Christ’s reply
As shown in part two the apostles asked two questions of Christ. It is important to note that Jesus does not mention what will happen forty years later when the second temple is destroyed by Roman. What he goes into though is the true core of their question. Where the disciples’ minds were truly seeking an answer for. This is where Jesus takes them in the beginning of His reply to their inquiry:
Matthew 24:4 – Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, 5 for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. 7 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. 8 But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. 9 “Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. 10 And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. 11 And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. 12 Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.
We will look at this response one point at a time, but let’s establish these points:
A) The rise of false prophets and false teachers: “Don’t let anyone mislead you, 5 for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many.”
B) Rumors of wars: “And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. 7 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.”
C) Famine and earthquakes: “There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world.”
D) Persecution of Christians: “Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers.”
E) Apostasy and betrayal: “And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other.”
F) Increase in false prophets and false teachers: “And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people.”
G) Open sin will be seen everywhere: “Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.”
H) Spreading of the Word of God to all nations: “And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it.”
What needs to be noted in Jesus response to the apostles is that it works in two parts. For there is a transition that takes place when Christ says, “But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.” Or in the KJV: “All these are the beginning of sorrows.” There will be events that are not as obvious to those that live in the times of these events. However, when after the beginning things will become more obvious more clearly seen, harder to deny. The events after the transition mark an escalation not only in the evidence of these events, but in magnitude to not only the numbers affected but at the speed at which it occurs. As an example. Let’s look at rumors of wars. As Roman fell apart, small countries took over former provinces of Roman and many went to war with each other. As time progressed and these new nations settled in there were still unease between many and so time to time war would break out. As we came into the 20th century wars escalated to the point of two world wars and after the second there has never been any year since when there was never any peace. The world at one point or another has been in constant war ever since 1945 till today.