End Times – When Will These Things Be

                                                                                              

Habakkuk 2:14 (ESV)

"For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”

 

Matthew 24:3 (ESV)
“Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Question 1:             When will these things be (happen)?
Question 2:            What will be the sign of your coming?
Question 3:            What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?

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Question 1:             When will these things be (happen)?

 

Matthew 24:4-28 (reference only)

1.      Many claiming to be Christ. 

2.      Wars and Rumors of wars.

3.      Famines. 

Matthew 24:7 (ESV)
…and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

Acts 11:28 (ESV)
“Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world [this took place in the days of Claudius].”

 

4.      Earthquakes.

Matthew 24:9 (ESV)
”All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.”

 

5.       Persecution.

Matthew 24:9 (ESV)
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake.”

Acts 8:1 (ESV)
“there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.”

 

6.      Many will fall way and be deceived by false prophets.

Matthew 24:10-13 (ESV)
“And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

John 1:14 (ESV)
“the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”

2 Peter 2:1 (ESV)
"False profits also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you who will secretly introduce destructive heresies.”

 

7.      The gospel will be preached to the whole world.

Matthew 24:14 (ESV)
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

Romans 1:8 (ESV)
“I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.”

Romans 10:18 (ESV)
“But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for ‘Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.’”

 

 

Romans 16:25-26 (ESV)
“Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—“

Colossians 1:5-6 (ESV)
“the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing…”

Colossians 1:23 (ESV)
“if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.”

Matthew 24:14 (ESV)
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

Isaiah 66:18-20 (ESV)
“For I know their works and their thoughts, and the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory, and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands far away, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory. And they shall declare my glory among the nations.”

Acts 13:46-47 (ESV)

“we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

Eusebius (300 AD)
“The teaching of the new covenant was borne to all nations, and at once the Romans besieged Jerusalem and destroyed it and temple.”

John Chrysostom (The Ancient Christian Commentary, 2002, Ib:191)

“You will preach everywhere…Then he added. ‘This gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all Nations, and then will come.’ The sign of this final end will be the downfall of Jerusalem."

Justin Martyr (The Ante-Nicene Father, 1989, First Apology, XXXIX) 

“From Jerusalem, there went out into the world, men, twelve in number… By the power of God, they proclaim to every race of men that they were sent by Christ to teach to all the word of God.”

Charles Spurgeon (Exposition of Matthew, 1979, p211) 

“There was a sufficient interval for the full proclamation of the gospel by the apostles and evangelist of the early Christian Church, and for the gathering out of those who recognize the crucified Christ, as the true Messiah. Then came the awful end, which the Savior foresaw and fortold, and the prospect of which wrung from his lips and heart the sorrow-full lament that followed his prophecy of the doom awaiting his guilty capital.”

8.      The Abomination of Desolation. 

Matthew 24:15-20 (ESV)
“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.”

Luke 21:20-21 (ESV)
“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains”

John Chrysostom (Early church father 400AD)

“The abomination of desolation means the army by which the holy city of Jerusalem was made desolate”

Daniel 9:26 (ESV)
“the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.”

 

9.      Counterfeit Christ’s 

Matthew 24:23-26 (ESV)

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