Many Bible prophecies deal with the time that appears to lie immediately before us--the end of the age of the rule of Satan the devil over the world.
"Now as [Jesus] 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?'" (Matthew 24:3). They
wanted to know when the age of human misrule under Satan-which the
apostle Paul refers to as "this present evil age" (Galatians 1:4)-would
give way to the Kingdom of God.
Jesus explained that His return would be preceded by "great tribulation, such
as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no,
nor ever shall be" (Matthew 24:21).
It's difficult to imagine the magnitude of suffering that will take place
during a few terrifying years at the end of our age. Prophecy portrays
that time as the most violent and tumultuous period in history. Jesus continued, "If
that time of troubles were not cut short, no living thing could survive" (verse 22, REB).
Mercifully, that frightening time will quickly pass. Immediately after
it will begin the wonderful era of the Kingdom of God, about which Daniel
wrote. Christ will return at the conclusion of that violent era to establish
permanent peace.
Why, then, will God allow those days of war and chaos to occur?
