David Diga Hernandez - How to Discern THE Sign of the End Times

Are we living in the last days? Here is how to discern the signs of the end times. Now, notice I said «the signs of the end times.» What I’m going to show you is the clearest text we have regarding the end days—it’s Matthew chapter 24. We’re going to read verses 3-13, and as we go through these verses, we will look at the various things that happen in the last days, and then we will see the sign that indicates that the end has come.

Now, as we move through the Scripture together, it’s important to remember this: I’m not sharing this to scare you, but to prepare you for what’s to come. We have no reason to fear; we belong to the Lord. So, whatever is coming our way, whatever you believe about the last days, remember this: the Lord has you. You’re His; you are protected by the hand of God.

So, here’s what I want you to write in the comment section: let it be your prayer of faith. Write «Lord, prepare me.» Let that be your prayer, asking God to prepare you for what’s coming. Now, let’s go to verse 3.

Now, as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, «Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?» Here we see the disciples coming directly to Jesus and presenting Him with a direct question, and Jesus gives a direct response. In my opinion, Matthew 24 is the clearest portion of Scripture on the topic of the last days. This is why I’m using it as a framework. It’s important, when studying any biblical topic, to begin with the clear portions of Scripture and use those clear portions to understand and interpret the seemingly ambiguous portions. Don’t do the opposite; don’t take the seemingly ambiguous and then try to force meaning upon the clear portions of Scripture.

Verse number four: And Jesus answered and said to them, «Take heed that no one deceives you, for many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ, ' and will deceive many.» Here’s the scary thing about deception: those who are deceived don’t know that they’re deceived. In the last days, there will be an intensification of deception. Many will come saying, «I am the Christ» or, in other words, «I am anointed; I am of God; I am called.» The problem is that many people fall for this. This is why Jesus says, «Take heed; be vigilant; watch out; pay attention.» We must be grounded in both the Word and true Holy Spirit discernment, not personal preference, if we are to see beyond the lies of the enemy.

Verse number six: «And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.» Now, there are a few things I want to point out in this verse. Firstly, we have to be careful, especially when covering the topic of the last days, that we’re not given to fearmongering. There is far too much anxiety in the church regarding the last days, and I wonder why. No matter what your eschatology is, no matter how you believe the timeline will go, none of us have a reason to fear. We are protected by God Himself; we belong to Him. So, whatever happens, we know that we are one with God.

So even though this verse is talking about wars and rumors of wars, Jesus says, «See that you are not troubled.» Now, that’s challenging sometimes, isn’t it? Hearing about wars, even now—wars and rumors of wars—it can be anxiety-inducing, and we can become troubled in our souls. This is where we have to come back to the truth, back to the reality that we have the Holy Spirit, that we belong to God; we are His children, and we can trust Him with the outcome in any situation.

So even though you hear of wars and rumors of wars, don’t panic; don’t freak out; don’t live in paranoia; don’t live with angst. Instead, be at peace. Know that everything is under His control. Jesus goes on to say, «But the end is not yet.» So yes, wars and rumors of wars are an indication that we are entering the last days or the last season, but Jesus says that’s not the sign; the end is not yet.

So yes, there will be people who come in the name of the Lord, claiming they are the Christ or claiming they are anointed. Yes, there will be wars and rumors of wars, but even with the intensification of these things, the end is not yet; that’s not the sign.

Verse 7: «For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.» Now, I already spoke of wars and rumors of wars, and that really has to do with nation rising against nation. But let’s look here where Jesus says there will be famines. You know, there’s a lot of talk about food shortages these days, and again, if we’re not careful, this can be anxiety-inducing. Believers become afraid. Don’t confuse paranoia for preparation. «Well, I just want to be prepared; I just want to be vigilant.» No, sometimes we’re fearful; sometimes we’re paranoid; sometimes we’re anxious, and we call that preparation.

No, to be prepared is to be aware but still filled with confidence and faith. Let me ask you something: why would we be afraid of food shortages when we serve the God who caused manna to fall from heaven for the children of Israel? Why would we be afraid when we serve the God…