If anything screams that we live in the last days, it’s the widespread violence of our day.
The recent shooting at Brown University and murderous attack against the Jews celebrating Hanukah in Australia are just some examples of the increasing trend of bloodshed that marks the day in which we live.
But is today’s violence more prophetically significant than any other period in church history? During the last century, socialism, communism, and the Nazi regime of Hitler caused the deaths of one hundred million people. That was indeed a terrible time in human history.
However, I believe that what we see today is different from the past for two key reasons, but first, I will set the prophetic context.
Days of Noah
After providing us with the signs of the last days and describing His glorious return to the earth, Jesus said, “For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:37). Our day is remarkably similar to the time of Noah in many ways, but the parallel I want to emphasize is the violence of Noah’s day::
And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. (Genesis 6:13)
Scripture doesn’t provide us with all the specifics of the perils of living in the ante-diluvian world. Ancient accounts, however, reveal the presence of giants, the Nephilim of Genesis 6:4, who by virtue of their size likely terrorized the rest of humanity.
Looking ahead to the Tribulation period, Scripture tells us it will also be an incredibly violent time likely surpassing even that of the time of Noah. Jesus said that only His return to the earth will prevent the end of all humanity (Matthew 24:21-22). When Jesus opens the third seal, a bright red horse will appear and take away any remaining peace on the earth (Revelation 6:3-4).
We know the Day of the Lord as described in Scripture will be a particularly violent and deadly time. And if we are close to its start, would we not expect to see a buildup to what will happen after the Rapture? For the following reasons, I believe today’s violence is a precursor to that of the Tribulation period.
It’s Everywhere with Unprecedented Numbers
First, the earth is again full of violence just like the days of Noah. Shootings occur in schools, colleges, stores, and restaurants. Cars drive at rapid speeds through crowds killing and maiming people.
In Nigeria, the number of Christians killed by the Muslims will exceed ten thousand just for 2025.
The most prevalent form of violence today is abortion. Worldwide, the number of children murdered in the womb during the past fifty years exceeds one billion. Does anything in history match this shedding of blood?
In Psalm 94, the psalmist calls upon the Lord to judge the world for its wickedness, which will reach its complete fulfillment during the Tribulation. Notice what he wrote just before emphasizing that the Lord will “wipe out” the wicked (94:23);
They gather together against the life of the righteous, / And condemn innocent blood (94:21, NKJV)
“Innocent blood” is an accurate translation of the Hebrew and most certainly includes the murder of innocents in the womb.
Yes, wars and killings have marked all of human history. But there’s an added viciousness in the killing of innocents and randomness of the murders that heralds the rapid approach of the Tribulation. What I have cited is just a sampling of the worldwide violence that typifies our day. It’s everywhere in numbers never seen before in history.
The Explosion of Antisemitism
Second, the surge of antisemitism across the world is not only a sign of the last days, but also illustrates the telling difference between our day and the time following WW2.
Not long after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, brutal massacre of Israelis and other nationals, we saw rallies in capital cities around the world in support of Hamas and the Palestinians. The UN has repeatedly condemned Israel’s response to Hama’s barbarism, which only differed from the Nazi concentration camps in numbers and the methods used to torture, maim, and kill.
I don’t recall reading about marches in support of the Nazis in the aftermath of WW2. Back then, Hollywood and the news media portrayed them as villains of the worse sort. Today, in the wake of equally vicious acts, if not more so, Hamas enjoys the sympathy of the news media as well as that of people all over the world.
As seen in the graphic above from Fox News, there were 9,354 attacks against the Jewish people in just the U.S. during 2024. Let that sink in, the 942 antisemitic attacks in America during 2015 were bad enough and horrific, but 9,354 violent acts in one year is over-the-top satanic and surely indicative of last days in which we live.
Expert in international policy, Dr. Casey Babb, recently wrote, “If you aren't aware of what's going on right now, let me break it down for you. Jews worldwide are being hunted down and killed.” He then listed eleven incidents of antisemitic violence that occurred during just the first three days of Hanukah.
The Bible tells us that the Day of the Lord will be a time of much suffering and death for the Jewish people. What we see today is nothing less than Satan prepping the mindset of the masses to accept what’s coming after our departure.
My latest book, Invitation to a Lavish Feast – Wisdom’s Path to the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, is available on Amazon or on SkyWatchTV. In it, I demonstrate how the words of Scripture not only verify our beliefs in not only the restoration of Israel, but also our hope in Jesus’ soon appearing to take us home to glory. In each section, I show how our beliefs regarding Bible prophecy intersect with our lives on a daily basis.
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