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 the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. “At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come." [Matthew 24:3-14 NASB]
Jesus' public ministry is over. From now on His teaching is reserved only for His disciples. It is worth keeping in mind that everything Jesus teaches from this point on is reserved for His disciples and not for the crowds. His goal is not to convict them of sin, nor to convince them of the reality of the Kingdom, but to prepare His followers. He is speaking to His disciples in front of Him, and to us, and to any who are alive at the time of His coming.
After Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple, the disciples asked about the end of the age. Being Jews in that age, the temple was the centerpiece in their lives, as much as anyone else. In their minds, the destruction of the temple must coincide with the end of all things. We know from history that they were mistaken. Jesus doesn't correct this misapprehension, but rather, he directly answers their question.
Before saying anything else, Jesus warns us to not be misled. Over the centuries there have been many false prophets arise, perverting the scriptures, and opposing Christ.
The most prominent false prophet was Mohammed. As a young boy he heard the Jews relate stories from the Bible. Because of his hatred for the Jews and Christians, Mohammed twisted the scriptures to suit himself. For example, he retold the story of Abraham taking his to Mount Moriah to sacrifice him. Only instead of Isaac, Mohammed said he took Ishmael. The quran repeatedly says that Allah has no son.
A more recent voice was that of Joseph Smith who, through his "visions" rewrote Christianity. The Mormon views are more subtle that Islam. Most Mormons will say that they are a Christian denomination, and believe in the Bible, salvation, and in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. However, they believe the Bible is imperfect, and can be improved upon by subsequent revelation (i.e. Joseph Smith's "visions".) They believe God is not a triune God (or Trinity), but three distinct people. The Father was once a man who ascended to perfection, and each one of us can also become perfect and ascend to godhood. Salvation is not by grace, but by a combination of Jesus' atonement and legalistic good works.
A common theme among most any false religion is to attack the Trinity. The last thing Satan wants is for you to know who God is, so he strikes at God's identity. Some of the deceptions are blatant, while others are more subtle. They may deny God altogether, or teach that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three separate gods.
It is so important to study the scriptures and know for yourself who God is, and what the Bible teaches about Him. Don't let yourself be misled.
False prophets, wars, rumors of wars, famines and natural disasters. These have been around since the time that Jesus walked the earth, and will continue. But no matter how bad things seem, these things are not the end.
Take heart and pray for strength. Things are going to get much worse before the end.
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