--# 6
Chaotic weather and natural events will occur, and they will come stronger and faster like birth pains.

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. (Luke 21:25-26)

"...and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of birth pains." (Matthew 24:7)

This is probably one of the most debated topics on End Times that I routinely see. Why? For two reasons:

1) Many people say things like, "Uh, yeah. Earthquakes, tornadoes, fires, floods, etc. have been happening for hundreds and hundreds of years. There were some really bad ones in the past. This is no different.

and

2) It's because of global warming.

Both answers are incorrect. Let's take the first one. There are numerous websites that show how significantly worse and closer together our natural storms and disasters are. Yes, we had some bad things happen in the past. The San Francisco Earthquake. The "Super Outbreak" of tornadoes in 1974 that spawned 148 tornadoes in only 18 hours. Actually, you could go back to Pompeii and discuss erupting volcanoes. There have been significant natural events in history from the beginning of time.

I can throw statistics at you all day long. Many will argue that it just seems like more events due to global warming, tracking capabilities, increased population (therefore more casualties), etc., etc., etc.

The fact of the matter is this: I have lived in Michigan all my life. I loved thunderstorms when I was a kid, and I remember getting all excited when we would have one -- especially a really strong, bad one. I thought they were cool. Do you know how often they came? Once in a great while -- like maybe once a month in the summer. We'd get a really hard rain or mild thunder maybe once every two weeks in the summer. But that was all. Now, every single day it seems like we've got big, angry red cells of storms coming our way. The wind blows fiercely, lightning strikes often, and pounding rain beats its way to the ground. Truthfully, I've seen more hail in the past two years than I have my entire life. I don't watch the news much, but still I hear things... BIG things... about disasters worldwide. Fires, volcanoes, tsunamis, floods, earthquakes, cyclones and more. I know these things occurred in the past -- I'm not saying they didn't. But between the Indian Ocean Tsunami and Katrina and the Midwest flooding and the Myanmar Cyclone and the China Earthquake...

Aren't those a heck of a lot of REALLY BAD natural disasters in a short span of time? And those are just the big ones. I know there have been bigger ones in the past. Heck, millions of people died in China during the 1930s when the Yellow River flooded. But think for a second. What does your gut say? Do you remember these things as a kid? As a teenager? Heck, even back in my 20s when I DID watch the news every morning, it wasn't like this. Every single week it's something. Right now it's the heat waves and the fires in CA. Before that it was the Midwest floods. Before that it was all of the tornadoes in the Plains states. And that's just our country! Before that was the earthquake, and right before that was the cyclone. Listen. Watch. Like birth pains, things will continue to occur harder and faster. I don't like disaster... no one likes disaster. But being in denial does not make it go away. Just stop for a sec and let me ask, "What's next?" If you're rolling your eyes right now, thinking I'm a nut and not really believing this, remember my post when you hear the next thing on the news soon.

Point number two, it completely amazes me that everyone is talking about global warming and "going green." Don't get me wrong -- I'm an earth girl and I love our planet. I'm all about recycling and organics and conserving. But using the wrong kind of light-bulb is not causing earthquakes in China. Using plastic bags at the grocery store is not the reason why the Mississippi flooded. Suddenly it seems that the answer to everything is "Go Green." Wrong answer, folks. The answer to everything is "Go God." I've read about some scientists who think we're in a global cooling. I've read about others who think we're in a global warming. I've read about others who believe our problems are simply cyclical and will go back to "normal" soon. Do you know why there are so many conflicting opinions? It's because no one can understand the facts. And that's because there is no rhyme or reason for how things are happening. It's simply prophecy.


--# 7
There will be a move towards a one-world government, in which the Anti-Christ will rule over all.

He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. (Revelation 13:7)


Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron—for iron breaks and smashes everything—and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay. (Daniel 2:40-43)

The prophecies of Daniel take a minute to interpret. Basically, for those that don't know your Bible, Daniel uses the Holy Spirit to interpret dreams. An important prophecy of Daniel is described in the second chapter of the book of Daniel. Basically, the great King Nebuchadnezzar had a significant dream but couldn't remember it. He called upon people of magic, sorcery, psychic abilities, etc. to help him. No one can give him anything until Daniel comes along, revealing the dream via the Holy Spirit. After he reveals the dream, he interprets it for the king. The full interpretation goes something like this:

"This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king. You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; in your hands he has placed mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.

"After you, another kingdom will rise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron—for iron breaks and smashes everything—and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. (Daniel 2:36-40)

So is it true? Does it makes sense?

As to the first world power, it's without a doubt as Daniel says. It was identified by him when he said to Nebuchadnezzar "you are that head of gold." This great king was the personification of the kingdom of Babylon, the greatest one world government of the ancient world. It ruled the world from about 605 BC until it's overthrow less than 68 years later by the combined forces of Media and Persia (also described in the Bible).

Persia then became the second one world government in 538 BC, enjoying it's reign for about two hundred years. Then, early in the fourth century, Alexander the Great brought about the rise of Greece.

Greece continued its one world government for another century and a half. In 146 BC, Rome crushed the Greek empire. Rome was the fourth one world government of the Bible prophecy, whose iron will -- represented by the legs of iron -- was fastened upon the world for the next six centuries.

To make a long prophecy short, out of the Roman empire grew many countries and nations, most of which are still in rule today.

Later in the Book of Daniel, he goes on to explain more about this "fourth" kingdom:

"He gave me this explanation: 'The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. He will speak against the Most High (God) and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints (Christ believers during the great Tribulation) will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time."

So basically, Daniel is describing a dude who will rule over this whole kingdom, which will have at some point actually been ten smaller kingdoms. Which means in the future, the Anti-Christ will be the ruler of the One World Government. From what I understand of this prophecy, the world will be broken up into ten regions of government. Each region will have a ruler. Then the Anti-Christ comes along, and rules them all.

In the past, this seemed impossible. Even just 50 years ago, someone would shake their head and say, "No way! How can that be? There are hundreds of countries. No way could it ever be just ten governments for the whole world."

Uh, yeah. Have you read the news lately? Have you been hearing a lot about the European Union (EU)? How about the French President Nicolas Sarkozy's push for a Mediterranean Union? Have you Googled "North American Union?" Or how about "Central Asian Union?"

I'm telling you... it's Bible prophecy happening right before our very eyes.


--# 8
There will be wars and rumors of wars.

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen; the end is yet to come. (Matthew 24:6)


When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. (Mark 13:7-8)

Now, my posts on these End-Time signs are NOT intended to freak you out because the end is coming next week. It's not. Do I think the end is coming next month, or next year? No... I don't. Do I think the end is coming in my lifetime? Yes. Jesus says this in the Book of Mark: Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. (Mark 13:29-31)

Which means to me that when the signs begin, Christians should not be alarmed. We should watch for these clues, and continue to live our lives for the Lord. But we should know that the end is near, and that Bible prophecy is now playing out exactly the way it is stated. It is our job now as Christians to spread the word of the Gospels and open the world's eyes.

I don't even have to explain the "wars and rumors of wars." Back in the 1900's, people knew when a war was going on. And there weren't hundreds of wars all over the globe. Now, there are skirmishes everywhere: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Israel, Iraq, Africa, South America, whatever... you name it. If you hear about a battle in South Africa or deaths from fighting in Columbia in the news, do you even pay much attention to it anymore? I mean seriously. This sign is a no-brainer.


--# 9
Many will travel to and fro and increase knowledge.

"At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. (Daniel 12:1-4)

Remember Daniel, the dream interpreter? Well later in that Book, the Lord reveals just a bit of End-Times prophecy to him, but then tells him that the rest needs to be closed up and sealed until the right time.

The important thing to note is the portion about going "to and fro" -- or "here and there." Also, knowledge will be increased.

How significant is that as an indicator to the end-times? Think about the last 2,000 years since Christ's birth (Daniel lived before Christ -- he's Old Testament). For the most part, it's been mostly the same. Man had fire, metal-working skills, farming skills, and transportation via horse & buggy (or cart, or chariot, or whatever). Then the 20th century comes along, and suddenly man starts inventing all kinds of stuff. LOTS of stuff. New transportation. Mass-production. Electricity. Communication. After 19 centuries of the same ol' thing, suddenly man explodes in a powerful burst of intellect and creativity. And if you think that's amazing, think back to just 30 years ago. Cell phones? Nope. Computers? Very big, clunky ones with 2-dimensional screens. Travel? Sure, some did. Mostly by cars. Families went on vacation via RV and such. Communications? There was TV, radio and phone, but no satellites, cable or wireless.

Look at things these days. When I was a little kid, barely anyone I knew flew on a plane (just relatives who immigrated from the Middle East). People just didn't really fly back then. Nowadays, everyone flies. Personally, I do it now about six or seven times a year. Look at things like iPhones and laptops and MySpace and research databases. How about e-books and satellite TV and microchip and RFID (radio frequency identification). We have cars and GPS that talk. We do all our banking online. We read the newspaper online.

Could you have possibly imagined any of that 30, 40, 50 years ago? Atheists and liberals can say all they want about intelligence and evolution. There isn't one shred of proof out there that evolution can cause a significant change in society in such a short period of time.

Bible prophecy, my friends. It's all part of God's plan. It was predicted with accuracy thousands of years ago, and to deny that this is all heading towards one specific, God-directed path would be silly. And a little close-minded, if I might say.


--# 10
Disease will be rampant.

And there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. (Matthew 24:7)

Pestilence is another word for disease and/or infection. Okay, so remember back in the 80's when they predicted that most of the diseases would be gone by now? I remember very distinctly being taught in school that scientists believed cancer and HIV would be cured by the year 2000.

Not even close. Talk about an epidemic -- cancer is everywhere. Again, going back to when I was a kid, I didn't know anyone who had cancer. Neither did my parents. Guess what? Nowadays I can't count how many people I know who had/have cancer. Two in my immediate family. Sure, some might point back to the Bubonic plague or Smallpox pr TB back in the day. But were there hundreds of different kinds of the plague? Nope. How about TB? Nope. Were the victims all kinds of races or nationalities scattered across the globe? Nope. Mostly they were outbreaks and pandemics in one particular country or region.

Let's even break away from cancer and AIDS for a minute. West Nile. SARS. Bird Flu. Ebola. MRSA. Autism. Heart disease. How about those confounding outbreaks of Salmonella and e. Coli in our foods? Add all of that on top of the serious epidemic of AIDS and cancer, and you've got a whole world full of serious disease and pestilence. And have I talked about the flu? Lung disease and asthma are two growing concerns these days, too.


Stay tuned for more...