The Eschatological Signs and Modern Worries

The study of the last things of history is a major point of contention for believers in many diverse walks of the faith.

But the problem with establishing eschatological paradigms is these events haven’t happened yet. They’re yet to be parts of history.

During times of major crisis, not unlike the times we are currently living in, there is a resurgence in studying the End Times.

My take?

I don’t believe we’re there just yet. And when I say I don’t believe we’re there yet, I mean we have at least one generation to go, if not thousands of years.

Surging prices aren’t the 57,000-percent (credit to brother Douglas Hamp) increase we see in Revelation 6. Yes, buying a carton of eggs at the store is harder for many people. But it doesn’t take an entire day’s worth of wages to buy a loaf of bread.

We have a Bible we look to for guidance, especially about End Times events during tough times on planet Earth.

I see the wars. The surging inflation—the political unrest across multiple nations.

But what I don’t see is any of Daniel 8 and 11 occurring yet. Which, I should mention, are events that take at least two generations to complete. The old interpretation makes little sense, and Alexander the Great doesn’t fit the bill. The angel Gabriel states multiple times in Daniel 8 and Daniel 10 that what follows is about the End Times.

We can fight over what nation is guilty, or what system of religion we don’t agree with being the ultimate bad guy. But if these events don’t play out for another two-thousand-year span, what good does fighting over these events do for us?

I’m not saying don’t prepare yourself in case it unfolds this generation, but what I am saying is the political alignments of the last days seem to be a world foreign to our experience.

As Scar said in The Lion King, “We’re talking kings and successions, even you can’t be caught unawares.” The world of the End Times has monarchs in play, not elected leaders. There are different Hebrew words for both types of leaders, and kings are specific. King is “melech” in Hebrew and refers to monarchical rulers, while other leaders are “manhig,” “rosh,” or “nagid.”

Revelation 17:12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast.”

These ten kings are royal powers who are alive during the time the Antichrist is alive. I know Christians like to play “pin the tail on the Antichrist” with everybody in our current climate, but the truth is, his nation doesn’t even exist yet. Daniel 8 and 11 are the precursors and expanded history of the time of the Beast’s reign.

The sequence of events shows a Middle Eastern war starring the area of modern-day Iran, with a massive response from another nation that also may not exist yet. Remember, if these events happen in 2,500 years, then the nations we know now might not be there. From this war comes up a mighty nation around modern Turkey or Greece, which then has its leader fall, and the nation is divided into four nations. From one of those four nations that arise, in their latter time of rulership, comes the Antichrist. Later time could be after 1,000 years, or after 50 years. We’re not told.

Most Christians don’t have this understanding, thinking the end could be tomorrow, but the Book of Daniel is the only book of which we’re told it’s sealed until the End Times. We simply won’t know the full context until that generation begins.

Speculation is fun, but not at the expense of your brothers and sisters in Christ. There are a few other people out there who have this understanding of the End Times, but even if someone believes it’s our generation, why fight about it?

I agree times are bad for lots of people in the world right now, but the ultimate sign that signals the End of the Age is the Abomination of Desolation from Daniel 11:31. This passage describes the Antichrist’s military forces setting up some sort of idol in the Temple that will exist during the End Days. Reading into Daniel 11:36, we find the idol is to none other than the Antichrist, the final King of the North (a title that is meaningless today because these nations don’t yet exist).

Once we see that, Jesus says this begins the last 3.5 years of this current world. The Great Tribulation.

Matthew 24:15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand) ….”

Daniel mentions this in Daniel 11:31, and further on in Daniel 12.

Daniel 12:11 “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.”

Daniel 11:31 “And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation.”

The Hebrew word describing this abomination refers to an idol of some kind. The Hebrew word “shiqquts” often refers to idolatrous statues and wicked things of that nature.

Since this event takes place in our future, it isn’t hard to imagine what kind of idol this thing will be. In Revelation 13, we see the image of the Beast being set up, and it strangely knows who isn’t worshiping it, killing all who don’t. Sounds a bit sci-fi, but it could also be supernatural and demonic. We don’t have enough information to know.

This is the one sign Jesus said signaled the last stretch of history.

And the ultimate sign believers are to look for before God’s wrath is poured out in the trumpets and bowls, is the sun, moon, and star celestial sign of the sixth seal and multiple other places throughout the Old Testament.

What I find fascinating about this sign is that it’s impossible to happen. By its nature, it is a miracle. The sun will be darkened, and the moon will turn to blood, then darken. This can’t be an eclipse, because those only happen on new moons. This event will be impossible to explain as anything other than God, and the response from humanity echoes it in Revelation 6.

Revelation 6:12 “When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood,”

A blood moon can’t happen simultaneously as a solar eclipse. This event is clearly global and supernatural.

But it is this event Jesus says to look for to know He’s about to come.

Luke 21:28 “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

Mark 13:24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light,”

Matthew 24:29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”

This celestial darkening and supernatural sign is spoken of throughout the Old Testament as the signal for the Day of Yahweh to begin.

Jesus Christ will be the only light shining on that day. What a grand entrance that will be!

So, instead of bickering over End Times events and why my side is better than your side, perhaps we should be lights shining in the darkness of this current age?

It’s fine to have our opinions.

But what isn’t fine is fighting and warring about how things that haven’t yet happened play out in the distant future.

Let’s be like Jesus will be on that glorious day and shine our light before men, that all might learn of His ways, no matter what epoch of history we live in.