Chapter 24
SIGNS OF THE TIMES
Many times as I reflected upon the events described in the New Testament, I often wondered why people so very learned in the Scriptures as the Pharisees and Sadducees, could not recognize the arrival of their Lord and God, Jesus Christ. As I pondered these things, I once heard a quiet voice exclaim, "They did not recognize the signs of the times."
Out of concern that we, as the Pharisees and Sadducees did on His first visit, might perhaps miss being prepared for our Lord’s second coming, this chapter is devoted to a brief study of the signs of the times in which we live. However, before we begin this study, let us pray.
Dear Heavenly Father,
I come before You in the Name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Lord please help me to understand and discern the signs of the times in which I live. Lord please do not allow me to be so smug and full of pride that I might possibly not be prepared for Your return. Father please open my eyes to see. Please open my ears to hear and please open my heart to understand and comprehend the things of Your Kingdom.
Amen
For us to be better prepared to recognize the time of the eminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ, we will,
With this short introduction, let us now begin by examining,
THE UNBELIEF OF THE PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES
To gain insight into the reason why the Pharisees and Sadducees did not recognize Jesus as their Lord and Savior we will,
The Request For A Sign
We begin our study by reading the following confrontation that Jesus had with the Pharisees and Sadducees,
Matthew 16:1-3
"[1] The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. [2] He replied, "When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' [3] and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times."
As one reflects upon this discussion, one might ask, "What kind of sign did the Pharisees and Sadducees ask for?" Surely,
Matthew 4:23-25
"[23] Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. [24] News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. [25] Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him."
John 11:43-46
"[43] … Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" [44] The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." [45] Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. [46] But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done."
Matthew 9: 32-34
"[32] While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. [33] And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel." [34] But the Pharisees said, "It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.""
In addition to the above and as we saw in Chapter 23 they (the Pharisees and Sadducees) surely saw and heard how Jesus fed the 5,000 and how He walked upon the water. What in addition were they looking for? What did they want Jesus to do?
We find the answer to these questions by reading,
Luke 11:16
"[16] Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven."
And again let us reread from,
Matthew 16:1
"[1] The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven."
Notice, they wanted, "a sign from Heaven." In reflecting upon this a bit, one might be left with the question of, "What is a sign from Heaven that they wanted Jesus to perform?" To find out, let us review,
Two Examples Of Signs From Heaven
For our first example of a sign from Heaven let us read about the time when God sent fire from Heaven. This occurred during the reign of King Ahab. King Ahab was a very wicked king and promoted throughout all Israel the worship of Baal (a Canaanite idol representing a god). To bring His people to repentance and gather them to Himself, God sent Elijah to King Ahab and the people of Israel. Let us now read about the sign from Heaven that God gave to demonstrate that He is God.
1 Kings 18:30-39
"[30] Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come here to me." They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD, which was in ruins. [31] Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, "Your name shall be Israel." [32] With the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. [33] He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, "Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood." [34] "Do it again," he said, and they did it again. "Do it a third time," he ordered, and they did it the third time. [35] The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench. [36] At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. [37] Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again." [38] Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. [39] When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The LORD--he is God! The LORD--he is God!""
For our second example of a sign from Heaven, let us read how God reversed the direction of the earth's rotation. This event took place after King Hezekiah asked God to heal him from a deadly boil and deliver the nation from the eminent attack of the Assyrians. So that Hezekiah would believe that God decided to grant him his requests, God sent Isaiah to speak to King Hezekiah.
Isaiah 38:4-8
"[4] Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: [5] "Go and tell Hezekiah, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. [6] And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city. [7] "'This is the Lord's sign to you that the LORD will do what he has promised: [8] I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.'" So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down."
With the above examples in mind, let us now address the questions of, "Why?" Why were the miracles that Jesus performed not good enough for them? Why did the Pharisees and Sadducees request a sign from Heaven?
Our Lord Jesus Christ gives us the answer to these questions by stating that the reason they asked for a sign was because they could not recognize the signs of the times. To see this, let us return to our incident and reread Jesus response to the Pharisees' and Sadducees' request for a sign from Heaven,
Matthew 16:2-3
"[2] He replied, "When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' [3] and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times."
Given the seriousness of this, let us review some examples of,
The Signs Of The Times Of Jesus' Day
To do this we will review the following three events or signs out of the many, that those well versed in the Scriptures, such as the Pharisees and Sadducees, should have recognized:
The Wise Men
The first sign that the Pharisees and Sadducees, as students of the Scriptures, should have recognized and taken to heart was the visit of the wise men, that is Magi, and the slaughter of the children in Bethlehem.
The reason for this was because it was foretold in the Scriptures that: (1) the Messiah or the One who would be King over Israel would come from Bethlehem and (2) there would be bitter weeping for the children in the region of Bethlehem.
To see this, let us first read from the book of Micah and read the prophecy that God gave concerning the town from where the King or Ruler of Israel would come,
Micah 5:2
""[2] But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.""
With this prophecy in mind, let us now read what happened when the Magi came to King Herod to inquire for directions as to where the King of the Jews was born. This account is given in,
Matthew 2:1-9
"[1] After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem [2] and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." [3] When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. [4] When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. [5] "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: [6] "'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'" [7] Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. [8] He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him." [9] After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was."
Let us notice the following verses,
3 … After the wise men told Herod they came to worship (note worship) the King of the Jews, King Herod and all Jerusalem was disturbed. In other words they all knew or suspected that something of great importance had occurred.
4 … Upon hearing the request of the wise men, King Herod summoned the priests and scribes. He did this to ask where the Christ was to be born. In other words King Herod was pretty convinced that the wise men were talking about the promised Messiah.
5-6 … Knowing the Scriptures, the priests and scribes told King Herod that according to the prophet Micah (Micah 5:2), the Messiah was to come from Bethlehem. One would think that by this time even the priests and scribes (who belonged to the various religious sects such as the Pharisees and Sadducees) would suspect that the prophecy, that is a sign depicting the arrival of the Messiah, given by Micah was fulfilled.
However, if the magi’s visit and Herod’s request did not alert the priests and scribes to the reality that a sign announcing the arrival of the Messiah was fulfilled, then they certainly should have been alerted when King Herod had the male children of Bethlehem slaughtered. The reason for this is because this action by Herod was foretold, through the prophet Jeremiah, to be one of the signs of the Messiah's arrival. To see this, let us read from,
Jeremiah 31:15
"[15] This is what the LORD says: "A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more.""
It is noted that in the above prophecy, Ramah designates the geographical area of Bethlehem (see The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia Of The Bible
1). In addition, it is further noted that the region of Bethlehem is also the place where Jacob, later renamed Israel, buried his wife Rachel after she died giving birth to their son Benjamin. To see this, let us read from,Genesis 35:19-20
"[19] So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). [20] Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day that pillar marks Rachel's tomb."
It is noted that Bethlehem belonged to the tribe or house of Benjamin, that is the descendents of Rachael's son Benjamin lived there. Thus, the prophecy in Jeremiah 31:15 is telling us that Rachael was prophetically crying for her grandchildren living in Bethlehem. With this in mind, let us now read what King Herod did when he realized that the Magi returned to their country without reporting back to him.
Matthew 2:16-18
"[16] When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. [17] Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: [18] "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.""
The second significant sign of the time that should have been recognized and taken to heart was the mission of,
John the Baptist
The reason for this is because the Scriptures foretold that proceeding the Messiah, a person will come to call the nation of Israel to repentance. In other words, the Scriptures foretold that God would send a messenger to prepare the people of Israel for their Lord. To see this, let us first read what God said through the prophet Malachi in,
Malachi 3:1
""[1] See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty."
We also find a similar prophecy given though the prophet Isaiah in,
Isaiah 40:3-5
"[3] A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD ; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. [4] Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. [5] And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.""
Let us notice the following verses,
3-4 … These verses are a reference to what was done in those days to prepare a path for a king to travel on. In other words, in honor and respect for the nobility of their king, before he would travel upon a road, that road or path was cleared and smoothed out before him. The analogy here was that before the Lord, that is King of the Universe, would be revealed, the people were to prepare themselves for Him. In the case of King Jesus the preparation was not a physical one but a spiritual one. In other words, to prepare the way for King Jesus the people were called to repentance, that is confess their sins and prepare their hearts for Him.
This prophecy or sign signaling the eminent arrival of the Messiah was fulfilled by John the Baptist. To see this let us read about his ministry from,
Matthew 3:1-11
"[1] In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea [2] and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." [3] This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" [4] John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. [5] People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. [6] Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. [7] But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? [8] Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. [9] And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. [10] The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. [11] "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."
To further see that the Pharisees and Sadducees were without excuse with respect to this sign, John the Baptist himself told them that he (John) was the fulfillment of the above prophecies. To see this, let us read from,
John 1:19-28
"[19] Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. [20] He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ." [21] They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No." [22] Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" [23] John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.'" [24] Now some Pharisees who had been sent [25] questioned him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" [26] "I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know. [27] He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie." [28] This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing."
Let us notice the following verses,
19-23 … A representative of the Levites and priests were sent by the Jews to inquire about John. John specifically told them that he was fulfilling the prophecy given through Isaiah. In fact, in verse 23 we read that John actually quoted to them from the prophecy of Isaiah.
24 … Some who were sent were from the sect of the Pharisees. In Matthew 3:7 we are told that members from the Sadducee sect also went to investigate John.
Thus, we find that the Pharisees and Sadducees knew that the prophecies concerning the Bethlehem birth of the Messiah, the slaughter of the male children of Bethlehem and the voice in the wilderness were being fulfilled. They also knew that these events and happenings were to fulfill prophecies that were signs depicting the arrival of the Messiah.
Our third example of the signs of the times of the Pharisees and Sadducees is,
The Ministry Of Jesus Christ
Another one of the prophecies that the Pharisees and Sadducees should have known about was the sign of the works that the Messiah would perform. This is given in,
Isaiah 35:5-6
"[5] Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. [6] Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy..."
Earlier in this chapter we saw that the Pharisees and Sadducees were very well aware that Jesus gave sight to the blind, opened the ears of the deaf and in general performed an unbelievable amount of miraculous cures. In fact, we also found that they saw Jesus cast out evil spirits and even bring the dead back to life.
Thus, as with all the previous signs we reviewed, seeing and hearing about all the miracles that Jesus performed, the Pharisees and Sadducees, who were students of the Scriptures, should have recognized and taken to heart the signs of their times. However, they did not. Why?
The Reason For The Unbelief
The key to finding the answer as to why the Pharisees and Sadducees did not recognize the signs of their times lies in the response that Jesus gave when they asked Him for a sign from Heaven. To see this, let us return to the book of Matthew and read from,
Matthew 16:4
"[4] A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, ..."
Why? Why did Jesus call the generation that He visited a wicked and adulterous generation? Because even though they were God’s chosen people, they did not desire and want to follow the Truth of God. Even though they knew the Scriptures, they instead preferred to follow the teachings and traditions of men. In other words, outwardly they appeared to be righteous and holy, but inside their hearts were far from God.
To see this, let us read an excerpt of what Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees about following the traditions of man rather than the commands of God. It is interesting to note that in His rebuke Jesus quotes from a prophecy given by Isaiah that foretold of the attitudes that the people would have during the days of His visit with them. What is extremely interesting to note is that as we will find later in this chapter, it is these very same attitudes that will be a sign of Jesus’ second coming. We find His rebuke in,
Matthew 15:7-9
"[7] You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: [8] "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. [9] They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'""
For a more expanded description of the attitudes of the scribes and Pharisees, please read Matthew 23:1-39.
In summary, we find that because their hearts were far from loving God and the Truth of His ways, His chosen, that is the Jewish Pharisees and Sadducees, did not recognize nor accept the signs of their times that pointed to Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah. Instead they insisted upon something more spectacular, that is a sign from Heaven.
The Sign Of Jonah
At the close of His conversation with the Pharisees and Sadducees Jesus did tell them that in fact they would see a sign from Heaven. To see this, let us now return to their conversation and read about the sign that would be given,
Matthew 16:4
"[4] A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Jesus then left them and went away."
This raises the question of, "What is the sign of Jonah that was to be given?" To find out, let us read what Jesus said to describe it in,
Matthew 12:40
"[40] For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
In other words, the sign of Jonah that was going to be given was Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection and ascension back into Heaven.
Unfortunately for the unbelieving Pharisees and Sadducees the sign they so desired occurred after they rejected and gave up their Messiah to be crucified. Just as Jesus said when He wept over Jerusalem, they did not recognize the time of their visitation, see Luke 19:41-44.
The Message Of The Pharisees And Sadducees
One might ask, "What is the lesson to be learned here? How can we apply all this knowledge to the Christian community of today?" To address these questions we will,
SOME PROPHECIES THAT FORETELL OF JESUS' RETURN TO EARTH
The fact that Jesus Christ will visit the earth a second time is clearly taught by the Scriptures. To see this we will,
Jesus Promises To Return
Jesus clearly taught His disciples and now us that He will return to earth for His church. For example, let us read what Jesus said to His disciples to prepare them for His upcoming death, resurrection and ascension into Heaven.
John 14:1-3
""[1] Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in me. [2] In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. [3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."
Let us notice the following verses,
2 … Jesus told His disciples then and now us that while in Heaven He will prepare a place for those that are His.
3 … Jesus also told His disciples then and now us that He will come again to bring all those who are His to the place that He prepared for us.
Two Angels Foretell Of Jesus' Return To Earth
We find that at the time of His ascension into Heaven, two angels comfort His disciples by telling them that Jesus will return in the same manner that He ascended.
Acts 1:9-11
"[9] … he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. [10] They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. [11] "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.""
We Proclaim His Return During The Lord's Supper
In addition to Jesus and the angels at His ascension, we find that every time we celebrate our Lord’s Supper we reaffirm His return to earth. To see this, let us read from,
1 Corinthians 11:26
"[26] For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."
The Epistles Foretell Of Jesus' Second Coming
Finally, we find that throughout the epistles Jesus’ second coming is clearly taught. For example, let us read what the Holy Spirit, through Paul, wrote to comfort those who were and are concerned about the fate of those who died before our Lord’s return,
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
"[16] For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. [17] After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever."
The Purpose Of Jesus' Second Coming
The reason Jesus will come to earth a second time is to gather to Himself those who are His. In the above Scripture, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, we discover that the born again believers who died in Christ will be resurrected first. Then, those who are alive during His return will be caught up to meet our brothers and sisters in the clouds to be with our Lord.
What about those left behind? What is going to happen to those who Jesus does not take with Him on His second coming? To find out, let us read about the vision that Jesus gave John that addresses this very question,
Revelation 19:11-21
"[11] I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. [12] His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. [13] He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. [14] The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. [15] Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. [16] On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. [17] And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God, [18] so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great." [19] Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. [20] But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. [21] The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh."
Thus, we find that not only is Jesus scheduled to return to earth to gather to Himself those who are His, but at that time He will also wage war against all those who are not His. Hence, the extreme importance for us to be always prepared and ready to go. To see this, let us read the following exhortation from,
Luke 21:34-36
""[34] Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. [35] For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. [36] Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.""
Earlier in this chapter we saw that the Pharisees’ and Sadducees’ lack of desire to know and follow the Truth of God prevented them from recognizing and taking to heart the signs of their times. Consequently, they missed receiving their Messiah, Jesus Christ.
What about now? What about us? Do we desire to know and follow the Truths of God? Are we aware of some of the signs that will characterize the days of the eminent return of our Lord? Are we aware of the signs of the times in which we live? In case we are not sure, let us now explore some of the,
SIGNS OF THE TIMES IN WHICH WE LIVE
In doing this we will:
Introduction
As you read this portion of our study you will notice that, other than Luke 21:20-24, I have not utilized any of the prophecies recorded in chapter 24 of Matthew, chapter 13 of Mark and chapter 21 of Luke. The reason for this is that these chapters record Jesus' response to the following two questions of His disciples: (1) "When will the Temple be destroyed?" and (2) "What will be the signs of His return?" Since I am not able to completely sort out the signs that pertain to Jesus' second coming from those that pertain to the destruction of the Temple, I believe it best to only discuss the signs or prophecies that I am comfortable with.
Background
Before we begin our study of the signs of our times, it will be of great value to refresh our memories with respect to the following two points:
First, as we saw earlier, the time of Jesus’ first visit to earth was characterized by an apathy for truth. In other words, other than a small number of Israelites, that is a remnant, the people’s hearts were hardened (not responsive) to God and His ways. Thus, they missed their chance to be a disciple of Jesus and receive the salvation that He came to give. To see this, let us read why Jesus taught in parables.
Matthew 13:10-16
"[10] The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" [11] He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. [12] Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. [13] This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. [14] In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. [15] For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.' [16] But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear."
Let us notice the following verses,
11 … It was only to Jesus’ disciples that the mysteries of God’s Kingdom were explained.
13-15 … Pretty sobering isn’t it?
16 … How blessed we are! How blessed we are that our spiritual eyes and ears are opened to receive the things of God!
The second point for us to remember is that as a consequence of rejecting their Messiah, God decreed that the time had finally come for Jerusalem to be overrun and the Temple to be destroyed. To see this, let us read what Jesus said as He wept over the city of Jerusalem,
Luke 19:41-44
"[41] As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it [42] and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace--but now it is hidden from your eyes. [43] The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. [44] They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you.""
As we read the Scriptures further, we find that during the time His disciples were admiring the Temple in Jerusalem, Jesus again foretold of the destruction of the Temple and the overthrow of Jerusalem. To see this, let us read from,
Luke 21:5-6
"[5] Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, [6] "As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.""
We also read that Jesus told His disciples that in addition to the Temple being destroyed, Jerusalem will be overthrown and the people will be dispersed throughout the nations.
Luke 21:20 -24(a)
""[20] When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. [21] Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. [22] For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. [23] How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. [24] They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations..."
In Chapter 2 of this book, we found that the prophecy of the fall of Jerusalem was fulfilled by the Roman army in 70AD.
With these two points in mind: (1) the hardening of the Israelites and (2) the fall of Jerusalem, let us now explore the fact that,
We Live In A Time Of Transition
To see this, let us return to the conversation that Jesus had with His disciples and read about the time when Jerusalem will transition back to the sovereign rule of Israel.
Luke 21:24(b)
"[24] … Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."
In reflecting upon the above prophecy of transition, the question that comes to mind is, "What did Jesus mean when He said, "Until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."?"
To find out, let us read the following excerpt from where the Holy Spirit, through Paul, explains to us that Israel’s rejection of Jesus brought God’s Grace to the Gentile.
Romans 11:25-27
"[25] I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. [26] And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. [27] And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.""
Let us notice the following verses,
25 … This hardening of the Jewish people’s heart in accepting Jesus will only last till the fullness of the Gentiles has occurred, that is till the time of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
Then,
26-27 … The Deliver, that is Jesus, will come and bring into the fold the Israelites.
As we saw in Chapter 2, the restoration of Israel to be a sovereign state, that is no longer under the control of a Gentile nation, occurred in 1948. This happened approximately 1,878 years after its overthrow by the Roman army in 70AD. In addition, we also found in Chapter 2 that the restoration or transition of Jerusalem to the sovereign state of Israel finally occurred after the miraculous six day war in 1967.
With all the above in mind, I believe that it is safe to say that we are now living in the day of transition. In other words, we are living in the times where the prophecy relative to Jerusalem and the deliverance of the Israelites are being fulfilled.
Apathy Or Indifference For Truth
In addition to living in a period of transition what we will find next is that the times we live in can be characterized by a similar apathy for truth as was prevalent during the times of our Lord’s first visit. In addition to this being a sign of the last days, we will also see that because of the people’s apathy for the truth, God will appease their desire and send them a great delusion.
We begin this portion of our study by noting that this apathy for truth is foretold to have at least the following two characteristics:
The Power Of Godliness Is Denied
To see that during the last days the Scripture foretells that the power of godliness will be denied, let us read what is foretold concerning the general attitudes of the people that will be living in the last days. As we do, please pay particular attention to verse 5.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
"[1] But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. [2] People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, [3] without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, [4] treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-- [5] having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them."
To discern the signs of our times, let each one of us prayerfully consider and reflect upon the following:
Within the majority of churches today, are the issues of sin, such as homosexuality, adultery, fornication (that is sex outside of marriage), lying, and those listed above in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 glossed over, ignored or even condoned? (or) Is there an emphasis that calls and exhorts us to live in a manner worthy of our call as the Holy Spirit commands us in,
Ephesians 4:1
"[1] As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received."
We must remember that Jesus came to sacrifice Himself to not only make amends for us, that is bring us forgiveness for our sins - see Chapter 6, but as we saw in Chapters 7 and 14, He also redeemed us from the power of sin. Consequently, He not only expects us to live our lives in the freedom of His forgiveness but also in a manner worthy of our call.
To illustrate this point, let us consider the parable Jesus gave us about the marriage feast and the wedding clothes,
Matthew 22:1-14
"[1] Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: [2] "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. [3] He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. [4] "Then he sent some more servants and said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.' [5] "But they paid no attention and went off--one to his field, another to his business. [6] The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. [7] The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. [8] "Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. [9] Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' [10] So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. [11] "But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. [12] 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless. [13] "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' [14] "For many are invited, but few are chosen.""
Let us notice the following verses,
1-6 … These verses describe the attitude that the majority of the Pharisees and Sadducees had during the time of Jesus’ first visit.
7 … This is a prophecy for the 70AD over throw destruction of Jerusalem.
8-10 … These words of our Lord Jesus is of utmost concern for the Gentile. The reason is because it is here that Jesus talks about those who were initially not part of God’s chosen people. It is these, the Gentiles, who are now invited to the wedding feast.
11-12 … Since we must be wearing wedding clothes at the wedding feast it is imperative for us to know what they are. To find out, let us read an excerpt of the vision given to the Apostle John relative to what the wedding feast will be like,
Revelation 19:6-8
"[6] Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. [7] Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. [8] Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)"
In other words as we saw in Chapter 15, when we live our daily lives by faith in our Lord and obey the Holy Spirit living within us, He will put to death the sin in our lives and His fruits or righteousness, the wedding clothes or fine linen, will be manifest in our lives. This is the power of godliness that will be denied in the last days.
Before we move on to the next characteristic, let us notice how serious of an issue this is by observing that in the last half of 2 Timothy 3:5 we are told to avoid those who do not encourage and exhort us to live a life of godliness.
The second characteristic relative to the apathy for truth is that the religious community will surround themselves with,
Teachers That Tickle The Ears
In other words, the Bible teaches us that many so called Christians will only listen to and gather around teachers that tell them what they want to hear. To see this, let us read where the Apostle Paul reminds Timothy to always present the truth of God's Word.
2 Timothy 4:1-4
"[1] In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: [2] Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. [3] For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. [4] They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."
To discern the signs of our times relative to teachers that tickle our ears, let each and every one of us prayerfully consider and reflect upon the following:
Is the Christian teaching of our day mixed and watered down with this world’s politically correct answers and methods that promise to alleviate our human suffering and problems? (or) Does the emphasis of the Christian teaching of today exhort us to rely and depend upon God and the Truth of His promises that will enable us to partake of His nature and escape from the world’s corruption? To see this let us read the tremendous and all encompassing promises that our God has made to us,
2 Peter 1:2-4
"[2] Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. [3] His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. [4] Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."
In addition to this issue of a watered down Gospel with the world’s empty answers to our problems, we should also prayerfully ask ourselves,
After the initial outreach to bring the unsaved to Jesus Christ, is the Christian teaching of our day focused upon providing answers and methods for a "good" and "financially prosperous" life here on earth? (or) Is the teaching more focused upon how we are to live our life on this earth so as to reap the rewards in eternity?
For us to better understand this issue, let us prayerfully read what Jesus had to say on this subject in,
Matthew 6:19-21
""[19] Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. [20] But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. [21] For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
A Warning
With the above signs in mind, we now come to what is for me the most frightening and sobering potion of this chapter. Specifically, because of this apathy, God tells us that in the last days He will send a great delusion. He will do this because during the last days the people will not desire to know or follow the truth of God. Instead they would much rather follow fables and fantasies. Consequently, He will send them their desire. To see this, let us read from,
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12
"[9] The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, [10] and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. [11] For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie [12] and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness."
If this delusion is coming from God, how can we possibly be protected from it? How can we ever prevail? The answer to these questions is in,
2 Thessalonians 2:10
"[10] … They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved."
In other words, we are to love the Truth! Specifically, we should remember to not commit the same error as the Pharisees and Sadducees and live a life of external spirituality and holiness. Instead, with our whole heart we are to love and live in the Truth. As we do this let us remember that in Chapter 4 we found that one of the characteristics of our Lord Jesus Christ is that He is the Truth (John 14:6)!
Thus, when we do this, that is when we whole heartily desire to know and live in the truth, that is cling to Jesus, we find the most glorious promise.
John 10:27-30
"[27] My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. [28] I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. [29] My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. [30] I and the Father are one.""
Summary
In summary we find that since the city of Jerusalem is no longer under Gentile rule, the prophecies that our Lord Jesus Christ gave when He wept over Jerusalem and when He spoke to His disciples by the Temple are fulfilled. Thus, we find ourselves living in a day of transition. In other words, as God gave Jerusalem up from the Israelites to the Gentiles at the time of His first appearance upon earth, He has now returned Jerusalem to the people of Israel. As we saw in Romans 11:25-27, He did this because the times of the Gentiles are being fulfilled and He is now preparing for His second visit to earth.
In addition, I believe that as the time of our Lord’s first visit was characterized by the people’s apathy for truth, these same attitudes that are foretold to characterize the last days are presently unfolding.
THE MESSAGE
What is the point of going through all of this? What is the message? Perhaps it is best stated by reading the following exhortation that Jesus gave to each and every one of us,
Luke 21:29-36
"[29] He told them this parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees. [30] When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. [31] Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. [32] "I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. [33] Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. [34] "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. [35] For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. [36] Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.""
Blessed be the Lord forever!
AMEN and AMEN