The Surprising beginning to the end of the world
In Matthew chapter 24 of the Bible, we find a detailed, and in some ways, surprising, description of the last days.
We can trust the person who gave us those details. It was Jesus.
He is, of course, a reliable source so let’s not debate his interpretation, let’s believe what he said. In this post, I will focus on the beginning of Jesus’ description. We can debate about when the “last days” began.
Was it in 1948, when Israel became a nation or in 1967, when Jerusalem came under the control of the Jewish government? We can also argue about the world wars. Those could be important indicators regarding the end of the age. But those discussions will be for another time. For this article, I will briefly consider Matthew 24 and what Jesus said about the beginning of those days.
How do they begin?
The answer to that may be surprising to some people.
It will not begin with a meteorite crashing through the atmosphere bringing death to untold millions. Yes, that’s surprising if you watch many of YouTube videos on the subject. And don’t expect demonic horsemen leading great armies into battle leaving behind rivers of blood and decaying and broken bodies. Don’t look for terrifying pandemic diseases racing around the globe. Surprising, I know, because we are often led to believe that will be the case. And of course, some expect great earthquakes that open the gates of Hell and unleash the demons that have been held captive in the fiery prison. But as I’ve alluded to, the surprising truth is that the true beginning is much more subtle.
The closing act opens rather meekly.
Jesus’ description of the beginning of the end will start in a deceptive manner–literally.
It all begins with a lie.
A lie barely noticed by most but one that will enforce the change the enemy of God, Satan, will be hoping for. That lie, whatever it is, will enslave billions into a Satanic trap. That trap will probably be inescapable. Thus the opening warning from the Lord. Don’t be deceived. Jesus told the disciples to beware that no one should be deceived. If Jesus told them to beware of deception you can be certain of one thing. A lot of gullible people will believe the very thing Jesus warned the disciples about.
Believing that lie will be a fatal, eternal mistake.
Below are the opening words of the Lord as he tells his friends about what he knew would take place in the future.
Matthew 24:4-8
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.
And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that you are not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diverse places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Paul the Apostle gave us additional help to understand the lie. But he still failed to mention exactly what the lie is.
Here’s what he said.
1 Thessalonians 2:8-12
And then shall the wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them, that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause, God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie. That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
The lie is connected to the Antichrist
Paul’s description connects the lie to the revelation of the Antichrist. (See here and here.) In verse eight we see the Wicked One is revealed, that’s the Antichrist. He comes with power and lying wonders. Those who are destined to ‘perish’ don’t have a ‘love of the truth’ so they give in to the deception which apparently will seal their fate.
These troubled times in which we live should serve as a warning to the wary Christian. Stay alert and awake. There’s a lot of news, reports, and of course the ever-present “fake news.” Will we know when the deception begins? Many people are deceived, but of course, they don’t know it. It wouldn’t be deception if it was easy to discern. We all need to make sure our “truth” is real and not fake. The Bible is a time-tested truth. Sadly, Bible study skills, among the Christian population, are hard to find now. If we can’t discern the truth when we read it ourselves, how can we warn others?
In the passage above, we read that God himself will strengthen the delusion of those who are willing to believe the lie.
Willing to believe the lie
‘Fake news’ is a popular meme. Salacious rumors easily trap those people who are willing to believe a lie.
What is the lie Paul and Jesus spoke of?
What do you think it is?
Watch out for deception. The big lie is coming, will you recognize it? Will warn others? Jesus warned us all. The bible is the Word of God. We can trust it.
Here are some links to books on the subject.
Top prophecy experts predict the end
What did the early Church Fathers believe the Bible taught about the Antichrist?
find the answers here.
Let me know what you think.