Are We on the Verge of the Tribulation?

After two years of global turmoil, people are starting to realize we aren’t going to “return to normal.” We’ve endured a global pandemic, widespread social unrest, vaccine passports, and compounding global supply chain issues. Now, we have a major war in Eastern Europe, fuel and food price inflation, and rumors of an impending global financial crisis.

Everywhere you look, it seems as though the end is near. Is it? What does the Bible say? How close are the end times, the Tribulation, and the rapture of the church?

Fortunately, we don’t have to guess. Jesus Himself told us how to recognize the general timeframe of His return. When the disciples said, “Tell us the signs of your coming and the end of the age” (Matthew 24:3), Jesus told them a number of things to look for. He then said, “When you see all these things, you can know my return is near. I’m right at the door” (Matthew 24:33). He also said, “When all these things begin to happen, look up for your salvation is near!” (Luke 21:28).

This means the #1 indication Jesus will return soon is all the signs appearing together. Both Jesus and the prophets told us what those signs are, and the appearance of just one is reason enough to take notice. But the arrival of one sign after another demands your attention. It’s the sign Jesus said to look for. This convergence of signs is confirmation our generation will witness the Second Coming – not according to me, but according to Jesus.

So, what are these signs? This article will only cite a few. These signs are undeniable, and their convergence should convince you the return of the Lord is close at hand. They include:

Israel Back in the Land – God promised to bring the Jewish people back into the land of Israel before He returned (Jeremiah 23:7-8). He said He would call them from “among the nations” (Ezekiel 39:28), from “the farthest corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11:12), and from “north, south, east, and west” (Psalm 107:3). He promised to welcome them home from the lands where they were scattered (Ezekiel 20:34). When they did, He promised to return and establish His everlasting kingdom (Isaiah 11:11-12).

The Jewish People in Control of Jerusalem – Jesus said armies would surround Jerusalem, destroy the city, and enslave its citizens. The Roman legions fulfilled this prophecy in A.D. 70. Jesus then said people other than the Jewish people will control Jerusalem for a time, until the Jewish people once again control Jerusalem. When they did, Jesus promised to return (Luke 21:24-28). Since 1967, the Jewish people have controlled Jerusalem.

The Gospel Preached Throughout the World – When asked about the end of the age and the signs of His coming, Jesus said to look for a very specific sign. He said the Gospel will be preached throughout the entire world. Every nation will hear it. And then? And then, the end will come (Matthew 24:14). For centuries after the crucifixion, the Gospel was confined to a small area surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. In the past two centuries, Christians have brought the Gospel to every nation in the world. Today, missionaries are in every nation. The Bible is translated into hundreds of languages, and the message of Jesus is sent around the world by radio, TV, satellite, and the Internet. For the first time in history, this generation is on the verge of spreading the Gospel to every last person on earth.

An Increase in Travel and Knowledge – Six hundred years before Jesus, an angel gave Daniel a special message. He said “travel and knowledge” will increase in the end times (Daniel 12:4). For centuries of human history, dramatic gains in travel and knowledge did NOT take place. Yet the last two hundred years have seen explosions in the speed and frequency of travel as well as the amount and availability of knowledge.

Arrival of the Exponential Curve – Jesus said a variety of global signs will come before His return and the end of the age. These signs will be spiritual, natural, societal, and political in nature. He said they will appear in a distinct way – “like birth pains” (Matthew 24:3‐8). This means the frequency and intensity of these signs will increase as we near His return. Our generation has seen the exponential increase in war and famine Jesus said to look for. In the 20th Century alone, more people died from war and famine than lived on the earth when Jesus spoke these words.

Israel Surrounded by Enemies – The Bible says enemies will surround Israel in the end times. Those enemies will say, “Come, let us wipe away the nation of Israel. Let’s destroy the memory of its existence” (Psalm 83:4) and “Let us take for ourselves these pasturelands of God” (Psalm 83:12). Ezekiel said Israel’s neighbors will say, “God has given their land to us” (Ezekiel 11:14‐17), and “Israel and Judah are ours. We will take possession of them. What do we care if their God is there?” (Ezekiel 35:10). Ever since the rebirth of Israel in 1948, the daily headlines have included these Bible verses. Israel’s Muslim neighbors claim the land of Israel for themselves, and they have no regard for the God of Israel.

Israel’s Exceedingly Great Army – Ezekiel said, in the end times, Israel will field “an exceedingly great army” (Ezekiel 37:10). Zechariah said Israel will be like a fire among sheaves of grain, burning up the neighboring nations (Zechariah 12:6), and even the weakest Israeli soldier will be like David (Zechariah 12:8). Since 1948, Israel has fought no less than four conventional wars against its neighbors. Despite being outnumbered more than 50 to 1, Israel has achieved overwhelming victory every time.

Rise of the Gog of Magog Alliance – The Bible says a military alliance that includes Russia, Iran, Turkey, and a number of Muslim nations will attack Israel “in the latter days” (Ezekiel 38:8) when God brings His people home from among the enemy nations (Ezekiel 39:27). Today, we see those very nations coming together for the first time – an alliance that has never existed in world history.

Rise of a United Europe – The Bible says a revived Roman Empire will come to power in the end times (Daniel 2, Daniel 7, Revelation 17). According to Daniel, it will be a ten-nation alliance of weak and strong nations. Some parts will be as strong as iron, while other parts will be as weak as clay (Daniel 2:42). We see the beginning of this alliance in the European Union – a coalition of weak and strong nations struggling to stay together.

The Rise of Global Government – The Bible says a single government will rule the world politically (Revelation 13:7), religiously (Revelation 13:8), and economically (Revelation 13:16‐17) in the last days. It will rule over “all people, tribes, and languages” on the face of the earth (Revelation 13:7). Its authority will be so complete that no one will be able to buy or sell anything without its permission (Revelation 13:16‐17). For centuries, a true global government was impossible. Today, world leaders openly discuss it.

Denial of the Signs – Almost two thousand years ago, Peter issued a warning. He said in the last days people will mock the idea of Jesus returning. They will make fun of those who believe in the Second Coming and say exactly what we hear today – things like, “I thought Jesus was coming back? What happened to His promise? Generation after generation has said He’s coming. Yet, since the beginning of the world, everything has remained the same!” (2 Peter 3:3‐4).

Keep in mind, these signs haven’t always been present. Generations of Christians lived and died without witnessing any of these signs. For centuries of Christian history, none of these signs were present. Today, they all are. Jesus said when you see these signs, you can know His return is near. He’s right at the door (Matthew 24:33). In fact, Jesus said the generation witnessing these signs will not pass away before He returns (Matthew 24:34). So despite the skeptics and naysayers, Jesus is coming, and ours is the generation that will witness His return. The convergence of all these signs confirms it.

For many years now, we’ve seen the convergence of the signs Jesus and the prophets said to look for. Now, in 2022, we see a specific alignment of events that could lead to the outbreak of the Tribulation at any moment. These specific events are identical in nature to the events the Bible says will occur during the Tribulation. Whether or not these events are merely a preview of the events to come, or the actual events the Bible describes for the Tribulation, remains to be seen. However, keep in mind these events will roll out in the midst of the very season when Jesus said He would return.

So, what are these possible Tribulation events in the making? Here are just a few:

Central Bank Digital Currencies – Over the past couple of years, central banks have openly discussed the introduction of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). The central banks wield power over some of the largest economies in the world – the United Kingdom, Canada, China, the European Union, and the United States. Despite these public discussions, conventional wisdom says the rollout of CBDCs remains years in the future. The conventional wisdom is wrong. China has already released a digital yuan and recently released digital yuan wallets for both Android and iOS smartphones.

In March, President Biden signed an Executive Order titled “Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets.” The order requires federal agencies to submit to the President within 180 days:

“a technical evaluation of the technological infrastructure, capacity, and expertise that would be necessary at relevant agencies to facilitate and support the introduction of a CBDC system should one be proposed. The evaluation should specifically address the technical risks of the various designs, including with respect to emerging and future technological developments, such as quantum computing.”

By September 2022, this technical evaluation will be complete. Then, have no doubt about it – once the next crisis hits, the U.S. will roll out its own CBDC to replace the dollar.

Why does this matter? CBDCs will be centralized, government-controlled programmable currency. This means if the government decides it doesn’t like you for whatever reason (think Canadian truckers), they can cut off your access. In other words, you won’t be able to buy or sell. Sound familiar? The Bible says the Antichrist will implement this same system. Those who refuse the mark of the beast will be unable to buy or sell (Revelation 13:17). We’re now on the verge of a global rollout of a technology identical in ability to the mark of the beast technology the Bible says will dominate the world during the Tribulation.

World War III – The Bible says there will be a World War III (Revelation 6:4), and we’re much closer to it today than when 2022 started and probably the closest we’ve been since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Every day seems to bring a new escalation between NATO and its allies and Russia over the latter’s invasion of Ukraine. NATO has sanctioned Russia, is providing arms to the Ukrainian resistance, and many of its members have called for direct intervention in Ukraine. Even if NATO avoids a direct military conflict, all it takes is for Russia to make one mistake that leads to a deadly strike in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, or Romania (all NATO members bordering Ukraine), and all of NATO will be obligated to respond.

A full-blown war between Russia and NATO means World War III and the likely use of nuclear weapons. In 2019, the U.S. ran a war game to simulate what would happen in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. The result was nuclear war with over a billion people dead. It’s a stark reminder that, at any moment, the war in Ukraine could escalate into World War III.

Hyperinflation – In 2022, inflation has become a serious problem for almost every major economy in the world. The March 2022 headline inflation number for the U.S. was 8.5% – the highest since 1981. For the EuroZone, it came in at 7.5%. In Germany, wholesale prices rose 22.6% year-over-year. EU natural gas prices increased six-fold. Global oil prices rose 67%, wheat prices doubled, and corn prices went up 50%. Fuel and food riots have erupted in Peru, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. And unrest is brewing in countless other countries as well.

Could we be on the brink of hyperinflation? Maybe. Maybe not. But the Bible says the whole world will one day experience hyperinflation. When that happens, an entire day’s wages will only buy enough food to barely survive (Revelation 6:6).

Global Famine – As we entered 2022, the world already faced a major food crisis, both in terms of supply and price. Since then, the situation has only gotten worse. The Russian invasion of Ukraine cut off Russian and Ukrainian exports via the Black Sea. Together, they account for 12% of all global calories consumed. The sanctions against Russia have compounded ongoing supply chain issues, and many countries have banned agricultural exports. Add in poor harvests, rampant fertilizer shortages, and an avian flu plague destroying millions of chickens and turkeys, and it becomes clear we’re heading toward the worst food crisis in modern times.

In fact, it’s worse than that. Famine is coming on a mass scale. We simply aren’t going to grow enough food in 2022. The result will be a biblical famine. The only question is whether it will be one of the famines Jesus spoke about in Matthew 24:7 or the Tribulation famine of Revelation 6:5-8.

If the world stage is now set for the Tribulation, how close must the rapture be?

The Bible says the rapture will take place before the Tribulation. Jesus promised His church, “I will keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth” (Revelation 3:10). If you’re reading this and you’re a Christian, your time on this earth is short. Your race (1 Corinthians 9:24-27) is nearing its end, so make sure to finish well. Live a holy, godly life as you look forward to the day of His coming (2 Peter 3:11-12). Take advantage of every opportunity to spread the Gospel. Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything Jesus has commanded (Matthew 28:19-20).

The day will come when you will lose the opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. So do it now while you still can. Jesus is coming soon.

All we can really say is that “we think” that the hour is late a d it is close at hand. We tend to see whatnis happeningmin our own “free nation” with the left trampling our freedoms and think that evil is so,bad thst christ must be coming back any day nkw, but the fact is many many nations have had it much much worse that our nation is experiencing now, and they have had to,deal with evil,in their nations for 1000’s of years- just look at North Korea for example. They have it treally bad there, and have had for a long time, and God has allowed it for all that time

Even nations way back in bible times were far far worse that our nation is now

Our nation isn’t the determine factor for deciding that evil is so great that God must return soon.

I hope he comes back soon, but it could be 1000’s more years before he does (I hope,not, I don’t wanna live another 1000,years lol)

In the end times, I don’t know,if it is before or after the rapture, (I thunk after), God will,send a great delusion upon the earth. Today there are a number of great delusions thatnthe world is falling for: Climate change being caused by man, biology being thrown out the window so, people can pretend to,be whatever “gender” they wish, the false beleif that men can marry men, women marry women inmthe sight of God, stolen elections that can’t be prosecuted, our gov imprisoning peaceful protestors claimingmthat they are Insurrectionists, Trump being falsely impeached using blatantly false information (the last two are more local deceptions, but many throughout the world beleive the lies of left) , covid being a massive pandemic when in reality ost of,the damage was done by mishandling the situstion (butmthe left turned itminto a control mechanism) and many more

I’m of the be,eif that a one world gov will use “man-caused climate change” lie to deceive the masses and get them to accept,the mark,in order to eat buy and sell. When families are both starving to death, and freezing to death, and can’t get necessary operations etc because they don’t have the mark, they will be far more inclined to,take,the mark, and a one world gov will I beleive use climate change laws fines and regulations to,financially cripple people and force them to comply and get the mark

I zlso,think that “pandemic shutdowns” are a thing the world gov will use to co trol people and force them to take the mark. I don’t belive vaccines Wil. Be the mark, but it will play into forcing people to get the mark in addition to getting the vaccines, and both will be used to determine if people can shop,,buy and sell, work etc. No vaccine? No work- no mark? No work. I think,the vaccines will be the primer for,setting up the demand for people,to get the mark. People will be brainwashed into,thinking they are being “good citizens” for tskingmthe vaccines, then Wil. Be less averse to getting the mark to,also “be a good compliant citizen”- they will,be preconditioned to accept it and less hesitant after being forced to get vaccines just to buy an sell.

I dontmthi k we’ve seen the ,ast of pandemic control. They are a.ready suggesting a world wide pandemic control body which requires the whole world to submit to. If it passes, will the un send their armies to,enforce it,knowing thst the us citizens will not comply? Wil. Our own corrupt government join nato forces in demanding people comply? It sure does seem to be headed In Thst direction

We will not lose the opportunity to share the Gospel, rather we may lose the ability to think we will always survive (in the flesh) doing so if we share the Gospel.

Think of it as the ultimate out of season circumstances, like Russian Roulette only with the unbelieving, but still we are to share the Gospel.

Recall what the Lord said when He rebuked Peter: that he’d set his mind on man’s interest rather than the Father’s.

When the early church faced pagan wrath, even to dying, they glorified the Lord and in turn received glory for their faithful obedience to the Holy Spirit. That was how the Church began.

But when the witness of saints won out, when the pagan withered and there was even a social price to pay for not seeming to be a Christian the enemy’s tactics shifted.

Still, why expect that the last Christians will not receive the same opportunity to glorify the Lord and receive lasting glory from Him? Because of a few passing, transient troubles and terrors? The revelation to John describes what happens to those who bear witness to the truth: at least some of us lose our heads.

Romans 1:18-32 does not fall against those who never had any knowledge of the Lord to reject, does it? But we should not be surprised that where neither the Gospel nor the need for it are really preached anymore — but a friendly to the world “gospel” of works, or universalem, or good people go to heaven etc is preached — that we see the fruit listed therein on display.

Rejecting the knowledge of the Lord means someone’s expressly not gonna bear witness to the truth. Right?

When someone displays the fruit of depravity that is a sign for others to flee from fellowship with them ... because going along to get along seems like the principal on-ramp to the road that leads to destruction at this time. Maybe it always was.

Those who have gone along to get along till it’s too late are likely to be among the most viscous persecutors of the actual Saints. And they will likely think they are serving God when they do so.

For persecuted Christians of the early church who were burned, crucified and murdered for their faith - they experienced tribulation!

For today's persecuted Christians who are being persecuted and murdered by Muslims, Communists, Hindus and other anti-Christians - they are experiencing tribulation!

The Great Commission is not preaching "The Late Great Planet Earth".

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” - Jesus speaking in Matthew 28:18-20

“6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.” (Matthew 24:6-8)

“Truly I say to you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knows no man, not the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but My Father only”” (Matthew 24:32–36).

One could say we sort of had a global government during covid. Everyone was doing the same things with lockdowns to varying degrees and almost all pushed the useless jab. It was a global government trial in some ways. Then we have Klaus Schawb's people embedded in most governments. A lot of global planning and decision making happens at global conferences like G7, Davos, Bilderberg.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.