Question:
What are some signs today that tell us Jesus might be coming soon?

Answer:
The Bible mentions signs of the “last days” and signs of the “end of the age.” Let’s look briefly at both of these.

1. THE LAST DAYS. In 2 Timothy 3:1 we are told that “in the last days perilous times shall come.” From the context of the epistle we can see that the last days here refer to the days immediately preceding the Lord’s coming to take His people home to heaven. This is often called the rapture of the church and is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18. The following list of nineteen things are given to us in 2 Timothy 3 as things which will characterize the last days of the church’s history on earth: 1- men shall be lovers of their own selves, 2- covetous, 3‑ boasters, 4- proud, 5-blasphemers, 6- disobedient to parents, 7- unthankful, 8- unholy, 9- without natural affection, 10- truce breakers, 11- false accusers or malicious gossips, 12- incontinent or without self-control, 13- fierce or brutal, 14- despisers of those that are good, 15- traitors or treacherous, 16- heady or reckless, 17- high-minded or conceited, 18- lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, 19- having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.

All we have to do is read the newspaper to find that all of the above things characterize the days in which we live. Therefore we can say that the coming of the Lord is very near. We who “know these things before,” need to “beware lest we also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from our own stedfastness” (2 Peter 3:17). Those who still do not know the Lord Jesus as their own personal Saviour need to realize that “now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Tomorrow may be too late.

2. THE END OF THE AGE. In Matthew 24:1-44 we are given a number of events that will occur before the Lord Jesus comes to judge the world and set up His kingdom on earth. From other Scriptures we learn that the coming of the Lord Jesus to earth to set up His kingdom takes place after His coming in the air to take His church to heaven and after the tribulation period (see Revelation 3:10,11; 4:1).
The Lord Jesus had just told His disciples that the beautiful temple which they had shown Him would be completely destroyed. The disciples knew the Old Testament Scriptures which told of their Messiah coming to set up His kingdom. Faced with the fact of the destruction of their temple the disciples asked the Lord, “What shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (The Greek word for world here is “aion” which denotes “age” or a period of time.) The disciples then wanted to know what will be the signs which will show that His coming is near and that the present age will come to an end.
The Lord Jesus then gives us a number of events that will occur before He comes to reign. These events will be signs to the believing Jews during the tribulation period. Listed below are some of the events given us in Matthew 24.

1. Many will come and say that they are Christ.

2. There will be wars and rumors of wars.

3. There will be famines, pestilences and earthquakes.

4. The believing Jews will be hated by all nations for His Name’s sake.

5. The gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world. (This gospel is different than the gospel being preached today. It is described in Revelation 14:6,7 as the everlasting gospel.)

6. The abomination of desolation will be set up in the holy place of the rebuilt temple. (This refers to the image of the beast which the false prophet will set up in the temple. All will be commanded to worship this image.) See Revelation 13:11-18.
When the believing Jews living in Jerusalem see these signs come to pass they are to flee to the mountains because “then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” See Matthew 24:21.
It is true that, to some degree, we see some of these signs taking place today. However, in the tribulation period there will be a full and complete fulfillment of these signs.In view of the above facts we are wise to take heed to the exhortation in 1 Peter 4:7, “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.”