Keep Watch

When the disciples asked Jesus for the sign of His coming at the end of the age (Matthew 24:3), He described eight epic global events for His followers of every generation to keep watch for (Matthew 24:42-43) so we'll know when His coming is near, right at the door (Matthew 24:33). The first four signs of the end of the age (Matthew 24:9-28) will occur in order during the 1290 days (Daniel 12:11) of great distress (Matthew 24:21). Then, the last four signs of Jesus' coming (Matthew 24:29-31) will occur sequentially within 45 days of the first four (Daniel 12:12). These eight signs are listed in order below.

Abomination

The first sign of the end of the age is the Abomination of Desolation (Matthew 24:15-16), or the placement of the first beast's image on the temple mount in Jerusalem (Daniel 9:27). All people will be forced to worship this image, and those who refuse will be killed (Revelation 13:14-15).

Persecution

The second sign of the end of the age is persecution (Matthew 24:9). Jesus said this will be the most extreme persecution of believers by non-believers in the history of the world (Matthew 24:21) and will target Christians who refuse to worship the image of the first beast.

Rebellion

The third sign of the end of the age is rebellion. To avoid persecution, great numbers of Christians will worship the image of the first beast and will persecute their Christian family members and friends (Matthew 24:10-11). Sadly, the eternal fate of these rebels is sealed (Revelation 14:9-11).

Declaration

The fourth sign of the end of the age is when the Good News is shared with everyone around the world (Matthew 24:14) by an angel of the Lord (Revelation 14:6-7). When this happens, the Christian age will come to an end, and the four signs of Jesus' second coming will follow immediately (Matthew 24:29).

Cosmic chaos

The first sign of Jesus' second coming is when the sun and moon go dark, and stars fall from the sky (Matthew 24:29). This cosmic shakeup will be seen all over the world, and people will be perplexed and anguished by it (Luke 21:25). Clearly, Jesus plans to get everyone's attention right before He comes back.

The sign of Jesus

The second sign of Jesus' coming is when the sign of Jesus appears in the sky (Matthew 24:30). Many have speculated that this sign is a cross, a Christian fish symbol, or something else, but the Bible doesn't say. Regardless, we do know this sign gives notice to the world that Jesus Himself will appear very soon.

Jesus appears on the clouds

The third sign of Jesus' second coming is when He comes on the clouds of heaven with great power and glory (Matthew 24:30). Sadly, when non-Christians and Christian rebels see Him in the sky, they will mourn because they know God's wrath on earth, and in eternity, will soon be their new reality (Revelation 14:9-11).

The last gathering

The fourth and final sign of Jesus' second coming will be the gathering of all true believers to meet Jesus in the air (Matthew 9:31). Those who have already died in Christ will go first, followed by those of us who are still alive (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). This triumphant procession will occur in full view of everyone else.

These eight signs alone will alert us that Jesus is coming soon. Jesus assured us of this when He said, “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." (Matthew 24:32-35) So, keep watch!

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Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.