Kingdom 103: When Will the End Come?
For as long as I can remember, believers as well as non-believers, have pondered this question. This question seems to interest most people. It is the "stuff of movie plots". 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?"
We must be very cautious and discerning when it comes to prophecies such as these. Keep in mind, 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. Here is an example of what I mean: "Have you heard in the news about the tsunamis in the Philippines last week? That is a sign that Jesus is coming soon!" or "The Lord said there would be pestilence and epidemics in the last days. With the scourge of Aids spreading to so many people around the world, we know that Jesus' return is just around the corner".
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: 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. He states that there will be wars and rumors of wars, but the real key to understanding the timing of the return of Christ and the end of all things is in verse 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. 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. There are very few preachers and teachers who are spreading the Kingdom message. Most are teaching what brings amens and offerings: financial prosperity, favor, faith, healing, purpose, leadership, miracles, etc. They should be preaching the message Jesus preached...the Kingdom Government of God.
The question is, "Who WILL do this?" The answer cuts to the very heart of our dominion mandate. It is we, the believers and followers of Jesus the Christ, and the citizens of the Lord God's Kingdom who must preach "this gospel of the kingdom" to all the world. Then the end will come.
Matthew 24:4-8 Matthew 24:14 Matthew 24:36
~~W.R. Luchie
We must be very cautious and discerning when it comes to prophecies such as these. Keep in mind, 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. Here is an example of what I mean: "Have you heard in the news about the tsunamis in the Philippines last week? That is a sign that Jesus is coming soon!" or "The Lord said there would be pestilence and epidemics in the last days. With the scourge of Aids spreading to so many people around the world, we know that Jesus' return is just around the corner".
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: 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. He states that there will be wars and rumors of wars, but the real key to understanding the timing of the return of Christ and the end of all things is in verse 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. 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. There are very few preachers and teachers who are spreading the Kingdom message. Most are teaching what brings amens and offerings: financial prosperity, favor, faith, healing, purpose, leadership, miracles, etc. They should be preaching the message Jesus preached...the Kingdom Government of God.
The question is, "Who WILL do this?" The answer cuts to the very heart of our dominion mandate. It is we, the believers and followers of Jesus the Christ, and the citizens of the Lord God's Kingdom who must preach "this gospel of the kingdom" to all the world. Then the end will come.
Matthew 24:4-8 Matthew 24:14 Matthew 24:36
~~W.R. Luchie
