Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. Few matters in Scripture have the power to cause a stir quite like the End Times, or signs of the Last Days. Ever since the early days of the church, people have had questions, confusion, and fear about the time of the End. Much of Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians (which formed the basis for our recent epistle readings) deals with the fear of being “left behind” and how to identify the anti-Christ (or man of lawlessness). In the 1840’s, the Seventh Day Adventist denomination began after the Baptist preacher, William Miller, wrongly predicted a specific deadline for Christ’s return: March 21st, 1844. In anticipation of this great event, Miller’s congregants sold all their property and gave the money to the poor. Then they camped out on a hill in Palmyra, New York, waiting for the end of the world. When Jesus did not show up, the resulting anger and blame became known as the Great Disappointment (perhaps also a “great” understatement, if you catch my drift).
In the 1970’s Hal Lindsey published The Late, Great Planet Earth, in which he predicted that China, Russia, the United States, and Egypt would all duke it out in a nuclear exchange that would precipitate Armageddon. In the 1980’s Pat Robertson predicted the end of the world before the end of the decade. In the 1990’s the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins imagined what it might be like to be “left behind” on earth after the supposed Rapture takes place. As recently as 2012, many conspiracy theorists believed the world would end in 2012 at the supposed end point of the Mayan calendar. Just a few years ago Ken Hagee predicted that a series of so-called “blood moons” (a type of lunar eclipse) would be the tipping point.
All of these people were wrong. None of their predictions came true. That’s why Jesus warns against false prophets when he says: “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once” (Luke 21:8-9, ESV).
It seems that in every generation someone arises claiming to be the Christ or knowing the time of his return. Yet Jesus says, “Concerning the day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matt. 24:36). If not even Jesus knows when he’s coming back, then we should never trust anyone who claims they do know.
Nevertheless, Christ promises that he is coming soon (Rev. 3:11; 22:7, 12, 20). Yet because our sense of soon is different than God’s, some people have come to wonder if he will ever come at all, which seems to be the response of the liberal, Protestant churches that spiritualize prophecy instead of believing it at face value. They suggest that a literal Second Coming will not occur at all, but rather the love shared by Christians somehow constitutes the coming of Christ (similar to the way that Reformed Judaism claims Messiah is simply the Jewish people working social justice in the world).
But Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead. Until then, he gives us signs, warnings, and encouragement to be on guard and keep the faith.
Signs
Jesus portends many signs leading up to the Last Day. He mentions false prophets (vv. 8-9), wars (vv. 9-10), natural disasters (v. 11), and astronomical signs in the heavens (vv. 11 and 25). To be certain, wars, famines, earthquakes, hurricanes, eclipses and comets have been recorded since the beginning of written history. Some may argue that these events will intensify in magnitude or increase in frequency before the End—and perhaps they will. It is also just as likely that God uses these as constant reminders to repent and be ready for Christ’s return at any moment (cf. Luke 13:1-5).
One aspect of Jesus’ prophecy that fascinates and confounds Bible scholars is the middle section (vv. 20-24), in which Jesus predicts the coming Jewish War (66-73 A.D.) and the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem (cf. vv. 5-7). All of these events were complete by 70 A.D. The mixing of near prophecy (40 years after Jesus) and far prophecy (the end of the world) is rather confusing. But if we remember that prophets see with proleptic vision, we are less dumbfounded. Old Testament prophets, John the Baptist, and Jesus saw future events through the lens of eternity. It’s like looking through a telescope. Events hundreds, or even thousands, of years into the future look as if they’re just over the horizon—or right in front of you—because the telescope makes distant objects and events appear closer—thus, the apparent blurring of the timeline. Jesus was not wrong in his predictions. But the destruction of Jerusalem was God’s judgment for his people Israel, by the large, rejecting Jesus as Messiah. But the events of 70 A.D. are penultimate, not ultimate (the final end).
Warnings
Attending these signs of the times, Jesus gives us several warnings. First, he warns us not to believe the false prophets and wonky claims by supposed messiahs. “See that you are not led astray” (Luke 21:8). Jesus gives us the signs ahead of time, so we know what to watch out for. False prophets, false teachers, and false messiahs are a dime a dozen. They have arisen throughout the Church’s history to lead people astray, whether by false doctrine or wicked living. Do not follow them! Do not be led astray! Keep your focus on Christ and his Word. You have been warned.
Jesus also warns of terrible persecutions against his followers. Because of Jesus’ name, we will suffer arrest, imprisonment, rejection by our families, and even death. “You will be hated by all for my name’s sake,” Jesus says (v. 17). Some of these prophecies found their early fulfillment in the Book of Acts, as the Apostles suffered all, even death, rather than to deny their faith in Christ. Yet persecution persists even today, especially in Communist and Muslim countries where Christians are arrested and killed, sometimes by the government, sometimes by their family and neighbors.
Even in ostensibly “Christian” countries such as Russia, evangelism is against the law because of official state sponsorship of the Russian Orthodox Church. And here in America, our culture and society become increasingly hostile to Christian faith and practice, as recent lawsuits and liberal rhetoric prove. (For example, at a recent national convention of a major political party which, at first, omitted any mention of God from their party platform, many delegates loudly booed the convention chairman after a controversial amendment passed to reintroduce “God language”). Even so-called “Christian” churches, such as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), voted overwhelmingly in convention this past summer NOT to confess faith in Christ as the only way of salvation. When even the Church attacks the Bible, you know the end is near!
Promises
Yet despite all these signs and warnings, Jesus’ teaching in Luke 21 is not all doom and gloom—or “fire and brimstone,” as the old preachers used to say. No, even though we may not see Christ enthroned, he is still King of kings and Lord of lords. He is in control of the rise and fall of kings and nations. All creation, including everything in heaven and on earth, is subject to his good and gracious reign. And, as his people, the forgiven children of God for whom Christ died and rose again, we have absolutely nothing to fear on the Last Day. In fact, quite the opposite!
Jesus makes wonderful promises in our Gospel lesson, foremost of which is the certainty of his return on the Last Day. Jesus declares that at his second coming, all humanity “will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (Luke 21:27). After Jesus’ Ascension into heaven, the angels told his apostles that “this Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). “For,” as Paul told the Thessalonians, “the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thess. 4:16). Wonderful hymns describe that glorious day, such as “Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending” (LSB 336).
All of this may sound rather awful and overwhelming. The unbelievers will try to hide and wish that the rocks would fall on them and they be crushed, rather than to have to look on the face of Jesus, whom they pierced with nails and spear on the cross (cf. Rev. 6:16). But the wicked and unbelieving people of this generation will not survive.
But for those of us who believe and belong to Jesus, his Second Coming will be the joyful answer to our prayer, “How long, how long, O Lord?” (cf. Rev. 6:10; Ps. 6:3; 13:1-2). Jesus says that when he returns, the cry of our heart for justice and rescue will be answered. So instead of hiding or running to the hills, we are urged by Jesus to stand tall and raise our heads, “because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28).
Do you remember the song about the end of the world by the band REM? The lyrics say, “It’s the end of the world as we know it! But I feel fine.” As Christians, we feel better than fine. We have joy and anticipation of the return of the King. According to Psalm 98, the whole creation will “clap their hands” and “sing for joy” because the Lord “comes to judge the earth” (Ps. 98:7-9). We have nothing to fear when redemption draws near. Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose again for our justification. He is our Redeemer. And because he lives, we shall live also. Alleluia! Amen.