Are the End Times Upon Us? Dr. Michael Youssef's No-Nonsense Answer on Biblical End of Days

Are the end times upon us? That’s the question pastor and author Dr. Michael Youssef is asking in his latest book, “Is The End Near?: What Jesus Told Us About the Last Days.”

Listen to the latest episode of CBN’s Quick Start podcast:

It’s a curiosity many believers have when they look at the disarray and consternation in the world around us — the ever-streaming flow of chaotic events and happenings. Rather than speculate and postulate, though, Youssef said he wanted to rely on what Christ had to say on the matter.

“I wanted to see what the Lord Jesus Himself said and really dig in deep because [the disciples] asked Him that question,” he told CBN’s Faithwire, noting how Jesus addressed prophecies pertaining to the first and second coming.

Youssef said Jesus examined two specific events in Matthew 24 and 25: the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 and the end of days, with Youssef noting he always “sticks to the Word of God” rather than his opinion when discussing such matters.

Watch Youssef examine these issues:

“In those days and talk about the time of the nearness or closeness to the end of time … [Jesus] talks about a pregnant woman,” he said. “The things that He talks about are the labor pains. They have always been with us, He said, but when you see them coming at closer and closer intervals, then you know that the happy occasion is about to take place, and you know that the baby is about to be born.”

Youssef said the Lord left a blueprint to tell His followers He’s one day returning, with Christ mentioning a fallout from the faith among other symptoms and signs pointing to His return.

The preacher focused quite a bit of attention on the mass falling away that is currently unfolding under the umbrella of the so-called deconstruction movement.

“I’m talking about people in the church, and how many times are we hearing every day of preachers, even singers going through deconstruction,” Youssef said. “They’re falling away from the faith and they’re falling away all over the world in Europe and everywhere.”

Another interesting facet of the end times Youssef tackled is the antichrist, the end times figure who tends to get a lot of attention in eschatological circles. But while the pastor said many assume he will be a figure akin to Adolf Hitler or some other diabolical leader, he believes their assessment might be wrong.

“He’s going to be charming. He’s going to be so attractive that people say, ‘Wow, we want to follow this guy,'” Youssef said. “And they will blindly follow him.”

The preacher said COVID-19 exposed how “authoritarianism can rise to the forefront in Western civilization” and people will simply comply — noteworthy considering he believes many will also blindly follow the antichrist.

“[He is] Satan’s own emissary, who will try to persuade the world to believe in him and follow him,” Youssef said.

See what Greg Laurie had to say earlier this year about these same topics:

No matter what happens, Youssef called on believers to cling to their faith, especially in an era with so many doling out “false preaching.”

“My biggest burden is for the believers to stand strong,” he said. “I want the nonbelievers to come and believe in Jesus, but, more importantly, I want those who are in Christ Jesus to stay strong, keep looking up.”

Find out more about Youssef’s new book, “Is The End Near?: What Jesus Told Us About the Last Days.”

***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***