And Then the End Shall Come — Billy Strachan

I was blessed by what was said about the power of proclamation. I hope we can convince you because it can change your life. Our young brother here testified and we could add a hundred testimonies to that effect.

Instruction by God and Preservation in Judgment

So don't sit there and mope when things are going wrong but realize that in a certain sense your destiny is in your hands. Tonight Ruth and I are going to make a proclamation from Psalm 94 verses 12 and 13 taken from the New King James with slight variations.

Psalm 94 and I chose this because I believe it really applies to the message that God has given me for tonight. Blessed is the man whom you instruct, O Lord, and teach out of your law, that you may give him relief from the days of adversity until the pit is dug for the wicked.

Do you realize that God is digging a pit for the wicked? And you don't want to fall into that pit do you? You want to be amongst those who are preserved by the grace of God. Well the condition stated there is that you let God instruct you and teach you out of his law.

And that's what I'm seeking to do tonight. So we're going to say it once more and the third time we'll give you the privilege. Do you think you can learn it well enough to say it with us? I think you can.

You're intelligent Lord. This is just for us alone and the third time. Blessed is the man whom you instruct, O Lord, and teach out of your law, that you may give him relief from the days of adversity until the pit is dug for the wicked.

Now when you make up your mind you're going to be that man or that woman here tonight. You're going to let God instruct you and teach you that he may keep you safe in the midst of the judgments that are coming on the earth.

Are you ready? Blessed is the man whom you instruct, O Lord, and teach out of your law, that you may give him relief from the days of adversity until the pit is dug for the wicked. Amen. I have been associated with the Pentecost movement for 51 years and I could say basically I think I've seen everything.

I've actually never seen anybody hanging from the chandeliers but short of that I think I've seen it all. And I thank God for the Pentecost movement because I owe to them my knowledge of the new birth, of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and of divine healing.

But there was a period in the Pentecostal movement when, when you went to church and you parked your car in the parking lot. You could safely leave your mind in the car because you wouldn't need it in the church.

Thank God those days are over and we do need our minds in church. Jesus said the first and the great commandment is thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, thy soul, thy mind and thy strength.

So your mind has got a part to play in your love for God. And tonight you're going to need your mind. Take the fetters off, be alert, concentrate and cooperate with me because I'm going to bring you a message which I could easily take a week to deliver.

But I'm going to seek to go it in this one evening. Yesterday we spoke about a certain prophet spoken of in Deuteronomy 18 verses 18 and 19 where God said to Moses I will raise up for them, that's Israel, a prophet like you from among their brethren and will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak to them all that I command him and it shall be that whosoever will not hear my words which he speaks in my name I will require it of him.

Now the New Testament identifies that prophet like Moses as Jesus and I did produce a little book once which isn't here called a prophet like Moses in which I pointed out more than 20 specific ways in which Jesus was like Moses.

But we'll not go into that. I merely want to point out to you that God says if you don't hear the words that that prophet speaks to you, God is going to require it of you. In other words it's not an option, it's important for your spiritual well-being.

The Prophetic Spine of Biblical Prophecy

Many years ago in fact I know when it was because I know where I was in 1948 I read some words by a Jewish believer of that period whose name was Meyer Coleman. He was a member of the Executive Council of the Assemblies of God in the United States and I've discovered that words spoken in the Holy Spirit never die.

All I read was this, if you want to understand biblical prophecy it's like having the portions of a skeleton in front of you and being given the task of assembling them correctly. And he said if you want to do that there's one part of the skeleton that you must begin with and that is the spine.

You put the spine in place you'll soon be able to assemble the other parts of the skeleton around it. And what I'm going to speak to you tonight I'm going to deal with the theme of the spine of biblical prophecy.

If you can get this right then you can go on to study other prophecies and have something to fit them into. This spine is the prophetic discourse that Jesus gave on the Mount of Olives in the last week of his earthly ministry and it's so important that it's recorded in three Gospels.

In Matthew chapter 24, in Mark chapter 13 and in Luke chapter 21 and all three versions differ slightly. To me it's as if for instance there were here tonight three television cameras all recording my message but each one of them from a specific viewpoint so that there would be a difference in the viewpoint.

And in order to understand all that Jesus had to say we need to put together the three chapters. Matthew 24 Mark 13 and Luke 21. Now I'm not going to attempt that here tonight. Basically I'm going to focus on Matthew 24 but I'm going to take a few references from Luke 21.

So we'll turn now to Matthew 24. If you have your Bible you'll find it helpful to have it open. Also if you have enough fingers you'll find it helpful to keep a finger in Luke 21 because we'll be going there from time to time.

And if that isn't comfortable well just relax and take as much as you can get. Matthew 24 begins with a statement that Jesus made to his disciples. He was in the temple with them and they were apparently trying to impress him with the tremendous buildings and artistic work of the temple.

The temple was the pride of the Jewish nation. It was a masterpiece of construction. It was the center of their national life and it was the mark of their unique relationship with the one true God. So I imagine that the disciples expected Jesus to be very impressed but he wasn't.

In fact the reply that he made must have been like a blow in the solar plexus to them. If you aren't familiar with Jewish thinking I think you can hardly realize the impact this comment must have had on them.

But in the light of the impact we understand the questions that they asked later. So I'll read the first two verses. Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple and his disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple.

And Jesus said to them do you not see all these things? Assuredly I say to you not one stone shall be left here upon another that shall not be thrown down. In other words this whole building is going to be totally destroyed.

I don't think we can imagine how shocked the disciples must have been. How could such a thing happen? And I think in their minds they concluded that if that really was going to happen it would mark the close of the age.

And so they asked two questions of Jesus related to this. Jesus and the disciples then went east from the temple area across the valley of the Kidron and up onto the Mount of Olives. And I imagine they sat in a place that's very familiar to me.

And they were actually able to look down on the buildings of the temple while he continued his discourse. We're going to read there for verse 3. Now as he sat on the Mount of Olives the disciples came to him privately saying tell us when will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age.

You see apparently they concluded that if the temple was to be destroyed it would mark the end of the age. They were wrong but that explains why they asked these questions. And notice they asked two questions.

When will these things be? That is the destruction of the temple and what will be the sign of your coming. You're coming back and of the end of the age. Now Jesus answered both questions but the answers recorded are not found in the same gospel.

The Destruction of Jerusalem and the Times of the Gentiles

The answer to the first question, when will the destruction of the temple take place, is recorded in Luke 21. So keep your finger in Matthew 24 and turn to Luke 21. And I'm not going to read all the introduction there.

But in verses 20 through 24 Jesus answers the question when will the temple be destroyed. Historically we know the answer is in 70 AD. That is within less than one generation of the time when Jesus was speaking.

This is what he says. But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies then know that its desolation is near. So that's the sign when the temple will be destroyed. Now this happened in 70 AD. The Roman armies under Trajan laid siege to the city of Jerusalem and were preparing to attack it.

And then Trajan was elected or appointed emperor of the Roman Empire and he had to go to Rome to take up his place. And so temporarily the siege was lifted. The Roman armies withdrew. But under Titus who was the son-in-law or the follower of Trajan.

The armies returned again laid siege and this time did not raise the siege until the whole city had been destroyed. So Jesus said when you see Jerusalem surrounded with armies know that its desolation is near.

Then he said let those in Judea flee to the mountains. Let those who are in the midst of her depart and let not those who are in the country enter her. Now that could not have been possible if it had not been that temporarily the siege was lifted.

And so those disciples of Jesus in Jerusalem who acknowledged Jesus as the prophet gave heed to his words obeyed what he said. They seized the opportunity to escape out of Jerusalem and they went east of the Jordan to a place on the east side of the Jordan and found refuge there.

In this way they saved their lives. I want to point out to you how important it is to give heed to the prophetic words of Jesus. Our lives may actually depend on it. I believe we're coming into a period when that will be true again.

Then as I've said the Roman armies returned laid siege to the city and did not raise the siege until the whole city was destroyed and at least a million and a half Jews either perished or were sold into slavery throughout the Roman Empire.

And Jesus speaks about this in Luke 21 verse 22. For these are the days of vengeance that all things which are written may be fulfilled. Written where? Written in the Old Testament prophets. So Jesus said now these prophecies are coming into fulfillment.

We won't turn there but if you want one particular prophecy that contains an overall picture of this situation you'll find it in Leviticus chapter 26. And notice they are days of vengeance. Whose vengeance?

God's vengeance on a disobedient nation. It's very important we bear in mind that God does take vengeance when his time comes. He's a God of mercy but he's also a God of justice. And then Jesus gave a warning.

But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days. For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. What land? When it says in the land, the land of Israel.

Wrath upon this people. What people? The Jewish people. All those words were exactly fulfilled. Not metaphorically remember but exactly. And then it says what will happen to the Jewish people. Verse 24 they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led away captive into all nations.

And in the long run they were led captive into at least 100 nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. You know what we mean by Gentiles? A lot of people don't.

It means those who are not Jews. Heathen are those who are not Christians. But Gentiles are those who are not Jews. I've had this problem because in Germany and in other countries they only have one word for both.

And so you have to stop and explain. But in English we're blessed with accurate words for both. But you have to know a Gentile is somebody who is not a Jew. And Jesus said Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles.

The word trample indicates that it's really out of divine order. Jerusalem is the capital of the Jewish nation. Then and for Gentiles to be dominating Jerusalem is an indication that things are not the way they ought to be.

Doesn't mean that it won't happen. But it happens because the Jewish people have missed their destiny. And it's very interesting as a matter of history. I've been associated with Jerusalem since 1942.

And basically Jerusalem flourishes when it's under Jewish control and languishes when it's under Gentile control. And you can trace that more or less through its history for nearly 2 ,000 years. But whenever it speaks about the judgment of God on the Jewish people and their scattering.

You always find in the Bible some word like until. It's not permanent it's not forever there will be an end. And here Jesus says until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. I understand the times of the Gentiles to mean the period in which Gentile nations are ruling where Israel should be ruling.

And if so they began with Nebuchadnezzar and they continued until when. 1948 a Jewish state came into being after nearly 2 ,000 years. I was an eyewitness. I was there when it happened. And it was a miracle.

I say that without misusing words. About 700 ,000 Jews were surrounded by about 40 million Arabs. Armed and well equipped and the Jews had virtually no military equipment. The state of Israel survived.

Why? Because God intended it to survive. And what God intends will happen. That's good news because it concerns us. Then in 1967 one of the most crucial dates in this century in the Six-Day War. The old city of Jerusalem which was the part that Jesus was familiar with.

Was liberated by the Jews from Moslem domination. But bear in mind the most significant and sacred spot in all of Jerusalem. The temple area is still dominated by Moslems, by Arabs. So it's like the hands of the clock are just showing one minute before midnight.

But we haven't come to midnight. Then Jesus goes on and this is very important. Immediately after that statement in Luke 21 verse 25. There will be signs in the sun in the moon in the stars and on the earth.

Distress of nations with perplexity the sea and the waves roaring. Men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth. For the powers of heaven will be shaken.

Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. In other words the liberation of Jerusalem from Gentile domination is very close to the return of the Lord in glory. It's one of the great indications that we are very near to the time of the Lord's return.

All right that's the answer to question number one. When will these things happen? And Jesus gave a clear specific prophetic answer which has been fully vindicated by subsequent history. Now we'll go back to Matthew 24 and we look at the next question.

Deception, Wars, and the Beginning of Birth Pangs

What will be the sign of your coming? Coming back and at the end of the age. And in the words that follow Jesus gave them a number of signs, plural. But it's several verses before we come to the sign.

But Jesus did give a specific answer to a specific question. What will be the sign of your coming back? First of all in verses four and five Jesus warns his disciples that means you and me today if we are disciples against being deceived.

And if you study the revelation of Scripture concerning the end time, the period in which we are living, the greatest single danger that threatens us is deception. And anybody who is not on guard against being deceived in my opinion is certain to be deceived.

Because the warnings against deception are more frequent than any other warnings. Take heed Jesus said that no one deceives you for many will come in my name saying I am the Christ that's the Messiah and will deceive many.

You need to bear in mind if you don't know it but Christ is from the Greek word Christos which corresponds to the Hebrew word Mashiach, Messiah. So whether we say Messiah or Christ we're saying the Anointed One.

I found lots of Christians don't know that and most Jews have no idea whatever that when we say about Jesus Christ we're saying Jesus the Messiah. Now again the words of Jesus have been accurately fulfilled.

Since that time about 40 false messiahs have come to the Jewish people and all of them have been received by some of them. One of the most famous was Bar Kochba in the year 130 who raised up a rebellion against the Roman armies was ultimately defeated and killed.

There was also Sabati Tzvi in the 17th century who claimed to be a Messiah led hundreds of thousands of Jewish people to the area of Palestine was taken by the Arabs and converted to Islam. But I mean hundreds of thousands of people had put their faith in him as Messiah.

It was in the year 1666 and at that time people believed that somehow this was a magical year. This number 1666 was going to indicate that something very exciting and special is going to happen. Nowadays there's a kind of similar tradition or attitude toward the year 2000.

But I think we need to be cautious because I don't believe that God counts by the Gregorian calendar. He has his own calendar which is in the Bible and he has never departed from it. So I praise God for the concept of bringing the gospel everywhere to everyone by the year 2000.

But for me there's nothing magical in the year 2000. All right the answer that Jesus gives there is a key word which we need to pick out and it's the word then which occurs nine times in the original text.

In other words what we are presented with is a series of developments that follow one after the other. Then, then and then. We'll go on with Matthew 24 verse 6. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars.

See that you are not troubled for all these things must come to pass but the end is not yet. Now Jesus said throughout this age certain things will regularly take place. There'll be wars and rumors of wars and his words have been exactly fulfilled.

But he said don't take those as being necessarily an indication that the age is about to end. Then in verse 7 he moves on to something different which he calls the birth pangs. But I just want to point out that in Luke 21 verses 9 and 10 there's a break in the discourse which is very important.

So you compare Luke 21 verse 9 and 10. Jesus said but when you hear of wars and commotions do not be terrified for these things must come to pass first but the end will not come immediately. That's the same teaching.

But this text adds then he said to them nation will rise against nation. In other words there's a break between Matthew 24 verse 6 and Matthew 24 verse 7. Verse 7 as you will see leads us into the period of the birth pangs.

I'll read the words and then comment on them. Verse 7 for nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom and there will be famines pestilences and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows, labor pains or birth pangs.

So the labor pains begin in Matthew 24 verse 7. If there are labor pains there's going to be something born. What is going to be born? My answer is the kingdom of God on earth. But it will not come without a birth.

The kingdom of God never comes without a birth. Jesus says unless an individual is born again he cannot see or enter the kingdom of God. What is true of the individual is true of the whole world. It will take a birth to bring the kingdom of God to earth.

It's not going to be organized. It's not going to come as a political process. It's going to come by a sovereign intervention of God corresponding to a birth. But we all know that before a birth takes place there are labor pains or birth pangs.

I've been involved in this experience but one understands that it's not enjoyable. It's a time of pressure, of pain and a time when one could say well get me out of this. Let's come to the end of it. But people tolerate it because they want the baby.

Understand if you want a baby you have to go through birth pangs. There's no other way. So here we're faced with the question do we want the baby. In other words do we want the kingdom of God to come on earth.

If we do let's be realistic and say we'll endure the birth pangs. Because it cannot come any other way. Now Jesus lists the birth pangs. Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in various places.

Now some texts don't put in pestilences but the word is found in the corresponding version in Luke 21. So it's there. So what are the birth pangs? Nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom.

I would say great world wars. And one of the significant things about the 20th century is it's the first time we've ever used the phrase world war. In this century there have been two world wars. One in 1914 and one in 1939.

And I have survived both of them. But before this century you couldn't have a world war. Because the means of communication and travel did not make it possible. Humanity has to come to a certain condition worldwide before you can have a world war.

And I think one of the most significant features of our century is world war. Never was that phrased use in any previous century. The words that Jesus uses are particularly significant at the present time.

For he says nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. Let's take kingdom against kingdom first and say as I understand it this means political wars. Wars that are fought to establish an empire, a dominion, some kind of political setup.

But what about nation against nation? To me this is extremely significant today because the Greek word for nation is ethnos. From which we get the word ethnic. So Jesus says there will be ethnic wars.

And we just look across the world today and what do we see? In place after place after place ethnic wars. Yugoslavia is one particular example but far from being the only one. And there are ethnic conflicts within nations.

Take particularly the United States. There are many different ethnic groups which find it very hard to live in peace side-by-side. In other words the expression of ethnicity is a particular feature of the close of this age.

And then it says there will be famines. And they estimate 40 million people perish every year as a result of malnutrition and starvation. Famines and pestilences and pestilence always follows famine because the physical resistance of humanity is broken down by starvation.

And then it says earthquakes in various places. Statistically the number of earthquakes is steadily increasing in the days in which we live. Then Jesus says all these are the beginning of sorrows. They're not the end.

They're not the birth. But they're the indications that the birth is soon coming. And then we have the first then in verse 9. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake.

Now there's an important question here. To whom is Jesus referring when he says you. I'll answer you in what is not good grammar. You is us. It refers to Christians. Have you adjusted your thinking to that.

Now you might say well in Britain it isn't happening or in the United States. But in many parts of the world this is already happening. In China it's happened in the Soviet Union. It's happening in Muslim nations and other places.

But Jesus says it's going to happen worldwide. I want to read that again. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. This is Christians.

People who are hated for the sake of the name of the Lord Jesus. And then in verse 10 the second then. And then many will be offended and will betray one another and will hate one another. Many who? Many Christians.

They'll give up their faith because the pressures are too great. And in order to save their own lives they will betray their fellow believers. Again there are many many examples of this in nations such as China and of what was the Soviet Union and in other places.

It is happening. I believe it's going to happen on a larger scale. Verse 11. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. I believe that is happening. My personal opinion is that the church is riddled with false prophets.

And the tragic thing is that most of God's people can't discern between the true and the false. But apart from that every cult is the product of a false prophet. And there are more cults in the world than we can count.

And again it really behoves us to heed the warning of Jesus. Take care that no one deceives you. That's not an idle warning. It's very very urgent. And then in verse 12. Because lawlessness will abound the love of many will grow cold.

For those of you that are somewhat younger than I am this may not be so obvious. But I grew up in this nation in Britain between two world wars. And Britain was essentially a law-abiding nation. People respected law.

And people were basically honest. You could trust people with your money. You could leave the door of your house unlocked. Has changed. Is that true? Changed to an amazing degree. One of the prime problems of the day is lawlessness.

And I believe that it's impossible for the police to control it. The police can control it when the attitude of the people is against lawlessness. But when the attitude of the people tolerates and even endorses lawlessness.

It's vain to expect the police to deal with the situation. They can't. It says because lawlessness will abound the love of many. The Greek word there is agape. Which is normally used of Christian love.

The love of many Christians will grow cold. Brothers and sisters we need to bear that in mind. In an atmosphere of lawlessness. It's very easy for our love to grow cold. But we have been warned. And then Jesus says in verse 13.

But he who endures to the end shall be saved. The Greek is more specific. It says he who has endured to the end shall be saved. So you're saved now. But if you want to stay saved. What do you have to do?

To endure. That's right. Jesus said in Luke 21 19. In this version. In your patience possess your souls. But that's not a very clear translation. By your endurance purchase your soul. That's the price you have to pay for the salvation of your soul.

Endurance. As I say you're saved now. Will you be saved ten years from now? If there are ten years left. Which is questionable. It depends on whether you have endured. He who has endured to the end. He will be saved.

The Gospel of the Kingdom and the Coming End

Now Jesus has given a many signs. Plural. But he has not given the sign. But in verse 14. He gives the specific sign. The question was what will be the sign at the end of the age. And verse 14 gives a specific answer.

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world. As a witness to all the nations. And then. And that's then number three. Then the end will come. What is the sign that the end will come?

The preaching of the gospel of the kingdom. Not some watered-down human version. But the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom in all the world. As a witness to all the nations. So we know what it will take to bring the age to a close.

We're not left in doubt. We're not left to wonder. We have the answer. Now keep your finger in Matthew. And if you can find it. Turn to 2nd Peter chapter 3 verses 11 and 12. And let me just take one passage.

2nd Peter 3 11 and 12. Therefore since all these things will be dissolved. That's basically everything that we consider to be permanent and stable will be dissolved. What manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?

It's a very important question. What kind of people should we be? And then Peter gives part of the answer. He says looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God. I pointed out yesterday that in Hebrews 9 28 it says Jesus will return with salvation for those who eagerly await his coming.

That's the looking for part. But here Peter goes further and he says hastening the coming of the day of God. How can we hasten the coming of the day of God? The answer is very simple. By proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom in all nations.

If you want the baby to be born you'll do anything you can to hasten the birth. There's one thing we can all be involved in doing which is proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom to all nations. And when we do that we are hastening the coming of the day of God.

But if we fail to do that we're not hastening it, we're delaying it. And that's a fearful responsibility. But I venture to say that everyone here this evening is in one or other of those two categories.

You're either hastening it or you're delaying it. What do you have to do to delay it? The answer is do nothing. That's all. Doing nothing is not normally considered a sin. But in Matthew 25 the next chapter in Matthew Jesus speaks about three people, three kinds of people, who were all totally rejected by God.

The first kind were the five foolish virgins who didn't take oil. The second was the unfaithful servant who buried his talent. And the third kind of people were the nations, the goat nations, that didn't show love to the Jews.

And I asked myself once what was there in common to all these people that caused them to be rejected? And I found a simple answer. What did they do? Nothing. And that's all you have to do to be rejected, is do nothing.

It's very clear, it's not just one example, there are three different examples. I pray tonight that those of you who hear me will take a decision to commit yourself in some way to the proclaiming of the gospel of the kingdom to all nations.

That doesn't mean you have to be a missionary or a preacher or an evangelist. You can be an intercessor. You can give of your finance. There are many different ways, but if you're not involved at all, I believe you are in danger of being rejected.

The words of God are so clear. We are not saved to serve ourselves, we're saved to serve the Lord and the people to whom the Lord sends us. In 1958, I never can pass this passage without saying this, I was working as principal of a college for training African teachers in Kenya and my aim was to win my students to the Lord.

And I was successful. Hardly a student ever left her college who hadn't been saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit. But one day I, my car needed service. So I drove seven miles into the local town Kisumu and took my car to the service station.