Signs of the TimesWhat Did Jesus Tell Us to Watch For?
Signs of the Times What Did Jesus Tell Us to Watch For?
Wars. Disasters. Deception. Persecution. A world that sometimes seems to be coming apart. Are these signs that the end is near? Jesus told His followers to watch—but He also warned them not to be alarmed.
Every generation seems to have moments when people look at the world and wonder, “Could this be it?”
Wars break out.
Nations become unstable.
Earthquakes and disasters fill the news.
Technology changes almost faster than we can understand it.
Cultural values shift.
Christians face persecution in many parts of the world.
And somewhere, someone begins connecting the headlines with biblical prophecy.
Sometimes those connections deserve serious consideration.
Sometimes they are speculation dressed up as certainty.
What did Jesus actually mean when He spoke about the signs of the times—and how should Christians respond?
Jesus did not teach His followers to ignore the signs. But neither did He teach them to live in panic. He called them to discernment, endurance, faithfulness, and hope.
Jesus Really Did Tell Us to Pay Attention
Christians sometimes move toward one of two extremes.
One extreme becomes fascinated with prophecy.
Every war becomes prophetic.
Every new technology becomes the mark of the beast.
Every international crisis becomes the beginning of Armageddon.
The other extreme responds by ignoring biblical prophecy almost completely.
Neither approach is necessary.
Jesus Himself told His disciples to watch.
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”
Notice what Jesus does not say.
He does not say:
Calculate the date.
He says:
Keep watch.
The Disciples Asked Jesus About the Future
Much of what Christians call the “signs of the times” comes from Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21.
Jesus and His disciples were leaving the temple when the disciples called His attention to its magnificent buildings.
Jesus gave them a shocking response.
“Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
Later the disciples asked Him privately:
“Tell us, when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
Jesus’ answer forms one of the most important passages in the Bible concerning the future.
Christians Do Not Agree on Every Detail
Matthew 24 has produced considerable debate among faithful Christians.
Some understand much of Jesus’ prophecy as referring primarily to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.
Others see the passage primarily describing events surrounding Christ’s future return.
Still others believe Jesus moves between the destruction of Jerusalem and the final events of history, with the earlier judgment foreshadowing the later one.
Primarily First Century
Much of the prophecy concerns Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple in AD 70.
Primarily Future
Much of the prophecy points toward events immediately preceding Christ’s return.
Near and Far
Jesus describes events connected with Jerusalem while also looking toward the ultimate completion of history.
We do not have to settle every prophetic disagreement before hearing Jesus’ central message: do not be deceived, do not panic, endure faithfully, proclaim the Gospel, and remain ready for His return.
Religious Deception
Interestingly, Jesus begins not with earthquakes, wars, or political upheaval.
He begins with deception.
“Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.”
That should get our attention.
Jesus seems particularly concerned that His followers not be spiritually misled.
Before Jesus tells His disciples to watch world events, He tells them to guard themselves against deception.
That warning remains important.
Not everyone who speaks confidently about prophecy understands prophecy.
Not everyone claiming special revelation speaks for God.
Not every viral prediction deserves our attention.
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, but the end is still to come.”
This verse is often quoted when a major war begins.
But notice Jesus’ conclusion.
He does not say:
“When you hear about a war, assume the end has arrived.”
He says:
“See to it that you are not alarmed.”
Wars remind us that the world remains deeply broken.
But war by itself is not a biblical countdown clock.
Famines and Earthquakes
“There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.”
Jesus uses the picture of birth pains.
Something is coming.
History is moving somewhere.
Creation itself waits for redemption.
Paul uses similar imagery.
“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.”
Natural disasters should awaken compassion and remind us that creation is not yet what it will someday become.
But Scripture does not give us permission to declare every earthquake a specific prophetic fulfillment.
Persecution of Christ’s Followers
“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.”
Persecution was not merely a prediction for some distant generation.
The apostles themselves experienced it.
Christians throughout church history have experienced it.
Christians in parts of the world continue to experience severe persecution.
Jesus never promised His followers cultural popularity.
He told them to expect opposition.
Falling Away, Betrayal, and Growing Cold
“Many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other… Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.”
This may be one of the most sobering warnings in the passage.
Jesus is not only concerned about what happens in nations.
He is concerned about what happens in hearts.
Is my love for Christ growing—or slowly growing cold?
That question may be more spiritually important than determining whether some current event fulfills a particular prophecy.
False Prophets and False Messiahs
Jesus returns repeatedly to the danger of deception.
“False messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”
Spiritual claims should therefore be tested.
Dramatic experiences alone do not prove that something comes from God.
Charisma does not prove truth.
Popularity does not prove truth.
Miraculous claims do not automatically prove truth.
Everything must ultimately be tested against the truth God has revealed.
The Gospel Going to the Nations
Among all the troubling things Jesus describes, there is also remarkable good news.
“This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
The story of the last days is not merely the story of increasing darkness.
It is also the story of the Gospel going outward.
Across languages.
Across borders.
Across cultures.
Across generations.
What Will People Be Like?
Paul describes another dimension of the last days.
“There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive… lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power.”
It is tempting to read that passage and immediately point at everyone else.
But Scripture should first become a mirror.
Am I becoming a lover of self, money, pleasure, recognition, or comfort more than a lover of God?
When Did the “Last Days” Begin?
Christians sometimes speak about the last days as though they refer only to the final few years before Christ’s return.
The New Testament uses the expression more broadly.
At Pentecost, Peter quoted the prophet Joel:
“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.”
Peter applied that prophecy to what was happening in his own day.
Hebrews says God has spoken to us “in these last days” through His Son.
John told his readers:
“Dear children, this is the last hour.”
In the New Testament, the “last days” begin with the coming of Christ and move toward His return. Christians have been living in the last days for nearly two thousand years.
Scripture Does Not Give Us Permission to Set Dates
Christians have repeatedly attempted to calculate the date of Christ’s return.
Those predictions have repeatedly failed.
Jesus’ own words should make us cautious.
“But about that day or hour no one knows.”
After the resurrection, the disciples again asked about God’s timetable.
“It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses.”
That is a remarkable redirection.
They asked about the schedule.
Jesus pointed them toward the mission.
Be Careful About Reading the Bible Through Today’s Headlines
Current events can certainly remind us of biblical themes.
But there is a danger in assuming that every modern event has a direct prophetic label attached to it.
Christians have made that mistake before.
Different generations have confidently identified particular rulers as the Antichrist.
New inventions have been identified as the mark of the beast.
Wars have been announced as Armageddon.
Dates have been calculated.
The predictions passed.
Scripture remained.
Read the headlines through Scripture. Do not continually rewrite Scripture around the headlines.
New Technology Can Be Significant Without Being a Prophecy
Artificial intelligence.
Digital currency.
Biometric identification.
Global communication.
Surveillance technology.
These developments raise legitimate ethical and theological questions.
Some may eventually play roles in events Christians associate with biblical prophecy.
But possibility is not the same thing as fulfillment.
Does Scripture clearly identify this development—or am I connecting dots the Bible itself does not connect?
Christians Interpret Israel’s Prophetic Role Differently
Few subjects in end-times theology produce more discussion than the relationship between Israel, the church, and biblical prophecy.
Dispensational interpreters generally expect significant prophetic promises concerning national Israel to receive future fulfillment.
Covenant and other non-dispensational interpreters often understand many of those promises through Christ and the people of God formed in Him.
Other Christians hold positions somewhere between those approaches.
Romans 9–11 remains central to the discussion.
Biblical questions about Israel should be studied carefully from Scripture rather than settled merely by interpreting every modern geopolitical event as direct prophetic fulfillment.
The New Testament Gives Us More Than One Category
Christians often use the word “Antichrist” for a final evil ruler associated with the end times.
The New Testament picture is more layered.
John speaks about “many antichrists.”
Paul describes the “man of lawlessness.”
Revelation describes the beast.
Christians disagree about exactly how these passages relate to one another.
But their shared warning is clear:
Faithful Christians Disagree About the Timeline
Christ Returns Before the Millennium
Premillennial Christians expect Christ’s return before the millennial reign described in Revelation 20.
The Millennium Describes Christ’s Present Reign
Amillennial Christians generally understand the thousand years symbolically as the present age of Christ’s reign.
The Gospel Advances Before Christ Returns
Postmillennial Christians expect a broad historical triumph of the Gospel before Christ’s return.
Jesus Christ Will Return
Despite disagreement about the sequence, historic Christianity confesses the future return of Jesus, resurrection, judgment, and God’s final victory.
The Bible Gives Us Certainties Even When the Timeline Is Debated
Jesus Christ will return.
His return will bring human history toward God’s appointed conclusion.
The dead will be raised.
God will judge evil with perfect justice.
Christ will ultimately defeat every power opposed to God.
God’s people will be with Christ.
God will bring about the new creation.
Christians can disagree about charts while agreeing about the destination.
Jesus’ Emphasis Is Readiness, Not Speculation
When Jesus speaks about the future, He repeatedly moves from prediction to discipleship.
Watch.
Be ready.
Do not be deceived.
Do not be afraid.
Endure.
Remain faithful.
Proclaim the Gospel.
“The one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
Be the Servant Who Is Still Doing His Master’s Work
After describing the signs, Jesus tells a story about a faithful servant.
The master has gone away.
The servant does not know exactly when he will return.
So what should the servant do?
Keep doing what the master told him to do.
The person most prepared for Christ’s return is not necessarily the person with the best prophecy chart. It is the person faithfully following Jesus when He comes.
Prophecy Was Never Intended to Keep Christians Terrified
Biblical prophecy contains serious warnings.
But for those who belong to Christ, the return of Jesus is ultimately described as hope.
“We wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
Blessed hope.
Not blessed terror.
Christians are not waiting for evil to win.
We are waiting for Christ.
The Point of Prophecy Is Jesus
End-times study can become strangely Christless.
We can spend enormous amounts of time discussing:
The Antichrist.
The beast.
Armageddon.
The tribulation.
The millennium.
The mark.
Israel.
Babylon.
And somehow Jesus becomes a supporting character in a story that is actually about Him.
Biblical prophecy does not ultimately announce the triumph of the Antichrist. It announces the triumph of Jesus Christ.
Being Ready Begins With Knowing Christ
The most important end-times question is not:
“Have I figured out the timeline?”
It is:
“Do I belong to Jesus Christ?”
Christianity says our deepest problem is not that we lack prophetic information.
Our deepest problem is sin.
And God has done something about it.
Jesus came.
He lived the life we failed to live.
He died for sinners.
He rose from the grave.
He offers forgiveness and eternal life to those who trust Him.
“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.”
Watch the Signs—but Keep Your Eyes on Jesus
Are we living in the last days?
Biblically speaking, yes.
The New Testament describes the age between Christ’s first coming and His return as the last days.
Are current events preparing the world for the final events described in Scripture?
Possibly.
But we should be careful about claiming more than Scripture allows us to know.
Jesus gave us something better than a date.
He gave us a mission.
Watch.
Do not be deceived.
Do not be afraid.
Endure.
Share the Gospel.
Stay faithful.
Be ready.
And remember: history is not moving toward chaos. It is moving toward Jesus Christ.
Questions Worth Considering
- When I think about the end times, do I feel primarily fear, fascination, hope, or confidence in Christ?
- Am I more interested in identifying prophetic signs than becoming a faithful disciple?
- Do I test prophecy claims carefully against Scripture?
- Have I allowed current events to control the way I interpret the Bible?
- Is my love for Christ growing or growing cold?
- Am I prepared to remain faithful if following Jesus becomes costly?
- Am I participating in Christ’s mission of taking the Gospel to others?
- If Jesus returned today, would He find me faithfully doing what He called me to do?
Lord Jesus, help me to live watchfully without living fearfully. Give me wisdom to recognize deception and humility not to claim more than Your Word reveals. Keep my love from growing cold. Give me courage when following You is difficult and compassion for a world that desperately needs the Gospel. Instead of becoming consumed with dates, predictions, and speculation, teach me to faithfully do the work You have given me. Keep my eyes fixed on You as I wait with hope for the day when You make all things new. Amen.