Finally, as the return of the Messiah nears, the Devil will bring more counterfeit versions. In Matthew 24:24, Jesus cautions that during the end times, many false messiahs will arise and deceive crowds of followers. False christs are individuals who claim to be the Messiah or Savior but propagate deceitful teachings and lead people away from the true faith.
False christs continue to emerge and seem to be occurring more in the past century.
Jim Jones founded the Peoples Temple and styled himself as a messianic figure, claiming to be the reincarnation of Jesus, Buddha, and Lenin. He led his followers to establish Jonestown, where over 900 members died in a mass murder-suicide in 1978.
Leader of the Branch Davidians, David Koresh, claimed to be the final prophet and the “Lamb of God” mentioned in the Book of Revelation. He and many of his followers died in a standoff with law enforcement in Waco, Texas, in 1993.
Sun Myung Moon founded the Unification Church, also known as the Moonies. Moon claimed to be the second coming of Christ and taught his followers to view him as the messiah. He gained a large following and built a religious empire.
Co-founder of the Heaven’s Gate cult, Marshall Applewhite, preached that he and his followers were extraterrestrial beings sent to Earth to guide humanity to the “next level” of existence. He claimed to be the “present representative” of Jesus Christ and led his followers in a mass suicide in 1997, believing they would be transported to a spaceship trailing the Hale-Bopp comet.
Two important things to remember when you’re curious about distinguishing signs of the end times. First, these are modern examples of the signs Jesus and the apostles spoke about. However, to some degree, these signs appear in every generation. They reveal the sin and corruption of humanity and the systems of this world, making the verses in Matthew 24 and Revelation relevant to every generation.
Second, while some signs are more intense today than ever before (world wars as an example), our modern communication and media might give us the perception things happen more than in generations past. We must be careful to both watch for the signs as Jesus said but also to be careful not to jump to conclusions.
Regarding the end times, the core teaching by Jesus and the writers of the New Testament points us to constant readiness. Even when we recognize the signs in the modern day, the end will come as a surprise. We must keep our lamps full of oil and lights lit, waiting for the coming of Jesus and the coming redemption of all things.
Read more:
What and When is the Battle of Armageddon?
What Does the Bible Really Say About The Rapture?
Who Are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?
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