Ready Or Not Jesus is Coming!

The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times

24 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

The key to interpreting this passage and the rest of chapter 24 is whether you take these verses literally or figuratively.  Those who take them literally believe Jesus is referring to when the temple was destroyed some 40 years later in 70 A.D. when the Romans squelched the Jewish rebellion.  But yet as you read the rest of the chapter the language is more indicative of the end times.  

Many of the signs that are specified in this chapter we have seen throughout the centuries like wars, famines, and earthquakes.  Nations rise up against nations and rulers come and go. We have seen false prophets who have predicted the end times and been wrong.  This has happened many times in history and the one thing all these prophets have in common is that they are all wrong. The end has not yet come. 

But the one sign that seems to be the ultimate sign of the end times and Jesus' return is the abomination that causes desolation in the holy place.  This is also associated with the "beast" (also known as the anti-Christ) who sets himself up in the holy place in the book of Revelation.  What it is exactly we don't know, but it seems to be the trigger for Jesus' return.  

So if we are not sure exactly when Jesus returns, how can we be ready?  We can be ready if we are doing the things he has asked us to do when he does choose to return in great and promised glory.  The end times for us could be any day, whether Jesus' return or our own going to be with the Lord.  God has already made us ready by giving us the gift of faith which saves us.  God has already made us ready by the gift of the Holy Spirit that reminds and assures us of our salvation.  God has made us ready by becoming conformed to the likeness of Christ as we allow ourselves to be shaped and molded by His Word.  

Are you ready?  If you believe in Jesus and trust in him for salvation you are ready.  It will be even better if you are doing the things he has called you to do so you can hear the words, "Well done good and faithful servant!"  People get ready Jesus is Coming Soon!