Matthew 24: Signs of His Coming (3)
Pray Psalm 7.17.
I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.
Sing Psalm 7.17, 1.
Finlandia: Be Still, My Soul
All praise and thanks to You, O LORD Most High, according to Your holy righteousness!
Abundant praise and thanks to You we cry. We trust in You; O save us, LORD, and bless!
Deliver us from those who would destroy us, for in Your holy Name, O LORD, we trust.
Read Matthew 24.1-28; meditate on verses 15-28.
How can we recognize a false christ or a false prophet?
Prepare.
1. When will the “great tribulation” begin?
2. What else accompanies this time of tribulation?
Meditate.
Jesus again broached the subject of tribulation, this time tribulation “such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (v. 21). This is referred to as the “great tribulation”, and Jesus indicated that it would begin within the lifetime of some of those who heard Him (“when you see”, v. 15).
The “abomination of desolation” perhaps refers to the desecration of the temple by Roman authorities, followed by the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. While persecution and harassment of Christians was going on in the world prior to that event, the Roman slaughter in Jerusalem seems to have marked the beginning of a lengthy effort on the part of various Caesars to suppress if not obliterate the Christian movement. What Rome began and sustained for more than two centuries has continued throughout the course of Church history, unto this day. We are living, in other words, in the time of the great tribulation, and Christians around the world are enduring it to one degree or another.
During this time “false christs and false prophets” will also be empowered to persuade many to believe them (v. 24). As you read this, don’t think only of magicians or wizards or other religious figures performing signs and wonders. Think of the scientific enterprise, and the many “great signs and wonders” it has produced, and how many scientists today insist that science is the only source of truth and the only valid worldview. This is not science, but scientism, and it is as real a false christ as any that have shown up during the past two millennia.
When Jesus finally comes at the end of the great tribulation, there will be no mistaking Him (vv. 26, 27). He will be visible to all, and judgment will follow His return. Keep looking for Jesus, and stay the course of the Kingdom-seeking life to which He calls us. That way we won’t lose heart, and we won’t easily be deceived or misled.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
Through the years, I have heard many missionaries opine regarding the West’s view of the tribulation—what it will be like, and when will it arrive. The missionaries’ experience? The tribulation arrived millennia ago, and lovers of God have been subject to tribulations since time began; it has merely ratcheted up since Jesus’ resurrection and ascension—and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
It is, and always has been, a battle between good and evil.
Between Satan and His minions and Jesus Christ the Messiah and His followers.
The tribulation isn’t going to happen someday; it is happening right now
and will continue until the Day of Jesus’ return. Then the judgment.
As Jesus said, “For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west,
so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matt. 24.27). Boom!
It won’t be a dribble. It will be a flash flood. A tsunami. An event that all will see and experience.
No one will say, “Well, I wonder what that was?”
It will happen. And the world as we know it will be done away.
“The Mighty One, God the LORD, has spoken and called the earth
from the rising of the sun to its going down…Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent;
a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous all around Him.
He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people:
‘Gather My saints together to Me, those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.’
Let the heavens declare His righteousness, for God Himself is Judge” (Ps. 50.1, 3-6).
Peter sums it all up nicely:
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night,
in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise,
and the elements will melt with fervent heat;
both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved,
what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God,
because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire,
and the elements will melt with fervent heat?
Nevertheless we, according to His promise,
look for new heavens and a new earth
in which righteousness dwells” (2 Pet. 3.10-13).
“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb.10.31).
This is the fate we want to avoid; and the fate that we spend our lives warning others of.
The tribulation is the life we all embark upon. It is when and where we live. But as Paul said:
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy
to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us…
And we know that all things work together for good
to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose…
What then shall we say to these things?
If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8.18, 28, 31)
“Keep looking for Jesus, and
stay the course of the Kingdom-seeking life to which He calls us.
That way we won’t easily be deceived or misled.”
“For consider Him Who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself…” (Heb. 12.3).
Reflect.
1. How should we prepare each day for dealing with tribulation?
2. When tribulations of any kind come—and they will—how should we respond?
3. How can believers encourage one another to stand firm in the Gospel in the face of tribulation?
The Spirit therefore exhorts believers to prepare themselves for the exercise of patience, not only for a single year, that is, for a long period, but to lay their account with enduring tribulations through an uninterrupted succession of many ages. John Calvin (1509-1564), Commentary on Matthew 24.15ff.
Pray Psalm 7.1-8.
Pray for believers who are persecuted throughout the world, that God would give them strength to endure, and would change the hearts of their tormentors.
Sing Psalm 7.1-8.
Finlandia: Be Still, My Soul
O LORD, my God, I trust in You: O save me! Deliver me from all who seek my life.
If in my hands, You find iniquity, or any evil, any wicked strife,
then let my foe pursue and overtake me, and without honor I shall surely be.
Arise, O LORD, rise up in wrath to save me! Let rage and judgment fall upon my foes!
From all who know You let abundant praise be; rise up on high; the wicked curse with woes.
O Judge of all, judge now my righteousness and my integrity, approve and bless.
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
False teachings are always blowing across the bow of the Church. Our study, Winds of Doctrine, can help you to identify these false teachings argand learn how to fortify yourself against them. Download Winds of Doctrine free of charge by clicking here.
Other columns of interest: This week: Our Read Moore podcast continues our readings about St. Patrick from the book, Patrick: A Devotional History. Our Crosfigell teaching letter is pursuing a series on the spiritual poetry of the Celtic Revival. The ReVisioncolumn continues our new study of “Everyday Christianity”. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
