Signs, Signs Everywhere Signs! Matthew 24:9-12

Signs of the End of the Age

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."

It is important to realize that the signs Matthew talks about are the signs that the end will come, not the end itself.  These are the signs which have been seen throughout the last 2,000 years since Jesus rose from the dead.  Many believers in Jesus have been persecuted, killed, and hated by others because of their testimony to Jesus.  Many have turned away from Christ and done all kinds of damage to the bride of Christ, the church.  Throughout history we have seen many radical divisions in the body of Christ threatening to devour it both within and without.

But we also remember Jesus said, "On this rock (the gospel) I will build my church and the gates of hades will not overcome it."  And to this day the church remains in all of its fraility.  The church has also seen many false prophets come and go.  Many people and religions claim to be Christian, and yet with a closer look at what they believe, teach and confess, it is not orthodox Christianity.  They do not teach Jesus is the only Son of God, truly God and truly man.  They do not teach that the physical, literal, and bodily resurrection of Jesus proved He was God in the flesh.  They believe Jesus was "just another prophet", and they can be prophets like him, or other prophets equal to him have come. (Read Mormonism)  

We have seen people's love for Christ go cold.  We see many "so-called Christians" who have fallen asleep and sit idly by waiting for God to take them home.  But the passage ends with a different kind of Christian.  Matthew describes him as, "The one who stands firm until the end and is saved!"  

Finally, in addition to all of these signs, the gospel will be preached to the whole world.  It is this last step and it is pretty clear it is not fulfilled yet.  Many have not heard the gospel.  Many don't even have the gospel translated into their native language. So as much as we see many of the signs of the end of the age present today, we still wait for Jesus to return in great and promised glory.  

May we be his disciples who stand firm until the end.  May we not sit by idly but bring the gospel to the whole world starting where we live and work.  In God's timing, the end will come and Jesus will return to take His bride the church back home! 

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