I often hear statements such as, “Today is no different than any other time in history; look at what happened in the last century with its deadly wars and oppression.” Others point to New Testament times when immorality across the Roman Empire rivaled that of our day, as if to say there’s nothing new about our day.
How do we answer such objections? Is our day truly unique in we live in the season of Jesus’ imminent appearing?
The most telling difference between today and no other time in all of Church history is this: since 1948, Israel has existed as an independent nation capable of entering into the covenant with antichrist that will start Daniel’s seventieth week. The extensive preparations for another temple and animal sacrifices also tell us that we live in the shadow of the rapidly approaching Tribulation period.
Beyond what we see happening with Israel, I believe there’s something else that demonstrates we live at a time like no other: It’s the intensity of what we see.
The worldwide death toll from abortion now exceeds one billion, which alone puts today in a category all its own in terms of violence and immorality. And at no other time since John wrote the book of Revelation have we witnessed so many world developments pointing to the nearness of the seals of Revelation 6, which have progressed to the point where many errantly say they have already begun.
Perilous Times on Steroids
There have always been people who fit Paul’s vivid characteristics of the last days in 2 Timothy 3:1-9. However, what we see today is nothing less than “perilous times on steroids.”
The headlines of the past twelve months show that we live at a time like no other when people “are lovers of money.” We recently learned that estimates of the fraud from fake childcare centers in Minnesota has risen to eight billion dollars. In a recent statement, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently said that as much as ten percent of the U.S. budget, somewhere between $300 and $600 billion, is stolen every year. Is that not mind-boggling? Power and corruption have always existed, but the scope of today’s greed and dishonesty have reached new heights.
Just a cursory glance at the apostle’s list tells me that much has changed in just the past sixty years. People have always been “lovers of self,” but has this not reached epidemic proportions with the advent of cell phones with built-in cameras? Many were “arrogant,” and “brutal” back in the 1960s, but what we see today is a whole new ballgame.
The Scoffing
The books of Jude and 2 Peter depict the last days as a time of scoffing. When Jude wrote about it, he referred to “the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus” concerning the latter day mocking (Jude 17-18). Notice that the reference is plural; it wasn’t just Peter who had this to say about the mocking:
“Knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation’” (2 Peter 3:3-4).
Today, the ridicule of our belief in the Rapture has reached new heights.
I recently began recording podcasts again for my YouTube channel, and before this past weekend, they had attracted a few hundred views with several positive comments. My most recent post, “Daniel’s Seventieth Week, Israel, and the Rapture,” however, resulted in many more viewers along with a firestorm of comments mocking the Rapture and our belief in the future restoration of Israel.
The response reminded me that scoffing is indeed a sign of the last days. But more than that, it’s the intensity of the ridicule that points us to the nearing of the midnight hour.
The Reprobate Mentality
Though not typically regarded as a prophetic text, I believe that Romans 1:28-32 also depicts the intensity of today’s rebellion against God. I say that because these verses aptly describe the reprobate mindset that will lead to the killing of a multitude of Tribulation saints as well as a great many Jews after antichrist’s desecration of their temple. Because of the momentum that this God-hating mentality has already gained in our day, it’s easy to see how the attributes described in these verses will lead to the horrific bloodshed of the Tribulation period:
“And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them” (Romans 1:28-32).
Today is different; we live at a time like no other in the history of the Church. We see the more obvious ones in Israel’s existence, the ongoing warfare against the nation, and advanced planning for the third temple. But as the age of grace nears its end, we also note the greatly increased pervasiveness of what the Bible says about the perilous times, scoffing, and along with it the brutal mentality of the last days. As for the violence, despite the horrific massacre of many thousands of protestors in Iran, some nations are urging America to refrain from getting involved to stop the bloodshed.
If you are like me, you wonder how much closer can we get to the time when the Lord says enough, takes us home to glory, and responds to the violence and wickedness of our day?
