Signs of the End
Matthew 24:1-14
Our culture is fascinated with the end times. The widespread popularity of the “Left Behind” series of books and videos is a perfect illustration of our fascination with this subject. When the world approaches this subject, it does so in fear and speculation, but Christians have a far different perspective.
Christians tend to view the topic of the end times as something we can look forward to. We view it with anticipation like the Jews of old viewed the promise of the coming Messiah and the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth. We know that this culture will come to an end one day when 1Th 4:16-17 …the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. [17] Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
This is something we wait for with eager anticipation. It’s a certain end to and uncertain world. But what are we to do until that day comes? What happens till then?
Well, there’s a lot of speculation about how it all will turn out. We have amillenialists who believe that Christ's current reign is spiritual and ongoing through the church, rather than a future, literal earthly kingdom. We also have the premillenialists who anticipate a literal thousand-year reign of Christ on Earth. And then there are the postmillenialists who anticipate a golden age of peace and righteousness before Christ's return.
Within the premillennial group are those who believe in a pre-tribulation rapture; that the Church will be raptured out of the world prior to the period of the Great Tribulation. But there are also those who hold to a mid-tribulation rapture theory where the Church is raptured out of the world somewhere in the middle of the Great Tribulation. And then there are also those who say that the rapture occurs at the end of the Great Tribulation but immediately prior to Christ’s return.
You see, there is much speculation about the end times, and these few I’ve mentioned are only a few of the various thoughts on the subject. But we spend so much time in all the speculation that I think we miss out on what’s most important; we miss out on the answer to the questions I posed—What do we do until then? How are we to live until the theories are either proved true or false?
Friends, the different religious groups in Jesus’ time held different views on the end times just like we do today. And what we can learn from them is that they missed out on who Jesus was because He didn’t come exactly how they believed the Messiah would come or what the Messiah would do. They had their theories, and when Jesus didn’t live up to their theories, they missed out and failed to believe. And I fear that many Christians today may miss out just like those ancients did. They will stumble over the stumbling stone of their own faulty theories and understanding. They will miss what is happening right before their eyes simply because it’s not happening exactly as they believed. Do you see what I’m saying?
So, there is a lot of speculation, but one thing I can say with great biblical authority is that things are going to get far worse than we ever thought before it gets any better. Jesus gives us a glimpse of how bad things will be in our text today.
Mat 24:1-14 Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. [2] And He said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down." [3] As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" [4] And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you. [5] "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many. [6] "You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. [7] "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. [8] "But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. [9] "Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. [10] "At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. [11] "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. [12] "Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. [13] "But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. [14] "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
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Our text begins by telling us that Mat 24:1 Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. This is probably the second day of the Passion Week. Jesus and the disciples had entered Jerusalem the day before with much fanfare and after He entered the temple He proceeded to cast out the money changers and those who bought and sold, telling them Mat 21:13 …It is written, 'MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER'; but you are making it a ROBBERS' DEN."
Now on this day, the second day, He has returned to Jerusalem and entered the temple. The Jews almost immediately confront Him and ask Him about His authority because they didn’t like what He did the day before, probably because kicking all those people out of the temple had cut into the kickbacks, livestock sales and booth rental fees they were expecting to profit from. He then spent most the day in the temple responding to the questions and attacks against His character and teachings, trying to trip Him up and make Him look bad in front of all His followers.
Of course, they only succeeded in revealing their own bad intentions and their hatred for Jesus as He responded to everything they threw at Him with the truth and authority He wielded from on high. So, as they’re walking out of the temple, Jesus said, Mat 24:2 "Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down."
The temple was such a vital part of Jewish life and worship that speaking against it was a capital offense. And this was one of the excuses the Jews used to justify Christ’s death. But to the disciple’s, after seeing all the wonder and beauty of the temple, hearing that all those huge, finely cut stones, would be scattered around, not one left upon another was almost impossible to believe. So, understandably, they wanted to know more. They wanted to know when this would happen; what would be the sign of His coming and the end of the age.
Now, you’ve got to understand that we have a tendency to interpret what the disciples are asking and the Lord’s response from a wrong point of view. The disciples weren’t asking about Christ’s Second Coming, because He was already there among them. They didn’t fully understand yet that He would really leave and then come again one day. They thought the same thing that everyone thought back then, that when the Messiah came, He would throw off the Roman yoke, establish His kingdom, and Jerusalem would become the center of the world with all nations paying homage to them. So, asking of His coming wouldn’t refer to a Second Coming, but rather what would be the sign of His manifesting Himself to the world and taking His place as the Messiah and King of Kings? What would be the sign of the consummation of the age?
And their question of “when” is the same question that we’ve been asking for ages. To this very day, we want to know the future. We want to know when Jesus is coming, but as I already pointed out, the disciples were thinking that it was going to happen pretty soon, in the next few days. Even after His death and resurrection, they still thought the same way because right before He ascended to heaven they asked Him, Act 1:6 …"Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?"
The Lord gave His answer to the second “what will be the sign” question, but He doesn’t answer the first one, the “when” question until verse 36. That answer of “when” is always the same, Mat 24:36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. We want to know when, but Jesus always tells us that the only One who knows that is the Father. That day will come when we least expect it, so, we need to get ready now because it will come so suddenly that we won’t have time to get ready then.
Which brings me now to that all important question. What do we do until then? You see, since there’s no way we can know the day or the hour, then the only thing that remains is, “What are we to do until that day comes?” And the answer to this question is found in the parables that follow His description of how bad the days leading up to His coming will be.
Those parables begin in chapter 24:45 and run through the whole of chapter 25. Each one of them carry at least one powerful truth. For example, the parable of the Faithful Steward in chapter 24:45-51 is a specific call to faithfulness. The parable of the Ten Virgins in chapter 25:1-13 calls us to preparedness and expectancy, and the parable of the Talents calls us to Stewardship. This is why Jesus has answered his disciples the way He did. He didn’t want to simply answer their questions so much as He wanted to instruct them and encourage them, and through them us, to be busy going about His work here on earth until He does return.
Preparedness: Are we prepared for Christ’s return? Are we really prepared? It’s very easy for us to say, “Oh yeah. I’m ready!” But are we ever truly ready? Let me ask you, have you told everyone you need to tell about the gospel?
You know, many believe that the Church will be raptured out of the world prior to the Great Tribulation that’s coming. But what if it doesn’t happen like that? Are you prepared well enough to remain faithful when you go through severe persecution, torture, and death? The first, second, third century Christians lived through horrible persecution, torture and death. Many suffered greatly, but many others gave in and bowed their knees and worshipped Caesar or some other false god in order to escape the pain and suffering. I mean, the thought of being coated in wax and lit up like a candle to illuminate Caesar’s gardens, or being mauled and eaten by lions in the arena is scary. There were Christians who just couldn’t take it, so they denied Christ instead.
So, are you prepared, really prepared to stay faithful for what may lie ahead? Will you be faithful unto death? You know, we’re not going to get any phone calls and no text messages from Jesus telling us that He’s on His way. We won’t be able to track His arrival like we track our online orders. Is your house in order? Are you prepared?
Stewardship: The parable of the talents speaks to us of stewardship. Each of the servants were given one, two, or five talents, and each according to their ability. That tells me that the Lord knows us so well that He will only bless us with His “talents” according to what we are able to deal with, and our ability to use that in such a way that it turns a profit for the kingdom. So, how are you using that which belongs to God, but He has entrusted to you?
Many Christians fail give little or no thought to the truth that all they have belongs to God. They are given what they’ve got to glorify God and further His kingdom on earth. He saved us from our sin, and He transferred us from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of His Son. He didn’t simply save us from an eternity in hell, but specifically to empower us with His Holy Spirit so that we might accomplish His will on earth. That is why He gives us what He gives us.
Your house. Your job. Your children. Your spouse. Your time, treasures, and talents. Everything you have are a gift of God and one day each of us will be held accountable for our faithfulness in using God’s things to accomplish God’s will. This is the lesson of the parable of Talents. You can’t bury it or squander it, you must use it for their owner’s benefit, for His profit.
So, how are you using what God has given you? Are you a good steward? Or do you have some room for improvement?
Expectancy: Now, expectancy is different than preparedness. Preparedness is being ready for Christ’s return, while expectancy is looking forward to His return. It is expecting it with great anticipation and eagerness.
This also speaks to the degree with which we love Jesus. Do you remember when you first fell in love? You couldn’t get enough of that young lady or young man. You’d call them all the time. You’d spend hours on the phone saying nothing, just listening to them breathe. Everywhere you went you’d be holding hands, putting your arms around them. You were in love and your level of expectancy, or anticipation spoke volumes of your love.
What about your love for Jesus? Is it still passionate? Is it expectant? Can you hardly wait to see Him or go to His house and worship? Are you expecting His return with great joy? Or is it that you’ve cooled somewhat, and you’ve become “comfortable” and now have a “heaven can wait” attitude?
Friends, if we love Him, we will love His return. Titus, chapter 2 tells us, Tit 2:13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,
Is His return still your blessed hope?
Kingdom Activity: Now, this is the bottom line. What is it that you are doing today that will make a difference for the Kingdom of God, for eternity? The signs of the times are everywhere and we sure that our Lord will be returning at any given moment, so what is it that you are doing that will make a difference until He returns?
Are you living with expectancy? Are you prepared? What kind of steward have you been? When Jesus comes back and calls you to Himself to give Him an accounting, what will you say? How have you used what He has given you? Have you used your treasures? What about your spouse, your house, your car, your vacations? Have you used them for His glory, or for your own pleasure, status and station in life?
As Christians, instead of getting caught up in competing with the Joneses, we are to be busy going about the work of the Kingdom of God. I know it’s easy to get discouraged. Here we are 2,000 years or so out from the time that Jesus walked on earth, and He still hasn’t come. After so much time it’s difficult to hold on, to remain solid and faithful. But Jesus has promised that He will come back, and that it will be at a time when we least expect it. Mat 24:44 …for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.
We must hold on for a little longer. We must remain faithful and continue His work here on earth, so that when He does return, He will find us busy and faithfully going about His work.
Invitation
