Signs of the End of the Age

JESUS left the temple and was walking away when HIS disciples came up to HIM to call HIS attention to its buildings. "Do you see all these things?" HE asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."

       As JESUS was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to HIM privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of YOUR coming and of the end of the age?"

       JESUS answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in MY name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

       "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of ME. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

       "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader understand--then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time.

       "So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of THE SON OF MAN. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

       "Immediately after the distress of those days

       " 'the sun will be darkened,

          and the moon will not give its light;

       the stars will fall from the sky,

          and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'

       "At that time the sign of THE SON OF MAN will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see THE SON OF MAN coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And HE will send HIS angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather HIS elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

       "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, 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. Heaven and earth will pass away, but MY words will never pass away.

Gospel of Matthew: chapter 24, verses 1 - 35

The Day and Hour Unknown

       "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor THE SON, but only THE FATHER. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of THE SON OF MAN. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of THE SON OF MAN. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

       "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your LORD will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because THE SON OF MAN will come at an hour when you do not expect HIM.

       "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Gospel of Matthew: chapter 24, verses 36 - 51

Signs of the End of the Age

As HE was leaving the temple, one of HIS disciples said to HIM, "Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!"

       "Do you see all these great buildings?" replied JESUS. "Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."

       As JESUS was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked HIM privately, "Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?"

       JESUS said to them: "Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in MY name, claiming, 'I am he,' and will deceive many. 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.

       "You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of ME you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but THE HOLY SPIRIT.

       "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of ME, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

       "When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong--let the reader understand--then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down or enter the house to take anything out. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that this will not take place in winter, because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when GOD created the world, until now--and never to be equaled again. If THE LORD had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom HE has chosen, HE has shortened them. At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect--if that were possible. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.

       "But in those days, following that distress,

       " 'the sun will be darkened,

          and the moon will not give its light;

       the stars will fall from the sky,

          and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'

       "At that time men will see THE SON OF MAN coming in clouds with great power and glory. And HE will send HIS angels and gather HIS elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

       "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 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. Heaven and earth will pass away, but MY words will never pass away.

Gospel of Mark: chapter 13, verses 1 - 31

The Day and Hour Unknown

       "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor THE SON, but only THE FATHER. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

       "Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back--whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you. I say to everyone: 'Watch!' "

Gospel of Mark: chapter 13, verses 32 - 37

Signs of the End of the Age

       Some of HIS disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to GOD. But JESUS said, "As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down."

       "TEACHER," they asked, "when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?"

       HE replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in MY name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near!' Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away."

       Then HE said to them: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.

       "But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of MY name. This will result in your being witnesses to them. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of ME. But not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life.

       "When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

       "There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see THE SON OF MAN coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

       HE told them this parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of GOD is near.

       "I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but MY words will never pass away.

       "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before THE SON OF MAN."

       Each day JESUS was teaching at the temple, and each evening HE went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives, and all the people came early in the morning to hear HIM at the temple.

Gospel of Luke: chapter 21, verses 5 - 38

The Seals

I watched as THE LAMB opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.

       When THE LAMB opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword.

       When THE LAMB opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"

       When THE LAMB opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

       When HE opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of GOD and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, "How long, SOVEREIGN LORD, holy and true, until YOU judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.

       I watched as HE opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

       Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of HIM who sits on the throne and from the wrath of THE LAMB! For the great day of THEIR wrath has come, and who can stand?"

The Book of Revelation: chapter 6

The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer

When HE opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

       And I saw the seven angels who stand before GOD, and to them were given seven trumpets.

       Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before GOD from the angel's hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

The Book of Revelation: chapter 8, verses 1 - 5

The Trumpets

       Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.

       The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

       The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

       The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water--the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.

       The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.

       As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!"

       The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of GOD on their foreheads. They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.

       The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. Their hair was like women's hair, and their teeth were like lion's teeth. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. They had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.

       The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.

       The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar that is before GOD. It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number.

       The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur. A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.

       The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood--idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.

The Book of Revelation: chapter 8, verses 6 - 13 & chapter 9

The Seventh Trumpet

       The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:

       "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our LORD and of HIS CHRIST,

          and HE will reign for ever and ever."

And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before GOD, fell on their faces and worshiped GOD, saying:

       "We give thanks to YOU, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY,

          THE ONE who is and who was,

       because YOU have taken YOUR great power

          and have begun to reign.

       The nations were angry;

          and YOUR wrath has come.

       The time has come for judging the dead,

          and for rewarding YOUR servants the prophets

       and YOUR saints and those who reverence YOUR name,

          both small and great--

       and for destroying those who destroy the earth."

       Then GOD'S temple in heaven was opened, and within HIS temple was seen the ark of HIS covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm.

The Book of Revelation: chapter 11, verses 15 - 19

The Seven Bowls of GOD'S Wrath

       Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go, pour out the seven bowls of GOD'S wrath on the earth."

       The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image.

       The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died.

       The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say:

       "YOU are just in these judgments,

          YOU who are and who were, THE HOLY ONE,

          because YOU have so judged;

       for they have shed the blood of YOUR saints and prophets,

          and YOU have given them blood to drink as they deserve."

And I heard the altar respond:

       "Yes, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY,

          true and just are YOUR judgments."

       The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire. They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of GOD, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify HIM.

       The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed THE GOD OF HEAVEN because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.

       The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of GOD ALMIGHTY.

       "Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed."

       Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

       The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, "It is done!" Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. GOD remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of HIS wrath. Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed GOD on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.

The Book of Revelation: chapter 16