Christ’s reply
Section B – Rumors of wars
Now in part three of this series I used this as an example. At that time I showed that this world in general has constantly been in a state of wars and rumors of wars. I also established that at the beginning of 20th century things start to change. Here things called “world wars” took place. Something that had never been even thought possible before that war actually occurred. It must also be pointed out that it was due to events that took place in this first of two world wars that laid the foundation for the return of the Jewish people to the lands that was theirs up until 70 A.D.
An uneasy peace took place between 1918 and 1939, which was really a time of rebuilding and restocking more than an actual peace. As a result the Second World War took place, which resulted in the death of over eighty million lives worldwide and in particular the death of over six million Jews. It was the death of the latter that resulted in making the Jewish people to return to their homeland to escape a future rise in anti-Semitism, which has been on the rise since 2009 due in large part by the election of president Obama. A person who made it clear that he hated the nation of Israel and everything it stood for.
At the end of the Second World War, the world has never known peace. There have been wars and rumors of wars. The United States has been involved in two wars at the same time since 9/11/02 and in reality we still are.
It must also be noted that this verses itself has a division.
Matthew 24:6 – 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.”
In the KJV it is:
6 – And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom”
Nation – ethnos – a race, people, nation; the nations, heathen world, Gentiles
Kingdom – basileia – kingship, sovereignty, authority, rule, especially of God, both in the world, and in the hearts of men; hence: kingdom, in the concrete sense
So let’s use this in the verse now:
For races of people will rise up against other races and countries shall rise up against other countries.
This has always been an issue, but within the last fourteen years that has been amplified by the Obama administration and now the Biden administration of the United States. It is also being seen in Europe and in Israel itself. A prime example of this was the 2016 New Year’s rape parties of Muslim men that went through the streets of Germany raping German national females. Additionally the ANTIFA and BLM riots of 2020.

So this prophecy has come to pass and is still present with us today.
So both the prophecies of Section A and Section B are fulfilled and ongoing.

Christ’s reply
Section A – The rise of false prophets and false teachers
In Matthew 24. There are two references to this. The first is in verses 4 and 5. The next is in verse 11 after what as was explained in the previous part of this series as the transition point. So these are two separate events, even though related in part.
The precursor events of verses 4 and 5 have a stipulation from Christ Himself and it is something that all should heed and try to understand. So let’s look at these two verses in the KJV and then break it down further so we can truly understand.
4 – And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
These false prophets have one dangerous element to them. It is something many did not even recognize nor do they even see it today. We are warned not to allow ourselves to be deceived by our fellow humans. For we are all just the creation of God, and so we are to be alert to the truth and this can only come from knowing the true meaning of the Bible. Look at the beginning of verse 5:
“For many shall come in my name.” He makes this very clear. That there will be those that say they come in the name of Jesus Christ Himself.
“My name.”
My – mou- I, me, mine own, my
Name – onoma – name, character, fame, reputation
They say they will come in the name of Christ yet they will not. They will be there pretending to be doing the will of God through Christ but in reality they shall be acting upon their own behalf.
A prime example of this is the popes of the Catholic Church. A church that requires to follow rituals, pray to statutes and to seek after God not through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, but through Jesus’ mother. They also said that it was due to God that the crusades take place to take Jerusalem form Muslims.
Their actions and behavior were finally shown for what they were when true copies of the writing of the Gospel came to light due to the fall of Constantinople, which brought Greek copies into possession of men like Martin Luther. This led to the Reformation when it was found that the Latin verses of the Gospel has been changed and perverted by those within the early Catholic Church. Does this mean that there have been no one that can call themselves “Christian,” form the Catholics? No it does not. For there are have been many that have come from that church that are truly Christian.
This however proves what Jesus was forewarning of. Those that say they are in the service of Jesus Christ, but in reality are in service only for their own lust and desires.
This is why Christ gave the warning so that those that saw the truth would not blindly follow those that did as many did in the early years of the Catholic Church. So as you can see this statement has been relevant ever since the time that Christ Himself walked amongst us, till now.

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.

The prediction of the destruction of the temple
Matthew 24:1 – As Jesus was leaving the Temple grounds, his disciples pointed out to him the various Temple buildings. 2 But he responded, “Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!”
It is this statement that causes the apostles to start to think and ponder as they left Jerusalem that day. What Jesus was referring to was the events that would transpire in 70 A.D. some forty year in the future, and only six years after the final completion of the overall temple itself.
The questions
Matthew 24:3 – Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?
Jesus mentioning the destruction of the temple led the apostles to think that the destruction of the second temple would signal his return to earth. This is why they posed the questions to Him in such a manner. Not realizing that their two questions had two completely different answers.
One point that does need to come to light here is the pattern in which are followed with respect to the first temple. When Solomon’s temple was destroyed in 586 B.C. it was followed by Israel’s captivity to the gentile nation of Babylon, which lasted seventy years. It is during this time period, it must be noted, that Daniel lived and wrote his prophecies.
But back on point, it is the fact the temple is destroyed and then there is exile for the Jewish people from their homeland. When the second temple is destroyed the Jewish people are spread throughout the world and do not return to Israel and re-establish the nation until 1948.
The pattern is one that is constant with the Jewish people. They have faith, they fall from their faith. They rebel, they are punished. Each time they are punished it is worse than the time before. This is God showing all that to spare the rod is to spoil the child and thus rebellion. So God never spared the rod and each punishment suited the nation as a whole, and each one worse than the last.
So if they had pondered it correctly they would not have thought that the destruction of the temple meant His return, but their rejection as a nation of God once again.
In today’s climate you can see that out of all the generations before this one that is currently on the rise, there was a form of discipline. Within the last few decades though, discipline has become something discouraged and as a result the youths in all societies no longer respect their elders and in turn are rebelling. Does this not point to a coming correction form God Himself? I think it does, and woe unto to those that deny the existence of God.
So, the questions are: 1) When will the temple be destroyed? And 2) What signs will single Christ’s return and the end of the world?
As I have just pointed out these are not related, but to the apostles they were. Due to their current blindness when they asked the question. The answers are covered as we progress through this series.

In the book of Matthew we come to the twenty-fourth chapter. Within this chapter is Jesus teaching events to come.
The audience
Those that listen to this message is not the masses or those in religious power. This message is to those chosen by Jesus Himself to be his closest followers. His apostles. All twelve were present for this. The last time, really all would be for this important lesson that Jesus was to bestow upon them.
For the most part they did not understand. They were still blinded to the fact that Jesus was more than a man, more than human. It is something they still stayed blind upon until after His resurrection.
Even though many have studied the word of God since that time. Many of these are still blind to the full truth. God’s plan is complicated, as is the fact that we live within corrupt and sinful bodies. For these reasons God allows us insight to His plan as it is needed and to those that are willing to listen and understand. It has always been this way and it will continue to be so.
The fact that the apostles did not see is telling and something that all of us need to ponder and think upon. For there is much misunderstanding and misinterpretations of this Bible. This is shown in the fact that there are so many subgroups within the Christian faith itself. The Methodist think this way, the Baptist that way, and at the same time the Catholics think an entirely different way.
What is important is that each and every person study the Bible for themselves and never take to words of others as the truth, even my words. We are all to seek true understanding of the Bible. If you hear a version that is too far away from what you know, confirm or deny it yourself by studying painstakingly the scriptures. If what the other says does not match the Bible. Turn away from them and do not listen.
Jesus had already reached this point with the people of Israel. They had rejected Him. So he taught important facts like He is about to relate only to the apostles and no one else. For at that time, even though they didn’t understand most of what he said they would later have the scales fall from their eyes and they would see and understand. That is still true today for those that have accepted Christ as our Savior. In time the scales will fall when the time is right and we will come to understand.