The End of the Age, Part 2
Notes
Transcript
Opening:
Good-morning again Connection Church. I am so glad you are here. It is a beautiful thing to come together and Worship Christ on the Lord’s Day. We are blessed to be here together. We are blessed to be able to sing songs of praise to our King. To learn truths about Him. To read His Word and hear it preached. The Lord’s Day is such a wonderful day!
Introduction of the Text:
This morning we are continuing on in our series through Matthew. We will be in Matthew 24. This morning we will be looking at Matthew 24:1-14. Last week we began a bit of a mini-series within our current series of Matthew. This mini-series is studying the end of the age. Last week we spent time laying the ground work to study this passage. So let us dive into the passage and we will begin to study deeply the text before us. I will be reading from the NASB this morning.
Reading of the Text:
Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Holy Word.
Matthew 24:1-14 “1 Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. 2 And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.” 3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 5 “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. 6 “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. 9 Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10 “At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11 “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12 “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. 13 “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. 14 “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
I would remind you that Jesus said in verse 35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” These are the words of Christ which will never pass away. Let’s pray.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, we come to you and ask you for guidance. This is a difficult passage. Please give us grace to understand it. You promised Your Spirit to help us and illuminate our Hearts to the Word. We ask that the Holy Spirit who lives within all true believers would guide us and give us clarity. Lord, help us to understand what you have spoken. Humble us Lord to come before your Word and see that you have spoken the truth. May we leave this series with confidence that you have spoken the truth. And Lord, grow this church. May we see this community grow. Please give us grace with one another. We ask this in Jesus name. Amen.
Transition:
As we open this passage, it would be wise to begin with a slight recap.
Recap.
Recap.
If you missed last week, I would encourage you to go on the website and listen to last week’s sermon. But we last week we focused on the first verses of our chapter and Jesus’ promise that all of this would happen within one generation.
We began by seeing that Jesus prophesied the destruction of the Temple. The disciples then asked two questions. When will it happen and what will be the signs of Jesus’s coming and the end of the age?
Jesus Prophesies the Destruction of the Temple and the Disciples Ask (1) When it Will Happen and (2) What Will Be the Signs.
Jesus Prophesies the Destruction of the Temple and the Disciples Ask (1) When it Will Happen and (2) What Will Be the Signs.
These are good questions. The disciples ask the obvious question first. When will it happen? Jesus just spoke of the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem. Clearly this was the most pertinent question. They also ask what the signs of Jesus’ coming would be. This is an interesting point. When we speak of Christ’s coming, we are referring to His final coming at the end of the World. We are speaking of when He will come and consummate the Kingdom.
However, the disciples had no idea Jesus would die and then after His resurrection ascend. So what were they talking about? Something to ponder.
We also saw that this passage is likely the most controversial passage in Matthew. Why is this? Well, Jesus tells of dark and bizarre things and then says they will happen within one generation.
Jesus Tells of Dark and Bizarre Things and Says They Will Happen in One Generation.
Jesus Tells of Dark and Bizarre Things and Says They Will Happen in One Generation.
Jesus does answer the disciple’s question. He speaks of dark and dire things. He uses great and scary images. He then says all those things will happen in one generation. How do we handle this? Well, last week I explained that this is a specific genre in Scripture known as apocalyptic literature. We must handle this form of literature carefully.
This Is Apocalyptic Literature. We Must Handle This Form of Literature Carefully.
This Is Apocalyptic Literature. We Must Handle This Form of Literature Carefully.
Apocalyptic literature is filled with symbolism and bizarre images. We do not interpret Scripture woodenly. We interpret it naturally. We interpret poetry as poetry and history as history. We have to be consistent in how we come to the meaning of a text. How do we do this? We must be careful to recognize the context of the passage.
We Must Examine the Context. (1) within the text, (2) within Scripture, (3) Within the Culture of the Day.
We Must Examine the Context. (1) within the text, (2) within Scripture, (3) Within the Culture of the Day.
We must never rip verses out of their context and twist them to mean what we want. We must work to understand what they are saying within their own context. What are they saying in the broader scope of the passage? What are they saying within the whole of Scripture? How does this passage fit in the grand narrative of the whole of Scripture? And we must examine the context of the culture it was written to? How would the original audience understand this passage?
Beyond this, we have other tools available to us. We can seek clarity from other passages.
We Can Seek Clarity from Other Passages.
We Can Seek Clarity from Other Passages.
Thankfully, some things are recorded multiple places in Scripture. We can compare these passages and use them to come to a more clear understanding of the text. We do not seek out the most confusing passage on a topic and run with it. We look for the clearest teaching on the subject. This applies with phrases and words too. Sometimes if a phrase or a word is used in a confusing way, we can look at how it is used elsewhere to help us understand what is being said.
After this, we can consult history.
We Can Consult History.
We Can Consult History.
Thankfully, Christians are excellent historians. We can look at historical understanding of things. We have to be careful with this. History is not Scripture. But we also recognize that sometimes history and commentaries can be helpful for us.
Transition:
We also looked last week at the fact that there are many different views on this passage. Some of these are blatantly heretical, while many are orthodox.
There Are Many Different Views on This Passage. Some Heretical, Some Orthodox.
There Are Many Different Views on This Passage. Some Heretical, Some Orthodox.
Do to the somewhat confusing language used in this passage and those like it, it has been ripe to be twisted. Many cults have started based off of passages like this. End times cults are prevalent. And many of them start from passages like this being twisted. Therefore, we must be very careful in how understand it.
However, when studying the end times, we must also recognize that not every difference we have with someone means they are a heretic. For the most part, eschatology falls into the category of tertiary things. We do not divide over these things.
We Do Not Divide on the Tertiary Things.
We Do Not Divide on the Tertiary Things.
We must see that how we view the study of end times is important, but it should not divide us. There is a line there. And we must have grace. Yes, there are many end times cults started over passages like this, but we have to be clear and recognize that not every difference of opinion means that the other person is a heretic. We must have grace for one another. And we have to have a clear understanding of what is heresy and what is a difference of opinion over a confusing passage.
Transition:
With this in mind, what I am going to present to you are four positions. All four of these positions of understanding this passage are orthodox. They are not heresy. But they are different. Now, each of these can be taken to the extreme, and therefore can become heresy, but they are all completely within the family of Christianity.
Four Positions.
Four Positions.
These four positions are ways of reading and understanding this passage and other passages about the end of the age. There are actually about five to six differing positions, but I have tried to summarize it a little bit. These four positions have to do primarily with that phrase, “the end of the age.” In this passage, is Jesus speaking of the end of all things, or the end of an eon? Is Jesus speaking of the end of the space time continuum? Or is Jesus speaking of the end of the Jewish age? This is the question that these views attempt to wrestle with. What is the fulfillment of what Jesus said in this passage?
The first view is future fulfilment.
1. Future Fulfillment.
1. Future Fulfillment.
This position puts it’s emphasis on the future fulfilment. It is known as the futurist position. They read this passage and take the fulfilment of it to be completely in the future. It was not really fulfilled in the generation Jesus was talking to. It was not really applicable to the disciples or the early church. It is really pointing to a future day when all this will happen. Obviously some of the variation within this position would see some fulfilment in the past but the weight of their view is that this passage points ahead to things that have not happened yet.
Transition:
The next is the historical fulfillment.
2. Historical Fulfillment.
2. Historical Fulfillment.
This position says that much of the prophetic language in the New Testament deals with the whole of church history. It would view this passage and those like it, including the book of The Revelation, as dictating and dealing with the whole of church history. It does not see the prophetic language of Scripture as happening within one litteral generation. It would view the generation as the description of the whole of the church. So the question would not be “when will this happen?” but would be “What chapter of the Revelation are we in at this point in church history?” This was the common view of the protestants during the reformation.
Transition:
The third position is the Spiritual Fulfillment.
3. Spiritual Fulfillment.
3. Spiritual Fulfillment.
This position would view the prophetic language of the New Testament as an ongoing encouragement to the church. It is meant to be seen as the constant Spiritual state of the church. The Church will go through much blessing and tribulation. This view takes the language of how prophesy is to encourage the church very seriously.
Transition:
The fourth position is the past fulfillment.
4. Past Fulfillment.
4. Past Fulfillment.
This is what is known as Preterism, or the Preterist approach. That word comes from the idea of past fulfilment. This position puts the emphasis of the fulfillment on the past. Jesus was primarily speaking to the disciples. While there are some prophesies that are future, the primary and majority has already been fulfilled. Where this position goes too far is when people try to say that every prophesy has been fulfilled. Clearly we are not in the New Heaven. However, this passage points to the idea that Jesus’ words here were for the first century church. We may be able to draw application, but it was already fulfilled.
Transition:
As I said, all four positions are within orthodox Christianity. However, most people are only familiar with the futurist position. The futurist position is the most commonly held view of our day. As we approach the text, we will primarily focus on the futurist and the preterist position, but we may touch on the others. But let’s dive in and see what Jesus is saying.
Jesus opens by speaking of the destruction of the temple.
The Destruction of the Temple. v. 2
The Destruction of the Temple. v. 2
Explanation:
Matthew 24: 1-3 “1 Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. 2 And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.” 3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?””
Jesus had already spoken in chapter 23 about how Jerusalem was going to be destroyed. Now He speaks very clearly about how the temple would be destroyed.
Argumentation: Past Fulfillment:
As we study this text, I think the most obvious observation we can make is that there was a temple in Jesus’ day, and there is not one in our day. From there, it seems obvious to ask, what happened to it? Herod’s Temple was one of the wonders of the ancient world. But it was a wonder of the “Ancient” world. It is not like the pyramids that still stand. It is gone.
Well, in A.D. 70 Jerusalem was surrounded by Rome and laid siege to. In that horrific war, 1.1 million Jews were slaughtered. It was the first great holocaust. In this process, the temple was laid waste to. It is a matter of historical record that not one stone of the temple was left standing. It was utterly decimated.
Here is where the futurist and the preterist differ. The futurist may say that this act was a partial fulfillment of Jesus’ words, but that really Jesus was speaking of a future event where this will all happen in fulness. You may be familiar with people speaking of the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. Interestingly enough, there is not one prophesy about the temple being rebuilt. The only reason a futurist will say that it must be rebuilt is because it is prophesied that the temple will be destroyed.
Well, what else could it be? Doesn’t the temple have to be rebuilt so that this prophesy can be fulfilled in it’s fulness? Not necessarily. I think the most natural way to read this would be to look at Jesus’ prophesy about the destruction of the temple and His time frame and ask the question, “did this take place within the time frame Jesus gave?” Well, Jesus gave this prophesy likely in the early thirties. In all likely-hood around the year A.D. 33. So one generation in the Jewish mind was 40 years. So the natural assumption of Jesus’ prophesy is that the temple would be destroyed within 40 years of A.D. 33. Well, the temple was destroyed in A.D. 70. That fits perfectly in Jesus’ prophetic prediction of the temple being destroyed in one generation.
Transition:
That is not to say that clearly the futurist position is debunked, but I think it does set a precedent that in the aspect of the temple being destroyed, Jesus was speaking of the time frame literally. Well, what about the rest of the verses? Remember, the disciple’s asked Jesus when it would happen and what would be the signs of the end of the age? Well, Jesus gave the time frame at the bottom of the text in verse 34 and 35. But now Jesus is giving the signs. And verses 4 through 14 are really the lead up to the destruction of the Jerusalem. What will happen in the lead up to the destruction of the Temple? Well, Jesus warns them not to be misled.
Verses 4-14 The Lead up to the destruction of Jerusalem.
Do Not Be Misled. v. 4-5, 11
Do Not Be Misled. v. 4-5, 11
Explanation:
In verses 4-5 Jesus says “4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 5 “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.” And then in verse 11, “11 “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.” Jesus is warning the disciples to be on the lookout for false teachers, prophets, and Christ’s.
Argumentation/ Past Fulfillment:
Really, this warning holds true for all of the church. There is no time where this warning is not relevant. In fact, most books of the Bible contain warnings against such things as this. And this could be a point toward the historic fulfillment method of understanding these things. This statement is true of all of church history. There have been many who claimed to be Christ come back. There have been many many false prophets. But I do not think this is actually a point for that. This statement is not like a lot of those other warnings in Scripture.
Really, this statement makes no sense if it not limited. Remember the context. Jesus is answering the disciples. What will be the signs? Jesus says there will be false Christ’s and false prophets as a sign to the disciples. Well, if this is a common thing, it is no longer a sign. A sign is recognizable. Something about these false Christ’s and false prophets will be recognizable. I believe what made them recognizable was the limited time frame given.
Think about it, Jesus said that this would all take place within one generation. So when the church saw a rise of false Christ’s and false prophets within that generation, they knew the end was at hand. They knew that the temple would be destroyed soon. And beyond this, we have record of false prophets and false Christ’s during this time. We have record from Scripture and from history. Think of Acts 5 when Gamaliel rose up in the group of Pharisees and spoke of Theudas and Judas of Galilee who had risen up. These men could be fulfillment of what Jesus was talking about. We also have specific warnings from Paul about false teachers.
Transition:
I think the best way to understand this is to look at it within the time frame given. It makes no sense as simply a generic warning to the church of all time. And it is similar with Jesus’ next warning. Jesus warns to be on the lookout for wars and rumors of wars.
Wars and Rumors of Wars. v.6-7
Wars and Rumors of Wars. v.6-7
Explanation:
In verse 6-7 Jesus says, “6 “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.”
Argumentation: Past Fulfillment: (Common prophetic language)
Again, how common is this? There are constant wars. And yet, whenever a conflict arises, this verse is quoted. But that does not make much sense. Since Jesus said these words till now there have been many many many wars. Was Jesus talking about the wars that happen within the bush in Africa? The grand tribal conflict? Or was Jesus simply talking about the wars we see on the news? This to me highlights the dangers of how we interpret language like this. We so often read prophetic passages and assume that they are directly speaking to us about our day and time. This is really foolish. We should never read our Bible’s in light of the news. We must stay consistent to sound interpretation methods.
Remember, if we find a confusing phrase, we can look to see if similar language was used elsewhere in Scripture. If we do that, we will see that this is actually very common prophetic language. In fact, this language is used in the Old Testament for prophesies that have been long fulfilled. Two examples.
In 2 Chronicles 15:5-6 the prophet Azariah spoke to Asa, the king of Judah and said,
2 Chronicles 15:5-6 “5 “In those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for many disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands. 6 “Nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every kind of distress.”
This was a specific prophesy about Judah.
Again, this language is used in Isaiah. Specifically, God spoke a prophesy through Isaiah about the land of Egypt.
Isaiah 19:2 “2 “So I will incite Egyptians against Egyptians; And they will each fight against his brother and each against his neighbor, City against city and kingdom against kingdom.”
This prophesy is long fulfilled. But both of these prophesies highlight the language used. This is prophetic language about destruction. It fits perfectly with what Jesus is saying about the destruction of Jerusalem. Jesus is prophesying the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and is using very common language. Beyond this, unless the time frame is limited, it really does not make sense. There are always wars being waged. So Jesus is using prophetic language to warn the disciples and the early church in that first generation that when wars begin to happen, the time is near. As a bit of a side not, toward the sixties, Rome began fighting several wars on the outskirts of the kingdom. Then, in the lead-up to A.D. 70 the Jewish zealots actually began to wage war against Rome on the home front.
That is actually what sparked Rome’s seige of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. The zealots went to war against Rome and the zealots captured Jerusalem from Rome in A.D. 66. This was a clear sign to the early church that the destruction was near.
Transition:
The same is true of the famines and earthquakes spoken of in verse 7.
Famines And Earthquakes. v. 7
Famines And Earthquakes. v. 7
Explanation:
Matthew 24:7 “7 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.”
Argumentation: Past Fulfillment:
In the book of Acts, the prophet Agabus prophesied a great famine.
Acts 11:27-30 “27 Now at this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them named Agabus stood up and began to indicate by the Spirit that there would certainly be a great famine all over the world. And this took place in the reign of Claudius. 29 And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea. 30 And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders.”
Roman history also speaks of a great number of earthquakes in the mid to late 60’s.
This is not to say that these past fulfillment make the futurist’s claims empty. But I think they undo the claims of those who say Jesus must be speaking of our future. I think it makes it obvious that a natural reading would lead to at least some view of a past fulfillment.
Transition:
Jesus then says that one of the signs is that the disciples will be handed over to persecution and death.
The Disciples Will Be Handed Over To Persecution and Death. v. 9
The Disciples Will Be Handed Over To Persecution and Death. v. 9
Explanation:
“9 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.”
Argumentation: Past Fulfillment:
Remember who Jesus is talking to. One of our keys to understanding the text is the context of the original audience. Jesus is speaking directly to the Apostles. It should be obvious from Scripture and from history that the Apostles saw this one fulfilled.
If this verse from Matthew leaves any confusion, we can skip over to Luke’s account of this address. Luke goes into greater detail on this part. And remember, a great tool in understanding the text is to look at other passages that record the same event.
Luke 21:12-17 “12 “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake. 13 “It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony. 14 “So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; 15 for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute. 16 “But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, 17 and you will be hated by all because of My name.”
I think we all see that while there may be some application for us in this, it is clearly addressed to the Apostles. This is exactly what happened to the Apostles. Jesus is clearly speaking to them directly to the Apostles about their future suffering and deaths.
And no one really disagrees with this. Many people who hold to a futurist understanding of this passage put a break right here. They say that Jesus is speaking of a future fulfillment except for this verse. This verse is speaking primarily to the Disciples, though there may be application for us when we face tribulation and trials. Again, I think the preterists have another leg up with this verse. They claim Jesus is speaking to that generation with all of the address. They have no need to put a break in at verse 9. But regardless of your view, this verse seems very cut and dried. Jesus is telling the Apostles what to do when they face persecution.
Transition:
Jesus then says the love of many will grow cold.
The Love of Many Will Grow Cold. v. 12
The Love of Many Will Grow Cold. v. 12
Explanation:
“12 “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.” Jesus is saying that sin will increase and many will fall away. It seems that before the end that Jesus is speaking of, there will be a great falling away.
Argumentation: Past Fulfillment:
For those who hold to futurist view, they would say that before the end of the world, there will be a great apostacy. Before the end of the space time continuum, and Jesus’ ultimate return, there will be a great falling away. And indeed, there are many passages that speak to that. Most views would agree that before the consummation of the Kingdom, there will be a time of rebellion and a falling away. The futurist’s would say that this is what Jesus is speaking of here. They would look at this and say that Jesus is speaking of the final rebellion before the end.
But what of those who would say that Jesus is not speaking of the end of all things, but rather of the end of the Jewish age? Well, keeping in mind the context of who Jesus is speaking to, the preterists would say that Jesus is warning that before the destruction of the temple and this great act of destruction, there will be many who will fall away from the faith.
In fact, many view some of the warnings against falling away in this light. In the New Testament there is a heavy focus on remaining faithful, on not falling away. In fact, in a couple books, this is one of the central themes. The letter to the Hebrews is filled with these warnings. The author seems preoccupied with this subject. Some passages that speak of this are:
Hebrews 3-4.
Hebrews 6: 4-8.
Hebrews 10:26-31.
Hebrews 12:25-29.
Another letter that seems rather obsessed with this idea is the first epistle of John. 1 John contains many warnings. 1 John however does not seem as preoccupied with warning against falling away, but encouragement to the believers to tell them how to know they are really saved. In fact, it closes with this, 1 John 5:13 “13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” John closes his letter with the statement that he wrote it so that the believers could know they were saved.
In another way, John opens his letter with an encouragement that those who have apostatized were not truly saved. 1 John 2:19 “19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.” John seems to be encouraging his readers in the first century that even though there are those who fall away, we can know we are truly saved.
Likewise Paul speaks often of false converts. None of this is concrete proof that there was a great falling away. In fact, we can read any of these passages as relevant to the entire history of the church. There have always been false converts. We should always be on guard against falling away from the faith. But I do think that it is clear that the New Testament authors were acutely aware of this problem. And this makes sense. Jesus warned them there would be a falling away. And by all appearances, the Apostles seem to be preparing the church for this.
Transition:
Jesus then speaks something that is true for all ages. The one who endures to the end will be saved.
The One Who Endures to the End Will be Saved. v. 13
The One Who Endures to the End Will be Saved. v. 13
Explanation:
“13 “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.” This is not uncommon language in the New Testament. We know that those who are truly saved will endure.
Argumentation: True in Past and Future.
This was true to the disciples, the first century church, the fifth century church, the 16th century church and yes, to the 21st century church. This is fundamentally true. And we know that we may not be spared from persecution. We may die horrifically. We know for a fact that the disciples faced horrific deaths. But indeed they were saved. They were not saved from their suffering. In a way, they were saved through their sufferings. They may have faced torture and death, but they endured. And what did they find on the other side of the flames, crosses, spears, stones, wild animals, and searing pain? Salvation. They found ultimate salvation on the other side of their endurance. Now, it was not their endurance that saved them. It was faith in Christ. But through their true faith they endured and found the fulness of salvation. They may be dead, but they are alive with Christ right now. The promise of Jesus was true. They are saved and with Him, truly alive. I love what Dr. Robert Godfrey says. He says “Death really is a form of resurrection for the saved.” That is true. When we die, we await the ultimate resurrection of our bodies, but when we die, we are truly alive with Christ. Indeed, we are more alive with Christ.
And this is what Jesus is saying. I think the gospel of Luke again has a slightly more clear context. Jesus is speaking to the disciples and telling then that those who endure will be saved.
Luke 21:16-19 “16 “But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, 17 and you will be hated by all because of My name. 18 “Yet not a hair of your head will perish. 19 “By your endurance you will gain your lives.” Luke paints this statement in the context of the disciples being betrayed. But I love what Luke records. Not one hair will perish. Though they die, they live. And they will not be spoiled. They are like seeds in the ground awaiting the final resurrection of the dead. And indeed, not one hair will perish.
Transition:
But perhaps Jesus’ final statement in the verses we are covering in this sermon is the doom of the preterist position. Jesus says the Kingdom will be preached to all the nations.
The Kingdom Will be Preached to All Nations. v. 14
The Kingdom Will be Preached to All Nations. v. 14
Explanation:
Verse 14 says, “14 “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
Argumentation: Past Fulfillment.
Is this it? Many futurists claim that this is one of the seals that proves that Jesus was not speaking to the disciples about their day. Clearly Jesus is addressing a future time. And that might be. The futurist position may have a serious point. But to be fair to those who hold to a past position, let’s look at some verses. Remember, one of the key rules of interpretation is to look at the context of the whole of Scripture.
Romans 16:25-27 “25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, 26 but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.”
Clearly Paul is not saying that every nation that existed or will exist has heard the gospel in the most literal sense. Paul is using a common literary term of the day. It was extremely common to refer to the Roman empire as “all the nations.”
Colossians 1:5-6 “5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;”
Here it is said that the gospel is bearing fruit in “all the world.”
Colossians 1:23 “23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.”
Here the language is expanded again. Here is it “all creation under heaven.” This does not mean that this is exactly what Jesus was talking about. However, I think it clearly disproves the argument that Jesus MUST be speaking about a future event. Paul clearly uses the same and similar language to Jesus, claiming it had happened. Paul speaks in the past tense.
I believe Paul and Jesus are speaking about the same thing. And I think that Paul’s letters, that were likely written in the 50’s and 60’s would have been a big clue to the early church to be on the lookout for the fulfillment of Christ’s words.
Transition:
I think it is obvious that I hold to a more preterist understanding. I do not think that Jesus was speaking of some mysterious future event. I believe Jesus was very clear. Again, that is not to say that those who disagree with me are heretics. We must have grace in this topic. But I believe Jesus’s words here were fulfilled in the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70, signalling the end of the Old Covenant. I hope to show the reasonableness of this position from the text. But above this, my primary goal is to show that Jesus is a true prophet. He is THE prophet.
Application:
But what do we do with these things? How do we apply passages like this? Often I think we see the wrong kind of application. Often we hear warnings, quoting passages from this chapter. “Be on the lookout! Russia started a war. Keep your eyes peeled! We are at the end! Remember, wars and rumors of wars!” Sadly, I think most of the application given from passages like ours does nothing except stir up fear. Beloved, these passages are not to stir up fear. They are to comfort the church.
Regardless of how we interpret these passages, we should be comforted. I think we can draw comfort regardless of what view we hold.
1. If someone holds to the futurist interpretation, and they believe that these verses primarily point to a future fulfilment, then be comforted that God has the future in His hands. There is no need to fear. It is true that God is sovereign. He declares the ends from the beginning. He has never been nor will be surprised. That is the truth. Do not be afraid. Be comforted.
2. If someone holds to the Historical fulfilment view and believes that this passage speaks to the whole of church history, be encouraged! God has the entire life of the church in His hands. He promised that He will build His church. Nothing can stop that. He is in control. He will build the church and we can have great peace in knowing the one who has complete control over all of the history of the church.
3. If someone holds to the spiritual fulfillment view and believes that this speaks of the spiritual life of the church, be encouraged! God holds the spiritual life of the church in His hands. He wrote these things to encourage the church. We know we will face trials and tribulations as well as blessings. But He is with us in it all. He has spoken and told us to be encouraged. Let us rejoice in the one who brought us from Spiritual death to life.
4. If someone holds to the past fulfillment view and believes that this is primarily about the first century church, you should especially be encouraged because you’re right! (kidding, sort of) Jesus spoke and it was fulfilled. He is the true prophet. And we can see and hope in His words. Christ is trustworthy and true. Follow Him with great joy.
Clearly those encouragements are not limited only to respective views. God is sovereign over the future. God holds the church in His hands. God spoke these things to encourage us. Christ is trustworthy. But my point is this, we can be greatly encouraged from this passage. We ought to go from here rejoicing. Let’s close in prayer and then sing out in praise of our great God.
Prayer:
Closing Doxology:
Closing Benediction:
Christ’s words to the Apostles should encourage us to endure as well. Luke 21:18-19 “18 “Yet not a hair of your head will perish. 19 “By your endurance you will gain your lives.”