signs indicate that the End Times

1. What signs indicate that the End Times are near?

The Rapture—the raising of the Church into heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:17)—is the next event on the prophetic calendar. The following signs indicate that the End Times are near.
The Sign of Deception
Many people will claim to be the Messiah and claim to have the answers for a troubled world. Jesus says to “take heed”—literally to keep our eyes open so we are not fooled. In the End Times, people will be crying desperately for leaders to deliver them, and they will seek mystics and religious leaders who claim to have deeper knowledge.
The Sign of Disputes Among Nations
As wars and dissension among groups of people begin to escalate, we know it is a sign of Christ’s return. The book of Revelation tells us that the Tribulation Period is filled with war—ceaseless, unending, terrible war—that will escalate until the world is involved. The Bible says that as we move toward the End Times, there will be constant talk of conflicts, border skirmishes, race wars, and national battles.
The Sign of Devastation
Today, as you read this, millions of people in the world are going hungry, even though God has blessed us with a fruitful, abundant planet. As we get closer to the End Times, there will be more and more famine. There will also be earthquakes, something that science has said will happen. Christ also spoke of pestilence: the spread of new diseases. Our world is experiencing a spate of tragic new diseases that we are unable to control.
The Sign of Deliverance Into the Tribulation
Just before Jesus returns, there will be an explosion of antagonism toward God’s people. Christians will be persecuted. We are seeing this happen today with the rise of ISIS and their horrific attacks on Christians in the Middle East. As we grow closer to the end, many will pay a high price for living out their faith in our world.

2. Why should I avoid determining a date and time for the Rapture?

The fact is, we cannot calculate the day Christ will return for His Church because God specifically chose not to reveal it to us.
When the apostles asked Jesus about the apocalyptic time, He replied gently but firmly, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you" (Acts 1:7-8).
Only God knows what time it is, and only God knows when time will run out.
Future truth impacts present responsibility. It is the knowledge that His coming is soon that puts a little bit of urgency into our step and determination into our service.

3. Will I be a part of the Rapture if my body is cremated?

When the Scripture says, "The dead in Christ will rise," it is speaking of the bodily resurrection of believers. At this time, the spirits of believers will be united with their perfect and complete resurrection bodies. "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first [no exceptions!]. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).
If God can do the hard part of calling creation into existence through His spoken words, then it will be no problem for Him to call back the bodies of those who have been swept into the sea, or consumed by fire, or tragically maimed and murdered by vicious and murderous attacks of an enemy.

4. What will happen in Heaven after the Rapture?

After the Rapture, Christians will come before the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). The Judgment Seat is not about whether we will enter heaven—we’ll already be there because our sins have been atoned for in the substitutionary death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It will, however, be a time to give an account of the works we have done on earth, and we will be rewarded accordingly. We’ll be assigned places of authority in the coming Millennium based upon our faithfulness to God when we were on earth, as well as the influence we left behind.
There is so much relevant truth to be discovered in the Bible's prophetic passages! I encourage you to continue to study God's plan for the future. What you believe about many of these issues can determine what side you are on when God decides to draw the final curtain on the drama of history. I am confident you will find, as I have, that studying and understanding rapture and the events of tomorrow will change your view of today!

To find more answers on the Rapture and End Times, check out a free download of David Jeremiah's booklet, Answers to the Unsolved Mysteries of Prophecy.
Publication date: March 14, 2016

Glory in the Highest

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Most of the world has heard or seen this message - yet many still do not understand it! Read a find the answer!

Luke 2:8-20 New King James Version (NKJV)

Glory in the Highest

⁸ Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And ^[a]behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a ^[b]manger.”
¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill^[c] toward men!”

¹⁵ So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. ¹⁷ Now when they had seen Him, they made ^[d]widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. ¹⁸ And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Footnotes:

1. Luke 2:9 NU omits behold
2. Luke 2:12 feed trough
3. Luke 2:14 NU toward men of goodwill
4. Luke 2:17 NU omits widely

In another instance, Jesus said He did not come to send peace on the earth, but a sword. Then He prophesied that those who received Him would experience persecution, even from their own family (Mt. 10:34-36). How do these verses fit together?

The peace the angels were singing about was not a peace between men; they were rejoicing that there would be peace between God and man. When Jesus prophesied division and war in Matthew 10, he was speaking of relationships between men.

Through the Old Testament law, God began to release His wrath on man's sin (Rom. 4:15). It wasn't the wrath of Satan that Jesus suffered on the cross.

He suffered the wrath of His Father (Isa. 53:10-12; 2 Cor. 5:21). The Father placed His punishment for our sins on Jesus. This ended the war between God and man. This is the peace that the angels were proclaiming.

As a result of men receiving this peace from God there have also been many cases of reconciliation between men, but that is an effect; not the actual peace that was spoken of. These effects are secondary.

Today, through Jesus, we now have peace with God (Rom. 5:1). God is not mad at us. He isn't even upset. We have been accepted through Jesus (Eph. 1:6).

Believe the good news that through Jesus, the war between God and us is over.