'Ramping Up to Revelation': Are the End Times Upon Us?

Wars. Rumors of wars. Famines. Pestilences. Earthquakes. These are just some of the "birth pains" Jesus said will precede the biblical end times. And with a solar eclipse, a random earthquake in the northeast, and continued consternation in the Middle East dominating headlines, it should come as no surprise end of days speculation is currently kicking back up in recent days and weeks.  Prophecy expert Jeff Kinley, author of "God's Grand Finale" and the coming book, "The End of the World According to Jesus of Nazareth," weighed in on these dynamics, offering an explainer about what the Bible actually says — and why it matters. "Jesus and Matthew 24 list a ton of signs that will precursor [Christ's] Second Coming, and it basically mirrors the Book of Revelation — the first half of Revelation," Kinley said. "And in those signs you have ... things like wars, you have rumors of wars, you have famines ... earthquakes, and then Jesus said, 'All these things are merely the beginnings of birth pangs.'" The author went on to say he believes Christ is talking about the Tribulation period, a time during the end of days some Christians believe will be characterized by God's judgment. As far as what's happening in the world today, Kinley believes its a "ramping up to Revelation." "It's like when you're watching a baseball game or a football game," he said. "You're watching the quarterback, you're watching the pitcher, you're watching where the ball is, essentially."  Kinley continued, "Well, where the ball is prophetically is Israel, and, so, if you want to know really kind of put your finger on the pulse of what's going on prophetically, you need to look at Israel." Anyone looking at Israel right now can see the nation is locked in a great battle against Hamas, Hezbollah, and, more broadly, Iran. Kinley said focusing on this dispute — and region — is essential if Christians want to truly understand what's happening. "All eyes should be on Israel, because the Bible says that God is going to bring ... the global narrative in the end times back to Israel, back to Jerusalem," he said. "And all the things that are taking place were prophesied — these foreshadows were prophesied many thousands of years ago." Kinley said the Bible predicts that nations will come against Israel in the last days, and pondered whether what's unfolding right now is the "preseason to the actual events that Christ and others" predicted would one day take form.