-  Israel brought back into her Land again as a Nation

   (and the nations of the world won't like it)

       "Thus says the Lord GOD:

       ‘Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations,

        wherever they have gone,

        and will gather them from every side

        and bring them into their own land;’"

        (Ezek 37:21)

-  Jerusalem will be a cause of much trouble . . .

   a "cup of trembling," a "burdensome stone"

       "Behold, I [God] will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling

        unto all the people round about . . ."

        (Zech 12:2 KJV)

       "And in that day will I make Jerusalem.

        a burdensome stone for all people . . ."

        (Zech 12:3 KJV)

        [Don’t miss this . . . God says He is the One stirring things up!]

-  Wars and rumors of wars . . . increasing

-  Ethnic tensions and brutal ethnic wars . . . increasing

-  Global famines and starvation . . . increasing

-  Deadly diseases spreading . . . and increasing

-  Earthquakes in "diverse" places . . . increasing . . .

       "Now as He [Jesus] sat on the Mount of Olives,

        the disciples came to Him privately, saying,

       ‘Tell us, when will these things be?’

        And ‘What will be the sign of Your coming,

        and of the end of the Age?’"

        (Matt 24:3)

        And Jesus answered and said to them:

       "Take heed that no one deceives you.

        For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’

        and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars

        and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled;

        for all these things must come to pass,

        but the end is not yet.  [Still before the Rapture and the 'Apocalypse']

        For nation [ethnos] will rise against nation [ethnos],

        and kingdom against kingdom.

        And there will be famines, pestilences [deadly diseases],

        and earthquakes in various places.

        All these are the beginning of sorrows [birth pangs]." 

        [Before the Rapture and "Apocalypse"]

        [As with "birth pangs" they will grow in size and frequency]

        (Matt 24:4-8)

        [The original Greek word translated "nation" was "ethnos,"

         from which we get our word "ethnic."]

-  Europe . . . strong nations mixed with weak nations uniting as one political body

       "Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of clay and partly of iron,

        the kingdom [Rome] shall be divided . . . [now re-uniting as modern Europe]

        And as the toes and feet were partly of iron and partly of clay,

        so the [re-united] kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile . . ."

        (Dan 9:41-43)   [This will be the "kingdom" of the Anti-christ and Armageddon]

       "Then I stood on the sand of the sea.

        And I saw a beast [Satan’s Anti-christ]

        rising up out of the sea,

        having seven heads and ten horns,

        and on his horns ten crowns,

        [other prophecies tell us these represent nations in Europe]

        and on his heads a blasphemous name . . .

        his throne, and great authority." (Rev 13:1,2)

       "The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from [out of]

        this kingdom [the Roman Empire ... now modern Europe].

        And another shall rise after them;

        he [the Anti-christ] shall be different from the first ones,

        and shall subdue three kings . . ."   [The end begins]

        (Dan 7:24)

-  World power(s) preparing a "peace agreement" or "resolution" for Israel

    (it will be enforced after the Rapture)

       "Then he   [the Anti-christ ... also called "the prince who is to come"]

        shall confirm [enforces ... it doesn't say he writes or signs it]

        a covenant [a coming peace agreement]

        with [the] many [Israel - the "many" (majority) in Israel will be against it]

        for one week [of years ... 7 years ... this coming treaty defines the "final" 7 years]

        But in the middle of the week  [exactly 3 1/2 years]

        [The book of Revelation details this period]

        He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering ...

        [This and other prophecies reveal a new Jewish Temple will be built in Jerusalem]

        (Dan 9:26-27)   [Note:  Find a good study of the book of Daniel that explains

        and ties together the prophecies from Daniel chapters 2, 7, and 9:24-27)

-  Religions based on "revelations" brought by "angels" that add or teach "other ways" to heaven than simply believing in the only One who died for all of our sins on the Cross and was raised from the dead (to prove there is life in Heaven ... and Hell)

       "I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him

        who called you in the grace of Christ,  ["grace" means you can't earn Heaven - He paid for you]

        to a different gospel, which is not another;

        but there are some who trouble you

        and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.

        But even if we, or an angel from heaven,

        preach any other gospel to you

        than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.

        As we have said before, so now I say again,

        if anyone preaches any other gospel to you

        than what you have received, let him be accursed."

        (Gal 1:6-9)

       "Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.

        And because lawlessness [sin] will abound,

        the love of many [for Jesus Christ] will grow cold."

        (Matt 24:11-12)

[It's interesting that the Prophet Mohammed started "Islam" (Moslems) and the Prophet Joseph Smith started "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" (Mormons) on "revelations" they received from an angel!  It is also interesting that they both teach a different Gospel (way to Heaven) than the Bible teaches.  The Prophet Mohammed received his revelation from an angel (he called Gabriel) about 600 years after this prophetic warning was written, and the Prophet Joseph Smith received his revelation from an angel (he called Maroni) about one thousand eight hundred years after this prophetic warning was written.]

-  False Prophet(s) and "messiahs" will keep many people away from the truth and Heaven . . .

       "Then if anyone says to you,

       ‘Look, here is the Christ [Messiah]!’ or ‘There!’

        For false christs and false Prophets will arise

        and show great signs and wonders [miracles]

        so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

        See, I have told you beforehand."  [Meaning - "Listen, this is a prophecy!]

       "Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’

        do not go out;

        or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’

        so also will the coming of the Son of Man be."

        (Matt 24:23-27)

-  Some kind of extraordinary sights or signs from space.

-  A generation identified by its character ... Bible prophecy provides a profile or "list" of the identifying character traits of  the generation who will lead the world into the unspeakable terrors of "the coming Apocalypse" . . .

       "But know this, that in the last days perilous [savage, fierce] times will come,

        for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud,

        blasphemers [mocking God and Jesus], disobedient to parents,

        unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers,

        without self-control, brutal [violent], despisers of good, traitors,

        headstrong, haughty [arrogant],

        lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

        having a form of godliness [professing a belief in "God"]

        but denying its power. And from such people turn away [shun, avoid]!"

        (2 Tim 3:1-5)

-  A generation characterized by violence . . .  and gross immorality (corruption)

        Jesus warns, "But as the days of Noah were,

        so also will the coming of the Son of Man be . . ."

        (Matt 24:37  NKJ)

        Now, to help us understand this prophecy God describes the generation of Noah . . .

       "The Earth also was corrupt [with moral corruption] before God,

        and the Earth was filled with violence.

        So God looked upon the Earth, and indeed it was corrupt;

        for all flesh had corrupted their way on the Earth.

        And God said to Noah, ‘The end of all flesh has come before Me,

        for the Earth is filled with violence through them;

        and behold, I will destroy them with the Earth . . .’"

        (Gen 6:11-13)

-  A generation characterized by lying and deception . . . and lead by liars and deceivers

                "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come . . .

                 Evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse,

                 deceiving [speaking lies easily and convincingly] and being deceived."

                 (2 Tim 3:1, 13)

-  Hatred rising . . . Christians viciously hurt, hated, and killed around the world

        Jesus says, "If the world hates you,

        If you were of the world, the world would love its own.

        Yet because you are not of the world,

        but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."

        (John 15:18-19)

        Jesus prayed, "I have given them Your word;

        I do not pray that You should take them out of the world,

        but that You should keep them from the evil one [Satan]."

        [As noted earlier, Satan is also called the "ruler of this world"]

        (John 17:14-15)

-  "Lukewarm" Christians and churches no longer believing or teaching sound Biblical doctrine

        Jesus says, "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot.

        I could wish you were cold or hot.

        So then, because you are lukewarm,

        [He is talking to people who call themselves Christians!]

        Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy,

        and have need of nothing’ [having money will keep many from knowing God]

        and do not know that you are wretched,

        miserable, poor, blind, and naked . . .

        And he who has an ear let him hear."

        (Rev 3:15-17, 22)   [Many who call themselves "Christians" aren't going to Heaven]

-  Churches and church leaders corrupting from within

       "Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you

        concerning our common salvation,

        I found it necessary [compelled] to write to you

        exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith

        which was once for all delivered to the saints.

        For certain men have crept in unnoticed, [church leaders]

        ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness . . .

        [who will ignore, corrupt, change, deny, or refuse to teach God’s word in the Bible]

        But I want to remind you, though you once knew this,

        that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt,

        afterward destroyed those who did not believe."

        (Jude 1:3-6)

       "Now the Spirit expressly says

        that in latter times some [religious leaders]

        will depart from the faith,

        giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,

        speaking lies in hypocrisy,

        having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,

        forbidding to marry,

        and commanding to abstain from foods . . ."

        (1 Tim 4:1-3)

-  Jerusalem!  A call to battle . . . all nations of the world will turn against the tiny nation of Israel

    "... And they gathered them together [all the armies of world]

     to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon."  [Armageddon is located in central Israel]

           (Rev 16:12-16  NKJ)

-  And Jesus warns,

        so also will the coming of the Son of Man be ...

       "For as in the days before the flood,

        they were eating and drinking,

        marrying and giving in marriage,

        until the day that Noah entered the ark,

        and did not know until the flood came and took them all away,

        so also will the coming of the Son of Man be."  (Matt 24:39)

        [The coming Apocalypse will strike suddenly and decisively.]