As the war in Israel unfolds, and rumors of other terrorist groups like Hezbollah funded by the terrorist nation of Iran begin to fire into Israel, the United States is deploying battleships to the region with troops on the ready. As nations like China, Turkey, and Russia are carefully watching the situation unfold wondering if they will be drawn into war, the global anxiety is rising. In conversations in person and online, people are asking ominous questions.
Are we headed to World War III?
Is the United States getting drug into an unwinnable war on every front by standing with Israel?
Does Iran, who is the puppet master behind this and other global terror, have nuclear capability and would their extreme view of Islamic jihad compel them to launch?
Are we living in the end times, and is Jesus returning soon?
The new Christians to whom Paul writes in 1-2 Thessalonians believed that Jesus had come the first time to live without sin, die for their sin, and rise from death to forgive sin and open Heaven. They also believed in the Second Coming of Jesus to raise the dead, lift the curse, judge the unbelieving, and reward the saints with eternal life in the Kingdom of God. Like many new Christians, they became a bit too enamored with the complicated area of Biblical study called “eschatology.” Like many Christians, these new Christians had a lot of questions about Jesus’ Second Coming, and Paul wrote them two letters (1-2 Thessalonians) to help answer all their questions.
The Bible mentions six increased evil and demonic activities that will happen as we near the “last days” and await the return of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
- An increase in stress, anxiety, and mental illness. (2 Timothy 3:1)
- An increase in scoffers who mock the Bible and those who believe it. (2 Peter 3:3)
- An increase in mockers of Christian morality who encourage pleasure, especially sexual sin. (Jude 18)
- An increasing love for false teachers and corresponding hatred for Bible preachers. (2 Timothy 4:1-4)
- An increase in people who are anti-Christ, leading a massive counterfeit “Christian” apostasy, which paves the way for the Antichrist. (1 John 2:18-19)
- An increase in wealth, comfort, and a sense that God is not needed for a successful life or concern for eternity. (James 5:3)
So, the question remains – are we living in the end times?
The Thessalonians had this question 2,000 years ago and we still have that question. They thought they were there, and every generation throughout history has felt the same way.
The interesting thing is that Islam didn’t exist until 500 or so years after 1 Thessalonians was written and, since then, the architecting of global war against Israel and the rising of the antichrist to lead that war has been set in motion.
In a Pew Research study conducted at the end of 2022, they surveyed people with a few questions about the end times.(1) Since this was before the recent invasion of Israel, I’m assuming these numbers have probably gone up. Here were their findings.
To the question “Are we living in the end times?”, 39% of all adults said yes, including 47% of professing Christians and 63% of Protestant Christians. When asked “Will Jesus Christ return to earth with a Second Coming?”, 55% of all adults said yes, with 75% of professing Christians and 92% of Protestant Christians among that number.
Let me say this, 55% of adults said yes Jesus is coming back, but they don’t all love Jesus. If I could point out the obvious, the question is “Is Jesus coming back to kill His enemies and send people to Hell?” For sure. “Do you love Him?” Nope. You need to rethink your plan. It’s crazy.
Finally, when asked “Will Jesus return during your lifetime?”, 10% of all adults agreed, including 21% of Protestant Christians, while 27% of all adults were unsure.
So, the question is, what are the final labor or birth plans that show or reveal that we’re near the end? It’s war. A final war is coming that will usher in and trigger the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
What makes you most excited about Jesus’ second coming?
- https://www.pewresearch.org/short- reads/2022/12/08/about-four-in-ten-u-s-adults- believe-humanity-is-living-in-the-end-times/
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