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.

“So the passage can be correctly translated as follows ...”

AND

“So, the above translation change demonstrates a distinct linking of the little horn thinking to “change times and laws” in Dan 7:25, to the transgression / abomination that brings desolation in Daniel 8, 9, 11, and 12 ...”

The author of the article is stating:

**The word sacrifice in the above passage is supplied by the translators (of the KJV bible), it is not in the original text.
**Also the word translated daily [H8548 - tamiyd] can also have the meaning perpetual. (Exo. 30:8, Lev. 6:20)
**The word host [H6635 - tsaba’] can mean an appointed time (Job 7:1, 14:14, Dan. 10:1).

THEREFORE...the passage can be correctly translated as follows...AND...the above translation change demonstrates a distinct linking of the little horn thinking to “change times and laws” in Dan 7:25, to the transgression / abomination that brings desolation in Daniel 8, 9, 11, and 12:

This has NOTHING to do with any SDA Bible Translation nonsense.

Do you have a copy of the KJV bible? Look up Daniel 8:11 and notice the words “himself” and “sacrifice”. Those words are italicized because they were added by the TRANSLATORS of the KJV bible. They are not in the original text.

The author of the article is saying that the TRANSLATORS of the KJV bible MISTRANSLATED it from the original text.

—-< Do the SDA have their own interpretation of the Bible in print? Like “SDA Bible” or such? >

Please note that all that matters to those caught in the SDA Falseworld is what Ellen White says the Scripture means.

And anything she falsely added to scripture through her histrionic visions *must* be believed also.

This is why some guy here gladly affirmed he believed everything Ellen saw, including unfallen people on Jupiter and old Enoch on a tour bus visiting them.

Please note that all that matters to those caught in the SDA Falseworld is what Ellen White says the Scripture means.

And anything she falsely added to scripture through her histrionic visions *must* be believed also.

This is why some guy here gladly affirmed he believed everything Ellen saw, including unfallen people on Jupiter and old Enoch on a tour bus visiting them.

- - - - - -

AMPU, thank you! I hope you took the time to read what they did to passages in “Daniel.” That’s mind blowing to me.

It can hardly be denied that the SDA is a cult.

Now, about those sinless people on Jupiter (or Bolok) or where the heck ever ... do you wonder if EGW’s sin didn’t taint their sinless planet? How did they cleanse her sinless presence, I wonder.

“My biggest fear is that if/when that rescue rapture doesn’t happen and they start to have to suffer....they might lose their faith and end up ‘not saved’.”

Never fear, God will be with you and your family.

Think of the recent 20 Coptic Christians whose necks were sliced but they did not give up God. Or Asia Bibi in Pakistan who refused converting to Islam to save herself.

You and your family will come through.

Psalm 22

24
For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.
25
From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you [5] will I fulfill my vows.
26
The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him— may your hearts live forever!
27
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him,
28
for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations.

And psalm 23

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake

Ephraim of nisibus wrote nothing about the pre tribulation rapture

The writer of the Apocalypse of Pseudo-Ephraem is insisting that those who do not place their trust in Jesus Christ before the coming of the Antichrist will be deceived along with the rest of the world. The writer explains further, when he says: When therefore the end of the world comes ... neither is anyone able to be recovered in that time, who has not been made completely aware of the coming danger, but all people, who have been constricted by fear, are consumed because of the overhanging evils.

There are a number of other significant passages by this writer that provide further evidence that he believes Christians will be here during the tribulation. This is further reinforced with “And so, brothers most dear to me, it is the eleventh hour, and the end of the world comes to the harvest, and angels, armed and prepared, hold sickles in their hands, awaiting the empire of the Lord,” implying that the harvesting of Christians will take place at the same time as the end of the world.

Then, when this inevitability has overwhelmed all people, just and unjust, the just, so that they may be found good by their Lord; and indeed the unjust, so that they may be damned forever with their author the Devil, and, as God beholds the human race in danger and being tossed about by the breath of the horrible dragon, he sends to them consolatory proclamation by his attendants, the prophets Enoch and Elijah ... they call back the faithful witnesses to God, in order to (free them) from his seduction ... And when the three and a half years have been completed, the time of the Antichrist, through which he will have seduced the world, after the resurrection of the two prophets, in the hour which the world does not know ... will come the sign of the Son of Man, and coming forward the Lord shall appear with great power and much majesty, with the sign of the wood of salvation going before him, and also even with all the powers of the heavens with the whole chorus of the saints, with those who bear the sign of the holy cross upon their shoulders, as the angelic trumpet precedes him, which shall sound and declare: Arise, O sleeping ones, arise, meet Christ, because his hour of judgment has come! Then Christ shall come and the enemy shall be thrown into confusion, and the Lord shall destroy him by the spirit of his mouth. (Sections 9–10) Notice first that here again the Lord is delivering his people from the seduction that will deceive the world during the time of the Antichrist, but that he is not taking them off of the earth. In is somewhat interesting that this writer seems to imply that without the two witnesses Enoch and Elijah, that all Christians would be overwhelmed and swept away into the confusion as well.

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