Having Israel as a nation in its own land is important in light of end-times prophecy because of Israel’s prominence in eschatology (Daniel 10:14 11:41 Revelation 11:8). God promised Abraham that his posterity would have Canaan as “an everlasting possession” (Genesis 17:8), and Ezekiel prophesied a physical and spiritual resuscitation of Israel (Ezekiel 37). In 1948, Israel was recognized as a sovereign state, essentially for the first time since AD 70. The most prominent sign of the end times, however, is the nation of Israel. Other possible signs would include a rebuilding of a Jewish temple in Jerusalem, increased hostility toward Israel, and advances toward a one-world government. The last days are described as “perilous times” because of the increasingly evil character of man and people who actively “oppose the truth” (2 Timothy 3:1–9 see also 2 Thessalonians 2:3). “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” (1 Timothy 4:1).
The apostle Paul warned that the last days would bring a marked increase in false teaching. While the events may signal the approach of the last days, they are not necessarily indicators that the end times have arrived. Some interpreters point to every earthquake, every political upheaval, and every attack on Israel as a sure sign that the end times are rapidly approaching.
