Signs of the Times
Matthew 24:1-14
Series: Early Edition
January 25, 2009
Morning Service
Introduction
View the Powerpoint slides
Review of Last Week
Jesus is giving answers to two different questions
1.) When will this happen? When will the Temple be destroyed?
2.) What would be the signs of Christ’s return?
We must remember that Jesus is predicting two different events in similar ways. Jesus is describing the destruction of the Temple along with Jerusalem and the End Times. Both sets of prophecies seem to go hand in hand.
Jesus warns about the coming deception
Jesus offers a clear warning about the End Times: Do not be deceived. If Jesus warned us about deception there must be good reason. Deception flows out of a creation of some form of confusion. Confusion is one of Satan’s most powerful tools because if he can confuse the Truth, he can distort the Truth.
False Messiahs
Jesus told the disciples there will be many who come claiming to be Christ. These people will come claiming to be the Messiah or the Savior of the world. These false messiahs will teach a different gospel and lead large numbers of people astray.
War or World Violence
Jesus said that we will hear of wars and rumors of wars but not to be alarmed. The media seems to depict war all around us these days but there is hope. Jesus says that these things must happen before He returns. War flows out of the fact that we are fallen people, living in a fallen world.
1 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 "Do you see all these things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." 3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" 4 Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, `I am the Christ, ’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. 9 "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:1-14
Nine Major Signs of Christ’s Return
1.) False Messiahs
2.) Wars and World Violence
3.) Natural Disasters
Jesus specifically mentions two main disasters that were common to His region of the world. Natural disasters were considered an omen of coming doom. Jesus may mention only two different kinds of natural disasters but it is a general reference to all forms of disasters.
Famines
Famine has been called the new tsunami. More people will die this year from starvation and disease than from any natural disaster. Starvation is on the rise around the globe due not only to famine but through the hoarding of resources. Dying by starvation is an ordeal of intense agony. We see advertisements for various relief organizations showing children on the streets of Manila, in huts in Africa, and in the slums of India. We see the serious nature of famine all around the world. There are even children going hungry in the United States.
Earthquakes
Over the past fifty years there has been a sharp increase in the number of earthquakes reported annually. Either our ability to detect earthquakes has radically improved or there is a significant rise in earthquakes. Jesus says that natural disasters are a sign of His return.
We should keep in mind that Jesus is speaking about more than just famines and earthquakes. These were two of the common disasters understood in the Jewish social context. Jesus means that there will be a rise in natural disasters on the whole and this could include floods, volcanoes, hurricanes, and even mudslides. The truth is that Jesus makes it clear that we will see a rise in human suffering due to disaster.
4. Persecution
Jesus describes the coming persecution in some important details:
Affliction
Killing
Hatred by the nations
There will be no safe place for the church anywhere. Currently we are seeing some of the most intense persecution that world has ever seen. The United States has been shielded from this persecution but as Jesus clearly states this will not always be the case.
Why does the world hate the church?
a.) It is impossible for them to do otherwise
Without the love of Christ it is not possible to truly love others
b.) It is impossible for them to understand
Worldly wisdom will never be able to comprehend the ways of Christ
c.) It is impossible for them to remain neutral
The world has been and always will be against the church.
5. Apostasy
Apostasy is simply a falling away from the faith. Jesus is describing a massive backsliding from the faith. Jesus says that there must be this massive falling away or backsliding before His return happens. There are three things that Jesus describes here.
Many will fall away from their faith
Persecution will reveal the false nature of counterfeit faith. Today we see a Christianity that lacks conviction and power. We see weak conversions where no genuine life change actually takes place. We see people honor Christ with their lips but never truly repent. When trial comes these people refuse to deny themselves and choose to deny Christ.
Many will betray each other
People will turn on one another and betray each other for selfish reasons. The final result will be an erasing of trust. Family will betray family and brother will betray brother and everyone will turn on the Christians.
Nazi Germany caused a similar betray of the Jews. People turned over their friends and neighbors out of fear and the seeking of favor. History is going to repeat itself for the Christians.
Many will hate each other
Hate will rise like never before in our world and there will be division and dissention. The church will fall victim to this hatred. Everyone will be filled with hate and there will be one common enemy, Christians.
6. False leaders will offer false hope
False teachers will rise with a false gospel and offer false hope to the world. Many desperate people will fall victim to their lies. False teachers will claim to have the message of God but completely lack the Truth of scripture. There is no Truth apart from the message of the Bible. Anything that contradicts the Bible is wrong.
False leaders will rise with many false promises that will lead people to place their hope in them. Whenever you hear messages of leaders making promises that they cannot possibly keep. Simply do not believe them. Politicians seem to have a gift for making promises that they will never be able to keep. In the End time this will only continue to get worse as people become more desperate for hope.
A Great Falling Away
Jesus clearly makes the case that the sinfulness of the world will increase so dramatically that the love of most will grow cold. Jesus combines two interesting Greek words here. The first is anomia, which literally means to be anti-law. The world will reject everything that is God. The second word is plethunthenai, which is to increase and multiply. Jesus is saying that the rejection of God will rapidly multiply.
The world will come to see evil behavior as normal and will trade the truth of God for a lie. We see increasing wickedness all around us. Jesus tells us that things will get worse but we still have hope. The promise of Jesus is that in the midst of wickedness we have the hope of His return.
Faith that Endures
Jesus speaks here of being saved or rescued. We cannot interpret this as meaning a rescue from death or persecution. Jesus has already made it clear that Christians will suffer intense persecution because of Him. There will be no escape form the persecution. A direct comparison is made here because there was no escape from the Fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Jesus is giving assurance that our hope is in Him. During times of persecution the worst that can be done is to kill us – even in the worst we still win. Jesus is speaking with His disciples about having hope in the midst of persecution. Remember all of the Apostles suffered persecution before they died.
Peter gives encouragement during such times. Listen to what he writes:
10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:10-11
World Evangelism
Jesus raises the issue of evangelism with the disciples. Jesus makes it clear that there will be a massive push for world evangelism. Many people will come to hear the gospel and accept Christ before He returns. Jesus is going to allow the whole world to hear the gospel before He returns. What an act of mercy and grace! Jesus is going to wait until every place on earth has a chance to hear the gospel. Every tribe and every tongue will hear the good news of the gospel.
Why is the gospel be preached?
a.) The gospel is the means of salvation
b.) The gospel cannot be stopped
c.) The gospel is victorious
There has been more missionaries sent out into the field in last century than in the entire history of the church combined. The world is being reached rapidly with the message of the gospel. There is still much to be done but the church is closer than ever to reaching the whole world.
