Kingdom 103: Reconsidering the End Times
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
For as long as I can remember, Believers as well as non-believers, have pondered "When will Jesus come back?". This question seems to interest most people. It makes good movies and sells books.
But, if we are looking for Truth and not a good movie, we look in God's Constitution. In the 24th chapter of the book of Matthew, it speaks of wars and rumors of wars, famine, earthquakes, false prophets, tribulation, hardship and the increase of evil in the earth. Many preachers and teachers cite these events and point to current-day examples and then proclaim, "the end is near!". My question is to you, "Do you see all these things around us happening?"
The Lord Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the very place where the prophet Zechariah had predicted that the Messiah would stand when He came to establish His Kingdom. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south. Zechariah 14:4 There He was, standing and teaching the Kingdom message exactly where God's representative said He would be. Remember, the Lord God's Word is sovereign. A vital part of a healthy Kingdom mindset is having a clear and proper understanding of what God's Constitution says concerning the return of Christ. We must be very cautious and discerning when it comes to prophecies such as these. Our generation is not unique. Prophecy teachers have been around for centuries. Some of them are legitimate and are careful students of God's Constitution, but many others study the Word of God just enough to be frightening. They see "signs of the times" in every event, large or small. It is very important to understand this because as Kingdom citizens we have a critical role in preparing for Christ's return. There is much confusion and misinformation in the church concerning end times. We have a responsibility to be well informed, based on what God's Word actually states; and we must use discernment when hearing various interpretations by today's prophecy teachers. It is too easy to lose focus on God's Kingdom and our purpose in it, while chasing down something that is more exciting.
What these preachers and teachers often fail to realize or mention—and many believers fail to see—are the Lord Jesus' cautionary words in these verses: 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?”
And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 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. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness (sin) will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
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. Matthew 24:3-14
The sign of the end of the age will be this: The preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom throughout the whole world. This verse reveals the timing of the Lord Jesus' return, but not the hour. It is quite clear that the hour is only known to the Father. “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. Matthew 24:36 There are very few preachers and teachers who are spreading the Kingdom message. Many are teaching a religious gospel that may bring amens and offerings: financial prosperity, favor, faith, healing, purpose, leadership, miracles, etc. They should be preaching the message Jesus preached...God's Kingdom government.
It was fitting for His disciples to ask Jesus when He would come in power and what they could expect then. It is no different today. People want to know. It is natural to be curious and human nature fears the unknown. Jesus' reply emphasized the events that would take place before the end of the age. If you notice, at one point, He stated that this was just the beginning of sorrows! He also pointed out that His disciples should be less concerned with knowing the exact date and more concerned with being prepared. The Lord Jesus made it very plain that this Kingdom gospel must be preached.
King Jesus told us everything we needed to know on this matter. Anything else is a distraction from our assignment. “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. Matthew 24:37-29 NLT
“So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.
“A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matthew 24:42-51 NLT Too much time is wasted preaching things that "tickle the people's ears" but don't prepare them for King Jesus' return! Yes, those who lead will answer for that in the end. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the Kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’" Matthew 7:21-23
He is telling His people to be ready. He is telling us to be about our Father's business, spreading the Gospel of God's Kingdom as King Jesus preached it. If we are ready and working in our Kingdom purpose, it won't matter when He comes! Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. Matthew 25:13
The question is, "Who WILL do this?" The answer cuts to the very heart of our dominion mandate. We, the Believers and followers of Jesus the Christ, and the citizens of the Lord God's Kingdom must preach "this gospel of the Kingdom" to all the world. Then the end will come.
Remember, your greatest asset is your faith in the King’s Word.
All scriptures are NKJV unless noted
W.R. Luchie & D. Arlene Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed. Thank you
But, if we are looking for Truth and not a good movie, we look in God's Constitution. In the 24th chapter of the book of Matthew, it speaks of wars and rumors of wars, famine, earthquakes, false prophets, tribulation, hardship and the increase of evil in the earth. Many preachers and teachers cite these events and point to current-day examples and then proclaim, "the end is near!". My question is to you, "Do you see all these things around us happening?"
The Lord Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the very place where the prophet Zechariah had predicted that the Messiah would stand when He came to establish His Kingdom. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south. Zechariah 14:4 There He was, standing and teaching the Kingdom message exactly where God's representative said He would be. Remember, the Lord God's Word is sovereign. A vital part of a healthy Kingdom mindset is having a clear and proper understanding of what God's Constitution says concerning the return of Christ. We must be very cautious and discerning when it comes to prophecies such as these. Our generation is not unique. Prophecy teachers have been around for centuries. Some of them are legitimate and are careful students of God's Constitution, but many others study the Word of God just enough to be frightening. They see "signs of the times" in every event, large or small. It is very important to understand this because as Kingdom citizens we have a critical role in preparing for Christ's return. There is much confusion and misinformation in the church concerning end times. We have a responsibility to be well informed, based on what God's Word actually states; and we must use discernment when hearing various interpretations by today's prophecy teachers. It is too easy to lose focus on God's Kingdom and our purpose in it, while chasing down something that is more exciting.
What these preachers and teachers often fail to realize or mention—and many believers fail to see—are the Lord Jesus' cautionary words in these verses: 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?”
And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 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. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness (sin) will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
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. Matthew 24:3-14
The sign of the end of the age will be this: The preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom throughout the whole world. This verse reveals the timing of the Lord Jesus' return, but not the hour. It is quite clear that the hour is only known to the Father. “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. Matthew 24:36 There are very few preachers and teachers who are spreading the Kingdom message. Many are teaching a religious gospel that may bring amens and offerings: financial prosperity, favor, faith, healing, purpose, leadership, miracles, etc. They should be preaching the message Jesus preached...God's Kingdom government.
It was fitting for His disciples to ask Jesus when He would come in power and what they could expect then. It is no different today. People want to know. It is natural to be curious and human nature fears the unknown. Jesus' reply emphasized the events that would take place before the end of the age. If you notice, at one point, He stated that this was just the beginning of sorrows! He also pointed out that His disciples should be less concerned with knowing the exact date and more concerned with being prepared. The Lord Jesus made it very plain that this Kingdom gospel must be preached.
King Jesus told us everything we needed to know on this matter. Anything else is a distraction from our assignment. “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. Matthew 24:37-29 NLT
“So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.
“A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matthew 24:42-51 NLT Too much time is wasted preaching things that "tickle the people's ears" but don't prepare them for King Jesus' return! Yes, those who lead will answer for that in the end. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the Kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’" Matthew 7:21-23
He is telling His people to be ready. He is telling us to be about our Father's business, spreading the Gospel of God's Kingdom as King Jesus preached it. If we are ready and working in our Kingdom purpose, it won't matter when He comes! Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. Matthew 25:13
The question is, "Who WILL do this?" The answer cuts to the very heart of our dominion mandate. We, the Believers and followers of Jesus the Christ, and the citizens of the Lord God's Kingdom must preach "this gospel of the Kingdom" to all the world. Then the end will come.
Remember, your greatest asset is your faith in the King’s Word.
All scriptures are NKJV unless noted
W.R. Luchie & D. Arlene Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed. Thank you
