Before the Son of Man comes

Before the Son of Man comes

Scripture:

“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. Israel

Observation:

In this passage, we see the Lord warning His disciples how their own brothers, fathers, and children would turn against them because of their faith in Him. This happened to the disciples then as Jews, but in many cultures throughout the world today, this happens frequently to Christians who have non-Christians for family members. Some have been thrown out of their houses and disowned, beaten up, and even killed, just as the Lord warned His disciples. In time to come, when the AntI-Christ rules on the earth during the three and a half years of tribulation, this will become even more severe still on a worldwide scale.

The Lord tells His disciples these things so that they will not be surprised. Foreknowledge plays a great deal in helping a person face trials when they occur. That is why the pre-tribulation post-tribulation divide is in fact a very important issue for Christians. If Christians expect the tribulation and are prepared, they have a far better chance of standing firm. However, if Christians do not or refuse to consider their presence in the tribulation because of their hope of being raptured before all the trouble started, the shock of disappointment would put them in a very poor position to stand firm.

In any case, when persecution did happen, the disciples were instructed to flee to other places and so on. It was in this manner that persecution actually helped spread the gospel in the past, as the disciples of Jesus fled to different towns and preached the gospel as they went. 

The last part of the passage has led to some confusion. Jesus told them “you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.” Was this referring to Jesus’ second coming? If so, it could not be that the disciples of Jesus have not gone through all the towns of Israel when they have already successfully evangelized to the majority of the whole world. However, thinking on it from another perspective, would disciples of Jesus seeking to save the lost only come to a town one time and then never return again or would another disciple of Jesus refuse to go to a town that had been visited by another disciple before? The principle is, as long as there are many lost sheep in the town, disciples of Jesus will keep going there again and again, and that is what the Lord would want. Thus, from a prophetic perspective, it would mean that disciples of Jesus would keep preaching at those towns in Israel until the Lord returns again. In other words, Israel as a whole would still not receive Jesus as their Messiah until they actually saw Him arriving on the clouds in power and glory.

Application:

We need to remind ourselves that our Lord is first of all, and keeping our faith in Him could cost us even our dearest things, even our relationships with our beloved family members, even life itself. Still, it is those who have sacrificed the most for the Lord that have in fact the closest of relationships with Him. The Lord does not shortchange anyone. He is no man’s debtor. In regard to persecution, we need to be prepared, just as the Lord has warned us. If we are persecuted, there is no shame in flight. In fact, it is part of the Lord’s will. When Jesus Christ comes again, it will be His enemies who will take flight in absolute terror. 

In regard to evangelism, just as the Lord expects the Church to keep preaching to Israel until He returns, we too are expected to keep seeking out the lost until He returns. Ask the Lord to give us the heart and opportunities to lead others to Him.

Prayer:

We praise You O Lord that You hold the entire future in Your hands. Even in the midst of trouble and persecution, we know O Lord, You are in control, and You will lift up and save those who belong to You in due time. Should I be called to face such persecution, I pray to You O Lord for strength and courage. Let Your Spirit never leave me, but continue to guide and counsel me, even in the darkest of times. I entrust my life to You O Lord, and even that of my family. I place my complete trust in You.

Teach me to lead others to You I pray. Give me a heart for the lost, and the opportunities to help them. All opportunities come from You, O Lord, Forgive my apathy, give me a new heart to love others. May Your name be praised forever. In Jesus name, Amen.