Countdown to the Apocalypse

The disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
–Matthew 24:3

In my lifetime, I have never sensed so much unrest. It seems that every day brings a new set of terrifying headlines. Everywhere I go, people are sensing that something big is about to happen. Will there be another terrorist attack on America? Will ISIS succeed in creating a Muslim caliphate in the Middle East? Will Ebola or some other super virus spread across America and the world? Will Christians be jailed for their faith not only in other countries but here as well? Will we ever trust our government again? Is the world unraveling before our eyes?

David Jeremiah frames the question this way: “The events unfolding in today’s world are ominously threatening to unsettle institutions, reorder national political alignments, change the balance of world power, and destabilize the equitable distribution of resources. People everywhere are beginning to live in a state of fear and anxiety. Serious people are asking: If these things are happening today, what will be the future for my children and grandchildren? Do current headlines give us any signs of what is coming next?”

After recounting the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, Dr. James Dobson explained the connection of that story to biblical events. Dr. Dobson wrote, “Why have I chosen to recount the biblical story from so long ago? Because I am convinced that America and other Western Nations are sliding in the same direction. We have not yet reached the depravity of Sodom and Gomorrah, but that appears to be where we are headed.”

Billy Graham wrote, “Today the world is being carried on a rushing torrent of history that is sweeping out of control. There is but one power available to redeem the course of events, and that power is the power of prayer by God-fearing, Christ-believing people.”

The world does seem to be spinning out of control. We are experiencing a moral and spiritual decline like never before. As a nation, we must turn to God. As we look at what is happening in the world through the lens of Bible prophecy, we will discover how the rise of radical Islam, the increase in persecution of Christians, and the worsening moral disorder are the fulfillment of prophecies in the Bible. I don’t pretend to know where we are on God’s clock, but I believe with all my heart that the countdown to the apocalypse has begun.

***

Today’s devotion is excerpted from “Who Do We Forgive?” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2015.

David Jeremiah, “What in the World Is Going On?” (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2010), xiv; Dr. James Dobson, “Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk,” October 2014; Billy Graham, “Turning the Tide of History,” Decision, September 30, 2014.

Scripture quotations are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.