Signs of the Times

I. Are we living in the last days?

A. Self-proclaimed prophets

B. During times of great anxiety about the future there are self-proclaimed prophets pointing to events in the news as evidence that God is about to bring an end to the world. Twenty-four hour news channels and the Internet have brought world events into our daily lives like never before in history and provides more examples for these self-proclaimed prophets to bolster their case Some self-proclaimed prophets have written books and made movies to promote their theories to a wider audience—the Left Behind series by Timothy La Haye is an example of this.

C. Other media

D. The surge of non-Christian religions and spiritualism has provided other expectations of an impending end of days which is also sensationalized in novels and movies. Global warming, global cooling, an out of control sun, asteroids, a host of out of control animals, mutants, aliens, and science experiments gone bad have all shared a role in Hollywood’s destruction (or near destruction) of humanity and our homeland.

E. The recent movie 2012 portrays the destruction of the Earth by the sun because the end of the world was supposedly predicted by the end of the Mayan calendar.

F. However, Mayan experts note that the winter solstice, December 21, 2012 is the end of a period known as a “great cycle” and doesn’t suggest the end of the world. From USA Today: “For the ancient Maya, it was a huge celebration to make it to the end of a whole cycle” says Sandra Noble, executive director of the Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies in Crystal River, Fla. To render Dec. 21, 2012, as a doomsday or moment of cosmic shifting, she says, is ‘a complete fabrication and a chance for a lot of people to cash in’.”

II. End of Days Theories Are Not New (Very Quickly)

A. Montanus (Information from End Time Visions, chapter 5, by Richard Abanes)

B. He lived during the second century, claimed to be “God’s Mouthpiece,” and gained a large following. He taught that Jesus’ would return imminently and establish a 1,000 year kingdom, New Jerusalem, in the region of Phrygia. After failed prophetic pronouncements and the death of its charismatic leaders, the movement died in the sixth century.

C. Apocalyptic theories accompanied the fall of the Roman Empire, and, much later, the end of prominent ruling dynasties in France and Germany.

D. When the Muslims captured Jerusalem in 638, the doomsday fears intensified.

E. Later, in the eighth century, a Spanish monk, Beatus, predicted the end of the world by 800 A.D. A prophetess, Thiota, predicted the end of the world in the year 848.

F. Odo, an influential abbot of the monastery in Cluny, warned that the end was imminent in his day, the early to mid tenth century.

G. Of course, the change to the year 1,000 brought widespread millennial expectations and many writers of the time wrote of the apocalyptic expectations among the people.

H. When 1,000 passed without event, people focused on 1,033, one thousand years after the crucifixion of Jesus. Many made pilgrimages to Jerusalem and others formed peace councils to stop the widespread violence among the people. When 1,033 passed, the peace councils faded and the people returned to class differences and violence (age of lords and serfs).

I. Joachim of Fiore

J. In the late 12 th century, Joachim of Fiore became something of a celebrity publishing three major works that included his prophetic pronouncements. He appeared before four popes and numerous world leaders. He predicted the appearance of the Antichrist, a supposed enemy of God’s people, in 1260. Fifty years after his death, his writings were considered heretical though they continued to have some influence.

K. The Black Plague that swept through most of Europe by 1349 spurred a belief that the Antichrist would appear in 1346, 1347, 1348, 1360, 1365, 1375, 1387, 1396, 1400, 1417, and 1418.

L. In this period, some were suspecting that the Antichrist might not be a Muslim or a Jew, but might be the pope of the Roman Catholic Church..

M. “The 1440s and 1500s saw a lengthy list of end-time prognosticators.” P.186

N. Jehovah’s Witnesses

O. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Jehovah’s Witnesses founder, Charles Taze Russell and his successor Joseph Franklin Rutherford made a series of embarrassing predictions about a great battle of Armageddon and the coming of the millennial kingdom of Jesus being established in 1914; then 1915; then 1925 “definitely.” Nathan Knorr, who became the president of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in the mid-1990s, predicted the coming of Christ’s kingdom in 1940 as the certain date of Armageddon; then the autumn of 1975.

P. We have spent a lot of time on this to emphasize that popular teachers with large followings have appeared in nearly every age since the second century A.D. claiming the end of the world was coming in their generation and pointed to signs within their generation as evidence of Jesus’ coming.

III. Current Popularity of End Time Theories

A. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have intensified the discussion of end times

B. Some believed the First Gulf War would lead to a war with Israel. There were books like Armageddon, Oil, and the Middle East that were extremely popular.

C. The attacks by militant Islamic groups has contributed to the speculative theories.

D. The millennial doctrine has been popularized by the Left Behind series of books and movies.

E. Tim La Haye, the co-author of the series, has been publishing millennial material for many years. In fact, end time prophetic books always seem to be on the religious best seller lists, even when many have made predictions that did not come true. Some authors, like Hal Lindsey, will be wrong in their predictions but write other books that sell extremely well!

F. The current mania really gained momentum in the middle of the 20 th century with the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.

G. Many self-proclaimed prophets have used that date to calculate their prophetic timetables. When that year passed, many looked to the 70’s when several prognosticators, including Worldwide Church of God founder, Herbert W. Armstrong, and the Jehovah’s Witnesses predicted the end of the world and the ushering in of a new order. Hal Lindsey predicted the rapture in 1981 in the book The Late Great Planet Earth to precede Christ’s second coming in 1988.

H. The big date predicted by many was 1988.

I. Many anticipated Christ’s return in 1988 (taking a generation from Matthew 24; 40 years and adding it to 1948).Interestingly, many of the supposed enemies of the many millennial books of the 1980s, the USSR and East Germany, vanished. That year passed and people began to anticipate Jesus’ coming at the beginning of the millennium, the year 2000. Many self-proclaimed prophets claimed the year 2000 would be the end but the year passed without worldwide destruction.

J. Recent dates

K. 2007, 40 years after the Six Day War in 1967 in which Israel occupied the Gaza Strip and the West Bank was another popular date.2011: (From ebiblefellowship.com) “2011 AD—On May 21st, Judgment Day will begin and the rapture (the taking up into heaven of God’s elect people) will occur at the end of the 23-year great tribulation. On October 21st, the world will be destroyed by fire (7000 years from the flood; 13,023 years from creation).” However, one of the proponents of this date originally prophesied the world to end in 1994…oops. I would guess that when that year passes, people would choose 2012, then perhaps 2033, 2000 years after the death of Jesus. Lord willing, when I am 65 I will preach the lesson about that date.

IV. Doesn’t Matthew 24 predict Jesus’ coming?

V. The context of Matthew 24 includes the latter part of Matthew 23. Jesus condemned the scribes and Pharisees as hypocrites for they sought to please men instead of pleasing God. They loved the praise of men as holy men though they were insincere. They were deceitful and self-serving but appeared righteous. Jesus knew their hearts and compared them to whitewashed tombs; beautiful on the outside but corrupt within.

VI. Beginning in verse 29 Jesus warned that their hypocrisy would lead to their destruction. The Pharisees would decorate the tombs of the prophets and the righteous and say, ” If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.” However, their statement was self-condemning for they would soon kill Jesus and many who proclaimed the gospel. They would commit their father’s sins by murdering the righteous. They would suffer for their wickedness and that of their fathers. These things would come upon this generation. Immediately after this pronouncement, Jesus mourns for Jerusalem. ” How often I

VII. would have gathered you under My wings…but you would not! See! Your house is left to you desolate.” It was not desolate yet but Jesus knew the destruction would come. As Jesus and the apostles left the temple, Jesus told them that not one stone of the temple would be left upon another.

VIII. This statement disturbed the disciples for to hear of the destruction of the temple surely meant the end of the world. They believed the Messiah would establish an earthly kingdom. If the temple of the capital city was destroyed, it would surely would mean the end of the world. Although their questions probably focused on the destruction of the temple, there are two separate issues that Jesus addresses in Matthew 24: (1) The destruction of the temple and Jerusalem in 70 A.D., and (2) the destruction of the world. Jesus symbolized the destruction of Jerusalem with a fig tree; one can see the signs and determine the time of destruction. He symbolized the destruction of the world with a thief coming in the night without warning. The division between these two subjects is Matthew 24:35.

IX. The signs in the first half (wars, famines, earthquakes…) are common in every generation. This makes it easy for those who say that these signs represent our time to support their theories. However, the same could be said one hundred, five hundred, and even one thousand years ago! Remember these would be signs that the generation to whom Jesus is speaking would see (Matthew 23:36; 24:33. Note all of the uses of ” you” and ” your” in the passage). He is not talking about events two thousand plus years down the road but events they would witness. He does use ” your” in Matthew 24:42 in talking about the end of the world but in the context of always being ready for Jesus’ return. Even Jesus did not know the time of His second coming, it could be in their lifetime (Mark 13:32). Parallel Accounts: Mark 13:1-37; Luke 21:5-8.

X. Commentary

XI. 4 And Jesus answered and said to them: ” Take heed that no one deceives you.” Jesus first exhorted them to be vigilant. Turbulent times were coming and only Jesus could help them see through the deception. Truth is the greatest weapon against deception. Do not take what any man says, including me, but study it yourself to discern truth and error, Acts 17:11. Know the truth and you will not be deceived.

XII. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ” I am the Christ,” and will deceive many. During this time, many would claim to be the Messiah. As the Jews looked for a physical kingdom and a warlike Messiah to deliver them from the Romans, evil men would arise to fulfill their expectations. Josephus, the historian, in his book, The Wars of the Jews (hereafter Wars), wrote of rebels who had followings preceding the destruction of Jerusalem (Wars 2:3:5; and 20:5:1). Paul, in Acts 21:37-38, was confused with one who raised an insurrection and led many assassins into the wilderness. Christians must only follow the true Christ and leave these false Messiahs to go to their destruction. See also verses 23-27.

XIII. 6 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. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. National struggles and rumors of war would precede Jerusalem’s destruction. Every generation witnesses great struggles between nations. The prediction here is not a general warning of war, but of conflict close to, and including, Judah.. Tacitus, the Roman historian, wrote, ” The history on which I am entering is that of a period rich in disasters, terrible with

XIV. battles, torn by civil struggles, horrible even in peace. Four emperors fell by the sword; there were three civil wars, more foreign wars, and often both at the same time.” (The Histories 1:2) Wars, previously mentioned, records the wars, actual and rumored, that preceded the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish nation.

XV. Earthquakes would also precede the destruction. Earthquakes occur every day all over the world.

XVI. J. Marcellus Kik, in An Eschatology Of Victory noted ” And as to earthquakes, many are mentioned by writers during a period just previous to 70 A.D. There were earthquakes in Crete, Smyrna, Miletus, Chios, Samos, Laodicea, Hierapolis, Colosse, Campania, Rome, and Judea. It is interesting to note that the city of Pompeii was much damaged by an earthquake occurring on February 5, 63 A.D.” There was an earthquake in Jerusalem at the death of Jesus (Matthew 27:51-54) and at His resurrection (Matthew 28:2). There was also an earthquake in Philippi (Acts 16:26). It seemed that the earth feared the destruction coming upon the Jews; their destruction was a shadow of the destruction that the earth itself will suffer in the end.

XVII. Famines and pestilences in various places would also portend Jerusalem’s destruction. According to David Padfield, pestilence usually attended famine. In any generation, one can find famine and pestilence somewhere in the world. Before the destruction of Jerusalem, a great famine affected Judea. In Acts 11:27, Agabus foretold the great famine during the reign of Claudius Caesar. Paul urged the Christians in Asia to provide relief to fellow saints suffering in Judea. Josephus, in The Antiquities Of The Jews 20:2:5, wrote of the great famine that afflicted Jerusalem. Tacitus, in The Annals 12:43, wrote of repeated shocks of an earthquake and the shortage of corn that many considered a supernatural warning. These would not be the actual tools of destruction but would warn of greater destruction to come. Jesus compared the signs to labor pains preceding the birth of a child. When the contractions come, one knows the birth is near.

XVIII. 9 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Many historians, including Luke in the book of Acts, record the persecution and suffering of the Christians under persecution. The parallel account in Mark 13:9 adds that they will stand before rulers and kings. The book of Acts recorded the persecution of Peter, John, Stephen, James, and Paul who all appeared before rulers for their testimony of the gospel. The great persecution under the Jews and the Roman Empire made the Christians outlaws who scattered everywhere preaching the gospel (Acts 8:1)

XIX. ” Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be save. There are many New Testament warnings about false prophets (2 Timothy 3:13-14; 2 Peter 2:13; 1 John 4:1-3). Many would leave the truth because of the prevalence of the false teaching and the power of ungodliness. Yet, as always, a remnant of individuals would remain faithful to God. Luke 21:19 encourages them to patiently preserve their souls.

XX. 14 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. Curiously, many use this verse to prove that the events predicted in Matthew 24 have not taken place and does not apply to the destruction of Jerusalem. Yet one has

XXI. to go no further than the New Testament to see the fulfillment of this sign. In Colossians 1:5-6, 23, Paul wrote that the gospel went ” into the whole world” and was ” preached to every creature under heaven.” Either Paul, who was selected by Jesus and inspired by the Holy Spirit, was misinformed by the Spirit or this is the most solid evidence we have of the spread of the gospel to ” all” the world. Some question the accuracy of Paul’s statement, however, I will listen to the inspired apostle before I will ever give heed to uninspired men who question him. The book of Acts only focuses on a few of the apostles. All of the apostles had the commission to take the gospel to the world. We do not have the records of the others but tradition tells of their work in various far regions. With the apostles, the scattered believers (Acts 8:1), and evangelists such as Philip (Acts 8) it is easy to see how this could be fulfilled.

XXII. 15” Therefore when you see the’abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand)” The warning to ” run for the hills” was the ” abomination of desolation” mentioned by Daniel in Daniel 9. There is much speculation about the ” abomination” but let the Bible interpret. In the parallel account, Luke 21:20, Jesus told them to flee to the mountains when they saw Jerusalem surrounded by armies.

XXIII. Therefore, the ” abomination of desolation” is the sight of the armies surrounding Jerusalem like eagles around a carcass. In addition, Josephus noted that abominable men frequently gathered in the temple before the Romans destroyed it. He recorded the weeping of a man named Agnus who praised God that he would not live to see the sacred places ” trodden upon at random, filled with the feet of these blood-shedding villains” (Wars 4:3:10).

XXIV. 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ” Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. When the Christians saw the armies approaching Jerusalem, they were to flee with such haste that if they were on top of the house they were to make their way to the wall and escape. If they were out in the field, they should run to the mountains for there would not be time to get their belongings. History records that when the Roman army surrounded Jerusalem they mysteriously drew back for a time. Some of the Jews interpreted this as Gods care for them but those who knew the words of Jesus fled from the city to Pella, a city north of Jerusalem in the mountains. Soon the armies returned to besiege Jerusalem and eventually destroyed it.

XXV. 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. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. Josephus, in Wars, recorded the atrocities against the Jews in Jerusalem and the surrounding country. In a vivid, grotesque account in Wars 6:8:5 he wrote, ” The fire of many houses was quenched with these men’s blood.” Some argue that the Holocaust was a greater tribulation yet when Jesus spoke of the tribulation, He did not have in mind the death toll. Hitler killed millions of Jews in the Holocaust. During the Roman wars, 1,100,000 were killed in Jerusalem alone and many were made slaves. In the destruction of Jerusalem the Jews suffered much and lost their sovereignty. The temple was destroyed and they became outcasts in the world. This was the darkest time that the Jews would ever experience. It was only by God’s grace that they were not completely extinguished in worldwide genocide.

XXVI. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ” Look, here is the Christ!” or ” There!” do not believe it. 24 For false Christs and false prophets will rise and show 9reat signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26” Therefore if they say to you, ” Look, He is in the

XXVII. desert!” do not go out; or ” Look, He is in the inner rooms!” do not believe it. We addressed the appearance of false Christs earlier. Jesus brought it to their attention that He was warning them beforehand so they would not follow the false Christs. The false wonders would deceive even some who are Christians.

XXVIII. 27 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 will be gathered together. ” Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ” Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. These terrible events not only signal the Roman invasion but also Jesus coming in judgment. The judgment of the Jews for their wickedness will be like the judgment of the world at the end. Jesus will come like lightning, quick, powerful, and all encompassing. The heavenly signs are the same that the Old Testament prophets used to signify the destruction of other great world powers.

XXIX. The prophets described the destruction of these nations with similar prophetic signs. This apocalyptic language illustrated the importance of the event. If the moon turned dark and the stars fell from heaven, we would fear the end or some great destruction. This is the symbol used to show the importance of the destructions in the past and the importance of the destruction of Jerusalem (For more go to the ” Apocalyptic Writing” lesson). Jesus said the sign of the Son of Man in heaven

XXX. would appear, not the Son of Man Himself. Padfield notes that the phrase ” in heaven” denotes the location of the Son of Man, not the sign. He goes further to state, ” The destruction of Jerusalem itself served as a sign of the fact the Son of Man was ruling in heaven, because it was the fulfillment of His prediction.” The symbol of Jesus coming on the clouds is a frequent prophetic picture of God coming in Judgment. This destruction was not just the wrath of the Romans but also the wrath of God.

XXXI. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. God will save His children from this destruction by listening to the warning of Jesus.

XXXII. 32 Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near; at the doors! Jesus’ audience would see the signs that preceded the destruction of Jerusalem; 40 years after the death of Christ. He compared the signs to a fig tree heralding the coming summer. When they saw the signs, (the leaves) they knew that the events would occur. They had His word on it.

XXXIII. 34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. This generation can mean the Jews as a race or Jesus’ audience. While the term can mean the Jews in general (used by Premillennial authors to show that this could be talking about a future tribulation), the context clearly points to the audience Jesus is addressing. As suggested before, consider the number of times Jesus uses ” you” and ” your” to link them to the signs.

XXXIV. There is a distinction between the events preceding verse 35 and subsequent verses. The early events was signs to watch for in preparation for Jerusalem’s destruction (fig tree). Signs would precede the coming of the Jesus in judgment against Jerusalem. The events after verse 35 come without warning, like a thief. His second coming, in which the heavens and earth pass will away, is known only by the Father and will come without signs and warning. One must be ready for this day for He will come when we do not expect. (For comments on Matthew 24:37-42 see the lesson ” The Coming of the Son of Man”) The faithful and wise servant is obedient when Jesus comes again. We must prepare for His coming today!

XXXV. Conclusion:

XXXVI. Jesus made it plain that his coming would be in secret, like a thief. We will not have warning signs to urge us to repentance, indeed today is the day of salvation, 2 Corinthians 6:2.