For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. (Matthew 16:27 ESV)
When we look at all that has been happening in our world the past several decades, especially recently, we have been seeing times of the approaching end. In other words, the Bible is being fulfilled.
Take a look at this excerpt from Apostle Paul’s second letter to Timothy: “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.” (1-5, ESV)
Haven’t these things been happening?
If you look at every one of the difficult times mentioned in the above scripture, I am sure you can think of at least one example for each one that you have observed in your lifetime. Jesus sent His angel to tell John to warn the people in Revelation 22:12 (ESV), “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.” All the evidence is there to show that Jesus is on His way back, “but the end is not yet.” Consequently, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14 ESV)
Listed below are some more scriptures, taken from the English Standard Version (ESV) of the word, that also indicate Jesus is on His way back:
Matthew 24:7 — “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.”
Daniel 12:4 — “But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
Matthew 24:6 — “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.”
Luke 21:11 — “There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.”
Matthew 24:11 — “And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.”
Matthew 24:12 — “And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.”
The last scripture mentioned above brings me to a current issue in the news that I choose to address. On Wednesday Jan. 6, 2021, lawlessness and disrespect to our nation’s Capitol unfolded on national television and the Internet before our very eyes. It was a cruel, very unsettling, and definitely lawless event.
In the last portion of Matthew 24:12, the issue of “love” is addressed. It declares, “…the love of many will grow cold.” No one who participated in this insurrection could know the love of God, given all the violence and ugliness that took place inside, around and on top of that building. Did everyone who was present participate? No. However, countless numbers did so. In our lifetime, nothing of this nature from our own citizens has ever threatened our democracy.
(Anna Bright is a minister and educator in Walterboro. She can be reached at abrightcolumn@lowcountry.com)
