The End is Near...Just Not Yet

Every few years, another apocalyptic movie is released, either about a crazy virus causing everyone to turn into zombies or some huge natural disaster causing mass destruction over the entire world.

There is an obsession with the idea of apocalypse.

According to Pew Research, more than 50% of US adults believe Jesus will return to earth one day

39% believe we are living in the end times.

That’s a lot of people.

Matthew 24-25 is one section of scripture that is always included in a good End Times, Apocalypse discussion.

Often with a historical timeline overlaid with a biblical prophetic timeline, pointing out all the historical events that seem to surly fulfill the prophesy, and prove that Jesus is coming soon.

Maybe even with a actual date of His return.

But was that Jesus’s intention as He spoke to His disciples on the Mount Olives, overlooking the Temple just East downtown Jerusalem?

The short answer is no, not really.

Now for the long answer of what Jesus was teaching His disciples, and us.

Matthew 24:1–28 CSB

1 As Jesus left and was going out of the temple, his disciples came up and called his attention to its buildings. 2 He replied to them, “Do you see all these things? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down.” 3 While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what is the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 Jesus replied to them, “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many. 6 You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these events are the beginning of labor pains. 9 “Then they will hand you over to be persecuted, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of my name. 10 Then many will fall away, betray one another, and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. 15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place” (let the reader understand), 16 “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. 17 A man on the housetop must not come down to get things out of his house, 18 and a man in the field must not go back to get his coat. 19 Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days! 20 Pray that your escape may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For at that time there will be great distress, the kind that hasn’t taken place from the beginning of the world until now and never will again. 22 Unless those days were cut short, no one would be saved. But those days will be cut short because of the elect. 23 “If anyone tells you then, ‘See, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Over here!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 Take note: I have told you in advance. 26 So if they tell you, ‘See, he’s in the wilderness!’ don’t go out; or, ‘See, he’s in the storerooms!’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather.

3 While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what is the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

4 Jesus replied to them, “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many. 6 You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet.

7 For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these events are the beginning of labor pains.

9 “Then they will hand you over to be persecuted, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of my name. 10 Then many will fall away, betray one another, and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.

12 Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place” (let the reader understand), 16 “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. 17 A man on the housetop must not come down to get things out of his house, 18 and a man in the field must not go back to get his coat.

19 Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days! 20 Pray that your escape may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For at that time there will be great distress, the kind that hasn’t taken place from the beginning of the world until now and never will again. 22 Unless those days were cut short, no one would be saved. But those days will be cut short because of the elect.

23 “If anyone tells you then, ‘See, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Over here!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 Take note: I have told you in advance.

26 So if they tell you, ‘See, he’s in the wilderness!’ don’t go out; or, ‘See, he’s in the storerooms!’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather.

As I pointed out in the video from last Sunday, Jesus’s disciples ask Him 2 questions in verse 3.

Those question come from Jesus’s words to them as they left the Temple in Jerusalem

The disciples were awestruck by how incredible a building it was, Jesus told them that that very Temple would one day be destroyed.

To them, that meant one thing, the end of the world as they knew.

So they had to know: When was that going to happen? And what kind of signs should they be looking for?

Difficult and Misunderstood Passage

If you come to this passage looking for timelines and specific markers and events, you will only lead yourself, and potentially others down a very frustrating path to nowhere.

Though Jesus doesn’t exhaustively answer the disciples’ questions, He does answer them.

In these first 28 verses, Jesus shares signs of the end times. Even events that would point to the end being near, but it is in His imperative statements (commands) where we find His real answer.

He isn't necessarily seeking to give us the specifics, but rather to challenge, encourage, and instruct us on how to live in these end times.

Jesus knows the road ahead of His disciples, and us, isn’t easy. So His heart is to help us to walk it by His grace and with His strength and power.

He wants to help them ,and us, persevere to the end.

So He gives us 5 Gracious Warning/Commands

5 Gracious Warnings

1) Don’t be DECEIVED. (vs 4-5)

Jesus warns them to watch out for those who will try to deceive them.

Particularly those claiming to be the Messiah, or the Christ.

Let me stop real quick and make a point about end times prophesy and how we are to understand the timing of it.

There are four ways to interpret when the signs Jesus is speaking of will happen.

One is that they are immediate, or within the life of the disciples. For example: the destruction of the temple in AD 70 was the fulfillment of Jesus’s prophesy in Verse 2.

Two is that Jesus was talking about future events that would happen at the end, meaning the years, months, or days closest to His return. So, even though the temple fell in AD 70, He isn’t talking about that, but a future, rebuilt temple that would fall right before He returns.

Three is a combination, perhaps with 4-14 being immediate, while 15-28 being more future.

Then there is four, where I would land. Which is understanding that the signs are things that have happened (during the life of the disciples and throughout human history), continue to happen today, and will happen in the future, increasing in severity as we grow closer to His return. So we are in the end times and have been since Jesus rose from the grave and ascended into heaven.

So here in verse 4, Jesus is telling the disciples that one sign of the end times is people claiming to be the Savior.

Obviously the idea of the Antichrist, that is so much a part of the end times discussion, is the first thing we think of with Jesus’s warning.

And He is talking about antichrists, who will emerge, claiming to be Jesus returning to earth, who will deceive and lead people astray.

Here, He isn’t talking about 1, but many, and if you know anything about history, you know there have been many who have claimed to be Jesus and who have gathered quite large followings.

Even in recent years I have read about people claiming to be the 2nd coming of Christ, even as close as Nashville.

But I think Jesus’s warning is even bigger than just false Messiahs.

Jesus is warning His disciples to not be deceived by people and things that promise to save them from the struggle of walking in a broken world.

Whether it is the pursuit of worldly wealth, or Hollywood’s version of romance, or the desire for success, or the temporary satisfaction of our physical or emotional appetites, Jesus is imploring us to not to fall into the trap of counterfeit Saviors.

2) Don’t be ALARMED. (vs 6-8)

His next imperative comes in the middle of verse 6, “See that you are not alarmed”

Literally “be inwardly disturbed or frightened” — basically “Do not fear”

He lists 5 things to not be alarmed by.

Wars, rumors of wars, nations and kingdoms rising against one another, famines, and earthquakes (natural disasters).

That is quite the list of things not to fear isn’t it.

But here we see another example of signs that have existed for more than 2000 years.

When, in our lifetimes, have there not been wars and, especially, rumors of wars?

When have we not had earthquakes, wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes, and tsunamis.

When has there been an absence of starving people or mass breakouts of disease that have ravaged large groups of people.

It might seem like things are getting worse, and in some ways they are, but with social media and 24 news, we hear about things so much more and so much more quickly.

Jesus is telling the disciples to not let the pain and suffering of a broken world to lead them to a place of crippling fear or paralyzing despair.

Matthew 24:8 CSB

8 All these events are the beginning of labor pains.

These are the birth pains that point to the end.

Paul picks up on the same language in Romans 8-

Romans 8:22–23 CSB

22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now. 23 Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

Life is hard and full of pain and struggle, but don’t lose hope.

All the struggle we experience is pointing to the glorious promise that our Savior will come again and heal all that is broken.

3) Don’t GIVE IN. (9-12)

Though the next imperative isn’t explicit, it is clear: Be prepared for a road of persecution, trouble (tribulation), and distress.

This one doesn’t hit home for us as easily as the last 2. Though persecution in America exists and is growing, what we face pales in comparison to believers around the world.

And the believer Jesus was speaking to in our passage, most of which would be executed for their faith in Jesus.

But living for Christ isn’t an easy road, and, as Jesus says throughout His life, we shouldn’t expect it to be.

The evil one wants us to give in to the world, to see the life of faithfulness to Jesus as too hard and not worth the struggle.

The temptation in the face of persecution and hatred and the lure of the world is to turn away from Jesus.

Jesus says many will fall away. This is pointing to the end of the age, but it has been true for 2000 years.

We all know people who professed faith in Jesus, but have fallen

We are sold the idea that faithfulness to Jesus keeps up from enjoying the things the world has to offer us.

We give in to the lie that living for Christ means going to church on Sundays, and then living like the world the rest of the week.

As it becomes harder and harder to live for Christ in our world, it is going to be more and more necessary for each of us to decide if Jesus really is enough. If He really is worth giving over our lives to.

Many will fall away, may it not be us.

4) Don’t GIVE UP. (13-14)

Verses 13-14 are the ray of sunshine in the storm clouds. The hope in the pain, the joy in the sorrow.

After listing eight negatives, Jesus ends with two positives (vv. 13, 14).

Those who endures, through the lies and temptations, through the wars and storms, through the trouble and persecution, there is salvation.

The Christian life is not a ten-yard dash—such a short sprint that we can get the prize after the first five steps. Rather it is a grueling marathon that we must run all the way to the finish line. The gospel demands distance runners, those who run toward Heaven with hardship burning on our heels, those who patiently pace themselves, knowing that “momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17).— Douglas Sean O’Donnell

We have to see that their is a treasure worth selling everything for. A prize worth staying in the race for.

The second promise is that the good news of the gospel will continue to go forth.

In spite of the trials, temptations, and persecution the good news will be preached, people will believe, lost will be saved, and the Kingdom of God will expand.

AND THEN the end will come.

Even in the darkest moments of human history, we can be sure that God’s purposes will always be accomplished.

5) Don’t DELAY. (15-28)

Though it might seem like a lot in the last 14 verses, and there are a whole lot of rabbits we could chase, but there are 2 central messages.

It seems this section is talking more about the last days more than on going signs of the times.

The abomination of desolation seems to point to an event coming in the future that will signify the end of the age and the emanate return of Christ.

What we can know for sure is that this day likely hasn’t happened yet, at least in my understanding.

And we can also understand that when this day does come, it will be unmistakable.

That seems to be a central theme of the section, Jesus will return and his actual return will be unmistakable in its nature, universal in its visibility, and cosmic in its scope and effect (v. 27)

But it will also come when we are not expecting it.

I think there self-centered motivation behind wanting to know the date and time of Jesus’s return.

Much like we would love to know if there are any cops between Hartford and Owensboro on 165 or how long we might have to wait if we go to Texas Roadhouse for lunch.

If we knew the exact date, then we would have time to get ready and still enjoy some of the pleasure of the world.

This is the other central theme in the verse: don’t delay!

Don’t let the worries of the world distract you or lure you into lethargy

Don’t look back longing for what is ultimately meaningless (Like Lot's wife in Genesis as they ran from Sodom).

Don’t be led astray by flashy sales pitches.

They must not waste even the short time it would take to go back into their homes to get extra clothing or possessions.

They must interrupt whatever they are doing—whether relaxing rooftops of their homes, or working in the fields—and flee with the utmost of haste.

They should pray that no one fleeing is pregnant or a nursing mother, since the rigors of travel and hiding, not to mention the unspeakable horrors of treatment should one be captured, would make them suffer greatly (v. 19).

If Jesus returned today, would you be ready?

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