Sermon Snippet – Preparing for an Uncertain Future – Part V
INTRODUCTION – in this series of messages, we have considered the economic, emotional, and ecclesiastical implications of an uncertain future; in all four sermons, we have stressed the eternal. Today, let us study the eschatological. Entire books are written on eschatology, the Biblical doctrine of future things. I hope to be done by noon…unless Jesus returns first.
1. FULFILLED PROPHECY PROVIDES FUTURE CERTAINTY
The prophecies of the Old Testament predicting a Messiah were fulfilled by God the Son, Jesus Christ. Specifically, He would be Jewish (Genesis 12:3), of the line of Judah (Genesis 49:10), and of the line of David (II Samuel 7:12-13). He would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). As an adult, He would make a triumphal entry into Jerusalem…riding a donkey (Zechariah 9:9)! He would be betrayed by a friend for thirty pieces of silver (Psalm 22:18). These increasingly detailed prophecies (and there are many more) point us empirically, factually, and logically to Jesus. Because these precise predictions have been so precisely fulfilled, we can have full confidence that prophecies regarding the future will likewise come to fruition.
2. ONE SUCH PROPHECY CONTAINS A NEEDED CAUTION
Jesus is completely clear in Matthew 24:36 concerning His return: “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” Date-setters have been wrong in the past, and they will be wrong in the future. In case we somehow missed the point of Jesus’ teaching here, He repeats it in Matthew 25:13: “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”
3. SIGNS, HOWEVER, ARE AVAILABLE TO US
In Matthew 24:3-12, Jesus deals not with the “when” but with the “what” (verse 3). Much of what He speaks of here is quite general, and devout Christians through the centuries wondered if they were living near the end because of persistent wars, famines, and persecutions. Elsewhere in Scripture, though, we are given specific signs. Let us consider only one – the existence of modern Israel. One passage (of many) is Ezekiel 36:24: “For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.” The nation of Israel ceased to exist in A.D. 70; it was not restored until 1948. Israel must be in this Promised Land when the time of the end approaches (see Daniel 7:8, 24-26; 9:24-27 – verses which speak of the world leader the Antichrist and his wicked dealings with Israel – and Revelation 7:1-8; 14:1-5 – passages which place the Jewish people in the land of Israel during the Tribulation). We do not know “the day nor the hour,” but we do know that God has kept this promise to Israel.
4. OUR FOCUS MUST ALWAYS BE ON JESUS
The Bible teaches in I Thessalonians 4:15-18 that Jesus is returning for all Christians, what we call the Rapture (from the Latin for “caught up” in verse 17). Consistent with God’s revealed character, there are several compelling Scriptural reasons to believe that this “coming of the Lord” occurs before the Tribulation. We will consider just one: in Revelation 3:10, God promises to “keep” us “from the hour of temptation [testing], which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” This is not a promise to protect us during the Tribulation, as though we were covered in Kingdom Kevlar; rather, we are promised to be removed not only from the actual testing but also from the very time (“the hour”) of the Tribulation. Words matter, and God’s words in His Word matter eternally. We can discern signs, but we are “looking” for the return of Jesus (Titus 2:13).
CONCLUSION – Because of the uncertainty of life and the certainty of these Biblical future things, each one of us needs to be sure of eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. You may have noticed that He did not return during this message – this lengthy message. Why didn’t He? The answer is that He will not return “until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” (Romans 11:25). Perhaps you are that last one who will be saved; be certain today. In Jesus, we do not have to fear. In fact, we can live with anticipation and expectation. “Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (I Thessalonians 4:18).