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. This 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 some insight and understanding into how Jesus said the future will look.

In Part 3, we discussed how to properly represent Christ’s teachings. A central part of this is learning how to coexist in a diverse world and accurately represent who God is.

In Part 4, we continue discussing false prophets and the struggle for loyalty.

Matthew 24:23-31

NASB	NLT	VOICE
23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘He is over here,’ do not believe him.	23”Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it.	23 I cannot say this clearly enough: during this time, someone will say to you, “Look, here is the Anointed One!” or “Aren’t you relieved? Haven’t you seen the Savior down there, around the bend, over the hill and dale?” Do not believe them.
24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and will provide great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.	24 For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.	24 False liberators and false prophets will appear, and they will know a few tricks – they will perform great miracles, and they will make great promises. If it were possible, they would even deceive God’s elect.
25 Behold, I have told you in advance.	25 See, I have warned you about this ahead of time.	25 But I am warning you ahead of time: remember – do not fall for their lies or lines or promises.
26 So if they say to you, ‘Behold. He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them.	26 “So if someone tells you, ‘Look the Messiah is out in the desert,’ don’t bother to go and look. Or, ‘Look, he is hiding here,’ don’t believe it!	26 If someone says, “He’s out there in the desert” – do not go. And if someone says, “He’s here at our house, at our table” – do not believe him.
27 For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.	27 For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes.	27 When the Son of Man comes, He will be as visible as lightning in the East is visible even in the West.
28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.	28 Just as the gathering of vultures show there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.	28 And where the carcass is, there will always be vultures.
29 “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heaven will be shaken.	29 “Immediately after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.	29 And as the prophets have foretold it: after the distress of those days, The sun will grow dark, and the moon will be hidden. The stars will fall from the sky, and all the powers in the heavens will be dislodged and shaken from their places.
30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.	30 And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.	30 That is when the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. All the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming; they will see Him powerful and glorious riding on chariots of clouds in the sky.
31 And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet blast, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.	31 And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen one from all over the world – from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.	31 With a loud trumpet call, He will send out battalions of heavenly messengers; and they will gather His beloved faithful elect from the four corners of creation, from one end of heaven to the other.

The warnings Jesus discusses here regarding the false teachers still hold true today. The messages of the false teacher may sound straightforward and concise and are full of God’s teachings. Still, they have a false message and emphasis. They don’t truly agree with what God says in the Bible. Only a solid foundation in God’s Word can equip us to discern the errors and irregularities in the teachings. The amount I’ve unlearned and relearned this year has been intense, but it’s allowed me to understand bigger concepts in the Bible. Denominations tend to skew the biblical concepts towards their own belief structure. Still, it can lose the original intention of the Hebrew and Greek authors.

In times of persecution, even the strongest believers can find it difficult to remain loyal to Jesus. To keep from being deceived by false teachers, we must understand that Jesus’ return will be unmistakable; no one can doubt him. Remember, this time will be when the Sun is darkened, the moon will no longer give light, and the stars will no longer stay in the sky. If you must be told that Jesus has returned, he hasn’t. The return of Jesus will be so unique and unmistakable that we will never have any doubt.

The nations of the earth will mourn because unbelievers will realize they have chosen the wrong side. This is where the fear of the Lord is important. The return of Jesus is to understand the power of God and what it means to observe his power and still not follow it. We can learn about God through his power and justice. Instead of risking the consequences of not following, we will follow, knowing that his love will overcome all. Everyone will answer to God about their beliefs, sins, and more and then find the ultimate decision of those entering Heaven. Those will have to repent, and those who will be sent to the underworld or the Lake of Fire.

In Part 5, we’ll talk about the sovereignty of Jesus and how essential his teachings are to our lives. Until next time, stay blessed!

Here’s the connecting scripture for Part 4:

Luke 17:21-23                  2 Thessalonians 2:9-10                1 John 4:1-3       Revelation 13:13-14

Luke 17:23-24                  Luke 17:37                         Revelation 19:17             Isaiah 13:10

Isaiah 34:4                         Ezekiel 32:7                       Joel 2:10                              Joel 2:31

Joel 3:15                              Revelation 6:12-13         Daniel 7:13                        Zechariah 12:10-13

Revelation 1:17               1 Corinthians 15:52       1 Thessalonians 4:16    Revelation 8:2

Revelation 11:15