SIGNS and SYMBOLS of END TIME

"What will happen in the end time".

When I was a small child I use to hear several times by the Pastor's during the Church Service, at home during the family discussions, my parents and relatives talking about, giving references and examples from the Bible and trying to convenience each other. But that time I was too young to understand the logic and importance of the said topic.

As the time passed I started growing physically, mentally, spiritually along with the worldly affairs, school, college, job, participation in the church, community, society, celebrating festivals, enjoying with friends and so on.

In between all these businesses I heard this topic many a times that "What will happen in the end time" by people on different occasions, but considering this topic as a general practice among the community, I never took it seriously.

Though I believed that everything written in the Bible will definitely happen one day, still I was least bothered about it. In fact, I was always in the impression that the end of the world is not going to take place at least during my life time because I was listening to this topic since my childhood and nothing has happened until now.

So friends the life is passing by day after day, month after month, year after year and we are busy in our worldly affairs and business.  I would like to tell the truth that this is not only my story, but most of us are having the same story and living in the same impression as I was.

A few days back I read in the newspaper that according to NASA the earth will remain in the darkness for 15 days. This will start on Sunday 15^th November, 2015 from 3:00 a.m. to Monday 30^th November, 2015 up to 4:15 p.m. According to NASA the darkening of the sun is repeated after every 1 millennium year and due to this reason, this year will be termed as Astronomical Year.

As soon as I read this news in the newspaper, it flashed into my mind that the Bible has very clearly mentioned these signs as one of the sign of END DAYS not only in the New Testament by Jesus Christ but in the Old Testament too.  The signs I read in the Bible are mind blowing; it does not mentions only the darkening of the sun, but also tells that the moon will turn into Blood Moon. In Joel 2:30 it says “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke”. It also indicates many more symptoms which are leading us towards the last days i.e. the end of the world.

What does the Holy Bible says about the end days?

In the Holy Bible, the book of JOEL written in 850 BC i.e. 850 years before the birth of Jesus says that “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before, the great and terrible day of the LORD come”. {Joel 2:31}.

Dear friends read and meditate on the above mentioned verse. See how clearly it says that before, the great and terrible day of the Lord come, the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood. What is a Blood moon? What does NASA says about it and how does it match with the Biblical prophecies.

The Bible says that Sun, Moon and the Stars are the signs from heaven:

In Genesis 1:14, God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.” God specifically said, “Let them be for signs.”

We also know that the three wise men were led to Jesus by a star. This is already recorded in Matthew 2:1-2, “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.”

Herod inquired of the chief priests and the scribes where Messiah was to be born according to the prophecies. He was told that Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. Herod relayed the information to the Wise Men.

Matthew 2:9-10 says, “When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.”

The Prophecy of the Moon being turning in to Blood

There are several Biblical prophecies foretelling that the moon will be turned to blood in the end time.

Joel 2:30-31 states: “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.”

Revelation 6:12 also prophecies that the moon will become as blood, “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood.”

Acts 2:17-21 also prophecies about some more signs besides sun and the moon, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, said God, I will pour out of my Spirit on all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

When the disciples of Jesus asked him that when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of your coming, and the end of the world? In Mathew 24:1-51, read what signs Jesus told to his disciples. “And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, See you not all these things? Truly I say to you, there shall not be left here one stone on another that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying; tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said to them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that you be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diverse places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and you shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations; and then shall the end come. When you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoever reads, let him understand :) Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house:    Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woes to them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days! But pray you that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say to you, See, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Why if they shall say to you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even to the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wherever the carcass is there will the eagles be gathered together? Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Now learn a parable of the fig tree; when his branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near: So likewise you, when you shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Truly I say to you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for you know not what hour your Lord does come. But know this that if the manager of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be you also ready: for in such an hour as you think not the Son of man comes. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he comes shall find so doing. Truly I say to you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, my lord delays his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looks not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Read Mark 13:24-27 “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.”

Also refer to Luke 21:25-28 “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 heaven will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

Also read 2 Timothy 3 where others signs and symbol of end time are mentioned very clearly “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was. But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long suffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra -- what persecutions I endured. And out of [them] all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned [them,] and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Dear friends, no doubt we all are in the last stage, proceeding towards the end time. Still we have time to come back to him and surrender. As our good God and savior still promises and assures to deliver us whoever calls on HIS name as mentioned in Joel 2:32 “And it shall come to pass [That] whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the LORD has said, Among the remnant whom the LORD calls.”