The signs of the “End Times,” (also called “the end of the age,” and the “Return of Christ”) are clearly laid out in Scripture. All we need to do is look at what Christ said when he was asked that question.
To summarize in advance, the signs of the end times will include the presence of false christs and false prophets, false teaching, war, persecution, apostasy, lawlessness, earthquakes, famine, plagues, increase in selfishness, denial of what is good, mocking of Jesus, an increase in knowledge, rise of spiritism, decay of marriage, ungodly lusts, rebuilding of the Temple, and the arrival of the antichrist.
Pretty bleak prediction, isn’t it? Yes, it is. But that is what Scripture teaches. I believe that this pessimistic, even depressing future, is the natural result of sin. I further believe it is prophesied by God to Adam in Genesis 2:17, “but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” God told Adam that the day he would eat of the fruit, that he would die. Did he die that day? Yes, he did, but not physically. He lived for many, many years afterward. But the death that God was speaking of was separation from him. We know this because sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2) which is the ultimate death. In my opinion, when God was speaking to Adam, he was speaking to all who are “in Adam.” 1 Cor. 15:22 says, “For as in Adam all die…” God was speaking to all whom Adam represented, and I believe that his participation in sin is the death of us all. Ultimately, sin will have its dark fruit: death. In my opinion, this is why Jesus said in Matthew 24:22–24, “Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
I think that the natural outcome of sin is death and separation from God. It is because of sin that mankind will destroy itself. But, those days will be cut short.
I will now turn to the Scriptures that tell us what the signs of the end times will be. I suspect that there are other signs that I have not gone over here. But, this will suffice. Yes, it is depressing. But, our hope must be found in Jesus and not our circumstances. Look to Jesus, not to the trouble ahead.
Presence of false christs and false prophets (Matt. 24:5, 11)
War, (Matt. 24:6-7; Luke 21:10)
Persecution of the faithful, (Matt. 24:9)
Apostasy, (Matt. 24:10; 1 Tim. 4:1)
Lawlessness increases and love grows cold, (Matt. 24:12)
Earthquakes, famine, and plague, (Luke 21:11)
Increase in selfishness, (2 Tim. 2:2)
Lovers of self, money, and pleasure. Arrogant, disobedient, ungrateful, and unholy. They will be haters of good, conceited, appearing godly but are not, (2 Tim. 3:2-5)
Mocking of Jesus, (2 Peter 3:3-4; Jude 17-19)
Increase in knowledge, (Daniel 12:4)
Rise of spiritism, (1 Tim. 4:1)
Decay of marriage, (1 Tim. 4:1)
False teaching, (2 Tim. 4:3–4)
The gospel will be preached to the whole world, (Matt. 24:14)
Signs in the heavens, (Luke 21:11)
Sun and Moon will be darkened, (Matt. 24:29)
The sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, (Matt. 24:30)
Abuse and destruction of the earth and its resources, (Rev. 11:18)
All the nations of the earth will gather against Israel, (Zech. 12:3)
Rebuilding of the Temple, (2 Thess. 2:3–4)
Arrival of the Antichrist, (2 Thess. 2:3–4; Rev. 13:14–17)
Enforcement of the mark of the beast, (Rev. 13:17)
Repentance of Israel and the Jews coming to faith in Christ (Rom. 11:25-26)
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