News that makes me pause. Go over headlines from the Blaze this week.
Transgender contestant, a biological male, wins Miss Nevada USA
NFL declares, 'Football is gay. Football is lesbian. Football is beautiful.'
Professors say proper grammar is racist, perpetuates whiteness
Report: Black, Latino voters reject radical far-left policies like 'defund the police'
Summarize what we discussed last time.
The first question of this study concerns timing. The title of the study is “The End Times; Are We There Yet?” When I say “the End” I mean the last 7 years of history, called the Tribulation, before the 2nd coming of Christ. And the point of the study is to answer that question. We want to look at the signs of the times and ascertain if we have arrived. Well what we discussed last time is that that is a very difficult question to answer.
Jesus tells us that there are several things that happen that are “birth pains.” Earthquakes, famine, pestilence, persecution. But all of those things have been happening throughout history. The fact that He calls them “birth pains” would indicate that they are going to become more frequent and intense as we get closer to the end.
But how frequent and intense will they be? We are not told. Jesus didn’t say, for example, “When there is an earthquake every day for 3 days straight, in Wichita, Kansas, that levels the city, then the end will come.”
So, even though having earthquakes in Kansas has caused us to sit up and start paying attention, it doesn’t tell us how long until the last 7- year clock starts.
So last time we talked about the one sign, the one event that will tell us that the last 7 years has begun. And that is the rise of the antichrist. Where do we get that?
Daniel 9:26b The people of the prince who come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end will be with a flood, and war will be even to the end. Desolations are determined. (the antichrist) 27 He will make a firm covenant with many for one week. (7) In the middle of the week he will cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease. On the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate; and even to the full end, and that determined, wrath will be poured out on the desolate.”
So, when does the clock start? When “a firm covenant with many” for 7 years occurs. Now, many have said that this covenant, or agreement will include Israel. But the text here just says that the antichrist will make this covenant with “many.” Where did they get the notion that the covenant is with Israel. Well, you have to infer it. First off, immediately after Daniel says he makes a “firm covenant” it says that after 3 ½ years, “in the middle of the week” the antichrist causes the sacrifice and offering to cease. So, it’s as though he makes the covenant, then 3 ½ years later he breaks the covenant.
In addition to that Daniel 9:24 says
“Seventy [a]weeks are determined
For your people and for your
holy city,
To finish the transgression,
[b]To make an end of sins,
To make reconciliation for
iniquity,
To bring in everlasting
righteousness,
To seal up vision and prophecy,
And to anoint [c]the Most Holy.
So, the whole 70 weeks prophecy concerns “your people and your holy city.” It stands to reason that this includes Israel. So, the whole prophecy particularly concerns Israel and God’s people, so one can infer that the 7 year covenant that the antichrist makes includes Israel.
Now, I’m not going to be dogmatic about that. I think that it’s possible that Israel is not included in this 7 year covenant. Why do I think it’s possible? Because, one could argue, that if Israel is included in this 7-year covenant, the prophecy could have stated that precisely.
But, the main point we are trying to get to is that we know that the last 7 years’ time clock starts when the antichrist makes a 7 year covenant.
If we are alive then, will we know this has happened? What do you think? I don’t know. There are several questions that have to be answered; Will the covenant be made publicly, or behind closed doors? I mean, we should eventually know about it, but will we know the moment it happens? Will it be a televised event? Another question is whether anyone will be paying attention at the time. There are many things that happen around the world every day. But with most of it, the world responds with a shrug, at least in our country. We don’t care what’s happening in Europe, even though we have access to more information than any previous generation. And a third question to answer that impacts whether we will know that this 7-year covenant has been signed is, “Will we recognize it?” Obviously if today, a world leader appeared on all our TV screens, phones and devices, and said, “Hey, my name is _____, I am the world’s savior, and I’ve just signed a 7 year peace accord with Israel, all the middle eastern countries, and most of the major countries throughout the rest of the world. We have peace in our time!” Many of us who know our Bibles would be immediately alarmed.
But what if all the details aren’t there? What if, for example, the fact that it is a 7- year covenant is not publicized, and all we know is that it’s another peace accord?
So, we may not know. That’s why I think that it is very important that we pay attention to what is happening in the world, especially in Israel. But there is one thing, besides the rise of antichrist, that should alert Christians. The 7- year Tribulation will see the wrath of God unleashed in plagues and judgments like nothing we’ve seen before. So, if you see both of those things; a major peace accord initiated by a world leader, and an exponential increase in earthquakes, famines, pestilence and war, you should know that we are there.
Now, let’s back off of this for a moment and talk about how I am doing this study.
Chronologically, Christocentrically, and literally
I. Rules of Study
A. Chronological Study (From the Ascension to the end, as it’s listed in the Bible)
We are going to look at the end from a chronological standpoint. There are many ways to approach a study like this. You can spend your time on developing descriptions of the characters, you could do a study around the big themes of the end-times. But I just wanted to lay out a timetable. What happens 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so on.
Before we begin with chronology, I need to let you know what some of you already know. I believe in a post-tribulation rapture of the Church. That is, I believe that the Church, Christians will be alive and go through the Tribulation. I believe that Christians, if they do not die by natural causes, or martyrdom, will see the terrors of the Day of the Lord.
I mention it now because we are talking about the order of events. And at this point in a study like this some evangelical preachers would say, “The next major event in end-times prophecy is the rapture of the Church. So, lots of Christians think, “Well, I don’t have to worry about all this because, I won’t be in this world during the Tribulation. I will be caught away, raptured, before the Tribulation.”
So, it’s important, if we are doing a chronological study, that you understand that I don’t believe that the rapture is the next major event. I believe that the rise of the antichrist is the next major event.
B. Christocentric Study
Now the second principle for this study is that it will be done Christocentrically.
First, I believe in a Christocentric interpretation of the Bible. That means that Christ is the hub for all the rest of Scripture. If I want to understand Old Testament end-times prophecy, or anything in the Old Testament, I look at it through the lens of what Jesus has revealed in the New Testament.
And so, I am building this study around the gospel accounts of Jesus’ end-times prophecy. In Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 Jesus tells His disciples what to expect in the end. And He lays out an outline of end-times events. So that’s where I begin with my understanding of the chronology of the end times. Then, all the other Old and New Testament passages can be fit into the chronology that Jesus laid out.
C. Literal interpretation
The final rule that I set for this study is that I believe we must interpret Scripture literally unless the Scripture itself indicates that it isn’t literal. What do I mean by that? Well there are many fantastic things described in end-times prophecy; mountains falling from the sky, demonic creatures coming up out of the earth, the sun darkened, the moon turning to blood, and even the visible return of Jesus Christ.
Now really, it would be easy to say that all of this stuff from future prophecy is not meant to be taken literally. And many have taken that approach. The big problem with doing that is that now I have to come up with some other meaning. And there is no real guide for coming up with that meaning.
Let me give you an example. I just mentioned that the Bible says at the very end, the moon will turn to blood.
Joel 2:31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
Now, do I take that literally? In other words, do I believe that the rock and dust of the moon will change into literal blood? Well, the first question I ask myself is, “Is it possible to take that literally?” Could the moon turn literally to blood? Well, yes, by God’s power it could. Does that make sense? Not a whole lot. It would make more sense that the color of the moon becomes blood red. And that’s what I believe happens.
“But, I thought you said that you take this stuff literally?” I do. But before I jump to conclusions, I search for the meaning in the rest of Scripture. You might notice how the book of Revelation describes the same change in the moon.
Revelation 6:12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood.
It’s seems obvious that the Revelation passage is talking about the color of the Sun and moon. When we compare Scripture to Scripture, we get a good idea of what is meant. So, we can take that literally. Now, we can come up with some natural reasons that the moon might become blood red. It could be something like dust thrown up in our atmosphere.
And while we’re at it, let me say something else about interpreting literally. You will hear me describe natural phenomenon that could cause these plagues to occur. For example, debris spewed into the air from a meteorite hitting the earth would change what color the moon is to us.
But I only offer that as a possible explanation. My explanations are meant to help you understand and picture these events according to what you know and understand. And, when I say that it’s possible that dust from a meteor causes the moon to appear blood red, I am not saying that God didn’t cause it to happen. I believe God caused the world-wide flood of Noah’s day, but I also believe that He used “natural” phenomena to bring it to pass.
Now, one more word about taking Scripture literally. The Bible is the Word of God, but God used men, and men’s means of communication as a vessel for His Word. That means that the Bible was written in the languages of men; specifically, Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. So, to take the Bible literally, we have to go back to what was written in the original language. And it was also written in the language of men in that it contains several different ways of writing. There is poetry, hyperbole, parable, history, simile, and visions in the Bible. When we read a parable outside of the Bible, we understand that it’s intended to convey a message, not to be taken literally. So, when we read the Bible, even apocalyptic passages, we have to carefully discern if what we’re reading describes exactly what will happen in the end.
Let me give you an example. When we read the book of Revelation, we know that chapters 4 to the end describe a vision that was given to John about the end times. Well any time we read the details of a vision in Scripture, we introduce several possibilities. It’s possible that John is shown things happening in the spiritual world, that we won’t actually be able to see in the physical world. He sees angels flying across the heavens. Will those present at the time of the end actually see those angels, or will they be invisible to us, as they are now?
Another factor for us to consider is that John is describing what he sees, as he sees it. So that means that he uses words to describe this stuff according to his understanding. For example, he describes a mountain falling from the sky. Well we have to understand that John is describing what he sees in his terms. We wouldn’t interpret that to mean that somehow a literal “mountain” is ripped up from some other place and hurled at the earth. We would rather conclude that something that looked like a mountain to John, fell out of the sky; maybe an asteroid or meteor according to our understanding.
So, those are the rules of study. We will look at this stuff chronologically, Christo-centrically, and literally.
So, as we begin today, I want to look at Matthew 23:37 through 24:2. We begin our study of the end Christocentrically, beginning with Jesus’ words.
In this passage, Jesus is coming to His final days before His crucifixion. He and His disciples are in Jerusalem. The city is about to call for His death. They have rejected Him. And even after His resurrection, most of the Jewish people will continue to reject Him. So, Jesus knowing about that coming rejection, says this,
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not! 38 Behold, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
Now, it is out of that context that the following conversation with His disciples takes place.
24 Jesus went out from the temple, and was going on his way. His disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple.
They are coming out of the Temple complex, and they are enthralled by the glory of this edifice. These simple men only saw this kind of architecture a couple of times a year. And all its gold, and large structure had to give them pride in their national religion. They are like children who have little experience in the world, pointing out things to their parents. They are saying, “Jesus, look at how beautiful the temple is.”
2 But he answered them, “You see all of these things, don’t you? Most certainly I tell you, there will not be left here one stone on another, that will not be thrown down.”
He says that this building is going to be torn down brick by brick. Well this statement is a shock to them. They know that the temple has been torn down before, and that the Jews are only allowed their religion and temple at the whim of the Roman Empire. So, as they make their way out of the city and to the Mount of Olives, they want an explanation for this prophetic utterance.
Now notice that they have two questions; “When will these things be?” and “What is the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?” They want to know when the temple is going to be torn down. And they associate the destruction of the temple with the prophecies they have read in the Old Testament about the end of all things, the coming Messianic Kingdom.
So, here comes the beginning of the chronology of the end-times. Jesus lays out the chronology of the events of the end.
He starts by telling them about the time before the end.
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 [a]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, [b]pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Verses 4 through 8 are really a very short summary of what the world has been for 2000 years. The things that Jesus mentions here have been happening throughout history. He is saying that these things are not signs that the end is upon us; false christs, wars, rumors of wars, nations warring, kingdoms warring, famines, pestilence, and earthquakes.
And Jesus is essentially telling His disciples, and us that we shouldn’t freak out every time there is a war or earthquake as though the end has come.
Verse 6b See that you are not troubled; for [a]all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. …8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
In other words, His disciples just asked Him what were the signs of His coming and the end of the age, and He says, “a lot of bad stuff is going to happen, but these aren’t the signs.
Now we’ve mentioned before that during the very end-times, the 7-year Tribulation, and especially the 3 ½ Great Tribulation, these things He listed, wars, famines, pestilence and earthquake will be happening at an extreme intensity and frequency. But He warns His disciples that these things will be present to one degree or another up to the return of Christ. And they have been a part of our world’s history, haven’t they?
False Christs and prophets; from the time of Jesus forward, there have been individuals who presented themselves as spiritual saviors, or prophets, some even claiming to be Jesus Himself. We remember the wilder ones like David Koresh, or Jim Jones. But we don’t have to look far to find them today. From the Pope to the presidents of the Latter-Day Saints, to any spiritual leader or prophet who teaches lies, some under the guise of Christianity, others not.
Wars and rumors of wars; We don’t have to be told that there have been wars and rumors of wars through history. I read this summary recently,
“How many wars have there been? Of the past 3,400 years, humans have been entirely at peace for 268 of them, or just 8 percent of recorded history. At least 108 million people were killed in wars in the twentieth century. Estimates for the total number killed in wars throughout all of human history range from 150 million to 1 billion. How many wars has America had between 1776 and 2017? The U.S. Has Been At War 222 Out of 239 Years. An interesting statistic: America has been at war 93% of the time. Another way to put it: the U.S. has only been at peace for less than 20 years total since its birth. (Mar. 19, 2017)”
Famines; Trying to number the worldwide famines is about as difficult as numbering the wars.
And the same holds true for plagues, and earthquakes.
Jesus said, “and there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places.”
Now, it is at this point in Jesus’ discourse that He takes a turn. He says, 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.” And verse 9 starts by saying, “9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you.”
I think that this shift indicates the beginning of the last 7 years; the Tribulation. Verses 9 through 14 are Jesus’s summary of the 1st 3 ½ years of the last 7 years of the Tribulation period. He transitions with the word “then.” Look at what He says,
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.
Though there will be persecution of Christians throughout history, at this point, two major events have occurred that usher in the Tribulation. The first is that the Holy Spirit steps back from restraining evil to the extent that He has throughout human history.
2 Thessalonians 2:5-7 New King James Version
5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the [a]mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only [b]He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.
Then the second event follows swiftly. The antichrist arises and Christians become public enemy # 1.
10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.
Luke says here,
Luke 21: 16 You will be handed over even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. They will cause some of you to be put to death.
Because being a Christian will bring persecution and even death, many people who claimed to be Christians, will now show their true colors, and eagerly turn over believers in order to save their own skins.
11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
Deception will multiply exponentially because the world will be being brought in line to follow the antichrist. The antichrist and his false prophet are the culmination of all the false prophets and saviors who have risen up to that point. They will also have their own false prophets who will carry their false message to the corners of the world.
12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
Violence and lawlessness will increase. It will be every man for himself. And Satan’s power to steal, kill, and destroy will be unfettered.
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.
Leading up to the final 3 ½ years, the Great Tribulation, the gospel will be preached around the world in an unrestrained fashion, because of persecution, all those who profess to be Christian, will suffer, but they will also preach. There will be no more “lukewarm Christians.”
All of these elements will come down quickly at the start of the last 7 years.
Paul wrote about it this way,
1 Thessalonians 5:3 3 For when they are saying, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman. Then they will in no way escape.
11 Many false prophets will arise and will lead many astray. 12 Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end will be saved. 14 This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
Now, as I said, up to verse 14 Jesus is describing the general conditions of the last 7 years. Then in verse 15 we have a definite switch to the Great Tribulation. The Great Tribulation is the time of the last 3 ½ years before Jesus returns. It is characterized by intense wickedness and violence, extreme judgments from God, and the increased martyrdom of the saints.
Again, I don’t believe that the rapture has yet occurred. Why do I not believe it? Because Jesus, in His Olivet Discourse hasn’t mentioned it yet. I told you that this study is Christocentric. That means that we start and continue our study with the notion that Jesus is our primary source of revelation here, and that everything else is interpreted through the lens of what Jesus said. So, Jesus hasn’t mentioned a rapture yet, He will, but He hasn’t yet.
Now let’s go back for a moment before the Abomination of Desolation. That will happen 3 ½ years into the Tribulation.
If a Christian managed to stay alive up to this point, they are probably aware by now that they are in the Tribulation. We may not know the exact date that it began; the moment that the antichrist made a 7-year covenant, but by now we know it has happened. And we are very aware of the plagues from God, and the persecution against Christians. Now, any living Christians are no longer watching signs to determine when the Tribulation starts; it has started. Now they are watching signs to see when the “Great Tribulation” starts. And if they have been faithful Bible students, they know that the Great Tribulation, the last 3 ½ years, begins at the Abomination of Desolation.
Let’s return to Jesus’ chronology of events.
Matthew 24: 15-28 15 “When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader 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 out the things that are in his house. 18 Let him who is in the field not return back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days! 20 Pray that your flight will not be in the winter nor on a Sabbath, 21 for then there will be great suffering,[a] such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be. 22 Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened.
We are going to look at this event in more detail later, but the Abomination of Desolation is when the antichrist breaks the covenant he made with Israel, and marches his armies against Israel and Jerusalem. He causes an image of himself to be set up, either in a rebuilt Jewish temple, or on some other sacred space of the Jews in Jerusalem.
Luke 21 says
20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. 22 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
The antichrist marches on Jerusalem. So, the warning to Christians and Jews is that when you see this happen, this is the beginning of the last 1,260 days, 3 ½ years, called the Great Tribulation.
I got the number 1,260 days from Revelation 11 and 12.
Revelation 11:3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”
Revelation 12:6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
At that point, Jews and Christians who are familiar with Jesus’ words will flee from the city to hide for 3 ½ years. And around the world, I believe that this is a signal for Christians to get to a safe place. If they thought that persecution was bad up to this point, it only becomes more intense from here. That’s what it tells us in Revelation 12.
Revelation 12: 13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. 14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus [c]Christ.