Do You Know What Time it Is?

"Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him.  And He said to them, 'Do you not see all these things?  Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.' 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?'"  (Matthew 24:1-3) 

The rock group Chicago released a song back in the 70's that asked the question, "Does anybody really know what time it is?  Does anybody really care?"  You really have to wonder if people even care today, especially the church.  End times are coming and people act like it doesn't even matter.  The Bible talks a lot about time.  Solomon said in Ecclesiastes there is a time a purpose for everything under heaven. 

It should be natural for us to want to know; not that we should be consumed with the thought but that we would be prepared when it does happen.  Peter, James, John, and Andrew had a private audience with Jesus and so they asked Him when the end of the age would come about.  Jesus was always glad to take a teachable moment and give a description of things familiar.  He described the world by blending it with a description of the destruction of Jerusalem.  This wasn’t done to confuse but to make it where they could relate to it.

Jesus said the temple would be utterly destroyed so they knew this could be no small feet.  The stones of the temple were massive and beautiful and yet Jesus says that not one would be left unturned.  The temple was constructed of white marble, and the blocks were of a phenomenal size.  Josephus says that these stones were, some of them, 50 feet long, 24 feet broad, and 16 feet in thickness.  Jesus is answering the question of the ages.  Is He describing events that we find taking place in our world today?

We can't know when this will happen but we can be aware of the events that will take place before the end comes.  Jesus said there would be "wars and rumors of wars" in vv. 6-7.  Of course that isn't saying a whole lot because war has been a regular occurrence throughout history.  But when we look throughout time it has become more deadly and vicious.  There are weapons of mass destruction that can reach across continents in a matter of minutes.  Paul gave us this description in 1 Thess. 5:1-3; "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.  For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape."  It is rather ironic that it will come at a time when peace will seem to be within our grasp and then will come sudden destruction.

We have also seen natural disasters that have taken place on a global scale.  We see famines brought about by floods and droughts.  Disease will spread in raging epidemic proportion.  Earthquakes will increase and become more violent.

The greatest and most difficult of signs will be the persecution of the believers.  Christians will be imprisoned and killed simply for their beliefs.  None of the disciples were exempt.  Christians will be hated merely because they follow Christ.  In a world that screams about love and tolerance it is those who have been born-again who will hated.

Then Jesus would speak of increased wickedness in the world (vv. 38-39).  It will be much like it was in Noah's day where people just lived for the pleasure of a moment.  Violence will increase while drug and alcohol abuse will become widespread and out of control.  Conditions will also be like they were in Sodom and Gomorrah.  Sex will be lose, free, and casual.  When we look around us we see immorality on the increase and perversion is rapidly becoming the norm.

Look around you.  What do you see in the world today?  Do you know what time it is?