Signs of the Christ’s Return
by Chaplain Aaron Roberton | October 14, 2018
Signs of the Christ’s ReturnJesus began His public ministry with the simple message, “Repent, the kingdom of heaven is near.”
1. DECEPTIONMatthew 24:4-5 “Jesus answered: ‘Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.’”
The first and most important sign pointing to Christ’s coming is deception. As we move closer and closer to the end religious deception will be widespread affecting people everywhere. People will be out of control spiritually chasing whatever makes them feel good. Truth itself is on trial.
2. WORLDWIDE BIRTHPAINSMatthew 24:6-8 “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.”
Jesus points to a sign of worldwide tragedies and disasters; these are the “beginning of birth pains.” The worldwide birth pains that lead up to the return of Christ is far greater than natural birth; however, the joy for us who are expecting Christ will likewise be far greater than the joy parents share at the birth of a child.
3. PERSECUTIONMatthew 24:9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.”
Jesus told His disciples plainly in John 15:18-19, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”
4. FALLING AWAYMatthew 24:10 “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other.”
Watch out for those that were once among us, and now have left the faith.
5. FALSE PROPHETSMatthew 24:11 “And many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.”
Jesus point out that people will be deceived through false prophets.
6. WICKEDNESSMatthew 24:12 “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.”
Violence, crime and a disregard for God’s law will increase as we continue to get closer to the Day of Christ’s return. Things we see happening right within our own community is a sign that the end of the age is near.
7. WORLDWIDE EVANGELISMMatthew 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
The gospel is currently being preached all over the world.
We live with the tension between the imminent return of Christ and the delay of His coming. Until that day, and as long as we have breath let’s preach the Gospel to everyone everywhere.
