America in End-Times?? -- (Part 1) -- Introduction

    How many times have you heard "The End is Near"??  It seems that statement has been around in one fashion or another for at least the last 25 years or so that I can remember.  That statement really becomes popular right after some great cataclysmic event in some part of the world.  I know I heard it said a few times as the world held its collective breath during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October, 1962, and again right after the late President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas Texas in 1963.  I remember hearing it some more during the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew in 1990, in Homestead and Miami Florida.   We were all warned some more when Hurricane Katrina roared through nearly all of the US Gulf Coast area.  When terrorism really started rearing its ugly head in the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993, and again after the major World Trade Center bombing in September, 2011, we heard that saying constantly -- and in the past 10 or 12 years, the sentiment, whether spoken aloud or not, has only increased dramatically, given the very obvious erosion of our society in the past several years.  So are all the doom-sayers correct?  Are we really approaching (or IN) the end times prophesied in the Bible?  If so, HOW do we know that?  How do we identify this period in our history?  Why is this time any more different than all the other times?

   As we mull over this question, let us look at some real facts:

   In the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 21, vs 8-28, (NKJV) Jesus says:

"Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and saying, ‘The time has come!’ But don’t believe them.  And when you hear of wars and insurrections, don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place first, but the end won’t follow immediately.”  Then he added, “Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven.   But before all this occurs, there will be a time of great persecution. You will be dragged into synagogues and prisons, and you will stand trial before kings and governors because you are my followers.  But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me.  So don’t worry in advance about how to answer the charges against you,  for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you!  Even those closest to you—your parents, brothers, relatives, and friends—will betray you. They will even kill some of you.  And everyone will hate you because you are my followers.  But not a hair of your head will perish!  By standing firm, you will win your souls. And when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that the time of its destruction has arrived.  Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. Those in Jerusalem must get out, and those out in the country should not return to the city.  For those will be days of God’s vengeance, and the prophetic words of the Scriptures will be fulfilled.  How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. For there will be disaster in the land and great anger against this people.  They will be killed by the sword or sent away as captives to all the nations of the world. And Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the period of the Gentiles comes to an end. And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides.  People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken.  Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory.  So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!"

   You can read nearly the same things in the Gospel of Mark, Ch 13, vs 5-27 (NKJV):

"Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many.  But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them.  And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.  But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.  Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. So when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not” (let the reader understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter.  For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.  And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days. Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, He is there!’ do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand. But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;  the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.  And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven."

   In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 24, vs 4-31, you can read exactly the same text, nearly word-for-word identical.

  So, we have the Lord's very own words telling us what we should be looking for.  It should not be difficult to see if we're willing to look around us (look all over the globe, not just here in the USA).  WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND just how critical these warnings are!!

   To summarize all the text above, we should be looking for:

         False Prophets
         Wars and rumors of wars --
                 kingdoms shall rise up against kingdoms, and nations against nations.
         Earthquakes in various places, famines, and troubles
         Persecution in the churches and synagogues (and elsewhere)
         Betrayals within families -- brother betrays brothers, children betray parents
         Signs in the heavens, sun, moon, and the stars

   This is just this writer's personal opinion, but I do not believe that all these different signs are necessarily sequential in nature.  I believe this listing is in the collective --- in other words, all happening at once, or concurrently --

   The two text selections above are only two of hundreds and hundreds of Bible Scripture that could be included that warn specifically of End-Times events.  The Book of Revelations is probably the "premier" book of prophecy that nearly everyone on the planet has at least heard of...  But as we go through this study, you will also see that the Books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and a few others, all have critical information regarding End-Times.  Indeed, nearly one-third of the entire Biblical text is prophetic in nature, so in order to understand our current place on God's timeline, we really need to look at more than just Revelations.

   In the next post (same title, Part 2), I will try to identify specific details regarding this "shopping list" so that you can see for yourselves what's happening all over this world -- and as I show the specifics, I'll point you to specific sources so you can research for yourselves.

   I will keep harping the point that each reader must do your own research!!!  Don't just take my word for anything, no matter how impressive the sources might appear to be!  God fully intended that we each of us study His Word.  The Bible is the ultimate authority, anything else is just supporting material, and some of that is questionable.