Discerning the Signs of the Times (Part 3)

END TIMES PROPHECY SERIES   Dr. Gonzalez states that the “signs of the times,” are signs that will be evident to those living during the Tribulation regarding Christ’s second coming and not to the church regarding the Rapture, since there are no signs that point to the rapture of the church.   1 Peter 4:7 says, The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers (NLT). Dr. Gonzalez explains that in the Greek text, this reference is expressed by a perfect-tense verb, which means that the action spoken of here— The end of the world is coming soon—is a present reality with future consequences. Peter’s statement could be rendered, “The end of all things has already begun.” If this rendering is correct, then when did the end of all things begin? Well, according to Scripture, they began with Christ’s first coming. In 1 Cor. 10:11 Paul wrote, These things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our instruction, on whom the ends of the ages have come. And in 1 John 2:18 John says, Children, it is the last hour. And as you have heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. By this we know that it is the last hour. His first coming initiated the end of the age, His return will mark the end of all things. Dr. Gonzalez says that based on when it began and when it ends, we can safely conclude that the “last days,” are the entire church age.   Although the exact time of these future events is unknown and Christians are not to attempt to set dates and times, the Bible does say that the general period can be known, and without a doubt, the signs of the times clearly seem to indicate the nearness of these events. It is a biblical imperative that all Christians exercise discernment in all things, this includes prophecy.     Today’s podcast is brought to you by Time in the Word.   As God ministers to you through this series of studies and as you experience God’s love and grace in your own life, share these podcasts with others, so that they too may be blessed by God’s Word and His amazing grace.   Time in the Word with Bible teacher Dr. Miguel Gonzalez is a ministry of Reasons for Faith International Ministries, a ministry committed to the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the clear exposition of God’s Word.   For additional resources, or if you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting www.rffiministries.org.