Matthew 24: 3-28 The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age
“Now as He 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?”
And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for [a]all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
The Great Tribulation
“Therefore, when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand.
“Therefore, if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles(vultures) will be gathered together.”
Jesus has just prophesied the destruction of the second temple, and now the disciples are anxious for details, raising questions that have plagued generations of disciples ever since. “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” What’s frustrating is that Jesus doesn’t give a specific time line, nor does he give absolute answers. Why?
Later, after Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples are still trying to pin Jesus down. That’s when Jesus tells them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:7-8)
Why hasn’t Jesus given us timelines? Only God the Heavenly Father really knows when the world will come to an end. Jesus is warning his disciples that things are going to deteriorate, and they do. By the time of Emperor Nero, Christians will be used as human torches to light Nero’s garden and will be thrown to wild beasts in the arena to entertain the masses. South Korean friends have described the fate of Christians in North Korea; one father was run over by bulldozers in front of his family for showing a Christian video privately in his home. Those turning from Islam to Christianity may be slaughtered by their own families. But each time a new atrocity occurs, those remaining faithful are encouraged that the cause of Christ is a faith worth dying for, not merely living for.
Why does Jesus warn the disciples about false prophets? As soon as Christianity begins to succeed as a faith, false prophets will appear. Paul in Romans 16:17-18 warns, “Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.”
1 Timothy 4:1-3 says, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.”
Cults and false prophets continue to abound. One of the best and most informative books is The Kingdom of the Cults by Walter Ralston Martin. Although this book first was published in 1965, it is now in its sixth edition and is well worth reading, both for the information and for the language, which is quite clear. There are also audio and YouTube versions for those who don’t like reading.
What about the horrors Jesus is foretelling? Although some people believe these prophecies were fulfilled when the Romans laid siege to Jerusalem, the complete fulfillment may still happen in the future. Jesus says that when he returns, nobody will be in doubt that it is he who has arrived. Jesus is likely quoting a pithy local proverb when he says, “For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles(vultures) will be gathered together.”
What do all these teachings mean for us as disciples? We know that Jesus will return, but we don’t know when; therefore, we need to be faithful and prepared. We must be willing to suffer for our faith if that becomes necessary, realizing that our example may encourage many others. Pastor Richard Wurmbrand was a leader in the anti-Communist movement in Rumania. Imprisoned and tortured, Wurmbrand remained faithful and lived to encourage many others. One of the best videos is Richard and Sarah Wurmbrand: The Underground Pastor and His Wife produced in 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyG_zXfwhSc
May God strengthen and encourage us, so that we will face any and all trials, knowing that God’s help is always available!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, sometimes when we read predictions about suffering, we begin to fear that we will crumple under persecution. But You are the One who has helped believers, and You don’t play favorites; therefore, we can confidently expect that You will also help us and that You will be our strength. Thank You for Your promises! In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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