Signs of the Times?

“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." (Luke 21: 25-27 NKJV)

The "signs" of Christ's return and second coming, as given in the famous "Olivet Discourse," may be divided into categories. There are physical signs in the material world, events involving the earth and planetary bodies, and there are social signs, involving what society will be like, and what people will be thinking and doing.

The Apostles wrote of the "times and seasons" of the return of Christ, instructing the Christian assembly in the "signs" of Christ's coming again. The Greek word for "times" is "chronos" from which we get our word "chronology." The Greek word for "seasons" is "kairos." The former word deals with time, and with sequence, and with the order or events, whereas the latter word deals more with the social and moral characteristics of those periods of time. (See I Thessalonians 5: 1-3)

The word "season," in the passages dealing with the "signs" of Christ's coming again, is to be understood in a figurative or metaphorical sense, so that one should think of what we might call the "social" or "moral climate."

"Perplexity" ('aporos') literally means "at a loss for a way." "Poros" denotes a "way," an "avenue" or "resource," or some perceived "way out," or a "solution" or "way of escape." The prefix "a" is a negative and means "no" or "without," and thus to be perplexed is to be "without a way out," or to have "no way of escape," to have "no resources."

People in the last days will be in a state of great perplexity, seeing themselves in dire straits. There will be an abounding sense of doom and gloom in the extreme end of days. Is this not the case now with the world? And more so than ever before in history? On this scale and of this magnitude? Yet, what is now being felt, in this regard, is still not anything like what it will be in the days of the "Great Tribulation," in the days of the Apocalypse.

In this same Olivet Discourse Jesus not only spoke of some being in as state of perplexity but of some who would "escape" these things. Other scripture also speaks of others who will in no wise escape.

"Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." (Luke 21: 36 KJV)

The Greek word for "escape," according to Strong means "to flee out of" or to "flee away," to "seek safety in flight," or "to escape." Again, some will be in "dire straits" and "escape" while others will not escape.

"Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" (Matthew 23: 33 KJV)

"And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?" (Romans 2: 3 KJV)

Those who are not forgiven of sin by the blood of Christ will stand trial and be found guilty and be condemned. They will not escape this trial nor this judgment.

"There hath no temptation (trial or time of testing) taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." (I Corinthians 10: 13 KJV)

This verse shows that "escaping" does not mean a complete removal from the trial but it does mean that one escapes it by being able, by divine grace and power, to "endure" it. Others will "not escape" because they lack the will and power to endure it.

"For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape." (I Thessalonians 5: 3 KJV)

"How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him." (Hebrews 2: 3 KJV)

"See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven." (Hebrews 12: 25, 26 KJV)

Again, some will escape and not be perplexed, others will however.

"Distress" is from the Greek word "synochē" and according to Strong means -

1) a holding together, a narrowing
2) the contracting part of a way
3) metaph. straits, distress, anguish

This Greek word is only used here and in this passage.

"For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears..." (II Corinthians 2: 4 KJV)

Emotionally, mentally, and in every other way, wicked men and women, in the times of the end, when iniquity is "full," will come to be in a state of "distress," in a situation where they will be "in the narrows," so to speak, and in the "straits," in places where they are in every way "trapped." The word perplexed is a perfect word to couple with the word distress.

"O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress." (Isaiah 33: 2 NIV)

"In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old." (Isaiah 63: 9 NIV)

"For this is what the LORD says: "At this time I will hurl out those who live in this land; I will bring distress on them so that they may be captured." (Jeremiah 10: 18 NIV)

"Do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their distress." (Jeremiah 11: 14 NIV)

"O Hope of Israel, its Savior in times of distress..." (Jeremiah 14: 8 NIV)

"That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness." (Zephaniah 1: 15 NIV)

"There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile." (Romans 2: 9 NIV)

Some will truly be distressed and have no salvation from it. Others, however, will cry out to the Lord in faith and be saved from all these ordained distresses.

"Hearts failing them" is from a single Greek word, the word "apopsychō," which means, according to Strong,

1) to breathe out life, expire
2) to faint or swoon away

Surely it includes every "sigh" as well as the giving up of the ghost (breath or spirit) in death. "Sigh" is defined as

1. to take a deep audible breath (as in weariness or relief)

2. to make a sound like sighing "wind sighing in the branches"

"Fear" is from the Greek word "phobos" from which we get our word "phobia." Strong says its basic meaning is "fear, dread, terror" or "that which strikes terror."

These two words and the times they describe, when taken together, paint an horrible picture of the end times. Are we not seeing the beginnings of the birth pains by the rampant phobias that are all around us in today's world? Men today fear destruction from terrorists, bombs, war, meteors and comets, volcanoes and earthquakes, global warming, and a host of other things. Further, not all of these fears and phobias will be unfounded paranoia, but some of them will be REAL impending disasters.

"Those things which are coming on" is from the single Greek word "eperchomai" and means, according to Strong,

1) to come to arrive
a) of time, come on, be at hand, be future
2) to come upon, overtake one

"Things which are coming" is probably the best way to translate the word. It does indicate that the future is predestined and known by Christ. The words also indicate that the world is on a "course" and therefore it's future can be known and predicted. It also indicates that this course cannot be changed until Christ returns.

"Powers" is from "dynamis." from which we get our word "dynamite." It speaks of powers both natural or physical, as well as governmental or other ruling authorities. Notice these scriptures on this coming "shaking" of the "powers" of the cosmos.

"And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth." (Isaiah 2: 19 & vs. 21 NIV)

"Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger." (Isaiah 13: 13 NIV)

"The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel." (Joel 3: 16 NIV)

"For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts." (Haggai 2: 6, 7 NIV)

"Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear." (Hebrews 12: 26-28 NIV)

Friend, are you ready for the coming day of wrath? For that day of perplexity, fear, dread, and of great tribulation? Are you ready to stand before the Lord in judgment? If not, I urge you to flee now to Christ, the true place of safety.