STEEMCHURCH: The last times
Matthew 24:1-14
Chapter 24
24: 1 When Jesus left the temple and left, his disciples came to show him the buildings of the temple.
24: 2 He answered and said unto them, See all this? Verily I say unto you, That there shall not remain here one stone upon another, that shall not be torn down.
24: 3 And as he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him aside,
saying: Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the century?
24: 4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
24: 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am the Christ; and many will be deceived.
24: 6 And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not troubled, because all this must happen; but it is not yet the end.
24: 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be pestilences, and famines, and earthquakes in different places.
24: 8 And all this shall be the beginning of pains.
24: 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.
24:10 Many will then stumble, and give themselves to one another, and hate one another.
24:11 And many false prophets will arise, and will deceive many;
24:12 and because evil has multiplied, the love of many will grow cold.
24:13 But he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a testimony to all the nations; And then the end will come.
Prophecy about the destruction of the temple (24: 1-2)
When we fix our eyes on the works of men, we turn away from the grace of God. When the disciples are amazed by the beauty and grandeur of the temple in Jerusalem, Jesus prophesies: "stone will not remain here on stone that is not thrown down" in the great temple. When Jesus was purifying the temple of sellers, they asked Him with what authority He did it, and He answered, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19), referring to the temple and its death and resurrection. The Holy temple symbolizes the presence of God, where his will is fulfilled. A temple that loses its raison d'être, must be collapsed. Jesus, through his death and resurrection, raised the church, an eternal temple, which fulfills the will of God with integrity.
Am I aware that, as a child of God, I am the temple of the Lord? Do I strive to be a holy temple that manifests the glory of God in daily life?
The signs before the end (24: 3-14)
the disciples ask when these things will happen. The fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the temple will occur in the year 70 after Christ. It was not only a historical event, but also a symbol of God's final judgment. Jesus' prophecies of the signs before the end refer to two different times: the first century after Christ and the second coming of Christ at the end of time. Two Signs marked the last times. First, many deceivers will arise saying: "I am the Christ", therefore, we must be careful not to let ourselves be confused. Second, "there will be plagues, famines and earthquakes in different places" will increase hatred among nations, "war and rumors of wars", the disciples will be the object of society's hatred and will be persecuted for the sake of Jesus. But those who persevere to the end will be saved
Do I have firm faith and conviction to endure persecution? What effort am I making to avoid falling into false Christs?