Days of Noah

While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” [Matthew 24:3]

What is a sign?

A sign generally is defined as an object or event whose presence or occurrence indicates the presence or occurrence of something else to come.

Signs grab our attention. Provide information. Give us direction. Warn us of danger. And perhaps most importantly, signs compel us to take decisive action. Signs can be heeded or missed. Obeyed or ignored. All depends upon whether or not we are looking in the first place.

For those who operate on a spiritual plane and value Biblical knowledge and understanding, it is imperative to identify and discern signs as they apply to God’s personal revelation, prophetic prognostication, and ultimate intervention in the affairs of mankind.

So signs can be of tremendous value to those who are able both to clearly perceive and properly interpret them.

Before delving into God’s intended purpose for providing signs to His people, it must be said that sign seeking should never be the foundation of our relationship with God, but rather the sufficiency of truth as revealed in Scripture itself. Obsessive sign seeking can become a fruitless distraction and cause many to waiver in their faith. Jesus condemned the leaders of His generation for demanding a sign on their own terms, while at the same time willfully denying the self-revelation of God in their very presence.

Jesus replied, “A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.”

[Matthew 12:39]

Those seeking and discerning signs, therefore, must be grounded in Scripture, attuned with the Holy Spirit, and walking closely with Christ to avoid being deceived and deluded. For we also are commanded to guard our hearts from being enticed by the convincing and dangerous appeal of false signs and wonders generated by the powers of darkness [see 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12].

As you can see, properly understanding the signs of the times is vitally important for the body of Christ, which is why I have been compelled to dedicate an entire series to this topic. Consider just a few passages that admonish God’s people to identify and interpret the prophetic signs associated with the last days.

“For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible. See, I have told you in advance.“

[Matthew 24:24-25]

“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and sprout leaves, you know that summer is near. 33So also, when you see all these things, you will know that He is near, right at the door.“

[Matthew 24:32-33]

“Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning. 36Then you will be like servants waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once. 37Blessed are those servants whom the master finds on watch when he returns.”

[Luke 12:35-37]

‘Now about the times and seasons, brothers, we do not need to write to you. 2For you are fully aware that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4But you, brothers, are not in the darkness so that this day should overtake you like a thief. 5For you are all sons of the light and sons of the day; we do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6So then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober.‘

[1 Thessalonians 5:1-6]

Most would agree that we are living in troubling times. Many feel a sense of heightened awareness and a spiritual heaviness unlike any in recent memory. More so, it is impossible to survey the current spiritual, cultural, and geopolitical landscape without recognizing signs of Biblical proportions.

Before we can accurately interpret the signs of the times, we first must be able to identify them. Once we properly identify and interpret Biblical signs, then we must acquire the godly wisdom to take decisive action.

So what should we expect to see if we indeed are the generation living at the end of the age? Fortunately, the Bible has revealed specific signs that are unique to the last days.

“Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened.”

[Matthew 24:34]

Birth Pains and Beyond

Jesus answered, “See to it that no one deceives you. 5For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of birth pains.“

[Matthew 24:4-8]

In the most comprehensive and authoritative message about the end times, our Lord Jesus provides the foundational teaching describing the distinct signs that will precede His return. Popularly known as the Olivet Discourse, this teaching forms the central framework upon which all other end-times prophecies can be interpreted.

When His disciples asked about what signs will define the days prior to His return, Jesus answers without a hint of ambiguity. He obviously wanted all disciples of every generation to be certain about what to expect so that we neither would be in darkness nor surprised, but rather awake and ready.

Jesus first provides a general description of events that he calls “the beginning of birth pains,” and then he proceeds to reveal more specific signs in detail. My goal is to start this series by first examining the general birth pains and then dive deeper into more specific signs.

For now, I have compiled a working list (though not exhaustive) to serve as a guide. We can be certain, that the following signs will characterize the conclusion of this present age and precede the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Birth Pains

1. Spiritual Deception
2. Counterfeit Christs and Christianity
3. Real time world-wide reporting about geopolitical conflicts
4. Ethnic and social unrest
5. Kingdoms at war
6. Famine
7. Pestilences
8. Natural Disasters — Earthquakes, Floods, Hurricanes, Tsunamis, Volcanic Eruptions

Top 50 Signs

1. Return of the House of Judah (aka Jews) to the Promised Land
2. The Reestablishment of a Jewish Nation/State
3. Resurgence of Jew Hatred Around the World
4. Spiritual Apostasy and Mass Defection from the Faith
5. Unrestrained Sexual Immorality and Lawlessness
6. Intensification of Violence and Bloodshed
7. Extreme Persecution of Christ Followers
8. Genetic Engineering and Manipulation — Hybridization of Species, Cloning, Transhumanism
9. Advent and Acceleration of Artificial Intelligence and Human Integration with Machines
10. Explosion of Technology — Digital Currency, 24 Hour Surveillance, Cybernetics, Virtual Reality
11. The Covenant with Death and Sheol
12. The Rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem
13. The Reinstitution of the Levitical Sacrificial System
14. Supernatural War in Heaven
15. The Dragon (Devil) and 1/3 of His Angels Being Expelled from Heaven and Confined to the Earth for
16. The Emergence of the Beast and His Empire of a 10-King Coalition
17. The Abomination of Desolation Set Up in the Holy Place
18. The Wise Living in the Land will Flee and Find Refuge and Supernatural Protection in the Wilderness of Sinai
19. A Chosen Remnant of 144,000 Faithful Youth (Possibly Boys) Representing All 12 Tribes of Israel Supernaturally Empowered to Serve God
20. Mass Concentration Camps
21. The Creation of the Image of the Beast
22. The Development and Implementation of the Mark of the Beast
23. The Supernatural Deception and Sorcery of the False Prophet
24. The Ministry of the Two Witnesses
25. Meteoric Impacts of the Earth — Wormwood
26. Fresh Waters Poisoned
27. Waters Turned to Blood
28. Massive Ecological and Environmental Cataclysms
29. Massive Wild Fires Consuming 1/3 of Vegetation
30. Earth Knocked off Its Axis or Its Orbital Course Disrupting the Normal 24-Hour Day Cycle
31. Satan Opens the Bottomless Pit and Unleashes the Gates of Hell
32. Immense Columns of Smoke Darken the Sun and Turn the Moon to Blood
33. Hybrid Army of 200 Million Manticore Beasts Emerge from Hell and are Commanded by Apollyon the Destroyer and His Four Commanding Angels
34. Those who Take the Mark of the Beast are Plagued with Boils and Sores
35. Solar Flares Scorch the Earth
36. The Beast Empire is Plunged into Darkness
37. The Euphrates River Dries Up for the Passage of the Kings of the East
38. All Nations Surround Jerusalem and Gather for the Final Battle Against the Lord Jesus and His Armies
39. The Earth is Shaken with the Greatest Earthquake Ever
40. The Mountains Fall, the Islands are Moved out of Their Place, The Towers of all the Cities Fall
41. Great Hail Stones Rain from Heaven to Crush the Ungodly
42. The Great City of Babylon Falls and is Burned with Fire
43. The Heavens are Opened and the Sky Recedes Like a Scroll, Dissolving the Veil between the Heavenly Realm and the Earth
44. Last Trumpet is Sounded with the Battle Cry of the Archangel
45. The Resurrection of the Righteous Dead
46. The Gathering (Rapture) of Those who Survive and Remain to the End — Restoration of Both Houses of Israel (Joseph and Judah) into One Nation
47. The Return of Christ Leading His Angel Armies to Battle
48. A Second Exodus Event
49. The War Path of Christ from Sinai to Zion
50. The Battle of Armageddon — aka The Battle of Gog of Magog