Saying we’re living in the last days or near the last days seems to roll off the tongue easy these days, especially when we’re watching the news. But are we really living near the end of the age? Can we even know the nearness to the end of the age?
As written in a previous article, though Jesus said we could not know the day or the hour, He preceded that by saying we should be able to recognize the signs. He compared it to the changing of the seasons. Therefore, we should be able to recognize that we’re in the possible season of the last days.
Though it’s rolled off my tongue quite often, “We’re living in the last days,” this was often said as a response to the craziness around me not so much from Biblical soundness or a prophetic hunch. Rather for me, and I imagine most who make that statement, it’s more an indictment of our times rather than prophetic timelining. As I’ve tried to be careful about stating we’re in the last days, I’ve been trying to ask individuals why they believe that’s the case. You talk about a conversation stopper.
Someone will say, “We must be living in the end times.” I reply, “What is the Biblical sign that makes you think that’s the case?” As you can imagine, it dampens the excitement, but the end of the age isn’t a game—it’s a real reality that garners us to take seriously. Our observations of the times and their interpretation must be immersed from the Scriptural text.
When I ask that question and someone thinks about it, the reply is typically that we’re living in the last days because of the sinfulness around us. They’re right. Scripture says in Matthew 24 and Luke 17 that the final days of this age will be like the Days of Noah and the Days of Lot. The world is going to be extremely sinful like the world before the flood and like was witnessed in Sodom and Gomorrah. In Matthew 24, we also see that there will be an increase in wickedness. In 2 Timothy 3:1-5, we’re given a descriptive account of the level of sinfulness. So, it’s 100% accurate to say that the sinfulness of the world is a sign of the end of the age, but the sign of wickedness isn’t measurable. Granted we can see it increasing, but we don’t know the “sin level” that constitutes the return of Jesus. This sign is immeasurable.
The next answer I hear back is a rise in earthquakes and natural disasters. Again, this is a Biblical sign of the last days. It’s listed in Matthew 24. But again, we don’t know the daily earthquake quota that constitutes the end of the age. It seems that earthquakes are increasing in number. It seems the same with other natural disasters but is it to the end time level—again, we won’t know until Jesus returns. This is sign is also immeasurable.
The third most replied answer for why we must be living in the last days is that many are turning from the truth—and they are! This, too, is a sign. In 2 Timothy 4:1-4, we see this warning. We see it in other places in Scripture like 2 Peter 3. But again, we don’t know the quota of the amount of people turning from the truth. This sign is also immeasurable.
I know I sound like a party pooper, but obviously I think that there’s a reason we should realize what Scripture says about the end of the age—so I must not be completely against that we’re living towards those latter days. My call to pump the brakes is for us to make sure what we believe and are proclaiming is Biblically solid.
My call to pump the brakes is for us to make sure what we believe and are proclaiming is Biblically solid. Share on XAlmost all of the signs in Scripture of the end times are immeasurable unto themselves. Now when they are all trending upward at the same time, that is reason to open our eyes. But I do believe that there are two signs in Scripture that are able to be measured with far more preciseness. These two signs can be like the old mall directories that would say, “You are here.” Or for us today, they can be the little blue dot revealing our location on our phone. Over the next two articles I want to share these more accurate signs, but with all of our end times talk and Bible prophecy study we must make sure it remains tethered to the Bible. Our understanding needs to come from the Bible not just the latest YouTube video. And regardless of where we are on the prophetic timeline, our own days are numbered—let’s make the most of our time for the Gospel.
This article first appeared in Jake’s syndicated column Stand Firm & Live Epic as published in The Baptist Trumpet and other publications. After three months the articles are adapted and published here. To read the articles at release subscribe here.
Executive Director of Stand Firm and lead pastor of Epic Church NWA in Springdale, AR and multiple award-winning author, Jake has a B.A. in Bible and Pastoral Studies from Central Baptist College, and an Advanced Masters of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Former regular contributor to the Baptist Press and WND News with popular conservative voices such as Pat Buchanan, Ann Coulter, Ben Carson, Chuck Norris, Greg Laurie, Ben Schapiro, Joel Richardson, and others. He now is a weekly contributor for Israel, Islam, and the End Times and Armageddon News. He has authored books such as the, award-winning Spiritual Prepper from WND Books. Award-winning devotional books, Invincibleand For Uncertain Times, he authored the ground-breaking children’s book, Jesus and His White Horse from CrossLink Publishing. He is also a regular guest on national and international radio and streaming web shows, along with hosting his weekly live streaming program Talking Stand Firm and weekly podcast Stand Firm Parents.
