#2ti

In the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here.—2 Tim. 3:1. The Bible indicates that wickedness will greatly increase “in the last days.” (2 Tim. 3:13; Matt. 24:21; Rev. 12:12) So we can expect that world conditions, bad as they are now, will continue to decline. But how bad do you expect conditions to become before “the great tribulation”? (Rev. 7:14) For example, do you expect that there will be a war in every country, no food on anyone’s table, and illness in every household? Under those conditions, even skeptics would likely feel compelled to admit that Bible prophecy was undergoing fulfillment. However, Jesus said that most people would take “no note” of his presence, carrying on with life’s normal activities until it is too late. (Matt. 24:37-39) Thus, the Scriptures indicate that world conditions during the last days would not become so extreme that people would be forced to believe that the end is near.—Luke 17:20; 2 Pet. 3:3, 4. w15 8/15 2:6, 7