The Signs of His Coming
As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” - Matthew 24:3
In my intro article to this topic, I explained that we could divide the subject of the return of Christ into three major categories: the signs of Christ’s return, the physical return of Christ, and the ensuing reign of Christ. Those all had subcategories, but we won’t worry about that for now. In this week’s article, I will address the signs of the coming of Christ as given by Christ Himself when His disciples asked. These will all come from Matthew 24, but you can read parallel passages on this subject in Mark 13 and Luke 21.
Destruction of the Temple and the Return of Christ
First, let’s determine the context of the passage because this is key to its interpretation. The disciples have called Jesus’ attention to the magnificent nature of the temple. Herod’s temple was a sight to behold, to be sure. But in response, Jesus explains that it will be utterly destroyed to the extent that not a stone will be left on top of another. We should note here that His response uses imagery very similar to Old Testament prophecies regarding God’s judgment (Jer. 26: 6, 18 & Mic. 3:12). In response the disciples ask when this destruction will occur as well as what the signs will be regarding His return. It’s important to remember that the disciples have essentially asked two questions and Jesus is answering them both simultaneously. The mistake is made regarding end-time prophecy of applying it only to ourselves while neglecting the fact that this answer had to have relevance to the original audience. It’s only when we consider the meaning for the original audience that we come to the proper interpretation of any biblical text. So, what are the signs? There are four categories of signs Jesus gives. We will look at each breifly.
1. False Christs (V. 5)
Throughout history, there have been people claiming to be Christ, or some form of deified figure. My thoughts immediately go to David Koresh and the Branch Davidians, but some of you may remember Jim Jones and the People’s Temple. These are just a few examples of people claiming to be Christ. I believe we can add to this an increase in apostate teaching when considering 2 Thess. 2:2-3, “We ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.” There was a concern from Paul that there would be false teachers regarding the return of the Lord, so this was a concern even in the early Church. We have to remember, that Jesus’ words are not only referring to the end but to all of history leading up to it.
There appears to be far more false teaching in our time than previously in history, indicating there is a rebellion not only in the world but also in the Church. Such people come in the name of Christ, claiming that their teaching is true even though it is biblically incoherent . I’m sure you’ve heard someone say something to the effect of “We’ve misunderstood/misinterpreted the Bible,” or “The Bible is not divinely inspired.” Or my personal favorite, “God told me/God gave me a message, etc.” We’re at a point in Church history where we preach universalism, celebrate immorality, and even deny the necessity of the atonement. All of this is false teaching, and it’s becoming increasingly popular and is far easier to access in the age of social media and the internet. Of course, none of these are new problems, but they are becoming more prevalent. For this reason, as always, I exhort you to be rooted in the Scriptures. You cannot accept that which contradicts what the Word of God tells you. No one who claims special revelation is rooted in the Word, anyone who contradicts the Scriptures is by definition a false teacher, and certainly no one who claims to be Christ is rooted in the Word. False teachers and Christs are both instruments of the devil sent to divide and destroy, and both are considered to be antichrists (1 John 2:18). Such people are, according to Christ, a sign of the end of the age. Heed Christ’s words and do not be deceived.
2. Wars and Rumors of Wars (Vv. 6-7)
As long as sin has reigned in the world, conflict, death, and destruction have been a reality. As for how this was relevant for the disciples, there was always the threat of Rome against the Jews since their relationship was tenuous at best, and in 70 A.D., Rome would destroy both Jerusalem and the temple just as Christ said, with around 1 million people killed (a massive number for an ancient war) and around 97,000 enslaved.
For modern application, the last century alone has seen two world wars, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and 9/11, and the ensuing War on Terror. Currently, Russia and Ukraine are at war; a conflict that threatens to lead to another world war. This is not to mention the Russian Civil War (The third bloodiest war behind WW1 & 2), the three Balkan Wars, the Chinese Civil War, The Israeli War of Independence, and a host of others. In all, there have been thirty-one armed conflicts or outright wars in the last century, which averages out to approximately one war/conflict every three years.
Now, there is a threat of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Russia and North Korea are in the process of doing an arms deal, and we cannot seem to go a day without discussing the threat of nuclear war. These are the rumors of wars, and they don’t seem to be slowing down.
At the same, we’re told by Jesus not to be alarmed since these must take place. How can we not be alarmed by these? Christ telling this to us in His word reveals that He is in control. Nothing happens on earth outside of God’s divine approval, and according to Jesus, these things must take place. We have the comfort and assurance of knowing that God is not out of control, even when it seems human wickedness is having free reign. Take heart, Christian, Evil may be having its hour, but God will have the final say.
3. Natural Disasters (V. 7, Lk. 21:11)
Jesus mentions earthquakes and famines here in Matthew and Mark’s account of this conversation. Luke’s account includes pestilences. These are varying forms of natural disasters that have occurred throughout history. In relation to earthquakes, these seem to be increasing in both intensity and frequency. The United States Geological Survey states the following on its website:
According to long-term records (since about 1900), we expect about 16 major earthquakes in any given year. That includes 15 earthquakes in the magnitude 7 range and one earthquake magnitude 8.0 or greater. In the past 40-50 years, our records show that we have exceeded the long-term average number of major earthquakes about a dozen times.1
That same site explains that an increase and decrease pattern is typical, but it is worth noting that this pattern exceeded even their expectations, as noted above.
We’re all too familiar with the idea of pestilence in the post-COVID (hopefully) age. Whether you think this was a naturally occurring disease or a manufactured one, it was a pestilence on a global scale we have not seen before in our time. This is in addition to Influenza showing up each year in a slightly mutated form, making vaccines only partially effective. Famine has always been a problem in this world, and it continues to be. It is estimated by World Vision that around 10% of the world’s population goes to bed hungry.2
4. Persecution (Vv. 9-10)
The disciples are told by Jesus that they will be hated, persecuted, and killed for His name’s sake. History shows us that 11 of the 12 were martyred and one died in prison (John). Over the course of history, countless Christians have been killed for the sake of Christ. Depending on your end-time view, this will rise to a level that is unprecedented in the final days of this age. (More on that in a later article). The bottom line of what Jesus is saying is that if you choose to follow Him, the wrath of the world will, in varying degrees and forms, be directed at you and the closer His return gets, the more intense the persecution will become. Granted, it is more intense for some in this world than it is for others. There have been eras of history where men who chose to take a stand for Christ and His word were exiled, imprisoned, burned at the stake, beheaded, etc. because Christ was worth more than their lives. Persecution is a part of the Christian life. While some may face more than others, we should not expect to avoid it entirely.
A Cautionary Word
I want to go back to something I said in the beginning of this article. We cannot apply these things only to ourselves. They must have had relevance to the original audience. Jesus referring to these as birth pains is very telling. When a child is coming, contractions start slowly and increase in frequency and intensity. Jesus is not saying that these things won’t happen until the end, but they will happen until the end. Like a woman in labor, they will get worse before the end finally comes, but we simply don’t know when that will be, we only know what to expect. The point of Jesus saying this to us is not so much so we can pinpoint when He’s coming, but to know that we will have to deal with the consequences of a fallen world in an increasing manner until He does and that He remains sovereign even as we experience said consequences. Many a “prophet” has attempted to interpret Jesus’ words as being end-times exclusive. The irony here is that in a way, they are right because the end times began when Jesus ascended into heaven. Remember, Jesus said these things would happen, but the end was still to come. We may not have any way of knowing exactly when, but we do know Jesus is still King when we suffer and that in explaining these things, He shows us He has control over them. He is coming and He wins. This is what we need to know.
Soli Deo Gloria
1. “Why Are We Having so Many Earthquakes? Has Naturally Occurring Earthquake Activity Been Increasing? Does This Mean a Big One Is Going to Hit? OR We Haven’t Had Any Earthquakes in a Long Time; Does This Mean That the Pressure Is Building up for a Big One? | U.S. Geological Survey,” June 13, 2016. https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/why-are-we-having-so-many-earthquakes-has-naturally-occurring-earthquake-activity-been.
2. Omer, Sevil. “10 World Hunger Facts You Need to Know.” World Vision, August 28, 2023. https://www.worldvision.org/hunger-news-stories/world-hunger-facts#:~:text=As%20many%20as%20828%20million,to%20vulnerable%20populations%20and%20countries.
