What are the signs of the end times?

  • There are a number of scriptures in the bible that talk about the end times
  • The bible is clear that no one will know the "exact time" but that there will be indicators
  • Therefore believers are to watch and be ready and alert, and to pay attention as things come to pass
  • Most of the general signs can be found in Matthew 24 and Luke 21
  • Some of these are signs about how it will be BEFORE the "Day of the Lord" and others cover the final return of the Messiah.
  • The "Day of the Lord" refers to the actual tribulation period and most of Revelation. (See: End Time Events)

General Order:


Pre-Tribulation Signs:
  1. False Prophets claiming to be the Messiah - Mat 24:5 / Luk 21:8 / Mat 24:23-27
  2. Wars and Rumors of Wars - Mat 24:6 / Luk 21:9
  3. Larger Scale International War - Luk 21:10
  4. War, Famine, Earthquakes, Pestilences, Signs in Heaven - Mat 24:7 / Luk 21:11
  5. Persection of Christians / Jews - Mat 24:9-11 / Luk 21:12-19
  6. Betrayal of Believers - Mat 24:10-14 / Luk 21:12-19
Day of the Lord / Tribulation Period: (See: End Time Events)
  1. Day of the Lord - Mat 24:40-42 / Luk 17:30-37 / 1 Thess 5:1-3
  2. Great Tribulation Start - Mat 24:15-21 / Luk 21:20-24
  3. Sun/Moon/Stars Darkened / Heavenly Bodies Shaken / Waves-Tsunami - Mat 24:29 / Luk 21:25-26
  4. Sign of the Son of Man in the Sky - Mat 24:30 / Luk 21:27
  5. Great Tribulation End - Battle of Armageddon - Rev 19:17-21
Post Tribulation Period / Judgement:
  1. Gathering of the Elect from the Heavens / Those Beheaded - "First Ressurection" - Mat 24:31 / Luk 21:28 / Rev 20:4-6
  2. 1000 year reign - Rev 20:1-6
  3. Gathering of the unbelieving dead to Judgement - "Second Ressurection / Second Death" - Rev 20:11-15

36 "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;
39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

Matthew 24:36-38 (NIV)

26 "Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man.
27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

28 "It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building.
29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
30 "It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.

Luke 17:26-30 (NIV)

  • We can see that there are signs but also that it will be like "Days of Noah"
  • In times of Noah - The Ark was built, people saw it - but ignored it
  • They lived their life effectively "unaware" of what was coming. It will be same at end times
  • Extreme wickedness on the earth and everyone thinking evil - Gen 6:5 / Gen 6:11-13
  • Mockers will mock the notion of Jesus Return - 2 Peter 3:3-9
  • When they say "Peace and Safety" then comes sudden destruction - 1 Thess 5:3
  • All of this will take place within the span of a "generation" - Mat 24:34 / Luk 21:32
    (In otherwords those that are alive to see the start of the signs could potentially live through the rest of the signs time duration wise)