There have always been prophets of doom in society. A brief survey of history shows that in every generation there have been those who thought that the world was going to end. Various religious leaders have even set the date for the coming of the Lord, some with such certainty that their followers have sold their possessions in anticipation of the event. Of course, as yet it hasn't happened.
Just a year or so ago we all remember the fellow who set the date for Christ's return to happen on the Jewish celebration of Yom Kippur. The media picked up on it and many Christians engaged in speculation as to its veracity. Some even believed it would happen. They were wrong.
But that does pose the question of when Christ will return. Is there any real way to tell? What do you think are the signs of His coming? Are you ready for Him to return? What if He came today?
The Bible does speak to this issue. In fact the passage under consideration today is one example of the many sections of Scripture which address the Second Coming of Christ. An examination of this passage will help clarify some of the common misconceptions about the return of Jesus Christ.
What impact does Christ's return have on your daily living? Most people do not usually spend a great deal of time thinking about the return of Christ during the week. With such busy lives most of us are preoccupied with so many other things that such thoughts seldom cross our minds. But we must understand the times and be ready for Christ's return. The Bible is clear that He will come back to be the Judge of all the earth. None of us want to be caught unprepared when that powerful day arrives. The second coming of Christ will have an impact on our lives one day. It seems only right that it should therefore have an impact on our lives every day.
In our text we notice several important considerations which challenge us to be ready for the return of Christ. We will look today at three questions which will focus our attention on the important issues of this passage of Scripture as they relate to our lives. Those questions are: "What is the sign of His coming?" "What is the time of His coming?" and "What can we do to prepare for His coming?" The answers to those questions make a difference in how we live today.
As the disciples were walking with Jesus past the Temple they commented on the impressive display of human engineering which was before them. "Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!" (v.1) Indeed, it was a magnificent building. Josephus tells us that some of the stones in the Temple were forty feet long and eighteen feet high. Much of the Temple was plated in gold and silver and shone in the sun with such radiance that would make one avert the eyes. But Jesus put the temporary existence of material things in sharp focus by revealing that the Temple would be completely destroyed. "And Jesus said to him, 'Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another which will not be torn down.'" (v.2) This prophecy was fulfilled in AD 70 when Titus destroyed the city of Jerusalem and the Temple.
From there Jesus and the disciples went to the Mount of Olives. What follows is known as the Olivet Discourse because it originated there. In order to study it in its entirety, you must read the parallel passages found in Matthew 24 and 25 and in Luke 21. This is one of the most difficult passages in the entire New Testament to understand, especially if you attempt to analyze every component part. It is not our intent to do so today. It is our objective to emphasize the broad teaching of the chapter in order to become more heavenly oriented in our consciousness.
This brings us to the first question: "What is the sign of Christ coming?" This, in fact, was the question several of His disciples raised. "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?" (v.4) In fact, this is the same question many are asking today. "When is it going to happen, and how are we going to know when it is time."
Jesus first gives us several signs of the times which are really not signs of His coming. Many students of end-times prophecy have concluded that these are indications of the soon coming of Christ. But in reality they are only indications of the degenerating society in which we live. Now this in itself may indicate that the Lord will return at some point before we destroy ourselves, but they do not signal His coming.
What are these non-signs? The first is the appearance of deceivers. In verse six He says "Many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He!' and will mislead many." One Jewish Christian scholar, Dr. Charles Feinberg, has noted that from the time of Christ over sixty-four different individuals have appeared claiming to be the Messiah. This to the Jews alone. When you add in all the people claiming to be God's unique spokesman, the number increases dramatically. Just the other evening, on Nightline, Ted Koppel interviewed Elizabeth Claire Prophet, who is a New Age cult leader. She, like many leaders in this movement, claim to be in contact with the ascended masters, of whom Jesus is only one, along with Bhuda and Merlin the Magician. She has a following in Montana who have sold their possessions and are building fallout shelters in anticipation of a nuclear holocaust which she foresees. She stands in the place of Jesus for them. The power of some people to deceive is why Jesus said, "See to it that no one misleads you." (v.5b)
Jesus goes on to mention wars and rumors of wars in verse seven. In verse eight He indicates that nation will arise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines." But even though there will be this global turmoil, these things do not signal His coming. They are signs, but signs of the sick and decaying society in which we live. Jesus says that it "is not the end yet." (v.7c) He says, "These are merely the beginning of birth pangs." (v.8c) Like a woman in labor, the first pangs only signal the beginning of the process. So when we see the events described by Jesus beginning to take place with increasing frequency, we know the countdown has started. We just do not know how long it will be before the end.
Persecution of Christians as a result of preaching the Gospel will also characterize this time in the history of planet earth. Verse nine indicates that believers will be hauled into court, beaten, and brought before worldly authorities as a testimony to them. All of this will result from the effort to preach the Gospel to all nations. The persecution will even extend to the family, with brother against brother and parents against children and children against their parents. Jesus says, in verse thirteen, "And you will be hated by all on account of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he shall be saved." He is referring to enduring to the end of one's life, not just the end of the persecution. We are called on to be willing to lay our lives down for Jesus. This is the mark of one who believes.
Now we come to a real sign. The Abomination of Desolation is spoken of in verse fourteen. This is referred to in Daniel 11:31. It is an event in which the Holy Temple is desecrated. Second Thessalonians describes this as the "man of sin" who comes in the last days and takes his seat in the Temple proclaiming himself to be God. Now it would seem for this to take place the Temple would have to be rebuilt. Many have been watching with great interest the possibility of the Temple's reconstruction. Since its destruction in AD 70 there has never been a Temple in Jerusalem. What now sits on the sacred Temple mount is the Moslem "Dome of the Rock." But never before in history has there been a greater possibility that the Temple could be rebuilt. The Jews have never been in power as they are today since AD 70.
At this point in history there will come a great tribulation. We are told that those who are in Judea in those days will be in great peril. Jesus tells them to flee to the mountains, not to turn back to their houses to get even the most essential items. In describing this time He says, "For those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which God created, until now, and never shall." (v.19) Then there shall arise more false Messiahs in an attempt to lead people astray. This time these false Christs will produce signs and wonders to authenticate their so-called "ministry". But are miracles evidence of the validity of a ministry? No! Satan is a supernatural being capable of doing miraculous works. Jesus says, "But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance." (v.23) In other words, we should realize that this is what He predicted would happen, and not be duped by it.
What happens next is significant. In verses 24 and 25 Jesus describes events which will take place after the tribulation. Some kind of solar cataclysm will upset the order of things in our universe. "The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken." It is at this point that we are to look up. Verse 26 and 27 says, "And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth, to the farthest end of heaven." This is the coming of the Lord to reign in glory.
Jesus now answers another question the disciples had asked Him. It is in regard to the time of His coming. You might call this "Lessons from a Fig Tree."
"Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, right at the door." (vs.28-29)
Jesus is telling us that we can know the season of His coming. Just as we can tell that the summer is near by looking at the budding of the trees, so we can discern the general time when the things Jesus told us would happen are coming to pass.
We must not be lulled into sleep by those who say that we have plenty of time or that the coming of Christ is not sure. His coming is sure. He said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." (v.31) We can be assured that the existing order of creation will be disrupted and disintegrated. In Scripture we have a picture of the heavens and earth being melted by an intense heat. But while the earth may pass away, the word of Christ is sure. What He said is true. What He said will happen, will happen. You can count on it. You must prepare for it.
But as to the exact time, as in day and hour, we are kept in the dark. In fact Jesus says that no one knows. "But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone." (v.32) So do not believe those who would set an exact time for Christ to return. But know that He shall return.
In considering what we can do to prepare, Jesus gives us some very concrete instructions.
"Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time is. It is like a man, away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert. Therefore, be on the alert--- for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, at cockcrowing, or in the morning--- lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all, Be on the alert!" (vs.33-37)
It is obvious from this passage that Jesus could return at any time. Like the master who went away on a journey without giving a specific time of return, so Jesus did not tell us when He would return. The key is that He could come when we do not expect Him. Therefore, there are at least three specific instructions given to us by which we can be prepared for the coming of the Lord.
The first thing we are exhorted to do is to keep on the alert. Really this simply means not to fall asleep. We are to keep awake, to keep our eyes open in regard to the task Jesus has left us to do. Only in this way will we not be surprised and overtaken by the enemy. That is what is in view here. We are not simply to keep alert for the coming of the Lord. We are left in charge while He is away. Therefore, we are to occupy until He returns. Like the slaves left in charge of the masters estate, we are workers in our Masters vineyard. We are to keep alert lest the enemy of our souls wants to sneak in and lead us astray.
The second thing we need to see is that we are all to put our hand to the work of the kingdom which our Lord has assigned us. The slaves were assigned certain tasks to perform. So are we. Each of us has been called, gifted, and equipped to take our place in the work of the Kingdom of God. What we need to be doing until Jesus comes is faithfully performing our assigned responsibilities. We do not want Jesus to return and find us sleeping on the job.
We are also to watch for His return. Since we do not know when it is, we must be ready today. If we are ready today, we will be ready every day. We must be alert for the enemy, but we must watch also for the Lord. We must live in anticipation that the Lord may come today. We must cultivate an awareness that His coming is sure, and could happen when we least expect it.
Does Christ's return impact your lives as you live daily? It should. It can if you allow the Lord to impress upon you the reality of His coming. One day people are going to be busily occupied with the daily affairs of this life when the heavens are rent in two and the trumpet of the Lord sounds. Some will wonder what is happening. Others will realize the end is at hand. Falling to the ground in agony many will realize that the Lord they had rejected is real, that the sermons they heard were true, and that it is too late for them. Others will turn their heads toward heaven with a smile. They will be ready to receive the King, because they have been serving Him for years. While others hearts cry out in anguish, their hearts will cry out for joy, "Come Lord Jesus." Are you ready? You can get ready today.
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