The timing of this series couldn’t be more on point. Bless the Holy Spirit for knowing that this series will be what we need to hear. Most of you are wondering what the future looks like right now. It may be stressful or panic-inducing, but it will be something we can and will fight through.
Jesus found himself at the Mount of Olives, where Zechariah predicted that the Messiah would come to establish his kingdom. It was a place where the disciples would ask Jesus when he would come into power and what to expect. Jesus shared with him the words of Matthew 24:3-51 to talk about what the future would look like. Jesus told them not to be concerned with when it would happen but with consistently living God’s ways.
I’ve broken down this passage into a 6-part series to talk about what the future Jesus refers to is all about it. I have a new format for this series. I typically will go through the connecting scripture to the focus passage to get the biggest picture. I’m not doing that anymore. Not because it could have been more helpful but because we need to focus more on the original passage and focus point. I will list the connecting scriptures at the end for you to go out and research yourselves, but as far as my Bible studies go, this will be the new norm. Our 2025 series will be a long and intense route, so this new format will help simplify things for me so we can talk about some heavy topics and scripture that we don’t typically discuss.
This new series is called “FUTURE!” (I need you to imagine SpongeBob saying it from that one episode. If you know, you know.) My goal for this series is to give you insight and understanding into how Jesus said the future will look.
The first part of the series has Jesus introducing us to the potential of false teachers.
Matthew 24:3-8
| NASB | NLT | VOICE |
| 3 And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of age?” | 3 Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?” | 3 Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. Disciples: We don’t understand Your predictions. Tell us, when will these things happen: When will the temple be destroyed? What will be the sign that You are returning? How will we know that the end of age is upon us? |
| 4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. | 4 Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, | 4 Jesus: Take care that you are not deceived. |
| 5 For many will come in My name saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will mislead many people. | 5 for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. | 5 For many will come in My name claiming they are the Anointed One, and many poor souls will be taken in. |
| 6 And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. | 6 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. | 6 You will hear of wars, and you will hear rumors of wars, but you should not panic. It is inevitable, this violent breaking apart of the sinful world, but remember, the wars are not the end. The end is still unfolding. |
| 7 For nation will raise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. | 7 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. | 7 Nations will do battle with nations, and kingdoms will fight neighboring kingdoms, and there will be famines and earthquakes. |
| 8 But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains. | 8 But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. | 8 But these are not the end. These are the birth pangs, the beginning. The end is still unfolding |
The VOICE translation describes this section as Jesus’ description of the end times using prophetic and apocalyptic themes. The disciples heard Jesus’ prophetic judgment about the religious leaders. Let’s keep this in mind as we explore this section of Matthew 24. Jesus’ wording is full of themes associated with prophecy and apocalypses and describes the judgment of the religious leaders.
The disciples wanted to know from Jesus the signs of when he would return and the world would end. This day would be when God fulfilled the Jewish Christians’ hope and restored their nation. A lot of people, both Christian and not, are wondering when the end of the world is going to occur. Some people wish for it to end so they can go to heaven, and some want it to end just to be spared of all the suffering, violence, and chaos that the world shares. The disciples wondered how Jesus would answer this.
Jesus’ first response was: “Don’t let anyone mislead you.” The fact is that when we ask God for signs for anything, we can become super susceptible to deception. Whether it’s following numerology, horoscopes, happenstances, coincidences, etc., we all face different things vying for our attention that guide our decision-making. (If you use follow numerology, stones, horoscopes, etc., I am not and will not condemn you.) God will talk to you through many different sources, including those things. My philosophy has always been about submitting those things to God and allowing him to confirm/deny those paths. When we use them without God’s guidance, will, or power, we substitute God, which will lead down a rough route. Those false prophets who try to replace God will use counterfeit signs of spiritual power and authority, meaning they will use things that God will use but for their own agenda. The primary way to keep from being deceived is to focus on Jesus and his teachings. Keep your focus on him and not on waiting for unique signs or for other people.
Every generation wonders if what they see, whether it be wars, natural disasters, and more, means that the end of the world is here. However, when Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70, they most likely would have felt like the end of the world was there. When World War II occurred, and people saw many nations at war and millions of Jews, then Israel returned as its own nation. Today, we face threats of terrorism, both from internal and external sources, wars, such as the Palestinian Genocide, the Ukraine-Russia War, and more that have not gained attention in the news. In my US context, we just wrapped up an election cycle with a tremendous amount of fear, panic, anger, and disappointment about what our future represents and the rights that will be available to marginalized communities. We face climate change issues, economic instability, capitalistic price gouging, and more. The words of Jesus tell us not to panic, solely because ALL OF THIS is not the sign of the end of the world. He will return when he decides and commands, and that’s it.
Now that’s uncomfortable. That feels selfish and arrogant. That feels scary. That feels worthless. However, here is what I see in the middle of all this. For Christians, there’s a deep breath we can take. There’s a pause to have. We must recognize that what we see is not the end of the world. It’s a breath and a plan. We must go to work while we can rest and believe that Jesus will come when he determines its time. We must work on honoring God with all parts of ourselves and loving each other as God loves us. We need to bring the Kingdom principles down to earth. We need to care for our neighbors. Jesus taught the disciples to care for the orphans and the widows. All of us, Christians and non-Christians, need to care for our own marginalized communities: women, the LGBTQ+ community, the poor, different ethnicities, different social statuses, different wealth statuses, etc. We must fight the world to ensure that each group has the same rights to life as those outside those communities. We must listen to those groups as they express their concerns, fears, and needs. We need to talk with the right people about meeting those needs. We need to talk with those that can influence these decisions. We need to support and volunteer at and with those organizations that are working to meet the needs of our marginalized communities. How we do these things will look different to each of us because we each have unique gifts and talents that allow us to help us take care of our neighbor.
So, right now. Take a deep breath. Feel the emotions you’re feeling. Your emotions are valid, but they are not your identity. It’s time to get to work, me included. As of writing this, I will be starting to study how religious beliefs have harmed marginalized communities through the responses of homosexuality, transgenderism, abortion, and more. I will work to understand history, essential foundations, and patterns and work towards creating a better, unified future.
In Part 2, we’ll continue this discussion of false prophets and how us standing up against them may feel rough and wrong. As mentioned, I will provide a list of scriptures connecting with our focus passage. I encourage you to study them and get a bigger picture! Until next time, friends, stay blessed!
Matthew 13:39 Matthew 28:20 Luke 17:30 Mark 13:5
Matthew 24:11 Matthew 24:23-24 John 5:43 1 John 2:18
Discover more from Bible Study Vibes
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.