The Convergence Of Signs:

How Close is the Second Coming?

Britt Gillette

These past few years have been a wake-up call for many people. A global pandemic…Riots and social unrest in countless nations…The Russia-Ukraine war…And war in the Middle East. Everywhere you look, it seems as though the end is near. Is it? What does the Bible say? Are these signs of the Second Coming? Are these events pointing to the soon return of Jesus Christ?

Fortunately, we don’t have to guess. Jesus Himself told us how to recognize the general timeframe of His return. When the disciples said, “Tell us the signs of your coming and the end of the age” (Matthew 24:3), Jesus told them a number of things to look for. He then said (emphasis mine):

“So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!” Luke 21:28 (NLT)

This means the number one indication Jesus will return soon is all the signs appearing together. Both Jesus and the prophets told us what signs to look for, and the appearance of just one is reason enough to take notice. But the arrival of one sign after another demands your attention. It’s the sign Jesus said to look for. This convergence of signs is confirmation our generation will witness the Second Coming – not according to me, but according to Jesus.

The Convergence of Signs

So what are these signs? Jesus and the prophets pointed to dozens and dozens of signs. This article will only cite a few, but the reality of each one of these signs is undeniable. And their convergence should convince you the return of the Lord is close at hand. These signs include:

Jesus said a variety of global signs will come before His return and the end of the age. These signs will be spiritual, natural, societal, and political in nature. He said they will appear in a distinct way – “like birth pains” (Matthew 24:3‐8). This means the frequency and intensity of these signs will increase as we near His return. Our generation has seen the exponential increase in war and famine Jesus said to look for. In the 20th Century alone, more people died from war and famine than lived on the earth when Jesus spoke these words.

Israel Surrounded by Enemies

The Bible says enemies will surround Israel in the end times. Those enemies will say “Come, let us wipe away the nation of Israel. Let’s destroy the memory of its existence” (Psalm 83:4) and “Let us take for ourselves these pasturelands of God” (Psalm 83:12). Ezekiel said Israel’s neighbors will say “God has given their land to us” (Ezekiel 11:14‐17), and “Israel and Judah are ours. We will take possession of them. What do we care if their God is there?” (Ezekiel 35:10). Ever since the rebirth of Israel in 1948, the daily headlines have included these Bible verses. Israel’s Muslim neighbors claim the land of Israel for themselves, and they have no regard for the God of Israel.

Israel’s Exceedingly Great Army

Ezekiel said, in the end times, Israel will field “an exceedingly great army” (Ezekiel 37:10). Zechariah said Israel will be like a fire among sheaves of grain, burning up the neighboring nations (Zechariah 12:6) and even the weakest Israeli soldier will be like David (Zechariah 12:8). Since 1948, Israel has fought no less than four conventional wars against its neighbors. Despite being outnumbered more than 50 to 1, Israel has achieved overwhelming victory every time.

Rise of the Gog of Magog Alliance

The Bible says a military alliance that includes Russia, Iran, Turkey, and a number of Muslim nations will attack Israel “in the latter days” (Ezekiel 38:8) when God brings His people home from among the enemy nations (Ezekiel 39:27). Today, we see those very nations coming together for the first time – an alliance that has never existed in world history.

Rise of a United Europe

The Bible says a revived Roman Empire will come to power in the end times (Daniel 2, Daniel 7, Revelation 17). According to Daniel, it will be a ten nation alliance of weak and strong nations. Some parts will be as strong as iron, while other parts will be as weak as clay (Daniel 2:42). We see the beginning of this alliance in the European Union – a coalition of weak and strong nations struggling to stay together.

Mark of the Beast Technology

The Bible says the Antichrist and false prophet will institute a nefarious system of economic control often referred to as “the mark of the beast system” (Revelation 13:16-17). The construction of a system identical to the mark of the beast system in capability and function is underway right now. It’s primarily composed of three elements central bank digital currency (CBDC), tokenized assets, and digital IDs. For generations, fulfillment of the events described in Revelation 13:16-17 seemed impossible outside of the supernatural. For the first time, our generation is capable of implementing such a system on its own.

The Rise of Global Government

The Bible says a single government will rule the world politically (Revelation 13:7), religiously (Revelation 13:8), and economically (Revelation 13:16‐17) in the last days. It will rule over “all people, tribes, and languages” on the face of the earth (Revelation 13:7). Its authority will be so complete no one will be able to buy or sell anything without its permission (Revelation 13:16‐17). For centuries, a true global government was impossible. Today, world leaders openly discuss it. In fact, from the standpoint of advanced technology, it’s inevitable.

Denial of the Signs

Almost two thousand years ago, Peter issued a warning. He said in the last days people will mock the idea of Jesus returning (2 Peter 3:3‐4). They will make fun of those who believe in the Second Coming and say exactly what we hear today – things like, “I thought Jesus was coming back? What happened to His promise? Generation after generation has said He’s coming. Yet, since the beginning of the world, everything has remained the same!”

The Hour is Late

Keep in mind, these signs haven’t always been present. For example, consider this – for 94% of Christian history (A.D. 70 to 1948), the nation state of Israel did not exist. And for 95% of Christian history (A.D. 70 to 1967), the Jewish people did not control Jerusalem. We take these signs for granted because for most of us alive today, they’ve always been. But when taken in the context of Christian history, these are new developments.

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