When you hear the words “The end is near!” what comes to mind? Do you think of a wild-eyed preacher thundering from the pulpit and gesturing dramatically, Bible in hand? Or do you picture a bearded old man standing on a street corner, wearing a long robe tied at the waist with a rope, holding a sign bearing a doomsday message? Imagining such scenes may make some people feel concerned, while others may feel skeptical or even amused.

The Bible does state: “The end will come.” (Matthew 24:14) The same event is also called “the great day of God” and “Armageddon.” (Revelation 16:14, 16) True, there is much religious confusion on the subject and strange, gloomy notions abound. Nonetheless, the Bible itself is quite clear about the end​—revealing what it is and what it is not. God’s Word also helps us to see clearly whether the end is near. Best of all, it teaches us how to survive! First, though, let us clear up some misconceptions and establish a definition. What does “the end” really mean according to the Bible?

WHAT THE END IS NOT

1. THE END IS NOT AN EPIC, FLAMING DESTRUCTION OF THE EARTH.

   The Bible states: “[God] has established the earth on its foundations; it will not be moved from its place forever and ever.” (Psalm 104:5) That scripture and others assure us that God will neither destroy the earth nor allow it to be destroyed​—ever!​—Ecclesiastes 1:4; Isaiah 45:18.

2. THE END IS NOT A RANDOM, UNSCHEDULED EVENT.

   The Bible reveals that the end is scheduled​—God has set a specific time for it. We read: “Concerning that day or the hour nobody knows, neither the angels in heaven nor the Son, but the Father. Keep looking, keep awake, for you do not know when the appointed time is.” (Mark 13:32, 33) Clearly, God (“the Father”) has scheduled the exact “appointed time” when he will initiate the end.

3. THE END IS NOT TRIGGERED BY HUMANS OR BY DEBRIS HURTLING THROUGH SPACE.

   What will bring about the end? Revelation 19:11 says: “I saw heaven opened, and look! a white horse. And the one seated on it is called Faithful and True.” Verse 19 continues: “And I saw the wild beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the one seated on the horse and against his army.” (Revelation 19:11-21) Though much of the language here is symbolic, we can readily discern this much: God will send an army of angelic creatures to exterminate his enemies.

WHAT THE END IS

1. THE END OF FAILING HUMAN GOVERNMENTS.

   The Bible explains: “The God of heaven will set up a kingdom [government] that will never be destroyed. And this kingdom will not be passed on to any other people. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it alone will stand forever.” (Daniel 2:44) As was stated earlier, in point 3, there will be an extermination of “the kings of the earth and their armies,” who will have “gathered together to wage war against the one seated on the horse and against his army.”​—Revelation 19:19.

2. THE END OF WAR, VIOLENCE, AND INJUSTICE.

   “[God] is bringing an end to wars throughout the earth.” (Psalm 46:9) “Only the upright will reside in the earth, and the blameless will remain in it. As for the wicked, they will be cut off from the earth, and the treacherous will be torn away from it.” (Proverbs 2:21, 22) “Look! I am making all things new.”​—Revelation 21:4, 5.

3. THE END OF RELIGIONS THAT HAVE FAILED GOD AND HUMANS.

   “The prophets prophesy lies, and the priests dominate by their own authority. . . . But what will you do when the end comes?” (Jeremiah 5:31) “Many will say to me in that day: ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ And then I will declare to them: ‘I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!’”​—Matthew 7:21-23.

4. THE END OF PEOPLE WHO PERPETUATE AND SUPPORT THE CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS.

   Jesus Christ said: “Now this is the basis for judgment: that the light has come into the world, but men have loved the darkness rather than the light, for their works were wicked.” (John 3:19) The Bible describes an earlier worldwide destruction during the time of the faithful man Noah. “The world of that time suffered destruction when it was flooded with water. But by the same word the heavens and the earth that now exist are reserved for fire and are being kept until the day of judgment and of destruction of the ungodly people.”​—2 Peter 3:5-7.

Note that the upcoming “day of judgment and of destruction” is compared with the destruction of “the world” of Noah’s time. What world was destroyed? Our planet survived; it was “the ungodly people”​—God’s enemies—​who “suffered destruction.” During God’s upcoming “day of judgment,” those who choose to be God’s enemies will likewise be destroyed. But God’s friends will be preserved, as were Noah and his family.​—Matthew 24:37-42.

Imagine how splendid this earth will be after God eliminates all wicked influences! Clearly, the Bible’s message about the end is good news rather than bad. Still, you may wonder: ‘Does the Bible tell us when the end will come? Could it be near? How can I survive it?’

Will God let humans continue to dominate one another and threaten the future of mankind? No, as we have seen, he will step in and bring an end to centuries of misery and oppression. The Creator of humans and the earth wants you to know that his time to take action is approaching. How does he reveal that vital knowledge?

Consider this illustration: When you travel by car, you might first consult online sources, maps, and written directions. Then, as you see signs and landmarks that match what the directions say, you gain confidence that you are nearing your destination. In a similar way, God has given us his Word, which describes striking global trends. As we see those landmark events unfolding, we become convinced that we are in the time period leading up to the end.

The Bible explains that world history would reach a unique, pivotal time period that would culminate in the end. That time would see a combination of worldwide events and circumstances that differs from anything in mankind’s history. Consider some of the features mentioned in God’s Word.

1. WORLDWIDE UPHEAVALS A prophecy recorded in Matthew chapter 24 lists events on the earth that would make up a composite sign. That sign would mark “the conclusion of the system of things” and lead to the time when “the end will come.” (Verses 3, 14) These features include major wars, food shortages, earthquakes in one place after another, an increase of lawlessness, a lack of love, and sly efforts by religious leaders to mislead people. (Verses 6-26) Of course, to some extent, such events have been taking place for centuries. However, as the end approaches, they would all occur in the same troubled era. They would also accompany the next three warning signals.

2. THE ATTITUDES OF PEOPLE The Bible says that “the last days”​—the time period leading to the end—​would be marked by a major deterioration of peoples’ attitudes. We read: “Men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God.” (2 Timothy 3:1-4) True, disrespect for fellow humans is not new, but only in “the last days” would that spirit reach such extremes that the era could rightly be described as “critical times hard to deal with.” Have you noticed this ugly downward trend in people’s attitudes?

3. THE EARTH IS BEING RUINED The Bible states that God will “bring to ruin those ruining the earth.” (Revelation 11:18) In what ways would people be ruining the earth? The time period when Noah lived was described in a similar way: “The earth had become ruined in the sight of the true God, and the earth was filled with violence. Yes, God looked upon the earth, and it was ruined.” So God said of that corrupt society: “I am bringing them to ruin.” (Genesis 6:11-13) Have you noticed the mounting evidence that the earth is becoming filled with violence? Additionally, humans have arrived at a unique point in history: They have the potential literally to ruin the earth by wiping out all human life on it. They have the weaponry in their hands. And the earth is being ruined in another way. The systems that support life on earth​—the air we breathe, the animal and plant ecosystems, the oceans—​are steadily being degraded because of human mismanagement.

Ask yourself, ‘Just over a century ago, did mankind even have the power of complete self-destruction?’ But now humans are exerting that power by amassing advanced weaponry and by devastating the environment. The rapid developments in technology seem to be outpacing man’s ability to understand or control the consequences. However, earth’s destiny is not for man to decide or control. Before all life on this earth is eradicated, God will step in to destroy those destroying the earth. That is his promise!

4. A GLOBAL PREACHING WORK Another part of the sign of the end foretold that an unprecedented work would be under way: “This good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14) This preaching campaign would differ significantly from most religious proselytizing carried out over the centuries. During the last days, a specific message would be emphasized, “this good news of the Kingdom.” Do you know of any religious group that highlights that particular message? And even if some seem to be preaching such a message, are they a local group, or have they spread this good news to “all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations”?

The Web site www.pr2711.com focuses on “this good news of the Kingdom.” The site features literature explaining that message in over 700 languages. Do you know of any other initiative that emphasizes the Kingdom good news to such a global extent? Long before the Internet was available, Jehovah’s Witnesses had gained a reputation for their efforts to spread the good news about God’s Kingdom. Since 1939, the cover of each issue of The Watchtower magazine has displayed the words “Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom.” A book on religions commented that the preaching work of Jehovah’s Witnesses has been “almost unparalleled in its intensity and scope.” This witnessing emphasizes the good news that very soon “the end will come” through the action of God’s Kingdom.

A PIVOTAL POINT IN WORLD HISTORY

Have you noticed that all four of the Bible’s warning signals described in this article have been evident during your lifetime? For over one hundred years, this magazine has been providing its readers with information about world events to help them personally verify that we are nearing the end. Of course, some skeptics disagree, asserting that facts and statistics are subjective and can be manipulated. They also claim that since worldwide communication continues to increase, world conditions only appear to be worsening. Nonetheless, there is ever-increasing evidence that we are at the conclusion of a unique period in the history of humanity.

Some experts feel that we are approaching major changes to this earth. For example, in 2014, the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists warned the United Nations Security Council about major threats to the existence of mankind. Those scientists testified: “A careful review of these threats leads us to conclude that the risk of civilization-threatening technological catastrophe remains high.” Many people are increasingly convinced that we have reached a pivotal point in world history. The publishers of this magazine and many of its readers have no doubt that this unique period really is the last days and that the end is near. But rather than dreading the future, you can be happy about the outcome. Why is that so? Because you can survive the end!

The Bible informs us that the end will involve destruction: “There will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now . . . In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved.” (Matthew 24:21, 22) But God promises us that many humans will survive: “The world is passing away . . . , but the one who does the will of God remains forever.”​—1 John 2:17.

If you want to survive the passing of this world and ‘remain forever,’ what should you do? Should you start stockpiling supplies or making other physical preparations? No. The Bible strongly urges us to set different priorities. We read: “Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, consider what sort of people you ought to be in holy acts of conduct and deeds of godly devotion, as you await and keep close in mind the presence of the day of Jehovah.” (2 Peter 3:10-12) The context shows that “all these things” that are to be dissolved include the ruling elements of this corrupt world and all those who choose such rulership rather than God’s. Clearly, if we were to stockpile material goods, that would not save us from such a destruction.

Really, our survival involves being devoted to Jehovah God and learning about the kind of conduct and deeds that please him. (Zephaniah 2:3) Rather than following the majority today and ignoring the clear signals that we are living in such important times, we need to “keep close in mind the presence of the day of Jehovah.” Jehovah’s Witnesses can show you from the Bible how you can be a survivor of this upcoming day.