I want to speak today about the End Times.  This is such a difficult topic, partly because it is an area of great unknowns, and also because so much has been written about it that is misleading.  Christian writers today have painted fictional pictures in their novels, and Christian readers have mistakenly believed their books to be fact.

          Tim LaHaye's Left Behind series is both untrue and scripturally inaccurate.  And even though he says it's all fiction, so many people believe what he writes is reality.  We Christians today must take great care to rely on God's Word about the End Times, not on authors of thrilling stories that sell books.

          Please turn in your Bibles to Matthew 24.  Our Lord and His disciples were taking their last walk together through Jerusalem.  It was a magnificent, beautiful city, and these Galilean country folk were duly impressed.  Herod's master plan had turned the city into the showplace of the eastern Mediterranean world, and, believe me, if we had been there, we, too, would be astounded as they were.  Jerusalem was a breathtaking sight.

          But in the midst of their city tour, Jesus said something alarming, "Not one stone here will be left...every one will be thrown down."  The disciples must have caught some of the impact of His words, because when they reached the Mt. of Olives, they asked Him, "When will this happen, and what will be the sign of the end of the age?"  Jesus then spoke the words of Matthew 24, one of His most alarming monologues.  "Many deceivers will come...wars and rumors of wars...famines, earthquakes and floods...persecution and death and hatred for believers...many will fall away and betray each other...false prophets and deceivers will come...wickedness will increase and Christian love will grow cold."

          What a picture!  Not only was it alarming for the disciples, it's chilling for us today, because it's almost like reading the headlines of our daily news.  Deceivers in cults are everywhere.  Two dozen serious wars continue that don't even merit a newspaper article.  Floods and famines are everywhere, and are predicted to increase.

          Persecution of Christians in third world countries is obvious, and it's becoming increasingly open here in America.  There seems to be a genuine hatred among a growing number of people for the things of God.  And perhaps worst of all, truth is being trashed.  The idea of objective truth is either being denied or replaced by a personal "truth," one that is whatever anyone wants it to be at any given time.  And Christians are believing the lie.

          Today there are few Christian beliefs that are not under the vicious attack of Satan.  You and I must firmly trust the words of our Lord in Matthew 24:13, "He who stands firm to the end will be saved."  Standing firm - persevering - whether in open or subtle persecution, is more necessary now than ever.  It's so easy to swallow the philosophical swill of this world and not even realize it.  Folks, there's poison being passed out.  We must stand firm and not drink it!

          This is all due to Satan's influence in the world.  Satan has opened fire on the world, blasting away at anything Christian, and firing without reservation at the Gospel.  Many people, even some Christians, are joining in, either by silence or agreement, and are spraying bullets of criticism and destruction all over.  They think it's right because it's new or because the media or the educated elite are doing it.

          Others try to fight back, but become cynical and hardened and eventually give up the fight.  Still others are struck with a few pebbles of criticism, think they're mortally wounded and lie down and die.  But we must not give up!  Christ is our Savior!  He will overcome!  And He encourages us all:  "He who stands firm to the end will be saved."

          Few and far between are those believers who dig in and remain faithful.  Fewer and fewer are the Christians who can take excessive criticism or religious scandal or personal failure without blaming God or fellow Christians.  Instead of reaching out for help, they point fingers of blame and retreat into their TV or toys.  Christians can't afford to be thin-skinned today.  We must stand firm.

          Christ calls upon us to be ready for these times.  He does not want us to give up.  His words for the Disciples are for us.  He's saying, "Hard times will come - expect them!  You will get shelled for being faithful - it will happen!  But he who stands firm to the end will be saved."

          This passage makes us wonder just what exactly will happen at the end of the world.  It also makes us wonder how long before the end of the world will come.  Our Lord wants us to be ready for the end with action, not idleness.  Martin Luther said, "If I knew the world would end tomorrow, I'd still plant a tree today."  You and I may see the evil, but we can't toss in the towel.  We must do the work of our Lord Jesus until He comes.

          But what is this thing called "Satan's Little Season?"  It's a time of chaos and persecution by Satan before the world ends.  For the past 500 years many Christian theologians have tried to explain the "millennium" of Revelation 20 as being an actual 1,000 year period of Christ's reign on earth.  One group says Jesus will first "rapture" up the faithful to heaven in a first resurrection, and then reign a thousand years on earth before ending the world.  Then will come a second resurrection.

          They say that just before the second resurrection, all hell will break loose during Satan's Little Season.  People who believe this are called "Pre-Millennialists" (Christ before the millennium) and they believe in a "rapture" based on Matthew 24.  This is the position of author Tim LaHaye.  But Christ's words in Matthew 24:40-41 are intended to show us how fast the end will come, not the method.  It's the Lutheran position that all believers will be "raptured" when Christ takes all believers to heaven in the final judgment.  The Bible does not speak of two resurrections or two judgments, only one.  And remember, Jesus said His kingdom is not of this world, but is within each of His believers.

          A second idea of a "millennium" teaches that just before the end, Satan's Little Season will come on us all.  But eventually all people on earth will become Christians and there will be 1,000 years of peace and prosperity before Christ comes in the final judgment.  Those who believe this are called "Post-Millennialists" (Christ after the millennium).  Such a belief is also not supported by Scripture, but by a certain interpretation of Revelation 20.  Confused?  There's more...

          The majority of the world's Christians are "A-Millennialists."  They believe the 1,000 years of Revelation 20 is the figurative expression for the time between Christ's going back to heaven 2,000 years ago and His final coming in judgment.  A-Millennialists, including Lutherans, also believe Satan will cause great trouble in the world, making things worse and worse until Christ finally comes in the Last Judgment.  This is "Satan's Little Season," and it will come.  That's the bad news.  The Good News is that God will be with us in it all.  He will take His faithful people to heaven.

          What does all this mean for us?  As they walked around Jerusalem, Jesus told them several times, "See, I have told you this ahead of time!"  He wanted them to know the coming days ahead would be hard.  It would require faith as well as faithfulness.  Jesus is telling us the same thing.  Things will get worse, but He will be with us.  And, "He who stands firm to the end will be saved."

          Jesus also said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away."  In other words, "Truth will last forever."  In our age of tolerance we have been taught that truth is whatever you want it to be.  We're led to believe every man's opinion is just as important and truthful as the next.  That's not tolerance - that's the blind leading the blind.  There is a truth of God that is greater than all.  It's the absolute truth of God, truth that will set us free.  Our Lord Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31-32)  And again He said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except by me." (John 14:6)

          That's the Word of the Son of God, and that's the truth!  Our Lord gave up His life on Calvary's cross so that you and I might live with God forever.  We must trust in Him, not in ourselves, nor in human cleverness.  All it took was for Christ to give us everything, His life, His death, His resurrection, and His teachings.  And He wants us to accept His free gift of salvation.  Reach out to Him in faith, and heaven is ours forever.  What a free gift!  We do nothing to deserve it, but He gives it anyway!

          You and I need not fear "Satan's Little Season."  It will come whether we are ready or not, so we might as well be ready with faith in our hearts and a song on our lips.  When things get worse, God will show us the way.  He's never left us alone, and He won't start now.

          Reach out for the Lord, my friends, in good times and in bad.  Let Him lead and guide you.  Trust in Him for everything.  And then when all hell breaks loose - literally - we will remain firm to the end, because we know the Savior.  God grant us such faithfulness, in the name of Jesus, God most high, Amen!

Copyright © 1999 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.