This is an excerpt from my book “40 Moments From Christ’s Final Days.” Click here to get it from Amazon using my affiliate link.
Find this moment in: Mt 24:3-14, Mk.13:3-13, Lk. 21:7-28
In Matthew 24:5-14, Jesus tells His disciples that there will be obvious signs that Israel’s King is returning. We see a more detailed breakdown of these events in the book of Revelation, which shows the many ways God will pour out His wrath on the earth after the Rapture. And, if we pay close attention, we may even hear the sound of horses.
First, many people will claim to be the Messiah. Israel will be desperate to believe this, but Jesus doesn’t want them to be fooled. In Revelation 6:1, this deception is represented by a rider on a white horse who holds a bow. This is noteworthy because Christ is later shown in Revelation 19:11-16 finally returning to earth on a white horse, but the true Christ will have a sword in His mouth and an iron scepter in His hand.
Second, war will be a constant part of life. Either a war will be happening, or a war will be brewing. As the Prince of Peace draws near, the world will know nothing but strife. In Revelation 6:4, this constant war is represented by a rider on a red horse. Israel and the rest of the world will suffer under this continuous warfare.
Third, famine will strike the world. People will become desperate as resources grow scarce and things like starvation become a reality worldwide. In Revelation 6:5-6, this worldwide famine is represented by a rider on a black horse. He carries a pair of scales, representing the harsh economic system that will develop.
Fourth, Jesus tells of deadly earthquakes. Although not represented by a horseman, a deadly earthquake is part of the same sequence of events. In Revelation 6:12-17, God sends an earthquake so massive that mountains and islands will actually shift. The sun will darken, possibly from a volcanic eruption, the moon will turn to blood, and the stars will fall in what may be a meteor shower.
Revelation 6:7-8 says that 25% of the earth’s population die during this time. This is terrifying, yet as Jesus says in Matthew 24:8, “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains.” Israel will know Jesus is coming when natural and man-made disasters strike the world, yet these are just the beginning.
During all of this, many in Israel will turn back to Jesus, the one they spent so long rejecting. Because intends this judgment for His enemies, Israel may be noticeably immune to many of these catastrophes. In addition to their faithfulness to Christ, their safety may explain what happens next.
Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. And at that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and will deceive many. And because lawlessness is multiplied, most people’s love will grow cold. (Matthew 24:9-12)
In the future, Israel will be so devoted to Jesus that the world will hate them because of it. Israel will suffer and die at the hands of other nations. Chaos will increase, any measure of love in the world will diminish, and religious deception will be at an all-time high.
Yet, through all this, faithful Israelites will still insist on telling the world about Jesus. Despite the cost of their own lives, they will no longer reject their Messiah. It may have taken thousands of years and seeing the world nearly destroyed, but God’s people will finally turn to Him throughout these seven years.
Jesus wraps up this section with an incredible promise. In verse 13, He says that anyone who physically endures to the end of all of this will be saved. When He says “saved,” Jesus means He’ll rescue them from any further physical danger. That’s because, at the end of this, Jesus Christ will return to the earth and establish His kingdom.
The disciples finally had confirmation that the kingdom was coming in the future. However, they may also have been unsettled, even terrified, that Jesus wouldn’t establish that kingdom at this exact moment. So much needed to happen, and things would get much worse before they got better. However, they still had the comfort that He truly was coming back to reign as their king.
Stop and think: These terrifying events aren’t random calamities or God going overboard. They are a sign of the holy God’s perfect wrath against sin. However, even the worst events Jesus discussed are just a glimpse at how much God hates sin. How do these future events help you better understand how God views sin in the world and the lives of Christians?
—
Click below to order your own copy of the book and read about all 40 moments!
