You can not take Matthew 24, 25, or Mark 13 and say this is how things are going to happen chronologically. Everything that the Lord said would happen, will happen, but not in the sequence He gives them.
Notice, as the disciples were walking with Jesus past the Temple, they commented on the beauty of this temple.
Look at verse 1, we read, “And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!”
The historian, Josephus, tells us that:
• Some of the stones in the Temple were forty feet long and eighteen feet high.
• A good portion of the Temple was plated in gold and silver
These disciples were fascinated with the beauty of this gorgeous building.
Illus: This conversation the Lord had with these disciples reminds me of those who have visited the Biltmore House, located in Asheville, North Carolina. After people leave, they talk to everyone about the beauty of this place.
We have to be careful in this life, that we do not get so caught up in the beauty of this life that we forget to seek for the beauty of heaven.
The Lord draws their attention from the EARTHLY to the SPIRITUAL, by saying, in verse 2, “And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
This prophecy was fulfilled in AD 70, when Titus destroyed the city of Jerusalem and the Temple.
After they left there, the Lord and the disciples came to the Mount of Olives. This is where the Mount Olivet Discourse originated. To understand what took place there, you need to study the parallel passages found in Matthew 24 and 25.
The disciples wanted to know what the sign of Christ’s coming would be. Look at verse 4, we read, “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?”
This is a very difficult passage of scripture, but the Lord helps us to understand what He is saying in this passage. In verse 8, we read, "…These are the beginnings of sorrows."
He was not talking about the normal sorrows that we face each day. The time period he is talking about has to do with EXTREME SORROWS! This time period is going to be one of the most sorrowful times in the history of mankind. This is why it is referred to as GREAT TRIBULATION period.
Illus: During history, certain periods of time were known for certain things.
• The Renaissance Age
• The Industrial Age
• The Great Depression Age
• The Technology Age
But listen, the Lord is talking here about the AGE OF SUFFERING. Let’s look at-
I. THE SUFFERINGS OF THIS AGE
In verses 6-13, we read, “For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows. But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. And the gospel must first be published among all nations. But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Let’s look at these eight signs for this age of sorrow.
(1) Look at verse 6, we read, “For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.”
Illus: A Jewish Christian scholar, Dr. Charles Feinberg, has noted that from the time of Christ, over sixty-four different individuals have appeared claiming to be the Messiah.
Illus: Years ago there was a man that called himself “Father Divine”. He went around teaching that he was God in the flesh.
Father Divine was originally a man named George Baker. Baker, by most accounts, was born around 1877 in Savannah, GA, or in Monkey Run, in Rockville, MD. As the child of two ex-slaves. Although both were hard workers, his mother apparently grew to be the fattest woman in the county, according to the local newspaper.
Shortly afterwards, she died in 1897. It was at this point that the grieving George Baker left friends and family and was not heard from again until years later.
George Baker got connected with a minister named Samuel Morris, in a town near Baltimore, two to three years after he left Monkey Run.
Samuel Morris was a preacher who preached that God dwelt in everyone, and George Baker took to this religious philosophy. It was at this point that both men became “reborn” and took new names.
• Samuel Morris became Father Jehovia.
• George Baker, the Messenger. (Later changed to Major Jealous Devine)
• A third man joined them in 1908 changing his name from John Hickerson to St. John the Vine.
The three preached in the Baltimore area for five years before going their separate ways.
In 1913, the Messenger (George Baker) declared himself to be God while preaching in Georgia. This caused quite a commotion, and the Messenger was eventually taken to court where he was declared to be insane and forced to leave the state of Georgia.
There have always been these men who come along claiming they are god. Sixty-four does not seem like MANY when you consider that is all we have on record.
SO WHAT COULD IT MEAN WHEN GOD SAYS MANY WILL COME AND MANY WILL BE DECEIVED?
It could mean this; have you ever watched so called Christian television of men and women who COME IN THE NAME OF CHRIST? They pack the coliseums and stadiums with people that come to hear them.
HOW DO THEY DO THAT? If you listen to some of these hucksters preach, they will read a passage of scripture and never deal with the passage of scripture. In fact, if you listen to them, they may preach almost thirty minutes and never mention God, the Bible, the Holy Spirit, or the Savior.
• It is all about MOTIVATION
• It is all about buying God’s blessings by sending money.
• It is all about it being God’s will for everyone to be HEALTHY AND WEALTHY
They are like politicians, they will tell people whatever they want to hear.
Many of these have come IN THE NAME OF THE LORD and they have DECEIVED MANY.
Listen, there have always been these, “Elmer Gantries” who have come in the name of the Lord, but never so many as there are today.
This is the beginning of sorrows.
(2) Look at the second sign, in verse 7, we read, “And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.”
When is the last time you listened to the national news on television and heard of wars everywhere? I will tell you when; it was the last time you listened to the news. Every night we hear of WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS.
God’s Word says, “…be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.” Why? Wars and rumors of wars are only the beginning of sorrows.
(3) Look at the third sign, in verse 8, we read, “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.”
We have always had earthquakes and famines, but never on the level we have them today. As devastating as earthquakes might be, famine is even a greater problem. But again, God’s Word says these are only the BEGINNINGS OF SORROWS!
(4) Look at the fourth sign, in verse 9, we read, “But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.”
In this verse of scripture, the Bible shows us how Christians will be hated for Christ’s sake.
Back in the early times, Christians suffered greatly for the cause of Christ. But through the centuries of time, Christianity has become respectable.
Illus: When President Jimmy Carter became President of the United States, he said in his campaign that he was a born again believer and he was accepted. But a couple of decades later, when President George W. Bush stated that he was a born again believer, that he prays and reads his Bible every day, he is hated.
The question that is being asked on national television today is, “WHY IS PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH SO HATED?”
Illus: Bill O’Reilly dealt with this on his television program on the Fox news channel during October of 2005, by stating that President George W. Bush is hated because he is a conservative Christian.
Listen, we live in a world that hates CHRIST! And the Lord has told us if they hate Him, they will hate us also. Christians who oppose the ungodly by calling their actions sin, and telling them that God is going to judge them for sin, make them mad and they don’t want us to even mention the name of Christ.
Illus: Look at the attempt in 2005 to replace “Merry Christmas” with “HAPPY HOLIDAYS!” Stores all across this nation refused to put “Merry Christmas” signs in their stores because the word Christmas contains the name of Christ.
Every merchant ought to be happy, because the birth of Christ has made them millions. It is the busiest time of the year for the merchants.
WHY DO THEY HATE CHRIST? Because they are ungodly, and as long as you have God’s Word telling people what they are doing is sinful, and that they are going to die and go to a devil’s hell…in their mind, HE HAS GOT TO GO!
As the day of sorrow begins, we are beginning to see Christians suffer for being believers.
(5) Look at the fifth sign in verses 10-11, we read, “And the gospel must first be published among all nations. But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.”
God is going to send judgment on this earth like it has never seen before. But before God does this, He wants everyone to hear how they can escape the judgment of God.
Today, the Gospel is being preached to every nation through --
• The printed page
• Radio
• Television
• The Internet
God has those who are using the Gospel to spread the good news of how a man can be saved and spared from the Judgment of God.
The gospel must be preached to every nation.
(6) Look at the sixth sign, in verse 12 we read, “Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.”
I told you earlier that one of the things that makes this passage difficult is because some of these signs will lead over into the tribulation period.
These last things that are mentioned do just that. For example, during the tribulation period, food is going to be a PROBLEM. The Anti-Christ will use food as a leverage to get the people of the world to bow down to his wishes. Many will not, but their own families will turn on them so they can get food for themselves.
When a man gets hungry, he will surprise you. The Bible says:
• Brother shall betray brother
• Father shall betray is children
• Children shall betray their parents
Not only will the world hate Christians, it will be common for even family members to betray each other.
(7) Look at the seventh sign, we read in verse 13, “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake:”
Today Christians are hated by some, but during the tribulation period, God’s Word says, Christians will be hated BY ALL MEN FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE.
(8) Look at the eighth sign, in verse 13 we read, “…But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”
This definitely goes into the tribulation period. Mankind is going to face all kinds of sorrow, but they are going to have to endure it. If they take the mark of the beast, they are doomed. They will have to endure starvation, beatings, imprisonment, and be willing to die for their belief in Christ.
Those who are saved during this time will be saved by grace just as we are saved. If they take the mark of the beast, they are doomed, so they will have to endure GREAT SUFFERINGS!
All eight of these things are the BEGINNING OF SORROWS! It is known as the GREAT TRIBULATION PERIOD. We have looked at THE SUFFERINGS OF THIS AGE, but also let’s look at-
II. THE PROPHECY OF THIS AGE
Look at Mark 13:14-23, we read, “But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house: And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment. But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter. For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days. And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not: For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.”
WHAT WAS THE LORD SAYING? This was the beginning of the tribulation period. The first three-and-a-half years is known as the tribulation period but the second half is known as the GREAT TRIBULATION PERIOD.
It is in the midst of the tribulation period, the Anti-Christ will set himself up as god, and this is known as the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION spoken of by Daniel.
Look at verse 14, we read, “But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains.”
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? “Standing where it ought not…”
• The holy place was given to Israel. It was a specific place on earth in the temple.
• The church today does not have such a place as the Jews had in the temple.
But when the Anti-Christ stands where he ought not to stand, this will be the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION! And then the Lord says WATCH OUT!
Conclusion:
We have looked at:
I. THE SUFFERINGS OF THIS AGE
II. THE PROPHECY OF THIS AGE
