Bible Guys Classics: Revelation - Warning Signs

Okay, so you've watched The Office, right, yes? Do you remember when Kevin was trying to say, we have to come up with some kind of warning and then then he comes Robert California comes walking in and Kevin. Goes warning warning. Right, Well that's today. We're talking about warning signs. Before the end for the end. Well, he's Christ and I'm Jeff, and we're the Bible guys. Okay, Chris, So you're the movie guy. You're the resident movie. Do you like movies? And so we here's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna give you three of the main characters in a movie and you have to tell me what the movie is. And you haven't seen any of these. Nope. So this is Frie Okay, we never do. Here we go, ready, Memphis Rains, Otto Hallowell and Sarah sway Wayland. Oh. I got to confess. I don't want to spend too much time on it because we have to go. So I would think Memphis Rains is the one that would remind you, I don't know, gone in sixty seconds. Oh yeah, Nicholas Case there you go. Okay, Okay, Memphis I should have not but you know what, I've only seen that movie once, and I'm not. Sure to watch the Nick Cage movie once. I'm not sure that the word Memphis stuck out of my mind. Okay, here wasn't big enough. Here's another good one. This is a good one. And I would know this one. Herman Boone, Billy. Remember the Titans. Yeah, there you go, come on, coach cooking my grips, Tyler Durdin, Marla Singer, Robert fight Club, fight Club. There you go. This is a good one, of course. Ben Gates, Abigail Chase, Raley Pool. Oh okay, well, actually, Ben Gates, I was gonna say that it could be any National Treasure one or two, but the girl was only in one. In one, that's right, National Treasure part one. There you go, Ethan Hunt, Jim Phelps, Luther Shtick. Any any mission impossible. Yeah there, dude, you nailed it. So you were four for five, four for five, pretty good job. Well, I mean you know Herman Boone, right, I mean Tyler, Ben Gates. Yeah, I would have gotten four or five two yeah, four yeah, yeah, Memphis Reins. I would have thought. I know that movie, I know that move back. I couldn't iver. I still don't even remember. I don't think his character was big enough, you know. Yeah, sure, so it's just Memphis stands out right, that's a. Oh yeah for sure. Okay. Anyways, hey, good job man, Thanks, very impressive. So there are a number of warnings in the Bible. So if you're just now joining us, we are going through kind of on a devotional level, not on a seminary professor level discussion of the end times. Yeah, and it's just what the Bob guys is all about. We should we should summarize this and say revelation for dummies. Yeah, well, or for somebody who's taking it in on a dimensional revelation. Yeah. That's not that we don't want to go after our listeners entirely. We do question their judgment, that the fact that they keep coming back and listening, but that's a different issue. So, you know, the Bible guys were really built around the idea that we're just a couple guys who like to talk about the Bible in fun and practical ways. Right, that's really what we're about. And so hey, if you have differences of opinion, if you think some of the order is different, whatever, well just join the club. There's almost as many opinions about the of the end times as there are Christians on the planet. But we're going to kind of give us summary the high level stuff. And there are warnings in the Bible that Jesus gives and Paul gives of what the world is going to be like before the end, and then there are warnings or indicators that it is the end. So the first one, you know, the warning signs before the end are really like highway signs, right. God's kind of set up some clear signposts in our world to tell us that Jesus is about to come, and that's really what this is about. So these are signs pointing to the end. It's kind of like a knocking the engine, right when you're driving on the road, all sadden your enginesers making weird noises. And you're like, You're like, I probably should get that check because something bad is about to happen. Yeah, exactly exactly. So that's what this says. So let's just we're going to go through a few of these. In the Book of Mark, chapter thirteen, Jesus says the disciples say, tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to be fulfilled. And Jesus replied, don't let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name claiming om the Messiah, and they'll deceive many. And you'll hear of wars and threats of wars. But don't panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won't follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there'll be earthquakes in many parts of the world, as well as famines. But this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. So first of all, Jesus, don't be misled. That's really the big point there, right. And by the way, you know, I would venture to say that all of the things that he's mentioned happened in the first century, yeah, and the second century, and the third, and the fourth and the fifth. Right, So wars and rumors of wars, kingdom going against kingdom, nation against nation, earthquakes, famines, this has been a part of every generation. Yeah. The difference would be, and this could be a hint that he's making as well, the difference would be if you lived in South America a thousand years ago and a war broke out in Southeast Asia, you would have ever heard about it. Right. If a famine was happening in Africa and you lived in Scandinavia, you wouldn't know about it, right, right, earthquake happened somewhere, you wouldn't have known about it unless it happened close to you. So the difference is now that whole idea of wars and rumors of wars, knowledge that the world is just coming apart at the seams, will continue to increase towards the end. And I think that that's one of the things that you know, it should kind of give us more confidence today even than those readers knowing Man alive. It just seems to be bigger. We know everything happening all the time, and you know, there's a lot of people screaming about the end of the world all the time because of you know, different calamities or things happening on the planet. And think about the time. How much time has passed since Jesus gave this warning, don't be misled from that time until this time, so it's two thousand years, And then think about this. Remember the movie Back to the Future. They were excited for the very first television they rolled up the TV and Marty says, we have two TVs. Don't be silly. Nobody has twtvs. It's right, okay, And then think about it. When you and I were in college, the internet didn't exist, that's right, right, So we're talking about like just thirty years ago no internet, you know, seventy years ago no TV. And believe or not, this is probably the hardest to believe. But the first iPhone do you know when it came. Out in the two thousands, two thousand and seven, Yeah, wow, which means like we've. Only had the iPhone for not that long. What's that been? Sixteen years? Yeah, fifteen years, so that I mean, and you can't even imagine a world without such a device. Oh yeah, yeah, a computer in your pocket. So it so it's definitely, you know, just just our generation. All we've known is we're aware of all the wars and rumors of wars. Yeah right, So I stay up pretty much. I stay current on what's happening around the world as much as possible. I usually read a lot of headlines from multiple sources, not just one source. No what's going on. But I've been amazed lately how quickly my daughter comes and tells me something that happens in the world before me and I go, oh, really, what news source, And it's like TikTok, right, something happens around the world. Bam, it just flies through TikTok and all the twenty year olds know about it just immediately. And then I'm like what And I got to go look up headlines, you know, to go figure out what's happening. So the pace of news and information is going faster. That's what really one of the things. But Jesus really makes a big deal here. He said, really, here's the thing. Don't be misled. That's the warning I think that we need to take into this when it comes to people who are claiming they know everything, that they have all the answers. You know, it's easy to get drawn in by somebody who claims that they know the future right right, and false teachers tell us all kinds of things, and they tell us that we can know things that other people don't know, and they're really you know, appealing to our pride. And so one of the things that we talked about before the podcast was the National Inquirer. So you know, even today right now, it's not as popular as it used to be. But when you check out at Kroger or any supermarket, usually the National inquirers right there, right right, and they have the most ridiculous head lines. Even I pulled some up. Even though you know it's a lie, it still draws in. Yeah, you know it's a lie. But you're like, oh, I got to read that article, right. So here's one. It says alien Bible found. Turns out they worship Oprah. Wow Man's one hundred and seventy four mile per hour sneeze, blows wife's hair off, Saddam and Osama adopt shaved ape baby. Oh goodness, and the pictures are actually, yeah, fat cat moans twenty three old ladies. Oh geeze. This one was so funny. Christmas miracle severed leg hops to the hospital. And then the other headline was cannibal Chef gets his own TV cookie show. Do you know that I actually remember seeing severed leg hops to the hospital. I would have seen it. Yeah, yeah, that's hilarious. So one I remember all the bat Boy, Remember all the bat Boy? Yeah? Yeah. So anyways, you know, even though, so sometimes you're flipping through the channels and you see on TV somebody that's waxing eloquent and acting like they know every detail. Just don't be misled. It's it's kind of one of those things. It's hard to look away, right, right, Just don't get sucked into it. So there are a number of signs preceding the end. Right, He's literally saying it's just around the corner. He doesn't tell us exactly when, but just that it's getting close. It's kind of like when they dim the lights in the theater. Yeah, right, yeah, and you know. It's coming, you know, the lights dim, and then I get all excited, you know, And I like the previews, yeah yeah, And you don't know how all the previews are going to be because on new releases sometimes they can go twenty five minutes, but if the movie has been out a while, previews are like seven minutes. And so my wife joined me for the We just went and saw the Flash and she joined me and she said, well, I'm late, and I sat down and I said, it's okay, it's a brand new release. I said, it's going to be twenty five minutes of the previous Yeah. So in other words, the point is you don't know when the show's going. To start, but they're dim in the lights now. But you know what's coming. So here's a few things. Apostasy is one of the big ones increasing evil in the world. Scoffers many false prophets. Right, let's just read through a few of these passages. He says, for a time is coming when. People will this is two Timothy four. Yes, second Timothy four, chapter three or Chapter four, verse three. For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They'll follow their own desires, and we'll look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They'll reject the truth and chase after myths. But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the good news, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you. Yeah, so isn't that something here He is again he's telling you a little bit about the end times. But keep working, keep telling people about Jesus. Right, that's really amazing. Yeah, And you know, it's it's easy to recognize that. You know people who tell to say things that you want to hear, and they chase after myths. Naturally, people are going to be attracted to that because I think that, you know, it's it's the same reason why we'll go to a church that's just a feel good church. Yeah, you know, and we have to recognize, hey, wait a minute, this church doesn't preach enough of the truth, right, right, Because I mean I've actually been a you know, I've tuned in on TV seeing a lot of those. Sure, it's like this is really good, but where's the where's the hard truth? Yeah? It is. It is the nature of humanity to want to go find a religion that matches up with what they believe, rather than choosing to believe what the Bible says. Right, So I want to find preachers who agree with me, rather than me deciding I'm going to agree with what the Bible says. And so he said, that's going to become more and more. Quite honestly, that leads to apostasy. The other one is increasing evil. In two Timothy, chapter three, he says, you should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times for people will love only themselves and their money. They'll be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving. They'll slander others and have no self control. They'll be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends. They'll be reckless, they'll be puffed up with pride and love pleasure rather than God. They'll act religious, but they'll reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that. So he says, in the end times, it's going to get pretty crazy. And you know what, by the way, I'm just going to say two things about this. Number One, every generation would say that about the next. Generation, no doubt. But then also we have to consider that it always gets worse with every generation. Every generation gets worse. So even though that, you know, three generations ago they said that about you know, our grandfathers. The hippies, Yeah, the hippies, Yeah, they. Would say that, you know, they should say, well, that Jesus is coming back. Because this is true. We have to recognize the fact that like, there is no other generation that fits this description in a worse way than our current generation. Especially, they will be cruel and hate what is good yes, right, yeah, that is that, that is that you. Subscribed to our society, right as. Our society straight up right cruel and hate what is good. Yeah, And so there's a then second Peter, Peter tells us in the last time, scoffers are going to come. Scoffers are those that mock the teachings of God or the things of God, so Peter says in second Peter three three, most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days, scoffers will come mocking the truth and following their own desires, right, mocking the truths of God, flaunting their sin publicly out in dude, again, that's a descriptor of our society today, right, Isaiah says. They will call evil good and good evil. That's what Peter's talking about. Not only that, they'll live it out in front of you and throw it in your face all the time. Yeah right, yeah. I was just gonna say. And also in Matthew twenty four another indicator is many false prophets, oh yea yeah, yeah, And Matthew twenty four eleven says, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Yeah, and you know, I just have to say this. But like on the news I just saw I guess in Jerusalem they feel like they found the Messiah. Yeah there's a new one. Yeah, there's a new one. And this one isn't just a new one, like he's here and gone in five minutes. This is thousands upon thousands of people. And just like you said TikTok, right, I've seen him on TikTok Yeah. And is he is? You know, it's just crazy, Yeah, it's crazy. There's I was just in Israel a couple weeks ago and on the backs of a lot of road signs all throughout the country are these huge posters of a messiah that died a couple of years ago and his people are waiting for him to resurrect, right, And so they're convinced that that's the Messiah, and they're trying to highlight the fact that this other guy that they found now is not the Messiah. Right, So they've got posters all over the country. So there's kind of an argument in Israel over who actually is the current Messiah, the one who just died who's going to resurrect, or the one who's teaching now who needs to die? And resurrect. Wow, right, sounds like the Beast and the second Beast. Yeah, yeah, it's it's pretty pretty amazing what's happening. But this happens all the time. It doesn't have to only be in Judaism, though. There's people all over the place to say, hey, we found this guru, we found this great teacher, we found this this guy who you know, can teach us how to tap into our spirit guides or whatever and have these spiritual engagements and all these kinds of things, and so there's it doesn't have to only be a Jewish messiah. It's this is the person who has all the answers, is what he's really talking about there. So it makes sense to me as you look at these things, that the lines will be drawn at the end, right, either for God or against God, and there aren't going to be any fence sitters. You know, when Jesus returns, the world's going to be divided into two different groups. Either you're for Jesus or against Jesus. And right now, there's not a lot of people who go, yeah, you know, I'm kind of neutral with regard to Christianity. People love Jesus or hate Jesus's that's really how it works around the world. So those are kind of some of the warning signs. You know, you're hearing the noise in the engine, something bad's about to happen. Now, there are other signs that accompany the end times, right, this is the end is near, The end is here. This is after the engine falls out. It literally falls out, it's smoking all over and you're pulled over on the side of the road. And then you're like, oh yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. By this time, everybody's going to know for sure that the end is here, and it's stuff like this, he says in Luke chapter twenty one. There'll be great worldwide distress, he says, And there will be strange signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and here on Earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and the strange tides, and people be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth. For the powers and the heavens will be shaken. Then everyone will see the sun a man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near. Well, there's no doubt about something will be happening if something happens with the sun, the moon, and the stars. So when stars start falling out of the sky and the sun starts scorching people because it's so hot and killing them, that's probably a good sign that something's roaring. Seas, strange tides, yes, all those kinds of things. Yeah, it's pretty pretty crazy stuff. Because it says that the sun is going to go I mean we haven't read that yet, but the sun is going to go dark, and then the moon will the moon will. Stop reflecting the sun. It's crazy. And of course we know that the moon is connected to tides, right, so that's probably what that's referring. And it literally says for the powers and the heavens will be shaken, and then he says everyone is going to see the sun of Man come. Then that's what you're gonna see. So, hey, if you want to know if is going to happen, well these these sun, moon and stars stuff, tides, all those things. So here's what happens. By the way, I just want to point this out. Old Christians will argue when they read about these kind of prophetic things and they'll use all these complex where's post tribulation, mid tribulation, pre tribulation kind of arguments. But new Christians just look up, right, And that's what he says, when you see these things happen, look up. So a newer Christian somebody who has maybe a simpler view of these things, which I think is a good place to be on this. When you read it and you start to see these things, you just look up, Hey, Jesus is coming. Oh good, Jesus is coming. And then the longer you go, if you're not careful, you get sucked into the arguments about these things. So, dude, I don't know the specifics about every one of the things, but I can tell you when the stars start falling and the tides start rising, look up, Jesus is coming back, right. And that's really the best way I think to take that. So he wants us to see both something terrible something wonderfully real, and that's that this world won't last, right, So we tend to put our hope and our trust in what we can accomplish and have on this world. And one of the things is you study the end times, you just come to the understanding that this one's not going to last. And and it's it's terrifying on one side, but on the other side, knowing what he offers next is incredible, and so it's going to be okay. And keep in mind that all of this is written by the apostle John, which whether way we forget to mention. Yeah. Yeah, So John is banished to the to an island. It's an island called pet miss right yep. And and so he is he's writing a vision and this is a vision that was God given. And so he's the one who you know that we're talking about the apostle who's uh, he's the I thinks maybe the last one left a lot. He was the oldest. He was one hundred and ten, I think ten. This was written about ninety five a d. And so quite a few years after and and God gave him the privilege of seeing the future in some pretty radical. So when people begin to the world begins to go into chaos, when people begin to believe they're about to lose everything that they've been trying to build, and it becomes clear and clear that this world isn't going to last. Those people who've placed all their hope in this world, and our heart is set on the things that they can accomplish and achieve and acquire in this world. When they begin to lose those things, they're going to become more and more and more angry with God. Right, So this is why Paul and Peter and even Jesus tells us, don't lay up treasure here on earth, lay it up in heaven. This isn't going to last, right, It's going to rust out. The moths are going to eat it. Paul tells us we're just travelers living in temporary tents. The writer Hebrews talks about how we are are temporary citizens on this planet, but we are permanent citizens in heaven, always telling us to look towards eternity because this isn't going to last. But the people who only have this are going to get more and more angry towards God. And so you're going to see this stronger and stronger hatred against God and God's people during this time. Yeah, and in the Book of Revelation also says that you know when these things happen, and they're so incredible, you know, like a star is going to fall and poison the waters. And we haven't mentioned that yet. But like all these strange things are happening, it says that some will see it as a sign and turn to God. And then there will actually be some who would do the opposite. In that moment, when confronted with all of this, they're not going to They're going to think that the fanatics, the fanatic Christians are trying to connect the dots and somehow this is related to the Bible, when when actually what they'll do is they'll pass it off as like, you know, sort of like Bruce Willis in the Comet right, which was which was what Armageddon armed. Yeah, you know, like like, oh, it's just just an evolution thing accommodate of the Earth and all the you know, all these things are happening, and we all knew that global warming in the sun and the moon and the sun is going to burn out and all these different kind of things, and so they're going to pass it off as having nothing to do with God. And it's just hard to believe. But at the same time, I guess it's not right. I mean, God told us these things, but either you believe him or you don't. You know, I have a recent acquaintance that was talking we were talking about the podcast, and he just said it wouldn't matter to me whether it was true or not. I still wouldn't believe it or obey it. Wow. Right, that's a pretty strong statement. Yeah, And all I can say is there will. The Bible said that there would be both sides. Right. God's really really clear what's going to happen. And either you're going to choose to believe and obey, or you're going to choose to reject and not obey. That's it. So you know, God doesn't tell us these things to scare us. Again, what is Jesus' solution. Jesus's stand and look up for your salvation is near. So this isn't to scare us, it's to say Jesus is coming. That's awesome. Yeah, Well, a. Great place to end and hopefully we'll see you next time on the Bible. Guys,