[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

Living in the End-Times | Matthew 24

We are living in increasingly stressful and distressing times. It seems that in every way we can imagine the world is becoming more unstable, more dangerous, and more morally confused.

In fact, things are so bad, that surveys show even many who have never cracked open a Bible in their lives are beginning to wonder—are we living in the end-times?

At the same time, the world has seen difficulties before: World wars, famines, plagues. How can we distinguish between the usual times of difficulty and hardship, and the true end of days as prophesied by the Bible? Is it possible to know?

The Pew Research Center reported at the end of 2022 that “[a]bout four-in-ten U.S. adults believe humanity is ‘living in the end times.’” Now, I’m not saying 2022 wasn’t crazy, but you tell me: In the years that have passed since then, do you think that times have gotten worse or better?

And those individuals included more than those who consider themselves “Christian.” Among non-Christian religions, 29% believed we are in the end-times, and even among the non-religious, 23% thought so.

But how can you tell? Let’s be honest—people have declared their day to be the prophesied end-times, here and there, for generations.

After all, who could have blamed people for wondering if it was the end-times when the Black Plague killed one-third to one-half of the population of Europe? And how many prognosticators have written books about counting “blood moons” or other such phenomena—ignoring the Bible’s warning against doing so—and when their predictions fail, they just write another book.

But if we were in the “end-times” described by the Bible, how would we know? Some cite the Bible itself to say that you CAN’T know. For instance, look at Matthew 24:36. Speaking of His Second Coming, Jesus told His disciples in the first century:

“But of that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”

Similarly, He says in verse 44:

“Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44).

In these passages, Jesus is indeed speaking to the futility of trying to “time” your righteousness and obedience. Faithfulness and obedience to Jesus Christ is a 24/7 commitment, and those looking to live lives of dissipation, debauchery, and disobedience to God will find that their strategy has been unwise.

But is Jesus saying here that we cannot have any sense that His approach might be near?

No, He’s not. In fact, look at the verses right before this statement—in the very same chapter.

“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Matthew 24:33–35).

In other words, while no one can “game” God, and the moment itself will come unexpectedly, the wise will have a sense of the times they are living in—and will be able to discern that they are in the end-times.

In fact, Jesus tells those who are faithfully following Him, as the signs of the last days of this age arrive, that no matter how distressing they are, they will see those signs as signs of hope. Note what He says in Luke 21:28 to those who are watching for these signs and ordering their lives rightly.

“Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

We don’t have to guess whether the end-times are close, or rely on vague senses of “hard times” in the world, or proclamations of approaching doom. Honestly, since Adam and Eve’s sin in the garden of Eden, mankind’s history has been filled with hard times and devastating tragedies.

Instead, the Bible gives us many specific things to look for—conditions that should remind us not to take our spiritual state for granted.

Lawlessness, Perilous Times, and a Brutal Society | 2 Timothy 3:1–5 Explained

The first of the prophesied signs of the end-times that we are highlighting today is:

1. Extreme lawlessness, brutality, ungodliness, and selfishness

Now, before you dismiss this by thinking that mankind has always been this way, listen carefully to what the Bible is saying about this.

For instance, the Apostle Paul clearly describes the end of the age in his second letter to the young evangelist Timothy. Let’s read there in 2 Timothy 3:1–5.

But know this, that 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. And from such people turn away!

Many believe that somehow the arc of mankind is one of progress toward goodness—that somehow human nature will simply get better and better. But history and prophecy both say the opposite. And God’s word says that the end-times will become a period of remarkable carnality, violence, selfishness, and pride, filled with a focus on pleasure rather than the things of God.

Again, before you dismiss this warning, think: The Apostle Paul lived in the first century, and traveled throughout Asia Minor and the Mediterranean. He was very familiar with human nature. In fact, he was often the victim of it. Yet he highlights that the end-time will be an especially brutal period—so much so, that it would stand out for it, even compared to the days in which he was then living.

Jude, an early leader of the Church and a brother of Jesus, wrote to first-century believers to say the same thing. We read his warning in verses 17 and 18 of his letter.

But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts (Jude 1:17–18).

Of course, the world is a pretty terrible place, you might say, and there have always been dens of sin and vice where such behavior could be found. But when you read Scripture closely, you find that these behaviors will become prominent in places that normally had claimed the “high ground” in world affairs—areas that should truly know better.

America and Britain Decline | Deuteronomy 28

In fact, those abhorrent conditions will be seen running rampant in the nations that are the focus of the second prophetic sign of the end-times we’re highlighting today.

2. The decline of America, Britain, and other British-descended nations.

Ask yourself: How are those nations doing today? Who can deny that the United Kingdom has been on a downhill slide for some time? Today, few consider England to be much of a leading power, and they instead debate whether the nation is truly relevant in world affairs any longer.

As for the United States, how dramatically things have changed in the last decade! Still possessing great power and might, to be sure, but no longer considered an unstoppable superpower. The world is learning that the U.S. is vulnerable. And Bible prophecy says it will become far more so as the end-times approach.

But why? The politicians and “talking heads” of these nations debate policy, economics, military strategy, foreign policy approaches, and other details, but all of them miss the point! These once-mighty nations are crumbling because of sin—the very sins we detailed in the first prophetic sign.

Perhaps the best thing I can do to explain this point is read from Roderick Meredith’s clear and hard-hitting explanation of this sign of the end-times. In the free resource we are offering today, beginning on page 33, he writes the following concerning these nations:

Our competitors for global power and influence are looking down on us with increasing glee as we stumble in resolving domestic and international problems. These things are happening to us because we have turned aside from God. We have not obeyed the God of our fathers.
In Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 are powerful prophetic warnings for us today, because God does not change ([as it says in] Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8). God promised that if we would obey Him, He would set us “high above all nations of the earth” (Deuteronomy 28:1). However, if we do not obey God and keep His commandments, He says, “Cursed shall you be in the city” (Deuteronomy 28:16). Are we cursed in our cities? Think about it. Millions of Americans are afraid to go out of their own homes at night. Elderly people, women, and others all over this land are afraid to venture out in the evening—in this “land of the free, and the home of the brave.” We are locked in our homes like prisoners! No, we are not blessed in our towns and cities…. The growing effect of our national sins includes escalating crime, violence, marital infidelities, sexual perversions of all sorts, lying, cheating, stealing, and every foul thing imaginable that is disgusting in the sight of a just and holy God. The selfishness and decadence of our “modern lifestyle”—which is based on egotistical pride and vanity—are gnawing like voracious termites at the structural frame that holds in place the edifice of our national greatness. How long before our house collapses? Look around you and consider.
In spite of our great material blessings, the American and British-descended peoples have turned away from God. These once-great nations have plummeted in their moral standards and become nations of perverts, liars, thieves, and murderers. And God will chastise these nations for their own good, as He rebukes and chastens every son He loves ([as He says in] Hebrews 12:6) (Fourteen Signs Announcing Christ’s Return, Meredith, p. 33).

My friends, the growing decline of the U.S. and the UK is more than a shift in world politics. It is the accumulating and compounding of biblical curses coming upon these countries, due to their national sin and unwillingness to repent and seek their God.

Hubris causes many Americans and Britons to see themselves as the standard-bearers of all of Western Civilization. But setting aside the last several decades, the seat of Western Civilization has been Europe.

Europe and Germany Rise | Revelation 13

And Bible prophecy indicates that as the U.S. and UK sink lower and lower, Europe will once again lead not just Western Civilization, but the entire world.

Our third prophesied sign of the end-times is:

3. The rise of a European political, economic, and military juggernaut

We read of this juggernaut in many places in God’s word. Turn with me to Revelation, where we see several descriptions. For instance, look at Revelation 13, beginning in verse 1.

Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” (Revelation 13:1–4).

Other passages, such as Revelation 18, speak of the political and economic power of this “Beast,” as well.

This beast power will be a united Europe, representing a final revival of the ancient Roman Empire, and with Germany as its leading nation.

Does this surprise you? Haunted by the memory of World War II, Germany has essentially been pacifistic for more than half-a-century, and Europe has been content to allow the U.S. to lead the way in protecting it from danger.

But those times are no more. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and President Donald Trump’s warnings that Europe must learn to protect itself, have put the once-content on war footing. And leading the way, as this ministry has said for almost a century, is the nation of Germany, which has begun rebuilding the Bundeswehr—the German armed forces—with the goal of becoming the strongest military in Europe.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in a speech before his assembled government in May 2025:

Strengthening the German armed forces is our top priority. The German government will provide all the financial resources the Bundeswehr needs to become the strongest conventional army in Europe. This is more than appropriate for the most populous and economically powerful country in Europe. Our friends and partners expect this of us; indeed, they DEMAND it.

Note those words: “All the financial resources” the military needs. That is what we call a “blank check.” This is a Germany flexing muscles we have not seen—well, since World War II!

Notice that Chancellor Merz speaks of a “conventional army.” What about nuclear weapons? The Four Plus Two Treaty of 1990, which allowed East and West Germany to reunite, banned Germany from manufacturing, possessing, or controlling nuclear weapons. But these are changing times, and Germany is beginning to think very differently.

In January 2026, Reuters reported on Germany’s talks with other nations about “a shared [European] nuclear umbrella.” And knowing how Europe is plagued with internal political instability, many are suggesting Germany should consider expanding its ability to produce its own nuclear weapons. For instance, in a March 11, 2025 report, the globally respected Foreign Policy magazine recommended that:

Germany needs to invest in maintaining nuclear latency—that is, having the basic capabilities in place to pursue its own nuclear weapons program in a situation where it is left with no other alternative (“Germany Is Rethinking Everything Nuclear,” Foreign Policy, Benner, March 11, 2025).

No matter what today’s headlines may say, never, never, never bet against the Bible. The rise of Europe and Germany is an important, prophesied end-time sign that bears a very close watch.

We mentioned inner turmoil in European politics in the last sign, and Bible prophecy speaks of this as well, describing the mix of peoples and nations in the final revival of the Roman Empire as a divided kingdom, like a mix of iron and clay.

A Powerful False Prophet Appears | Revelation 13

YT Q: What does the bible say about the antichrist?

The real unifying power behind that superpower brings us to our fourth prophesied sign of the end-times.

4. The rise of a great false prophet leading a counterfeit Christianity

One of the definite signs of the end times, which will herald the close of this present evil age, is the arrival on the scene of a great false religious leader, called in the Bible the “false prophet” (Revelation 19:19–21). This religious leader will possess great charisma and will exercise a very powerful influence over a political power—the soon-coming “beast” (Revelation 13, 17, 19). He will be the long-prophesied, influential head of a great, militant church in Europe. Together, this combination of personal charisma and awesome power to influence others will have an enormous effect on the future of the nations of the Western world (Fourteen Signs Announcing Christ’s Return, Meredith, p. 20).

In Revelation 13, the Apostle John describes this leader in vision as appearing like a kind of beast, saying:

He had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon (Revelation 13:11).

That is to say, the leader looks and acts like Jesus Christ, but his teachings are the subtle deceptions and counterfeit truths of Satan the Devil.

This false prophet—and the ancient, wealthy, and powerful counterfeit Christianity he leads—will work to support the Beast of Revelation, which, in turn, will back that leader with its economic, political, and military might. Together, they will persecute those who seek to “keep the commandments of God” and have the faith and “testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:17; Revelation 14:12).

The True Gospel Reaches the World | Matthew 24:14

The fifth and last prophetic sign we will discuss today is one virtually no one understands due to one of the most successful bait-and-switches the Devil has ever pulled off. And it is a shame, too, because it involves the greatest hope mankind truly has.

5. The Gospel of the Kingdom of God is preached to the whole world.

This sign is described by Jesus Christ Himself in Matthew 24:14.

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

We need to notice two things about this important prophecy from the mouth of our Lord and Savior. First, He says “this gospel of the kingdom”—the true Gospel of the Kingdom of God, preaching the good news of Jesus Christ’s coming to this earth to rule the world alongside His saints, in the Family of God and a world-spanning government based on God’s laws and way of life.

The Devil long ago counterfeited that message and replaced it with one that is only about the person of Christ—and frankly, not even getting that right, either!

Second, He says that Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached to all nations. Yes, before Jesus returns, what covers the globe will not be the counterfeit gospel about the person of Jesus, but the TRUE Gospel that Jesus Himself preached.

The question is, what is the real Gospel? And why will the vast majority of the world resist and reject that Gospel, preferring instead the counterfeit gospel of the False Prophet?

Jesus Himself even says in Matthew 24:9 that all nations will come to hate those who are preaching this message in Jesus’ name.

Watch this next video to find out what is it about the true Gospel of Jesus Christ that brings such a strong reaction—and decide whether you will embrace that message, including its warning for the end-times.