SIGNS FOR THE SAINTS
Jesus gives 49 identifiable signs of the coming of the end
Walter Thomas
The purpose of this message is restoration: to restore anticipation and awareness in the Followers of Yeshua Mashiach, of those warning signs our Lord provides.
In the last week of Jesus’ ministry before His death and resurrection, He walked east from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem with His disciples (Peter, James, John, and Andrew – Mark 13:3), across the Kidron Valley and up the Mount of Olives overlooking the Eastern side of Jerusalem. As He pointed to the Temple, He said that one day “Not one of those stones will be standing on another.” To which the disciples asked, “(1) When will this happen, (2) what will be the sign of your coming, and (3) what will be the sign of the end of the age?” Jesus then gave 49 signs in all, 27 signs in Matt. 24 that we followers of Jesus are to look for. Mark 13 and Luke 21 repeat much of the same teaching and report additional signs. Jesus said when you these signs come to pass, then the end will come shortly (Matt. 24:14):
Matthew 24 signs:
1. The temple will be totally destroyed
2. Many will come in my name.
3. Many will say “I am the Christ”.
4. Many will deceive many.
5. You will hear of many wars
6. There will be rumors of wars
7. These things must happen before the end.
8. Nation will rise up against nation.
9. Kingdoms will rise up against kingdoms
10. There will be famines
11. There will be earthquakes
12. Followers of Jesus will be persecuted
13. Followers of Jesus will be put to death
14. Followers of Jesus will be hated by all nations because of Jesus
15. In the last days many will turn from the faith
16. Many will betray and hate each other.
17. Many false prophets will appear
18. Many false prophets will deceive many people
19. Wickedness will increase
20. The love (presumably the love of Christ and His church) of most will grow cold
21. The gospel of the Kingdom will be preached all over the world.
22. You will see the abomination that causes desolation standing in the holy place
23. There will be great distress like nothing before
24. Many will say, “Here is the Christ” or “There is the Christ” (setting dates and places).
25. There will be those false prophets and false messiahs that will produce signs and wonders that may deceive the very elect of Christians
26. In those last days, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light
27. The generation that lives at the “end of times” will not pass away before all these things come to pass
Mark 13 signs:
28. You will stand before governors and kings as my witnesses.
29. You will be arrested and brought to trial on account of me and I will give you words to say
30. You will see the abomination that causes desolation standing where it does not belong
Luke 21 signs:
31. You will hear of revolutions and wars
32. Many of these things will happen, but the end will not come right away
33. There will be pestilences in many places (viruses, epidemics, incurable disease, insects)
34. There will be many fearful events
35. There will be great signs from the heavens
36. Believers/followers will be betrayed by parents, relatives, friends and brothers in the faith.
37. Some of you will be martyred
38. All men will hate you on account of me
39. When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near
40. There will be a time of punishment about which the Scriptures write
41. There will be great wrath against the Jewish and Christian people
42. Many Jews and Christians will be taken captive as prisoners
43. Many will fall by the sword
44. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles
45. Until the times of the Gentiles fulfilled
46. Nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea (hurricanes, tsunamis, cyclones, sea surges, flooding)
47. Men will faint from terror (terrorists and terrifying events)
48. Men will be apprehensive of what is coming on the world
49. The heavenly bodies will be shaken (meteors, stars fall from the sky)
What does a sign do? It points to something other than itself. A sign does not stand by the side of the road and say, “I am a sign; look at me!” No, it points to something else of importance: it provides warnings, information and directions. Reader, listener: be warned, informed and directed!
Jesus says the serious student of prophecy will be blessed if they do three things (Rev. 1:3):
1. Reads the words of prophecy
2. Hears the words of prophecy (God will open the eyes and ears by the Spirit of Prophecy-Rev. 19:10)
3. Takes the words of prophecy to heart (seriously heed the signs and warnings)
Jesus gives us comparisons to use in seeing and interpreting signs. He used two natural phenomena to make His point: the fig tree and the weather. One was the life-cycle of the fig tree and one can look at the tree and know when the fruit are about ripe. He also said you can tell by looking at the sky and seeing weather signs, whether it is going to rain or have fair weather (Matt. 16:2-4). In other words, the signs are plain to see for those who will notice them.
The reader would be well advised to reframe much of their traditional prophetic teaching, which is based on flawed dispensational theorizing by well-intended scholars over the last 600 years. These scenarios did not have the benefit of prophetic signs and events (such as the restoration of Israel in 1948 or the restoration of Jerusalem to the Jews in 1967, the rise of Islam), which now provide more dots to connect and benchmarks for calculations to be made. These dispensational theories are generally not supported by the Bible and are not supported by the historical record. These notions were the product of Western monks and reformers who were too Anglo-preoccupied and replacement theologians.
These sign-events are the beginnings of travail, the beginning of the Tribulation Period, into which we are very much immersed.
These 49 signs are particularly directed to the faithful followers of Christ Jesus, both the Gentile church and the Messianic Jewish followers of Yeshua (these are the two witnesses of Rev. 11). The trumpet/bowl/vial judgments of Revelation, on the other hand, refer primarily to what God is doing to the unbelieving rebels of the world and to the followers of anti-Christ movements and mystery Babylon. These particular 49 warning signs are to occur before the rapture, but the Revelation judgments are mostly after the faithful have been taken from the earth. In fact, Jesus says in these three gospel passages how grave these times will be for Jewish and Christian followers, even remarking, “If these days had not been cut short, none of the faithful (the elect) would survive.” He will “cut these difficult times short and remove the church after times of persecution and intense aggravation and harassment. We will see/are seeing these signs coming to pass all around us.
These 49 signs become a checklist, enabling most every person who is aware of world news and world events to check them off one at a time. The serious student of Bible prophecy who has the advantage of Spirit-quickened eyes-ears-minds, will see and heed the obvious. This writer believes that at least 48 of the list have already occurred and are substantiated in repeated scenarios; they are occurring now, as prophesied. We are IN the end-of-days. We have yet to see #49, in which we witness the heavenly bodies shake, or meteor strikes to earth, or even stars falling. The rest however are already a matter of record wherever the elect live. The solar and lunar eclipses are occurring in 2014 and 2015 in timings beyond coincidence (See my sermon on the blood moons, etc.) The end is near.
Three of these signs, #7, #32 and #45, are timing signs. They are signs that qualify the others, indicating that all of these signs will happen over a longer period of time, but the faithful will have to wait them all out before the end comes. These are signs encouraging patience and faithfulness. Remember God will not put His people through anything for which His grace, wisdom and strength are not adequate! He even promises that He will give us the essential wisdom, the words to say and strength (in these warning sign passages).
The reader is reminded that Biblical prophecy is best understood if you imagine yourself standing on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, which is the perspective and understanding of Scripture. The Biblical worldview revolves around Israel, around the Jews, around the faithful followers of Yeshua, and around the Temple Mount. Americans are a little doctrinally narcissistic and tend to only understand and interpret prophecy from the perspective of ourselves and Western culture. These persecutory signs are certainly coming to America and the West as we speak, but have been going on for centuries in the Middle East and wherever Jews and Christians have resided. America has had special protection because of its love for God and for establishing a “Christian nation” based on Biblical laws and principles of living and governance. However, America like the nations of Western and Southern Europe, we have turned from God’s ways, rejected the Bible’s instructions and worldview, and consequently, His blessing and favor are being removed and the Enemy is encroaching and persecuting so these 48 things are happening in our nation and culture. Our 200-year wall of spiritual protection has been seriously breached.
Be hopeful! Jesus said, “Then the Son of Man will come in a cloud with great power and glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”(Luke 21:28). The faithful followers of Jesus Christ, do not look at these warning signs with mere dread or fear, but with great hope and anticipation of the blessed return of the Bridegroom for the Bride of Christ! “Dear Lord, have mercy on us all. Come quickly, Dear Savior!” WLT 6/15
