Are the signs of the Second Coming or going home being fulfilled?
First of all, I’m glad you made a distinction between the “Second Coming” and “going home,” for there are two phases of Christ’s Second Coming. The first phase is what we call the “Rapture” when Christ will come to take all believers in Him home to heaven. The main “Rapture passages” are John 14:2-3; 1st Corinthians 15:51-57 and 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18. As you read these you will see that there are NO SIGNS mentioned. There will then be a 7-year Tribulation Period on earth which will begin with the signing of a 7-year peace treaty (see Daniel 9:27). The Tribulation is mentioned in Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 12:1 and Matthew 24:21. After the Tribulation is finished Christ will come in power and glory to set up His kingdom on earth (see Matthew 24:29-31 & 25:31). In Matthew 24:2 the disciples asked Jesus, “What will be the SIGN of Your coming and of the end of the age?” He then gave them a number of signs in verses 4-14 & 23-27. This then is the second phase which we call the “Revelation,” for He will be REVEALED to the whole world as we see in Revelation 1:7, “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and EVERY EYE WILL SEE HIM.” So, the “Revelation of Jesus Christ,” which occurs after the Great Tribulation, has MANY SIGNS which precede it. Now the question is, “Do we see some of those signs today?” Technically, the answer is NO, we don’t, for the signs mentioned in Matthew 24 (and elsewhere) happen AFTER the Rapture and DURING the Tribulation Period. But we do see signs today which show us that the “stage is being set up” for the Tribulation Period.” I would like to point out SIX of those SIGNS.
1) The PESTILENCE SIGN: In Matthew 24:7 the Lord Jesus said, “There will be famines, PESTILENCES, and earthquakes in various places.” Today the world is experiencing a pestilence (i.e., infectious disease) called COVID-19 which has lasted two years and it has ongoing variants that seem to indicate that it is “here to stay.” Yet this pestilence pales in comparison to the pestilences that will occur in the Tribulation Period, for at that time one fourth of the world’s population will die from pestilences, wars, earthquakes, and famines (see Revelation 6:7-8). The current pandemic foreshadows the coming pandemic.
2) The JEWISH SIGN: In Matthew 24:31-33 the Lord Jesus told a parable about a FIG TREE (which symbolizes the nation of Israel) “shooting forth her leaves.” This began in 1948 when Israel officially became a nation. We see today that Israel is now prepared to build a TEMPLE, resume SACRIFICES and even has official LEVITICAL PRIESTS in place to function in the temple. This is “setting the stage” for what will happen in Matthew 24:15-16, “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the HOLY PLACE (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”
3) The EUROPEAN SIGN: In Daniel 2:40-45; 7:7 and Revelation 13:1 & 17:12 we read of the “Revival of the Roman Empire” before Christ returns in power and glory. We see the beginning stages of this today in the European Union who have formed a political and economic union. Revelation 13:16-17 show us that in the Tribulation Period they will force the whole world to “receive the mark of the beast” or they won’t be able to buy or sell.
4) The RELIGIOUS SIGN: In 1st Timothy 4:1 and 2nd Timothy 3:1-5 we see the spiritual decline of the professing church which will pave the way for a ONE WORLD RELIGION called “Mystery, Babylon the Great” in Revelation 17:1-6. The church’s “apostacy” leads to this “great apostacy” and will culminate in the Antichrist being revealed and declaring that he himself is God (see 2nd Thessalonians 2:3-4).
5) The MORAL SIGN: In Luke 17:26-30 the Lord Jesus refers to “the days of Noah and the days of Lot” and He said that the moral conditions of those days will be duplicated “in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.” In Noah’s day there was CORRUPTION & VIOLENCE (Genesis 6:11) and in Lot’s day there was FORNICATION & HOMOSEXUALITY (Genesis 19:4-8). We certainly see those same conditions throughout the world today and they foreshadow even worse morality during the Tribulation Period.
6) The RUSSIAN SIGN: The prophet Ezekiel predicted, in Ezekiel chapters 38 & 39, a future invasion of Israel by RUSSIA and other nations (including IRAN) before the Second Coming of Christ. Today we see a strong MILITARY ALLIANCE BETWEEN RUSSIA & IRAN, with Iran vowing to destroy Israel. Both countries are in deep poverty and will invade Israel “to take PLUNDER and to take BOOTY” (38:12). Surely “the stage is being set” for this future invasion of Israel.
We have seen that the Rapture happens approximately seven years BEFORE the Coming of Christ in power and glory. So, since we are already seeing positive signs of the coming Tribulation Period, we can surely anticipate Christ’s coming for all true believers “at any moment!” Is my reader ready if He should come today? You must “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” as your personal Savior to be ready (see John 3:16; Acts 16:31 and John 14:1-6). (DO) (501.5)