Definitive Sign of the End
Jesus declared, definitively, that the “end” will not come until “this gospel of the kingdom of God is proclaimed to all nations.”
When he left the
Temple for the last time, Jesus predicted its destruction. Because Israel had
rejected her Messiah, “all these things will come upon this generation.
Behold, your house is left to you desolate… Truly, I am declaring to you that there
will not be left one stone upon another that will not be thrown down” - (Matthew
23:34-39, 24:1-2).
In response, the
disciples asked two questions. First, when will the predicted destruction of
the Temple occur. Second, what will be the “sign” of the coming of the
Son of Man and the “consummation of the age”?
Christ’s response began
with warnings about coming deceivers who will “deceive many,” charlatans
that propagate false information about the “end.” Disciples will hear about
wars, earthquakes, international conflicts, and famines, but these things are NOT
indicators of the imminence of his return. Disasters must occur but the “end
is not yet.” And these “deceivers” will point to such
events as “signs” of the end, in the process, raising false expectations about its
proximity. Church history attests to the accuracy of his prediction - (Matthew
24:4-8, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4).
Human and natural
catastrophes happen regularly, therefore, disciples must "not be
alarmed" when they do occur. Such events are not chronological markers
by which one can calculate the “end.” At most, they are a “beginning
of birth-pains,” harbingers of the inevitable destruction of the present world
order. And nowhere did Jesus predict that the frequency and intensity of
earthquakes, wars, and famines would increase as the end drew near.
To the first
question, he answered - within “this generation.” That is, the generation
that was contemporary with him. And that fulfillment occurred when a Roman army
destroyed the Temple and Jerusalem in A.D. 70, exactly as predicted by Christ -
(Matthew 3:7, 11:16, 12:34-45, 16:4, 17:17, 23:33-36, 24:34).
As to the timing of
his “arrival,” no man knows the day or hour except God alone.
Consequently, his disciples must always be prepared for its unexpected arrival.
Knowledge of the “times and seasons” belongs only to the Father. Those
who claim such knowledge arrogate to themselves the knowledge that even the Son of
Man does not possess - (Matthew 24:36, Mark 13:33, Acts 1:7-9).
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| Photo by Jake Gard on Unsplash |
As to the requested “sign,” Jesus named one goal that must be achieved before his future arrival in glory - the “proclamation of this gospel of the kingdom in the whole habitable earth for a testimony to all nations” - Only “then will the end come.” The message of the kingdom is good news to all who hear and obey it. But it must be witnessed by all nations before the Son of Man arrives to judge the nations - (Matthew 24:14).
In the clause, the
Greek demonstrative pronoun used for “this gospel”
(houtos) is emphatic. It is, “THIS gospel
of the Kingdom” that must be proclaimed, presumably, the same one that
Jesus preached.
And this is the task that
he assigned to his followers - “go and teach all nations to observe all
things whatsoever I commanded you. Behold, I am with you even unto the end of
the age” – and it must be completed before the end arrives - (Matthew
28:18-20, Acts 1:6-8).
And how do we know
when the task is finished? According to Jesus, when the end arrives!
The very fact that the “end” has not arrived is irrefutable proof that
the task remains unfinished.
The human desire to
know when Jesus will arrive is understandable. The desire for certainty about
the future drives our attempts to calculate the date of his return. However, all
past attempts to do so have failed, and miserably so. Date-setting always results
in disappointment.
His words remain clear
to this very day. ONLY God knows the timing of the end, and not even
the “Son of Man” has that information. In the interim between now and that
day, the Church must remain focused on completing the task assigned to it by
Jesus himself.
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