A Guide to the Signs of the Times

While analyzing the current news in light of Bible prophecy, here are some of the topics and Biblical passages to keep in mind. This is not an exhaustive list, but these are some of the (mostly) New Testament prophecies that are relevant.

How current events are driving us toward one-world religion	Things like the veil controversy in the UK, Islamic riots starting again in France, Islamic jihadists killing in the name of religion , riots over cartoons of Muhammad, beheading of hostages – anything causing “fundamentalism” be identified as bad or creating calls for “tolerance,” pluralism, or “all religions are equal.”
How our times are “as in the days of Noah" Going about their business as usual in spite of warnings Rampant evil, violence, and corruption	Luke 17:26-28 “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.” Matthew 24:37-39 “As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” Genesis 6:5 “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Genesis 6:11 “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.”
How people are becoming as described in 2 Timothy 3:1-5	1“But know this, that in the last days, grievous times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 without natural affection, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; 5 holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof."
The world stage is being set for the Antichrist to step in and bring peace	Things like Middle East unrest, Iraq insurgency, Iran and Korea posturing for war, N. Korea testing an atomic bomb, genocide in Sudan, etc. Daniel 9:27 “He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.'”
Signs of progress toward eventual building of Temple	Daniel 9:27 “And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation.” (The temple must be built in order for this to happen.)
Explosion of Knowledge, "It's a small world!"	Daniel 12:4: “But thou, 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.”
Increase in apostasy	Matthew 24:10 “many will turn away from the faith” also 2 Timothy 3:5 "holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof."
False Prophets and Messiahs are coming forth	Matthew 24:4-5 "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, and will deceive many.” Mark 13: 22 “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”
Progress toward Gospel being preached throughout world	Matthew 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations.”
Technology enabling one world government and economy and/or enabling the mark of the Beast	Revelation 13:17 “so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.”
Increase in wars	Matthew 24:6 and 7: “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars,” … “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.”
Increase in famines, pestilences, earthquakes, natural disasters, signs in the heavens	Matthew 24:7 “There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.” Luke 21:11 “There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.”
Increase in persecution of believers	Matthew 24:9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.” Luke 21: 12 “But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. 13 This will be your opportunity to bear witness.”
An Oracle Concerning Damascus	Isaiah 17:1 “An oracle concerning Damascus. Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city and will become a heap of ruins.”
The War of Gog and Magog: Who	Ezekiel 38:2"Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him 3and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. 4And I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great host, all of them with buckler and shield, wielding swords. 5Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; 6Gomer and all his hordes; Beth-togarmah from the uttermost parts of the north with all his hordes--many peoples are with you.” 15 “You will come from your place out of the uttermost parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great host, a mighty army.”
The War of Gog and Magog: When (Israel dwells securely)	Ezekiel 38:8 “After many days you will be mustered. In the latter years you will go against the land that is restored from war, the land whose people were gathered from many peoples upon the mountains of Israel, which had been a continual waste. Its people were brought out from the peoples and now dwell securely, all of them.”
The War of Gog and Magog: Why (Greed – discovery of oil?)	10"Thus says the Lord GOD: On that day, thoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil scheme 11and say, 'I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will fall upon the quiet people who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having no bars or gates,' 12to seize spoil and carry off plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places that are now inhabited, and the people who were gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell at the center of the earth. 13Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all its leaders[c] will say to you, 'Have you come to seize spoil? Have you assembled your hosts to carry off plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to seize great spoil?'”
The War of Gog and Magog: Outcome	18 “But on that day, the day that Gog shall come against the land of Israel, declares the Lord GOD, my wrath will be roused in my anger. 19For in my jealousy and in my blazing wrath I declare, On that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. 20The fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field and all creeping things that creep on the ground, and all the people who are on the face of the earth, shall quake at my presence. And the mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs shall fall, and every wall shall tumble to the ground. 21I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Lord GOD. Every man's sword will be against his brother. 22With pestilence and bloodshed I will enter into judgment with him, and I will rain upon him and his hordes and the many peoples who are with him torrential rains and hailstones, fire and sulfur.”
Summary of the Signs of the End: The Olivet Discourse
Jesus' Words: Matthew 24: Birth Pangs	3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.”
Matthew 24: Persecution of the faithful, false prophets, Great Commission	9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
Matthew 24: Abomination of Desolation	15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 19 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.”
Matthew 24: Great Tribulation	21 “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.”
Matthew 24: False Christs (Note that the Satanic christs can perform miracles!)	23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”
Matthew 24: Jesus Returns & Gathers the Elect	29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
Matthew 24: Parable of the Fig Tree	32 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” (In Scripture, the fig tree usually represents Israel. The generation in which the fig tree starts to bud, that is, Israel becomes a nation again, will not pass away before all these things (the Olivet Discourse) take place. )
Matthew 24: No one knows the day and hour	36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”

My wife, Laurie, was instrumental in putting together this table.