It can be overwhelming when you think about all the conflict that is occurring in this world and in our country. We need to be very thankful that we are isolated from them by the Pacific ocean but still makes us vulnerable by how it can affect receiving our goods from the mainland.

But we who love God will always be steadfast in the hope of being with God someday making us patiently hope in the return of our Lord Jesus to gather us and take us home.

In Matthew Jesus teaches that we need to be mindful of the prophecies that foretell of his return so that we will be ready and not be caught off guard.

Matthew 24: 32 "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.

Jesus wants us to recognize prophetic signs that tells us that he is coming soon. Some of these prophecies have been fulfilled and some are yet to come.

The first prophecy Jesus teaches we read in:

Matthew 24: Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 "Do you see all these things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; everyone will be thrown down." 3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"

This prophecy was fulfilled when his Father’s temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD and has never been rebuilt. This prophecy has been fulfilled.

Some believe that God’s temple needs to be rebuilt before Jesus returns because of what Paul prophesied in:

2 Thessalonians 2: 3 Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

Paul said God’s temple, so some assume that the temple that was originally built by Soloman needs to be rebuilt before Jesus returns. Jesus never said that God’s temple will be rebuilt after it was destroyed because the name of God will no longer dwell in a manmade temple.

Paul teaches that the Spirit of God will dwell in the human body of Jesus’ disciples.

1 Corinthians 6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body.

So, the lawless one, the anti-Christ will set himself up among believers the temple of God, so that he can deceive those who do not love God’s truth.

2 Thessalonians 2: 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

Revelation 12 said that the Devil has made war against God’s children, so he will send the second beast to those in church who refused to love God’s truth and deceive them with counterfeit miracles, signs and wonder to follow him. Even God will send a powerful delusion so those who do not love his Son truth but believe in the devil’s lies so that they will be condemn and perish.

So, do not put your hope waiting for a temple to be rebuilt in Jerusalem before Jesus return because it will distract you from watching for the anti-Christ who may already set himself up among believers and those who do not love God’s truth.

The 2nd prophecy that Jesus warns us to watch for.

Matthew 24: 4 Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, ' and will deceive many.

There have already been many who claim they are the second coming of Jesus. As disciples you should know that in Matthew 24:30-31, Jesus will return in the sky and will send his angels to gather his followers. This prophecy has been fulfilled.

The third prophecy Jesus calls birth pains.

Matthew 24: 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

These birth pains have been increasing since the time Jesus said this. There have been wars, famine, and earthquakes all over the world. Today there is war in the Promised Land that God called the Beautiful Land, and we know in Revelations that end time prophecies will occur in Israel. This prophecy has been fulfilled

The fourth prophecy:

Matthew 24: 9 "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.

This prophesy has been fulfilled in:

Hebrews 11: 35 Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 37 They were stoned ; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. 39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40 God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

The fifth prophecy.

Matthew 24: 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.

This prophecy has been fulfilled in:

1 John 2: 18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.

What protects us from false teachers is the Holy Spirit recalling God’s truth to those who are disciples of Jesus’ teachings and commandments keeping their faith genuine to him.

The sixth prophecy:

Matthew 24: 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Paul prophecies this also in:

2 Timothy 3: But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

This prophecy also has been fulfilled, today people are growing colder in the world and in the church which Paul calls the rebellion in 2 Thessalonians.

Being cold in church is when members are not lovers of God truth but lovers of what they want church to be. They do not obey Jesus as the head of the church by obeying his teachings and commandments. Jesus said only those who obey his teachings and commandments are those who love him and his Father and will be saved.

John 14: 21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

John 14: 23 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. 25 "All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

The last prophecy:

Matthew 24: 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

No one will know when this prophecy of the whole world being preached the gospel will be fulfilled. Jesus said only his Father will know when this will be fulfilled.

Matthew 24: 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 36 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Only the Father knows his elect, his chosen and those he is calling to his Son. The end comes when the Father knows there will be no one else in the world who will accept his Son’s gospel and those in church who only want Jesus as their Savior but do not make him their Lord so that they know God’s truth and be saved when the end comes.

It will be like the time of Noah when every inkling of the people had become evil and cold and no longer lovers of God.

Many of the signs have been fulfilled and the coming of the 2nd beast, the anti-Christ can set himself up at anytime and only God know when the heart of people will not love his Son and his gospel.

So, we must be ready now willing to give our life to Jesus as our Lord and to die for his name so that we can be with God forever.

Your brother in Christ, Glenn