Coronavirus and the End Times
Notes
Transcript
Streaming so far.. it’s harder for me not to see you while I speak,, but hope you are staying tuned,,, and you are staying awake.. concerned especially for those of you who used to fall asleep even before , when we gathered in our building.
We were on the series on Spiritual Warfare --- we’ll pick it up again because I believe it is still highly relevant with what is happening — Spiritual warfare is waging not only at a personal spiritual level, but at a global spiritual level —
There is a raging war for the souls of men.
This crisis we face with the Coronavirus.
This is not just a single isolated momentous event. It is more of a watershed moment. Like a dividing point in history, from which things will never be the same again.
This changed us forever. Just like how we look back to past events and classify them as pre-911 or post 911. At this time, we look back to the pre-covid 19 past. Maybe there is no going back to the old normal..
A year from now or more this will be remembered not only for the deaths but also its economic impact which we are finding out is more devastating, loss of job and income, there is a notice spike of calls to the suicide hotline since this pandemic started..there are reported domestic abuse as husband and wives are together at home all the time..
This pandemic affected the whole world, and it does not discriminate between rich and poor, celebrity and non-celebrity, politician and ordinary citizen, young and old, whatever the national and cultural background. Everyone has been affected.
The world is trying to find answers.
The country is struggling to go back to normal as leaders are planning when to re-open the country and get people out of quarantine.
Those who believe in God or have religion are asking God:
What is Coronavirus in End Times prophecy? What is really happening in light of Biblical prophecy? What will happen next?
My prayer is that instead of asking the same questions that the world is asking. Crosswind Church let us ask, what is the role that we are supposed to play in these times?
For those of you the best guide at this time is the Bible, let’s hear straight from the mouth of the Master Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ.
In the last week of His earthly life (verify) the disciples of Jesus asked him similar questions that the world is asking.
3 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?”
They asked him three questions
When will these things be? (Destruction of Jerusalem, foreshadow of the Great Tribulation which is about to come)
What will be the sign of Your coming?
What is the sign of the end of the age?
Jesus replied in what is known as the Olivet Discourse.. and talked about the immediate future of the nation of Israel and a distant future, which is the end of the age. Or the end of the world.
Jesus mentioned a few things that must happen:
4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. 9 “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. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 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.
So Jesus mentioned - events that need to happen, the signs which will answer all three of the disciples questions.
We will know how close we are to the end of the age and the second coming of Christ by looking at this list and determining what have already happened, and which ones are yet to happen.
I see 10 signs and have divided the list of signs into two categories:
"Beginning of sorrows” or "Beginning of Birth Pains” Signs:
The rise of false Messiahs.
Wars and rumors of wars.
Famines
Pestilences
Earthquakes
“Times of Sorrow” Signs:
1. Severe persecution of Jews and Christians.
2. Severe Lawlessness.
3. False prophets to deceive many.
4. A Great Apostasy.
5. The Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations
Among these signs, the closest to what we are facing now with this pandemic is the fourth one -pestilences.
From the Oxford Dictionary:
Pestilence (NOUN) - A fatal epidemic disease, especially bubonic plague.
Now if the coronavirus is indeed this sign of pestilence that Jesus talked about, where does it lead to?
If coronavirus fall under the first five signs, I have good news and bad news, which one do you want to hear first? I’ll tell you the good news 1) This is just part of the beginning of birth pains or sorrows. which means coronavirus will not bring about the end of the world.
Here’s the bad news: The worst is till to come, coronavirus is just a sign which actually leads to a time of Great sorrow. What is that actual time of sorrow?
So this Coronavirus pandemic is not the worst of what’s going to happen”, Because there will be a great tribulation that will come, according to the Lord will be so severe that it will make this current crisis like a trip to Disneyland.
This is not to scare you but to examine where you are in your faith in Christ,
If you are a follower of Jesus You should view the end times not with fear but a period of great excitement and preparation.
The Great Tribulation
Jesus said: There will be a Great Tribulation such has not been from the beginning of the world until now.
So when does this Great Tribulation start?
We can’t precisely know when. But Jesus said that we should discern the times.. and we can focus on two signs that are related to the work of the church in these end times.
I won’t talk about the details of the Great Tribulation. It will be a time of great global suffering that will last for 7 years. First there will be the first half of 3 1/2 years when the Antichrist will rise and establish his global rule and deceive many.., the Antichrist will reveal himself as a religious figure after 3 i/2 years in the middle of the 7 years. Some description of what’s gonna happen in the second 3 1/2 years, one there will be a one world government led by the antichrist, absolute control of everyone, total control of economic system, no one can make any financial transactions, even buying basic stuff unless you worship the antichrist, the beast.
Where is the church going to be in this terrible time of Tribulation? Then there is the rapture of the church when true followers of Jesus will be taken out of this world. Christians disagree when it’s going to happen in relation to the Great Tribulation… if it is going to be before, in the middle of or after the Great Tribulation.. which we’ll talk about in detail
We’ll talk about the tribulation in detail in another sermon series.
Today, we’ll focus on how we respond as a church knowing that coronavirus is a sign of the end times:
Let’s tackle three overarching signs of the end:
Overarching Signs of the End Times:
1. The Judgement of the World is Overdue and is Coming.
2. God is not done with Israel.
3. The Church still has unfinished business.
First: The Judgement of the World is Overdue and is Coming.
The sins of America and the world have piled up in heaven. The book of Revelation says that God has remembered her crimes.
There is no sin in this list given to us that America and the world is not actively engaged in. These are the same perilous times that the Apostle Paul mentioned in 2 Timothy 3.
One thing that strikes me is verse 21, although they knew God, they did not honor Him as as God or give thanks to Him.
This week the governor of New York Andrew Cuomo, in seeing cases of COVID-19 plateau in the state said: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said “God did not do that. Faith did not do that. Destiny did not do that,” he stressed. New cases are down “because we brought the number down.”
God have mercy on us, we see that the leader of this epicenter state has not seen the end of the pandemic and he is already arrogantly saying “God has nothing to do with this problem being solved”.
For all of America’s sins, millions of babies being sacrificed on the altar of abortion and planned parenthood.. the attacks of God’s institution of marriage as being between a man and a woman, the proliferation of pornography, the removal of God in our schools, leaders of this nation remain defiant in the midst of a plague.. they raise their fist against God — “God we are able to get ourselves out of this! We don’t need you.”
God have mercy on us!
20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Second overarching sign of the End:
2. God is not done with Israel.
In Daniel 9, the Old Testament prophet Daniel was given a prophetic word regarding the 70 weeks.
24 “Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. 25 Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. 26 And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And 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. 27 And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”
Daniel’s 70 weeks diagram here.
f you study this carefully, each week represents 7 actual years. 69 weeks You see 69 weeks or 483 years from the command to rebuild Jerusalem to Messiah being cutoff, the crucifixion of Jesus had already transpired.
We are now in the period known as the dispensation or time of the Gentiles, The church age. When the church age finally ends, the last week or last seven years of the Great Tribulation will ensue.
when will this church age end? When will Daniel’s 70th week or Great Tribulation begin? The apostle Paul gives us a clue:
25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
Until the full number of Gentiles or non-Jews has come in to God’s Kingdom (Romans 11:25). So it is like in this church age, God suspended stopped the clock when it comes to the nation of Israel,, and then when the Great Tribulation happens, the clock will resume and a remnant from Israel will finally recognize Jesus as their Messiah and they will be saved.
So a great sign that will happen in answer to the question, is that the Gospel will be preached to the non-Jewish world, God knows the exact number of those who will be saved, and then God will once again turn to the remnant of Israel ==> Daniel’s 70th week will start, which ushers in the Great Tribulation.
The fullness of the Gentiles has to come in.
That is why there is a race for the souls of men, God has a specific number that he has ordained, while more of these non-Jews, including those in the Islamic world are being saved, we are drawing closer and closer and the coming of the end is being hastened.
Don’t be too lost in the details of Daniel’s 70 weeks. I just have to share the full counsel of end time prophecy, but I encourage you to study the Book of Daniel chapter 9 on your own.
Question is why are we hastening the coming of the Great Tribulation?
Nothing will stop the purpose of God.
We should looks forward to the next Great event after the Great Tribulation.
Third Overarching sign:
The Church still has unfinished business.
As Christians, we should look forward to the final sign most important sign, which is the heart of God.. ready?
14 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.
The global church has to reach all the nations of the world with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus and therefore:
In fulfilling the Great Commission, the Global church hastens the coming of the Lord.
Some scoffers and false teachers who don’t understand the Bible take this as the church knowing the exact day and the hour. No says that anyone will know the exact day and the hour, the Lord said none will know that for certain. But those who understand Biblical prophecy will see that no one can reverse the inevitable tide of prophecy that the gospel will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations. Who else will preach to these unreached nations except the church?
So whether you don’t believe in this or not, it is inevitable. You can choose to stay with just one people group or you can participate in the inevitable vision of God and take the gospel to all the unreached nations of the world. Crosswind church on my watch choose to do so.
The gospel will eventually saturate all people groups and then the end will come..
Image of unreached people groups in here.
1989 - 11,000; 2001 - 8,000; 2004 - 6,000; 2008 - 3,300; 2010- 1,500
Now 8 years later, as you see its down to just 500 people groups that remain to be unreached.. no churches have been planted in these nations.
In Reality, the reason we should be excited about this image is that as the number of unreached people groups continue to dwindle... you know what is going to happen right? then our ultimate salvation will follow — Our King and Lord - the King of Kings and Lord of Lord will finally return.
This should bring excitement to the Christian than being afraid of the coronavirus..
Our standard greeting at this time should no longer be hello, not even peace, but it should be Maranatha - which means — Come, Lord Jesus!
Maranatha!
This is the last reason, I believe coronavirus is not yet the end.. is because for the real church of Jesus Christ, not the traditional church, not the ritualistic church, that has a “form of godliness but denying the power of God”… the pure bride of Christ that is still in this world, and the church of Jesus still has unfinished business, a mission to accomplish.. to preach the Gospel to all the nations, the global church of Jesus has to reach the unreached.
I believe that there is a new realignment of the global church of Jesus during this pandemic, that many will emerge not just returning to the status quo of the traditional way we do church.. but becoming global in their mission focus..
That is Crosswind Church..
Crosswind Vision Statement:
“Advancing the Kingdom of God through the Fulfillment of Christ’s Great Commission through all Generations”
We’ll focus on discipleship, evangelism and missions (by missions, going and sending missionaries to places where it has not gone before [particularly the 1040 Window Nations)
Bible says no one will know the day and the hour, but it does say in 2 Peter 3:12 that we can hasten it. Hasten it by prayer and by fulfilling the Great Commission.
Story of Paul in Acts 27.
As a prisoner for the gospel of Jesus the Apostle Paul appealed to appear before the emperor, who was Nero at that time. Before the ship of soldiers and prisoners set sail, Paul warned them not to proceed because the voyage will end in disaster.. but they did not listen and still set sail to to Rome. And as Paul warned there was a severe storm that threatened to destroy and sink the ship. But as the wind and waves tossed the ship to and fro, the whole ship was spared because inside that ship there is a man of God who continued to pray and intercede for the rest of the ship. After many days of prayer and fasting, the great Apostle gave a word of encouragement: He said an angel of God appeared to him and said “do not be afraid Paul, because you must appear before Caesar, and God has granted you all those who sail with you.”
Just like Paul we the church of Jesus Christ, is aboard that big ship of the world, being tossed to and fro by this raging storm of the coronavirus. And we like Paul, let us continue to warn of the impending disaster which is to come to the world, The Great Tribulation.. we are to intercede for the other passengers of the world, and our prayer is that we will see the Lord telling like He did before the Apostle Paul, church “do not be afraid, you still have a job to do, a mission to accomplish, you will appear before leaders of men, before kings — and God has granted you many of those who sail with you - the rest of the world”
Oh let us pray that God will grant us the souls of men.
Let us intercede as the church and proclaim the everlasting Gospel repent , Christ is coming soon.. turn from your wicked ways.. God does not delight in the death of the wicked Ezekiel.. he has been patient toward you not wishing that any of you should perish,, but that you come to repentance 2 Peter 3:9.. He is a loving God Who desires all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth 1 Timothy 2:4.. It is God’s goodness that leads to repentance.
Crosswind Church let us do our part, if you belong to Jesus, think today of that loved one that has not yet given his or her life to Jesus. Then pray for God’s heart for the unreached nations.
It is actually a race for the souls of men.. The gospel is being preached to all the nations, simultaneous to that, we have to make sure we are reaching our loved ones too. The gospel reaching all the nations is inevitable, and you have not reached your loved ones for Christ, it will be too late.. or you were raptured before that if the rapture happens before the tribulation — then it will be too late.. It is a race..
FINISH AND WIN THE RACE FOR CHRIST!
I know I went longer than normal in my message today. But I have to preach the full counsel of the Lord especially at these times that we live in. Not to scare you but to put things in the right perspective.. This is actually a message of hope.. The Gospel is always about hope. Hope found only in Christ.
Hope is found only in Jesus Christ.
Sinners prayer.
Prayer for revival.