Matthew 24-The Signs of the times

1 As Jesus was leaving the Temple grounds, his disciples pointed out to him the various Temple buildings. 2 But he responded, "Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!"

Jesus in the previous chapter has been grieving over the city of Jerusalem, it was the city that contained his Father’s people, but they were going to reject the Messiah, the king in a few short days.

Jesus despaired about it and realized that what he saw was just corruption and desolation. It was a vision of the future and he knew that Jerusalem would not see him again until he returned as their king.

At the same time the disciples who were principally from the North in Galilee were marvelling at the temple and all its greatness, the marble the gold and all the splendour of it. Luke’s writing on these events sheds more light on these things. Some of his disciples began talking about the majestic stonework of the Temple and the memorial decorations on the walls. Luke 21:5

It ‘s interesting how many times  the view of Jesus and the mind of man are so far apart, but is it really a surprise.

 

Just as a side-

For centuries now, the world has marvelled about the greatness of the architecture of the church building. The great monasteries of the past, the abbey, the cathedrals and there is an obsession for even the believer to close God into a building. As we speak a church around the corner has just opened the doors of a new building £4m worth of bricks and mortar and another church is planning to spend £14m on theirs in the near future. I just asked the question, is the church, like it has been for generations, be it C of E, Catholic or in our modern day evangelicalism tied to the building so much, that all we can think of is paying off the mortgage?

Jesus was not impressed with the building he couldn’t care less, but he was interested in the people and he was interested in getting his message to them. Would Christ care today if we met in a field or in a £14m building?

Opening

In these opening few verses Jesus predicts that everything that the Jewish religion stood for was going to be destroyed and become a heap of rubble. If today the church buildings were to topple would that destroy the church?

 

The mood of the disciples is indicated in these verses, notice the text here,

3 Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, "Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?"

It says that “later” it wasn’t immediately that they approached Jesus in private. Were they shocked by what he was saying? They did grasp some things and the questions that they asked of Jesus are the subject material I want to look at over the next two weeks.

 

1-      When will all this happen? Referring to the destruction of the temple

2-      What sign will signal your return

3-       What sign will signal the end of the world

 

I want to deal with the sign of the end of the world this week and next week look at the sign of his return.

 

The answer that Jesus gives to the disciples is of immense importance, it is known as the “Olivet Discourse” it is the longest answer to any question and second longest sermon that Jesus gave. One is about the manifesto of his kingdom; the other is about the fulfilment of his coming to the kingdom.

The complexity of Prophetic scripture

As we look at these verses over the next few weeks, there a few things to remember.

1-      Even though we have the fullness of the scriptures today and the indwelling Holy Spirit we do not have all truth and all knowledge of the future, Jesus gives us what we need for the season we are in and the generation that we are part of.

2-      Jesus himself being God was also man, it was in the flesh as a man that Jesus said 36 "However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.

3-      If Jesus didn’t know the day then nor will we. So don’t listen to anyone who tells you dates and times of his coming.

4-      Prophecy about the future always includes an immediate or near distance fulfilment (partial) for the readers of when it was written and a future fulfilment when it will be complete. In some cases it will be more, it will speak into every generation.

4-14

From v4-8 Jesus starts to answer their questions and here we can see clearly the point about prophecy.

For the 1st century believers what Jesus wrote about clearly happen just 35 years or so after his sermon?

4 Jesus told them, "Don't let anyone mislead you, 5 for many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah.' They will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don't panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won't follow immediately. 7 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. 8 But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.

If you were alive during AD70 you would have witnessed some terrifying days. Nero the Emperor had spent his days persecuting Christians and Jews and his predecessor Titus finished the job or so he thought by destroying Jerusalem (fulfilling the prophecy of v2) tearing downs her walls and demolishing the temple to a heap of rubble.

In those early days many false prophets were around predicting the end of the world or the age as Rome, Jerusalem was in such turmoil.

Emperors came and went like the weather and people lived in fear and restlessness.

This seemed very much that this was it- the world is going to collapse and finish.

But clearly that time, however horrific it was, was not the end, Jesus didn’t return his Kingdom was not established on earth as he claimed he would.

We have lived 2000 years with the same thought, each generation has seen hardships, faced opposition, faced false teaching and prophets but as yet Jesus has not returned.

 

Clearly the first question about the Temple was answered, they didn’t have to wait, and the Jewish believers of the first century expected an instant return after the temple was destroyed, but Jesus never came. It was not part of God’s plan at that stage to return. They like us only had pieces of the plan of God.

 

What sign will signal the end of the world (or the age)?

If we skip forward to v30 Jesus gives us the answer which is found in v29. But before we get to this part, let’s look at what things and what the times will be like as we head towards the end of the age, or the world.

 

32 "Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. 34 I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

Clearly this speaks of pointers to show of his return.

There are many in these verses, and as much as many of these are present in each generation the closer we get to the end of the world, the more prolific and obvious they will be.

 

Next week I want to look in more detail about the things immediately before the Lord’s return, (which could happen every quickly) but for today I want to look in a more general sense.

37 "When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day. 38 In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39 People didn't realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.

 

What was it like in the days of Noah?

1-      Increase in population

Then the people began to multiply on the earth, and daughters were born to them. Gen 6:1-2

This word multiply in Hebrew is a word used of an object that increases beyond the norm.

Population has increase steadily over the recorded times, but there have been times when population has multiplied beyond the norm. In the days of Noah this was true.

In the last 100 years population has gone into overtime, up until the 1900’s population was fairly stable, birth rates were normal, wars and skirmishes across the world kept populations down.

Then came the last century.

In 1900 there were 1.5b people across the world, by 1973 there were 3b. Take into account the devastation of the two great wars and this figure is alarming. By the time you get to 2000 there are 6b and today current estimated are just below 7b (a billion in 10 years) For thousands of years the population remained at 1- 1.5b and now has rocketed.

We are clearly living in last days.

We are struggling with energy, food and space, but this may continue for another 50, 100 or more years yet, it will get even worse if the Lord’s return is delayed much longer.

 

2-      Increase of knowledge

Then Cain founded a city, Gen 4:17

Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the first of those who raise livestock and live in tents. His brother's name was Jubal, the first of all who play the harp and flute. Lamech's other wife, Zillah, gave birth to a son named Tubal-cain. He became an expert in forging tools of bronze and iron. Gen 4:20-22

As with population there was normality across the world with little burst here and there as man discovered new things, and to some degree there was an increase in the days of the Romans. Concrete, roads, great buildings etc.

But in the 1800’s- 1900’s there was a period called the ‘Industrial revolution’.

Up to this time, farming was the main source of power and income. But the invention of steam power and machines changed the world. This led to the invention of electricity and modern transport which led to computers and the tech we see today.

This caused a massive increase in knowledge, one thing led to another and today our knowledge increases 100% with every passing year.

That is why you cannot keep up with the latest fashion items, with computers, and cars, and video games. The age with live in is a direct result of the ever changing technology that happens all around us. Gone are the days when the world are stunned by the latest invention, and the next 50 years are spent developing it, today most things have moved on in one or two years.

 

3-      Increase in wickedness

The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. Gen 6:5-6

I guess I don’t need to argue this one, just ask your older relatives and they will inform you.

4-      Increase in self gratification

38 In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. V38

Eating, drinking and weddings.

This is our world, all for self indulgence. Never before had a generation enjoyed on mass such emphasis on leisure and pleasures.

This is not reserved just to the west; this is a world wide endemic.

The amount of money spent on pet food across the west is astounding let alone eating out and the amount spent on drink, cigarettes, drugs and gambling. Let alone, sport, the arts, cinema and so on.

 

5-      Increase of irreverence to God

And God did not spare the ancient world—except for Noah and the seven others in his family. Noah warned the world of God's righteous judgment. So God protected Noah when he destroyed the world of ungodly people with a vast flood. 2 Peter 2:5-6 

We live in a godless society when even many Christians are little different to the world around them. The name of God is blasphemed, and even though there is an increased in church numbers worldwide, the fear and reverence of God is at an all time low.

 

Noah lived in desperate days, and the Lord brought about the end of the world back in 2500BC or there about.

 

The end of the world is drawing near; the fig tree is blooming once again.

 

The question is what is our response to these things?

 

1-      Jesus asks us to be expectant-

42 "So you, too, must keep watch! For you don't know what day your Lord is coming. 43 Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. 44 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.

2-      Jesus warns us it will be this way

39 People didn't realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.

3-      Are we ready for Jesus

"Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. Matt 24:40-41