Mid-week Prayer Focus
End Times?
Pastor Wes
Join our Facebook page to keep in touch.
Hey Church! There’s a lot going on in our world right now- we have the virus pandemic, a horrible injustice against George Floyd- which has led to protests, rioting, looting, and more injustices being committed- an expected big hurricane season is ramping up, India and East Africa is having the worst locust plague they’ve experienced in 30 years, political and racial tensions are super high, there’s all kinds of wars and conflicts currently taking place around the world- and perhaps many Christians are thinking surely we are getting closer to Jesus returning.
In the gospel books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, we have recorded Jesus giving His disciples some warnings concerning the current political/racial/religious tensions of that time, and some warnings concerning His return and the end of times. I’m going to reference the book of Matthew as our text as we look at the things He said. In the beginning of Matthew 24 we see Jesus and His disciples coming out of the temple courts after a heated rebuke towards the religious leaders. And the disciples are pointing out to Jesus all the fancy buildings around the temple, perhaps with a little disdain, after Jesus had declared to them how the leaders were taking money from poor widows (Matt. 23:14, Mark 12:41-44, Luke 21:1-4)- and Jesus responded to them basically saying that justice would be served, that the day was coming when all the buildings would be demolished flat. And later, in private, some of the disciples approached Jesus to ask him: 1.) when will the temple buildings be torn down, 2.) what will be the sign of His return and 3.) what will be the sign of the end of time? So, there’s 3 different questions being asked, or maybe we could really say it’s just 2 questions- 1.) when will the temple buildings be torn down, and 2.) what will be the sign of His return and the end of time?
And in the answer that follows, Jesus addresses these 2 questions. Sometimes what He says is referring to the events leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple that occurred in the year 70, less than 40 years from when He spoke these words. And then sometimes what He says is referring to the events leading up to His return and the end of time, that has still yet to come. And it’s quite possible that there is some overlap. With many Biblical prophecies, there is often a “type” of fulfillment that takes place shortly after the announcement, and then also a greater/fuller fulfillment that takes place further in time. Many of the prophecies concerning Jesus were fulfilled in this way.
With this being said, looking back at history, it’s easy to see that perhaps half of what He says in chapter 24 was fulfilled through the siege on Jerusalem, the famine that then took place within the city walls as a result, the wars, the persecution, the quick spread of Christianity to the other nations because of the persecution, etc., culminating in the temple being demolished flat in 70 AD. But it’s a little more difficult to determine exactly what the circumstances will be looking like when He returns and the world comes to an end. We are advised that we should be able to recognize general signs that the end is coming (v32-33), but also advised that, except for God, no one knows the day or hour (v37). What we do know, is 1.) His return will be sudden and unexpected (v27, 38-39). (And when I say unexpected, I mean unexpected by the general population- we as believers are expecting it!) 2.) We know that believers need not fear that we’ll somehow miss it- no, we’ll know when He returns- the whole world will know it and see it taking place (v23-27, 30) 3.) We are to be alert. A huge chunk of what Jesus says in this passage is dedicated to Him commanding us to be alert (verses 42- 51, then verses 1-13 of the following chapter 25).
We should be alert so as not to be deceived, alert to persecution and danger, alert to live in a way pleasing to Him, alert- knowing He could return at any moment. I want to leave you today with one more way in which to be alert here in the midst of all the things going on around us. Verse 12 of Matthew 24 says this: “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.” It’s pretty obvious that this prophecy from Jesus is being fulfilled today. May we as God’s people, be alert not to allow our love to grow cold. In the midst of such reactivity, anger, judgement, biasness, divisiveness, disrespect, cultural insensitivity- may we not be swept into these prevailing, loveless currents of the world, but may we stand firm in loving others with a warm, Jesus-sized love. Whether we are living in the end times or not, don’t allow the circumstances and situations around you to cause your love to grow cold.