Questions About Our Proximity to the End Times

This article is much different than other articles on this website. In this article, I post many questions that I believe are important to consider when assessing where we are in relation to the end times. The main purpose of these questions is to help people think about where they stand on many issues that potentially impact where we are in relation to the end times.

Determining where we are in relation to the end times is not a simple matter. Many things need to be considered. I hope the questions listed in this article help you to think about these issues and help you to see how complicated it is to assess whether we are ready to see the start of the end times.

Europe: Is the European Union Going to be a Significant End Time Player?

If you believe the answer is “yes”…

Has the European Union developed enough politically to be a significant end time player now?

  • If not, what could drive the European Union to develop further politically into a significant end time player?

Has the European Union incorporated every country that it is supposed to or are there more countries that it still needs to incorporate (in other words, are there still more countries that need to join the European Union)?

  • If the European Union has not, how long will it take for them to incorporate the remaining countries?

Is the Antichrist going to emerge from Europe?

  • If so, does the European Union possess a military that is capable of Middle East conquest right now? If not, how long will it take the European Union to develop one?
  • If the Antichrist is not going to emerge from Europe, how will the Antichrist deal with Europe? Will the Antichrist try to conquer Europe or try to use diplomacy to win their support?

If you believe the answer is “no”…

What could prevent the European Union from being a significant end time player?

Russia: Is Russia Going to be a Significant End Time Player?

If you believe the answer is “yes”…

Is the Antichrist going to emerge from Russia?

  • If so, does Russia possess a military that is capable of Middle East conquest right now? If not, how long will it take Russia to develop one?
  • If not, how will the Antichrist deal with Russia? Will Antichrist try to conquer Russia or try to use diplomacy to win their support?

If you believe the answer is “no”…

What could prevent Russia from being a significant end time player?

A Question to Consider: Can Russia maintain its territorial boundaries in the Far East as China becomes an increasingly powerful entity in the region? Russia geographically is a very large country. However, most of Russia’s population is concentrated west of the Ural Mountains. People from China are increasingly populating Siberia, a resource-rich region east of the Ural Mountains, over time. Russians are very concerned that China will attempt to take over Siberia.

United States: Is the United States Going to be a Significant End Time Player?

If you believe the answer is “yes”…

What role will the United States play during the end times?

  • Will the U.S. oppose the Antichrist?
  • Will U.S. support the Antichrist’s conquest?

Will the United States turn against Israel?

  • If not, will the United States try to support Israel against the Antichrist in some fashion?

If you believe the answer is “no”…

What will lead to the United States not having a significant end time role? The United States has a major presence worldwide, so it is difficult for many to imagine the U.S. not having some influence in the world when the end times begin. Therefore, this is a very important question for those who do not think the United States is going to be a significant end time player to address.

Another Question to Consider: What impact is the United States’ gargantuan debt problem going to have on the position it has in the world in the future?

  • Is the United States going to be able to maintain/afford its very influential position in the world?
  • Is the United States debt problem going to lead to a rapid economic and military decline?

The Mideast

Has the Middle East experienced enough turmoil for the end times to begin?

  • If yes, then what is the catalyst for the end times to begin now?
  • If not, what other events need to happen in the Middle East before the end times can begin?

Does a Middle East war(s) need to transpire before a “covenant with many” can be reached?

  • If yes, how big of war does it need to be?
  • If not, why is a war not required?

How will Arab countries react to the “covenant with many”?

  • Will Arab countries accept the “covenant with many” or will Arab countries be angered by it? If Arab countries will be angered, will they go to war over the “covenant with many”?

Some General Questions to Consider

Is there a sufficient level of famine in the world to say we are at the cusp of the start of the end times?

Is there a sufficient level of pestilence in the world to say we are at the cusp of the start of the end times?

Is there a sufficient level of war and rumors of war in the world to say we are at the cusp of the start of the end times?

Is there a sufficient level of political instability in the world to say we are at the cusp of the start of the end times?

Are we seeing an unusual level of false Christ activity in the world?

Could resource scarcity play a role in the future?

What role will China, a rapidly rising world power, have in the future?

Can the Antichrist emerge and thrive under today’s global economic, political, financial, and social environment or does the world need to change a lot more before global conditions are conducive for Antichrist’s emergence?

  • Relating to this, is the current global economic, political, financial, and social environment sustainable? If not, does it fall apart before the emergence of Antichrist?

These are some of the questions that I believe are important to consider when assessing where we are in relations to the end times. If you would like to learn how to determine whether we are living in the tribulation, click this link for my article on the topic: How to Tell If We’re Living in the Tribulation

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Wayne Croley
Wayne Croley

Hi! I’ve studied and written about Bible prophecy since I was a teenager. My goal is to make Bible prophecy easy for you to understand while avoiding the sensationalism seen elsewhere. I am the author of several end time books, including Prophecy Proof Insights on the End Times, a comprehensive book about the end times. I hold an M.B.A. and degrees in Managerial Economics and Political Science.

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  1. A way to look at today is to think of the early 1930s. The current drought may get to dust bowl levels. Some say there are economic parallels to the 1930s as well. Global conditions in the 1930s deteriorated to the point that by 1939 conditions were ripe for a new world war. The world can change quickly

  2. Well I like your site. About every 6 months I check the internet for more people that are seeking answers and I think I watch the world and the season also looking for His appearing.
    A few random thoughts on the state of things.
    First, I am wondering if the drought here in the states is a
    part of this season. It wanes for a while and then returns. One year the MS river is having record floods a year later we are abnormally dry. Politically our country would like us to believe that its global warming but I don’t think so.
    Secondly, we have the technology to mark every person in the world and the computer capablity to scan and store all purchases if we decide to go that route.
    Israel is back in existence and has its language renewed. It was dead and now the language survives. I don’t think that has happened to any other nation.
    There are many parellels between muslim end time beliefs and so I am wondering if the antichrist is coming from those nations. Or if Satan will not use them and forge an end time global government where all misguided Gentiles are glued together into something extreme and unsavory.
    Disasters, earthquakes, and other storm and winds around the world seem to be increasing. I know we are in the “birth pangs” but how fast things will proceed I am not sure.

  3. My name is Randy J Berton and my E-mail address is [email protected]…I posted a comment the concerns as addressed about End Times…No one will see the Anti-christ in the form of a man or creature or any other method of technology the Anti-christ is the being and nature of the form of the word concening Christ thus Anti-christ..The Logos nature of being and nature iin unbelief is the nature of its wage regeneration of sprirt…This means that the current teachings of the Anti-christ is gravely missunderstood and is not teaching correctly the word concerning christ in nature and being of Anti-christ…The Anti-christ is not because of what man has done it is the nature of what the word does and we and God are relative to its word…Also the Mark of the beast will be hid from our eyes because of the cuase of the word by which we have been received ..This also means that no one who has received the Mark will see it nor even know that they have received it….Omini-present is how we describe God but no describes that what is Omni-present is what God is judged by in its life. In this life he recives freely its Mark of judgement good or Bad….If you would like to continue this subject matter and if you are intrested in hearing this new view please feel free to contact me from the above information..I am telling you the truth about this subject of the Anti-christ….If it was only some man that had the power of the whole world it would so much easyier to be received and to make provision for such trouble but the Anti-christ concerns the Logos word that God knows all to well…The Anti-christ concerns every living thing in heaven and earth…..It is not about the middle east or the united states and all of the other hypothetical theories that all those writers and speakers have been teaching from….the Anti-christ concerns the body just as Daniel explains and it concern.s the word..No one will ever see except those who know its word..No will see the mark because of the word that is unseen…..Last note…The Millinium will regenerate the mark thus redeeming those who have been received by it…smile, everything will work out just fine….

  4. I share your sentiment on the future not looking bright for the U.S. though we probably would not agree on the extent that the U.S. is referred to in prophecy.

  5. please consider world war 1 & 2, because those times are really chaotic, the world is in a huge chaos and famines. It involves all nations and kingdoms. ^_^

    matthew 24: 6-8

    “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.”

  6. I believe that the United States is talked more of in end time prophecy than people think. Remember that the western hemisphere was virtually unknown in bible times.

    The US economy must collapse. For Revelations 13:16-17 to come to pass the US economy must collapse.

    Revelations 13:16-17; “And He causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”

    More concerning this monetary system can be found in Revelation 14:9-20; 15:2-4; 16:2. The Saints (Christians) are warned not to partake of this new monetary system, this will be a great trial and sifting of the saints (Revelations 14:12).

    Babylon will be rebuilt and will be the center of a new economy. In Revelation 18 it talks about how many people had been made rich by trading with Babylon and selling their goods to the people there just as many today are made rich by trading with the US but more so because it is all new giving many new opportunities. In one day the physical city of Babylon located in Iraq will be destroyed (Rev. 18:8,17).

    The collapse of the US currency will cause great havoc to the extent that our military might will come to naught and blood will flow in the streets. This will give Gog/Antichrist the idea at a latter time that they can invade the US as mentioned in Ezekiel 38:10-13, and they will make war with the Saints as stated in Revelation 13:7-10, (see also Daniel 7:21), many Saints will die Revelation 16:6; 17:6; 18:24.

  7. As to weather Russia will be involved the answer is yes.
    Ezekiel chapter 38
    “1And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, set they face against Gog, the land of Magog, the Chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, 3 And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:”
    In Genesis 10:2 we learn that Megog, Meshech and Tubal are all brothers, sons of Japeth who with his father Noah survived the great flood. Meshech settled a city in the north and Megog settled the land around him. In the year A.D. 1147 the city of Meshech changed its name from Meshech to Moscow which lies directly North of Jerusalem. Tubal is disputed, some say he settled the modern city of T‘bilisi in the former Soviet State of Georgia, others say he‘s the ancestor of the Greeks and Italians.

    “4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:”
    Weather they want to or not Russia will be pulled into this great conflict.

  8. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts on many of the questions posted and thanks for your nice words about the article. Coming up with the questions was a lot harder than I thought

  9. I must say, this is a great post and gets you thinking. I do believe that Europe will be an end times player as the revived roman empire, but Rome had a couple of empires, one throughout Europe, and one throughout the Med. I don’t think that Europe is currently strong enough to fulfill its role. Partly because we are still so strong. I think that the USA is going to further decline and Europe will emerge as the dominant power. I don’t believe that the Mid East has had enough turmoil for the tribulation to begin, but the end times STARTED when Isreal was brought back as a nation. I think that we are still looking at some sort of conflict in the Mid East that will cause the global power structure to change and allow the antichrists power structure to emerge. We as people of God really need to watch for whatever or whoever allows the rebuilding of the temple. That is when we will have to actively oppose the Antichrist. That is when as Gods people we will have to make difficult decisions in our own lives and the lives of our children and loved ones. It will not be easy to make these decisions, for Jesus tells us that time will be sped up otherwise even the elect would be lost. Just as an example, how difficult would it be for you to make a decision to say no to the mark of the beast for you and your kids, when saying no may mean starvation, or no medicine for a chronic illness. I believe that God will take care of us as His people during those times, but He may call some to suffer like that. How tempted would you be to accept the mark to save the suffering of your family and loved ones? We are in for tough times. Thanks for writing this blog today, it makes you take a step back and maybe look at things a little differently.