Introduction.
We are living in the time of the end. The fast-fulfilling signs of the times declare that the coming of Christ is near at hand. The days in which we live are solemn and important. The Spirit of God is gradually but surely being withdrawn from the earth. Plagues and judgments are already falling upon the despisers of the grace of God. The calamities by land and sea, the unsettled state of society, the alarms of war, are portentous. They forecast approaching events of the greatest magnitude, [9 Testimonies for the Church (11.1)].
All Christians, without exception, are waiting for the great day when our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will return. However, there are two understandings of what Jesus will do when He returns. The vast majority are waiting for Jesus to come down to earth after the secret rapture of the Christians, to then take his place in the third temple to reign here on earth for 1000 years. The small group are waiting for Jesus to return to take his faithful people, both those who died in Christ and those who are alive, to take them to heaven and be there for 1000 years.
What is certain is that Jesus is coming back, and soon – very soon. There are actually Christians who do not believe in Jesus’ return, but He is coming, and much sooner than they realize. There is no doubt about it. Jesus told us a parable about the fig tree, saying: Now take an example from the fig-tree: when her branch has become soft and puts out its leaves, you are certain that the summer is near; Even so, when you see all these things, you may be certain that he is near, even at the doors, [Matthew 24:32-33; (Basic English 1964)]. He told this so that we would get an idea of what it will be like just before His return. This is a parable and then we must understand the words in a figurative sense, not literally. The signs that we can learn from this parable are that when the branches are soft and leaves come, then we know that summer is near.
In a figurative sense, and in relation to Jesus’ return, we have been given many signs that will be fulfilled before His return. Most of the signs that Jesus gave us have been fulfilled, and many signs have an ongoing fulfilment. If we look closely at what is happening in our time, we see that almost all signs are being fulfilled at the same time. These are the branches and leaves on the fig tree.
If we look at our fig tree, we see that the branches have become tender and the leaves have already putteth forth leaves, and if we interpret these signs correctly, we see that something great and terrible is about to happen. Old alliances are no longer worth the paper they are written on. Those who were archenemies yesterday have suddenly become best friends overnight. As if yesterday was not threatening enough, this day is even more threatening in view of a great and all-destroying war.
Ellen G. White writes the following in Last Days Events: Rulers and statesmen, men who occupy positions of trust and authority, thinking men and women of all classes, have their attention fixed upon the events taking place about us. They are watching the relations that exist among the nations. They observe the intensity that is taking possession of every earthly element, and they recognize that something great and decisive is about to take place—that the world is on the verge of a stupendous crisis, (11.1).
Let us look at some of the prophecies that concern the last days, the end times in an expanded sense. Daniel chapter 11 tells of the king of the north and the king of the south who apparently fight a war between themselves, but who have a common enemy. This has to do with merism. Merism is a principle where there are two apparent contradictions, or enemies, but who turn out to constitute a whole. The North Pole and the South Pole are such a merism, they are opposite poles, but together they constitute a whole, the planet earth. In Daniel 11 we see this war between these two kings, first as a physical war, and gradually as a spiritual war. It is the spiritual war that ultimately unites the king of the south and the king of the north by the king of the south submitting to the king of the north.
The king of the south is explained in the Bible as Egypt (Daniel 11:8). Egypt is used as a symbol for all non-religious organizations, and is a secular alliance representing atheism, philosophy, evolution, secularism, humanism, existentialism, trade unions, etc. Therefore, since this is a Merism, the king of the north must be the opposite of a secular power, that is, a religious power, and this is the Roman Catholic Church. This church will eventually gather all religions and denominations under its umbrella.
When the two are united, the king of the north will have control over the whole world, and we can read in Revelation 13 that this will happen. Here in Revelation this power is called a beast, and in 13:3 we read this: And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. It does not say that it is only the Christian churches that follow the beast, nor all religions, but the whole world, and that includes the secular powers. Except for a small, strange group that would rather follow God and God’s Ten Commandments than the Pope and his Ten Commandments.
It is against this small group that Satan directs most of his weapons, because he hates this group who will not submit to the false religion of the papacy. This is depicted in a picturesque way in Proverbs 6:20 to 7:27, a passage called: Do not commit adultery. Here we see how the Catholic Church tries to trap all who do not submit to the dictates of the fallen church..
We see today that we have come so far that all religions have long since submitted to the rule of the papacy. Leaders of all the world’s church denominations make pilgrimages to Rome to bow their knees to the Pope, even the Dalai Lama, who himself claims to be god reincarnated, has recognized the Pope as his religious head. The secular powers also recognize the Pope, not as their religious head, but simply as the head of the world, and Revelation 13:3 is being fulfilled before our eyes. We see that the branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves.
Even though we see that all the signs that herald Jesus’ return are being fulfilled before our eyes, we still have to go through a time of tribulation, just look at what Ellen G. White says in Testimonies for the Church 3: The agencies of evil are combining their forces and consolidating. They are strengthening for the last great crisis. Great changes are soon to take place in our world, and the final movements will be rapid ones, (11.2) … // … The condition of things in the world shows that troublous times are right upon us. The daily papers are full of indications of a terrible conflict in the near future. Bold robberies are of frequent occurrence. Strikes are common. Thefts and murders are committed on every hand. Men possessed of demons are taking the lives of men, women, and little children. Men have become infatuated with vice, and every species of evil prevails, (11.3) … // … In the great cities there are multitudes living in poverty and wretchedness, well-nigh destitute of food, shelter, and clothing; while in the same cities are those who have more than heart could wish, who live luxuriously, spending their money on richly furnished houses, on personal adornment, or worse still, upon the gratification of sensual appetites, upon liquor, tobacco, and other things that destroy the powers of the brain, unbalance the mind, and debase the soul. The cries of starving humanity are coming up before God, while by every species of oppression and extortion men are piling up colossal fortunes, (11.4).
We will look at this a little closer, but first we can look at what Isaiah 59:14 says: And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.
All Bible texts are taken from the King James Version 1611/1769 unless otherwise stated.
Signs of Jesus’ soon return.
Let’s look at Jesus’ great prophecy about the end times that we find in Matthew 24.
In this chapter Jesus lists what must happen before He returns and says in verses 6-14 that we will hear of wars and rumours of wars, of famines, pestilences and earthquakes. But this is only the beginning, He says. God’s faithful remnant will be subjected to tribulation, that is, persecuted and killed, and everyone will hate this strange little group who would rather belong to the Creator of the universe than be led astray by worldly powers. There will also be division among God’s faithful remnant, and those who fall away will denounce their former brothers and sisters in the faith. There will come false prophets, which means that there must also be true prophets sent from God. Lawlessness will prevail, and love for our neighbour will disappear. But some will endure, and these will preach the gospel to the whole world. When that is done, Jesus will return.
What does the world look like today? Can we say, with a few exceptions, that what Jesus prophesied has been fulfilled? We hear daily of wars and rumours of wars, there is constant famine in the world, and new pandemics appear at regular intervals, and not a week goes by without us reading about powerful earthquakes in several places in the world. God’s faithful remnant are imprisoned because they preach the word of God as it has been given to us, and many are killed every year for the same reason. People are constantly appearing in God’s end-time church who do not have honest intentions in coming to us, and who sow discord within God’s church. Most fallen church denominations with ‘self-respect’ have a prophet, and we also see in my own country, Norway, which has until now been protected by God’s spirit, that it is being withdrawn, which opens the way for the devil’s work that incites lawless people to recruit children as young as 13 to throw hand grenades in the streets of cities and towns. And we see that there is no longer any true charity. This is spoken of so beautifully, but it is empty words.
The works of evil.
Right after creation, Satan was active in his attempt to destroy God’s creation. We do not know how long it took, but it was not long before Satan seduced the first two humans. When God asked them what they had done, neither of them was willing to admit their mistakes, but both Adam and Eve blamed God. We find this conversation between God and humans: … … Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest [to be] with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What [is] this [that] thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat, (Genesis 3:11-13). Adam actually says, The woman whom You created, and Eve actually says, The serpent whom You created, and both of them thus blame God.
Now the author of evil had gained a foothold among humans, and now evil is developing at a frenetic pace. When Cain and Abel were old enough to make their own sacrifices, Cain became jealous of his brother Abel because God looked with favour on Abel’s sacrifice while rejecting Cain’s. This led Cain to kill his brother. After this, evil only continued to develop, taking on new and more destructive forms over time.
Let’s start by looking at what God has done in ancient times each time evil has reached a certain level, that is, when the sins of men have reached to heaven (Revelation 18:5). If we look at history, we see that God has intervened and stopped evil from developing completely. The first time we read about this is in the story of the flood. There was only one family that took refuge in God and was saved and that was Noah, his wife, three sons and three daughters-in-law. Everyone else perished in the waters that flooded the whole earth.
But God does not send judgments arbitrarily upon mankind. First, He warns the wicked of the impending judgment, and at the same time He gives them sufficient time to turn to God, ask for forgiveness, and be united with the Lord. We see this in the story of Noah. He spent 120 years building the ark, and all the time he preached the message of salvation and judgment. That is just how God is. He does not want anyone to perish, but He does not force anyone. When the wicked cling to their sins, God has no choice but to let sinful people be destroyed in judgment.
We also find a story about the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and their sister cities that were destroyed because of the violent and sinful way of life they had there. This happened in the time of Abraham, and he was God’s friend and interceded for these cities. Here too, only one family was saved, Lot, his wife and two daughters.
When Israel came to Canaan after the captivity in Egypt, the people who lived in Canaan had had 430 years to turn to God. Everyone knew about the God of Abraham, and they also knew how powerful the Creator is, but they continued their rebellion against God. The result was that these people would be destroyed.
If we jump forward to the year 722/721 BC we see that Israel, or the Northern Kingdom, the ten-tribe kingdom, was punished by God for its apostasy. They were conquered by the Assyrians, and those who were not killed during the battles were taken as prisoners to the other side of the Euphrates. After that, no one knows where they have gone.
Just over 100 years later, it was Judea’s turn to be punished for their apostasy, and for 148 years (605 – 457) they lived as prisoners in Babylon, albeit with alternating oppression. Then they were allowed to return home and were given a probation or grace period of 490 years during which they were to a) repent to God and settle their own sin, or b) confirm their apostasy, which they did when they demanded Jesus Christ be crucified. In the year 70 AD Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed, and in 135 they were expelled from their own land after the Bar-Kokhva revolt. The Jews have also been lost in the oblivion of history. The big question that arises is who is to blame for all these people being wiped out.
Is it God’s fault, as many want it to be, or is it the fault of the individual because each one who was wiped out wanted nothing to do with God?
Is there any reason to believe that God will act differently with the sin that has permeated the world in our time? Jesus says in Matthew 24:37 that it will be like as the days of Noe [were], so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Is there any reason to believe that Jesus Christ will do it differently when He returns to gather His faithful people?
War and disasters.
Regarding war and disasters, Ellen G. White says the following in 9 Testimonios for the Church: The world is stirred with the spirit of war. The prophecy of the eleventh chapter of Daniel has nearly reached its complete fulfilment. Soon the scenes of trouble spoken of in the prophecies will take place, (14.2).
In recent years, it has become almost a fashion among violent despots to start wars and create rumours of war. There have never been more wars at once than now (2026). The world has become a more dangerous place to live after the self-proclaimed ‘Prince of Peace’, the 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump, moved into the White House in January 2025. Not only does he mistreat his own countrymen who are political opponents, he has also ordered the National Guard and immigration police into the streets of several cities where the Democrats rule to suppress the ‘rebellion’ in these cities at all costs, and then innocent people are killed.
Trump also leads an aggressive foreign policy, starting more conflicts than any other American president. He has contributed to genocide in the Gaza Strip, and at the time of writing (March 2026) he is in the process of bombing Iran back to the Stone Age. Not a day goes by without wars and rumours of wars being mentioned. There is so much of this now that it has become commonplace for us. It is not always bloody wars that are the main headlines in the news anymore, because we hear about them all the time. Honestly it must be said that it is not only Trump who is a warlord, there are over 200 armed conflicts in the world today, but in our part of the world (Europe) we do not hear much about conflicts in Africa or in remote countries and territories in the third world. These are conflicts that affect tens of millions of people but are silently ignored by the ‘self-proclaimed objective’ press in the Western world.
Jesus says in Matthew 24:6 that we shall hear of wars and rumours of wars. It is not an exaggeration to say that this is true.
The word disasters hides many different things. Let’s look at some of these disasters and see what the spirit of prophecy has said about this.
In the last scenes of this earth’s history war will rage. There will be pestilence, plague and famine. The waters of the deep will overflow their boundaries. Property and life will be destroyed by fire and flood. We should be preparing for the mansions that Christ has gone to prepare for them that love Him, (Last Days Events 24.2)
But there is hope for God’s faithful remnant. See what the Spirit of Prophecy says in 9 Testimonies for the Church: Fearful tests and trials await the people of God. The spirit of war is stirring the nations from one end of the earth to the other. But in the midst of the time of trouble that is coming,—a time of trouble such as has not been since there was a nation,—God’s chosen people will stand unmoved. Satan and his host cannot destroy them, for angels that excel in strength will protect them, (17.1).
We have looked at wars and rumours of wars just above, so let’s move on to the other signs mentioned by the spirit of prophecy.
Epidemics. A few years ago, we went through a worldwide pandemic, Covid19. This killed millions of people, and there is every reason to believe that this is due to a virus that has been manipulated in a laboratory because this virus contains a protein that is not normally found in viruses. Otherwise, we see that diseases that were thought to have been eradicated are flourishing again, and in many places people are dying like flies because of these diseases. Research is also being done on such viruses, and one day a new one will hit the whole world. It is only a matter of time before a new pandemic is unleashed.
Famine. Thanks to wars, especially the one between Russia and Ukraine, less food is being produced than usual. In addition, more and more places are being hit by floods and droughts, making it difficult to grow food. Also, large swarms of locusts are eating up what was intended to be human food. Whatever the cause, people are starving to death in many places, while in other places people have an abundance and throw away tons of food every day.
The waters of the deep will overflow their boundaries. This means that the sea will flood the land. This can be understood in two ways. One reason is that the climate is changing, which is beyond doubt, but the reason for this is twofold. The scientific explanation is that we humans are able to influence the natural laws that God has set to regulate conditions on earth, so-called global man-made warming. The other is the explanation that no scientist recognizes, but which is nevertheless the correct one. We only have evidence of an ice age, the Little Ice Age. There was a dramatic cooling of the planet that led to much of the precipitation fell as snow, and this in turn has for example led to the city of Ephesus, which was a port city in Paul’s time, becoming an inland city. Now that the temperature is returning to what was normal before the Little Ice Age, the climate hysterics call this man-made. We know for sure that heat-loving trees such as oaks and the like grew over large parts of Norway 1,000 years ago. We also know that the Vikings who settled in Greenland cultivated grain. Nowadays, there are only a few places where oak grows in Norway where there are favorable growing areas, and grain cannot be grown in Greenland. May be it is too warm climate in our days? When the huge ice masses are about to melt, the sea level will rise and flood many places where people live. The second reason is that God is slowly but surely withdrawing His Spirit from the earth, and this gives the devil greater freedom of action, and his greatest passion is to torment and kill people and make it virtually impossible to live on this planet. We are seeing an increasing number of storms, hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons that bring the sea onto land and kill thousands of people and destroy crops and infrastructure.
Flooding. This has become a major problem in recent years. More and more often we see in the news that rivers overflow their banks and destroy houses, crops and take lives of animals and people. Even in Norway, where there has never been flooding caused by rivers in the winter, we are seeing this happening more and more often. This winter (2025/2026) at the latest.
Fire. Here I must begin with a quote from Ellen G. White: Last Friday morning, just before I awoke, a very impressive scene was presented before me. I seemed to awake from sleep but was not in my home. From the windows I could behold a terrible conflagration. Great balls of fire were falling upon houses, and from these balls fiery arrows were flying in every direction. It was impossible to check the fires that were kindled, and many places were being destroyed. The terror of the people was indescribable. After a time I awoke and found myself at home, (Last Days Events 24.3).
Those who remember the fire in Los Angeles in March 2025 cannot avoid to see the fulfillment of this prophecy. This is how it happened. A huge forest fire broke out and spread by great balls of fire to one of the most fashionable residential areas in the world, the place where many of the biggest movie stars lived in their luxury palaces. Over 600 houses and buildings were consumed by the flames. 29 people lost their lives and over 200,000 had to evacuate. This fire is just one of several hundred forest fires in the United States and Canada in the past two or three years. In 2026, there have been two large forest fires in South America. One in Chile where over 300 square kilometers of forest burned, and one in Argentina where the flames consumed over 400 square kilometers.
In Europe, there have been many large forest fires in various places in recent years. Even in Norway, in wintertime, there have been grass and heather fires in various places in recent years. It is far from normal for vegetation to burn in the winter when there is normally a blanket of snow over the entire country.
What I am mentioning is just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many events that fall under these two small prophecies, that there should be no doubt that something is about to happen. These prophecies were given over 100 years ago, and we see them being fulfilled just as accurately as the prophecies in Daniel and Revelation. It is only those who are willfully ignorant who do not see the truth.
In Testimonies for the Church 3, Ellen G. White says the following: There are not many, even among educators and statesmen, who comprehend the causes that underlie the present state of society. Those who hold the reins of government are not able to solve the problem of moral corruption, poverty, pauperism, and increasing crime. They are struggling in vain to place business operations on a more secure basis. If men would give more heed to the teaching of God’s word, they would find a solution of the problems that perplex them, (13.3). This she said over 100 years ago, and how much more is it true today?
She also said this in Testimonies for the Church 3: But who reads the warnings given by the fast-fulfilling signs of the times? What impression is made upon worldlings? What change is seen in their attitude? No more than was seen in the attitude of the inhabitants of the Noachian world. Absorbed in worldly business and pleasure, the antediluvians “knew not until the Flood came, and took them all away.” Matthew 24:39. They had heaven-sent warnings, but they refused to listen. And today the world, utterly regardless of the warning voice of God, is hurrying on to eternal ruin, (14.1).
What is God’s purpose for the plagues?
In Manuscript Releases 3:311 (1902), Ellen G. White asks two rhetorical questions which are reproduced here: What mean the awful calamities by sea—vessels hurled into eternity without a moment’s warning? What mean the accidents by land—fire consuming the riches that men have hoarded, much of which has been accumulated by oppression of the poor? And she goes on to explain the events as follows: The Lord will not interfere to protect the property of those who transgress His law, break His covenant, and trample upon His Sabbath, accepting in its place a spurious rest day. The plagues of God are already falling upon the earth, sweeping away the most costly structures as if by a breath of fire from heaven. Will not these judgments bring professing Christians to their senses? God permits them to come that the world may take heed, that sinners may be afraid and tremble before Him … // … God has a purpose in permitting these calamities to occur. They are one of His means of calling men and women to their senses. By unusual workings through nature God will express to doubting human agencies that which He clearly reveals in His Word, [Manuscript Releases 19:279 (1902)].
As we see, God allows these events to happen because it is the only way humans can be awakened from their Sleeping Beauty slumber so that they can understand the seriousness of what lies ahead. God’s highest desire is that everyone will turn to Him and accept salvation in Jesus Christ, but as I said, God does not force salvation on anyone who does not want it. In other words, it is the individual’s choices that lead to properties going up in smoke, or other accidents befalling them. Because there always comes a point when God says enough is enough, as He did in Egypt when He said to Pharaoh: And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms [of flies] shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I [am] the LORD in the midst of the earth. And I will put a division between my people and thy people: tomorrow shall this sign be, (Exodus 8:22-23).
We must all actively choose to follow Jesus, if we do not do so we either actively or passively choose to follow Satan. What is happening in our time is that God, because people have chosen to follow Satan, is withdrawing His Spirit from the earth slowly but surely. Then Satan will finally have free rein and then it will become unlivable on this planet.
We see it in countries that have chosen another religion that there are great human challenges. There is oppression, corruption and godlessness. More and more often these countries are hit by hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones that lead to floods, there are droughts, there are earthquakes, and all this takes the lives of thousands of people.
Another feature we can see is the difference between the countries where Christianity is mainly dominant. In these countries there is a big difference between nations that are Protestant and Catholic. Let’s look at the nations that were bastions of the Reformation in the Middle Ages, parts of today’s Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. These have been blessed by God for their choices, while nations in South America struggle with instability where governments are corrupt, and where corruption permeates society. This is far from a blessing from God.
But this blessing that the Protestant bastions and the USA were given is also only a temporary blessing, because the people in these countries have turned against God. Just look at what is happening with natural disasters in the USA and Europe. Here too there are floods, huge forest fires, earthquakes, droughts, torrential rains, and it is simply incredible what is happening now. This did not happen just a couple of decades ago. This tells us that God is making the final preparations for the return of Jesus.
If you have not chosen Jesus yet, I advise you to do so now. We have no guarantees about tomorrow. Seek God today, do it now, for God is waiting for you to turn to Him, and see what the Lord says through Isaiah: In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee … … (Isaiah 49:8) … // … and Paul says this in 2 Corinthians 6:2: For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now [is] the accepted time; behold, now [is] the day of salvation.
Do you dare to wait until another day? It is not certain that you will get another chance, because today is the day of salvation, today the Savior is knocking at your door. Say YES to Him.