DON’T WAIT (UNTIL IT’S TOO LATE)

DON’T WAIT (UNTIL IT’S TOO LATE)

Like many people around the globe, I spend many of my evenings reviewing the daily news and looking for events that have prophetic significance. I try not to read too much into what is happening in the world today but frankly, it is hard to ignore many of the world’s events thinking that nothing is happening that has some prophetic meaning. In fact I respectfully suggest that many non-Christians see absolutely nothing significant in what is happening around the world preferring to think that these things have happened ever since the world began. So, what is happening and why should we think that the world may be coming to an end?

Matthew 24 is referred to as the Olivet Discourse and it is a passage where Christ’s disciples went to Him to ask Him about the end of the age. They were curious about the end of the age and were anxious about the end of time. Jesus responded to them in a way that they would understand; it is also a way that we should understand.

Matthew 24:1-8

** New International Version

King James Version

24:1 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. "I tell you the truth, 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 Christ,' 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.

24:1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. 3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Let’s take a look at these first eight verses. As Jesus was leaving the temple, He paused to observe that the Temple of Solomon, the center of their religion and society, would one day be destroyed. In verse 2, He told His disciples that one day, not one stone would be left on another, every one would be thrown down. That event took place in A.D. 70 when the Romans destroyed the Temple literally removing one stone after another seeking to remove the gold that had melted and run down between the building blocks. Why is this important? Because the historical fact of the destruction of the Temple of Solomon validates the prophecy. Jesus Christ was right about that event just as He will be right about other prophetic statements.

When they reached the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached Him asking about the signs of His coming and the end of the age. Starting in verse 4, Jesus answered them by stating that many would come in His name claiming that they were Him. (See v. 5). How often have we seen this throughout history? Not long after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, a particular Roman emperor came to power by the name of Caligula; Caligula proclaimed himself “God” by referring to himself as Jupiter and instituting controversial policies that identified him as such. Many, in the years since, have done the same thing by either word or action. Within the last three decades, the American public has witnessed the same. The names of Jim Jones and the People’s Temple in Guyana, David Koresh and Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh are names that are familiar from newspaper headlines and are names that bring the claim of “Deity” to mind.

Even today, we continue to see those who believe that they are “God” or His incarnation or that they are instrumental in the end of time. We see that the leader of Iran, Ahmadinejad, believes that he is called to bring about global chaos sufficient to bring about the rise of the 12^th Imam. In that regard, he also believes that the Jewish people should be destroyed and that the nation of Israel should be wiped from the face of the earth. Hence, he continues to issue statements calling for the destruction of the “Little Satan” and wants to rally other Islamic nations to his cause – a cause that can only result in death and destruction.

In verse 6 Jesus said that His disciples would hear of wars and rumors of wars. Did you know that the 20^th century was the bloodiest century in the history of this planet? More people died from war during this century than during any other like period of time. We saw World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict, the Vietnam Conflict and the beginning of the war on terrorism. Wait, didn’t that one start with 911 – September 11, 2001? Nope, it started in 1993 with the attempted first time destruction of the Twin Towers. That fight continued with 911 and is viewed by many as World War III – The Fight Against Terrorism. That being the case, you might want to ask, “How many wars are going on in the world today?” The answer – 40. Yep, wars and rumors of wars.

According to verse 7, nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom and on top of all of that, there will be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in a number of different places. What have we seen in earth’s recent history in the way of famine? Despite our best efforts, famine is the way of life for many on this planet. It just seems that Africa, southeast Asia, India, Mexico, North Korea and other assorted places are subject to famine that will never end. It is estimated that more than 900 million people go to bed hungry each night.

What about pestilence? History records the “Black Death” in Europe and today, despite our best scientific and medical efforts, we are still facing pestilence that could cause a pandemic. Just a few years ago, fear swept Asia concerning the Avian Flu and the possibility that it could mutate and infect mankind. On top of this, we still have HIV/AIDs and influenza. We are just waiting for the next big outbreak of disease that will strike down much of the world’ population.

What about earthquakes? Earthquake activity continues to increase with each passing year. We have seen a devastating tsunami which caused death throughout the area of southeast Asia and the Pacific Rim is rumbling with continuing activity. There is fear that we will witness the San Andres fault finally give way so that the State of California is heavily damaged. Across the Atlantic, there is fear that an earthquake will finally strike the Canary Islands which will result in a tremendous landslide and then a tsunami which will race across the Atlantic Ocean and destroy the east cost of America. Not only that, we see that volcanic activity is oftentimes tied closely to earthquakes. There is a caldera in the middle of North America which, if it explodes, will simply wipe out the United States. That caldera is centered in Yellowstone National Park.

Yet, when Jesus spoke these words, He also stated that these were just the beginnings of sorrows.

Initially, I stated that I review the world’s events almost every night looking for the signs of the end of the age because of something that Jesus said in this same passage.

Matthew 24:9-14

** New International Version

King James Version

9 "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 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.

9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

Jesus told His disciples that they would be handed over to be persecuted. Did you know that all of Jesus’ disciples died a martyr’s death except for the one He loved, John. John died on the island of Patmos after receiving God’s Revelation. Since then, many have died for the sake and cause of Christ.

The present day certainly makes you wonder what is going on in the world in relation to what Jesus had to say in these few short verses. False prophets have arisen and have deceived many. The name of “Christ” has brought hate and derision down upon the heads of many believers through the years and even today, we are subjected to a belief system that contends that you should forfeit your life should you fail to convert. Islam is determined to subjugate the world and will stop at nothing to accomplish its end.

Iniquity shall abound. What does this mean? Iniquity is evil; it is the opposite of good. In today’s world, does evil abound? In America alone, we have seen the loss of over 42 million lives due to abortion since the 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade. The drug trade has increased exponentially since the 1960’s and today floods our streets with death and destruction. Lives are ruined and there is no end in sight. The most destructive drug of all, i.e. alcohol, is legal and makes millionaires of those who control its trade. Lifestyles once condemned as evil are now embraced as simply an “alternative”. We see movement in the world and even in the land once considered Christian of marriage between consenting adults of the same sex. Divorces are expected to happen at least half of the time and the idea that we should remain married to the same partner throughout our earthly life is somehow foreign. Couples opt for cohabitation rather than marriage, an institution ordained by God. And when one finally gets married, the idea of remaining a virgin until your wedding night is viewed as an anomaly, if not worse. I could go on, ad infinitum, but I think you get the idea. Iniquity is alive and well on Planet Earth.

Love, which should be celebrated and which should govern our interaction with others, is lost. The definition of love has been corrupted. Love is no longer love. Love is sex; love is pride; love is ego. Love has grown cold. We no longer love each other; at best, we tolerate each other.

Immediately following the attack of 9/11, I thought that love had resurfaced. I thought that Americans had rediscovered the idea of love for our fellow man. I thought that consideration had once again become part of the American fabric. Now, six years later, I realize that I was wrong. We do not support each other; quite to the contrary, we, in many instances, hate each other.

There is something though that has taken the place of the American family unit. That something is the gang structure now present in our country and throughout the world. Many young people gravitate to gang inclusion as a substitute for family. We see these young people associating with each other based upon ethnicity and in return for inclusion, these same individuals must pledge their very lives to the gang. They must agree to forego their individual desires in support of the gang structure and unfortunately, in many instances, this means that they will support criminal activity which oftentimes lands them in prison. Even in prison, those gang affiliations do not end; quite to the contrary, they grow stronger so that the person is subsumed by gang affiliation so that he/she can never escape. The end result is that the person literally gives up his life for the benefit of the gang.

In the end the Gospel of Jesus Christ must be preached to the world before the end can come. (See v. 14). So the good news is that all will have the opportunity to make a choice before the end will come. And that end is the end; there won’t be another chance. The history of mankind will finally come to a conclusion and that conclusion will be the end of man’s opportunity to gain salvation through the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

However, approximately seven years before the end, something else is going to take place.

Matthew 24:32-44

** New International Version

King James Version

32 "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 36 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. 42 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. 35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

In the parable of the fig tree, the fig tree is the nation of Israel. So, like the fig tree, when we see all of these things happening, i.e. wars, rumors of wars, famine, pestilence, earthquakes, then we need to be prepared. People continue to say that these things have happened throughout time so we need not be concerned that this is the end.

However, they ignore one statement that Jesus Christ made that separates this time from all others – verse 34 states that this generation shall not pass away until all of these things are fulfilled. The time that He was speaking of was the time after Israel was reconstituted as a nation; that date was May 14, 1948. So this generation, age, period or time will not pass away until all of these things come to fruition. Many believed that a generation was measured as forty years so they looked for the end to come before 1988. That obviously was not the case so they began to look for another date and that date was 1967 when the Temple Mount was recaptured by the Israelis. However, there are some who think that a generation could refer to the years allotted to man in the Bible being seventy years. Therefore, we now see that “this generation” could be measured as seventy years from 1948 or forty years from 1967 or seventy years from 1967. We can argue and speculate all day about the time frame but the time frame is not important. The important thing is what Jesus said in verse 33 and that was that when all of these things were happening, you would know that the end was near, right at the door.

Lately I have read some comment that those who are looking for the return of Christ are no longer looking for signs of His return; instead, they are now listening for the sound of the trumpet. The reason is that the signs are already upon us. It was not long ago that I looked for the signs and those signs were months apart. Then they were a month apart. Then they were weeks apart. Then they were a week apart. Now it seems that they are happening daily, if not hourly. Like the birth pains of a woman, the signs of Jesus’ return are happening more often and with more intensity. Is Jesus standing at the door? Is He knocking? Is He turning the door knob? Or is He now pushing the door open?

When that door finally swings open, we will have what mankind has anticipated for the last 2000 years. We will have the Rapture. In that moment, we will see verses 40 and 41 come to life. One will be taken while the other will be left and it will happen in an instant of time, the twinkling of an eye. And in that instant, everything will change.

We will no longer have the luxury of speculating about the return of Christ. The only thing left to play out will be the Tribulation, the Great Tribulation and then the Second Coming. With the advent of the Rapture, many people will witness the end of existence. They will be overcome by the great delusion to come and will not understand nor believe that Christians were taken home by their Maker. Many will die in the years to come. And unfortunately, many will die without Christ. When they do, their fate for all eternity will be sealed. That fate will be damnation for all eternity.

So, where does that leave us? Many wait, many hesitate – they are wondering what is going to happen and when it is going to happen. We do not have that luxury. Jesus Christ Himself said that He will come as a thief in the night; He will come when He is not expected. For many, that will be a day of great celebration. For most, it will be a day of the greatest sorrow. For those of us who know the Good News and are destined to spend eternity in heaven, we can hardly wait. But who will we leave behind? How many friends? How many family members? How many loves ones?

Don’t wait any longer to talk to those who do not know the love of Jesus Christ. Tomorrow may be too late. I used to rest in the thought that these people, if left behind, would still have the opportunity to gain salvation even if it meant martyrdom. However, I just read something that troubles me greatly. It is an article in “The Omega Letter” which laid out the possibility that there would be a dispensational change with the Rapture. We have lived under a state of grace knowing that once we accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we were saved. However, what if that changes with the Rapture and the removal of the Holy Spirit? What if you can only be saved by remaining faithful to the end as Christ stated in verse 13 of Matthew 24, that he who stands firm to the end will be saved. In other words, what if your salvation is predicated upon your faithfulness to the end? If this is the case, then there is no time to waste. Many must know now that their time is now; there is no time left. Don’t wait – until it is too late.

** A modern language quote is provided for readability together with the accompanying KJV version which is believed by many to be a more accurate representation of the original scripture.

Comments or questions may be directed to the author at jrhett58@yahoo.com.