The Second Coming of Christ
Part 3 - More Exploration of the End Times
The Gospel of Matthew
Matthew 24:13-31
Sermon by Rick Crandall
(Prepared March 4, 2023)
MESSAGE:
*Learning about the second coming of Christ takes us from the Old Testament to the New. We go from prophecies written hundreds of years before the Lord was born to prophecies written almost 100 years after Jesus was born. And as we look into God's Word, we will find different viewpoints and different levels of understanding. Today we will review some of the information we looked at before, and we will explore some other issues surrounding the Lord's return.
*First: Let's go back to the beginning of Matthew 24 to see what prompted the Lord's discussion of His return. Jesus had just finished strongly condemning the Jewish religious leaders. The Lord condemned them for stubbornly rejecting Him as the Messiah, plus their arrogance, lack of mercy, hypocrisy and more.
*Matthew 24:1-3 tells us what happened next:
1. Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came to Him to show Him the buildings of the temple.
2. And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.''
3. 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?''
The disciples wanted answers, and that's what we are looking for in Matthew 24. We need to learn everything we can about the second coming of Christ, and God will surely bless us as we look into His Word.
1. FIRST TODAY, WE FACE THE PROBLEM OF THE TEMPLE.
*When we talk about the Lord's return, we have to face the problem of the Temple. This problem arises down in vs. 14-15, where Jesus said:
14. . . "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.
15. Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place'' (whoever reads, let him understand)."
*Jesus told them to look for the "abomination of desolation." The original words mean "an idolatrous, detestable, foul thing that spoils something else." Here the Lord was talking about someone making the holy place in the Temple desolate. And Jesus was referring back to the prophecies given to Daniel about 500 years before the Lord was born.
*The Prophet Daniel mentioned the abomination of desolation three separate times. For example, when the Angel Gabriel was speaking to Daniel about the end times, Gabriel said this about the Antichrist in Daniel 9:27: "Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. and on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.'' (1)
*But who is the Antichrist who will carry out the abomination of desolation? As we saw last time, some think that it was Antiochus Epiphanes, the Syrian king who reigned in Palestine around 170 B.C. Antiochus desecrated the Temple by slaughtering a pig on the altar, forcing the priests to eat pork, and setting up an idol to Zeus. But he cannot be the abomination Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:15, because Jesus was warning about something in the future.
*Most Biblical experts agree that the abomination of desolation the Lord spoke of here had its initial fulfillment 40 years later when Jerusalem was conquered by the Romans, and the Temple was destroyed. That was a terrible, terrible thing. Over a million Jews were killed. But that massacre also must not be the ultimate fulfillment of the abomination of desolation. I say that, because as bad as that was, worse things have already happened. In the 20th century, Communists and Nazis were responsible for the deaths of well over a hundred million people. (2)
*But in Matthew 24:21 Jesus said, "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." The final fulfillment of this prophecy must come in Daniel's final seven-year period of Jewish history when the abomination of desolation is committed by the Antichrist in the Jerusalem Temple. And that puts an obstacle in the way, because there is no Temple in Jerusalem today.
[PICS 1-4] -- These pictures help us understand what was on the Temple Mount when the Lord first spoke these words. But right now, there is no holy place where the Antichrist can perform the abomination of desolation.
[PIC 5] -- Instead, this is what sits on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem today.
[PIC 6] -- This is another view from the Western Wall. That building is an Islamic shrine called "The Dome of the Rock." It was completed in 692 AD, and is the oldest existing Islamic building in the world. It sits right where the Holy of Holies in the Temple used to stand. Muslims believe that the rock in the heart of this building is the place where Mohammad stepped when he rose to the heavens to receive a message from God.
*So we have the problem of not having a Temple where the Antichrist can go to carry out the abomination of desolation. But religious Jews in Israel are firmly committed to rebuild the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. One such organization is "The Temple Institute."
*Here is a quote from their "Statement of Principles: "The Temple Institute is dedicated to all aspects of the Divine commandment for Israel to build a house for G-d's presence, the Holy Temple, on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem. The range of the Institute's involvement with this concept includes education, research, activism, and actual preparation. Our goal is firstly, to restore Temple consciousness and reactivate these "forgotten" commandments. We hope that by doing our part, we can participate in the process that will lead to the Holy Temple becoming a reality once more."
*Toward that end, they have already begun recreating the sacred vessels and priestly clothing. Here's another quote from their website: "The Temple Institute is dedicated to making the Holy Temple a reality in our day, and toward this end, the Temple Institute has, for 36 years, been building and planning and researching and teaching and sharing with you our reconstructed sacred vessels and priestly garments, our books and paintings, our red heifer candidates, our teachings and insights and our love for 'HaShem' and the Holy Temple!" ("HaShem" means "The Name, and it's one of their ways of referring to God.) (3)
*Pray that they would put their trust in God's only begotten Son Jesus Christ, who came to save us from our sins. And as Peter proclaimed in Acts 4:12, "There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved!'' But if these people have anything to say about it, that third Temple is going to be rebuilt! Maybe it will be built during the first part of the tribulation.
2. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO END TIMES, WE FACE THE PROBLEM OF THE TEMPLE. WE ALSO SEE THE PRIDE OF THE ANTICHRIST.
*In vs. 15-16, Jesus said, "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."
*Here the Lord was talking about the Antichrist, and we do not know exactly who he is. Down through the ages, people have thought it was the Roman Emperor Nero, possibly one of the popes, the Nazi dictator Adolph Hitler, or one of the other brutal dictators.
*In 1 John 2:18, John wrote: "Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour." These historical characters may have been some of those antichrists John wrote about, but they were not the ultimate Antichrist.
*And one thing we know for sure is that the Antichrist is coming into the world. Paul talked about him in 2 Thessalonians 2, and said:
1. Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you,
2. not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.
3. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day (i.e. the Day of the Lord) will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
4. who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
*It is safe to say that the Antichrist will be the most evil man who will ever walk the face of the earth. In vs. 3, Paul called him "the man of sin" and the "son of perdition." That means "the son of destruction, ruin and loss." In vs. 4, he "opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God."
*2 Thessalonians 2:8 in the KJV tells us that the Antichrist will be so evil that his name is called "Wicked." In vs. 9, this lawless one has all the power, signs, and lying wonders of Satan. And in vs. 10, he will have special powers of deception: "With all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved." In other words, the Antichrist will have almost unlimited powers of seduction to evil with all wicked deception. He will be able to deceive almost the whole world the same way Hitler was able to seduce the Germans before World War II.
*2 Thessalonians 2:10 shows us that he will deceive everyone except those who receive the love of the truth, so that they might be saved. And vs. 4 there shows us the great pride of the Antichrist: He "opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God."
3. WHEN IT COMES TO END TIMES, WE SEE THE PRIDE OF THE ANTICHRIST. BUT WE ALSO SEE THE PRESSURE OF THE TRIBULATION.
*Here in Matthew 24:16-21, Jesus said when you see the abomination of desolation:
16. "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
17. Let him who is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house.
18. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.
19. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those with nursing babies in those days!
20. And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.
21. 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."
*"Tribulation:" The word picture is great pressure. There are several different views of this terrible time, and we will go into more detail when we look at the rapture. But if you believe in the pre-tribulation rapture of the Church, then you understand the tribulation is the 7-year period of time that is the last of the seventy weeks in the Book of Daniel.
*This 7-year period will be the time when anyone who chose not to follow God before the Rapture will be left behind. They will experience worldwide hardships, disasters, famine, war, pain, and suffering, which will wipe out most of life on the earth before the Second Coming takes place. (4)
*This is the wrath of God, and we can see part of it in Revelation 16:1-9, where the Word of God says:
1. Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.''
2. So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.
3. Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died.
4. Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.
5. And I heard the angel of the waters saying: "You are righteous, O Lord, the One who is and who was and who is to be, because You have judged these things.
6. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. for it is their just due.''
7. And I heard another from the altar saying, "Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.''
8. Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire.
9. And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.
4. WHEN IT COMES TO END TIMES, WE SEE THE PRESSURE OF THE TRIBULATION. AND WE SEE THE PANIC OF THE UNGODLY.
*Down in vs. 29-31, Jesus said:
29. "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
30. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."
*Again, vs. 30 says, "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn. . ." Revelation 6:15-17 says:
15. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains,
16. and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!
17. For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?''
5. WHEN IT COMES TO END TIMES, WE SEE THE PANIC OF THE UNGODLY. BUT ALSO SEE THE PROMISE OF THE LORD'S SALVATION.
*First in vs. 22, God promised to shorten the days of His wrath. Jesus said, "And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened." This deliverance is for the Jewish and Gentile believers who will be saved during the Great Tribulation, and will still be alive at the end.
*Then in vs. 27-28, we see a sign of the rapture, and Lord willing, soon we will talk about it in detail. Jesus said:
27. "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
28. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together."
*We don't know the timing for sure, but we do know this for sure: God is going to save His people! God is going to save everyone who trusts in Jesus Christ! As the Lord said back up in vs. 13-14, "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 "gospel" is the good news that God loves us, and wants to save us from our sins. It's the good news is that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and rose again from the dead, so He is able to save anyone who will believe in Him, to anyone who will receive the risen Christ as their Lord and Savior.
*This is the only way to escape the wrath of God! The Lord made this truth clear in John 3:16-18, where Jesus said:
16. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
17. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
*Other Scriptures make this truth clear, like John 3:36: "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." This why in John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." This is also why in John 3:36, John the Baptist said, "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.''
*The only way for anyone to be saved is through the merciful love of God. We must be saved by His gift of grace, or we won't be saved at all. That's why Ephesians 2:8-9 tells Christians: "By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."
*But why does salvation have to be by God's grace? Alan Perkins gave a great answer when he said, "It's because God is completely holy, and His standard is perfect righteousness. It doesn't matter if you're a little better than someone else, or even a lot better than someone else, you're still guilty of sin, you're still condemned.
*The person who jumps halfway across the Grand Canyon winds up just as dead as the person who only jumps 8 feet out from the cliff. They both fall a mile to the bottom. That's why we must depend on Christ's perfect righteousness to make us right with God. Our goodness will never be enough. We can't make it to heaven by even the most outstanding attempts at good behavior. All that matters is that Jesus Christ fulfilled all of God's requirements, and He gave His life on the cross to pay for our sins. That's grace." And we must be saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ! (5)
CONCLUSION:
*Jesus Christ is surely coming again, and He will surely save anyone who will trust Him as Lord and Savior. Have you done that? It is the only way to get ready for the Lord's return. Simply ask the Lord to save you as we go back to God in prayer.
(1) Other mentions:
-Daniel 11:31 - "And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation.
-Daniel 12:11 - "And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.
(2) Sources:
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_killings_under_communist_regimes
-"How Many People Did Joseph Stalin Kill?" by Palash Ghosh - @Gooch700 - 03/05/13 AT 8:55 AM
-https://www.ibtimes.com/how-many-people-did-joseph-stalin-kill-1111789
-https://www.victimsofcommunism.org/
(3) "The Temple Institute" - https://templeinstitute.org/statement-of-principles-2/
(4) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_tribulation
(5) Adapted from SermonCentral sermon "The Tax Collector and the Pharisee" by Alan Perkins - Luke 18:9-14 - Apr 21, 2002
