The Bible clearly likens the end of the age to being a great harvest of people. The people of God are reaped and stored in God’s barn and allowed into the Lord’s kingdom. The people of the Devil are gathered in bundles by angels to be burned and their souls are cut off from the earth. Harvests occur when the crop reaches maximum yield. One of the most overlooked signs of the times by Bible prophecy teachers is world demographics. Birth rates falling below replacement levels has never occurred in the history of our planet. It would be one of the clearest signs of the time that the end of the age has arrived.

There is plenty of controversy about when the population of the earth will peak. Most of that is based on UN projections that are somewhat outdated and perhaps even skewed for political purposes. The data I believe that will prove to be correct is that average births per female in the world will fall to the replacement level of 2.1 by the mid 2020’s. The population of the earth will peak at 8.5 to 9 billion people in the 2030’s. (The population of the earth at the date of this writing is 7.7 billion people.)

The world birth rate is now about 2.3 per female. When it falls below 2.1, fewer people will be born than are needed to replace those that will eventually die. The world population would still increase some after that as long as average life spans continue to increase. Then global population would start to decline. If average lifespans stop increasing because of world war and pandemics, the population of the earth could peak as early as the 2020’s. The Bible says that great wars and famines will take place during the tribulation at the end of the age. Therefore, the birth per female rate, not the total population, is the demographic that we should be looking at to determine when the end of the age harvest is due.

As long as this rate is above 2.1 the earth has potential for a greater wheat harvest (those planted to become believers). However, when it falls below 2.1 the world could still have more older people but longer lifespans are not guaranteed. If the 2.1 birth rate is reached in the 2020’s, the peak harvest of those able to accept the gospel seems most likely to occur in the 2030’s.

This harvest projection is not talking about the timing of the Rapture. The Rapture only takes first-fruits. It takes the Bride of the coming King who by faith in Jesus became one with Him. The general harvest occurs a short time after the first-fruits are picked.

The developed world already is quite a bit below the 2.1 replacement rate. Populations in some nations are already declining. The rates of births per woman in the world has dropped from 4.6 in the 1950’s to 2.3 today. The downward trend continues at the same rate. Only underdeveloped countries are above 2.1. As women are empowered by the world system, and as people move to urban areas, birth rates rapidly fall. The 2.1 rate will probably be achieved by the mid 2020’s.

The falling birth rate also says wonders about the human condition on earth. Families are disintegrating. Women are becoming more concerned with being like men than they are of fulfilling the role that God gave them. In developed countries even the few children that women still have are most often being brought up by the state.

Since my population projection conflicts with UN figures, here are three references. The first article says the global population will peak in 2055 AD. This second article is saying much the same thing. Keep in mind that the 2055 population peak is assumed because they believe the average lifespans of humans continues to increase. The 2.1 rate is actually achieved in the 2020’s. Longer lifespans would not be the case if the tribulation occurred in the 2020’s or 30’s. There also is a book named Empty Planet. It was published this year and it deals with the most recent demographics and what that all means. The two authors claim the population of earth will peak at 8 to 9 billion in the 2030’s and then decline.

The rapidly falling birth rates will bring about economic issues in the 2020’s and 2030’s that will destabilize nations. Japan, China and Europe are already dealing with rapidly aging populations. Because of it, Japan has had no economic growth for two decades. Worse problems are about to hit China. Their one child policy will cause huge disruptions in the 2020’s. Europe has brought in Muslim immigrants to do the work of the children they never had. However, Muslim immigrants are not assimilating and traditional European cultures are being destroyed. Because of all the division, civil upheaval becomes likely in Europe in the 2020’s. Troubles caused by falling birth rates will lead to economic and social problems across the world.

All population growth projected beyond the 2030’s actually comes from growth on the continent of Africa. Take the growth from Africa out of the equation and nobody would be arguing that the population of the earth would continue to increase. I do not think Africa will be able to support anywhere near the populations being projected. Many African people will die young in the 2020’s because of war and disease. Nevertheless, the birth rate in Africa will continue to fall as women move to urban areas and are empowered to manage how few children they will have. For these reasons, I do not think the population of Africa will ever be higher than it is in the 2020’s. Minus speculation about population growth in Africa, the rest of the world has pretty much already reached peak population and it soon will be declining.

The harvest anthology in the Bible refers to the end of the age. One of the most reliable signs of the times that we are near this reaping of souls by angels is birth rates falling below replacement rates. World demographic trends indicate that this will occur in the 2020’s. Even so, before the general harvest the remainder of the first-fruits will be plucked. That is the blessed hope that astute believers are waiting for.