When it comes to predictions about the future, more important than the prediction itself is the credibility of the source of information. An unlikely prediction from a credible source can cause us to change our actions and behaviors. On the other hand, we are not likely to give much thought at all to sources we deem unreliable.

For example, last winter Portlanders were told to expect freezing rain and snow in the city. Not many years ago, we probably would have been skeptical of such a forecast. Many of us used to routinely take a “wait-and-see” approach to storm predictions, because so many times before we had heard similar forecasts that never materialized. I remember one time when all the schools in the city closed because a major winter storm was predicted, but then there was no storm at all. The closures were a huge waste of time and resources. However, technology in weather forecasting has advanced to the point that it now has a high degree of accuracy. In addition, in the last few years, Portland has seen multiple ice storms. Nowadays, when one is in the forecast, we tend to believe it will happen. We deem the weather forecasters to be a credible source, so last winter most of us took precautions when they issued warnings.

Consider some more significant predictions that have been made, such as the end of civilization. It seems as if almost every year, someone will declare a new theory about how and when humanity will meet its end. Last year, I heard a biologist say that the human population is no longer sustainable, and that in order to be sustainable, we would need five more earths to inhabit. He predicted mass extinction of the human species. But before you get too worried, you should know that in 1968, this same biologist predicted that humans would become extinct within a decade. Clearly, his predictions lack credibility. Regardless of how may warnings he gives, we are not likely to be persuaded by one who has proven to be an unreliable source.

A source we must consider

There is a source we can trust and believe no matter how impossible the report may seem. That One is the Lord. Matthew 24 records one of the instances when He made an unexpected prediction to His disciples, and it was concerning the Temple at Jerusalem. History records that the Temple complex was a spectacular place. Over forty-six years before the Matthew 24 account, Herod the Great had begun the expansion and reconstruction of the site. At that time, the complex itself was over thirty-five acres. The Roman Colosseum had not yet been built, but if it had, its square footage would have been less than one-sixth the size of the Temple complex. The courtyard walls were constructed with massive white sandstone blocks that weighed up to fifty tons each. They were cut and polished so perfectly that not even a piece of paper could fit between them; it was an absolute engineering marvel. All the Temple buildings were made of white marble, so the structure would have been stunning to see in person. It has been reported that the eastern courtyard wall was overlaid with gold and could be seen from miles away when it shined in the morning light of the rising sun.

In the Matthew 24 account, Jesus and His disciples were visiting Jerusalem, and after He had been teaching in the Temple one day, “his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple” (Matthew 24:1).  We can understand why the disciples would have wanted to show the Lord these impressive buildings! However, Jesus’ response to them was, “See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” Now that was a remarkable prediction. It would have been astonishing to the disciples, something difficult for them to even comprehend. We can imagine that they probably struggled to believe Him.

Yet, as unbelievable as the pronouncement was, they had to stop and consider that it could be true because of the Source. After all, Jesus was the One who had said to a man who had been dead for four days, “Lazarus, come forth!” And they had all watched as Lazarus walked out of his tomb, still bound in grave clothes. Peter would have remembered the time he needed to pay the Temple tax, and Jesus told him to go down to the shore, put a hook on a fishing line, cast it in and catch a fish, and then open its mouth to find the tax money inside. That actually happened! All the disciples, no doubt, would have remembered the night they were caught in a terrible storm on the Sea of Galilee and thought they were going to perish. Then Jesus stood in their midst and said, “Peace, be still,” and there was a great calm. If anyone else had said that the Temple would be destroyed, it would have been impossible to believe, but the disciples knew that if Jesus said it, it must be true. In fact, the Temple was destroyed by Titus in 70 A.D., and some of those disciples would still have been alive to see the prediction come true.

The signs predicted

Though the disciples accepted what Jesus told them that day, it is apparent that it took them a little time to digest the information. They all walked to the Mount of Olives, which would have taken about thirty minutes, and there the disciples came to Jesus privately saying, “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3). It seems that they could only conceive of the Temple being destroyed in a cataclysmic type of event at the end of the world, and so they began asking the Lord when that was going to happen.

Verses 4-24 of Matthew 24 catalog the signs of the end times that the Lord shared with them. These were signs that they could observe and then know that the end was near. He began by warning that many would come in His name and would deceive many. That was something they were already witnessing in their time, and we still see it happening today. Many have claimed to be Christ, and they deceive many.

The Lord told them that there would be wars and rumors of wars. That is interesting because that time period was one of the few in history when there was mostly peace throughout the region. Many believe that was something God orchestrated so the Gospel could spread throughout the world at that time. But within a decade or so of this prediction, there were wars and rumors of wars, and those continue to this day.

In verse 7, the Lord spoke of famines, pestilences, and earthquakes. Today, at least four countries are experiencing famines and dozens more are on the brink of it. As for pestilence, certainly COVID comes to mind, but there have also been recent outbreaks of measles in many countries, as well as bird flu, Ebola, RSV, and the list goes on. There have been major locust infestations in recent years as well. When it comes to earthquakes, it seems like they grow more frequent every year. In 2022, there were 128 around the world that were at least 6.0 in magnitude on the Richter scale.

The Lord went on to warn of persecutions. In 2022, it was reported that 360 million Christians experienced high levels of persecution. Then He told the disciples that many false prophets would arise and deceive many. Today, there are so many false prophets that even some who attend evangelical churches flock to hear them. Many have been deceived by those falsely claiming to do the work of God.

Other signs were given by the Lord too, and we see them all in our day. It appears that most, if not all of the prophecies related to His return, have already been fulfilled. If we stopped to really consider the situation, we would have a strong basis to expect that it will be soon. Of course, in verse 36 Jesus said, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” Even though we don’t know the day or hour, we believe His coming is very soon. The signs are all there. It is God’s mercy and love that causes Him to tarry so that people—maybe you as you read this article—will have an opportunity to be saved and ready for Christ’s return.

Recognizing the signs

The Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804 is a historical example of signs that indicated reaching a goal. Their expedition across North America took place shortly after the United States acquired a vast portion of the country with the Louisiana Purchase. The government commissioned Lewis and Clark to travel to the Pacific Ocean and document their journey. At that time, there were no maps of that area. The information they had about the terrain was sketchy at best, with their most reliable source being the Native Americans who tried to share what they knew about the land. The team had almost no idea how long it would take to reach the ocean, though they were determined to get there.

Eventually, in 1805, they had crossed over the Rocky Mountains. Then the day came when they arrived at the Columbia River. Based on what they had been told, they thought there was a good chance that it would flow all the way to the ocean. But it wasn’t until they saw signs of the ocean that they believed it was true. The first sign was Mount Hood; they had been given a description of it thirteen years prior by explorers who had travelled from the Pacific up the Columbia River. When Lewis and Clark’s crew finally saw it, they concluded, “That’s Mount Hood! We must be getting close.” A few days after that, they saw seagulls. That’s a sure sign of the ocean! They would have known they had to be within a couple hundred miles. Days went by, and then as they were drinking from the river, they began to taste salt.

All of these were signs, indicating to them that they were getting close to their destination—the Pacific Ocean. One day, they found seaweed in the water. Then they began to feel the ocean tide affecting the flow of the river. So when they saw the ocean for the first time, it was by no means a surprise. They had known it was imminently close because they recognized all the signs.

The signs that the Lord gave us about the end times indicate that the Rapture is now imminently close. We have to believe the Source and we have to understand the signs that are happening around us. They tell us that at any moment, we could be in Christ’s presence at the Rapture of the Church. The Lord wants everyone who hears His message to believe the report and to understand that the opportunity to be saved from the coming judgment is now. If you are not ready, ask God to forgive your sins and come into your heart, and He will give you the peace and assurance that He will take you with Him when He comes.

The Lord Himself spoke the final words recorded in Scripture concerning His return: “Surely I come quickly” (Revelation 22:20). Jesus is going to come quickly. It will happen in the blink of an eye: “The dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). What a wonderful hope!