The Unending End-time Prophecy: What Other Signs Would Herald The End?

‘World Has No End, Man Will Only Transform From This World To Another At Death’

The Bible tells us that the very first time God brought the world to an end was during Noah’s time, when everything was destroyed with relentless rain that brought the Flood in its trail. At another time, God also destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah due to the atrocities of the inhabitants. Since then, the world has enjoyed relative calm with mainly man-made problems such as wars threatening its existence. Interestingly, shortly before His earthly departure, Jesus Christ told His disciples that the world would again come to an end and that certain signs would herald this. These end-time signs include nation rising against nation, kingdom against kingdom, famines and earthquakes in various places, as well as pestilence. Ever since, the world has been experiencing terrible challenges such as tsunamis, tornadoes, wars, terrorism, economic downturn, increase in sin and general godlessness. In fact, it seems Satan is having the upper hand. All these appear to be the signs Jesus said would take place shortly before the end-time. But generations have passed and the world has remained. Man has always found a way to surmount the sundry challenges that threaten his existence and that of the earth, his dwelling place. So then, apart from these challenges, which men have been able to solve through the ages, what other signs would herald the end-time? Will the world really come to an end? What are the men of God saying concerning end-time prophecy, especially against the background of the current global turbulence? CHRIS IREKAMBA and OMIKO AWA report.

‘There Is Delay Because The Number Of People To Be Saved Is Not Completed’
(Rev. (Dr.) Samson Olasupo A Ayokunle, President, Nigerian Baptist Convention/National Vice-President, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN)
ALL things that were predicted by the Lord Jesus concerning the end time have virtually happened. However, the time is delayed because the Lord says the number of those to be saved must be complete before the end would come. He says also that the gospel must be preached in all the nations of the world. So, if there is still any ethnic group in the world, which has not heard Christ’s gospel, it has to before the end comes. If we are tired of the pandemonium and all the troubles happening around us, we need to intensify the preaching of the gospel the more to hasten the Lord’s coming.

Besides, the Lord Jesus said no one knows the exact time and date, but the Father in Heaven alone! He added that the end time will be long to come to the extent that some believers’ faith would become weak or even lost, as they start thinking the end time or second coming is a fluke after all. However, He said again that because of the saints, the Father would shorten the time of the end. How long it would take before the Father shortens the time of the end of the world we do not know.

Our Lord admonished His followers never to be discouraged because of the delay in the end of age, but to rather keep ready everyday, as the end would occur suddenly, when people would have given up expecting it.

Signs of the end time are part of the evils and some tremendous inventions that we are seeing. If God were man, He would have put an end to the world, but in the book of 2 Peter 3:1ff, the Apostle said that the delay is partly due to the fact that the Lord is being patient towards us. He is waiting for some more people to repent and turn to Him. He does not want anyone to perish.

To say that it will come through nuclear power or Armageddon may be to play God. The end will come, when the fullness of time is ripe before God. Whether through nuclear or atomic bomb, end time is real because God does not lie, just as the Son of Man does not renege on His Word or promise.

Earth is a creation of God. It will definitely be brought to an end one day. That will be the day, when the Lord will put an end to the wickedness of human beings on the surface of the world. The Lord would put a new heaven and earth in place, where righteousness would reign.

Ogizien

‘Wars We Are Experiencing On Earth Are Not Enough To End The World’
(Ukpebor Ogizien, the Adaze of Ewohimi Kingdom, Esan, Edo State)
THERE is no end to the world. Man will only transform from this world to another at death. In fact, there is hell and heaven; hell is meant for the wicked, while heaven is for those that lived their lives righteously, while on earth. What happens at death is that the bad ones are punished according to their deeds, while the good ones go on to enjoy.

At death, we move from life to another depending on our degree of righteousness. We reincarnate to either enjoy or to suffer. The war upon war we are experiencing on earth are all artificial; they are not enough to end the world.

They are as a result of our selfishness, bad leadership, our personal greed and shortsightedness of what future holds. However, a time shall come when this earth will be habited only by the righteous.

‘We Are Living In The Year Of Grace’
(Pastor Lazarus Muoka, General Overseer of the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries, Worldwide)
ONE thing we should understand is that everyday; the last day is drawing closer. Before God’s saints are raptured home, there will be lots of crises. But there is something I want you to understand very clearly and that is the fact that God is merciful. All that we are seeing now is a period of grace and people should take advantage of it and repent. They should not take it for granted, thinking that the world will not end, or that the rapture will not take place. It will surely take place because God has said it and of course, you and I know that He cannot lie.

Already, some are experiencing their own end time, while for some people in the world; their own eternity may begin just this year. So, the end time we are talking about is already occurring in some people’s lives.

Many people are gone, so if somebody is thinking that it will not happen and yet it happened to you as an individual, it has already been accomplished in you. So, the issue now is that we don’t know who is the next person to experience end time in the New Year. But the reality on ground has shown so far that end-time is at hand. Therefore, let everybody get ready by repenting of his or her sin. Don’t wait until the world collapses one day or until the church goes into rapture, but certainly, there are people that their own end must occur.

The message of end-time should not confuse anybody. God is merciful and He does not desire that any soul should perish. Therefore, He gives grace so that those who have not repented before the trumpet sounds and the eventual anti-Christ manifestation, which we are seeing today all over the world.

The arrival of anti-Christ and eventual end of the world, when Christ is going to come in His greatness and destroy this earth and establish new earth and New Jerusalem and new heaven, nothing will obliterate that agenda of God and His dear Son, Jesus Christ. So, I want to let you know it will definitely come.

Fape

‘All These Will Not Herald The End,
Only When Christ Appears’
(Rt. Rev. (Dr.) Michael Olusina Fape, Diocesan Bishop of Remo, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion,
Sagamu, Ogun State)
ONE thing that is certain about this world is that there will be an end to it one day! In other words, the world as it is will come to an end one day. This is a clear prophecy that came from the lips of Jesus Christ, as He spoke comprehensively on the issue in Matthew 24. Of a truth, most of the predictions in that Scripture had been fulfilled: Nation arising against nation, kingdom against kingdom, famines, pestilences, earthquakes in various places, hatred and tribulation for Christians leading to their death, Christians hating and betraying one another, lawlessness in the Christendom and the love of many now growing cold (Matthew 24:7, 9-12).

But then, with all these happenings, why has the end not come? The only reason is that one major part of the prediction has not been fulfilled. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). There are places yet to hear the gospel message, and until that is done, the end will not come.

There are two important points to be noted regarding the end time. First, there are many who are saying the end will not come, since this has been predicted a long time; and yet nothing has happened now. It is in this light the scripture says, “Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:3-4).

However, God is still delaying the second coming of Jesus Christ, which will mark the end of the world because He does not want anybody to perish. The scripture lends credence to this as we read, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

Second, there are those who have predicted the exact time, when the world will end. But on every occasion, such prediction had failed. On Monday, October, 14, 2013, the Nigerian Tribune published that the, United States scientists at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), predicted that the world will end on March 6, 2880 because of an asteroid, named 1950 DA, which they have been watching; and it is currently on a path to collide with Earth on that date.

A recent advocate of the end of the world was Harold Camping, of the Family Ministries, Inc., who claimed that the world would come to an end on May 21, 2011. According to him, true Christians will be raptured on May 21, 2011. For everyone that is left on earth, they would come under Christ’s judgment for a period of five months, which would end on October 21, 2011. Before his 2011 false predication, Camping had predicted that the world would end on September 6, 1994.

Unfortunately, his earlier prediction in 1994 and the ones of both May 21 and October 21 had come and gone again, without the world coming to an end. Of course, if the world had come to an end, you and I would not be here today reading this piece! It is interesting, however, to note that Harold Camping had since made a U-turn and repented of his false prophecies and teachings after his prediction did not come true on May 21, 2011, the day of God’s judgment that he previously claimed that God would stop saving people from their sins.

Indeed, the Scripture is very emphatic on this point: nobody knows the exact time, when the world will come to an end or when Christ will return. “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (Matthew 24:36). The world will end at God’s own appointed time, and in His own appointed way. Yes, there may be nuclear war and people will still be dying. All these will not herald the end of the time. But the world will end, when Christ appears from heaven to be seen by all (Matthew 24:30-31; Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). That is when He comes as a Judge to reward those that have done good or bad according to their works. In the mean time, all that we need to do, is get prepared for that great day. The world will end, when one least expects it!

Prophet (Dr.) Samuel Kayode Abiara

‘Nobody knows The Time Or Hour,
Only God ’
(Prophet (Dr.) Samuel Kayode Abiara, General Evangelist Christ Apostolic Church, CAC, Worldwide)
THE disciples of our Lord Jesus Chris also asked the same question and He replied that when you see the manifestation of these signs — wars, earthquakes, nation rising up against nation, and so on, then know that the end has come. They even wanted to know when He would appear for the second time, and He said to them, ‘pray that no man deceives you.’ He never disclosed the time these things would take place. He, however, let them know that nobody knows the time, not even the angels of God, but only God. What that is telling us too is that every one of us must be ready and prepared. Sin is very rampant these days and so anytime from now, Jesus will come. Already, unusual things are happening everywhere. For instance, you hear of old and matured men raping teenagers and little children. Women are now marrying themselves, just as men are marrying their fellow men. Some human beings are also marrying animals. All these things are abominations before the Lord.

Issues relating to what you are asking will only stop, when our Lord Christ Jesus shows up and that will signal the end of all things. So, we need to pray that the third world war does not occur, as the world is already in danger.