The Last Days

Reading: Matthew 24

Introduction

Believers have been talking about the last days for centuries and still the Saviour has not returned to this earth. Like a pregnant woman waiting for the birth of her child, the Church of the Almighty waits patiently for the coming of the Messiah. A seemingly endless delay has produced a variety of responses in people's minds. I will list three of them using the Saviour's own analogy of a normal pregnancy. The three most common responses are:

He is not coming and never will.

The woman is not pregnant. If anything, she's barren. Poor soul, she's suffering from a 'phantom pregnancy.' Agreed, there are some signs; but the truth is she's just getting fat. Can't you see it? She's not pregnant at all. Besides, she and her husband are both very old and are totally incapable of having a child at their ages. The very idea is laughable. This view is expressed in this text.

2 Peter 3:3

Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4: And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
5: For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
6: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

Oh yes he is coming, but not for a very long time.

The foolish woman has got her dates mixed up. I'll accept she's pregnant, but the birth is not going to be for a long, long time - most certainly not in this century. This view is expressed in the following text. Note how that those who hold this view usually end up by persecuting believers who are looking forward to the return of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 24:48

But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49: And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50: The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

His coming is near and we must be ready.

The woman is pregnant without a doubt and her time is very near. The signs are all too evident; but we cannot tell the exact day or the hour. We must be ready. This reaction agrees with the text:

Matthew 24:13

"Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour when the Son of Man cometh."

Yahweh forecast these three reactions to the prophecies concerning His Son's return. He also illustrated the progress of future events with a number of symbolic prophecies to help us prepare ourselves for Yeshua's return.

1. World Empires

In Daniel chapter 2 we have a preview of several world empires which would come and go in the course of time. Of each world empire in turn we have one or two monarchs of renown whose activities with the people of God have a message to all of us living in these last days. Let us briefly consider these world empires and their rulers. Read about it in Daniel chapter 2.

Babylon / the Head of gold
Rulers: Nebuchadnezzar / Belshazzar
Medo Persia / the Breast and Arms of Silver
Rulers: Darius / Cyrus
Greece / the Belly of Brass
Ruler: Alexander the Great
Rome / the Legs of Iron
Rulers: The Caesars
The 10 Toes / The 10 Horns
The New World Order encompassing all nations. This is currently coming into existence.

The Little Horn / The Beast / The Antichrist

The little horn is different from the other horns (Dan.7:24)

He ascends from out of the Abyss and reveals himself to earth's inhabitants. (2 Thess.2:8, Rev.11:7, Rev.17:8)
He rules the whole world for 3.5 years. (Dan.7:25, Rev.13:1-6)
He persecutes those who refuse to accept his authority. (Dan.7:25, Rev.13:7)
He is the Lawless One who enforces the acceptance of the bogus sabbaths (2 Thess.2:3, Dan.7:25)
He poses as God Almighty and is worshipped as God (2 Thess.2:4)
He leads the world in an all-out attack on the returning Christ (Rev.19:19-21)

2. Signs of Christ's Return

Read Matthew 24 where in unmistakable tones the Master has outlined the events that will occur just before his return. Compare this chapter with Lesson 14 in the SBS course, and see our online booklet, Understand the Revelation.

Truth / Falsehood

Matthew 24:4

Take heed that no man deceive you.
5: For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ;
and shall deceive many.

Wars / Revolutions

Far East, Middle East, S. Africa, Ireland, Eastern Europe.
Like sores and boils on a diseased man's body, wars and revolutions are breaking out in many countries. But the world will not end with an atomic war.

Matthew 24:6

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.

Famine

Biafra / Ethiopia / India
Europe will not escape this sign.

Matthew 24:7

...and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

Disease Epidemics

Spiritual: Loss of faith - no resistance against false doctrine and sin.
Physical: AIDS - no resistance against infection and disease.

Time Magazine stated in 1987 that:

25% of mothers in Uganda carried the AIDS virus.
87% of prostitutes in Nairobi were infected.
25% of deaths in a hospital in Zaire were AIDS related.

Here is a problem of unimaginable dimensions. The only answer to AIDS is a return to obedience of Yahweh's laws. This means that the sins of adultery, fornication and homosexuality must be given up if AIDS is to be contained. Do not hesitate to warn your congregations of this earth-encompassing scourge!

Persecution of Yahweh's People

Persecution of Yahweh's followers, particularly Israel will increase. So too will persecution of Sabbath keepers and those who use the sacred names.

Matthew 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!

Yahweh's Name is His Sign, His Signature, His law and His character. It represents all that He stands for.

Signs in the Heavens

A change in weather patterns around the world. Stand by for unusual changes in the atmosphere, the sun, the moon and the stars. (Gen.1:14, Matt.24:29, Rev.16:8)

Sign of the Son of Man

Yeshua the Son of Man is himself a sign. From his conception, his birth, his miracles, his death, the period of time he spent in the grave and his resurrection - all of these are Signs of the Son of Man. Each and every occurrence in which he is involved is a sign, a signal, an indication to the whole universe what the Most High is going to do through the Son of Man. But more than this, Yeshua the Messiah is going to be seen by all of earth's inhabitants as he returns to earth. Every eye will see him return! (Matt.24 30, Rev.1:7)

3. Two Types of Servants

The parable of the two servants (Matt 24:42-51) sums up the church's reaction to this awesome message. Basically there are two types of believers.

The Foolish Servant

v48-49

My Lord is delaying His coming; and he shall begin to smite his fellow servants and to eat and drink with the drunken.

The Faithful Servant

v42-47

He gave his fellow servants food in due season.

How you react to the Saviour's message about his return is a good indication of which type of servant you are.

SBS Sermon Notes More sermons on Prophecy

Elder: David B Loughran
Stewarton Bible School, Stewarton, Scotland
Placed on Internet Dec.1995 ... Updated with KJV references July 1999