God’s Enduring Word Series

is firmly fixed in the heavens.”

[PSALM 119:89]

“Long have I known from your testimonies

that you have founded [your commandments] forever.”

[PSALM 119:152]

“The sum of your word is truth,

and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.”

[PSALM 119:160]

Isaiah, with words that are echoed by Peter, writes of the Word of the Living God,

“The grass withers, the flower fades,

but the word of our God will stand forever.”

[ISAIAH 40:8; cf. 1 PETER 1:24, 25]

Because the words of Christ will never pass away, we who have believed in Him, receive His salvation live in confidence. Peter teaches that the redeemed are “born again … through the living and abiding Word of God” [1 PETER 1:23]. Therefore, any who have rejected Him as Lord of life shall assuredly face judgement. Here is a sobering thought; our words have repercussions because they persist. The Master has warned, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” [MATTHEW 12:36, 37]. Why, then should it be thought surprising that the words of Christ persists and the impact of those words likewise continue forever and ever?

Though I have spoken generally about the Saviour’s words, join me in focusing on the specific intent of His words. The Master spoke of the Great Tribulation and its conclusion [MATTHEW 24:29-31]. He said that at the end of those days of divine judgement He would return. The entire world will see Him at His return as He comes to judge and to reign. At His return, the Lord will gather all who have waited patiently for His return during those days of the Tribulation, and the wicked—all who attempted to save themselves by submitting to the reign of the antichrist—will mourn.

Jesus then pointed to a common occurrence in Palestine—the leafing of a fig tree. “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near” [MATTHEW 24:32]. We are astute people. When leaves appear on the trees, we know that summer is near; we discern the seasons by the response of all nature. Thus, Jesus says, “When you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates” [MATTHEW 24:33].

What things did Jesus have in view? Immediately preceding the Tribulation, the Master said the world would witness false messiahs appearing, civil rebellions, international wars, widespread earthquakes, famines and pestilences [MATTHEW 24:5-8]. During the seven years of the Tribulation, the Lord warned that those seeking deliverance through faith in Him as the Messiah can anticipate persecution, imprisonment and trials, betrayal by family and friends, martyrdom, and irrational hatred because of their faith [MATTHEW 24:9-28; see also LUKE 21:12-19], as they live in the hope of His imminent return!

The Word seems to indicate that opposition to the Faith and natural disasters will figure prominently in days leading up to the Great Tribulation! Have you read the newspapers or watched the evening news recently? Newscasts and newspapers are filled with stories of people claiming to possess great powers and people claiming divinity. There is a plethora of stories concerning civil rebellions (Egypt, Libya, Iran, Bahrain, Tunisia) and conflicts throughout the world (Afghanistan, Korea and Mexico), earthquakes, famines, strange new diseases (a new strain of Marburg virus in Angola) for which there is no cure, and dreadful events that startle the complacent. All that seems lacking are the atmospheric cataclysms that seem to be implied in His words. Increasingly, we witness growing hostility to righteousness, a growing number of Christians martyred for their faith, and division of families because of the Faith.