Take Heed That No One Deceives You. For Many Will Come In My Name, Saying, ‘I Am the Christ,’ and Will Deceive Many” (Matthew 24:4, 5).
Jesus Was Telling the Disciples That False Prophets Would Arise, and That They Would Tell the Jewish People That Their City and Temple Would Not Be Destroyed, as He Had Predicted.
This warning was also issued to those of us who are living in the final days of the Earth’s history.
Today, false and deceptive teachings abound. Many people claim to be speaking for Jesus, but we can’t always believe what they say. That is why we must study the Bible for ourselves in order to comprehend the truth of God’s word as revealed in the Bible. In fact, Jesus warns us that we must be doubly vigilant against deception at the end of Earth’s history:
“Then, if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it.” For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders in order to deceive even the elect. As you can see, I warned you. So, if they say to you, ‘Look, He’s in the desert!’ don’t go out; and if they say, ‘Look, He’s in the inner rooms!’ don’t believe it” (Matthew 24:23-26).
Jesus explains clearly that false teachers of the Scriptures will change His words and perform miracles to demonstrate that they are God’s representatives. Some may even claim that “Jesus has arrived and is speaking and performing miracles in town or at a retreat center outside of town.”
When this happens, Jesus tells you not to listen to them. “It is not Me,” he warns, “because everyone will know when I return to the earth!” In fact, my return to Earth will be like lightning flashing across the sky, and everyone will witness it” (see Matthew 24:27).
Numerous false prophets have emerged over the years. Charles Manson told his small group of followers in the 1960s that he was Christ. Jim Jones persuaded his followers in Georgetown, Guyana, that he spoke for Jesus and that they should drink a cyanide-laced, flavorless drink. Hundreds of people died, as evidenced by graphic newspaper and television images. David Koresh was also present. He and many of his followers were tragically killed when their compound in Waco, Texas, was destroyed.
We’ve seen Apollo Quiboloy, the founder and leader of the Philippines-based “Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name, Inc., and Alan John (A. J.) Miller, the leader of the Divine Truth movement based in Australia, in recent years. Quiboloy claims to be God’s “appointed Son.” He is thought to have 6 million followers worldwide. Miller, a former computer systems engineer, claims to be Jesus of Nazareth “by incarnation.” However, when Jesus returns to this earth, He will appear in the clouds of heaven, and every eye will see Him (Revelation 1:7).
False teachings can take many forms, including individuals impersonating Jesus. Superstition, spiritualism, and the occult continue to thrive, despite long-held predictions that reason and science would render such beliefs unbelievable, if not obsolete.
People still believe in horoscopes and tarot cards in the twenty-first century. People who are educated, scientific, and progressive are still superstitious. Spiritualism hasn’t died; it’s still out there in the open. Paganism is simply a different way of life. Talk show hosts have interviewed witches and warlocks. New Age practitioners and others can be found selling magical crystals and channeling departed spirits everywhere. Counterfeit signs and wonders are on the rise. All of this emphasizes the fact that history is nearing its conclusion. We are living in the time of “the coming of the Son of Man,” just as Jesus predicted (Matthew 24:27).
In the midst of such chaos, how can we discern the truth? God’s response to that question is as follows:
“To the law and to the witness! If they do not speak in accordance with this word, it is because they lack light” (Isaiah 8:20).
You are following the counsel of Jesus as you learn about Him by studying God’s Word through these Discover Bible Guides.
Sign number two: Peace Plans and War Preparations.Jesus said of the final days before His return:
“You will hear about wars and war rumors.” Make sure you are not troubled, because all of these things must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom will rise up against kingdom” (Matthew 24:6, 7).
Prior to the twentieth century, war had never been waged on a truly global scale, but during that century, nearly every significant nation on the planet participated in two major global conflicts. A study published in the early 2000s by Cornell University, titled Deaths from Wars and Conflicts in the 20th Century, estimates that 231 million people died in these conflicts. It’s a huge number that’s difficult to comprehend!
We’ve known since World War II that a single push of a button could turn our world into a heap of radioactive rubble. It’s no surprise that the Bible speaks of God destroying “those who destroy the earth” (Revelation 11:18).
We live in an odd world. Even though everyone agrees that we should give peace a chance, we continue to engage in armed conflicts. Old feuds erupt into open conflict. Terrorism appears to have put the world on a perpetual war footing. The prophets Micah and Joel predicted that while nations express their desire for peace (Micah 4:1-3), their distrust for their neighbors compels them to prepare for war (Joel 3:9-13).
Long ago, the Bible depicted this current state of perpetual warfare and declared that only when Jesus returns will there be permanent peace on earth.
SIGN #3: Global DisastersHow do natural disasters fit into end-of-the-world events?
“There will be great earthquakes, famines, and pestilences, as well as terrifying sights and great signs from heaven…. Know that the kingdom of God is near when you see these things happening” (Luke 21:11, 31).
“So what?” say skeptics. Famines and earthquakes have always occurred.” That is correct, but is the situation improving or deteriorating? Is the physical earth becoming more habitable or degrading? Isn’t it amazing that a world that invented self-driving cars, rockets, space stations, and the Internet can’t feed everyone? Why do we keep seeing images of starving children with bloated bellies when so many countries produce more food than they consume?
Jesus predicted that famines would continue and that selfish human nature, corrupt governments, and armed conflicts would worsen as time passed. These are the factors that have contributed to recent famines being so devastating.
What about tremors? The World Almanac data shows a significant increase in earthquakes since the 18th century. As earthquake zones become more densely populated, it is clear that earthquakes are taking more and more lives. Since the year 2000, hundreds of thousands of people have died in earthquakes around the world, according to the US Geological Survey. As predicted by Jesus, earthquake activity is becoming more problematic as we approach His return.
Sign number four: Economic and civil unrestAccording to the Bible, the days leading up to Jesus’ return will be marked by economic unrest and unbridled greed.
“Perilous times will come in the last days, for men will be lovers of money” (2 Timothy 3:1, 2).
The Bible makes no condemnation of wealth. In fact, God’s blessings include both material and spiritual well-being, but the Bible does warn about the dangers of wealth (Matthew 19:23).
Money has the power to turn our hearts away from God. That is why the Bible states that “the love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). That is why Jesus says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth…. but lay up treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19, 20).
Wealth can be a powerful force for good if it is earned honestly and used correctly. The issue arises when a person becomes greedy or places his trust in his wealth rather than in God. Or someone takes advantage of others in order to increase his or her own wealth. That’s what the Bible says will happen in the final days before Jesus returns.
“Come now, you rich [people], weep and howl for your impending miseries…. You have accumulated treasure in the last days” (James 5:1-3).
Today, we see an increase in economic unrest around the world as a few people amass vast amounts of wealth while everyone else struggles to stay afloat financially. This economic turmoil frequently leads to civil unrest and an increase in tensions between the “haves” and the “have-nots.” All of this, according to the Bible, is another sign that “the coming of the Lord is near” (James 5:8).
SIGN #5: Pain! Terror! Perplexity!Almost 2,000 years ago, Jesus gave a prophecy of modern life that sounds like it could have come from the evening news:
“There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and on the earth, distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and expectation of what is coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” Then they will see the Son of Man appearing in a cloud with great power and glory. Look up and lift your heads when these things begin to happen, because your redemption is near” (Luke 21:25-28).
There is no better way to describe today’s world than “men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth.” Today, a generation has grown up entirely in the shadow of weapons capable of destroying the entire planet. Yesterday’s worries seem insignificant in comparison. What if a terrorist obtains a nuclear weapon?
Thankfully, Jesus provides a foundation for hope. The current global insecurity crisis-“distress” and “perplexity”-only serves to highlight the fact that Christ’s return is indeed imminent.
People nowadays frequently lament, “Look what the world has come to!” The student of Bible prophecy, on the other hand, can exclaim with hope, “Look who is coming to our world!”
What specific signs did Jesus predict would occur in the final days before His return?
“Immediately following the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not shine; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Matthew 24:29).
Revelation describes the following events:
“There was a great earthquake, and the sun turned black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon turned red.” And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, just as a fig tree drops its late figs when shook by a powerful wind (Revelation 6:12, 13).
These prophecies were fulfilled in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, just as Bible students around the world were refocusing on the prophecies concerning Jesus’ Second Coming. On November 1, 1755, one of the deadliest earthquakes ever recorded struck Lisbon, Portugal. It destroyed 85 percent of Lisbon’s buildings and killed up to 20 percent of the city’s population. The earthquake sent shockwaves throughout Europe.
On May 19, 1780, the northeastern United States and parts of Canada experienced an unprecedented darkening of the daytime sky. The darkness was so intense that people had to light candles at noon, and chickens went to sleep in their roosts. When the moon rose that night, it “had the appearance of blood,” according to contemporary accounts.
A few decades later, on November 13, 1833, “the stars of heaven fell” in one of the most massive and spectacular meteor showers ever seen. Over 100,000 meteors fell per hour for more than nine hours.
These occurrences are prophesied in the Bible, indicating that the world has entered the “time of the end,” the period of Earth’s history that will usher in Jesus’ return.
SIGN #6: Moral DegenerationWhy does society’s moral fiber appear to be fraying?
“But understand this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but
Could anyone think of a better way to describe our world? Every day, the stories and images that fill our social media feeds bring this verse to life. We see photos of people who have made a career out of arrogant materialism, stories of heartbreaking child abuse, live streams of the horrific aftermath of terror attacks, and videos of people attempting to make self-indulgence and deviant behavior appear healthy and normal. Our obsession with unrestricted freedom has resulted in “perilous times” in recent days. All of these things combine to form a gallery of images proclaiming that Jesus’ return is imminent.
SIGN #7: The Gospel for the Whole WorldJesus predicted that the gospel would reach the entire world just before His return:
“And this kingdom gospel will be preached throughout the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).
We’ve had great Christian missionary movements throughout history, but the gospel’s spread in recent years has been unprecedented. Around the world, previously closed doors to the gospel are being opened. The gospel message is flourishing like never before, even in areas of the world where the Christian faith has historically had a limited impact, such as Asia. Using current technology, it is now possible to share a Christian message with almost everyone in every country on the planet. We are living in the time that Jesus predicted when He said, “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world… and then the end will come.”
