How Can We Know If these are the end times

This is a question every generation asks itself. Even early Christians thought they were in end times and 2,000 years later things keep moving on. Why didn't God just get it over with back then? People get tired of "chicken littles" running around telling us sky is falling, world is going to end, but it doesn’t. We're still here. Every saint from beginning anticipated His coming, but He hasn’t come, so why care? He'll come when He comes. What's it to me? I just keep putting one foot in front of another. The last thing I want to be is some "kook" standing on a street corner predicting end of world only to see date come and go. Isn't this just much "to do" about nothing? Besides, if I rapture at beginning of "end", whole question is irrelevant! I'm outta here. Glory!

Sound familiar? I've certainly thought all of those things. How about you? Am I beating a dead horse? Well I don't think so. What if these really are end times? Is there any way to know for sure? What if there is no easy escape by "rapture"? And if not, what does it mean to me?

There are a number of ways to answer this question: first, there is Bible, Word of God and all of prophesies relating to end times. Second, there are "signs of times" - what is happening in world that could indicate one way or another. Third, there is your own gut feeling when you are quiet, your mind is still and you are in presence of Lord. (Luke 2:26)

The Church in Tribulation – Why?

In past two segments we have discussed rapture and chronology of Revelation and other accounts of end times, showing chronology of events. We have discussed importance of two witnesses. We have clearly shown that although church will be persecuted, it will not suffer any judgment or wrath of God. This is an extremely important distinction for those with a pre-trib rapture position. The timeline is clear. But question remains, why is this important to God? Why put us through it? What does it accomplish? In Revelation 1 Apostle John tells us what book of Revelation is: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants – things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to word of God, and to testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for time is near…for Word of God and testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Rev. 1:1,9) The Book of Revelation is all about testimony of Jesus Christ! So what is His testimony? Let’s read on… · Revelation 6:9 says, “I saw under altar souls of those who had been slain for word of God and for testimony which they held.”