When you read the title, do you imagine a fellow in a long gown and long beard holding that sign on a street corner?

God says that date-setting is a waste of time. Statistically speaking, 100% of human prognosticators are wrong.

But we ARE told what conditions will be as civilization unravels. Here’s a sample that sounds strangely familiar:

“In the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

Someone objects. “People have always been sinners, haven’t they? We’re just more aware today.” But the Bible says “evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse” (3:13). My 75 years say that’s true. What once was done in back alleys is now on Main Street. The exception is becoming the rule.

Interestingly the Bible not only presents time as a one-way road to the Big Showdown, it predicts some won’t take its warnings seriously. Are you one of these?

“In the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, ‘What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again?’” (2 Peter 3:3-4, NLT) Why the seeming delay? God is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (3:9, NKJV)

But the fact remains. Jesus fulfilled about 300 prophetic details the first time He came. If He said He’s coming back, I’d take Him very seriously.
History is rife with examples of tragedies that could have been averted by paying attention to the warnings.

In 1889, Elias Unger worked for the South Fork Fishing Club, owned by wealthy industrialists. It included Lake Conemaugh, held back by an earthen dam. Noticing it was weakening after heavy rains, he called Johnstown, PA, to evacuate immediately, but to no avail.

When it broke, 20 million tons of water slammed into the town, killing 2,209 people.

Cyril Evans was the telegraph operator on the SS Californian. His captain instructed him to warn all nearby ships, including the Titanic, about dangerous ice fields. The Titanic’s wireless operators, busy with passenger messages, ignored his alert. That night the “unsinkable” ship sank, with more than 1,500 souls lost.

Officials had scores of warnings about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor but brushed them aside for one reason or another. There were 2,403 reasons they should have listened—the number of casualties, plus 1,178 wounded.

The unappreciated Harry Markopolos gave the SEC a report in 2000 proving Bernie Madoff’s $65 billion Ponzi scheme was mathematically impossible. They ignored him. Eight years later, thousands of lives and retirement funds were destroyed. As they say, “If it’s too good to be true…”

And Brooksley Born warned of the growing unregulated derivatives market in 1998. The experts fiercely opposed her. Ten years later, the derivatives crash set in motion the domino effect that cost taxpayers $700 billion, ruining countless lives.

Must you join this tragic list? “Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that His kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?” (Romans 2:4, NLT)

Jabe Nicholson of Starkville sometimes sounds like a fire alarm. He thinks there’s a fire. Reach him at: [email protected] or uplook.tv