“And 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. 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. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” (Matthew 24:6-13).
Now we hear this news everywhere – even in the most remote countries. It is said: “See that you are not troubled…” Christ warned us not to fear. This is not carelessness, but wisdom. When you’ve been warned of an impending storm, you go prepared for it because you’ve closed the shutters, removed the tools from the site, and so on. Are you ready. In this sense, we don’t have to be troubled, because the Lord warned us that there will be wars. And when they happen, you need to hold fast.
But this is not the end. We sometimes behave like we never read these Scriptures. This is not the end. This is just the beginning.
What do we need to do as the Church of Christ, as the Bride? – To understand that the Apocalyptic process has begun: “… for nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.” Peoples have always risen against each other, but it is people against their own people, kingdom against kingdom.
“And there will be famines …” What would you say about famine? We haven’t experienced famine yet. And this is worse than war, no less terrible, because famine changes man. These are terrible things: when people go and eat what they find in the street, pick up from the ground.
“There will be pestilences …”. Indeed, we have seen with our own eyes mass deaths from Corona and other diseases.
“Earthquakes…” – we see local ones, but we can still see earthquakes in places as a phenomenon.
“All these are the beginning of sorrows.” Beginning. Not the whole set at once, but it’s a start.
“Then they will…,” Christ speaks of persecution. After wars, earthquakes, famine, betrayal of peoples, there will be persecution of Christians.
Look what Christ said: “Then they will deliver you up to tribulations and kill you; and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake; and then many will be offended, will betray one another, and they will hate one another.” This means that there will be a certain ideology and policy that all nations will hate the true Gospel. True Gospel. Maybe it will sound intolerant or not democratic, but you will be hated by all nations. How can it be? Only when the system is like this. “For My Name!”
And also betrayal. This will be the way out – how to save your life.
“Then many false prophets will arise” – that is, these will be false teachings. How can a false prophet be effective? – This is when he teaches from the Bible. But it will be a false gospel. What will they attack? – The Cross. False prophets will teach doctrine against the Cross. If many are deceived it means the false church will grow.
“And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” The result of apostasy will be the loss of love.
“… but he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world, as a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:13-14).
Only those who endure all these trials to the end shall be saved. Wars, illnesses, famines, earthquakes, betrayals, false teaching, the growth of the false church, temptations, loss of love, persecution – and the one who endures all these to the end, no matter what, everything that falls to our lot – that one shall be saved. Christians from the first centuries endured this or that, but whatever it is for us, we must endure it.
This is the key word – “he who endures to the end shall be saved.” Wars, diseases, famine – but the most terrible disease – cancer of the soul – is the loss of love. This disease is the wort. This is the hardest thing when we can feel there’s no love among Christians. This is the most caustic and painful feeling. We need to keep love.
And then the Gospel will be preached – when the church stands, which has endured to the end, which has endured – the Bride with a shining sword and face – she will be the overcomer, and the Gospel will be preached through her throughout the universe. This is the Gospel of the Kingdom.
So far we don’t see such a gospel. It is basically selfishness. But where the church endures, the gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the universe – to all the nations that persecuted us – and then the end will come. This is the Bride of the Latter Days! She is wonderful!