jw.org has taken to posting brief articles with short bullet points on current topics. As I have done with the Watchtower Review column for many years this post will examine the validity of the article: What Is the Sign of “the Last Days,” or “End Times”? (The recycled article appearing on jw dot org has been reviewed before but what follows is more detailed.)
What are some Bible prophecies about “the last days”? The Bible foretold many things that together would be “the sign” to identify the last days. (Luke 21:7) Consider some examples:
The Bible does indeed foretell many things that are destined to occur during the last days. While the article under consideration may appear to be a comprehensive list, it is not. The Watchtower has omitted and neglected some very important features, which will be highlighted.
Moreover, although the Watchtower has been proclaiming the last days longer than anyone has been alive there are many other religious groups and individuals who are all on the end times bandwagon now. Just do a Google search for some term like “are these the end times?”
War on a large scale. Jesus foretold: “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.” (Matthew 24:7) Similarly, Revelation 6:4 foretold a symbolic horseman representing warfare that would “take peace away from the earth.”
Very few people living have experienced “war on a large scale.” That is because World War Two was the last large-scale war, which is why it was called a world war —and WW2 ended in 1945. The WW2 generation is passing away. Virtually no one is alive now that lived during the First World War. But Jesus said, “when you see all these things…” Is it an insignificant detail that no one alive now has personally seen all of these things that the Watchtower claims became evident over 100 years ago?
As the WT article noted, Revelation states that the fiery-colored horseman of war will take peace away from the earth so that they will slaughter one another. Does that describe the present condition of the world? If you were to ask someone how they are holding up under these stressful wartime conditions they would probably consider you to be of unsound mind. And rightly so.
It is noteworthy, however, that the recent Russian military operation in Ukraine has prompted fear of a large-scale war between the nuclear powers, something that has never occurred.
Famine. Jesus foretold: “There will be food shortages.” (Matthew 24:7) The book of Revelation foretold an additional symbolic horseman, whose ride would result in famine on a large scale.—Revelation 6:5, 6.
There have always been famines and food shortages throughout history. With modern farming methods, rapid transportation, and refrigeration though, there is a much greater capacity to support a growing population. Even with billions more mouths to feed in this 21st-century food shortages are less common than in ages past.
Unfortunately, although food is plentiful evil men have used food, or rather lack of food, as a weapon. The communist regimes in the USSR and Mao’s China intentionally starved tens of millions of their own citizens. Blockades, sanctions, and deliberate impoverishment of nations through economic warfare is also driving millions to the verge of starvation now. Still, the so-called affluent nations have never experienced famine or food shortages. Even during the Great Depression the majority of the population in America still lived on small family farms and were able to eke out a subsistence, while city dwellers benefited from government-sponsored soup kitchens and other relief programs.
But fully stocked grocery shelves and produce bins may become a thing of the past. Under the guise of saving the planet from climate change, the foremost oligarch of the British Empire and heir to the crown has organized all of the biggest banks in the Western world to cut off credit to any industry deemed to be contributing to climate change. That means oil producers foremost, including fertilizers, as well as truck and farm equipment manufacturers, and virtually the entire supply chain.
Although it is popular now to blame Vladimir Putin for rising fuel and fertilizer costs the real culprits are the financiers associated with the British Crown and the City of London. Not only are meat and food producers, processors, and transporters being deliberately targeted for destruction, but because of the trillions upon trillion of dollars that have been created to prop up a bankrupt financial system, inflation is already making food unaffordable for the poorest.
It is no secret or conspiracy theory that the so-called globalists intend to reduce the population by a sizable percentage. Not only do they have the power to do so, given the fecklessness of politicians who are supposed to guard the general welfare from such predators, the billionaires’ scheme has already been set into motion and beginning to bite. (See article: The New Green Deal and London’s Global Genocide)
Great earthquakes. Jesus said that there would be “earthquakes in one place after another.” (Matthew 24:7; Luke 21:11) These great earthquakes around the world would cause suffering and loss of life on an unprecedented scale.
There have always been earthquakes even massive temblors. Obviously, earthquakes in remote, sparsely populated regions do not result in as much suffering or loss of life. Now that there are somewhere around eight billion souls on this planet the potential for more devastating earthquakes in terms of human suffering is much greater than in times past.
Californians have been expecting the “Big One” for quite a while. We should not suppose it to be impossible or even improbable that large-scale war, food shortages, pandemics, and massive earthquakes might occur during the same interval in the near future.
Disease. According to Jesus, there would be pestilences, or epidemics of “terrible diseases.”—Luke 21:11, Contemporary English Version.
Since it has been over a century since the horrific Spanish Flu pandemic ravaged the world in recent years the Watchtower evidently felt the need to fudge the facts and list various non-communicable lifestyle diseases such as cancer and heart disease as the fulfillment of the prophecy. (See article: A Closer Look @ 1914)
The Covid-19 pandemic has given the Watchtower’s prophetic interpretation a boost, even though the facts show it was nowhere near as deadly as the Spanish Flu. In fact, most of the victims of the Covid epidemic appear to have been killed by the medical establishment. (See article: The Second Holocaust Has Begun)
Covid-19 did, however, bring into consciousness that there are laboratories funded by the United States that are working on gain-of-function research to make pathogens more pathogenic. In view of the fact that over the course of the past 60 years the United States has come more and more under the control of the British Empire and given the intention of the London imperium to kill off 80% of the population, and taking into consideration the recent revelation that more than two dozen such labs exist in Ukraine, and dozens more in other former Soviet nations, why should anyone doubt that the entity symbolized in the Scriptures as a vicious wild beast has the temperament to create all sorts of deadly plagues? (The Nazi Roots of the House of Windsor)
It is interesting that the book of Revelation symbolizes war, famine, and pestilence as horsemen —that is, horses with human riders. Obviously, all wars are from a human source, whereas in times past famines and disease epidemics were considered natural phenomena; however, now wicked men have the power to create starvation and disease on a global scale and seem intent to do so.
Crime. Although crime has existed for centuries, Jesus foretold that in the last days, there would be an “increasing of lawlessness.”—Matthew 24:12.
This is a blatant falsehood. Jesus was not foretelling an increase in crime. Jesus used the term that has been translated as “lawlessness” on several other occasions. In each instance, it pertained to the hypocrisy of those who professed to serve God. For example, Jesus said that he would respond to those who hypocritically call him “Lord, Lord” by saying: “Get away from me you workers of lawlessness.”
Furthermore, Jesus said the Pharisees were full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. What is more, in his illustration of the wheat and weeds Jesus said the angels would be dispatched to uproot lawless persons out from his kingdom. Clearly, Jesus was not talking about common criminals in any of those instances. Likewise, the increasing lawlessness that Christ foretold takes place among true Christians. To be sure, the increase of lawlessness is a direct result of the insidious influence of the man of lawlessness whom Paul said would foment an apostasy as an immediate prelude to the manifestation of Christ.
Ruining of the earth. Revelation 11:18 foretold that mankind would be “ruining the earth.” They would do so in many ways, not only through violent and corrupt actions but also by bringing harm to the environment.
The ruination of the earth has been going on for centuries. True, the industrial revolution and the rapid increase in the world’s population accelerated desertification and deforestation. Even so, the Bible does not indicate that the ruination of the earth is part of the sign of the last days. Rather, most likely it will be a result of the conflict that will take place during the last days. No doubt the coming “war on a large scale” and inevitable nuclear exchanges will cause unprecedented environmental devastation.
Deteriorating attitudes. At 2 Timothy 3:1-4, the Bible foretold that people in general would be “unthankful, disloyal, . . . not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride.” These attitudes would reach such extremes that the era could rightly be described as “critical times hard to deal with.”
There is no question that Christian civilization is being intentionally degraded. When drag queens are doing library readings for children and kindergartners are now being “educated” about transgenderism it is symptomatic of a society that has become rotten to the core. However, as I have pointed out numerous times the apostle did not indicate that the gradual sodomization of civilization would take place during the last days; rather, the last days will be critical times hard to deal with because people will already have become so utterly corrupt and ungodly.
Breakdown of the family. At 2 Timothy 3:2, 3, the Bible foretold that many people would have “no natural affection” for their family and that children would be “disobedient to parents.”
See paragraph above.
Diminished love of God. Jesus foretold: “The love of the greater number will grow cold.” (Matthew 24:12) Jesus meant that love for God would grow cold in most people. Likewise, 2 Timothy 3:4 says that in the last days, such ones would be “lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God.”
I believe Jehovah’s Witnesses have been blessed by Jehovah and used by Jesus to accomplish the work of preaching the good news and making disciples. It is among those who have demonstrated a love for God and Christ that the love of the greater number will go cold. Not only grow cold, but some will become hateful and murderous. Here is what the Watchtower omitted, in context Jesus said: “Then, too, many will be stumbled and will betray one another and will hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and mislead many; and because of the increasing of lawlessness, the love of the greater number will grow cold. But the one who has endured to the end will be saved.”
Mark and Luke added details that Matthew did not; namely, that brothers will betray one another and family members will even hand loved ones over to be put to death. Clearly, Jesus is foretelling the tragic crack-up of his congregation during the last days.
Religious hypocrisy. At 2 Timothy 3:5, the Bible foretold that people would appear to worship God but would not truly live by his standards.
How true. The leadership of the Watchtower has become as hypocritical as the clergy they condemn. And during the last days it will all be exposed. Did not Jesus assure us that there is nothing carefully hidden that will not come to light? The prophecy of Zephaniah illustrates this very thing: “At that time I will carefully search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will call to account the complacent ones, who say in their heart, ‘Jehovah will not do good, and he will not do bad.’ Their wealth will be plundered and their houses will be devastated…The great day of Jehovah is near! It is near and it is approaching very quickly! The sound of the day of Jehovah is bitter. There a warrior cries out.” — Zephaniah 1:12,14
Increased understanding of Bible prophecies. The book of Daniel foretold that in “the time of the end,” many would gain increased knowledge of Bible truth, including accurate understanding of these prophecies.—Daniel 12:4
The irony is that the Watchtower teaches that the time of the end began in 1914 and nearly every prophecy is believed to have already been fulfilled in some measure, for that reason Jehovah’s Witnesses cannot understand Bible prophecy. Only when the time of the end actually begins will the truth finally be understood, but only by those blessed by Jehovah. “And the wicked ones will act wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand; but those having insight will understand.” — Daniel 12:10
Take for example the Watchtower’s interpretation of the seventh chapter of Daniel regarding the little horn that emerges and plucks up three other horns. The WT claims that the wreckage of a few dozen wooden warships, known as the Spanish Armada, was the beginning of the fulfillment of the emergence of the little horn. The little horn supposedly began arising among the 10 horns in 1588 and the process dragged out over several centuries as Britain went on to defeat the Dutch and French in a series of battles, so that by the 19th century the British Empire reigned supreme. Then, in the 20th century, the Anglo-American little horn crushed the holy ones.
The absurdity of the Watchtower’s interpretation ought to be obvious to anyone who cares to reason on the facts. The facts being: Spain, France, and the Netherlands are all still very viable nations at this present time. France especially is every bit the equal of Great Britain in terms of their economy, military, and standing in the world. France is one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. In what way was France “plucked out” as a ruling horn from the head of Satan’s beast? (See article: The Spanish Armada or World War Three?)
As it stands presently, a new world order is in the process of emerging. Nations are moving away from the Anglo-dominated unipolar world. New arrangements are being made to replace the dollar as the world’s reserve currency. That means the terminally bankrupt Anglo-American duo are about to get taken down, probably France along with them. What is to emerge from the abyss remains to be seen.
A global preaching work. Jesus foretold: “This good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth.”—Matthew 24:14.
The preaching of the good news in all the earth is a necessary prelude to the last days —not a feature of it. According to Mark Jesus said: “As for you, look out for yourselves. People will hand you over to local courts, and you will be beaten in synagogues and be put on the stand before governors and kings for my sake, for a witness to them. Also, in all the nations, the good news has to be preached first.”
The prophecy of Joel, which the Watchtower recently claimed has no modern application even though the fulfillment of the prophecy is connected with the day of Jehovah, foretells the end of the Christian preaching and teaching work as a result of the devastation wrought by the symbolic locust plague. (See the chapter: Joel)
Widespread apathy and ridicule. Jesus foretold that people in general would ignore the overwhelming evidence of the approaching end. (Matthew 24:37-39) More than that, 2 Peter 3:3, 4 foretold that some would ridicule the evidence, dismissing it completely.
The Watchtower has brought ridicule upon itself. Since its inception, the Watchtower has been proclaiming that the parousia has begun. Originally C.T. Russell claimed the last days began in 1799 and the parousia had begun in 1874 and the Kingdom began ruling in 1878. Armageddon was expected in 1914. About 15 years after the world didn’t end when it was supposed to the Watchtower reworked everything to pin the beginning of the last days to 1914. And, of course, there was another end-of-the-world fiasco in 1975. Surely, God has not judged anyone as ridiculers because they did not believe the Watchtower’s many erroneous predictions.
As regards the prophecy in 2 Peter, the apostle did not say that people would ridicule the evidence for the parousia. He said that people would deliberately put out of their minds the fact that there was a global flood —that God had once before destroyed an entire world. And they would likewise take no note that the heavens and earth that exist now are stored up for fire.
All prophecies fulfilled. Jesus said that the last days would be marked by the simultaneous fulfillment of all these prophecies, not just a few or even most of them.—Matthew 24:33.
Have all of the prophecies been fulfilled? For years, especially during the Cold War, the Watchtower claimed that people were faint with fear not knowing the way out of the distress; but now that is no longer believed to be true. People obviously will become faint with fear during the tribulation, when they see fearful sights from heaven and great signs. So, the Watchtower is lying. Even by their own teaching, no one has personally seen all the things Jesus said would occur because some things have not taken place —even according to the Watchtower. By the Watchtower’s own criteria these are not the last days.
One of the most outstanding features of the sign of Christ’s coming is the presence of false Christs and false prophets. In response to the question his disciples posed to him requesting a sign Jesus warned them: “Look out that you are not misled, for many will come on the basis of my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The due time is near.’ Do not go after them.” — Luke 21:8
Has not the Watchtower come in Christ’s name proclaiming for over 140 years that the due time is near? Given the consistent falsity of the Watchtower’s proclamations, the Governing Body has no credibility. Even so, it appears that they are trying to stay relevant by claiming current events like the Covid pandemic and Russia’s military operation in Ukraine are the continuation of the fulfillment of prophecy that began undergoing fulfillment in 1914.
Are we living in “the last days”? Yes. World conditions, as well as Bible chronology, indicate that the last days began in 1914, the year World War I began. To see how world conditions indicate that we are living in the last days, watch the following video:
Bible chronology does not point to 1914. Watch the videos below.
In 1914, God’s Kingdom began ruling in heaven, and one of its first actions was to expel Satan the Devil and the demons from heaven and restrict their activity to the earth. (Revelation 12:7-12) Satan’s influence on mankind can be seen in many of the bad attitudes and actions that make the last days “critical times hard to deal with.”—2 Timothy 3:1.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are laboring under a deluding influence. They have been deluded into believing that Satan has no influence over the Watchtower. The fact is, Jehovah God has permitted an operation of Satan to go to those who know the truth. Satan’s scheme is to create a false Kingdom-come scenario, complete with Devil’s own make-believe ouster from heaven in 1914.
The past century has certainly experienced great wars and other calamities. At the same time though, the past 60 years have been a period of relative peace and prosperity during which the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses has thrived. But given the present state of uncertainty and deepening crisis, why should anyone ridicule the evidence or doubt that the last days are about to begin?
