5 Reasons Theologians Say End Times Are Upon Us and Why Israel Has Major Role
By Billy Hallowell
Our culture has become increasingly captivated by apocalyptic themes and storylines, with a plethora of popular TV shows and feature films embracing zombies, plagues, and other terrifying end of days scenarios.
But the idea of a future Armageddon-like scenario isn’t merely reserved for fictional plots, as the concept is deeply embedded in Christian theology, impacting the way believers have read and interpreted biblical Scripture over the past two millennia.
And with Hamas' horrific terror attack against Israel making headlines this month, it's no surprise prophecy discussions are ramping up in some circles.
The conversation comes as many contemporary theologians and pastors believe the world is currently observing numerous signs that mirror the supposedly prophetic contents of verses in Old and New Testament books like Ezekiel, Daniel, and Revelation. Some of these apparent signs, of course, involve Israel, which is why news about the nation sparks so much intrigue.
Listen to "Billy Hallowell's Playing With Fire" podcast to hear the signs that have so many people wondering if the end times are upon us:
What has convinced these theologians and pastors that the end times could be ramping up? That’s a question I covered in-depth in my book, “The Armageddon Code,” through interviews with about 20 of the most prevalent eschatology experts.
Many of these theologians and pastors told me that sweeping moral decay, biblical disconnectedness, and ongoing violence in the Middle East are just a few of the prophetic markers they believe were foretold thousands of years ago in both the Old and New Testaments.
But how can Christian leaders be so sure the biblical end times are approaching?
Jesus himself foretold of his future Second Coming. The problem? Christ also proclaimed in Matthew 24:36 that “no one knows” the day or the hour of his return. While the Bible proclaims that humanity cannot know the “when,” Jesus did reveal to the disciples some signs of his second coming in Matthew 24:6-8:
“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed … Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.”
Surely war has always been with us, though the 20th — and 21st century thus far — have seen broader and more sweeping world wars that involve many nations, with the contemporary battle against Islamic terror crossing international borders.
So, let's dive in and explore in detail the purported signs that some theologians cite:
1) Chaos in the Middle East: With all this in mind, the first sign that has some Bible scholars positing that the world is either in or is rapidly approaching the end times is the ramped-up chaos in the Middle East. In recent years, the situation in the region has been raising more than a few eyebrows, as the seemingly never-ending tensions between Israel and her neighbors — most recently exemplified in Hamas' terror attack — continue to intensify.
2) Hamas, the Islamic State, and Other Bad Actors: From Hamas' barbaric attack that killed at least 1,400 Israelis to the Islamic State’s murderous and bloodthirsty quest for power that has plagued nations across the globe, there's no shortage of chaos. Taking those events into account, many Bible experts will point out that some of the battles described in scripture — clashes that they believe are still unfulfilled — are slated to take place in the Middle East.
Many of the experts I interviewed for “The Armageddon Code” couldn’t help but wonder if the groundwork is currently being set for the fulfillment of the “Gog” and “Magog” battles that are referenced in the books of Ezekiel and Revelation — a concept I address in detail (you can read more about that here).
3) Israel's Re-Emergence: That brings me to the next modern-day phenomenon that has piqued the interest of Bible experts: the 1948 re-emergence of Israel after a Jewish state was noticeably absent from the map for nearly 1,900 years.
Here’s why that matters: futurists who see many Bible prophecies as being currently unfulfilled believe that the Old and New Testament scriptures consistently predicted that a state of Israel would once again emerge at some point in the future.
Consider Ezekiel 36:24, which was written 2,500 years ago, includes the following words that are attributed to God: “For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.”
Futurists believe that the Old Testament verses clearly reference a future restoration of Israel that was unlike anything that unfolded prior to the end of the Holocaust and World War II. Modern-day Israel is seen by these theologians and pastors as a “super sign” of the end of days events to come.
“I cannot fathom how this modern-day prophetic fulfillment — a ‘super sign’ of the end times — can be ignored,” author Jeff Kinley, who takes a futurist approach, told me in interviews for “The Armageddon Code.”
Other experts, though, would counter that this verse, among others, related to the Babylonian captivity during which the Jews were forcefully taken by King Nebuchadnezzar II and were held in Babylonia after being expelled from Judah following its conquest around 597 BC. — and not to the 1948 re-creation of Israel.
Persian leader Cyrus the Great later permitted the Jews to head back to their land in 538 BC, which could be perceived as a fulfillment of those prophecies, though the temple and Jerusalem again came under assault by the Romans in 70 AD, leaving the Jews scattered throughout the world for centuries.
4) Shifts in Morality: The fourth issue that is sparking intrigue about the world’s proximity to the end times is the fact that American culture is changing at a rapid rate, with traditional understandings of marriage and gender transforming, as a more progressive view on sexuality takes root.
There’s a sense among many that immorality is intensifying, which seems to be one of the biblical signs we're told to look for as love waxes cold and people become lovers of themselves.
5) The Spread of the Gospel: Last but not least is the idea that the Christian Gospel continues to be preached in even the most remote and hard-to-reach geographic areas throughout the world. This matters to many Bible experts due to the fact that Christ, after his resurrection, gave the disciples the commandment in Matthew 28:19 to “go and make disciples of all nations.” Jesus also mentioned this preaching of Scripture throughout the world earlier in the Book of Matthew as a sign of the end times.
“This Gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come,” Christ said in Matthew 24:14.
So, there you have it: just a few of the reasons why some Christian leaders believe that the biblical end times are approaching, though, as I document in the book, the debate over prophecy can be a heated one. Why does this matter, you ask?
Whether or not you believe in the Bible or, more specifically, in end-times prophecy, understanding what so many Christians believe and why they believe it helps provide a lens through which all of us — atheists and believers, alike — can better see how certain viewpoints have been formed. Find out more about “The Armageddon Code.”
This article was originally published by CBN’s Faithwire. Published with permission at Think Eternity.
Billy Hallowell is a journalist, commentator and digital TV and podcast host who has covered thousands of the biggest faith and culture stories. He has worked in the media for more than two decades and is the author of several books.
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