The End is Near
Jesus’ disciples asked Him to tell them when the world would end—“Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3) Jesus answered that question very plainly:
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Mark 13:32) The signs of Jesus’ return are recorded for two purposes: (a) to encourage believers to endure; and (b) to exhort believers to evangelize. When Jesus comes, there will not be time to prepare, or warn others. A few things to think about … First, there will be signs of the end—false prophets on the scene; an increase in wars and war about to happen; a rise of natural disasters, i.e. earthquakes, famines, disease; much persecution of Christians; worship of idols in place of God; moral decay; open Satanic worship; and the Gospel preached to all nations! This evangelism doesn’t fully take place before the rapture—much results from the preaching of the 144,000 of Revelation. Then, Jesus Christ returns. Second, there will be a negative reaction to the end—many will not believe. Scoffers will provoke skepticism—“saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’” (2 Peter 3:4) How do you respond to the end coming? Resist being impatient—“with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2 Peter 3:8b) Most Christians approach life as if it were an easy sprint and fall during periods of difficulty. Life is more like a distance run. Hebrews 12:1 encourages, “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Be watching—I don’t know when Christ will come again, but I do know that He wants us to be ready. And be obedient … share the good news! Do you possess an urgency to share the gospel with the lost?
Sin cera, Erik
Erik O. Garthe is Associate Pastor at Canton Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland.
