Signs of The End Times
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After the extravagant display of apostate religion on that Monday in the temple [questions to trap Jesus, the failure of the leaders to acknowledge Jesus as their Messiah, and the pretense in giving to attract the attention of men by the rich], Jesus and His disciples leave the temple and Jerusalem for the day. They cross the Kidron valley to the Mount of Olives that overlooks the temple grounds. As they leave, one of the disciples asked Jesus what He thought of the temple, its beauty and the offerings.
5 Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said,
Jesus’ answer was a shock to the disciples, “it will be completely destroyed.”
So the disciples asked Him the all important questions that any would ask after His response, “When will this happen and what signs will we need to look for to know it is here?”
That is the question that we all want the answer to. When is the end coming and how will we know?
This morning I want to look at “The Signs of the End Times”
Text: Mark 13:1-13
1 Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!”
2 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately,
4 “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?”
5 And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you.
6 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many.
7 But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet.
8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.
9 “But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them.
10 And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.
11 But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.
12 Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.
13 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
In response to the disciples question, Jesus reveals the beginning of the end. A snapshot of prophesy to be fulfilled that man can see and understand. Those signs are given for two purposes. One, for believers to be tested in their faith by sharing the gospel with the lost, and two, for the lost to have the opportunity to hear the gospel and be saved.
1. The Destruction of the Temple; 3
1. The Destruction of the Temple; 3
Jesus used the destruction of the temple as a sign of the beginning of the end.
Herod’s temple was one of the architectural marvels of the ancient world. Built of polished white stone, its eastern wall covered in gold, the temple’s main structure gleamed in the evening light as if it were a massive jewel. It covered 1/6th of the land area of Old Jerusalem.
Though the temple was magnificent and beautiful, a place of worship for Jehovah, it had become a monument of apostasy.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.
28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Many church houses have become nothing but a monument of apostasy, falling away from the faith and teaching traditions and ways of men instead of the doctrines of truth!
The temple in Jerusalem was completely destroyed in AD 70 by the Roman military commander Titus Vespasianus.
A Sign Fulfilled!
2. The Claim of False Christ’s; 5-6
2. The Claim of False Christ’s; 5-6
Jesus warned the disciples not to get up in the signs that they would be deceived. For many will come claiming to be Him.
People have been caught up in signs for centuries and have not used the spirit of discernment and the Word of God to know what is from the Lord and what is from Satan.
If you read the letters from Paul, Peter and John, which is a majority of the New Testament, they all warn of false teachers creeping into the church to lead people astray from the faith.
In our own era many so-called Messiahs have come and gone. Joseph Smith, Charles Taze Russell, Mary Baker Patterson Glover Eddy, Sun Myung Moon and David Koresh. Remember Jim Jones, the founder of The People’s Temple, and the nearly 1,000 people he led to commit mass suicide in 1978.
No one knows when Christ will return, only the Father does. Don’t be deceived!
32 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
Signs continually fulfilled!
3. Wars, Earthquakes and Famines; 7-8
3. Wars, Earthquakes and Famines; 7-8
Jesus gives the disciples another sign of the end times. This sign covers troubles on the earth through wars, earthquakes and famines.
There have always been situations on earth that have brought devastation whether it be from natural causes or by the conflict of men. But Jesus uses a phrase in verse 8 that gives us a better understanding of the times.
“Beginnings of Sorrow” [birth pangs]. A woman doesn’t have birth pangs during the entire pregnancy. She might have some discomfort, but when the baby is getting ready to come that woman goes into labor, then the pangs really start. [Ills. Molly giving birth to Wesley with me watching the labor monitor]
1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.
2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
The escalation of wars, famines and natural disasters are not the end, but beware, the baby’s on the way!
4. Persecution of the Saints; 9-13a
4. Persecution of the Saints; 9-13a
Jesus warned the disciples that one sign of the end times will be the persecution of the saints for His name sake.
Jesus says that the saints [disciples, believers in Christ] will be delivered to the authorities [religious and secular/civil] to be tried and beaten and many will be put to death. Even your own family will turn against you and you will be hated by all men for My sake.
When Jesus started His earthly ministry after his temptation in the wilderness by Satan, he went to Galilee and begin to call his disciples. And He began to teach them what we call the Sermon on the Mount. As Jesus begins teaching, He gives a listing of the character needed for a disciple of Christ called the “Beatitudes.”
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Persecution should be an expectation of every true believer!
20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;
But don’t worry! You preach the good news of the gospel to all the nations! I will give you the words to say and the strength to say them in those trying times through the power of the Holy Spirit!
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Everyone of the apostles was martyred for their faith in Christ, except the apostle John who was banished to the Isle of Patmos, as they spread the gospel to the then known world. In every generation that the gospel is preached, the saints will be persecuted.
So has the gospel been preached to all nations? Yes and no! The gospel has circulated the globe several times and has been preached in all nations upon the earth. But the gospel has not been heard by all people of all generations.
So what does it mean when Jesus said, “that the gospel must first be preached to all the nations and then the end will come?” The gospel will be preached till the end.
In Rev. 7:4-17 there are 144,000 Jewish preacher boys sealed by God to preach the gospel during the Tribulation. In Rev. 14 you see these preacher boys standing on Mount Zion with the Lamb of God and they sing a song of praise to God that only they could sing.
In Rev. 14 there is another pronouncement of the gospel, this time by an angel.
6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—
7 saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”
For preachers to preach and teachers to teach that the gospel has to get to this 10/40 window [between 10 and 40 degrees north latitude where 2/3rds of the world population lives] before the Lord will return is misleading. If you were to look at that window [10/40 Window is a rectangular geographic area stretching from North Africa through the Middle East to Asia, covering 68 countries] you would notice that most of the area’s in that box was evangelized by the disciples and the first century church.
Signs continually being fulfilled to the end!
5. Endure; 13b
5. Endure; 13b
Jesus is not saying that we must work for our salvation [it is a gift from God], nor can one who is saved lose their salvation [eternal life shall never perish] What Jesus is saying here is “bear patiently through the trials and be faithful till I come, demonstrating the genuine salvation of Christ in you”.
Perseverance is the proof that our profession is real. Trials and tribulation will sift true Christians from fair weather believers.
Vance Havner used to say, “Faith that fizzles before the finish was faulty from the first.”
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.
18 And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!
Another sign only you can fulfill
Close;
I don’t know when the Lord will return but I do know it’s closer today than it was yesterday.
I do know that “The Signs of the End Times” are more than just persecution, they are the apostasy and falling away from the faith but also the faith to endure.
I believe, based on the Word of God, we are getting closer to the end than we’ve ever been.
My question to you this morning is very simple, “Are you ready for the end?”