Discerning Prophecy And End-Time Signs Shembull

Knowing the Times and Seasons 

God often prompts a necessary change in our lives by leading us to ask essential questions. In recent times, we have been experiencing unsettling events—the rapid emergence of the coronavirus, with all its medical, economic, and governmental repercussions; disturbances in our physical environment, such as intense hurricanes and melting glaciers; political uncertainty and unrest; and much more. We need to be asking ourselves questions like these:

• What is happening in our world?
• Is there a relationship between the spiritual world and the natural phenomena we see occurring?
• Where are we today on God’s prophetic timetable for the end times and the return of Jesus Christ?
• Which spiritual season is the church going through right now—and which season is about to come? Is the church ready for these seasons? 
• If Jesus’ second coming is near, what should believers be doing right now to prepare for this momentous event?

I ask you to seriously consider these questions and join me in discovering the answers to them. God is moving in unprecedented ways today. This is not a time when we can sit on the sidelines and simply watch. The body of Christ—and each individual believer—has a tremendous role and responsibility in what is happening and about to happen in our world. But in order to carry out this role, we must first address a deep and disturbing problem in the church.

A Lack of Revealed Knowledge and Prophecy

Both the prophetic Scriptures and the movement of the Holy Spirit in our midst today reveal that Christ will return soon. Although the signs of the end of the age and Jesus’s appearing are evident in the physical and spiritual worlds, most people, including Christians, have not recognized them. We all need to learn to discern the end-time signs of Christ’s appearing and prepare for it. 

The Holy Spirit is disclosing God’s last-days purposes right now. We must know how to receive the vital revelation and prophetic knowledge He wants to share with His people. When we have this foreknowledge, we can understand the times and prepare for God’s final plans for the earth.

The modern church has a great lack of revealed knowledge and understanding of prophecy. In these times, it is dangerous to live in such ignorance. God said something thousands of years ago through the prophet Hosea that is relevant to us today: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). 

It’s alarming how unfamiliar the church is with God’s end-time purposes because of this absence of revelation and prophecy. People are walking blindly when they greatly need spiritual sight. Most believers are not prepared for what is coming. They don’t recognize the spiritual season in which God is working. They are like the foolish virgins in Jesus’ parable who fell asleep while waiting for the bridegroom and forgot to make sure they had enough oil in their lamps. Consequently, they were shut out of the wedding feast. (See Matthew 25:1–13.) We must wake up, make sure our “lamps” are filled, and be ready for our Bridegroom when He comes!

The Necessity of Spiritual Revelation 

There are supernatural seasons of a divine nature that we can only recognize through spiritual revelation. Many events and happenings today are linked to the spiritual realm. Thus, we cannot comprehend them without discernment from the Holy Spirit. These are days in which we need revealed knowledge more than common sense, which is limited by what we can see and hear in the physical realm. Without revealed knowledge, we cannot function in God’s “now”—that is, everything He is doing and planning today. Through revelation, we discover God’s now.

We often hear the phrase “history repeats itself.” However, in our times, there don’t seem to be any historical references to help explain some of the events that are occurring. We have entered a period of unusual and sudden manifestations for which we have no previous orientation. Therefore, natural man cannot predict these events or foresee how they will unfold. We might be able to describe them when they occur, but their meaning remains unclear to us. Only those who have the revelation of the Holy Spirit will be able to understand their implications. 

With the state of the world in these last days, we cannot be casual or apathetic about our faith. We cannot neglect to fast and pray for God’s direction and for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. If you believe in Jesus’ appearing, then you must be looking for the signs that announce it. Jesus was clear that we should watch and pray when that time is near.

What Is a Sign?

A sign is not an end in itself but rather points to something or someone. One definition of a sign is “something material or external that stands for or signifies something spiritual.” A biblical sign always points to a higher reality. Every sign that comes from God points back to Him. Over the millennia, He has given various signs to His people so they can be aware of how He is moving and what is coming in the future. 

This devotional will address: 

• The reason for the unprecedented natural and spiritual shakings in our world.
• What the signs tell us.
• How God works according to seasons, eras, and the fullness of time.
• How Jewish feasts point to the ages of man, accurately showing us God’s timetable.
• Which imminent biblical signs and promises have yet to be fulfilled.
• The judgments God is bringing to the earth.

Discerning Prophecy and End-Time Signs is designed to give you a framework for understanding biblical prophecy and the events of our day in light of the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

On Day 3, we will discuss three levels of spiritual knowledge and how each is vital to our understanding of the end times.

God intends the church to be a community of hope, revival, and supernatural power in the midst of the dark times in our world. People must turn to God for the answers only He can give, and the church needs to be ready to provide those answers. I urge you to live in God’s perfect will for your life, discern the times, and participate in His supernatural, last-days purposes!

“Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20)