things seem to be “amping up” on a
worldwide scale in my opinion.) An interesting thing I just learned, “nation” and “kingdom” do
not have the same meaning. Two different words are used. “Kingdom” speaks of a governmental
system which would mean that countries will be at odds with each other. While the word “nation”
in this text is the word “ethnos” meaning ethnic tensions. In the book, “Bible Prophecy: The
Essentials,” Pastor Barry Stagner says, “Jesus was saying there are going to be ethnic tensions in
the last days that are spurred on by demonic forces that are driving things in the direction of allthings anti-God and anti-Israel. The word ethnos can be understood as referring to non-Jewish
people. When used in the Septuagint, ethnos speaks of foreign nations that do not worship the true
God. This implies that people bound by religious or ideological ties will also be at odds with each
other, in addition to the racial tensions that will be on the rise as the day of the Lord approaches.”
(pg. 43). We are seeing this in the explosion of Critical Race Theory, “social justice,” Replacement
Theology, and the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement to name a few. People are
being blamed for injustices in the world merely because of the color of their skin. There are so
many wars all over the world. Physical wars as well as wars of words.
Then, Paul writes about the last days to Timothy in II Timothy 3:1-5:
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers
of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents,
ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not
lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of
God – having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”
YIKES! Sound familiar? This was written to Timothy as a warning about associating with
godless people in his time. It is also a warning to us. As the End Time approaches, our world will
be characterized in this manner more and more. I have seen a surge in these characteristics just
since 2020. Selfishness, pride, abusiveness, ungratefulness, unforgiveness, slander, no self-
control, brutality… – all you have to do is look at the news on any given day.
So, what are we to do? Be encouraged! God is at work! Watch and pray, continue to live
life as children of our Heavenly Father. Ephesians 5:1, “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly
loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a
fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” and Ephesians 5:15 “Be very careful, then, how you live
– not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”
And LOOK UP!