Earthquakes, 2012, and the end of the world

The other night, this guy comes in and after his purchase he makes a comment about the earthquake in Japan. I don’t remember what he said but it was about 2012 and the end of the world. He asked me, Do you believe the world will end in 2012? I said, No. He replied, “Well, I believe in signs. That’s scientology, right?” (I think he meant, Sign-tology). I said, “I don’t know much about scientology but Jesus gave us the signs that would tell us about the end.” He said, “You mean, like, in the Bible?” He then made reference to a church that is saying the rapture will happen this May. Ignoring that error, I said, “Listen, when Jesus comes back the game will end. He will blow the whistle and the game will be over. He will divide everyone into two groups. He will say to those on his right, You are in; and to those on his left, You are out. What you need to do is be sure you hear, You are in.” He nodded thoughtfully and walked out the door.


What about the signs of “the end of the world”? Jesus, when he was asked this, said:


Matthew 24
Take heed that no man deceive you.
For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
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.
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.


Jesus spoke of three periods of time:
the end is not yet – a period marked by wars and false Christs.
Then, the beginning of sorrows – wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes. Earthquakes are a sign of the end times. About earthquakes, a friend of mine wrote:
“In this age of communication when we immediately hear the news of everything that happens around the world almost instantly, we are aware that we are living in a time when there are indeed “earthquakes in various places.”
“Overshadowed by the quake in Japan, on the same day, a moderately strong earthquake left 25 dead in southwestern China.  More than 127,000 people were displaced.
Now some would object and say, “Well there have always been earthquakes. There were earthquakes in Jesus time and before.” And that’s true. But there is a difference, and that is that earthquakes are becoming both more frequent, and more severe.
John Wesley White, in the book,  Re-entry, gives these statistics.
In the 14th century there were 137 major earthquakes.
In the 15th century there were 174 major earthquakes.
In the 16th century 253 major earthquakes were recorded.
In the 17th century 378 major earthquakes.
In the 18th century 640 major earthquakes.
In the 19th century 2119 major earthquakes.
And in the 20th century over 3000 major earthquakes were recorded.”


Finally, then shall the end come – this is marked by persecution of Christians, false teaching abounding, and the gospel being preached in all the world.
And about these false prophets, this same friend wrote, “I am amazed that people will not believe in Jesus Christ and even more amazed at what they will believe in.” I agree. (See 2 Thess 2:8-12)


The end is called the great tribulation: then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. 
And now the really good news:
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 
And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 


Amen! We watch for the signs but we are waiting for the coming of our Lord Christ!


Another sign of the end, spoken of by Jesus in Luke 21:24
...Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
The times of the Gentiles is the period of time spoken of in Daniel 2 and 7. This is a period of time marked by Gentile domination of Jerusalem. When these times end or are fulfilled, Jerusalem will once again be free. Hey, that looks a lot like today! Could it be the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled?
One last note on Jerusalem, Zechariah 14 tells us:
Behold, the day of the LORD cometh . . . 
For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 
Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations…
And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives . . .
. . . and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.  (1-5)
Jerusalem will once again be attacked, and that will be terrible. But then something exciting happens Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations… And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives… This is clearly the second coming! And notice who it is who comes, the LORD my God. Zechariah is telling us that Jesus is God! Not just a god, but the LORD, Yahweh!


One last sign is found in 2 Thessalonians 2:3
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;  


Actually, two signs. A falling away and the antichrist. We have clearly been in the midst of the falling away for many, many years! Every church and movement that proclaims they are trying to restore or return to the church of the New Testament is evidence of this falling away. And the really big one: antichrist. Paul could not have been more emphatic, that day shall not come, except…that man of sin be revealed. Jesus is coming again. But before he does, there will be a great battle with the man of sin, the antichrist.


There are several signs of the return of Jesus Christ. But I would say the three most important ones are:


And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. 


… Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.


…for that day shall not come, except . . . that man of sin be revealed…


So, is the end of the world near? I think so, but remember, before He returns: Jerusalem will be freed, antichrist will rise, and the gospel will go out to all the nations. Therefore, Keep your eyes on Jerusalem. Be ready for antichrist. And be a part of the gospel going forth to all the world. Apparently, we can hasten the coming of Christ! Maranatha!


Am I ready for the end of the world and the coming of Christ? Will I hear
Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world
or
Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels

This is your day

- Prepare -

Jesus is coming soon!