Bible Verses About The End Times

What does the Bible say about the end times?

Do you live in the moment, or do you think and prepare for the future? Most of us are immersed in the “here and now,” not giving much thought to the future. But we should! For one thing, the end times will be the “here and now” much sooner than many people realize. We need to be prepared! We shouldn’t let it overtake us or surprise us like a thief (1 Thessalonians 5:2-4).

Secondly, learning about the end times is immensely encouraging; it brings tremendous hope and joy. Dark times are approaching (2 Timothy 3:1), but at the end of the day, we win! God wins! We have unimaginable joy to look forward to.

Christian quotes about the end times

“For this time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side.” – C.S. Lewis

“Let us consider this settled, that no one has made progress in the school of Christ who does not joyfully await the day of death and final resurrection.” – John Calvin

What are the end times according to the Bible?

The end times are all about Jesus. He already came the first time to die for our sins and victoriously rise from the dead. Now comes the second part of God’s great plan: Jesus’ second coming.

 It is when the first heaven and earth will pass away, and God will create a new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21).

1. 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4 (NIV) “for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.”

2. 2 Timothy 3:1 (KJV) “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.”

3. 2 Peter 3:10 “But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare.”

What is the rapture? Is it biblical?

The rapture is definitely biblical! It’s when believers – both dead and alive – will rise into the air to meet Jesus when He returns. The dead in Christ will come back to life, and both the resurrected believers and Christians who are still alive will be changed – transformed – into immortal bodies. (Matthew 24:30-31)

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.” (1 Corinthians 15:53)

7. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (ESV) “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.” – (Bible verses about the Rapture)

8. 1 Corinthians 15:53 (NASB) “For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

9. Matthew 24:30-31 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”

10. 1 John 3:2 (NLT) “Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.”

11. Zechariah 14:3-4 “Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. 4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.”

12. John 14:1-3 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

Four views of the Millennium

The Bible indisputably teaches the Millennium – or the 1000-year reign of Christ. How and when it happens is a subject of great debate among theologians. First, let’s look at what the Bible says about the Millennium in Revelation 20, and secondly, review four common interpretations of what that means.

Revelation 20:7-10 says that at the end of the 1000 years, Satan will be released from prison and will deceive the nations. He will gather a great army against the saints (Christians) and the “beloved city” (Jerusalem), but fire will come down from heaven and devour Satan’s army. The devil will be thrown into the Lake of Fire, where the beast and false prophet already are.

Revelation 20:11-15 informs us that all the rest of the dead will come before the great white throne for judgment. Anyone whose name isn’t found in the Book of Life will be thrown into the Lake of Fire.

The four best-known theological views on the Millennium are Dispensational Premillennialism, Historical Premillennialism, Postmillennialism, and Amillennialism.

1. Dispensational Premillennialism believes that the rapture will happen first, followed by seven years of dreadful tribulation. At the end of the tribulation, Jesus will return again and rule the earth for the 1000 years. Then Satan will be released from the Abyss and will war against Christ and the saints (those who put their trust in Christ). Satan and the wicked humans will be judged, and the saints will enter into an eternal state of glory.
2. Historical Premillennialism is similar to the above, except the timing of the rapture and whether the Millennium is literal or figurative. They believe Christ will return, and the saints – dead and living – will be raptured at the end of the tribulation and just before the Millennium. Some believe the 1000-year reign is literal, and others believe it is metaphorical.
3. Postmillennialism is the belief that the Millennium is not literally 1000 years. They believe the Millennium is an era of indeterminate years, and that Christ’s reign during this Golden Age comes as more people place their faith in Christ – building the kingdom – and lives are changed. Postmillennialists are wildly optimistic, believing the majority of the world’s people will gradually become Christian, and thus Christ will virtually rule the world through them. They believe Christ will return at the end of this church-growing “millennial” era, which could be any number of years. At that point, the wicked will be judged, and the church will enter into its glorified and eternal state.
4. Amillennialism is the view that God’s kingdom began when Jesus resurrected from the dead, victorious over Satan and breaking the curse of death. Christ is reigning now over His church at the Father’s right hand. When this present age ends (and obviously, it’s longer than 1000 years), Christ will return, judge the wicked, and the church will enter into its glorified eternity. The amillennialists believe many end-time scriptures are metaphorical, not literal, although they believe in a literal rapture.

13. Revelation 20:1-3 (NKJV) “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.”

14. Revelation 20:4-6 (HCSB) “Then I saw thrones, and people seated on them who were given authority to judge. I also saw the people who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of God’s word, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and who had not accepted the mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with the Messiah for 1,000 years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the 1,000 years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of the Messiah, and they will reign with Him for 1,000 years.”

15. Revelation 20:7-10 “When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 9 They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”

16. Revelation 20:11-15 New American Standard Bible “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another [c]book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them; and they were judged, each one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

17. Luke 1:32-33 “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

18. Micah 4:2-4 “Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 3 He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. 4 Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken.”

19. Isaiah 9:3-7 “You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. 4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. 5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”

20. Zechariah 8:3 (ESV) “Thus says the Lord: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain.”

21. Jeremiah 31:33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

22. Isaiah 2:4 “He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.”

23. Isaiah 11:3-4 “and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; 4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.”

24. Matthew 19:28 “Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

25. Isaiah 2:2-3 “In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. 3 Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”

26. Isaiah 11:6-9 “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. 7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. 9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”

27. Isaiah 61:1-2 “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn.”

28. Daniel 7:14 “He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

29. Daniel 7:27 (KJV) “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.”

Who is the antichrist?

The word “antichrist” literally means “against Christ.” The Bible says that the antichrist spirit is already in the world, but the Bible also describes a person who will exert diabolical power in the end times.

The antichrist spirit:

The Bible uses the word “antichrist” four times, all in the books of 1 and 2 John. These verses indicate that the “antichrist” is not one single person, but those who don’t acknowledge Jesus Christ as from God, coming in the flesh – this deceiving spirit is already in the world and has been since John wrote his epistles almost 2000 years ago.

“Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.” (1 John 2:18)

“For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.” (2 John 1:7)

“Every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and now it is already in the world.” (1 John 4:3)

“Who is the liar except the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.” (1 John 2:22)

From this perspective, we could say the antichrist is the evil spirit behind false religions and cults that deny the deity of Jesus, like Islam, Mormonism, Christian Science, and Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is the evil spirit behind atheism, secularism, and New Age.

The human antichrist

The Bible does refer to a specific person who is the personification of the antichrist spirit. He is called the “man of lawlessness” and the “son of destruction,” who opposes and exalts himself above all gods and objects of worship. He will take his seat in God’s temple, proclaiming himself God. He will have Satan’s power to perform false signs and miracles. People will be deluded into believing him. (2 Thessalonians 2:2-12).

Revelation 13 speaks of the end times when a beast with Satan’s power will have a fatal head wound, but then his injury will be healed, so that the earth’s people worship him. He will speak arrogant words and blasphemies for 42 months (3 ½ years), attack and overcome God’s holy people, and exercise authority over all people of earth. Everyone except the saints whose names are written in the Book of Life will worship him.

Then, Revelation 13 informs us that a second beast (the false prophet) emerges who exercises the first beast’s authority and influences all people to worship the first beast. He will also perform fantastic signs, like making fire fall from the sky to earth, deceiving the people. He will have them make an idol to the first beast, and then make the idol come alive and speak. Everyone who doesn’t worship the image of the beast will be killed. He will force everyone to receive a mark on their forehead or hand: the beast’s name or his number (666). They must have the mark to buy or sell anything, like food or other necessary things.

Both the first beast and his false prophet lose the last battle with Christ and are thrown into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 19:20).

30. 2 John 1:7 “I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.”

31. 1 John 4:3 “and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.”

32. 1 John 2:18 “Children, it is the last hour; and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour.”

33. 1 John 2:22 “Who is the liar, if it is not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son.”

34. Revelation 19:20 “But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.”

35. Revelation 13:6 “It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.”

36. Revelation 13:13 “And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.”

37. Revelation 19:19 “And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.”

38. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10 “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.”

What are the signs of the end times?

The next stage:

• Christians will be hated all over the world; they will be arrested, persecuted, and killed.
• Many will turn away from Jesus; they will betray their own family and hate each other.
• Many false prophets will appear; they will deceive many people.
• Sin will be rampant, and people’s love will grow cold.
• The Good News of the Kingdom will be preached throughout the entire world, so that all nations will hear it; then, the end will come.

The final stage:

• You will see the “abomination of desolation,” prophesied by Daniel, in the holy place. This refers to Daniel 11:31, which is some sort of unholy sacrifice in the temple.
• Armies will surround Jerusalem.
• A great tribulation – or persecution – like nothing ever seen in the world’s history, will happen.
• False messiahs and false prophets will arise. They will perform miracles and even deceive Christians.

The end:

• Immediately after the tribulation, the sun and moon will be darkened, stars will fall from the sky, and heaven’s powers will be shaken.
• The Son of Man (Jesus) will appear in the heavens. Everyone will see Him coming on the clouds with great power and glory.
• Most people in the world will mourn when they see Jesus (probably suddenly realizing they were wrong about Him, or knowing they are in sin) (Revelation 14)
• Jesus will send out His angels with the mighty trumpet blast. They will gather His chosen ones from everywhere.

39. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NASB) “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these.”

40. Jude 1:18 “when they said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow after their own ungodly desires.”

41. 1 Timothy 4:1 “Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons.”

42. 2 Peter 3:3 “Most importantly, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.”

Are we living in the end times?

Jesus clearly said it wasn’t for us to know the times or dates, but with the Holy Spirit’s power, we should be making disciples (Acts 1:6-8). Remember, He said the end will come after the Gospel is proclaimed through the entire world (Matthew 24:14).

If we are in the “beginning of the labor pains,” and we probably are, we will see a continued escalation of arrests, harsh prosecution, and executions throughout the entire world – even in “democratic” countries with freedom of religion. This will involve the betrayal of Christians by their own family members and church family members, and a great falling away of believers from the church.

Regarding false prophets, we need to pair up what Jesus said in the Gospels to what was revealed in Revelation and other texts. The Gospels say false prophets will come, and we’ve certainly had countless false prophets through the centuries. However, Revelation 13 and 2 Thessalonians 2 tells us more about the key false prophet (see the antichrist section above).

We still haven’t seen the false prophet (antichrist) rise up and perform miracles while promoting the worship of the Beast, nor have we seen the “Beast” rise from the dead. As John Piper points out, these passages in 2 Thessalonians 2 and Revelation 13 are there so we will recognize this key false prophet when he comes.[2] This false prophet will oppose all religions except the worship of the beast, and this will happen in the final stage before Christ returns.

Remember Peter’s words:

“I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth, and following their own desires. They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.” (2 Peter 3:3-4)

43. Matthew 25:13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”

44. Matthew 24:43 “But understand this: If the homeowner had known in which watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.”

Does the Bible predict the end of the world?

Yes!

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.” (2 Peter 3:10)

46. Revelation 21:1 “Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.”

Should we fear the end times?

We don’t need to fear the end times, but Jesus said, “Be prepared and keep your lamps lit.” (Luke 12:34)

47. Luke 21:28 “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

48. Revelation 22:14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.”

Preparing for the end times

How do we prepare for the end times? Some Christians feel like they need to sell their homes and move to some remote location, start stockpiling food and supplies, and even collect weapons and ammunition. Jesus never said to do this! This isn’t in the New Testament.

Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found spotless and blameless by Him, at peace . . . be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unscrupulous people and lose your own firm commitment but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:11-18)

49. Titus 2:11-13 “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

50. Mark 13:33 “Take you heed, watch and pray: for you know not when the time is.”

Conclusion

Jesus is coming again! This is spectacular, wonderful news for believers, but horrifying news for those who don’t know God.

Are you ready? Have you received Jesus as your Savior, and are you living for Him and sharing the Gospel? Do you have a secure footing in your faith? This is the time to be saved, and to be firmly established in your faith, so that you are immoveable regardless of what is to come.

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[1] https://evangelicalfocus.com/europe/15454/trial-of-rasanen-and-pohjola-completed-decision-comes-at-the-end-of-march

[2] https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/what-must-happen-before-the-day-of-the-lord