What Does the Bible Say About the Signs of the End Times? #40
Jesus described several signs that would precede his return, including wars, famines, earthquakes, false messiahs, and the gospel being preached to all nations, while explicitly warning that no one knows the day or hour of the end. These signs are meant to produce watchfulness and faithful endurance rather than confident date-setting, since Jesus compares his coming to a thief in the night that will surprise the unprepared. Christians throughout history have identified apparent signs in their own generation, but Scripture consistently redirects attention from predicting timelines toward living faithfully in readiness.
Believers have watched for signs of Christ’s return since the earliest days of the church, and every generation has faced wars, disasters, and false teachers that seemed to confirm the end was near. Understanding what the Bible actually teaches about these signs matters because Scripture gives real guidance while also firmly resisting the temptation to calculate exact dates.
What the Bible Teaches
Jesus tells his disciples that they will hear “of wars and rumors of wars” and see “nation rise against nation,” along with “famines and earthquakes in various places,” but adds that “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye 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 divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” (Matthew 24:6-8), meaning such events mark the whole church age rather than pinpointing its final moment. He also states that “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24:14), tying the end to the completion of the church’s mission rather than a fixed calendar. Crucially, Jesus says plainly, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” (Matthew 24:36), ruling out confident date-setting from the start. Paul echoes this, warning that the day of the Lord will come “like a thief in the night” and calling believers to stay awake and sober rather than be caught unprepared (1 Thessalonians 5:2-6).
Living It Out
Because Jesus himself refused to specify timing, believers are wise to treat claimed “signs” with humility rather than alarm, resisting both the urge to ignore his warnings and the temptation to chase speculative predictions. The intended response to these teachings is steady watchfulness — persistent faith, sober living, and faithful engagement with the world’s needs — so that whenever Christ returns, he finds his people faithfully at work rather than paralyzed by fear or fixated on guessing dates.
Key References
- Matthew 24:6-8
- Matthew 24:14
- Matthew 24:36
- 1 Thessalonians 5:2-6