Are we there yet?
In case you hadn’t noticed, we are living in perilous times.
One look at the headlines tells us pretty quickly that all is not well in our world. We have wars, murders, kidnapping, abuse, plagues, riots and sickness like we’ve never known before. There’s manipulation, corruption and control at the highest level and we see offense which is off the scale. We also see great selfishness and abuse of freedoms and privacy. The list is pretty much endless and it’s a great concern.
In the scriptures Timothy wrote about a time called 'The End', when perilous times would come. It’s true that Timothy, Paul and Peter and all those who fearlessly took the Gospel around the world suffered great peril in doing so. They were well familiar to oppression, injustice and violence. Paul experienced immense physical hardships being flogged, beaten and stoned. He survived shipwrecks, hunger, imprisonment and snake bites. The Message translation of the Bible says Paul looked "death in the face practically every day". He said "do you think I'd do this if I wasn't convinced of your resurrection and mine as guaranteed by the resurrected Messiah Jesus? (I Corinthians 15:30) Timothy spoke of a time to come when the behaviour of mankind would be different from the time in which he and Paul lived. He said, “There will be terrible times in the last days when people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power.” (2 Timothy 3:2). It’s true that even in the last 50 years, times have changed and while we see great leaps in industry and technology, we have seen a huge decline in morality and integrity, particularly in echelons of society that we have always assumed had our best interests at heart.
You could open a newspaper today and read about all those 19 dreadful human traits that Timothy foresaw almost two thousand years ago, on a daily basis. One hardly knows what is true anymore. In fact, even the prophet Isaiah, as far back as 700 years before Christ, foresaw a time when "they will say that what is right is wrong and what is wrong is right; that black is white and white is black; bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.” (Isaiah 5:20) So, to coin a familiar phrase, “are we there yet?”. Are we actually at the time of the End that Timothy talked about? What is ‘The End’ or the ‘Last Days’ and do we need to be worried about it?
The Disciples asked a similar question to Jesus, “what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Matthew recounted our Lord's reply in the 24th Chapter of his Gospel, which we know as the Olivet Discourse. Unfortunately, Jesus’ answer was typically indirect. He didn’t say “the end of the age and My return to set up My Kingdom will be on Saturday 24th August 2024”. If He had, then we’d be running around buying our palm branches and booking our tickets. We often talk about 'hindsight' with a tone of 'wouldn't it be wonderful to know in advance', but wouldn't that just create a scene of panic and anxiety - knowing what was about to happen? People who have gone before us would have lived in carefree abandon knowing that the end of age would not be in their lifetime, but NOT knowing causes us all to pause and think, to search the scriptures for clues. Could it be in our lifetime?
The Disciples at this point were very excited because they thought that Jesus was going to usher in His Kingdom in their lifetime. They were hopeful that the Kingdom of God was about to rip apart the Roman occupation and allow them to live free from oppression and fear. What they didn’t understand was that Jesus had to fulfill scripture and His first time was almost up. He wasn’t going to die, rise again and then just carry on where He’d left off, nor was He going to die and leave it at that. What the Disciples didn’t understand was that there had to be a further 2000 years of his-story sandwiched in between what happened on the Cross when he cried “it is finished” (John 19:30) and “the abomination of desolation” spoken of by Daniel the prophet and which Jesus explained would usher in the end of this current age.
Could we be on the threshold of a time in history when this event might be a possibility?
The time of the End, Jacob’s Trouble, the End of the Age, Armageddon, the Apocalypse, The Second Coming are (despite being different events) all terms for a period of time that our generation could witness. Throughout time there’s always been a portion of society who dismiss God’s Word as ‘poppycock’ and ‘out of date rubbish’ as if their unbelief makes what the Bible says to be untrue. Date setting for Jesus’ Second Coming is very much frowned upon and those who have rashly predicted a particular date have seen it come and go, much to the scorn of many. To the world, the credence behind the second Coming appears to get weaker and weaker but to believers, this event is a much sought after and longed for blessed hope. (Titus 2:13-14) (More on those events in another sermon!)
More than 60 years after he heard Jesus' reply on the Mount of Olives, the apostle Peter addressed those skeptics who questioned the promise of Jesus’ second coming. Even then, they asked, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” (2 Peter 3:4) We too can tend to think that our Lord’s Second Coming is unlikely to be in our lifetime and don’t give it much thought. After all, nobody talks about it, it’s rarely mentioned in Church and if you talk about it on social media, you risk being shut down, cancelled or banned for spreading misinformation. So almost 2000 years on, while some may still doubt, Peter encourages believers to remain vigilant and live in holy conduct and godliness, anticipating the fulfilment of God’s promise and being on our guard, keeping faith and focused on the bigger picture. Every Sunday Christians declare the Nicene Creed and confess that we believe He will come again, to judge the quick and the dead and His Kingdom will have no end. But when? And do we really need to know?
Jesus’ answer to His Disciples on the Mountain of Olives was a long one and because he was addressing His Disciples one could assume that when He said “you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me” He was referring to the Jews. So, before we westerners all breathe a sigh of relief and pity the Jews around the world for what’s to come, it would behoove us to pause and think. What if Jesus was referring to believers? He said "They are going to throw you to the wolves and kill you, everyone hating you because you bear my name" (Message, Italics mine). That means those who carry the Name of Jesus. That means believers. Are believers to prepare for persecution, hatred and even death? Would you die for your belief in Christ? The Disciples did. Can we say in all honesty that we feel so passionately about the Gospel being preached freely that we would die to ensure it is? And how can we know how long persecution will continue before the Lord comes to set up His Kingdom? Why would Christians need to die for their faith anyway?
Our western society today is somehow offended if we preach the Gospel outside of Church. There are gagging orders, arrests and cancellations if someone preaches on the street and the trend even in many popular churches is to tow the line and preach a watered-down version that tickles the ears and makes everyone feel happy and rosy. Why is this? Elsewhere in the world, Christians are already facing deep persecution. Sub-Saharan Africa—the epicentre of global Christianity - is now also the epicentre of violence against Christians. North Korea is the most dangerous place in the world for Christians where being discovered as a follower of Jesus is effectively a death sentence. Open Doors (a non-denominational mission that supports persecuted Christians around the world) has monitored Christian persecution worldwide since 1992. North Korea has ranked No. 1 for 20 years, since 2002 when the watch list began.
According to Christianity Today, every day 13 Christians worldwide are killed because of their faith.
Every day, 12 churches or Christian buildings are attacked.
And every day, 12 Christians are unjustly arrested or imprisoned, and another 5 are abducted.
You’d think that would put people off, wouldn’t you? But although we don’t hear of it anywhere on secular media, people are turning to Christianity at a rate of 2.4 million every year, that’s over 6,500 per day! The CEO of Open Doors said in 2021 that “The number of God’s people who are suffering should mean the Church is dying—that Christians are keeping quiet, losing their faith, and turning away from one another. But that’s not what’s happening. Instead" he says, "in living colour, we see the words of God recorded in the prophet Isaiah: ‘I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert’” (Isaiah 43:19, ESV).
There seems to be a connection between growing opposition and a growing church so we should find the biblical verses predicting this connection both comforting and an indication that we are indeed, almost there. The book of Revelation tells us that in the end times there will be martyrs that die for their faith in Christ and they will lay down their lives to a system called Mystery Babylon. This is a harlot system with intention to suppress freedom and human rights, silence God's Word, take the lives of innocent souls and violate boundaries. God will carry out His divine judgement on her during the time of the end and it will happen in just one hour. Who is the harlot? It is any system or organisation that tries to implement the above, but it will not last, in fact, it's destruction will be severe, catastrophic and sudden.
Jesus said in Matthew 24 to “watch out that no one deceives you”. (verse 4) Deception is a cunning tool of the enemy in our world today. It can lull you into a false sense of security. One can look at society, wandering around going about their daily business as usual, going on holiday, having meals out, going to work and school, oblivious and unaware of the forces that conspire to trick us into thinking everything is just going to carry on as it ever did. Deception can distort the truth and withhold vital information. Like a harlot, it has a cunning knack of luring us with a crafty beckoning of the finger, down the familiar broad road that is exciting and a lot of fun. If we expect to carry on as if everything was before, we are in danger of being deceived.
You might wonder what we are to be saved from. What is it exactly that we are to 'escape' if we are found worthy? That word worthy is referring to our being able to withstand the difficult times that are ahead. Being 'worthy' does not mean that you are a good person. It means that you have made a choice to accept Christ and His sacrificial death on the cross and with that comes a promise - that you will never be separated from Him ever again, nor will take His gracious and merciful hand of protection from you. God never intended for us to be sent to Sheol (the place of the dead). It's a choice we make right now while we have the ability to choose. You can either put your trust in Him absolutely, or you can put things off and just carry on as if God was just someone you met on Sunday morning, if at all, and forget Him the rest of the time. The choice is ultimately yours. YOU get to decide! Our destiny is in the choices we make here and now.
Biblical principles and teaching might be on the wane in the west, but in the places where you think persecution couldn’t get any worse, faith in Christ is not just of great value, it’s a necessity. When things get really tough, people need a solid rock to cling to. Not a rock that has human failings and weaknesses, not a rock that is covered in bank notes or career opportunities. Us humans are hard wired to seek God because we are made in His Image. As is often the way, we seek Him seriously and sincerely only when faced with great suffering and at the end of the road called ‘self’. You see, we can’t really acknowledge what Jesus did for us without coming to an end of ourselves. We almost need to get to that place before we can humble ourselves completely and offer ourselves to Him in full and complete repentance.
You see to get through life you could think that you need a little bit of self righteousness to keep out of trouble and get along with people. You pretty much obey the laws of the land, you’re kind and good, go to church and you keep the ten commandments as best you can. But in order to see the power of God in your life, self righteousness and church attendance is useless. When things get really bad and you fall (and we all do), you will need power to get back up again. If there is a time to come that means being a Christian is a dangerous occupation, will you forsake Him just to live? Would you give your allegiance to someone or something other than Christ just to be able to buy and sell?
Faith doesn’t look at the current circumstances, nor does it look at this world with longing and affection. It looks to a Kingdom that will come when Jesus reigns on the earth after putting an end to every evil entity, and it looks at the bigger picture. When everything is going hunky dory, there’s food on the table, a roof over our heads and fast wifi, no one really thinks about God. No one thinks about the speed in which calamity can strike. What can we do anyway? Well Jesus had a suggestion. He said “be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36). The Message translation says it this way: “But be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. Otherwise, that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap, for it’s going to come on everyone, everywhere, at once. So, whatever you do, don’t fall asleep at the wheel. Pray constantly that you will have the strength and wits to make it through everything that’s coming and end up on your feet before the Son of Man.”
True, we don’t know the day or the hour when Jesus will come back to this earth, but He has promised that He will and that He will avenge his faithful followers and depose the evil entities that threaten to engulf our world. He said in Matthew Chapter 24 that the generation that sees the budding of the nation of Israel will be the generation that sees His Second Coming. That’s a great clue! May 14th 1948 was a coming home for Jewish nationals around the globe. Following the British Mandate, they were given the much anticipated opportunity to return to their homeland and begin a new life in a new country called Israel. This was not only a miraculous event, but it was also a prophesied event and Bible prophecy is always fulfilled (Isaiah 66:8). God made it clear that the dramatic birth of the nation of Israel was His doing.
The incredible thing about prophecy in the Bible is that in the Old Testament, there are over 300 prophecies about the first coming of Christ to the Earth, which we celebrate at Christmas. These are very specific, detailed prophecies, and every single one of them was fulfilled accurately. In the Bible, there are eight times as many prophecies about the Second Coming yet to be fulfilled. We have every reason to suppose that these will all be fulfilled in perfect detail and accuracy as well. The current generation of 80 year olds and younger – will be the generation to witness the Second Coming of our Saviour and His Glorious Kingdom. That, my friends, is you and me!
In 2 Corinthians 5:20, the apostle Paul describes Christians as “ambassadors of Christ.” This analogy emphasizes our role as representatives of God and is a good way of looking at how we as Christians can be confident of God’s loving care in the End Days. Just as a head of state sends an ambassador on a diplomatic mission, Christ sends us to represent Him both in words and actions while we live here on this earth. As His ambassadors, we are citizens of heaven as well as being created to live on earth. We are appointed by God to represent His interests here until His Son returns to set up His Kingdom. Our primary role is to establish and maintain diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of God and the kingdoms of this world – as Christ made a bridge between the two, we also facilitate that bridge until Jesus returns. A good ambassador for Christ cares about bringing people from all walks of life together, while remaining loyal to the place represented. It takes skill as a negotiator and a certain amount of expertise and integrity to be a good ambassador. We need to drop our differences and enter into the work that God has for each one of us until His return, even during difficult times.
In the UK, a Representative of the Monarch, the Marshall of the Diplomatic Corps, is the link between the Sovereign and the global diplomatic community in London. Invitations to various receptions and events such as Trooping of the Colour are sent out with great aplomb. These dignitaries are invited to attend not just as a goodwill gesture but as a showcase of our country’s cordiality and ability to display military prowess and finesse. But as Ambassadors they also have diplomatic and aristocratic rights and privileges that give them immunity to the lawsuits and prosecutions of the host country. And, if things get really bad in the host country and they are unable to fulfill their role there any longer, they can be whisked away at a moment’s notice.
As Jesus warned in John 17, we are in this world but not of this world and do not need to conform to this world’s ways as things get worse. We are not above the law of course, but we do not need to conform to the downward spiral of human behaviour and the trend to separate ourselves from God at such a crucial time. We’re appointed to live here for our lifetime, doing our best to carry out the role that God has established for us, protecting His interests and explaining to others the ways in which His Kingdom works. We should also take heart that if Paul’s analogy has any significance to us as believers, we can be sure that our King will rescue us and call us to safety when and if catastrophe strikes. In times of war, Ambassadors and their staff may face hardships, including shortages of supplies, disrupted communication, and even relocation to safer areas, but there’s a promise that they will be transferred back to their homeland. Although the Bible does not end with people going up to Heaven and finishing there, it portrays God's people coming down from heaven to populate a restored earth. As Andrew Ollerton explains, "Heaven is only a halfway house. Our ultimate destination is a beautiful new world. Only then will we sigh: 'Home, sweet home'."
Paul also talks about this in 1 Corinthians Chapter 15. He says there will be an order in this transference. Christ himself has been the first-fruits; at his coming, his redeemed people will be raised before others; at the last those who don't accept Christ will be resurrected also but they will live their eternity outside the Kingdom. Then will be the end of this present state of things. The Message translation says it this way.
“But let me tell you something wonderful, a mystery I’ll probably never fully understand. We’re not all going to die – but we are all going to be changed. You hear a blast to end all blasts from a trumpet, and in the time that you look up and blink your eyes – it’s over. On signal from that trumpet from heaven, the dead will be up and out of their graves, beyond the reach of death, never to die again. At the same moment and in the same way, we’ll all be changed. In the resurrection scheme of things, this has to happen. Everything perishable taken off the shelves and replaced by the imperishable, this mortal replaced by the immortal. Then the saying will come true:
Death is swallowed by triumphant Life!
Who got the last word, oh Death?
Oh, Death, who’s afraid of you now?”
In one of his videos the Bishop of Hereford said "we live with the messiness of the world because the next one is intersecting it and the Kingdom is coming, slowly and in-perceptively, but it is coming".
We’re all on a journey. Whether you like it or not, your journey involves a simple choice. It isn’t down to luck or good fortune, nor is it dependent on how good you are. It depends on the choices you make. Do you go on a journey without any thought as to where you’re going? Do you go on a journey without taking time to consider what you need and how you’re going to get there? Of course not. If you want to end up with your feet on the ground, facing Jesus in His Kingdom to come, then keep watch, be on your guard, pray for those around you, pray for those who are far away from you. Pray! Keep awake and strengthen your faith. Be confident in God’s eternal love and mercy for you and in the sacrifice that Jesus made for you and your family.
We’re almost there.
Andrew Ollerton: The Bible. A story that makes sense of life.