A few weeks ago, this question come in via e-mail–
Mike, I hear Christians use the phrase “It’s a sign of the times” when bad things happen. What do they mean? What signs and what times are they referring to?
What a great question; thanks so much for taking the time to ask. Like you, I often hear that time-worn phrase used when bad things happen. A series of hurricanes hit and the church deems it “a sign of the times.” A strong earthquake strikes the east coast and it’s a dire “sign of the times.” A minister gets caught in a sin and it’s “a sign of the times.” A Democrat gets elected President of these United States, and, let’s all say it together: “It’s a sign of the times.” It’s funny that nobody ever uses that phrase when good things happen!
That phrase is not found in the Bible per se. People, Christians especially, like to use it to indicate that the bad thing (the hurricane, the earthquake, etc) shows that the end of the world is near. Even outside the Church, the phrase is used when bad things happen. This seems to show that even people who don’t know the Lord or the Bible have a sense that the world is coming to an end and that things will get worse the closer the end gets.
My guess is that most people use “it’s a sign of the times” ignorantly. That is, if you were to ask them, “What sign is that?” they would not know how to respond, or they would say something like, “You know, that the world is ending.” A Christian might say, “You know, a sign that Jesus is coming back.” Of course, even that is still an unsatisfactory answer. If you really want to see that person flustered, hand them a Bible and ask them for the chapter and verse.
Or the other question, “What time are you talking about?” would also go unanswered.
That phrase is not found in the Bible, but there are, in fact, many signs given throughout the Bible for all kinds of reasons. Many signs were given to people in the Old Testament to show, for example, when things will happen or to help a person make the correct choice. God would give the King of Israel a sign, for example, so he would be prepared to do battle.
In the prophetic books, there were signs given to help people discern when the Messiah was to be be born and/or return.
In the New Testament, signs continue pretty much for the same reasons. Paul was given signs to direct him to go in a certain direction, for example.
People often use Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 24 and the signs He gave that point to the “end of the age” in relation to the time in which we are living. In Matthew 24, Jesus talks about wars, earthquakes, famines, and other bad things as signs that the end is near and that His return is imminent. My guess is that Christians use that chapter especially as a kind of indication that we are living in the last days.
First, let me say that I believe we are living in the last days, not because of any signs, but because that is what the Bible declares. Second, while it is true Matthew 24 is full of signs, if you read it contextually, you see that the signs Jesus is referring to are signs that will occur during the Tribulation, not signs for today, unless you think we are in the Tribulation.
It is vitally important to read the Bible, especially books of prophecy in their proper context. I know that we all like to feel vindicated, and the temptation to use current events to “prove” the Bible is great but unnecessary. The fact is, we don’t have to “prove” anything about the Bible. In fact, when we rip Bible verses out of context, we are being disingenuous and too often come off looking foolish. The power of the Bible comes when it is read and interpreted correctly. When that happens, nobody can argue with you.
So, there are signs, but probably not the ones everybody is talking about.
