Signs of the End

Paul Cozza

A Place in the Wilderness

Signs of the End

© 2023 Paul Cozza

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Paul Cozza
A Place in the Wilderness

Email: paul@aplaceinthewilderness.com
Website: aplaceinthewilderness.com

Scripture quotations are from the
American Standard Version of the Bible (1901)
unless otherwise noted.

Cover design: Nuggitz Creative Services (Nuggitz.com)

Note: An asterisk before a reference number indicates a text footnote (as opposed to a verse reference).

What is meant by the terms “end” or “endtime?” By the “end,” in a general sense, I mean the last few years of this age before the Lord's return. More specifically, I mean the last seven years of this age as prophesied by Daniel.1

Over the years, many have prophesied that the end was imminent, with some even declaring that certain events would happen on particular dates. Some have stated that the end was already upon us. All of these assertions have, of course, proven false.

Satan has, no doubt, been instigating such statements and using them for his own purpose: the conditioning of humanity with many false prophecies to deceive mankind when the reality comes. These have led humanity to generally disregard warnings about the end. Like the boy who cried wolf, after many false declarations of woe, further declarations are dismissed as false.

However, with vision and understanding comes the assurance that certain events must happen before the end comes, because the Bible predicts them. At least nine great events must occur before or at the time of the end. Of these, two have happened, three are happening, and four are yet to come.

The First Sign—Israel

The first great sign was Israel becoming a nation. Israel must be a nation before the Lord returns because when He does come back, it will be to Israel,2 to save the Jewish people. Without the nation of Israel, the Lord cannot return.

After being dispersed and forsaken for millennia, somehow—by divine intervention—Israel came back into being in 1948. The three great earthly powers at that time—Great Britain, Russia, and the United States—in a mysterious confluence of interests, agreed to recognize and support the formation of the nation of Israel.

Although Israel was immediately attacked by the surrounding Arab nations, who sought to obliterate the fledgling nation, it survived and flourished. How could such a thing happen? It was because this was God's doing, and no power on Earth can undo what God does. This was the first clear sign of the Lord's second coming.

The Second Sign—Jerusalem

The second great sign was the return of Jerusalem into the hands of the Jews. In order for the end to come and the Lord return, Jerusalem must be a part of Israel. Jerusalem will be given over to the nations for the last three and a half years of this age,3 and so it must be in Israel's hands to be given over. Furthermore, when Christ returns, He will save Jerusalem from invading armies.4

This sign occurred in 1967. As Arabs massed to invade Israel, she preemptively struck, obliterating the forces poised to destroy her. In the process, Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria, the Sinai from Egypt, and the west bank of the Jordan River from Jordan. Most importantly, Israel also took East Jerusalem from Jordan's control. What a great sign! Jerusalem was Israel's once again after about 1900 years.

At that time, the sense of the Lord’s second coming was palpable to Christians. But, this was but the second of nine signs of His coming. His return was yet many years off: to us, a lifetime or more; to Him, but a brief hour or two.

The Third Sign—The Falling Away

The next three signs are related, and are currently occurring. The first of these—the third great sign—is called the falling away. The apostle Paul speaks of this falling away or apostasy from the faith in this way:5 Now we beseech you, brethren, touching the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him; to the end that ye be not quickly shaken from your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by epistle as from us, as that the day of the Lord is just at hand; let no man beguile you in any wise: for it will not be, except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition . . .

Many who profess to be Christian actually are not. As the end nears, these are falling away from the faith. We can see this happening now. In many so-called Christian gatherings—gatherings that profess Christ—abominable things are allowed and even encouraged: homosexuality, abortion, politics, and the like. The Scriptures are often disregarded. Many leaders twist them to their benefit or to the benefit of the evil ideologies they follow. This will increase and get worse.

All of these are a fulfillment of the apostle Paul's word. It is by this that God is separating what is true from what is false, the wheat from the tares.6

The Fourth Sign—Difficult Times

The fourth sign is mentioned by the apostle Paul in his second epistle to Timothy:7 But know this, that in the last days grievous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, railers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, implacable, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good, traitors, headstrong, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof: from these also turn away.

All of what Paul declared can now be plainly seen. The Earth is filled with evil and violence of all kinds. Politicians, business leaders, and much of the populace are not only evil, but boast and revel in that evil. They even attempt to force others to accept their evil and sinful ways. They are full of conceit and spite, and deny the Lord who created them.

The Fifth Sign—The Restraining One

The fifth great sign is the removal of the restraining One. The apostle Paul said:8 And now ye know that which restraineth, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way.

Throughout the centuries evil has been restrained by the Spirit, who has limited evil, and kept it from advancing beyond a certain point. The tide of evil could only rise so high, and then was turned back. However, as the end approaches, the Spirit in His restraining power will withdraw, allowing evil a free course on Earth.

This will test the hearts of men: only men of good and godly heart will stand in the way as evil advances. In such circumstances, evil men, empowered by the evil one, will depart from the truth, as seen in the third sign. Men will be corrupted to the uttermost.

Even now, the restraining Spirit has withdrawn Himself—if not totally, then to a very great degree. The abundant, pervasive, and unchecked fraud in certain recent elections is a clear example of evil running rampant without restraint.

The Sixth Sign—Ten Nations

These next four signs—six through nine—are yet to come. The sixth sign is the formation of a ten-nation union or empire, which will arise around the Mediterranean. The scripture is clear: in various places9 it prophesies of a ten-nation empire, over which the Antichrist will rule. It will be a latter-day Roman Empire centered around the Mediterranean and having Rome as its capital.

This has not yet occurred, but Great Britain leaving the European Union may be the start of the EU’s demise. Eventually, many more nations will leave, including Italy and Greece. From all these nations around the Mediterranean, the ten-nation union will arise.

The Seventh Sign—The Antichrist

The seventh sign is the appearance of the Antichrist. Nearly all Christians are aware that in the endtime there will be one particularly evil person who is called the Antichrist.*10 He will arise from the midst of this ten-nation confederacy. At first, he will not be prominent, for he is called a little horn,11 and not one of the ten leaders of the ten nations. In fact, it may not at first be in any way obvious that he is the coming Antichrist.

He must arise before the last seven years of this age because it is he that will sign the seven-year pact with Israel.12 Therefore, he must have been around for some time in political circles before the end comes.

The Eighth Sign—The Temple Mount Cleared

The eighth sign is the removal of the Islamic religious structures currently occupying the Temple Mount—the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. The Temple Mount is the site where the third Jewish Temple must be built. Consequently, it must be cleared. The darkness of Islam must be removed from the Temple Mount.

My understanding is that the Temple will be rebuilt on the site currently occupied by the Al-Aqsa Mosque. As a consequence, the mosque must be cleared away. I believe this will happen in the not-too-distant future.

Al-Aqsa will be razed and burnt to the ground. It will probably be destroyed from above in some unexpected way, for it is nearly impossible for this to occur by land because of the massive ground security surrounding that site.

The Ninth Sign—The Pact

The ninth and final sign will be the signing of the pact13 between the Antichrist and Israel. This pact will mark the final seven years of this age for Israel and, in fact, for the whole Earth.

The pact will be between the Antichrist and Israel, and may include other nations as well, such as the Arab nations. When this pact comes into being, we will know that the end is at hand.

All of these signs must occur before the end. So, do not be shaken that the end is at hand, or misled that it is imminent. All these signs must happen first.

Rebuilding the Temple

You may wonder why I have omitted the rebuilding of the Temple as one of the great signs of the Lord's return. It is because I believe the Temple will be rebuilt during the beginning of those last seven years.

This is not obvious from Scripture, but it seems to be implied. It is said of the last seven years that in the middle of it the Antichrist will take away the sacrifice and oblation.14 Why would this be mentioned in relation to the seven-year pact? It seems to imply that the pact must allow the sacrifice and oblation to begin.

However, before the Temple can be built, the altar must be set up and sacrifices offered to God. This was the order of things in Ezra’s day.15

So then, if the pact allows the sacrifices and oblations to begin, it means that the altar with its sacrifices has not yet been set up. If that is the case, it then means that the Temple has not yet been built.

What Next?

Based upon where we now are, the next great sign of the Lord's coming will be the formation of the ten-nation confederacy arising from around the Mediterranean. While there may be many smaller indications of the Lord's return, this ten-nation confederacy must come into being. Once it is in existence, and the Antichrist has arisen from its midst, the end could come rapidly.

As we look for the signs of the end, we must not neglect our current Christian life. We must spend our time in prayer, in fellowship, and in pouring out to others what God has given us. Through these, we will mature into what the Lord desires, and it is this maturity in life in the believers that will, in fact, bring the Lord back.

All these signs are in the Lord’s hands, and He can move quickly to accomplish them. What is not easy for the Lord is to gain us, to gain our hearts and minds. For this, He needs our day-by-day cooperation, allowing Him to do all that is in His heart within us. Giving the Lord such a free way allows Him to move quickly on the Earth for His return.

Daniel 9:27 And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease; and upon the wing of abominations shall come one that maketh desolate; and even unto the full end, and that determined, shall wrath be poured out upon the desolate.

For example

Zechariah 12:1–9 The burden of the word of Jehovah concerning Israel.Thus saith Jehovah, who stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him: Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of reeling unto all the peoples round about, and upon Judah also shall it be in the siege against Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all the peoples; all that burden themselves with it shall be sore wounded; and all the nations of the earth shall be gathered together against it. In that day, saith Jehovah, I will smite every horse with terror, and his rider with madness; and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the peoples with blindness. And the chieftains of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in Jehovah of hosts their God. In that day will I make the chieftains of Judah like a pan of fire among wood, and like a flaming torch among sheaves; and they shall devour all the peoples round about, on the right hand and on the left; and they of Jerusalem shall yet again dwell in their own place, even in Jerusalem. Jehovah also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem be not magnified above Judah. In that day shall Jehovah defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of Jehovah before them. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

Revelation 11:2 And the court which is without the temple leave without, and measure it not; for it hath been given unto the nations: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

Zechariah 12:1–5 The burden of the word of Jehovah concerning Israel.Thus saith Jehovah, who stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him: Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of reeling unto all the peoples round about, and upon Judah also shall it be in the siege against Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all the peoples; all that burden themselves with it shall be sore wounded; and all the nations of the earth shall be gathered together against it. In that day, saith Jehovah, I will smite every horse with terror, and his rider with madness; and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the peoples with blindness. And the chieftains of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in Jehovah of hosts their God.

1 Thessalonians 2:1–3 For yourselves, brethren, know our entering in unto you, that it hath not been found vain: but having suffered before and been shamefully treated, as ye know, at Philippi, we waxed bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God in much conflict. For our exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:

Matthew 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather up first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.

2 Timothy 2:1–5 Thou therefore, my child, be strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things which thou hast heard from me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier on service entangleth himself in the affairs of this life; that he may please him who enrolled him as a soldier. And if also a man contend in the games, he is not crowned, except he have contended lawfully.

2 Thessalonians 2:6–7 And now ye know that which restraineth, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way.

Daniel 7:7–8 After this I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, a fourth beast, terrible and powerful, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.

Daniel 7:20–21 and concerning the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, and before which three fell, even that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake great things, whose look was more stout than its fellows. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

Daniel 7:24 And as for the ten horns, out of this kingdom shall ten kings arise: and another shall arise after them; and he shall be diverse from the former, and he shall put down three kings.

Revelation 13:1 and he stood upon the sand of the sea.And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns ten diadems, and upon his heads names of blasphemy.

Revelation 17:3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness: and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

Revelation 17:12 And the ten horns that thou sawest are ten kings, who have received no kingdom as yet; but they receive authority as kings, with the beast, for one hour.

Nowhere in Scripture is he called the Antichrist, but over the years he has come to be so named. Scripturally, he is referred to as the beast, the little horn, and other names.

Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.

Daniel 8:9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the glorious land.

Daniel 9:27 And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease; and upon the wing of abominations shall come one that maketh desolate; and even unto the full end, and that determined, shall wrath be poured out upon the desolate.

Daniel 9:27 And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease; and upon the wing of abominations shall come one that maketh desolate; and even unto the full end, and that determined, shall wrath be poured out upon the desolate.

Daniel 9:27 And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease; and upon the wing of abominations shall come one that maketh desolate; and even unto the full end, and that determined, shall wrath be poured out upon the desolate.

Ezra 3:2–6 Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt-offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God. And they set the altar upon its base; for fear was upon them because of the peoples of the countries: and they offered burnt-offerings thereon unto Jehovah, even burnt-offerings morning and evening. And they kept the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt-offerings by number, according to the ordinance, as the duty of every day required; and afterward the continual burnt-offering, and the offerings of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of Jehovah that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill-offering unto Jehovah. From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt-offerings unto Jehovah: but the foundation of the temple of Jehovah was not yet laid.