Signs That Jesus Is Near

How Can You Watch Without Living in Fear?

Every major crisis seems to produce a new prediction.

A war begins, an earthquake happens, or a disturbing video spreads online. Someone immediately announces that the end will happen on a certain date.

Weeks later, the prediction is forgotten and another one takes its place.

Jesus told His followers to watch for signs of His return. He also warned them against deception, panic, and date setting.

The signs are meant to awaken hope, strengthen faith, and help us prepare. They were never meant to keep us trapped in fear.

Why Did Jesus Give Us Signs?

Read Matthew 24:1–3 ↗.

Jesus’ followers asked Him two connected questions. They wanted to know when the temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed and what would signal His return and the end of the age.

Jesus answered both questions.

Some parts of Matthew 24 ↗ described events surrounding Jerusalem’s destruction in A.D. 70. Other parts point toward the end of the world. Some conditions apply to both.

The destruction of Jerusalem became a smaller picture of the final crisis.

Jesus gave these warnings because He wanted His followers to recognize what was happening, avoid deception, and remain faithful.

Read John 16:1–4 ↗.

Prophecy prepares us so that events do not destroy our trust when they arrive.

The First Sign Jesus Gave Was Deception

Read Matthew 24:4–5 ↗.

Before Jesus mentioned wars, hunger, or earthquakes, He warned about spiritual deception.

Many people would use His name and mislead others.

A person can speak confidently, quote Scripture, attract a large audience, and still teach something false.

Modern technology allows deceptive teachings to reach millions of people within hours. An emotional video may feel convincing before anyone has checked whether its claims are true.

Do not measure truth by:

• The speaker’s confidence
• The number of views or followers
• Powerful music and images
• Claims of secret knowledge
• Stories that cannot be verified
• Supernatural signs
• Fearful predictions
• The speaker’s title or reputation

Read Isaiah 8:20 ↗ and Acts 17:11 ↗.

Test every message by Scripture.

False Messiahs and Spiritual Counterfeits

Read Matthew 24:23–27 ↗.

Jesus warned that false messiahs and false prophets would perform impressive signs.

Someone may say:

“Jesus has appeared in this city.”

“He is meeting privately in this building.”

“You need special knowledge to find Him.”

“Only our group knows where He is.”

Jesus said not to believe such claims.

His real return will be like lightning across the sky. Every eye will see Him.

Read Revelation 13:13–14 ↗ and Revelation 16:13–14 ↗.

The Bible predicts powerful supernatural deceptions near the end. A miracle by itself does not prove that the Creator caused it.

The Creator’s truth will agree with Scripture, honor Jesus, uphold God’s law, and produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Wars and Rumors of Wars

Read Matthew 24:6–7 ↗.

Jesus said there would be wars and reports of coming wars. Nations and kingdoms would rise against one another.

Human history has included conflict for thousands of years. One war by itself does not prove that Jesus will return on a particular date.

The continuing pattern shows that humanity cannot create lasting peace while separated from the Creator.

Weapons become more destructive. Information travels faster. A conflict in one region can affect people around the world.

Jesus said, “See that you are not troubled.”

He did not tell us to ignore suffering. He told us not to let fear control us.

We should pray for those who suffer, help where we can, and remember that human conflict will not have the final word.

Hunger, Disease, and Earthquakes

Read Matthew 24:7–8 ↗ and Luke 21:11 ↗.

Jesus described famines, disease, and earthquakes in different places.

These events remind us that creation has been damaged by sin.

Read Romans 8:20–23 ↗.

The natural world is waiting for restoration. Disasters are painful evidence that our present world is not the world the Creator originally intended.

Jesus called these signs the beginning of birth pains.

Birth pains grow toward a coming event. They tell us that something is approaching, but they do not reveal an exact date.

We should never use another community’s suffering as exciting prophecy material. People affected by war, hunger, illness, fire, floods, or earthquakes need compassion and practical help.

Read Matthew 25:34–40 ↗.

Watching for Jesus includes caring for people who are hurting.

Increasing Knowledge and Movement

Read Daniel 12:4 ↗.

Daniel was told that near the time of the end, many would move rapidly from place to place and knowledge would increase.

Human knowledge has grown at an extraordinary rate. Information that once took months to obtain can now be reached in seconds. People and messages can travel around the world more quickly than earlier generations imagined.

This growth brings both opportunities and dangers.

Technology can spread Scripture, education, and life-saving information. It can also spread deception, exploitation, hatred, and addictive content.

Greater knowledge has not automatically produced greater wisdom or stronger character.

The Creator wants us to use knowledge responsibly while seeking the wisdom that comes from Him.

Read James 1:5 ↗.

Conditions in Human Character

Read 2 Timothy 3:1–5 ↗.

Paul described difficult conditions that would mark the last days.

People would become:

• Self-centered
• Obsessed with money
• Proud
• Disrespectful
• Ungrateful
• Unwilling to forgive
• Without self-control
• Cruel
• More interested in pleasure than the Creator

They might maintain a spiritual appearance while rejecting God’s power to change them.

These attitudes have existed throughout history. Near the end, they become widespread and increasingly accepted.

The danger is not only “out there” in society. These same attitudes can grow within any human heart.

Prophecy should lead us to examine ourselves before we judge everyone else.

Ask:

Is my heart becoming more loving or more selfish?

Am I learning self-control or feeding every desire?

Do I forgive, or do I keep building resentment?

Does my spiritual life have real power, or only an appearance?

Lawlessness and Love Growing Cold

Read Matthew 24:10–13 ↗.

Jesus said betrayal, hatred, false teaching, and lawlessness would increase. As a result, the love of many would grow cold.

Lawlessness means rejecting the Creator’s authority and moral law.

When truth becomes whatever each person wants it to be, trust begins to disappear. Commitments become temporary. People are valued only when they are useful. Love becomes a feeling without faithfulness or sacrifice.

Jesus calls His followers to endure.

Endurance does not mean becoming cold, suspicious, or harsh. It means continuing to love, obey, and trust the Creator when the surrounding culture moves in another direction.

Economic Injustice and the Desire for More

Read James 5:1–8 ↗.

James describes wealth being stored up while workers are treated unfairly. He connects these conditions with “the coming of the Lord.”

Money is not evil by itself. Wealth can be used to support families, strengthen communities, relieve suffering, and share truth.

The danger is allowing money to become a source of identity, control, or security apart from God.

Near the end, the contrast between extreme wealth and suffering becomes another sign that human systems cannot heal the heart.

The Creator calls His people to honesty, generosity, patience, and justice.

People Will Laugh at the Promise

Read 2 Peter 3:3–4 ↗.

Peter predicted that people would mock the promise of Jesus’ return.

They would say that life has continued for generations and nothing has changed.

Read 2 Peter 3:8–10 ↗.

What appears to be delay is actually patience. The Creator wants people to have time to turn toward Him.

Every day of waiting is another day of mercy.

The promise remains certain even when people stop believing it.

The Message Will Reach Every Nation

Read Matthew 24:14 ↗.

Jesus said the good news of His kingdom would be shared throughout the world as a witness to every nation. Then the end would come.

This is one of the clearest signs.

For most of history, reaching every nation seemed impossible. Today, Scripture and Bible teaching can cross great distances through radio, phones, videos, podcasts, websites, and personal relationships.

Technology alone cannot complete the work. The message must be lived as well as spoken.

People need to see followers of Jesus who are honest, compassionate, humble, and willing to acknowledge harm.

The message must reach every people without demanding cultural erasure.

Read Revelation 14:6 ↗.

God’s final invitation goes to every nation, tribe, language, and people.

The Creator is not gathering one race. He is preparing a worldwide family.

Signs in the Sun, Moon, and Stars

Read Matthew 24:29 ↗, Luke 21:25–26 ↗, and Revelation 6:12–13 ↗.

The Bible describes signs involving the sun, moon, and stars.

These passages point toward overwhelming events connected with the final return of Jesus. A historicist understanding of prophecy also recognizes remarkable earlier events as markers that humanity had entered the closing period of history.

The great earthquake

On November 1, 1755, a massive earthquake struck near Lisbon, Portugal. It caused enormous destruction and generated a tsunami felt across the Atlantic. The event deeply affected how people understood both natural disasters and human security. The U.S. Geological Survey describes it as the most destructive earthquake in European history. "U.S. Geological Survey" (https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70036556 ↗)

Historicist Bible students connected this event with the great earthquake described in Revelation 6:12 ↗.

The Dark Day

On May 19, 1780, large parts of New England became unusually dark during the daytime. The darkness was so great that animals responded as if night had arrived.

The National Weather Service records that noon became nearly as dark as night. Smoke from forest fires is now understood to have contributed to the event. "National Weather Service" (https://www.weather.gov/phi/hist_phi ↗)

A natural cause does not prevent an event from serving as a prophetic sign. The Creator often works through the natural world.

That night, the moon reportedly appeared unusually red in affected areas. Historicist Bible students connected these events with the darkened sun and blood-colored moon described in Revelation 6:12 ↗.

The falling stars

During the early morning of November 13, 1833, an extraordinary Leonid meteor storm filled the sky over eastern North America. NASA describes accounts of tens of thousands, and perhaps as many as 100,000, meteors per hour. They appeared to pour across the sky like falling stars. "NASA" (https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2024-december-10-the-great-meteor-storm-of-1833/ ↗)

Historicist Bible students recognized this event as corresponding with the falling stars described in Revelation 6:13 ↗.

These events did not give anyone an exact date for Jesus’ return. They served as visible reminders that biblical prophecy was moving forward.

Will There Be More Signs in the Heavens?

The historic events did not exhaust everything the Bible predicts.

Read Luke 21:25–27 ↗ and Revelation 6:14–17 ↗.

Immediately before Jesus appears, the heavens and Earth will experience events far greater than anything in ordinary history.

The earlier signs point forward. The final signs will accompany the arrival of the King.

We should not treat every eclipse, meteor shower, unusual cloud, or earthquake as a new prophetic fulfillment.

The Creator gave enough information for us to recognize the direction of history without turning every natural event into a prediction.

Are the Signs Becoming More Important Together?

One road sign may tell you very little. Several signs appearing together tell you that you are approaching a destination.

Wars, disasters, disease, spiritual deception, moral breakdown, economic injustice, increased knowledge, worldwide communication, and the global spread of the Creator’s message form a larger pattern.

Jesus compared the signs to leaves appearing on a tree.

Read Matthew 24:32–33 ↗.

The leaves do not reveal the exact day summer will arrive. They show that the season is near.

In the same way, the signs tell us to wake up, pay attention, and prepare.

What the Signs Do Not Tell Us

The signs do not give permission to:

• Set a date for Jesus’ return
• Treat every disaster as direct punishment
• Blame a suffering community
• Follow every viral prophecy claim
• Stop working, studying, or caring for family
• Withdraw from people who believe differently
• Make political leaders the center of prophecy
• Live in constant fear
• Treat guesses as biblical facts

Read Matthew 24:36 ↗ and Acts 1:6–8 ↗.

The Creator has not given us an exact date. He has given us a purpose.

We are called to live faithfully, share hope, serve others, and remain ready.

How Can You Evaluate a Prophecy Claim?

When someone connects a headline with prophecy, ask:

Does it come from a clear Bible passage?

A confident opinion is not the same as Scripture.

Is the passage being read in context?

Read what comes before and after the verse.

Does the claim depend on an exact date?

Jesus said no one knows the day or hour.

Does it agree with the rest of the Bible?

God’s Word will not contradict itself.

Does it point toward Jesus?

True prophecy reveals the Creator’s plan and calls people toward faithfulness.

Does it produce readiness or panic?

The Holy Spirit may create conviction and urgency, but He does not lead through confusion and manipulation.

Is the person willing to admit uncertainty?

A trustworthy teacher distinguishes clear biblical truth from personal interpretation.

Do not allow an algorithm to become your spiritual teacher. Open the Bible and examine the claim for yourself.

How Should We Respond to the Signs?

Look toward Jesus

Read Luke 21:28 ↗.

Jesus said that when these things begin happening, His followers should lift their heads because their redemption is near.

The signs direct our attention toward the returning Creator.

Stay spiritually awake

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:1–8 ↗.

Spiritual sleep means moving through life without attention to the Creator.

Stay awake through prayer, Scripture, obedience, and awareness of what is shaping your heart.

Live faithfully now

Read Matthew 24:45–47 ↗.

Jesus praised the servant who continued doing the assigned work while waiting for the master.

Preparing for Jesus means becoming faithful in ordinary life:

• Keep your promises.
• Care for your family.
• Work honestly.
• Use your gifts.
• Help people in need.
• Make wrongs right.
• Share truth respectfully.
• Keep growing with the Creator.

Protect your heart from fear

Read John 14:27 ↗.

Jesus offers peace that does not depend on stable circumstances.

Preparation built on fear may disappear when the fear fades. Preparation built on love creates lasting faithfulness.

What If You Are Not Ready?

The purpose of this lesson is not to convince you that you have missed your opportunity.

If you recognize that you are not ready, the Creator is speaking to you while there is still time.

Read 2 Corinthians 6:2 ↗ and John 6:37 ↗.

Jesus welcomes everyone who comes to Him.

You can begin now:

• Admit your need.
• Confess your sin.
• Trust what Jesus did for you.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to change your heart.
• Follow the truth you understand.
• Continue learning from Scripture.

Readiness begins with a relationship, not with knowing every detail of prophecy.

Think About It

Write your answers in your own words.

1. What emotions do end-time messages usually create in you?
2. Why did Jesus give signs of His return?
3. Why is deception the first sign mentioned in Matthew 24 ↗?
4. Which conditions from 2 Timothy 3 ↗ do you recognize around you?
5. How should we respond when another community experiences a disaster?
6. Why is the worldwide sharing of the Creator’s message an important sign?
7. What is the difference between recognizing a prophetic season and setting a date?
8. How can you test an online prophecy claim?
9. Which sign most clearly tells you that history is moving toward the return of Jesus?
10. What would becoming more prepared look like in your life?

Try This During the Coming Week

Set aside fifteen quiet minutes each day.

Read one passage:

• Day 1: Matthew 24:1–14 ↗
• Day 2: Matthew 24:23–36 ↗
• Day 3: Luke 21:25–36 ↗
• Day 4: 2 Timothy 3:1–5 ↗
• Day 5: 2 Peter 3:3–14 ↗
• Day 6: 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 ↗
• Day 7: Revelation 14:6–12 ↗

After each reading, write down:

• What sign or warning appears in this passage?
• What deception should I avoid?
• What promise gives me peace?
• What does the Creator want me to do today?

Choose one source of unnecessary fear or speculation to limit this week. Replace that time with Scripture, prayer, or an act of service.

A Prayer You Can Pray

Creator God, thank You for showing us that history is moving toward the return of Jesus. Give me wisdom to recognize the signs without becoming controlled by fear. Protect me from false teachers, spiritual counterfeits, viral rumors, and date setting. Help me test every claim by Your Word. Keep my love warm, my mind clear, and my life faithful. Give me compassion for people who are suffering and courage to share hope with respect. Prepare my heart for the day Jesus returns. Amen.

Remember This

Jesus gave signs so that His followers could prepare rather than panic.

Spiritual deception is one of the greatest end-time dangers.

Wars, disasters, disease, and injustice show that this world needs restoration.

Increasing knowledge does not automatically produce wisdom.

Lawlessness causes love to grow cold.

The Creator’s message will reach every nation, tribe, language, and people.

Historicist Bible students recognize the events of 1755, 1780, and 1833 as important prophetic markers.

The final signs will be greater and will accompany the return of Jesus.

No one knows the exact day or hour.

Readiness means trusting Jesus and living faithfully today.

Coming Next

Lesson 13: The Great Judgment Day

The Bible teaches that every life will be examined before the Creator. The next lesson explains why judgment is good news for those who trust Jesus and how God ensures that every decision is completely fair.