The End of Days

[Smaland]

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.

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.

Matthew 24:3-14, King James Version

[Smaland]

I am only a layman, not a seminary graduate or an experienced pastor; however, I don't think that we're there yet.

As difficult as they will be, the pestilences spoken of in v7 are part of the beginning of sorrows, which are followed by the events of v8-14.

Also, it isn't certain that covid-19 is a part of v7. The bubonic plague of the 14th century was definitely worse than what the coronavirus has been up to this point; but it occurred hundreds of years ago, and the end hasn't happened yet.

Christ will return at some point in the future; whether He will arrive very soon or further on in time, no one can know precisely. However, we can study the Book of Revelation and other Biblical prophecies to get a better idea of whether or not we are in the season of His arrival.

[Loki]

We are not there yet, but we are firmly on the journey... and it's getting closer. The world will never be the same. And it really is time to seek the Lord while he may be found... because things are going to get worse in the future. And the day of the Lord is coming. Jesus is coming soon. Make sure you are ready, everyone.

During these times, God is speaking to us. We are reminded that our lives on earth are mortal, and our time is limited and actually short. Where will we end up in eternity? God's heaven, or eternal punishment in hell? The choice really is ours, as God has given us free choice. But we have to make the right decisions and obey God as per his instructions in the Bible -- that is, repent of our sins, and receive the forgiveness of Jesus, receive his blood shed for us on the cross. Become born again, a new creation ... and filled with his Holy Spirit. Make sure we have oil in our lamp when Jesus returns as King... so we will not be ashamed, but ready and full of joy to meet him.

[PaleoEuropean]

We are not there yet, but we are firmly on the journey... and it's getting closer. The world will never be the same. And it really is time to seek the Lord while he may be found... because things are going to get worse in the future. And the day of the Lord is coming. Jesus is coming soon. Make sure you are ready, everyone.

During these times, God is speaking to us. We are reminded that our lives on earth are mortal, and our time is limited and actually short. Where will we end up in eternity? God's heaven, or eternal punishment in hell? The choice really is ours, as God has given us free choice. But we have to make the right decisions and obey God as per his instructions in the Bible -- that is, repent of our sins, and receive the forgiveness of Jesus, receive his blood shed for us on the cross. Become born again, a new creation ... and filled with his Holy Spirit. Make sure we have oil in our lamp when Jesus returns as King... so we will not be ashamed, but ready and full of joy to meet him.

Hopefully people listen and change their ways.

[Loki]

This verse 10 reminds me very much of the social situation in the (Western) world today... with social justice nonsense, court cases, etc all around us...

10) And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

Never before have people been so easily "offended"... it really has taken on ridiculous proportions...

[PaleoEuropean]

This verse 10 reminds me very much of the social situation in the (Western) world today... with social justice nonsense, court cases, etc all around us...

10) And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

Never before have people been so easily "offended"... it really has taken on ridiculous proportions...

People make fun of the protestant reflections on verses, but if people actually read the bible as something more than a chore; they would find a lot of profound truth and see past the words for what is really there.

[Wanderer]

I am persuaded the Olivet Discourse was fulfilled in AD 70. In other words, the usual verses from Matthew 24 that are commonly applied to the end times today are actually limited to 70 AD. There has been much speculation about the meaning of "this generation" in Matthew 24:34. Compare to Matthew 16:28. The "this generation" referred to the physical generation then living. Or how can we brush off verses like 24:16 or 24:20, which show that this prophecy pertains to the Jewish nation? Or, on that note, Luke 21:20, 21:24. And was the gospel preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, in accordance with Matthew 24:14? Yes, according to Colossians 1:23, the gospel *was preached* to every creature which is under heaven! The "great commission"--so called by men--was fulfilled! And then the "end" came - the end of Jerusalem and Moses's religion, that is, in 70 AD. By the way, I don't interpret the "every creature" of Colossians 1:23 and Mark 16:15 in the literal sense, but rather I think it applies to spiritual creatures (cp. 2 Corinthians 5:17).

Of course, most end times commentators get around this today by positing a pre-tribulation rapture of the church. I admit I used to believe this, but I think it is wrong. Actually, it was when I read this sermon that I ditched the idea of a pre-trib rapture. It's excellent - highly recommended! https://letgodbetrue.com/sermons/ind...el-millennium/

One problem is interpreting prophecy literally when it should be interpreted figuratively. Prophecy is often given in Scripture in similitudes, not expressly. See, e.g., Hosea 12:10: "I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets."

The Spirit can speak "expressly" in prophecy - e.g., 1 Timothy 4:1-3, the specific prophesied doctrines of devils are forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats. Roman Catholicism fulfills this prophecy. However, prophecy is oftentimes not given expressly. For example, we understand that when God said He would send Elijah (Malachi 4:5) that the prophecy was fulfilled not in the literal Elijah but in John the Baptist (Matthew 17:10–13). So we should not be surprised if some of the figurative language Jesus used sounds a lot like the Eschaton itself.

Of course, don't get me wrong; full preterism is heresy. Matthew 25 is future, yet-to-be fulfilled prophecy. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 is future. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 is future. And so on.

Where will we end up in eternity? God's heaven, or eternal punishment in hell? The choice really is ours, as God has given us free choice.

Not so. Eternal life is God's choice, not man's. (Acts 13:48, Ephesians 1:3-6, John 1:12-13, Romans 9:11-23, et al.)

Decisional evangelism is unbiblical. Let us rather preach Christ and Him crucified. Unto the Jews a stumblingblock and unto the Greeks foolishness. But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

[Ellethwyn]

"One of the most important teachings of Jesus about the end times is known as the Olivet Discourse. It was in this teaching that Jesus referenced a generation that would not pass away until that which he spoke of was accomplished, including the rebirth of the fig tree. In Amir's teaching, The Generation that Shall Not Pass Away, he dives into the Scriptures to discover the identity of this generation and the fig tree, unveiling a closer look at where we are on the prophetic timeline."~

[Wanderer]

I am persuaded the Olivet Discourse was fulfilled in AD 70. In other words, the usual verses from Matthew 24 that are commonly applied to the end times today are actually limited to 70 AD. There has been much speculation about the meaning of "this generation" in Matthew 24:34. Compare to Matthew 16:28. The "this generation" referred to the physical generation then living. Or how can we brush off verses like 24:16 or 24:20, which show that this prophecy pertains to the Jewish nation? Or, on that note, Luke 21:20, 21:24. And was the gospel preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, in accordance with Matthew 24:14? Yes, according to Colossians 1:23, the gospel *was preached* to every creature which is under heaven! The "great commission"--so called by men--was fulfilled! And then the "end" came - the end of Jerusalem and Moses's religion, that is, in 70 AD. By the way, I don't interpret the "every creature" of Colossians 1:23 and Mark 16:15 in the literal sense, but rather I think it applies to spiritual creatures (cp. 2 Corinthians 5:17).

Of course, most end times commentators get around this today by positing a pre-tribulation rapture of the church. I admit I used to believe this, but I think it is wrong. Actually, it was when I read this sermon that I ditched the idea of a pre-trib rapture. It's excellent - highly recommended! https://letgodbetrue.com/sermons/ind...el-millennium/

I was wrong about this. There is definitely a rapture, and the Olivet Discourse is relevant today. I wish I had never found that stupid website, "letgodbetrue.com" - besides being wrong about eschatology, they are also legalists and heretics.

I don't know when exactly the rapture will be, but I bet it will be before 2030. I could easily see this whole system of Covid passports and mandates turned into the mark of the beast system, once the beast has arrived (which, if you study comparative eschatology, is most certainly the Islamic "mahdi"), to force Islam upon the world. The church will be raptured by then. I mean, we're really nearing the time when these things will be taking place, about 2000 years from the time of Christ (see Mark 5:13). You can see it shaping up on the world stage now, especially vis-a-vis Israel (not sure if the Gog-Magog war will happen before or after the rapture). What else could all this possibly segue to if not that? So that's how I see it. Covid, vaccines, mandates, etc. are irrelevant from a gospel standpoint; all I'm saying is I can see the infrastructure, as it were, of the "new normal" being repurposed for this.

[Loki]

I was wrong about this. There is definitely a rapture, and the Olivet Discourse is relevant today. I wish I had never found that stupid website, "letgodbetrue.com" - besides being wrong about eschatology, they are also legalists and heretics.

I don't know when exactly the rapture will be, but I bet it will be before 2030. I could easily see this whole system of Covid passports and mandates turned into the mark of the beast system, once the beast has arrived (which, if you study comparative eschatology, is most certainly the Islamic "mahdi"), to force Islam upon the world. The church will be raptured by then. I mean, we're really nearing the time when these things will be taking place, about 2000 years from the time of Christ (see Mark 5:13). You can see it shaping up on the world stage now, especially vis-a-vis Israel (not sure if the Gog-Magog war will happen before or after the rapture). What else could all this possibly segue to if not that? So that's how I see it. Covid, vaccines, mandates, etc. are irrelevant from a gospel standpoint; all I'm saying is I can see the infrastructure, as it were, of the "new normal" being repurposed for this.

I'm glad you saw those Full Preterists for what they are -- deceivers and distorters of the gospel.

I do, however, believe the rapture is not pre-tribulational. We are in the tribulation already now, it's going to get a lot worse. But as the Bible says, he who endures until the end will be saved. Many Christians will be killed by the beast, though, and then "those who are [still] alive and remain will be caught up with them [the departed saints and Jesus] in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord."

Be blessed brother.