Two cardinal signs of the End Times
There were two ancient red lines that were not crossed until recently
Image: iStockphoto
Throughout the past two millennia, there have been constant speculations over the biblical End Times. Scriptures had been interpreted and reinterpreted, according to the zeitgeist of the day, in an effort to identify events leading up to humanity’s concluding phase.
Many observers in times past, who were witnesses to countless atrocities and lawlessness during their lives, had believed that the end was nigh. Even Jesus’ disciples, the apostle Paul, and the early churches were not immune from these speculations.
The propagation of fear through selective scriptural interpretations later gave way to formulations based on the traditions of man. In fact, the most widespread End Times interpretation today, which falls under the rubric of futurism, has a most unlikely source: the Jesuits. It was the Roman Catholic church, under its Counter-Reformation thrust, which actually birthed the modern End Times worldview. Its futurist school of thought was actually shunned by non-Catholics until evangelical churches elevated it into a doctrinal worldview in tandem with the 19th century rise of Zionism.
As a result, the birth of the modern state of Israel and the much-debated collapse of the United States, gradually became integral milestones in the revised futurist worldview. Contradictions and biases abound here. Many Jewish rabbis, for example, equate America with Edom — descendants of Esau who were traditionally regarded as the enemies of ancient Israel. End Times protagonists like Gog, Magog, Tubal and Meshech, as mentioned in Ezekiel 38, were geographically transplanted to encompass Russia for the sake of geopolitical expediency. The traditionalist viewpoint however locates them in modern-day Turkey.
In between the ancient and modern eras, superstition, expediency and fearmongering had crept into the eschatology of the organised church. The year 1666 was a particularly fearful one for Europe due to the omens associated with the last three digits (666). The Great London Fire (Sept 2-5, 1666), for instance, was briefly seen as a fulfilment of the End Times prophecy.
Personally, I tend to divide Biblical verses associated with the End Times into three distinct categories: generic; relatively specific; and cardinal preconditions. The verses quoted under each category below are by no means exhaustive.
Generic Verses
Here are some sample verses that can be applied to many epochs over the past two millennia, especially when Christians faced some sort of existential threat; when the world they were living in appeared outright evil.
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people (2 Timothy 3:1-5).
Knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:3-4).
Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons (1 Timothy 4:1).
But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man (Luke 21:36).
For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short (Matthew 24: 21-22).
And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines, plagues and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains (Matthew 24:6-8).
Notice that these verses could be applied to various epochs across many geographic locations over the past 2,000 years. There were indeed generations in times past that had never known peace or social stability. Wars, famines and pestilences could overlap for a 100 years or more. This is why I slot certain End Times verses — too often stripped of their original contexts — into the generic category.
Relatively Specific Verses
The Bible however contains specific verses which strongly hint at the Last Days. Here is a sample.
And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14).
But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased (Daniel 12:4).
And you know what is restraining him (Antichrist) now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7).
The Gospel has indeed been disseminated far and wide; knowledge continues to increase exponentially; and humans are indeed travelling to and fro with ease. Even in areas where Christians face persecution, Bibles can be discreetly downloaded via VPNs into a nondescript folder in an old phone for safety.
The Bible also informs us that the mystery of lawlessness was already at work from the beginning but there was something restraining or limiting that evil. According to the general consensus, the restrainer is the Holy Spirit. However, a day will come when the restrainer is taken away. That would mark the End Times whose “days had to be shortened” for “the sake of the elect”. Relatively specific verses therefore provide deeper contexts to the more generic ones.
And then, we have ancient red lines that must not be crossed. Any attempt to do so will trigger an automatic countdown towards divine retribution. These are the cardinal preconditions, as I see them.
Cardinal Precondition: The Days of Noah Redux
The Gospel of Matthew includes one of these preconditions.
For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man (Matthew 24:37-39).
Eating, drinking and getting married are all normal activities — anytime and anywhere. So what is the big deal here? Genesis 6 provides the context. The sons of God (fallen angels) began to intermingle with man, resulting in the corruption of all flesh whose activities were contrary to the nature and laws of God. This triggered a divine mandate for destruction. Only Noah and his family, who were “without blemish”, were saved through the Ark (along with select unblemished fauna).
The non-canonical books of Enoch and Jasher — both referenced in the canonical Bible — describes this antediluvian world in some detail; one where these hybrid offsprings began to “sin against birds, and beasts, and reptiles, and fish, and to devour one another's flesh, and drink the blood. Then the earth laid accusation against the lawless ones” (Enoch 7:-5-6).
The book of Jasher also describes how “the sons of men in those days took from the cattle of the earth, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and taught the mixture of animals of one species with the other, in order therewith to provoke the Lord; and God saw the whole earth and it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted its ways upon earth, all men and all animals.”
Both books have generated heated debates over the centuries — no doubt fuelled by latter-day forgeries — but do bear in mind that ancient scrolls had been lost and found before. It happened during the reign of Josiah (2 Kings 22) and between 1946 and 1956 when the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.
But more to the point, has interspecies hybridisation made a comeback as it did during the “days of Noah”? My recent commentary touches on this subject:
https://drmathewmaavak.substack.com/p/coronavirus-in-a-time-of-chimeras
Furthermore, after God had destroyed the world for this particular wickedness, He made a covenant with man. Earth will never be depopulated by rising waters again, unlike what climate change activists keep warning us. This covenant sign was curiously the rainbow which brings us to the second cardinal precondition for the Last Days.
Cardinal Precondition: The Days of Lot Redux
Jesus referenced the days of Lot when he was asked about the End Times and the fulfilment of a godly Kingdom.
Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot — they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulphur rained from heaven and destroyed them all — so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed (Luke 17: 28-30).
Again, what was so controversial about “eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building”? Aren’t these normal and necessary activities? Genesis 19 however hints at the perversions and lawlessness of Sodom, among the young and old alike, while Ezekiel 16:49-50 describes this condition as stemming from pride which, in turn, led to a multitude of abominations. The subsequent actions of Lot’s daughters, who were not averse to the concept of incest, hints at the kind of perversions that marked Sodom and Gomorrah.
Now, which movement today wants to openly celebrate the same spectrum of perversions witnessed in the Days of Lot? Which movement today identifies itself with the “rainbow” and unbridled “pride”? Which movement keeps adding new alphabets, denoting new unnatural orientations, to the Sodomite spectrum?
Now, there are those within this community who have indeed repented of these deeds, as did their predecessors during the time of Paul (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Even within this context, however, there appears a red line that cannot be not crossed, specifically with regards to the violation of children. It is only within this context do I find any validity in the reprobation doctrine. You will find many testimonies among those who were delivered from various sexual sins but I have personally found none which actively involved children. Jesus Himself had decreed:
…but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. (Matthew 18:6).
While we know that child sexual abuse fits well with Christ’s condemnation, is sending a child to a drag queen story hour tantamount to the same red line or sin?How about deeding a child as part of an occult ritual? I do not have all the answers. What I do know is that the global war against children continues unfettered with each passing day.
https://drmathewmaavak.substack.com/p/the-war-on-children
The Second Coming
If you concur that the two cardinal preconditions have already been met, then the Second Coming may happen anything soon. That means trouble, big trouble, for the world.
Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect (Matthew 24:44).
Brace yourselves for the days ahead; for they are indeed evil. Even non-Christians can see the writing on the wall.
This is a super good post. I've been discussing a different view of the Second Coming with a few strongly Christian friends. Instead of sweeping us away to heaven (as the idea of the Rapture portends), perhaps His return—the Second Coming—is to kick out all the bad guys, clean up the mess they made, and reign gloriously for 1000 years. The ones who are taken away are the non-believers. Read Revelation 12-13 from this perspective. It's an entirely different understanding.
I hav been saying for some time that the sexual perversions and the Middle East war are leading indicators of the end of Laodicea and the resurrection of believers as a prelude to Rev 4, 5 , and 6. Time to get ready by filling our lamps.