Key Verse: Matthew 24:42 “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.”

The subject of the end of the age is something that has been written and preached about to the point where one wonders if anything original can be said. So there’s no need to delineate all of the various details of this chapter and speculate as to their possible fulfillment, but there are a few things that jump out at you.

It starts with the disciples asking Jesus the question of what will be the sign of His coming and the end of the age. Jesus responds by mentioning four things: #1 There will be many people claiming to be Christ #2 There will be all kinds of wars, famines and earthquakes.. #3 The whole world will hate the believer and #4 the Gospel will be preached to that whole world as a testimony to all nations.

In the framework of those four things, Jesus says we’re not to be alarmed at the false prophets, and we should understand that the wars, famines and earthquakes are just the beginning of birth pains. We should also remember that, even while believers are being hated by all nations, the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And as far as the Gospel of the Kingdom being preached to the world is concerned, the end won’t come until the whole world has heard the message. Jesus then speaks of several other factor contributing to the end of the age. But He stresses again something He has said before–that no one knows the day or hour, not even the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father. Jesus does not emphasize end-time agenda or time frame here, although He does say that the generation which sees all of these things (especially the preaching of the Gospel to the whole world), will not pass away until all of the things that have happened culminate in the coming of the Kingdom.

The key word in this chapter is in verse 42, “Keep watch”. Stay alert. Keep your brain in gear. Keep your heart tuned to the voice of the spirit and expect the coming of the Lord at any time.