“Wars and rumors of wars”
“Great earthquakes in diverse places”
“Men rushing to and fro”
“Knowledge shall be increased”
These Scripture quotes point to the End Times. Should you believe them? This Catholic does!
“Knowledge shall be increased”
That sounds like air travel and the internet.
This Evangelical believes them as well.
What I’m saying is that we are in a new paradigm where evil can be globalized as was never possible with earlier ages.
All that was happening in the first century. For example, there was a huge earthquake that destroyed the city of Laodicea and neighbouring cities about AD 61. Historian Denis Callaghan wrote:
"There is only one small window of time in which there were only seven churches in Asia. The early AD 60's. The apostle Paul established nine churches in that area, but only seven were addressed in Revelation. The reason for this is that the cities of Colosse, Hierapolis, and Laodicea, were all destroyed by an earthquake around AD 61. Laodicea was rebuilt soon afterwards, but the other two cities were not. This left only seven churches in Asia during the five years just prior to the beginning of the Roman/Jewish war." [Denis Callaghan , "What You Were Never Told About the Book of Revelation"]
Albert Barnes wrote in his commentaries:
"Many of these [earthquakes] are mentioned as preceding the destruction of Jerusalem. Tacitus mentions one in the reign of Claudius, at Rome; and says that, in the reign of Nero, the cities of Laodicea, Hierapolis, and Colosse, were overthrown; and the celebrated Pompeii was overwhelmed, and almost destroyed by an earthquake, Annales, 15, 22. Others are mentioned as occurring at Smyrna, Miletus, Chios, and Samos." ["Barnes New Testament Notes," Matthew 24:7]
According to many historians, there was a long period of peace in the Roman Empire--the Pax Romana period--that began under Emperor Augustus in AD17, and didn't end until about AD60 when war broke out in Britain under Queen Boudicca. But wars have been virtually continuous in modern times. Therefore, when Jesus indicated the following would be a sign for those of his generation, he meant it to be a noticeable sign:
"And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet." (Matt 24:6)
The "end" was not the "end of the world" as the Authorized Version reads, but the "end of the age," which occurred in AD70, about 40 years after Jesus' prediction, and 10 years after the various "wars" began. The "end of the age" was the end of the "Jewish" age that his disciples were inquiring about. The Greek word for age is the underlying word, αιωνος, which is roughly pronounced aion or aiōnos. See:
http://biblehub.com/lexicon/matthew/24-3.htm
This is the New King James Version that has the original Greek word translated correctly:
"Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"" (Mt 24:3 NKJV)
Anyway, all those things that Jesus prophecied in Matthew 24:5-29 occurred prior to AD 70, including the arrival of the false christs and prophets that led people into the desert:
"For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not." (Mt 24:24-26 KJV)
This is Albert Barnes, referencing Flavius Josephus' ancient work, "Antiquities of the Jews:"
"[They] Shall shew great signs and wonders. That is, shall pretend to work miracles. Shall so nearly resemble prophets in their miraculous power as to render it difficult to detect the imposture. Josephus represents the false Christs and prophets that appeared, as magicians and sorcerers. He says they led the people out into the deserts, and promised to work miracles to deliver them. Ant., book xx., chap. 8, § 6. ["Barnes New Testament Notes," Matthew 24:24]
Dean and Professor John William Burgon wrote:
"And the Jewish Historian Josephus, as if it had been his design to illustrate this passage, informs us that false prophets and impostors prevailed on multitudes to follow them into the desert, promising there to display prodigies and signs; but that those who listened to them suffered the just punishment of their folly, and were either slain or dispersed by the Roman governor." One such case of imposture on the part of an Egyptian, is found alluded to in the Acts.(m) Other pretenders arose in Jerusalem itself. "Even at the last, when the Temple was in flames, multitudes of all ages flocked thither from the city, upon the proclamation of a false Prophet; and of six thousand assembled there, on this occasion, not one escaped the fire or the sword." ["A Plain Commentary on the Four Holy Gospels," 1856, p.216]
Philip