From Matthew 24:1-7 Jesus tells His curious disciples what to expect and the unfolding of events before His Return and there are some things that have happened or are happening that we can check off Matthew 24:5 "For many shall come in My Name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet." Not sure about the rest of the world but in my part for the world I have witnessed false Christ's. Wars and rumors of wars is an obvious current event, but then The Lord gives more signs, He says Matthew 24:7"....nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in divers places." We have seen all these the famines caused by the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war, the Covid 19 pestilence that paralyzed the whole world, and the recent earthquakes of never-seen-before magnitudes that have razed down entire towns in Turkey-Syria, there have been earthquakes in other parts of the world like Ecuador and among many others. The Lord says in verse 8 of Matthew 24, "All these are the beginning of sorrows" and the He tells to expect affliction and persecution, to be hated by the world for His Name's sake He elaborates further in Mark13:12 " 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. 13And 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." Paul says adds to this in 2 Timothy 3:1" 1This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 9But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was." Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:11" 11Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." Paul said despite all his afflictions The Lord delivered him from them all and it is the very same mindset the Lord is telling us to believe in and remain steadfast about the affliction and persecution of the last days we are currently in when He says in Matthew 24:13, "But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." We too need to stand in this Truth that despite whatever affliction or persecutions we face, The Lord will deliver us from them all. He tells us throughout Matthew 24 to "watch" and pray. Prayer is the key to keep us from getting offended in the face of affliction and persecution and prayer will keep us from stepping out of God's will because of offense.
The Lord says to watch closely for these things among the others mentioned before the end comes all found in Matthew 24.
1. The gospel Must be preached in all the world.
2. The abomination of desolation spoken of by prophet Daniel in chapter 9, will be brought into the Holy place. This is a type of pagan ritual that will be brought into the holy temple, a type pagan idol will be brought in.
3. Then Tribulation begins with false Christ's and flame prophets showing signs and wonders that will deceive many.
5. After the tribulation the sun will be darkened, the moon won't give her light, the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
4.The Return of our Lord Jesus. Like He said no one knows the day or hour but He has left us with clues to the end of ages leading up to His Return.
The Lord is coming soon and He has left us with instructions for the last days which are to ENDURE affliction and persecution and He Will deliver us from them all, to remain in constant prayer, to pray so we don't get offended and step out of His WILL and to watch for the signs He has given us.
