PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS:
AND THOSE WHO WILL NOT ENDURE TO THE END

  1. THE COMING KINGDOM AND THE END OF THE AGE : Matthew 24:1-3
    • The disciples were intrigued by Jesus’ prophecy of Jerusalem. They asked the Lord what would be the sign of His return and of the end of the age. Jesus had spoken to them about His Second Coming — Matthew 16:27
    • The disciples knew about the end of the age and the coming kingdom from the OT:
      • Daniel’s vision about Christ coming to inherit the Kingdom — Daniel 7:13-14
      • The angel gave Daniel a message about the end of days — Daniel 12:13
      • Daniel’s interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s image that is broken into pieces by a stone, which later became a great mountain — Daniel 2:26-45
      • Isaiah’s prophecy of the Child who comes to inherit David’s throne — Isaiah 9:6-7
      • Zechariah reveals the events of the Day of the Lord and His Kingdom — Zechariah 14

  2. THE SIGN OF CHRIST’S RETURN — THE BEGINNING OF SORROWS : Matthew 24:4-8
    • Jesus warned them about a spiritual condition at the end — deception: 24:4-5
    • He tells them about the events that will mark the beginning of the end — but not the end yet:
      • Wars and rumors of wars and nation rising against nations.
      • There will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places — 24:6-8

    IMPORTANT: During the last one hundred years, there have been more wars in the world than the previous 19 centuries since the time of Christ, and 7 of the 10 worst famines in the world have occurred in the last 100 years. Great numbers of cities have been destroyed by earthquakes in the last 100 years—more than any other century before. [Information from the internet]

  3. PERSECUTION OF BELIEVERS OF JESUS CHRIST :
    • Jesus warned His disciples that during this time of the end, a great persecution will be unleashed against Christian believers because of His name — 24:9
      • IMPORTANT:
      • Those who will be persecuted are not Jewish people, but followers of Jesus.
      • Christianity has endured two thousand years of persecution with millions of martyrs.
      • But in the last 100 years, the number of Christians martyred has almost doubled all the previous 19 centuries combined! [Information from the internet]
      VERY IMPORTANT:
      • Persecution is not coming, IT IS ALREADY HAPPENING ! [The Voice of the Martyrs: www.persecution.com]
      • From Asia to the Middle East to Africa, our Christian brothers and sisters are being persecuted, tortured, killed, and in jail for their faith in Jesus Christ.
      • But Jesus told His disciples that it will be in all nations: “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.” Matthew 24:9 NKJV—Christians will be HATED for being a follower of Jesus Christ.

  4. THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN DISARRAY — GROWING COLD — IN APOSTASY :
    • Jesus then tells His disciples what will be the condition of the Christian church at that time: “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.” Matthew 24:10-12 NKJV
    • Because of the persecution, a great number of Christian churches will cave in to the pressure and will water down the Gospel to almost nothing. False teachers will bring false doctrines and the Bible will not be taught any more causing people to grow cold in their faith.
    • As the persecution intensifies, a great number of so-called “Christians” will quit and leave the faith. Jesus spoke about this group: “But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.” Luke 8:13 NKJV
    • Paul predicted this time and he called it “the falling away” saying that it will precede the appearance of the antichrist [2 Thessalonians 2:3].
    • When the antichrist appears, this group will take the mark of the beast [Rev. 13:16-18] because they were really not born again. The watered down Gospel of many churches today does not produce good fruits for the Kingdom of God.
    • Nevertheless, Jesus said: “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.” 24:13 NKJV
    • The overcomers who will not deny their faith in Jesus Christ will be proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom all the way to the end. The majority will be martyred, but those who will endure to the end of the tribulation will experience salvation when Jesus appears to take them out before the wrath of God is unleashed upon the world.