The Sign of the End

When the subject of the Second Coming is raised, the question of what “sign” or “signs” will precede it is asked. Invariably, wars, earthquakes, tsunamis, famines, and similar catastrophes are offered as harbingers of that day. Nevertheless, Jesus gave us the definitive answer to this question, namely, the completion of the Church’s mission to proclaim his salvation and lordship to all nations.

After his final visit to the Temple, Jesus predicted its destruction. Because Israel had rejected her Messiah, “All these things shall come upon this generation. Behold, your house is left to you desolate. Truly I declare to you, there shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down” - (Matthew 23:34-39, 24:1-2).

[Photo by Thomas Lipke on Unsplash]

The disciples then asked him two questions. First, when would the predicted destruction of the Temple occur? Secondly, what would be the “sign” of the Son of Man's coming and the age's consummation?

First, Jesus issued a dire warning - Beware of false anointed ones and false prophets who will deceive many. His disciples would HEAR about wars, earthquakes, international conflicts, and famines. False prophets and other deceivers would point to such events as signs of the rapidly approaching end.

However, calamities of this sort were NOT indicators of the end. Disasters would occur but the “End is not yet.” False teachers would infiltrate his followers and point to these things as “signs” of his imminent return. Thereby, they would raise false expectations and “deceive many” - (Matthew 24:4-8, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4).

Human and natural catastrophes occur regularly, therefore, his followers must “not be alarmed" when they inevitably happen. They are not chronological markers by which his people can calculate the timing of the end. At most, they constitute a “beginning of birth pains” which portends to the present age's inevitable conclusion.

Moreover, nowhere did Jesus predict that the frequency or intensity of earthquakes, wars, and other natural and manmade disasters would increase as the end drew near.

Secondly, to the first question, his answer was - Within “this generation.” The generation that was contemporary with him would see the destruction of the Temple, and this happened when a Roman army destroyed it and Jerusalem in A.D. 70, exactly as he predicted - within one generation - (Matthew 3:7, 11:16, 12:34-45, 16:4, 17:17, 23:33-36, 24:34).

THE SIGN

Thirdly, regarding his “coming on the clouds and the conclusion of the age,” Jesus declared that no man knows that day or hour except God alone. Therefore, his disciples must always be prepared for its unexpected and sudden arrival.

Knowledge of the “times and seasons” belongs to God alone, and any man who claims such knowledge either lies or arrogates to himself inside information that even the Son of Man does not possess - (Matthew 24:36, Mark 13:33, Acts 1:7-9).

As to the requested “sign,” Jesus gave us one explicit goal that must be achieved before he returns – The “proclamation of this Gospel of the Kingdom in the whole habitable earth for a testimony to all nations.” Only “then will the end come.”

The message of his Kingdom is Good News for all men who hear and obey it, and his Assembly must bear witness to it in every corner of the Earth before the “Son of Man arrives… to gather his saints” - (Matthew 24:14).

In the Greek clause, the demonstrative pronoun translated as “THIS Gospel” or ‘houtos’ is emphatic. It is “THIS Gospel of the Kingdom” that must be proclaimed. The same message Jesus and his Apostles proclaimed must be heralded to all nations.

That is the task he assigned to his followers. They must “Go and teach all nations to observe all things I commanded you; behold, I am with you even unto the end of the age.” It must be completed before he returns and consummates God’s Kingdom, raises the dead, destroys the “Last Enemy, Death,” and gathers his elect - (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:6-8, 1 Corinthians 15:20-28).

So, how do we know when the task is done? According to Jesus, when the end does arrive! The fact that it has not arrived is rock-solid proof that our mission remains unfinished.

In the interim between now and his return, we are called to preach the Gospel until it has reached the “ends of the Earth.” Completing this mission matters far more than possessing accurate information about signs, “times and seasons,” and prophetic timetables.

This raises and answers the question – Why has his return been “delayed” 2,000+ years?  The answer is clear. Since the Church has yet to complete its mission, he is waiting FOR US to proclaim his salvation and sovereignty to every nation and people. Only then will he appear “on the clouds of heaven.”  In this way, we may “hasten” his return.

Jesus is not late and God has not “delayed” his return for some reason known only to Him. He is waiting for us to complete the paramount task he assigned to his Church.

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RELATED POSTS:

• The Message - (Jesus summoned his disciples to proclaim the Good News of his Kingdom to every inhabited corner of the Earth)

• The Mission - (The mission of the Assembly of Jesus is to proclaim the Good News of his Kingdom to all Nations until he returns – Matthew 24:14)

• The Era of Salvation - (The Gospel of the Kingdom announced by Jesus of Nazareth offers salvation and life to men and women of every nation and people)