...then the end will come.
On September 11, 2001, 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. Two of the planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Almost 3,000 people were killed during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which triggered major U.S. initiatives to combat terrorism and defined the presidency of George W. Bush.
- History.com
I was a sophomore in high school, sitting in the music room when choir practice was interrupted by an announcement over the speaker system. The principal informed us in a grave tone that there had been a terrorist attack in New York. I don’t fully remember what he said after that. I had been living in the United States for 5 years at that point and never in my wildest dreams imagined that anything like that could ever happen. Meanwhile, my extended family in Brazil was freaking out. Some of them could not remember if I lived near Boston or New York, (I lived near Boston) and they could not reach us at our home, apparently communications were down for a while after the attack.
Eventually, I got home and turned on the news to try to understand what was happening. Nobody seemed to know for sure. Over time we also managed to contact our extended family in Brazil and reassure them that we were okay and that we were not living in New York. They all begged us to come back to Brazil, it was clearly the beginning of the end. Surely World War III was about to begin and there would be persecutions and famine and we had to leave the US and save ourselves.
For the first time in my life, the reality hit that Jesus could return in my lifetime. Sure, I had grown up knowing that Jesus would come soon, but I had never experienced the emotional impact of that reality. I remember feeling that everything was about to change. I remember wondering how I should live my life, would I ever get a chance to get married? I had started dating the girl who would one day be my wife. Was I ready for Jesus to come? Would I be able to face persecution?
Nightmares
Growing up as a pastor’s kid in the Seventh-day Adventist Church I became aware of end-time events very early on. I was familiar with Daniel and Revelation, I had seen the slides of the beasts, the charts, and I knew that Jesus was coming soon. Interestingly I was not afraid of ghosts or monsters under my bed, I knew those were fake. Interestingly, I was more concerned about the antichrist and the mark of the beast. I do not blame my parents for this. They probably did not realize that I was paying attention during the prophecy presentations and seminars. Also, I didn’t ask them questions at first. Once I began to ask questions my parents were able to put my mind at ease.
What placed my mind at ease was Jesus’ great power and great love for me. It is my intention to also put your mind at ease in this post, but do not confuse that with making you comfortable. That is not my goal.
The Big Picture
I do not intend to zoom in on the specifics of Daniel and Revelation and details concerning end-time prophecies. In this post, I will take a step back and look at the big picture and what Jesus had to say regarding last-day events. It all began with a comment Jesus made regarding the temple.
Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
- Matthew 24:1-2 NKJV
The temple was the greatest architectural wonder in the Middle East at the time and the disciples marveled at its grandeur (cf. Luke 21:5). Jesus, however, immediately redirects their attention to its transience and predicts what seemed inconceivable at the time, that this magnificent building would one day be entirely destroyed.
Imagine Jesus and His disciples, as they continue east across the Kidron Valley and climb the slopes of the Mount of Olives. This place was already resonant with apocalyptic overtones as the place of the Messiah’s coming to judge his enemies (Zech 14:4). Picture the disciples resting on the hillside, probably looking down on the temple below, the temple is so impressive they naturally begin to question when and how such a catastrophe could occur, the destruction of the temple seemed impossible.
They ask Jesus two questions.
Two Questions
Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
- Matthew 24:3 NKJV
The two questions the disciples asked were probably meant as one. In their minds, the only event that could possibly cause the destruction of the temple must be the end of the world. However, when we read Jesus’ answer we must keep in mind that Jesus is answering two questions. The words of Jesus that follow will be describing both the destruction of the temple and His second coming. This is one of the challenges of interpreting Jesus’ words in this instance since He seamlessly transitions between talking about the destruction of Jerusalem and the His second coming.
Don’t Be Deceived
And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you.
- Matthew 24:4 NKJV
I take this to be the main idea. Jesus is not giving us hints in order for us to know the date of His second coming or the destruction of Jerusalem. His main concern is that we are not fooled regarding spiritual things. Jesus’ main concern is the salvation of the world. Regarding end-time events, Jesus’ main concern is that His followers are not deceived.
Signs?
For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
- Matthew 25:5-8 NKJV
I like the way that the English Standard Version translates this verse 8. “All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.” (bold mine) With this in mind consider that the appearance of false Christs, wars, and rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes are all similar to birth pains.
Like a woman’s contractions before her labor and delivery, these preliminary events remind one of the nearness and inevitability of Christ’s return. But just as a woman may experience false labor and just as genuine contractions still leave her uncertain about the exact time of delivery, so too the events of vv. 4–8 do not enable us to predict the time of Christ’s coming.
- Blomberg, C. (1992). Matthew (Vol. 22, p. 354). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
The disciples clearly asked Jesus “when” these things were going to happen. But Jesus does not seem too interested in the when. Instead, Jesus gives them “signs” that will remind them that He is coming, that Jerusalem would be destroyed, but He is not too concerned about helping them figure out the exact time. Jesus tells His followers what will happen. This is helpful because when these things take place we are reminded that Jesus predicted them, when we hear of wars and experience pestilences we are reminded the Jesus is coming and this helps us to make better decisions presently. But more on that later.
Anything else?
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
- Matthew 24:9-14 NKJV
This ties in with what I wrote on A Storm is Coming faithfully following Jesus does not make life a bed of roses. According to Jesus, life in this world will not improve, quite the opposite, it will get worse. By most measurable qualities we are living in times of unprecedented prosperity, health, and safety. Literacy rates are higher than ever in human history, technology has made life easier, large segments of the global population do not have to worry about access to clean water and food. Yet how much happier are we compared to our grandparents? How much happier is a teenager living in a first-world nation than a teenager living in a third-world country? I wonder about these things. Apparently advances in technology, education, and medicine, great as they are, have not been enough to invert the predictions Jesus made. I am not against progress, I am all for it. I have dedicated my life to helping others. Even though I celebrate the good, I am also aware that overall our existence on this planet seems to have its days numbered.
Despite all the good, there is also so much evil. There is so much suffering in the world that is caused by us, humans, afflicting each other, and no government is able to fix it. I don’t want to get into politics except to say that no party or philosophy has the answer. Many views have valid points and flaws, and if we could just take a moment to listen to each other we would see that there are well-intentioned intelligent people on both sides. We have so much more in common than we realize, but we prefer to focus on our small differences to the point that it becomes almost all that we see.
What should I do?
What should I do with all this information? I feel like just giving up, despairing, I feel scared and helpless, what would God have me do?
What should I do when something terrible like the 9/11 attacks takes place?
What should I do when there is a virus that I can’t fully understand making life difficult?
What do I do in the face of wars and pestilences and hate?
But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
- Matthew 24:13-14 NKJV
According to Jesus, in a very practical sense, I focus on two things.
Enduring to the end.
Preaching the gospel of the kingdom.
Enduring to the end sounds a lot like abiding, which I talked about in my post The One Thing. Another way of thinking about enduring to the end is thinking about not giving up. All you have to do is not give up on Jesus.
Preaching the gospel is very similar to bearing fruit. Discussed in The One Thing and also in Tutti Frutti. It happens naturally when you are in Christ and when His word is in your heart. We preach the gospel in the way we live our lives, in the way we interact with one another, and in the way we talk. That is how we make disciples, we follow Jesus in a way that others can follow us. Sharing our beliefs and telling the story of Jesus are also a part of preaching the gospel and are especially powerful in the context of a life that matches the gospel we preach.
Making it Practical
In my personal life, I have found that the best way to not give up or to endure is to make sure that I am intentionally preaching the gospel or making disciples. When I am involved in ministry I automatically spend more time connecting with God. When I am serving, interacting with others, teaching, helping, I become more aware of my need of God and of the needs of those around me. It takes the focus away from me and my needs and my woes, and focuses my energies and resources on what I can do for the benefit of another.
The best way to make sure your faith in Jesus is strong is to be involved in ministry. To actively look for ways to help others learn about Jesus, to expose the world to the gospel. What can you do to reveal to others God’s great love for them and the plan of salvation?
I would love to read in the comments sections what are some things you are willing to do this week that will facilitate the sharing of the gospel in your sphere of influence.
