June 24, 2025 • 11 mins
Are we living in the end times? Is what we're seeing today a sign of Jesus soon coming? Let's see what the Word of God says about this
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hi, and welcome to Words of Truth, where we open
the Word of God to find clarity in confusing times.
I'm your host, Mark Barrett, and today we're looking at
a sobering but essential topic, the end of the age,
based on the words of Jesus himself, found in Matthew
chapter twenty four, verses three through fourteen. So grab your
(00:25):
bible and listen closely as we explore what Jesus told
his disciples about the days just before his return. And
this is especially important to understand given them the events
that are happening in our world today, and especially in
light of the recent war between Israel and Iran and
(00:45):
the bombings of Iran. Many people are asking if this
is the beginning of the end and wondering how this
all fits into biblical prophecy. Well, maybe I can help
with some of those questions today. Let's begin this morning
or today by reading Matthew chapter twenty four and verse three.
(01:06):
And as he sat on the mat 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 at the end of the age. Now, this
is a key prophetic moment. Often called the All of
It Discourse, where Jesus is giving his followers a glimpse
(01:28):
into the future, and right off the bat, I need
to tell you that I understand this passage is referring
primarily to events during the future Tribulation period, a time
of seven years of judgment following the rapture of the Church. Now,
let's just walk through what Jesus says and what it
(01:49):
means for us. First of all, in the end, deception
will increase. Jesus answered the disciple was questioned by saying
in verses four and five, take hey, that no one
deceives you, for many will come in my name, saying
I am the Christ and will deceive many. Now, in
(02:13):
the last days of the Tribulation period, religious deception will multiply.
False messiahs will rise up, some claiming divine authority, others
twisting scripture for power or prophet. Now we see the
seeds of this happening even now in the explosion of
(02:36):
counterfeit spirituality and apostate teaching. But during the tribulation period
deception will reach a global scale. The Antichrist himself will
rise as a false savior, empowered by Satan of course,
But also there will be wars and rumors of wars.
(02:58):
Jesus continues, and versus six and seven, you will hear
wars and rumors of wars, for nations will rise against nation,
and kingdom against kingdom. Now these aren't merely occasional conflicts.
Jesus is describing a world unraveling, geopolitical chaos increasing in
(03:22):
frequency and intensity. And while we already see these kinds
of tensions today in the prophetic timeline, the events we're
seeing today point to the early labor pains of the tribulation.
But I believe that what we're witnessing now today are
(03:42):
simply previews of what will come in full force after
the rapture. What we see now are just a preview
of what will happen later. Thirdly, there will be famines, pestilence,
and earthqare Jesus continues in verse seven. And there will
(04:03):
be famines, pestilence, and earthquakes in various places. Do these
sound familiar? Think of global food shortages, pandemics, and natural disasters.
And these will intensify not just in severity, but in frequency.
(04:24):
Excuse me. Revelation six describes these very things as judgments
poured out in the first half of the tribulation. These
signs aren't random, they're birth pangs leading to the return
of Christ at the end of the Tribulation. Next there
will be intensified persecution of believers verse nine. Then they
(04:49):
will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and
you will be hated by all nations for mine namesake. Now,
while persecution has existed since the early Church, it will
reach an unprecedented level during the Tribulation. There will be
some people who will come to the faith after the rapture,
(05:10):
believe it or not, we call them tribulation saints, and
they're going to face brutal hostility. Again. We see the
shadow of this event even now as hatred of biblical
truth is growing in our age. But praise God, I
believe the Church will be raptured before this global persecution
(05:34):
begins to fall. And then there will be apostasy and
betrayal Verses ten to twelve. And then and 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
(05:57):
grow cold. In these verses Jesus describes a moral collapse. Betrayal, hatred,
and lawlessness will dominate the world stage. False prophets, empowered
by the enemy, that is, the devil, will lead many astray.
(06:19):
Paul echoes this in Second Corinthians or sorry Thessalonians, chapter two,
calling it the great falling away. Their strain of the
Holy Spirit will have been lifted by the rapture of
believers in Jesus Christ, and evil will explode like never before.
(06:39):
Now we see false prophets leading people astray today. But
again that's just a preview of what's going to happen.
It's nothing like what will happen during the tribulation. And
then the gospel goes global. You see, even in judgment,
God's mercy is at work. Verse fourteen says, and this
(07:01):
gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the
world as a witness to all the nations. And then
the end will come. Now I've heard people say this
will happen before Jesus comes in the rapture, but this
is really a tribulation verse. You see during the tribulation,
(07:22):
despite all of the chaos, God will raise up witnesses.
These are the one hundred and forty four thousand Jewish
evangelists you read about in Revelation chapter seven, and the
two witnesses you read about in Revelation chapter eleven, and
even an angel preaching the gospel in Revelation chapter fourteen,
(07:43):
verse six. And through these witnesses every nation will hear.
No one will be able to say they never had
a chance to accept Jesus Christ at the aser Savior.
So the big question is what does this mean for today? Well,
while Matthew chapter twenty four, verses three through fourteen speaks
(08:08):
of the tribulation period, the stage is being set right now.
Today we're seeing the precursors, or as verse eight says,
the beginning of sorrows. And I believe the next major
event to happen is the rapture of the church, when
believers in Christ will be caught up to meet the
Lord in the air. You can read about that in
(08:30):
First Thessalonians chapter four, verses sixteen and seventeen. And you know,
did you know there are actually no real signs that
we can point to leading up to that event, but
rather the Bible says that Jesus will come like a
thief in the night, just one day at an unexpected time,
(08:50):
will be snatched away. And that's why what we're seeing
today aren't really signs for the rapture of the church,
but they're birth payings, precursors to what will happen during
the tribulation. And then after the rapture the clock begins
on the seven year tribulation, these verses will be fulfilled
(09:13):
in literal devastating fashion. How many people ask, well, are
we in the last days? And the answer is absolutely yes.
Everything from the empty tomb onward are the last days.
And Christ, well, he could return at any moment, but
we can track but we can't. Sorry, we can't track
(09:39):
his coming with events that we're seeing in our world today. No,
because they're not a sign of his second coming, but
they're birth pains of what will happen later. But none
of us have a sonogram to tell us when or
where these things are going to happen. And so what
should we do now? Well, Jesus says in Luke chapter
(10:02):
twenty one and verse twenty eight, when these things begin
to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because
your redemption draws near. You See, now is the time
to trust Jesus Christ, the Savior, who died and rose
again to offer you eternal life. The world is not
falling apart, is falling into place. We should act at
(10:26):
every moment, whether in peace or in war, as though
it might be a millisecond to judgment day, but we
don't know when that is. Well. Thank you for joining
me on Words of Truth today. If you've never put
your trust in Jesus Christ, I invite you to do
so today. And if you already know him, then live
(10:49):
with urgency and clarity and hope. The end of the
age is near, but so is the coming King. I'm
Mark and I'll see you next time, right here on
Words of Truth.
Hi, and welcome to Words of Truth, where we open
the Word of God to find clarity in confusing times.
I'm your host, Mark Barrett, and today we're looking at
a sobering but essential topic, the end of the age,
based on the words of Jesus himself, found in Matthew
chapter twenty four, verses three through fourteen. So grab your
(00:25):
bible and listen closely as we explore what Jesus told
his disciples about the days just before his return. And
this is especially important to understand given them the events
that are happening in our world today, and especially in
light of the recent war between Israel and Iran and
(00:45):
the bombings of Iran. Many people are asking if this
is the beginning of the end and wondering how this
all fits into biblical prophecy. Well, maybe I can help
with some of those questions today. Let's begin this morning
or today by reading Matthew chapter twenty four and verse three.
(01:06):
And as he sat on the mat 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 at the end of the age. Now, this
is a key prophetic moment. Often called the All of
It Discourse, where Jesus is giving his followers a glimpse
(01:28):
into the future, and right off the bat, I need
to tell you that I understand this passage is referring
primarily to events during the future Tribulation period, a time
of seven years of judgment following the rapture of the Church. Now,
let's just walk through what Jesus says and what it
(01:49):
means for us. First of all, in the end, deception
will increase. Jesus answered the disciple was questioned by saying
in verses four and five, take hey, that no one
deceives you, for many will come in my name, saying
I am the Christ and will deceive many. Now, in
(02:13):
the last days of the Tribulation period, religious deception will multiply.
False messiahs will rise up, some claiming divine authority, others
twisting scripture for power or prophet. Now we see the
seeds of this happening even now in the explosion of
(02:36):
counterfeit spirituality and apostate teaching. But during the tribulation period
deception will reach a global scale. The Antichrist himself will
rise as a false savior, empowered by Satan of course,
But also there will be wars and rumors of wars.
(02:58):
Jesus continues, and versus six and seven, you will hear
wars and rumors of wars, for nations will rise against nation,
and kingdom against kingdom. Now these aren't merely occasional conflicts.
Jesus is describing a world unraveling, geopolitical chaos increasing in
(03:22):
frequency and intensity. And while we already see these kinds
of tensions today in the prophetic timeline, the events we're
seeing today point to the early labor pains of the tribulation.
But I believe that what we're witnessing now today are
(03:42):
simply previews of what will come in full force after
the rapture. What we see now are just a preview
of what will happen later. Thirdly, there will be famines, pestilence,
and earthqare Jesus continues in verse seven. And there will
(04:03):
be famines, pestilence, and earthquakes in various places. Do these
sound familiar? Think of global food shortages, pandemics, and natural disasters.
And these will intensify not just in severity, but in frequency.
(04:24):
Excuse me. Revelation six describes these very things as judgments
poured out in the first half of the tribulation. These
signs aren't random, they're birth pangs leading to the return
of Christ at the end of the Tribulation. Next there
will be intensified persecution of believers verse nine. Then they
(04:49):
will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and
you will be hated by all nations for mine namesake. Now,
while persecution has existed since the early Church, it will
reach an unprecedented level during the Tribulation. There will be
some people who will come to the faith after the rapture,
(05:10):
believe it or not, we call them tribulation saints, and
they're going to face brutal hostility. Again. We see the
shadow of this event even now as hatred of biblical
truth is growing in our age. But praise God, I
believe the Church will be raptured before this global persecution
(05:34):
begins to fall. And then there will be apostasy and
betrayal Verses ten to twelve. And then and 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
(05:57):
grow cold. In these verses Jesus describes a moral collapse. Betrayal, hatred,
and lawlessness will dominate the world stage. False prophets, empowered
by the enemy, that is, the devil, will lead many astray.
(06:19):
Paul echoes this in Second Corinthians or sorry Thessalonians, chapter two,
calling it the great falling away. Their strain of the
Holy Spirit will have been lifted by the rapture of
believers in Jesus Christ, and evil will explode like never before.
(06:39):
Now we see false prophets leading people astray today. But
again that's just a preview of what's going to happen.
It's nothing like what will happen during the tribulation. And
then the gospel goes global. You see, even in judgment,
God's mercy is at work. Verse fourteen says, and this
(07:01):
gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the
world as a witness to all the nations. And then
the end will come. Now I've heard people say this
will happen before Jesus comes in the rapture, but this
is really a tribulation verse. You see during the tribulation,
(07:22):
despite all of the chaos, God will raise up witnesses.
These are the one hundred and forty four thousand Jewish
evangelists you read about in Revelation chapter seven, and the
two witnesses you read about in Revelation chapter eleven, and
even an angel preaching the gospel in Revelation chapter fourteen,
(07:43):
verse six. And through these witnesses every nation will hear.
No one will be able to say they never had
a chance to accept Jesus Christ at the aser Savior.
So the big question is what does this mean for today? Well,
while Matthew chapter twenty four, verses three through fourteen speaks
(08:08):
of the tribulation period, the stage is being set right now.
Today we're seeing the precursors, or as verse eight says,
the beginning of sorrows. And I believe the next major
event to happen is the rapture of the church, when
believers in Christ will be caught up to meet the
Lord in the air. You can read about that in
(08:30):
First Thessalonians chapter four, verses sixteen and seventeen. And you know,
did you know there are actually no real signs that
we can point to leading up to that event, but
rather the Bible says that Jesus will come like a
thief in the night, just one day at an unexpected time,
(08:50):
will be snatched away. And that's why what we're seeing
today aren't really signs for the rapture of the church,
but they're birth payings, precursors to what will happen during
the tribulation. And then after the rapture the clock begins
on the seven year tribulation, these verses will be fulfilled
(09:13):
in literal devastating fashion. How many people ask, well, are
we in the last days? And the answer is absolutely yes.
Everything from the empty tomb onward are the last days.
And Christ, well, he could return at any moment, but
we can track but we can't. Sorry, we can't track
(09:39):
his coming with events that we're seeing in our world today. No,
because they're not a sign of his second coming, but
they're birth pains of what will happen later. But none
of us have a sonogram to tell us when or
where these things are going to happen. And so what
should we do now? Well, Jesus says in Luke chapter
(10:02):
twenty one and verse twenty eight, when these things begin
to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because
your redemption draws near. You See, now is the time
to trust Jesus Christ, the Savior, who died and rose
again to offer you eternal life. The world is not
falling apart, is falling into place. We should act at
(10:26):
every moment, whether in peace or in war, as though
it might be a millisecond to judgment day, but we
don't know when that is. Well. Thank you for joining
me on Words of Truth today. If you've never put
your trust in Jesus Christ, I invite you to do
so today. And if you already know him, then live
(10:49):
with urgency and clarity and hope. The end of the
age is near, but so is the coming King. I'm
Mark and I'll see you next time, right here on
Words of Truth.
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