Signs Of The End

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.