OUR FATHER  WHO ALONE KNOWS THE TIME OR THE DAY OF THE END OF THE AGE part 2

The Lord Jesus had just outlined for His disciples, in Matthew chapter 24 verses 3 - 14, a list of general events that would occur as an indicator of the time of His return. He then, in verses 15 - 28, zoomed in on a specific event whose occurence signalled a state of emergency. 

This is an event that was spoken of by the prophet Daniel ( in the book of Daniel 9 v. 27 and Daniel 11 v. 31) and Jesus tells his followers that when they see the abomination of desolation standing in the Holy place, then each person in the south of Israel (Judea) must flee to the mountains as fast as humanly possible because the great tribulation will have began and this event would be more severe than anything that have ever happened or will ever happen.

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), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 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. 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.

This tribulation will be so terrible that if its duration were not constrained by God, no human beings would be saved but for the sake of the ones chosen, the time of the tribulation if shortened.

During these desperate times, with people under immense pressure, there will be words circulating that the Messiah has arrived and it will be very tempting to run out after these false messiahs and false prophets especially when they are displaying supernatural power.

The Lord describes what the deceptions will be like and how to respond. People will hear rumours that the Messiah has touched down in the desert but he warned us not to go out to the desert to see for ourselves.

Others will hear that the Messiah has made an appearance in some inner chambers and secret offices but the Lord warned us not to believe that either.

These are traps that are set to capture people who have even a modicum of hope in the appearance of a Messiah. When people arrive in the desert to see the ˋmessiahˋ, they are rounded up and when they enter buildings to seek the ˋmessiahˋ in secret rooms, they are captured.

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 great 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 desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. 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. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.

The Lord then tells His followers what the genuine indicator of His arrival would be; As lightning strikes in the east and flashes across the sky to the west, the Lordˋs arrival will be an unmistakable phenomenon of light in the sky that could not be imitated by false messiahs. People claiming to be the messiah who mysteriously appear in the desert and in hidden rooms are false messiahs because the appearance of the real messiah will be overt, public and visible to every person on earth.

Wherever the carcass is, there the eagles (Note, most translations render this word as ˋvulturesˋ instead of ˋeaglesˋ) will be gathered together. This phrase indicates the danger of being misled by the claims of the false messiahs and false prophets. If anyone falls for the deception and goes to the location given, they will be devoured by the vultures who will await them there.

Have mercy on us O God.

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OUR FATHER WHO ALONE KNOWS THE TIME AND DAY OF THE END OF THE AGE

In the book of Matthew chapter 24 verse 3 - 14, the Lord Jesus, while sitting on the Mount of Olives, was approached by His disciple for a private consultation. They had heard him speak of His return at the age and they were trying to understand how it would affect them.

They wanted to know;

• When the described events would occur
• What indicators would mark Jesusˋ return
• What indicators would mark the end of the age

3 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?”

4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 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.

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. 11 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 saved. 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.

The Lord answered the last question about the signs that would mark the end of the age first by giving them a list of conditions that would converge that would be the harbinger of the end of the dispensation that His ministry was about to innugurate;

These items were pertaining to the world at large;

• Many false christs will appear claiming to be Jesus
• Wars will proliferate wround the world
• Rumours of wars will be constantly circulating
• Major geopolitical upheavals will roil the earth
• Famines will scourge the earth
• Pestilences will sweep nations
• Major geological events like earthquakes will strike all over the world

These items were partaining to the Church;

• Persecution and murder of Christians will be widespread
• Christians will be hated for the sake of the name of Jesus
• Some Christians will betray one another and hate one another
• False prophets will arise in their midst with deceptions that will capture many
• Many in the church will become lawless
• Many will have their love for God grow cold
• The gospel of the kingdom would be preached in all the world

The Lord gave a guideline to His followers on how to respond if they are embroiled in those times. He said that they would participate in the global effort to  preach the gospel to the whole world as a witness and those who endured through these difficulties with their faith intact even at the end, would be saved.

Have mercy on us O God.

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