If you understand God’s plan, there is no reason for fear. Way too often, when we talk about the end times we focus on all of the bad things that are going to happen. And without a doubt, the Bible describes events that are so cataclysmic many of us have difficulty imaging what they will be like. In the years ahead, we are going to witness death and destruction on a scale that is absolutely unprecedented in human history. In Matthew 24, Jesus specifically warns us that there has never been a time like it before and there will never be a time like it again. I do not have the words to fully convey to you how chaotic things will eventually become. There will be apocalyptic wars, horrific famines, terrifying pestilences and historic natural disasters.
But God didn’t tell us about all of these things in advance so we would be afraid.
In fact, He told us about all of these things in advance so we would not be afraid.
God knows everything that is going to happen, and He is in control. Don’t ever forget that. And God has a very specific plan for your life.
God decided you would be alive now. You were born for such a time as this, and that should excite you very much. All of human history has been building up to a grand crescendo, and you get to be here for it. God created you for a purpose, and you have a job to do.
But if you allow yourself to descend into an abyss of depression and despair as global events spiral out of control, you could miss everything God has for you during this time. No matter what happens, we must trust God’s plan.
Shaken, Stirred and Gloom?
During the years ahead, so many Christians are going to have their faith greatly shaken because circumstances did not turn out the way they expected. Sadly, when conditions become bad enough, there will be people out there who kill themselves because their expectations have been shattered. We must be willing to surrender our own plans, programs and expectations and embrace what God wants to do. What God wants is always what is best for us.
There are some people out there who have labeled me a “doom and gloomer” because I speak frankly about the things the Bible says are coming. But I am not a doom and gloomer at all. I am not down, I am not depressed and I am certainly not defeated. I live in victory every day, and you can live in victory every day too if you have the proper perspective.
Greatest Witness Season of All Time
Right now, lots of bad things are happening in our world, and the pace of events is only going to accelerate during the months ahead. But you shouldn’t respond to the challenges we are facing by curling up into a ball and crying your eyes out. Every time something catastrophic happens, it is another sign that what the Bible says about the end times is true—and every time something else catastrophic happens, it is another sign that the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is just around the corner.
At the end of the story, we get to be with Him forever, and Hollywood has never come up with an ending greater than that. If you know Christ, even if you die tomorrow, you will be with Him for millions and billions and trillions of years, and that will be only just the beginning.
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So let’s get over our fear of death.
Those of us who are believers have no reason to fear death. But those who do not know Christ certainly have reason to fear death. There are approximately 8 billion people alive on this planet today, and more souls are currently hanging in the balance than ever before. Our goal should be to reach as many of them with the gospel as we possibly can while there is still time to do so.
We are on the greatest rescue mission in the history of the world, and the clock is ticking. Personally, I am praying for an open door to preach the gospel over in Israel once the war in the Middle East is over. This war in the Middle East is one of the three big wars I have been warning about for years. At some point, I believe, it will take an apocalyptic turn, and the death and destruction we will witness in the Middle East will horrify the entire world.
And I hate to spoil the surprise for those who don’t understand what is going to happen, but Israel is going to win.
That is certainly good news, but it is going to be such a terrible war. In the aftermath of the war, I believe that we are going to see the establishment of a Palestinian state as part of a Middle East peace plan. The U.S. will be involved in that peace plan, and that will be a tragic mistake. Once the land of Israel is divided, our land will be divided, too.
We should be watching the war in Ukraine as well. According to The New York Times, for the first time, Ukraine has formally requested that NATO troops be sent into the country. That is extremely alarming, because if Western troops get involved in the conflict, that will put us just one step away from a nuclear showdown with Russia.
Many years ago, when I would warn that there would eventually be war with Russia, a lot of people thought I was crazy. I was told that “the Cold War is over” and that Russia was now our friend. But now Russia is steadily gaining ground in Ukraine and both sides are absolutely obsessed with “winning” this war. In the end, it is a story that is not going to end well.
Meanwhile, the Chinese continue to threaten Taiwan. Most Americans don’t realize this, but the moment China invades Taiwan, we will be in a state of war with China.
Living Through Book of Revelation
We really are living in a time of “wars and rumors of wars” (see Matt. 24), and global conflict is going to be one of the major themes of the next few years. Throughout human history, famine has accompanied war, and it won’t be any different now. Last year, CNN admitted we are already in the midst of the worst global food crisis in modern history, and conditions continue to deteriorate all over the globe. In fact, Reuters recently reported that hunger has become so severe in some parts of Sudan that people are actually making dirt balls and swallowing them with water just so that they will have something in their stomachs.
For now, we still have plenty of food here in the United States. But it surely costs a lot more than it once did, doesn’t it?
Also in Matthew 24, Jesus warned us there would be multiple pestilence episodes during the times just before His return. Needless to say, the pestilence we already have been through has caused quite a bit of fear over the past few years. But more are coming, and they will be even worse than anything we have been through so far.
Right now, I am watching the bird flu very carefully. It has already resulted in the deaths of hundreds of millions of chickens and turkeys around the world, and now it has jumped into mammals. In recent weeks, the fact that so many dairy cows in the U.S. have been catching the bird flu has created a tremendous amount of concern. Many experts believed it could make the jump to humans, and in early June the first victim was reported in Mexico. If a strain of bird flu emerges that easily spreads from human to human, the death toll would be catastrophic. According to the World Health Organization, since 2003 more than 50% of the humans who have caught H5N1 bird flu have died.
We have also been warned that there will be cataclysmic natural disasters during the years ahead. The New Madrid fault zone, the California coast and Mt. Rainier are just some of the areas I am watching.
2024 also brings a rare “dual-brood” of cicadas, often but incorrectly considered locusts, according to Scientific American. The Eastern area of the U.S. can expect trillions of the swarming bugs from latter spring through the summer.
And on top of everything else, we are heading into what I believe will be the most chaotic election season in our history. I believe the outcome of the election will result in even more chaos. I can’t think of a better word to describe the times just ahead of us. I even entitled my new book “Chaos” because we really are entering a perfect storm when everything will seem to be going haywire all at once.
But once again, that isn’t bad news. If you have the proper perspective, that is actually great news. The birth pains we are going through tell us we will soon be with our Savior. And that is definitely something to get excited about. But first, we have some great challenges ahead of us.
As global events spiral out of control, there will be more interest in Bible prophecy than ever before. People will be searching for answers, and we will want to be there to provide them. I am entirely convinced that Bible prophecy will be our most important soul-winning tool during the years ahead.
If you want to be on the cutting edge of the revival that is coming, I encourage you to become very familiar with Bible prophecy. The greatest move of God the world has ever seen—and the greatest harvest of souls—already are on their way.
I don’t know about you, but I definitely want to be part of what God is doing.
These Are the Days!
Even in the midst of all the chaos and all the darkness, God is going to be doing extraordinary things. Perhaps you are disappointed with how your life has turned out, but that doesn’t have to be the end of your story.
Your greatest chapters can still be ahead of you, but you must be willing to surrender everything to God. Don’t let anyone fill your head with excuses. No matter what you have been through, God can still take the broken pieces of your life and turn them into a beautiful thing.
Yes, things are going to get really bad, but you can choose to live in victory. Our sins have been paid for, and our future is to be with Him forever. Don’t hold too tightly to the things of this world for they are passing away, but we are looking forward to our eternal inheritance. On our own we can do nothing, but with God all things are possible .
God put you here for a reason, and once you realize that, nothing will be able to keep you from living in victory.
Now is the time to rise up and embrace everything God created you to be.
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Michael Snyder’s new book, “Chaos,” is available in paperback and Kindle on amazon.com. Subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.
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