Many continuously predict the end of the age and many still keep on believing the lie! Below is a short teaching on what Jesus had to prophetically say about the signs regards His return as well as the ‘end’.
Mark
1:14 -15 “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee,
preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is
fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in
the gospel.”
Before we can fully comprehend what the ‘signs of the end of the age’
are and the significant part that the church will play in ushering in
the end of the age, it is important to understand what the word kingdom means. Kingdom – Thayers definition # 932; (basileia) – royal power, kingship, dominion, rule. The suggestion is “the right” to this. Vines Expository dictionary declares the “kingdom” is: a) The sphere of Gods Rule. b) The sphere in which, at any given time, His rule is acknowledged.The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were awaiting the coming of this kingdom. Many had totally misinterpreted the scriptures pertaining to this event. They believed the kingdom and Messiah would establish a rule in the physical reality and overthrow the gentile oppressors, thus, establishing a kingdom in which they would have the right to authority, dominion, rule and royal power over their subjects. When Jesus preached this message they confronted and questioned Him.
Luke 17: 20 –21 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; “nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”
What an incredible response! In essence what Jesus was saying is that My kingdom is not a physical, political Kingdom. My kingdom is a spiritual kingdom. This sphere of Gods rule, right to royal power, dominion, rule and authority is “within.”
John 3:1-5 1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. (NKJ)
When Nicodemus came to Jesus he was inquiring about this demonstration of dominion that no one else had but was so obviously evidenced and demonstrated by Jesus. Nicodemus was not inquiring about salvation as he was already saved according to the law at that time. When Jesus responded He said that you must be born again so that you can “see the kingdom of God.” As a result of the cross of Calvary, the gift that was promised by the Father would be granted to us, the Holy Spirit. He would enable us to ‘see’, (spiritually perceive), the rule and authority we could excercise over satanic forces influencing and destroying peoples lives.
If we received Him as our Saviour, then we would be able to move into a new spiritual reality as well as enter into divine communication with the Father!! Jesus was not referring only to heaven, but also to ‘seeing’ and ‘inheriting’ the sphere of Gods Rule, His right to royal power, His dominion and authority that is resident within every believer as a result of salvation, through and by the name above all names, Jesus The Christ!
As a result of salvation you qualify to “see”, and “be” the kingdom of God that is inside of you!
As the saved we are admonished to:
1. Seek the Kingdom – Matt 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
2. See the Kingdom – John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
3. Enter the Kingdom – John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
It is therefore safe to say that the kingdom (sphere of Gods rule) is presently in heaven and within every believer presently on earth. However we also see in scripture that the earth has a problem with satanic rebellion (Eph 6). Therefore we see the kingdom as also being the sphere of Gods rule being acknowledged at a given time as declared by His purposes.
There are set times that the satanic rebellion on earth must acknowledge His rule, dominion, royal power and authority, released and expressed from within the Body of Christ, without! Now that we have endeavoured to understand a small aspect of the “kingdom,” let us seek to understand that it is the “preaching of the gospel of the kingdom” that will usher in the end of the age.
Matt 24:3-14 Now 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?” And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. “All these are the beginning of sorrows. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. “And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. “ And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. “But he who endures to the end shall be saved. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
It is important to take note of what Jesus said about the end times.
1) “Take heed that no one deceives you. “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many …” Jesus is not suggesting that we will be decieved by weird and wonderful ‘gurus’ declaring that they are the Christ as no one would believe them any way! We would recommend that such an individual walking around claiming to be Jesus Christ be evaluated for their mental state of health! What Jesus is referring to here are those who will indeed declare that He is The Christ, acknowledging him, and yet still decieve many!
2) “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet …” Jesus did not say that wars and rumours of wars would signal the end as a ‘sign’. It amazes me how many precious believers are decieved by sincere preachers who declare every time there is a war or rumour of a war that God’s people must get ready for the end is here or ‘nigh’. He said we were not to be troubled, and “the end is not yet.”
3)And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. “All these are the beginning of sorrows …” He did not say that famines, pestilence, and earthquakes would signal the end. He said this would be the “beginning of sorrows”.
He does reveal however, in verse # 14, that the end of the age is ushered in with the direct involvement of the church.
Matt 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come …”
The “gospel of the kingdom” is to be preached. To preach means, according to Vines, “… the act of Christ after His resurrection in proclaiming His victory to fallen Angelic spirits.”
This gospel mentioned in verse 14 is not proclaiming Gods plan of redemption through the blood, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ only. The gospel of the kingdom mentioned here is not only John 3:16. The scripture meaning here does not say that the gospel of salvation must first be preached to all, and then the end will come! Of course we must share the good news and preach the great message of salvation to the lost sinner. However, according to scripture, this has already taken place in the first generation of the church. The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to declare that the gospel of salvation was already “preached to every creature which is under heaven”.
Col 1:21 –23 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and irreproachable in His sight – if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.
If preaching salvation to every nation and reaching every person with the message of salvation would signal the end and be the sign for his imminent return, then the end would have already taken place!?
The gospel of the kingdom incorporates the gospel of salvation. Verse 14, however, has more meaning than preaching salvation as a good sermon, nice speech, or wonderful presentation. It means all will see Gods demonstration of kingdom rule, authority, and royal power expressed by the church. It means that there will be a worldwide demonstration of Gods supernatural power over the elements, the dead will be raised, miraculous prophetic utterances will occur, signs and wonders will take place confirming His resurrection factor.
It does not mean that all will be saved, but many shall be. This will cause the end of the age, and usher in His second coming. There is a generation that will so walk with God that they will not experience death. I believe you could be that generation. Are you ready? Remember, you are as close to God as you want to be.
Isa 2:1-3 1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. 3 Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; he will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (NKJ)
In typology, mountains always represent kingdoms…here Isaiah saw into the future and saw a people that were known as the “Lord’s house” and would be established on the top of every other kingdom!! Before the end there will be a massive revival and a great harvest of the lost for his Kingdom and glory, and then the end will come! I believe we are that generation tasked with this mandate. LETS GO!!
In His love,
Marc Bredenkamp
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