What in the World is Going On? Expectation

Matthew 24:3–11 NKJV

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?” 4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 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. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.

Luke 21:25–28 (NKJV)

25 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring;

26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

5 Biblical Reasons to Not Be Afraid if We're in the End Times

1. Your Redemption Is Drawing Closer

Luke 21:28 NKJV

28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

In this chapter in Luke, Jesus is describing the destruction of the temple and what will happen during the end times. After describing these things, he then proceeds to remind you of what your response should be. Not heads down, but heads up.

In other words, Jesus is saying when these things begin to happen look for me...because I am coming soon. Your fear should be replaced by anticipation because your salvation is drawing closer. Isn’t that reason to rejoice?

Jesus is encouraging you not to be afraid. Remember, you are on his side. And sneak peek to the end of the story, Jesus wins. Because he wins, you win—so don’t be afraid. When you see the signs, that means his coming is getting closer so lift up your head and rejoice.

Romans 13:11 NKJV

11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.

2. Be Encouraged and Encourage Others

1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 NKJV

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 TPT

16 For the Lord himself will appear with the declaration of victory, the shout of an archangel, and the trumpet blast of God. He will descend from the heavenly realm and command those who are dead in Christ to rise first. 17 Then we who are alive will join them, transported together in clouds to have an encounter with the Lord in the air, and we will be forever joined with the Lord. 18 So encourage one another with these truths.

In this passage, Paul is describing what is commonly known as the rapture of the church. The verse I want you to pay close attention to is verse 18. What does Paul instruct the church to do? Encourage each other with these words.

It feels like there was a time in the church when we lived with the expectation and hope of Jesus’ return. I don’t know if that still exists today, but regardless, we need to look at the end times and the expectation of Christ’s return as a means of encouraging each other. When Jesus comes back, every wrong thing will be made right and every broken thing will be made well. That's something we can all look forward to.

The world might be crazy right now, but I know it won’t always be that way...because Jesus is coming. This is not something to be afraid of, but something that can encourage you and someone else.

3. You Are Closer to Seeing Jesus

1 John 3:2–3 NKJV

2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

One of the awesome things about when Jesus returns is that we will see him. Isn’t that what Christianity is all about? Seeing our wonderful savior! The one who loved us so much that he suffered, died, and rose again for our redemption. In that moment, your faith and all that you have believed will become sight. One of the great beauties of it all is that we get to see him just as he is. That means in all of his glory and splendor. I know you may have experienced the presence of God before, but never like this.

This alone, my friend, is reason for hope and reason for excitement. Don’t fear his coming, long for it. What an awesome day that will be. In fact, there is this old song we used to sing which sums it up best:

What a day that will be When my Jesus I shall see

When I look upon His face The One who saved me by His grace

When He takes me by the hand And leads me to the Promised Land

What a day, glorious day that will be

4. You Are Closer to Your Eternal Home

Revelation 22:1–5 NKJV

1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

Revelation 22:14 NKJV

14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.

There is so much I could say, but I just want to say one thing to you…wow! On that day you and I will no longer be victims to the curse of sin which will be gone forever. We get to enjoy God’s presence forever and ever. This is the ultimate hope and destination of your faith in Christ. I implore you to cling to this hope. And as you see the signs of the end times rejoice—because your salvation is truly at hand.

I hope you are finishing this article more encouraged than when you started. The end times and the second coming of Christ are awesome events. My prayer for you is that they would motivate you to be everything that God wants you to be until he comes. Let Paul’s words be yours:

2 Timothy 4:7–8 NKJV

7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

5. You Have Work to Do

Matthew 24:12–13 ESV

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.

Matthew 24:14 ESV

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.

Knowing that we are living in the end times, this is not the time to shrink back. There is still something called the Great Commission—our responsibility to preach the gospel and make disciples. If you want to be afraid of something, be afraid for those who don’t know Jesus, because their end is different than yours. This should compel us to want to share the love and hope of Jesus to those who don’t know him.

This will not be easy work, especially as the love of many grow cold in our society, but this is necessary work. How else will they know unless we tell them? Let’s be committed to the cause of Christ and even more so as we see the day approaching. I challenge you (and myself) to be true salt and light to a world that needs it. Let’s be godly examples in our homes, communities, and places of work. The very fact we know the signs should motivate us to action.

1 Corinthians 15:58 NKJV

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:58 TPT

58 So now, beloved ones, stand firm and secure. Live your lives with an unshakable confidence. We know that we prosper and excel in every season by serving the Lord, because we are assured that our union with the Lord makes our labor productive with fruit that endures.

Isaiah 2:2 ESV

2 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it,

6. You Have an Expectation of Outpouring

Joel 2:28–32 NKJV

28 “And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. 29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. 30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. 32 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the Lord has said, Among the remnant whom the Lord calls.

Verses 28-29 There will be an outpouring.

Everyone who desires will be included.

Verse 30 I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke.

Blood: is the blood of Jesus that he shed for the redemption of man'

Fire: Is the sign of the coming Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost when tongues of fire sat on each of their heads and they spoke in other tongues as they were filled with the Spirit

Vapor of Smoke: Is the glory or presence of God that fills the Earth

Habakkuk 2:14 NKJV

14 For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea.

What did Jesus say would happen just before He returned?

Verse 29 "Immediately after the distress of those days

"'the sun will be darkened,

and the moon will not give its light;

the stars will fall from the sky,

and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'

Verse 32 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved;

1 John 4:17–19 (NKJV)

Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.

1 John 4:17–19 TPT

17 By living in God, love has been brought to its full expression in us so that we may fearlessly face the day of judgment, because all that Jesus now is, so are we in this world. 18 Love never brings fear, for fear is always related to punishment. But love’s perfection drives the fear of punishment far from our hearts. Whoever walks constantly afraid of punishment has not reached love’s perfection. 19 Our love for others is our grateful response to the love God first demonstrated to us.