MEMORY VERSE:” And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end the same shall be saved” (Matthew 24:12,13)

TEXTS: Matthew 24:1-51; Mark 13:1-37; Luke 17:20-37; 21:5-38

Our Lord Jesus Christ did not leave the church in the darkness of events of the end-time as well as His second coming. Preparatory to His betrayal, trial, and crucifixion, He acquainted His disciples, and by extension, the church, with a preview of events that will signal His return. So significant Is the subject and its understanding that each of the synoptic gospels -Matthew, Mark, and Luke – records it. Understanding the nature of the events of the last days is important to our preparation for the rapture and the second coming of Christ. The reasons for this revelation by our Lord Jesus Christ are not far fetched. One, is to avoid being deceived. “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you”.

The possibility of deception, even among Christians, is probable, hence the admonition to “take heed”. Two, so that Believers will not be surprised at the turn of events. “Behold, I have told you before” (Matthew 24:25). Three, to enable the Church to prepare for His coming since He does not want us to be caught unawares. That day will take the inhabitants of the world like a snare (Luke 21:34,35). The chapters under consideration reveal the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, events that will characterize the end-time and signs of Christ’s second coming, and the need for believers to be on the lookout for their soon coming King.

1.   CHRIST FORETELLS THE FATE OF THE TEMPLE 

Matthew 24:1,2; Mark 13:1,2; Luke 19:43,44; Jeremiah 26:18; Micah 3:12;1 Timothy 4:1-5

The spiritual condition of Jerusalem at the time of Christ was unacceptable to God. A people redeemed by Him from Egypt, “…to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises” (Romans 9:4) have made the word of God of none effect through their conduct and teaching. The magnificent temple appeared to be the major pride of the nation contrary to God’s expectation to be peculiar in righteousness and service. “And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple“(Matthew 24:1). This was the second temple after Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the first, which was built by Solomon.

Though it was inferior in comparison to it (Ezra 3:12), extensive renovations carried out by Herod for sixteen years had made it the most magnificent building in Jerusalem at that time. Its splendour caught the disciples’ attention and they wondered what would be the future of it. Looking upon it with wonder and admiration, they had thought that the temple was invincible, at least, by human standards. “And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down” (Matthew 24:2). The destruction of this temple was carried out by a Roman General called Titus about AD 70. The commander of his army, Turnus Rufus, ploughed up the very foundation upon which the temple was laid.

His action was in fulfilment of the word of God against Jerusalem for their iniquity and repeated disobedience against God. “Therefore, shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest” (Micah 3:12). We learn here that sin is capable of bringing down a superstructure and turning it into a sordid monument; it can turn cities and kingdoms into ruins. Notwithstanding the magnificence of an earthly structure, if its foundation is laid in sin, it will crumble eventually. It behoves the wise-hearted therefore, to ensure they are rooted in righteousness and built on the truth that never fails. “He that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool” (Jeremiah 17:11).

2. CONDITION OF THE WORLD TOWARDS THE END-TIME Matthew 24:3-41; Mark 13:3-32; Luke 17:20-37.

Four of the Lord’s disciples – Peter, James, John and Andrew consulted privately to have further understanding of the events of the last days. “And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?” (Mark 13:3,4). Christ’s revelations in response to the disciples’ questions cover events at hand, like the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, the persecution of His disciples and catastrophic events until the time His kingdom shall be established (Matthew 24:47,51).

The end-time shall be characterized by unique and identifiable events. One, There will be large-scale deception perpetrated by false Christ’s, prophets and teachers (verses 5,11). These personalities will come with strange and unscriptural doctrines and teach men to follow them. Two, great destruction of lives and property occasioned by wars and natural disasters like earthquakes, hurricane, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, flooding, etc. Three, rumors of war among nations. Four, cure-defying diseases, pestilence and famine. Five, grievous persecutions of the saints, widespread betrayal, backsliding and lukewarmness among Christians. Six, inordinate increase in iniquity leading to apathy in spiritual things. Seven, a revival of preaching of the gospel to all nations; “and then shall the end come” (Matthew 24:14).

Apostle Paul, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, also reiterates some of the signs of the end. “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:1-4).

However, “the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet”, relates to the time of the great tribulation after the saints’ rapture when the Antichrist will unleash a regime of terror on the world, especially, against the Jews (Matthew 24:15-22). This period will also witness God’s full wrath on workers of iniquity who rejected His offer of salvation. People who will miss the rapture will be a target for Satan’s wrath and rage with a floodgate of intense suffering on the inhabitants of the earth.

Believers who will make the rapture because they are born again, sanctified and abiding in the Lord, will be at the Marriage supper of the Lamb in heaven. After the concurrent events of the great tribulation and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, then supernatural cosmic signs will manifest, which shall herald the second coming of Christ. “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30).

The preceding events are: the sun shall be darkened, the moon shall not give her light, the stars of heaven shall fall, the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken; owing to this chain of changes in the universe, men’s hearts shall fail them and there will be confusion everywhere. The second coming of Christ will be in two phases: the first is the rapture, when the saints shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16,17). After the rapture, comes the great tribulation for a period of seven years.

At the second phase, Jesus will come to the earth with the saints who had been raptured to establish His kingdom here on earth for a period of one thousand years; this is called the millennial reign (Revelation 20:4). The Lord seals these prophecies with a declaration: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). As for the exact timing of the second coming of Christ, the Lord says,” But of the day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36). This has consistently put to shame so-called prophets who attempt to predict the exact timing of the Lord’s return. However, we are admonished to recognize the signs of the times through the parable of the fig tree (Matthew 24:32).

The prevailing socio-politico-economic signs tell us that we may be nearer the End than we thought. The devil and his cohorts are busy seducing people with different strategies to haul as many souls as possible into perdition. Humans are inventing new ways of committing sin; acts of terror and criminality are threatening to overwhelm the most effective constituted authorities. There is unbridled lust for money, power and position through occult means.

Immorality and immoral acts are on the ascendancy. Believers should not relent in preaching the gospel and rebuking sin and labouring to edify one another. The coming of the Lord will also share some similarities with events at the time of Noah, which was sudden and unexpected. “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:37). At that time, people were given to all manner of social activities with scant regard for godliness, righteousness and spiritual matters.

They were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, and serving divers pleasures until the flood came and took them away. Our Lord warns that there will be a repeat of it at the time of His coming. Today, people seem to have little time to serve God and do His will. Their time is wholly devoted to sensual pleasures, lusts of the flesh, pride of life, flesh-gratifying activities, all to the detriment of their souls.

Those who sell their spiritual birth right for the things of this world will miss the rapture while others will make it (Matthew 24:40,41). The exactitude with which the signs of the end are being fulfilled before us underlines the infallibility of the Scriptures and the certainty of the second coming of Christ. The rapture can happen anytime; the trumpet of God can sound anytime to call the saints home to heaven. Believers should look forward to this great event and get ready for the Lord’s coming.

3.   A CALL TO WATCHFULNESS AMONG THE SAINTS 

Matthew 24:42-51; 25:13; Mark 13:33-37;Luke 17:32; 12:36-40; 21:34-37;1 Thessalonians 5:6; Revelation 16:15.

The Lord’s concern is that His people should escape the pending doom. Thus, He warns: “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (Matthew 24:42). Watchfulness is an attribute of the godly. The careless soul may become prey to the enemy. Our adversary, the devil, is on the prowl seeking to destroy souls in hellfire. Those who are conscious of this danger and are in constant watch over their souls will not give him the opportunity to lead them into sin. Members of our body- feet, arms, eyes, ears, mouth –should not be surrendered as instruments of unrighteousness to do evil.

We need to keep our hearts from pollution and defilement diligently so that the enemy will not take advantage of us. Sinning church members must shake themselves from the dust of sin and receive the light of the gospel that sets them free from sin. Careless and compromising preachers must repair their altars and be washed in the blood of the Lamb, otherwise, they will miss the rapture. Some people will be overwhelmed by the joy of their successes and forget to watch over their souls (Luke 21:34).

Some will be unfaithful in service, duty or responsibility to the detriment of their souls (Matthew 24:45-51). “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober” (1 Thessalonians 5:6). The Lord has warned us before the time. Believers are to watch and pray, sinners are to make haste to repent and accept Christ as their Lord and Saviour before it is too late.

Question for Review:

1. What should be the attitude of born-again Christians to earthly things?
2. What should be our response to the eternal and future events in the Bible?
3. Itemize the happenings that will characterize the end of time.
4. When will the rapture take place? How soon is it?
5. Differentiate between the rapture and the second coming of Christ.
6. When will the great tribulation take place?
7. What are the practical steps we can take to watch over our souls?

Please, you can read the French Version here.