You Dont Know the Signs of the Times
Warning!
As terrible every bit tornadoes are, this commodity addresses fifty-fifty worse troubles on the horizon of end-time prophecy.
On April 27, 2014, Mark Wade and his family heard the ominous sound of tornado sirens in their boondocks of Vilonia, Arkansas, along with urgent warnings on their television. They were getting ready to ride out the storm in their closet when a neighbor beyond the street yelled: "Come up over! Nosotros're going in the storm cellar!"
So Wade, his wife and 3-year-former son joined 10 other people and vii dogs in the crowded underground shelter. When they came out, their homes were gone. Nothing was left but the foundations.
"If we hadn't gone to that cellar I don't know if we would be here," Wade said (NPR).
Early warning systems: discerning the signs
This is but one example of how recognizing and heeding warnings can protect usa from the perilous power of the air. From biblical times, humans have stood in awe of the atmospheric forces that take unleashed mortiferous storms. The wisdom of the ancients included some understanding of the signs that preceded wild conditions.
In modernistic times, the destruction caused by tornadoes, hurricanes and other storms has motivated meteorologists to constantly improve their knowledge and tools to better predict storms. In 1986, the U.S. National Atmospheric condition Service issued warnings earlier 25 percent of tornadoes, with an average pb time of about v minutes. Now the lead time has increased to around 13 minutes and 75 percent of tornadoes are predicted (USAToday.com).
To set upwards an constructive early warning organization to save lives from natural disasters, you lot must know the primal signs of impending danger and take continuous surveillance.
The same is truthful for monitoring human being-made dangers in today'south world.
What are the central signs we should constantly be watching then nosotros can be enlightened of the times in which nosotros alive—and be prepared for what's coming?
Biblical indicators for discerning the signs of the times
Jesus chided the religious leaders of His day for non recognizing the biblical signs of the momentous times they were living in.
The Pharisees and Sadducees were testing Jesus, request Him to show them a sign or miracle from sky. In reply, Jesus contrasted their knowledge of the atmospheric condition with their understanding of prophecy:
"When it is evening y'all say, 'Information technology will exist fair weather, for the heaven is red'; and in the morning, 'Information technology will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face up of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times" (Matthew 16:2-3).
You lot tin read more about the context of Jesus' statement about the signs of the times of His day in the Life, Hope & Truth article "Signs of the Times."
Merely what well-nigh now? Can we discern the biblical signs of our times?
Cause and issue and Bible prophecy
A key biblical principle is crusade and upshot—that we reap what we sow. Many passages highlight this overarching truth that obeying God brings blessings, but disobeying His beneficial laws automatically brings curses.
A key biblical principle is cause and outcome—that we reap what we sow.
For case, Deuteronomy 28 introduces a list of blessings with their cause: "If you lot diligently obey the vocalism of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments, … all these blessings shall come upon you lot" (verses i-ii).
But poesy xv begins a listing of the negative effects of defiance: "But it shall come to pass, if y'all practise not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come up upon you and overtake y'all."
Reading through this list of curses is a crash grade in agreement the signs of the times. Increasing defiance to God'southward commandments is a sign of problem to come.
As in the days of Noah
One powerful example of cause and issue occurred in the fourth dimension of Noah. The book of Genesis makes articulate that "the wickedness of man was slap-up in the globe, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5). The world and so was "filled with violence," every bit humans corrupted themselves and God'due south cosmos (verse xi).
This disobedience to God's benign laws caused automatic pain and suffering to the point that God was "grieved in His heart" and decided to start all over once more through Noah and his family (verses vi, eighteen).
Even though, from God'south perspective, the storm clouds of the impending Alluvion were obvious, the people of Noah'south day ignored Noah's warnings and lived as if nothing were incorrect.
Jesus Christ made this point in His alert to people about the signs of the cease time.
"For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the inundation came and took them all away, so likewise will the coming of the Son of Man be" (Matthew 24:38-39).
Similar the proverbial frog in the pot that didn't notice the increasing temperature, we can easily get inured to the increasing sin beginning to boil effectually us.
Year afterward year, human opinions about sin have changed. Deportment recognized as incorrect in the by are increasingly accepted, whether premarital sex, adulterous, lying, swearing, lusting or homosexual sex. Jesus warned that we must non fall prey to the apathy of Noah's day.
Signs of the end times
Jesus defined the stop times as the period when human survival would once again be on the line (Matthew 24:21-22). (Read more nigh what the Bible says virtually the end times in our commodity "End-Time Prophecy.")
In this same prophecy, Jesus also listed many other signs to watch:
- Religious charade (verses 4-5).
- Wars and rumors of state of war (verses vi-seven).
- Famines (verse 7).
- Pestilences (disease epidemics and pandemics, verse 7).
- Earthquakes (verse seven).
- Persecution of followers of Christ, including attacks from inside the Church (verses 9-10).
- Lawlessness (verse 12). This means "the rejection of the law, or will, of God and the substitution of the will of cocky" (Vine'due south Expository Lexicon of New Testament Words)—an apt clarification of our historic period.
- The gospel of the Kingdom will be preached (poetry 14).
- Jerusalem will exist surrounded with armies and the "abomination of pathos" volition be ready upward (verse 15; Luke 21:20; meet the commodity "Abomination of Desolation" for more details).
Agreement the signs of the finish times is not just an intellectual practice. Jesus gave these signs every bit warnings that are intended to motivate us to change.
Watch and pray
At the stop of this Olivet Prophecy, Jesus said, "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Mean solar day come on y'all unexpectedly. … Watch therefore, and pray always that you may exist counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Homo" (Luke 21:34, 36).
And so nosotros are to watch not simply the signs of the times in earth events, merely the signs of our own spiritual state. We must not be blinded by our daily cares. We need the vision to see ourselves as God sees us—to see the urgent demand to repent, change and prepare for Jesus Christ's return.
The of import outset steps that God wants u.s.a. to have are discussed in the complimentary booklet Change Your Life! If you lot are discerning the urgency of our times, be sure to download and written report this booklet today.
For additional report, we recommend the other articles in the section "Stop Times."
About the Writer
Mike Bennett
Mike Bennett is editorial content manager for the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, in the Dallas, Texas, expanse. He coordinates the Life, Hope & Truth website, Discern magazine, the Daily Bible Verse Blog and the Life, Hope & Truth Weekly Newsletter (including World Watch Weekly). He is besides role of the Personal Correspondence team of ministers who have the privilege of answering questions sent to Life, Hope & Truth.
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Source: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/end-times/discerning-signs-of-the-times/
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