Signs Of the Times

ByHolly Mills

“And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, 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.” (Matt. 24:1-13)

We have all heard and read the above verses many times and have recognized how many of these things seem to be happening more and more often. I believe now is the time that these things that Jesus warned us would happen just before His return are escalating in number. The whole earth is struggling to maintain its balance in nature and we struggle to deal with the ever increasing heavy load placed on us as the world falls further and further into chaos. “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”(Rom. 8:22-23)

When we read the headlines of many different stories that are written on the internet or things we hear on radio and TV, it is really amazing what is happening in our world today. “Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.” (Hos. 4:3)

Here are just some excerpts of articles I read in a few minutes of surfing reputable websites today.

  • The Ocean is broken
  • Radiation-poisoning America
  • Mysterious epidemic – devastates starfish population – pacific coast
  • Massive die off of oysters and scallops in Pacific Northwest
  • Millions of shellfish die
  • Food is becoming scarce due to drought and natural disasters and the food we do manage to grow is often filled with GMO’s, pesticides, etc
  • Food shortages have been the cause of much chaos and many riots

Then, we can read also about these things that are published often on reputable websites:

  • We are losing our freedom of speech more and more and even our thoughts are now criticized.
  • The economy is very unstable and any uncertainty going on in the world affects the markets. How long can it be before there is a major correction or a complete collapse?
  • Drought in some areas and cold with snow or too much rain in others! Weather patterns are uncertain everywhere now.
  • Immigration problems have many people concerned.
  • Volcanoes and earthquakes are increasing.

These are just some of the headlines I have found on the internet or in the news. We are living in very turbulent times and our foundations are quickly being destroyed. We must hold fast to what we believe and trust in the Lord. “In the Lord put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain? For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup. For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.” (Psa. 11: 1-7)