What Do Yo See? 2

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 ¹And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 

²And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” (Mark 13:1–2 ESV)

The disciples of Jesus saw the beauty and majesty of the Jewish temple, but they couldn’t see the fate of this remarkable building. When Jesus foretold the destruction of the iconic Jewish landmark, his response triggered the disciples to ask a deeper question: “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:13 ESV)

Because of this question, Jesus foretold the important things that would happen shortly before He came again. Not only that, Jesus directed their attention to several key points, as these things would surely change their thoughts, mindsets and perspectives. 

To sum it up, there are 3 Don’t’s and 5 Be’s that the disciples and all Christians should pay attention.

1. Don’t Be Misled (Matthew 24:4)

⁴And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 

⁵For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. (Matthew 24:4–5 ESV)

Warning of Jesus

Lord Jesus strongly affirmed that false christs would come to lead people astray. Throughout church history, many self-proclaimed christs have already appeared and they have led many people astray. 

Modern False Christs

Among the numerous false christs, Sergei Anatolyevich Torop is a famous one. He is better known as Vissarion. This Russian man is the founder of the Church of the Last Testament, who proclaims he is a reincarnation of Jesus. Vissarion is a Russian false christ. He is the founder of the Church of the Last Testament, who proclaims he is a reincarnation of Jesus.

The late Christian apologist Dave Hunt spoke of the six marks of a false prophet. The first mark is through signs and wonders, false prophets will lead people astray after false gods (Deuteronomy 13:1–4). Second, their prophecies won’t come to pass (Deuteronomy 18:20–22). Third, they contradict God’s Word (Isaiah 8:20). Fourth, they bear bad fruit (Matthew 7:18–20). Fifth, all men speak well of them (Luke 6:26). You might find this statement strange. Regarding the false teachers, Dr J.I. Packer says: “Naturally they are popular and approved, but for all that, they are false prophets.” “ Sixth, false prophets deny that Jesus, the one and only Christ, has come once and for all in the flesh (I John 4:3).

Counterfeiting Jesus Christ

Satan likes to counterfeit God because he wants to be like the Creator and Ruler of the universe. In his book, Satan is No Myth, J. Oswald Sanders offers this interesting description of the counterfeit nature of the Devil’s schemes. Let me name a few traits.

First of all, Satan has his own trinity, which comprises of the Devil, the beast, and the false prophet (Revelation 16:13). 

Second, Satan has his own church, which is called “a synagogue of Satan” (Revelation 2:9).

Third, the Devil has his own ministers. They are called the “ministers of Satan” (2 Corinthians 11:4–5).

Fourth, Satan has formulated his own system of theology. The apostle Paul calls it “doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1).

Fifth, the Devil has his own servants, proclaiming his own gospel. The apostle Paul states that it is “a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you” (Galatians 1:7–8).

Finally, Satan has his own throne (Revelation 13:2) and his own worshipers (Revelation 13:4).

2. Don’t Be Alarmed (Matthew 24:6)

Lord Jesus foretold that there will be wars and rumours of wars, but we do not have to be alarmed. 

Fire Alarm Testing

If you lived in a condo, you would be familiar with the following announcement: “May I have your attention please. We will be conducting a test of the fire alarm system. Please disregard all alarms until further notice. We will notify you upon completion of the test.”

False Alarms

There are many civil wars and conflicts still going on around the world today. The Sudanese civil war began in 2023 and there are no signs of ending soon. The war between Ukraine and Russia began four years ago, and we do not know when it will end. The recent conflict between America and Iran has caused upheavals in the financial markets and political arenas. And the war has caused a significant surge in global energy price and food price. Because of that, we hope it will end as soon as possible.

The Reason Why We Should’t Panic

Why we should’t panic in times such as ours? The reason is simple: When you panic, you will make wrong decisions.

Facing Death

Death was approaching a city. A man bumped into Death and stopped him. The man asked what would Death do. Death told the man that he was going to kill ten thousand people. The man said it was a horrible thing, but Death responded that he would do it anyway. As the day passed, the man warned everyone about Death’s plan. At the end of the day, he met Death again. The man challenged Death that he said he was going to kill ten thousand people, but he killed seventy thousand instead. Death explained to the man that he killed only ten thousand, and he told the man that worry and fear killed the others.

3. Don’t Speculate (Matthew 24:36)

Financial Speculation

Many people are driven by greed. In the financial world, all individuals want to gain money as much as possible in as little time as possible. And because of this rationale, many invest out of speculation.

Newspaper Eschatology 

Have you heard of the term newspaper eschatology? It is the practice of interpreting current world events and news headlines as the direct fulfilment of end-times prophecies. As this approach neglect careful interpretation of the Bible, it often leads to sensationalism and date-setting.

Jesus’ Reminder

³⁶“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. (Matthew 24:36 ESV)

In terms of the actual time of the second coming, Jesus reminds us not to speculate. There is one reason for it because only God the Father knows the exact time.

4. Be Analytical

¹⁵“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 

¹⁶then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 

¹⁷Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 

¹⁸and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 

¹⁹And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 

²⁰Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 

²¹For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 

²²And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 

²³Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 

²⁴For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 

²⁵See, I have told you beforehand. 

²⁶So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 

²⁷For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 

²⁸Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. (Matthew 24:15–28 ESV)

Concerning the development of the end times events, we must be analytical. As Christians, we must conduct an investigation into the sequence and the consequence of end times events.

Analyse History 

The Bible is full of historical facts and we must analyse it carefully. Interpreting biblical history requires correct understanding. Bear in mind that all historical narratives involve selective judgment about what matters. In a nutshell, interpretation is right at the heart of the study of history. 

Very likely, the Antichrist comes from the revived Roman empire, thus we should study more about European history. Because of that, I am spending more time reading and understanding European history.

Analyse the News

Most of us are busy with many things in life. As a working mum, you have to take care of your husband and children. As a husband, your wife and children all demand your time and energy. We only have twenty-four hours a day. Apart from spending eight hours in bed, working for eight hours a day, we have only eight hours left every day.  

No matter how busy you are, you must find time watching or reading the news. As we don’t have much time left every day, we must watch or read the news from a trustworthy news media.

Watching or reading the news is important, and finding a trustworthy news agency is equally significant. That said, please bear in mind that every news media has its particular viewpoints, and is biased in certain ways. Thus, fact-checking with other news media is important. That said, our time is very limited, and also we cannot get to the bottom of an issue. Bear in mind that most governments and politicians always cover something up.

Analyse the Bible

As followers of Jesus Christ, we should study the Bible with an analytical mind. In terms of analysing God’s Word,  I can think of three C’s. 

The first ‘C’ is common sense. We should study the Bible with common sense, that is, we must understand God’s Word literally. Some people often think of the Bible as a book full of allegories. With common sense, even a child can understand God’s Word. For example,  ¹⁶For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NIV) This verse speaks of God’s love very plainly, and we should take it literally.

The second ‘C’ is the context of the Bible passage. We should never understand the Bible passage out of context. Understanding a Bible passage out of context will for sure lead to misinterpretation, that is, a verse is forced to mean something unintended by the original author. If we isolate a sentence from its surrounding paragraphs, historical setting, and intended audience, we will come up with biased and inaccurate interpretations.

The third ‘C’ is to compare the studied text wth other Bible passage or passages. If we want to have a clearer understanding of a particular Bible passage, it is wise and safe to refer to what other passages say about the same topic in their context.

¹⁵“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 

¹⁶then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. (Matthew 24:15–16 ESV)

²⁷And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.” (Daniel 9:27 ESV)

For Instance, Matthew 24:19 speaks of the Antichrist. For better understanding and interpretation, we should refer to Daniel 7.

5. Be Evangelistic (Matthew 24:14) 

¹⁴And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14 ESV)

Preach the Gospel

Before the very end of the end times, there will be a worldwide declaration of the gospel to a degree never yet seen. Before the Lord Himself comes again, the gospel will be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations.

Sad But True

According to my observation, most church congregations are not too evangelistic. Rather spending time to spread the gospel, many church leaders invest their resources and time inwardly. One sad thing is that numerous Christians fight among themselves. 

Evangelistic Endeavour

As a Christian, I am eager to meet Jesus face to face. Before Christ comes again, all believers should do their part of spreading the gospel.

6. Be Resolved

¹⁶then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 

¹⁷Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 

¹⁸and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 

¹⁹And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 

²⁰Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. (Matthew 24:16–20 ESV)

The Future Great Tribulation

Jesus speaks of the coming great tribulation. Based on the context of this passage, we understand it will be a very difficult time for mothers and infants. After understanding the coming horrifying tribulation, we must be resolved to take appropriate actions. 

Investment

Definitely, we don’t want to see our loved ones to suffer, especially to suffer in the Great Tribulation. Therefore, we should be resolved to invest more time and resources in our non-believing family members, relatives, friends and community. The reason is plain and simple. We want to connect with them so that we can share the Good News of Jesus Christ with them.

Buying No New Things

If you believe in the future, you would invest time and resources in it. Many elderly people don’t spend too much money on new clothes and shoes because they don’t think they will live long enough to enjoy these new things. They rather spend their money on food because they can at least enjoy these goodies right away. As numerous elderly individuals don’t believe they have any future, they are resolved not to invest too much in their future.

Be Resolved to Lead a Christ-centred Life 

Many people spend a lot of time on their families and career. Don’t get me wrong, it’s important. Dear Christians, instead of spending time and resources on ourselves, it would be better to spend more on others. Let’s be resolved to spend more time and resources on others.

7. Be Attentive

³⁷For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 

³⁸For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 

³⁹and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. (Matthew 24:37–39 ESV)

Pay Attention to the Days of Noah

Jesus compares the days of Noah to His future second coming. In the times of Noah, inhabitants were spiritually indifferent and unprepared for the forthcoming judgment of God. In those days, people were completely absorbed in daily activities, such as eating, drinking, and marrying. Not only they did not care about spiritual things, but they were also leading a wicked life. 

Pay Attention to Our Days

As Christians, we must be attentive to our current culture, situations, and circumstances. In other words, pay attention to our days.

Japanese Culture

Many people love to visit Japan, and many visitors are Christians too. But as Christians, do we understand the culture and the needs of the Japanese? Many missionaries say Japan is a “hard ground” or “graveyard for missions”. There are several reasons to explain it. Let me speak of one factor. The cultural identity of Japanese hinders them to respond to the Christian faith. They are deeply tied to Shintoism and Buddhism, and conversion to Christianity is often seen as abandoning one’s family and heritage.

Canadian Culture

As Canadians, can we identify the essence of our culture?

Some say Canadian culture is a “mosaic” rather than a “melting pot”. Canadian culture has many traits, but here are some significant ones. First, multiculturalism. Second, inclusivity. Third, a balance of personal freedom with community responsibility.

Multiculturalism is great. Inclusivity is good. Personal freedom is what we love. However, as Christians, we should not deny non-believing Canadians the opportunity to listen to the Gospel for the sake of multiculturalism, inclusivity and personal freedom.

Culture of Work Hard and Play Hard

In the western world, there is a culture called “work hard, play hard” culture. Many of us, including me, we play hard, but don’t work too hard. Some people are moving away from this mentality, because they think this kind of mindset will cause burnout and will blur work-life boundaries. To replace it, some experts advocate the idea of “work smarter, play better”. In reality, most people know how to work very smart, and they also know how to play to the best of their abilities.

Materialism, Consumerism, and Hedonism

In times such as ours, materialism, consumerism, and hedonism, have become the three pillars of many old and young around the world. 

For the pursuit of earthly material and enjoyment, numerous individuals have forsaken their spiritual needs. Most of the people around the world are indifferent to spirituality, but are completely absorbed in daily activities, such as eating, drinking, and marrying. They are living a life like the people in the days of Noah.

As we are part of the global village, we must be very careful that spiritual apathy will corrode our motivation, ambition, and sense of purpose in our Christian walk. 

8. Be Ready

⁴⁴Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (Matthew 24:44 ESV)

¹⁵For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 

¹⁶For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 

¹⁷Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:15–17 ESV)

Don’t Speculate But Be Ready

Although no Christian should speculate about the time of Jesus’ second coming, we should be ready to meet Him anytime.

Be Prepared to Meet God Anytime

As for Christians, we either meet Jesus face to face when we die, or at the rapture of the church. Let me share with you my position on the chronology of end times. Jesus Christ will for sure come again, but before He returns to the earth as the Lord of lords and King of kings, genuine Christians will be caught together with others in the clouds to meet Him (1 Thessalonians 4:15–17). This is what we called the rapture. After the rapture, the world will experience the most horrifying seven years of human experience. We call it the Great Tribulation. At the end of the tribulation period, Jesus Christ will come again. This is what we call the second coming of Jesus Christ.

No matter we meet Jesus at our death or at the rapture, the essence is be prepared at anytime.

Be Prepared When You Travel

Although travelling is very safe, horrible accidents sometimes do happen. Before boarding the airplane, I guess not many travellers will consider that they will die in a plane crash. My point is be prepared to meet the Lord anytime, either at death or at the rapture.

Be Prepared to Meet the Lord

Christians will meet Jesus face to face when they die, or at the rapture of the church. If you call yourself a follower of Jesus Christ, are you ready to meet Jesus face to face?

Conclusion

Regarding Jesus’ teaching, there are three don’ts and five be’s. The three don’ts are: Don’t be misled, don’t be alarmed and don’t speculate. The five be’s are: Be analytical, be evangelistic, be resolved, be attentive and be ready.