Discerning the Signs of the Times (Part 1)

     We are clearly instructed in Scripture not to set end times dates since we cannot know the day and hour of specific events. The Lord tells us,

Now concerning that day and hour no one knows—neither the angels of heaven nor the Son —except the Father alone (Matthew 24:36).

It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority (Acts 1:7).

     So, while we should not be setting dates, the Lord Jesus did point out that we can glean or discern that His coming is not far off,

Learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, recognize that he is near—at the door (Matthew 24:32-33).

     When I speak of the “signs of the times,” I am speaking of signs that will be evident to those living during the tribulation regarding Christ’s second coming and not to the church regarding the rapture, since there are no signs that point to the rapture of the church. They are worth considering because I believe that we are already witnessing the shadows of many of these signs looming on the horizon, a clear indication that the tribulation may be nearer than we think. These signs of the times give us clear insight of what the world will look like as we enter the end times.

     Again, it is important to keep in mind that some of the signs of the times or events will take place during the seven-year tribulation period. The disciples ask Jesus the following question in Matthew 24:3,

Tell us, when will these things happen? And what is the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?

     In Jesus’s response in the verses that follow, there are several signs that will be limited to “the time of Jacob’s distress” (Jeremiah 30:7 NASB) prior to the Lord’s second coming. That does not mean that since the church will be raptured prior to the tribulation period, that those signs are irrelevant for us today. We should be attentive because long before those specific tribulation period signs or events occur, the stage for their fulfillment is being set, which will serve as an indication that the Lord’s return for His church is quickly nearing.

     A former student of Dr. John F. Walvoord, past president and professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, tells how Dr. Walvoord illustrated this principle by comparing the rapture to Thanksgiving and the second coming of Christ to Christmas. He explained that there are signs that would indicate the nearness of Christmas to us (e.g. Christmas lights, decorations, etc.), and that although we do not necessarily see such obvious signs for Thanksgiving, we know that Thanksgiving is very near if we were already seeing clear signs that Christmas was soon arriving.

     People who live in California and have experienced earthquakes, particularly strong ones, will tell you that if you sense minor tremors, you can almost be certain that a quake will follow. Well, prophecies cast their shadows before them, and many prophecy experts agree that the shadows of prophesies about tribulation period events can already be seen. I agree. The stage is being set as I write these words. Maranatha! Come quickly, Lord Jesus.

     It is important to note before I go any further, that: (1) Christ will return to earth at the end of the tribulation period in order to establish His earthly kingdom in which He will reign on earth for a thousand years, and (2) that the rapture of the church will take place before the tribulation period begins.

     Peter writes,

The end of all things is near; therefore, be alert and sober-minded for prayer (1 Peter 4:7).

     In the Greek text, this reference is expressed by a perfect-tense verb. What does this mean? That the action spoken of here (the end of all things is near) is a present reality with future consequences. Peter’s statement could be rendered, “The end of all things has already begun.” If this rendering is correct, then when did the end of all things begin? Well, according to Scripture, they began with Christ’s first coming, His first coming initiated the end of the age.

Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them, “Fellow Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and pay attention to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it’s only nine in the morning.  On the contrary, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all people; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. I will even pour out my Spirit on my servants in those days, both men and women and they will prophesy. I will display wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below: blood and fire and a cloud of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes (Acts 2:14-20).

In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him (Hebrews 1:2).

     In Matthew 24:30 Jesus said,

Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the peoples of the earth will mourn; and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

     His return will mark the end of all things. The end of the age will terminate with His second coming. Now, based on when it began and when it ends, we can safely conclude that the “last days,” are the entire church age.

     It is also important to remember two more things as we endeavor to learn what the Bible has to say about the future and as we use prophecy in evangelism, we are to avoid the two extremes: (1) We are to avoid developing an apathetic behavior which can be manifested by scoffing, minimizing the importance and value of, or by outright dismissing the doctrine of future things, which is the equivalent to underselling the prophetic teaching of the Bible, and (2)  we are to avoid sensationalism, which is the equivalent to overselling the prophetic teaching of Scripture.  Why some feel the need to sensationalize even more that which is already quite sensational is beyond me, unless, of course, the reasons for doing so are sinful, unscriptural, and for personal gain.

     What Biblical prophecy does, is to reveal the important and significant currents and trends. The goal here is not to address all signs that could be listed, but to spend time highlighting those which I consider to be significant.

 

Properly Discerning the Signs of the Times

The Rebuke for Failing to Discern

     In Matthew 16:1-3 we read,

The Pharisees and Sadducees approached, and tested him, asking him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied, “When evening comes you say, ‘It will be good weather because the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘Today will be stormy because the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to read the appearance of the sky, but you can’t read the signs of the times.

     Our Lord sternly rebukes the Jewish religious leaders for acting as blind leaders and failing to discern the signs of the times. The principle of discernment is a principle that clearly applies to the church and we are to avoid becoming guilty of what the Pharisees were guilty.

A Lesson from the Fig Tree

     Learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, recognize that he is near—at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away (Matthew 24:32-35).

     The Lord uses the illustration of the fig tree to teach us the importance of being and how to be a discerning people. As we are able to discern the coming of summer because of the blossoming of the fig tree, so can we discern (with no date setting) the seven-year tribulation period of Christ as we see certain events coming to pass (Matthew 24:4-31).

The Dark Shadow Illustration

     Have you ever noticed that when you are either walking or jogging with the sun behind you, a shadow of yourself is cast on the ground in front of you? What is that shadow saying?  The shadow is not you—it is not the substance—but it signals that you are not far behind. It is a sign that you are coming. In a similar way, coming events often cast their shadow upon this world before they arrive. The shadows function as the signs of the times.

All Scripture quotations, unless indicated, are taken from The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Copyright © 2020 by Miguel J Gonzalez Th.D.