Prophecy, End Times, and Reality Check
So, are we really living in the end times?
There is a short answer to that question: “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Matthew 24:36. As a thought, it might be a good idea to question anyone who says they know the exact day. Maybe God was talking to that person and let the date slip out, but probably not.
On the other hand, Old Testament prophets described in symbolic detail what would take place before the final judgement day. Jesus also gave us some clues. Matthew diligently wrote those events down. The first clue talked about the rise of false prophets. “For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.” Matthew 24:5. (As a side note, a blog on false prophets is in the works. You can find out when it will be available on thomaslmadden.com. It will also be posted on this site.)
Peter gave us a checklist for recognizing false prophets. That information can be found in 2 Peter 2:1-19. I won’t list everything, but you can cross-reference these verses in multiple locations.
Verse 1. False prophets work in secret. They claim to be open, trustworthy, and transparent, but they are plotting evil behind the scenes. They deny the works of Jesus.
Verse 3. They are greedy. They blend truth with lies to justify their agenda.
Verses 10 and 11. They are self-absorbed. Some actually believe the lies they are telling. They despise being under any authority. Their status is before anything else.
Verse 12. They promote peace on the outside but act on violence from within. Their speech promotes more evil than good. They are dividers, not uniters.
Verse 13. They love to deceive. They are satiated when they can fool, manipulate, or ultimately betray anyone.
Verse 14. Adultery is commonplace. Betrayal is also a word that would apply. They can internally justify their acts. New believers are easy prey for them to devour. New believers will have their faith tested. False ideology will raise questions about their newfound knowledge of Jesus’ love.
Verse 17. They will promise but never deliver.
Verse 18. They can easily change the subject if caught in a lie to divert from the deception.
False prophets are not limited to spiritual leaders. They are CEOs of major corporations, politicians, news reporters, educators, and your so-called friends.
Although the movement has died down, there are still people promoting an agenda for next-generational social change under the guise of diversity, equity, and inclusion, DEI. Environmental, Social, Governance, ESG is the same idea with a different twist. To the promoters of this philosophy, DEI and ESG are religions. These people are teachers of young children, professors of college students, and politicians. Corporate leaders are profiting from these social changes through the clothing they make and sell, through movies and television programming, through human resource changes, and through financial influence on non-compliant companies.
The result of this religion has created division, resentment, hatred, envy, and decisions that will haunt people for a lifetime. “But listen to me,” says the false prophet, “because I am enlightened, smarter than you, and I know what is best for you and for the future of the world.” The same principles apply to climate change and so many other idealistic movements. Although I am sure some involved in these missions have the best intentions, they are unwittingly under the influence of the false prophets.
Jesus came to make a major change in the world. He did not force anyone he taught to accept the change. He gave people the information and allowed each person to accept the teachings of grace or not. Even His letters to the seven churches were merit-based. (The letters in Revelation are another upcoming blog topic. Please check thomaslmadden.com for updates.) Where all of the false religions have come and gone, Christianity has stayed. It seems to have worked for over two thousand years.
Another clue followed in verses 6 and 7. “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.”
On this topic, I believe God may have given us a reprieve. Donald Trump was 2 inches away from a successful assignation. Whether you are a fan or not, since taking office, President Trump has been credited with halting several regional wars.
Israel and Hamas (Gaza):This one is still up for debate since Hamas has not completely surrendered. The release of all hostages highlighted the agreement.
Armenia and Azerbaijan: The leaders of those two countries went to the White House to sign a declaration aimed at reducing hostilities in the long-running war.
Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda: The signing ceremony to end the ongoing fighting was held in Washington. This one has had some flare-ups, but peace seems to be holding up at this point.
India and Pakistan: India believes its military efforts would have led to a ceasefire without U.S. intervention. By using tariffs and trade deals, Trump pushed the agreement over the line with a ceasefire for the Kashmir region.
Cambodia and Thailand: Trade deals were again used in a border dispute that escalated into fighting. Economics led to a practical solution.
Egypt and Ethiopia: The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam could have escalated into a major armed conflict. Agreements were put in place and seem to be holding today. Even so, at the time of this blog, tensions are still high.
Russia and Ukraine – Diplomacy has failed so far.
Israel and Iran:Most experts agree that Iran’s nuclear bomb ambitions could have easily led to the annihilation of Israel. Next would be an attack on the U.S. and Europe, according to some reports. The attempt for a diplomatic solution failed. As of now, the preemptive strikes to eliminate Iran’s nuclear capabilities are ongoing. Peace through strength is the approach being used.
What we do with God’s reprieve is up to us.
The third clue talked about a sharp drop in mortality. Paul, in his second letter to Timothy. “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, not lovers of good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5. Other than that…
Imagine you are Timothy, reading those lines. You may have taken a break and turned to Matthew’s writing for some positive reinforcement. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14. While Paul’s vision of the world is playing out, a revival is taking place. Every country, every city, and every community will be exposed to the good news.
Before moving on, a sidebar discussion might be needed. I am not a biblical scholar. I am, however, a consistently devoted student of the Bible and related subjects. Some people might have caught a blip in the above paragraph. Estimates place Matthew between 60 and 90 A.D., and Paul’s second letter to Timothy between 64 and 67 A.D. Therefore, it is possible that Timothy could not have “turned” to Matthew’s writings for encouragement.
For anyone who may have caught that, remember I am a fiction writer. Literary or artistic license is a technique used to build a narrative. In this case, Timothy could easily have had access to Matthew’s writings. I went with that.
On the other hand, I am constantly learning. I would appreciate alerts to any fatal errors in my logic. I am also open to differing opinions, clarifications, or expanded ideas. This, I think, is why God gave us Blogs.
The 3-book thriller series, Where Did Everybody Go?, has several references to the Bible and specific verses. Significant research was done to ensure accuracy. Ray, our protagonist, is an atheist, or realist as he calls himself. He is a tech analyst working on construction management software. The company is bidding to become the software of choice for building the third Temple in Jerusalem. Circumstances force Ray into a leadership position on that project. The selection committee has Jewish and Christian members. In order to have a semblance of credibility, Ray is forced to learn about the Bible and Temple from both theological perspectives.
Ray is already dealing with product sabotage, company espionage, and attempted murder. He spots a sinister future event that will top all of that. He sees an amazing connection with his newly discovered understanding of prophecy. How he is going to use that knowledge becomes the greatest challenge of his life.
The plot blends biblical prophecy and narrative crafting. Not only is accuracy important to the storyline, but it is also vital.
Thanks for being patient with my little sidebar. Sometimes, perspective is needed for conversations to make sense.
Back to the question: Are we living in the end times? Since only God the Father knows the specifics, I am going on the assumption that the end will happen tonight. In Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, he wrote, “Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you,for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” What will happen is unavoidable and unchangeable.
“The day of the Lord” refers to the beginning of the 7-year Tribulation period. (There will be another blog on the Rapture and Tribulation. In the book Where Did Everybody Go?, Ray falls into the quandary of faith versus logic.)
“Peace and safety” is an important phrase that could easily be missed. A college professor was teaching a class on world civilizations. He posed a question to the class. “Can anyone tell me why great civilizations collapse?” No one wanted to respond. The professor saw a student attempting to hide that he was watching his cell phone. The professor asked, Mr. Marsh, can you answer that question?” The professor repeated the question to avoid any misunderstanding.
The student looked up. He was clearly agitated with the interruption. With a degree of disdain, the student said, “I don’t know, and I don’t care.”
The professor smiled. “Mr. Marsh, you are 100% correct. Ignorance and apathy are the two greatest factors leading to the downfall of great nations.”
A reporter on the street interviewing people passing by, he asked two students holding signs against Israel shortly after the October 7th attack, “Why are you supporting Hamas?” The two students looked at one another. Finally, one said, “I am just here for the rally. I hear people saying Hamas this and Hamas that, so I figured it would be a fun day.” The other student said, “Yeah, I don’t even know who Hamas is, but my professor really hates the Jews and said Israel deserved what they got. That was good enough for me.”
Ignorance and apathy are a pandemic that can only be healed by knowledge and action.
How many times have you heard someone say, “It’s the government, what can you do?” If that person reframed the question by just one word, the healing process would begin. “It’s the government, what can I do?” Knowledge and action can now be applied.
Do you think we are living in the end times?
If we are, what do you think we should be doing to prepare for the day of the Lord?
I want to learn, and I am confident that others would like to know more as well. Your response may be the answer someone needs. If, for some reason, you do not want to reply to the blog, you can always email [email protected]. I can pass your thoughts on. Let me know if you want to remain anonymous. Making up names is fairly easy for fiction writers.
