End of the Age … vs. 1-4

• 1^st – Destruction of Temple… vs. 1-2
  • Departing…
    • Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple!
    • Having REBUKED the Religious leaders – Jesus went OUT and LEFT the temple…
    • Note the emphasis – He went OUT and LEFT [imperfect]
    • Because He would NEVER come back to THIS [second] temple!
    • It was the symbol of an OLD covenant that was going to be REPLACED…
    • Because its system of SACRIFICES could NEVER remove sin – Hebrews 10:4
    • Jesus was going to prepare for the CROSS [three days] – He would be the final SACRIFICE!
  • Temple Complex… vs. 1
    • His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple!
    • As they were leaving the TEMPLE – the DISCIPLES showed Jesus the buildings…
    • From the foundation – to the colonnade of Solomons porch – to the TEMPLE itself…
    • The complex had some of the most amazing architecture in the Rome…
    • Even today the remaining foundations stones are impressive [33 x 3 x 2 meters] 
  • Not one stone… vs. 2
    • Jesus said to them: Do you not see all these things? 
    • I say to you not one stone shall be left here upon another that shall not be thrown down!
    • Jesus told them – AMEN [ἀμὴν] – ALL [πᾶς] of these buildings will be destroyed…
    • Not a SINGLE stone would be left [οὐ μὴ subjuntive] standing on another!
    • About 35 years later in 70 A.D. – Israel rebelled against Rome…
    • Future Caesar Titus Vespasian – responded with the TENTH Roman legion…
    • He laid siege to Jerusalem killing over one MILLION Jews – destroying the city…
    • He did not intend to destroy the Temple – but in the siege it caught fire…
    • The gold of the Temple melted between the stone blocks…
    • The Romans dismantled the Temple stone by stone to get the gold!
• 2^nd – The Timeline… vs. 3-4
  • Mount of Olives… vs. 3
    • Now as He sat on the Mount of Olive the disciples came to Him privately!
    • Jesus took the DISCIPLES across the KIDRON valley – to the Mount of Olives [east side]
    • He sat down – and gave them a PRIVATE teaching on the END times [Olivet Discourse]
    • The SECOND longest teaching by Jesus in Matthew [Sermon on the mount is longer]!
    • One THIRD of the Bible is PROPHECY – God telling us about the FUTURE before it happens…
    • God uses PROPHECY to show us He – and He alone is God almighty…
    • The only one who sees the END from the beginning – Isaiah 46:10
    • Prophecy is how He validates His Word – it is His fingerprint on the Scriptures!
  • When… vs. 3
    • Saying: Tell us when will these things be?
    • The pressing question on the heart of the DISCIPLES was WHEN…
    • When would the TEMPLE be destroyed – and WHEN would the END come!
    • There are TWELVE major events in the TIMELINE that leads to the END…
    • FIRST:  Jesus death – burial – and resurrection – John 19:30
    • SECOND: the birth of the Church – Acts 2:1-4 
    • THIRD: the destruction of Israel – 70 A.D.
    • FOURTH: the rebirth of the Nation of Israel [1948] – Ezekiel 37:1-14
    • FIFTH: Rapture of the Church – I Corinthians 15:51-53
    • SIXTH: Magog invasion [Russia and Muslim world] – Ezekiel 38:1-13
    • SEVENTH: the SEVEN years of Tribulation – Revelation 6-18
    • EIGHTH:  the Great Tribulation [after the abomination of desolation] – Daniel 9:27
    • NINTH: Second coming of Jesus Christ – Revelation 19:11-21
    • TENTH: Millennial Kingdom [thousand years] of Jesus Christ – Revelation 20:1-7
    • ELEVENTH: the Great White Throne – Revelation 20:11-15
    • TWELFTH: New Heaven and New Earth – Revelation 21-22
  • Sign… vs. 3
    • What will be the sign of Your coming – and of the end of the age?
    • The DISCIPLES were also looking for a SIGN [σημεῖον]
    • Something they could SEE that would tell them Jesus was coming again SOON…
    • Proof that the END [conclusion] of the AGE of men was CLOSE…
    • Jesus is went on to give them SIX signs – SIX things to look for…
    • That when they saw these things – they would KNOW the END was near!
  • Not deceived… vs. 4
    • Jesus answered and said to them: Take heed that no one deceives you!
    • Jesus commanded them to LOOK [imperative] – be on GUARD…
    • Because if they were NOT careful – they might [subjuntive] be DECEIVED…
    • DECEIVED [πλανάω] – where we get the word PLANET – the WORLD!
    • We tend to think Jesus will NOT come back today [tomorrow will be like today]
    • We spend ALL of our time busy with the care of this WORLD [πλανάω]
    • And we tend to FORGET we are living in the LAST days – Jesus will return SOON…
    • The next prophetic event to occur – is the RAPTURE of the Church – I Thessalonians 4:13-18
    • No one knows the exact day or hour – only the Father in heaven – Mark 13:32
    • It will happen in a moment [ἄτομος] – in the blink of an eye – like a thief in the night…
    • His BELOVED [ἀγαπητός] – the church – will be snatched [ἁρπάζω] up into heaven…
    • It could happen NEXT week – it could happen TODAY – it could happen right NOW…
    • This is an important message – both as an encouragement and warning…
    • Because we need to ask ourselves – if Jesus came back TODAY are we ready!

• Luke 21:28 – “When all these things begin to happen… look up for your salvation is near!”

• 2^nd – The Signs… vs. 5-14
  • 1^st – False Christs… vs. 5
    • For many will come in My name saying: I am the Christ – and will deceive many!
    • FIRST – because many will come [future] in the name of God…
    • Saying they are the [ὁ] CHRIST [Χριστός] – and it will [indicative] DECEIVE [πλανάω] many…
    • This could be referring to people actually claiming to be the CHRIST…
    • Or also people just claiming to speak for God – anointed [Χριστός] by Him!
    • Apollo Quiboloy claims to be the ANOINTED [Χριστός] son of God [Davao]
    • There are almost eight MILLION members around the world in his cult [KJC]
    • Charles Taze Russel taught that Jesus Christ came to earth in 1914 [no evidence]
    • There are almost nine MILLION Jehovah Witnesses around the world!
    • Just because someone claims to speak for God – does NOT mean they are…
    • We need to be on GUARD – so that we are NOT deceived [πλανάω]
    • Anything a PASTOR or LEADER says – we compare to the WORD – Acts 17:11
  • 2^nd – Wars… vs. 6-7
    • Nation against Nation… vs. 6-7
      • You will hear of wars and rumors of wars.
      • For nation will rise against nation – and kingdom against kingdom!
      • SECOND – we will hear about WARS – and even when there are NOT wars…
      • There are RUMORS of WARS that might start at any time…
      • For NATIONS [ἔθνος] will go to war with other NATIONS – ethnic wars…
      • And KINGDOM [βασιλεία] will go to war with other KINGDOMS – political wars!
      • The word GENOCIDE was first coined in 1940 – nation [ἔθνος] against nation [ἔθνος]
      • In the twentieth century there were numerous acts of GENOCIDE in the world [holocaust]
      • There were also TWO political [βασιλεία] world wars fought in the twentieth century…
      • And the lingering effects of those wars have left countless conflicts…
      • Including the war in UKRAINE – the conflict in the MIDDLE east…
      • And the RUMORS of a possible WAR with CHINA over TAIWAN!
    • Fearful sights…
      • FEARFUL sights [φόβητρον] – only used once – Luke 21:11
      • [φόβη] – to cause fear – and [τρον] – a machine or technology…
      • A unique word that suggests technological innovations used to cause terror!
      • In the days of Jesus – the more terrifying weapon might have been a sword or bow…
      • But how times have changed – over the past hundred years technology has exploded…
      • And brought about the most terrifying technology man had ever invented – NUCLEAR bomb!
    • Not the end… vs. 7
      • See that you are not troubled for all these things must come to pass – but the end is not yet!
      • When we SEE these WARS we must [imperative] NOT be troubled…
      • Because they must ALL [πᾶς] happen – but the END [τέλος] is not yet!
      • When we play chess – the pieces move around the board…
      • Just because a particular piece moves – does not mean the game is over…
      • But if we WATCH – the way those pieces move tell us the END is close!
      • Those who do NOT know Jesus – see all the WARS in the world today and FEAR…
      • But as we see the conflicts we get EXCITED – because the chess pieces are MOVING…
      • When we see RUSSIA [Magog] forming an alliance with IRAN [Persia] – Ezekiel 38
      • And when we see ISRAEL being attacked by proxies of IRAN [Hezbollah]
      • We know we are close to the Magog invasion – which happens AFTER the RAPTURE!
  • 3^rd – Natural Disasters… vs. 7
    • Famines… vs. 7
      • There will be famines!
      • THIRD – there will be natural [and man-made] disasters that come upon the world…
      • Including FAMINES – people will have a shortage of food!
      • More people live in the world today than at any time in history – over eight BILLION…
      • Which might make us think there would be a LACK of food to go around…
      • But with the invention of modern farming [fertilizer] – and machines…
      • We are producing more food than at ANY time in history [enough to feed ten billion]
      • The problem is too much goes to some [first world] – not enough to others [third world]
      • It is GREED a lack of COMPASSION that is at the root of FAMINE!
    • Diseases… vs. 7
      • Pestilences!
      • PESTILENCE [λοιμός] – referring to plagues or diseases!
      • The world has had a number of MAJOR pandemics…
      • Bubonic plague [black death] in 1300s killed almost fifty MILLION [half of the population] 
      • The Spanish flue in 1918 killed up to one hundred MILLION people…
      • HIV [aids] is a current plague responsible for the deaths of almost fifty MILLION…
      • Most recently the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the whole world!
    • Earthquakes… vs. 7
      • Earthquakes in various places!
      • EARTHQUAKES [σεισμός] – from the root word to SHAKE [σείω]
      • There are an average of twenty THOUSAND earthquakes every year [55 per day]
      • But only about TEN a year are considered as MAJOR [magnitude 7 or above]
      • There is mixed research on if they are INCREASING – but they are COMMON!
      • God allows natural disasters [famine – pestilence – earthquakes] to get our attention…
      • When DISASTERS strike [no warning] and ravage our communities – rip apart our lives…
      • We see how fragile life is – and how quickly it can all come to a stop…
      • Which causes us to look up – and think about the Lord!
    • Sorrows… vs. 8
      • All these are the beginning of sorrows!
      • These first THREE signs – are just the beginning [ἀρχή] of SORROWS…
      • SORROWS [ὠδίν] – the pain the comes on a woman in child birth!
      • When a woman goes into LABOR – it can take DAYS…
      • But the closer she get to delivery – the CLOSER and STRONGER the contractions become…
      • That way the MOM knows to get ready – because the baby is coming!
      • If we are paying attention – we can see the BIRTH pains all around us…
      • We living in a world defined by FALSE teachers – WARS – and natural DISASTERS…
      • They are INCREASING because God is trying to get our attention…
      • He is trying to WARN us that the END is coming – and we need to be READY!
  • 4^th – Persecution… vs. 9-10
    • Hated by everyone… vs. 9
      • Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you.
      • You will be hated by all nations for My names sake!
      • FOURTH – then [τότε] – once the SORROWS [ὠδίν] have begun…
      • The world will [future] persecute [θλῖψις] and KILL believers…
      • We will be HATED by all [πᾶς] NATIONS [ἔθνος] for the name of Jesus
      • It is not restricted to a region or nation – it is worldwide HATED!
      • Because men LOVE sin – they HATE the light that reveals their sinfulness – John 3:19-20
      • If we are Jesus FRIEND – because they HATE Jesus – they also HATE us…
      • Being the FRIEND of Jesus – means being an ENEMY of this world!
      • John 15:18 – “If the world hates you – you know that it hated Me before it hated you.”
    • Many Offended… vs. 10
      • Then many will be offended – will betray one another – and will hate one another!
      • As a RESULT of the persecution – MANY [πολύς] will be STUMBLED [σκανδαλίζω]
      • They will BETRAY other believers [ἄλλος] – and HATE them…
      • Paul tells us in the LAST days – MANY [πολύς] will FALL away – II Thessalonians 2:3
      • FALL away [ἀποστασία] – to depart form the FAITH!
      • 1976 – over NINETY percent of the USA identified as Christian…
      • 2022 – that number has dropped to just over SIXTY percent…
      • And the US is better on the whole than much of the rest of the Western world!
      • The message of the Gospel is NOT about a better life – it is about ETERNAL life…
      • If we are looking to the WORLD [πλανάω] – looking for a better life…
      • And instead find that we are PERSECUTED for our faith in Jesus…
      • It becomes very easy to walk away from the FAITH!
  • 5^th – No Love… vs. 11-13
    • False Prophets… vs. 11
      • Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many!
      • FIFTH – because MANY [πολύς] will be offended because of the TRUTH [Jesus] – John 14:6
      • It will open the door for MANY [πολύς] false prophets [ψευδοπροφήτης]
      • They will come and DECEIVE [πλανάω] the MANY [πολύς] who are stumbled!
      • I know of a BIG church – they openly teach people do NOT need to REPENT to be saved…
      • TEACHING – the Old Testament is NOT real – just Jewish stories written as moral lessons…
      • DENYING there is a hell – it is just an invention of men meant to control people…
      • God LOVES everyone just as we are – EVERYONE is saved…
      • But there is a PROBLEM – it is not the TRUTH – they are FALSE teachers!
      • People do not want TRUTH – they look for people to tell them what they WANT to hear…
      • They look for pastors – churches – who tell them their LIFESTYLE is OK with God…
      • Because of this a lot of churches have gotten away from teaching the Word of God!
      • II Timothy 4:3 – “A time is coming [and now is] when people will no longer listen to right teaching. They will… look for teachers who will tell them what they want to hear.”
    • Lawlessness… vs. 12
      • And because lawlessness will abound – the love of many will grow cold!
      • As a result [διά] of the multiplication of the FALSE teachings [ἀνομία]
      • The LOVE [ἀγάπη] of MANY [πολύς] will be blown out [cold]!
      • Do NOT miss the progression of the MANY [πολύς]
      • The MANY [πολύς] are stumbled because of PERSECUTION for the sake of Jesus name…
      • Therefore – the MANY [πολύς] then depart the true FAITH [ἀποστασία]
      • As a result – the MANY [πολύς] will listen to FALSE teachers who itch their ears…
      • But because they no longer hear the TRUTH – the LOVE of God leaves them…
      • Like a flickering candle – the light of the Lord is blown out [cold] in their life!
    • Endure to the end… vs. 13
      • But he who endures to the end shall be saved!
      • BUT [δέ] – the person who ABIDES [μένω] to the END [τέλος] will be saved…
      • Abide is one of those funny Biblical words – we never use it…
      • It is better interpreted to ENDURE – or stubbornly refuse to let go – of Jesus!
      • If we are shipwrecked in the ocean – and someone throws us a life preserver…
      • We do not casually hold on – we CLING to it with all our strength!
      • The ONLY way we can be sure we are READY for the END…
      • Is to make sure we are CLINGING to Jesus – like our life depends on it!
  • 6^th – The Gospel… vs. 14
    • This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations.
    • Then the end will come!
    • SIXTH – the final SIGN that the end is coming – is the GOOD news [gospel]
    • It will [future] be preached [passive] to the WHOLE world – to ALL [πᾶς] nations!
    • There are those who teach that if we PREACH to more people…
    • We can expedite the return of Jesus – because once the WHOLE world hears – the END comes…
    • But it would seem we are NOT the ones who do the PREACHING [passive]
    • During the tribulation – ONE angel preaches the Gospel to all creation – Revelation 14:6
    • And not long after – Jesus comes out of heaven – which is the END!
    • The church has struggled for TWO thousand years to spread the GOSPEL across the world…
    • But God does it in a single DAY – using just ONE angel…
    • Obviously God does NOT need us – He uses us because He LOVES us…
    • What He wants from us – is to be READY – because the END` is coming soon!