As we venture into a new year, the events transpiring on the world stage can be both intimidating and overwhelming. Our core beliefs will determine whether we are apprehensive or encouraged by the appearance of either chaos or intent and our perception of the drama unfolding before us. Is the world falling apart or is it falling into place?
In Matthew 24, Jesus predicted certain signs that would occur in the latter days that would indicate that His return was drawing near and that humanity would be approaching the end of the current age. His words are intended to calm our anxiety and reassure us that the Lord’s plan is in the process of being fulfilled.
“Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 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. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.
Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of Me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase in wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 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.” (Matthew 24:4-14).
Signs Of The Times
As we survey the historical landscape of the last two millennia combined with current world events, we can see a pattern of increasing frequency and intensity of these signs, that indicate we are indeed nearing the culmination of the age. Humanity cannot continue on its current trajectory if civilization is to be preserved.
The last century has witnessed more wars and human casualties due to war than the previous nineteen centuries combined. We now have the weaponry to demolish the world several times over. According to the UN, there are approximately 22,000 nuclear weapons globally, which possess enough capacity to annihilate humanity and destroy the earth 55 times over. Man has never developed a weapon he hasn’t used and the willingness to engage in a nuclear confrontation is being dangerously demonstrated by Russia’s continued saber rattling in the face of NATO.
The geopolitical alignments that are emerging in opposition to the nation of Israel clearly parallel the predictions recorded in the Bible and the inherent animosity between the descendants of Isaac and Ishmael. The unique dynamics between these two people groups illustrate the diametrical opposition of God’s strategic plan for salvation and the human construct of Sarah’s solution for giving Abraham a son.
Today, nearly all nations have been blessed with the gospel through Jesus Christ in fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham, yet the religion of Islam is rising as a counter balance in an effort to offset Christianity’s influence upon civilization. Muslim intolerance of Christianity and hatred of the west drive an global agenda of world dominance through both violent confrontations and the passive infiltration of western societies designed to achieve a majority within these populations in order to facilitate the implementation of Sharia Law.
Islam preaches a different messiah in contrast to Jesus and is truly antichrist in nature. The existence of the Dome of the Rock on the temple mount is in direct defiance of both Christian and Israeli claims to this particular piece of real estate. Jewish groups such as the Temple Institute, are adamantly committed to building a third temple and plans are in place to follow through as soon as the conditions are favorable. Jerusalem has indeed become a stumbling block to the nations (Zechariah 12:2-3).
Additionally, the fragmentation of Christian church denominations and splinter groups has created false gospels such as the prosperity gospel, grace theology, progressive Christianity, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and more who twist scripture to change the gospel of Christ. What Catholicism began, certain factions within Protestantism further corrupt in the name of religion. False teachers and false teachings abound.
Today there are more Christians being persecuted worldwide than at any time previously in history, including at the hands of the Roman Empire. The 2023 World Watch List shows that more than 360 million Christians suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith. Of this number, 312 million are categorized at very high or extreme levels. One in seven Christians are persecuted worldwide. A disproportionate amount of Christian suffering today is the direct result of Islamic societal influence (kindly refer to Christians in Crisis, posted Nov. 4/23 on this page).
The prevalent self centeredness in much of society seems to disregard the plight of poor and materialism has led to the widespread veneration of wealth and celebrities as well as the pursuit of success at the expense of those less fortunate. Ostensibly, the love of most has grown cold and it is in the face of this adversity that believers must not lose faith.
Combined, these developments may leave us wondering where God is and why He permits such rebellion. Ultimately we find the answer in Christ’s words and the truth conveyed by the parable of the wheat and the tares found in Matthew 13:24-30.
Good And Evil
“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where did the weeds come from? ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the time of the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”
Jesus explained the parable when the disciples asked for clarification. “He answered, ‘The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are the angels.
As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”
We live in a unique time in history, when we can see all of these things happening in our world and what is truly amazing is that they are all happening at once, with increasing frequency and intensity, just like birth pains before a child is born. As true believers, our encouragement stems from the knowledge that the return of Jesus Christ is near and that because of God’s love, He allows sinners to prosper while He saves those He has chosen (2 Peter 3:9).
As we eagerly await our Savior, let us hold fast to the words of Jesus recorded in Luke 21:28, “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Heaven and earth will pass away, but Christ’s words will never pass away. Praise the Lord!
