SECTION 11: THE PROPHECIES OF THE KING’S RETURN
CHAPTER 55
THE PRESENT AGE ACCORDING TO JESUS
OR
BIBLICAL PROPHECY PERFECTLY FULFILLED
Scripture To Consider:
“Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came to Him 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.’“
“Now as Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will all these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?’ And Jesus answered and said, ‘Take heed that no one deceives you. 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.’“
“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 lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he [or she] 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 nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24.1-14
A Few Words Of Warning:
Jesus clearly saw and predicted His death and resurrection, but He just as definitely foretold His return in glory at the end of this present age. In describing this return He used a term which is truly royal. The word translated coming, was often employed for the visit of an emperor. It became among the early Christians to be the accepted term to describe the coming of King Jesus.
This coming in one sense of the word was to be a return, a reappearing of Jesus in the future. From another point of view, it was to be the real coming of Jesus Christ as the Messiah. In full reality He was and is to appear for the first time in all of His amazing glory to be seen by the entire world for who He is and has always been. Therefore, Matthew chapter 24 and 25 declare the prophecies of Jesus Christ’s return as the true King of kings and Lord of all lords.
This personal, visible, and glorious return of Jesus has been throughout all the ages the inspiring hope of His true followers in every generation. His coming will introduce the glories of His perfected kingdom upon planet earth. As to the details and attending events of His end of the age return, there have been widely differing beliefs among so-called Christians.
What we do know and should all agree on is that Jesus is in Matthew chapter 24 in our Scripture to consider, prophesying the literal ruin of the Jewish temple and the overthrow of Jerusalem by the armies of Rome in 70 A.D., which was perfectly fulfilled less than forty years from the time Jesus predicted it here in Matthew 24 and verse 2.
And yet, there is indeed more to be described, predicted, and to take place at the end of this age. The question is and always will be, will we believe Jesus and therefore be prepared? Will we be found watching and waiting for the Matthew 24 and 25 declared end time events proclaimed by Jesus?
Something To Consider:
The discourse was occasioned by three distinct questions asked by the disciples of Jesus as to the time of the mentioned by Jesus destruction of the temple. On this day as Jesus withdrew for the last time from the temple and from Jerusalem, the disciples called His attention to the splendor of the temple structures. Conscious of His rejection and the impending doom of the city, Jesus sadly replied, “Do you not see all these things [the temple structures]? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
Subsequently, as Jesus paused to rest on the western slope of the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached Him with three questions as to when this prediction was to be fulfilled, and further, as to the signs of His coming, or in actuality, His return, and as to the signs of the end of the age. Therefore, Jesus sketched for His disciples the character of the present age down to its very end, and described in detail the experiences of His followers during that time and defined the supreme difficulty and continuing spiritual task at hand.
According to Jesus and His detailed description, the present age was to be characterized by the appearance of many deceivers who would claim their allegiance to Jesus and yet who will propagate false end time messages that will indeed deceive and mislead many. Therefore, let us heed these end time warnings of Jesus. According to Jesus, “Take heed [or be warned] that no one deceives you.”
There are also according to Jesus, to be wars and rumors of wars, the rising up of nations against nations, and in additions to these there will be political, religious, and economic agitations, famines, pestilences, and an increase in earthquakes in many or various places. According to Jesus, “All these [these end time events discussed in advance by Jesus] all these are the beginning of sorrows.”
These end time disturbances are to be regarded as both characteristic of the present age in which we are living, and also the approaching end as we see them first-hand increase in intensity. The followers of Christ are to be hated and persecuted among all nations for Christ’s sake and for their adherence to the truth of the Word of God. Many so-called Christians will prove themselves to be false and treacherous due to their hatred for the truth of the Word of God and for true and faithful believers at the time of the end of this age.
Many, according to Jesus, will lose their love for Christ and for one-time fellow believers; but those who continue faithfully in the things of God and cling continuously to the Word of God, are certain of ultimate deliverance. In spite of all these difficulties, disturbances, and deceit of false prophets, the work of His faithful followers is to be maintained. Therefore, the spiritual task of the faithful few living among the many faithless is clear, but not emphasized by many who are responsible for preaching and teaching the truth.
According to Jesus, “But he [or she] who endures to the end shall be saved.” This teaching of Jesus, evidently was spoken by Jesus and recorded three times in the gospels, in Matthew 10.22, Matthew 24.13, and in Mark 13.13. Jesus followed up in our text here in Matthew chapter 24 with these words, “And this gospel of the kingdom [the gospel of enduring to the end] will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come.”
But is this message of enduring to the end being preached in all the world? Or will this be what the angels declare in Revelation chapter 14? It is exactly what will be preached by the angels of God; a message of warning to the entire world at that time, to endure to the end of the age or unto the end of their lives by their refusing to worship the beast and his image as will be demanded by the Antichrist and his earthly representative.
Yes, this gospel of enduring to the end and of overcoming the enemy will be preached before the end of this present age. My constant prayer is that more see the spiritual importance of this enduring to the end message, therefore, awakening the hearts and minds of men, women, and young people while there is still time.
Whatever differences of opinion may exist among the servants of the Most High, relative to the details of Christ’s return, all should be united in the accomplishment of our common task and inspired by the same blessed hope of Christ Jesus’ return in both glory and splendor.
More Scripture To Consider:
“Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him [or her] understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.”
“But woe to those who are pregnant and to those with nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight [or escape] may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.”
“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ’ or ‘there’ do not believe it. For false christ’s and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand [or in advance of these things taking place]. Therefore, if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms’ do not believe it.”
“For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles [birds of prey] will be gathered together.” Matthew 24.15-28
Something Else To Consider:
Before the reappearing of Christ, and the opposition to His followers, their sufferings and distresses will reach their climax according to Jesus in great tribulation which immediately precedes the appearing or return of King Jesus Himself. This event is vividly warned of by Jesus in great detail and verified by His mentioning Daniel the prophet by His announcing, “Therefore, when you [end time true believing Christians] see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place…” The text then warns the reader of being deceived, by cautioning the reader, “…whoever reads, let him [or her] understand.”
According to Jesus, the sign which immediately precedes the beginning of what Jesus declared as great tribulation is described as the abomination of desolation. Many bible commentators believe and falsely teach this to have happened in 70 A.D. as the Roman armies carried their royal standards into the temple in Jerusalem. But according to Jesus, in Matthew 24.21, “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.”
Jesus was describing a pouring out of such great wrath that will never be duplicated or equaled in history. A cursory reading of the book of Revelation regarding the trumpet and the bowl judgments will remind every reader that the worse and most severe tribulation to come ever still awaits the world. Do not be deceived by the many false end time prophets who claim peace, peace, and safety. They are among the blind leading the blind to destruction and to an eternity in darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
As we read these warnings of Jesus, as 21st century enduring to the end true believers in Christ and in His written and preserved Word, we are assured that this event Jesus and Daniel refer to as the abomination of desolation, has not yet taken place. And were it not for the divine intervention of our Almighty God, according to Jesus, it would appear that none would survive this future time of horror and mass destruction.
Now a question should be asked of all who desire to fully understand what Jesus was and is declaring in our Scripture to consider today. Is Jesus describing great tribulation brought about by the Anti-christ, end time leaders of the human race, or God Himself? For sure He is not describing a past time event but a future yet to take place end time event!
As men yearn for escape and deliverance they will be misled and deceived easily by the many false prophets and satanic puppets who will manifest such signs and wonders as to lead astray even one-time believers in Jesus. True servants of the King, however, should not be misled. They or we are not to look for a human deliverer, president, or religious, or political leader found in the wilderness or in the inner rooms of the European Union or so-called United Nations.
Our true and most divine leader is to appear from heaven. His coming will be as lightning coming from the east even unto the west. In other words, Jesus Christ’s coming again will not be done in secret or as a hidden agenda for only the global elite. Jesus will bring with Him His judgment and justice upon His morally corrupt and evil enemies of all nations. No matter how rich or how earthly powerful they may appear to be or wrongfully think within themselves that they may be. They will be judged for their wickedness at Christ’s coming!
Something More To Consider:
Jesus, speaking as a prophet concerning the destruction of the Jewish temple that was destroyed in 70 A.D., declared in our text today, “Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” This prophecy spoken nearly forty years before it actually happened was perfectly fulfilled word for word.
Historians report that during the siege of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., Titus, the Roman general had given orders not to desecrate the temple. Historians also recorded that a soldier threw a flaming torch into the temple. The fire spread and eventually melted all of the gold in the temple from the top to the bottom.
Therefore, in attempts by the Roman soldiers to remove the cooled but solidified gold from between the cracks and crevices of the massive temple stones, every single stone of the temple was thrown down. The prophecy of Jesus preserved for us in Matthew chapter 24, though seemingly impossible when spoken by Jesus, was indeed perfectly fulfilled. Not one stone of the temple was left standing upon another.
A Few Final Words:
In Matthew chapter 24, Jesus declared some thirty end time scenarios that point directly to the fulfilling of end time events. According to Jesus, the biblical truth surrounding future end time events is not a deep dark diabolical secret or mystery hidden from human understanding. But rather, the truth concerning future end time events is knowable and understandable to all who are willing to diligently search the Scriptures for in them is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. And it is that truth of which we can be completely set free!
Will we be found by Jesus searching the Scriptures? Or will we be fond by Jesus deceived by the many false prophets posing as religious leaders and their many false end time messages? Will we be found by Jesus troubled by the wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, and the increase in the frequencies and intensity of earthquakes in various places?
Will we be found by Jesus offended by the true gospel message of enduring to the end, thereby being saved according to Jesus? And if offended, will we be found by Jesus betraying and or hating one-time fellow believers? Or will we be found faithfully among the few to be found by Jesus looking unto Him and unto His written Word of truth? Only we can honestly answer these questions!
In Closing:
There are indeed difficult days on the horizon and difficult things to consider, but if we wait until our personal Jerusalem is surrounded by satanic opposition, it will be much too late to become grounded in Scripture and faithfully equipped with the spiritual weapons of our warfare of which they are not carnal or man-made.
According to Jesus, end times are described by Jesus, Daniel, John, Peter, Paul, and by other biblical scribes. Also according to Jesus, unless those days are shortened by the Lord’s return, no flesh would be saved. We must be prepared to endure to the end of our lives and or to the end of this end time age. We must be ready, watchful, and yet, never troubled, and that is according to Jesus!
Let’s Pray:
Our Father in heaven, thank You for the detailed records of biblical history as well as insightful ancient records from historians concerned about reporting the truth of past time events. Thank you so very much for the written and preserved record of those things that are according to Jesus. Thank You that we can believe every prophetic word found within the pages of Your sacred Scripture. Thank You Father for the clear and concise words of Jesus, the Word of God come in the flesh to reveal end time events in advance of their taking place. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 