14 SIGNS ANNOUNCING CHRIST RETURN

8. The Gospel of the Kingdom of God Preached to All Nations

The great "Olivet prophecy" of Jesus Christ is pivotal in understanding future events. In Matthew 24:3, Jesus was asked by the disciples, "Tell us, when shall these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" As we have seen, Jesus first warned them about false prophets, wars and rumors of wars leading to world war, famines, disease epidemics and earthquakes, and said, "All these are the beginning of sorrows" (v. 8).

9. When Faith Again Becomes a Matter of Life or Death

God's people will be persecuted at the time of the end, just as the early Christians faced vicious attacks. "If the world hates you," Jesus told the disciples—and this certainly applies to us, His disciples today—"you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you" (John 15:18–19).

10. A Crisis Strikes Jerusalem

"Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city" (Zechariah 14:1–2).

11. The Abomination of Desolation

Prophecy predicts that Jerusalem is again to be surrounded by armies (Zechariah 12:2), and an idol will be set up in a holy place. Jesus warns those who are faithful to escape quickly when this desecration takes place. "Let him who is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes" (Matthew 24:17–18). In other words, you are to get out immediately when you see this happening, because if you wait, it will be too late to escape safely. "But woe to those who are pregnant and to those with nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath [God's people will be keeping the Sabbath]" (vv. 19–20).

12. The Collapse of the English-speaking Nations—The Great Tribulation

Notice this same prophecy in a parallel account in Matthew: "For then will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved [alive]; but for the elect's

13. Heavenly Signs and the Day of the Lord
God really will intervene in human affairs! And He will even intervene with nature and show this generation that there is a real God. Even after the modern nations of Israel are in captivity, God is not through yet. We have professed to being Christian nations, but nationally we are filled with deceit, vanity, avarice and violence.

Notice Revelation 6: "I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind" (vv. 12–13).

14. The Seven Last Plagues

Finally, in Revelation 11:15, the Seventh Trumpet—the famous "Last Trumpet"—is sounded. Christ returns inpower and glory. But even as He returns, the deceived nations of mankind will fight and curse Him who is their very Creator! (Revelation 16:21; 17:14).

So, as He comes, Christ pours out the awesome seven last plagues described in Revelation 15:1 and 16:1–21.Study these passages. These plagues will be indescribably horrible!

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