SIGNS OF THE END – UPDATED AND EXPANDED

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Please keep your Bible open to this place. This passage is called “The Olivet Discourse.” It’s a sermon Christ gave on the Mount of Olives. Christ had told the Disciples that the Temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed. They said, “When shall these things be?” The answer to that question is not recorded in Matthew 24. But Christ answered it, and His answer is recorded in the Gospel of Luke,

“And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (Luke 21:24).

“They shall fall by the edge of the sword.” This was a prophecy of the siege of Jerusalem by the Roman general Titus in 70 A.D. – it happened 40 years later as Christ predicted. Then “[they] shall be led away captive into all nations.” Dr. Henry M. Morris said, “This remarkable prophecy was made approximately a whole century before it was finally fulfilled in A.D. 135” – when Jerusalem was completely desolated by Hadrian’s armies in A.D. 135, and the Jewish people were scattered into the nations of the world (see Henry M. Morris, Ph.D., The Defender’s Study Bible, World Publishers, 1995, p. 1122; note on Luke 21:20, 24).

Thus Christ answered the first question they asked, “When shall these things be?” The Temple would be destroyed in 70 A.D. The Jewish people would be scattered throughout the nations of the world in 135 A.D.

But then they asked a second question, “And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” The Greek word translated “world” is “aion.” It means “age” – the “age” we now live in, the Christian age, this present dispensation. I am convinced that we are now living near the end of that time. We are now living in the last days – near the very end of the world as we know it.

There are three main errors concerning the signs of the end. The first error is to set a date. Whenever you hear someone set a date, you can be sure they are wrong. Christ said,

“But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is” (Mark 13:32, 33).

The second error is to force all the signs back into the past. This is called “preterism.” Many modern Calvinists do that. But they are wrong. All you have to do is look at Matthew 24:14. The moment you read it you know they are wrong. If all the signs took place long ago, at the beginning of Christian history, then verse 14 would not be true!

“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 24:14).

The Disciples spread the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire. But they did not preach the Gospel “in all the world for a witness unto all nations” – they certainly didn’t preach the Gospel in North and South America, Japan, Australia, the islands of the sea, and elsewhere. They certainly did not preach the Gospel “in all the world for a witness unto all nations.” That is only being fulfilled in our time. “And then shall the end come.” The Gospel is being spread world-wide right now – for the first time in history. For instance, people in the most remote areas of the world read my sermons on the Internet in 33 languages. By radio, by TV satellites, by short-wave, by thousands of missionaries, this prophecy is only now being fulfilled. “And then shall the end come.” Thus, the preterists are wrong!

The third error is to push all the signs into the future, into the seven-year Tribulation. Many modern Dispensationalists do that. But they neglect the most important sign of all by putting all the signs forward into a seven-year period. Christ gave the days of Noah as a sign. He said, “As the days of Noe [Noah] were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:37). You don’t have to be a great theologian to know that “the days of Noah” were far longer than seven years! The Bible teaches that the days of Noah were 120 years long (Genesis 6:3). Enoch was warning of judgment even earlier (Jude 14, 15). I am convinced that the world began to move toward the last days during the Enlightenment in the 18th century (1730-1790). And the rise of the end-time apostasy accelerated in the nineteenth century, with the rise of Biblical criticism, Finneyism, and Darwinism. And the end-time signs became even more evident beginning with World War I.

So, the end of this world-age doesn’t just suddenly “pop out” at us! Satan’s stew has been cooking for a long time. And only now is the pot about ready to boil over into world-wide apostasy and the very last days of this world system. As Leonard Ravenhill put it, “These are the last days!”

The Disciples asked for one sign of His coming “and of the end of the [age],” but Christ gave them many signs. I am going to list several of the signs given by Christ and His Apostles, in three categories.

“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many” (Matthew 24:4-5).

This refers primarily to demons, who portray themselves as Christ. The Apostle Paul warned about “another Jesus, whom we have not preached” (II Corinthians 11:4). The Apostle also said,

“The Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (I Timothy 4:1).

Today we the “Spirit-Christ” of Gnosticism is being preached in many churches. This Gnostic Christ is a spirit, not the real flesh and bone Christ of Scripture. The Bible says, “Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God” (I John 4:3). Among all the modern translations, only the KJV translates that verse correctly. The Greek word is “elēluthota.” It is in the perfect tense, indicating the present state of Christ (cf. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown). As correctly translated by the KJV, Christ “is come in the flesh.” He came in the flesh, and remains in the flesh, in His resurrected flesh and bone body. After He rose from the dead, Jesus said, “A spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have” (Luke 24:39). And He is still in the flesh and bones of His resurrected body – in Heaven. The Bible says, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8). So, today’s spirit-Christ is actually a demon, a "seducing spirit" (I Timothy 4:1)! Even in our Baptist churches many people think of Christ as a spirit. Thus, they believe in a demon rather than the real Christ! Dr. Michael Horton spoke about the Gnostic spirit-Christ in his great book, Christless Christianity (Baker Books, 2008). Get it and read it!

“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matthew 24:24).

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (II Timothy 4:3-4).

I am convinced that we are now living in the early part of the apostasy, the “falling away” that the Apostle Paul predicted in II Thessalonians 2:3.

“Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax [grow] cold” (Matthew 24:12).

Christ predicted that there would be so much lawlessness in the churches that the “agape” love between church members would grow cold. Many churches are now closed on Sunday night simply because real fellowship and Christian love are a thing of the past. The church members no longer love being together as they did in the early churches (cf. Acts 2:46-47). Also, Jesus predicted that there would be little persistent prayer in the end-times (cf. Luke 18:1-8). No wonder there are so few prayer meetings today. The Wednesday night service (if there is one!) has been changed from a prayer meeting into a Bible study, with perhaps one or two routine prayers. Surely this is a sign of the end! “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith [faith to pray persistently] on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). But, remember, Jesus said,

“When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28).

Dark was the night, sin warred against us;
   Heavy the load of sorrow we bore;
But now we see signs of His coming;
   Our hearts glow within us, joy’s cup runneth o’er!
He is coming again, He is coming again,
   The very same Jesus, rejected of men;
He is coming again, He is coming again,
   With power and great glory, He is coming again!
(“He Is Coming Again” by Mabel Johnston Camp, 1871-1937).

“And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Mark 13:13).

Terrible persecution is going on right now in many parts of the world. Click here to read about it at www.persecution.com. Increasing pressures against real Christians are now found here in the Western world. Faithful pastors are attacked by those who cause church splits. Parents persecute their own children for becoming Christians. And it is shocking to see what some people do to aged parents who are serious Christians! Many are now virtually locked up, and left completely alone, never even visited by their non-Christian children. Many pastors tell me they think Christians in America will soon experience even greater persecution. But remember, Jesus said,

“Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets” (Luke 6:22-23).

If you think I’m being too extreme, listen to the report Fox News put out about Franklin Graham a few days ago. Franklin Graham is the son of the world-famous evangelist Billy Graham. Fox News said,

Evangelist Franklin Graham announced Tuesday he is leaving the Republican Party over the GOP-led spending bill passed last week, calling it “wasteful” and likening funding of Planned Parenthood to Nazi concentration camps.

“Shame on the Republicans and the Democrats for passing such a wasteful spending bill last week,” he said. “And to top it off, funding Planned Parenthood!”

Graham, who had previously slammed both political parties, let his frustration flow on a Facebook posting.

“Seeing and hearing Planned Parenthood talk nonchalantly about selling baby parts from aborted fetuses with utter disregard for human life is reminiscent of [Dr.] Joseph Mengele and the Nazi concentration camps!,” he wrote. “That should’ve been all that was needed to turn off the faucet for their funding. Nothing was done to trim this 2,000 page, $1.1 trillion budget.”

Graham, who has supported GOP White House hopeful Donald Trump as well as embraced his controversial call to ban Muslims from the U.S., said he’s lost faith in the political system.

“I have no hope in the Republican Party, the Democratic Party, or Tea Party to do what is best for America,” he wrote.

Wow! What a statement, from an evangelical leader! Sing it again – hymn number 3 – the second stanza!

Notice how strangely this encouraging sign suddenly appears, in the middle of these terrible signs,

“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. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 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 24:9-14).

The “Gospel of the Kingdom” is simply “the Gospel” in Mark 13:10, which says, “And the gospel must first be published [preached] among all nations.” In the very middle of apostasy and persecution, suddenly Christ said the Gospel would be preached in all the world, “and then shall the end come” (Matthew 24:14).

What a prophecy! There are very few places in the world where the Gospel cannot be heard today. By the Internet, by radio, short wave, satellite television, and through thousands of missionaries – the Gospel is being spread world-wide this morning. Matthew 24:11-14 is being fulfilled in our generation! How strange it is, even as the churches in the West are closing their prayer meetings and stopping their evening services, that there should be a Gospel explosion in the Third World – in China, Southeast Asia, several countries in Africa, among the Hmong people, and the Untouchables in India! Apostasy and revival – going on at the same time – just as Jesus predicted! What a strange paradox! Yet that is exactly what is happening, just as Christ predicted it would!

“And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 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 24:11-14).

Do you know Christ? Will you be ready when He comes? Are you converted? “Rededication” will not help you if you are lost. Some say they are coming back to Christ, like the Prodigal Son. But the Bible never says that the Prodigal Son was once saved, backslid, and then rededicated his life. No! The Bible plainly says that he was lost! His own father said so!

“For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found” (Luke 15:24).

You must come to Christ convinced that you are lost! One who is not convinced that he is lost will not come to Jesus, will not trust Him alone, will not experience real conversion, will not be cleansed from sin by Christ’s Blood, or regenerated by Christ’s resurrection. You must know you are lost before you can be saved!

If this sermon blessed you Dr. Hymers would like to hear from you. WHEN YOU WRITE TO DR. HYMERS YOU MUST TELL HIM WHAT COUNTRY YOU ARE WRITING FROM OR HE CANNOT ANSWER YOUR E-MAIL. If these sermons bless you send an e-mail to Dr. Hymers and tell him, but always include what country you are writing from. Dr. Hymers’ e-mail is at rlhymersjr@sbcglobal.net (click here). You can write to Dr. Hymers in any language, but write in English if you can. If you want to write to Dr. Hymers by postal mail, his address is P.O. Box 15308, Los Angeles, CA 90015. You may telephone him at (818)352-0452.

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Scripture Read Before the Sermon by Mr. Abel Prudhomme: Mark 13:1-13.
Solo Sung Before the Sermon by Mr. Benjamin Kincaid Griffith:
“I Wish We’d All Been Ready” (by Larry Norman, 1947-2008).