Christ's Teaching on the End of the Age - Part 2

In Matthew 24:3 we find Jesus sitting on the Mount of Olives.  The disciples come to Him and ask Him to tell them the sign of His coming and the end of the age.
 

The very first thing Jesus tells them as He begins to lay out the truths about His return and the end of the age is not to let anyone mislead them - v. 4.  He then goes on to warn that many will come claiming to be Him and will mislead many.  His followers will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  He says not to be frightened, these things must take place but still, "that is not the end."  He said nation would rise against nation and famines and earthquakes would occur.  He said these are just the beginning of birth pangs.  His followers will be delivered to tribulation and will be killed.  His followers will be hated because of their Savior's name.  In verse ten He says that at that time (of tribulation) many will fall away, betraying one another and hating one another - vv. 5-10.
 

When tribulation, affliction, persecution, or pressure hits, Jesus taught another truth in the parable of the parable of the soils -
 

Look-a-like believers fall away.


Matthew 13:20,21 - "The one on whom seed was sown in the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction and persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away."

Back to Matthew 24.  In verses 11-14, Jesus goes on to instruct that before the end many false prophets will arise and mislead many.  Lawlessness will increase, most people's love will grow cold.  And the gospel will be preached in the whole world, and then the end will come.  He says that, "The one who endures to the end will be saved."


Who is "the one?"  "The one" is Christ's true follower.  The one in whom the seed falls and takes root and bears fruit - Mt. 13:23. Not a look-a-like follower.  Look-a-like followers do not endure through persecution.  Look-a-like followers, in the beginning, are joyful when they hear the gospel, but the word  never actually takes root.  Look-a-like followers fall away when persecution hits.  We saw in the parable of the tares that they will be thrown in the lake of fire and burned.  Look-a-like followers will suffer the wrath of God.  Look-a-like believers do not endure under the tribulation of man.  Their falling away proved a temporary, false faith.  A genuine follower will hold to their testimony, even if it means death. 


True followers endure.  


So before the end comes and Christ returns there will be false Christs, wars, famines, earthquakes, the gospel going out all over the world, and tribulation in which the Lord's true disciples will be killed.  Some true disciples will not be killed and will endure all the way to the end and be delivered from tribulation, but look-a-likes will fall away and betray.

The first word in verse 15 is very important.  Jesus says, "Therefore..."


He is grabbing our attention here and is going to give more detail about what He just said will happen before the end. 


"Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place."

Here is a very clear sign Jesus gives us to look for to know when His coming and the end is approaching. 


Let's go to Daniel the prophet for a closer look at that sign...


Part Three, next time...