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Matthew 24:15-28 NIV
15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.
22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.
26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
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During Thanksgiving, there are many key American football games in U.S. universities. My son said, if I don’t have expectations, I won’t be disappointed. Of course, this is a way of protecting oneself. Someone recommended us to eat at what they thought was a great restaurant, a well-reviewed one. Often, we are disappointed because we expect too much. Most people preparing for marriage have incorrect expectations about it. Therefore, premarital counseling is meant to help them have the right expectations. From the day of salvation, the faith of Christians is constantly being shaped by God to adjust our expectations. God's choosing brings us into His fold, and He continually wants His sheep to have correct and lively hopes, so they won’t face unnecessary disappointment and needless suffering. The apostles chosen by God also had to go through this process of adjusting their expectations.
First, their expectations of the Messiah needed adjustment — He had to suffer and be rejected before entering into full glory. Second, their expectations of the kingdom of heaven needed to be adjusted. God's kingdom is not a temporary political system on earth. Third, they needed to adjust their expectations of the process of the kingdom's fulfillment. The entire 24th chapter (of Matthew) is about adjusting their hopes. The apostles asked, “When will these things happen? What will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matt. 24:3). Jesus answered that the process of the kingdom's fulfillment is like childbirth (Matt. 24:8). Especially just before its completion, the situation will be extremely painful. His chosen people and believers will face an unprecedented great tribulation. Jesus warned that when the Antichrist comes, they must flee immediately without looking back (Matt. 24:15-18). At that time, even innocent babies will be killed, just like in the past (Exodus 1:16-22, Matt. 2:13). There will also be many false Christs and false prophets who will deceive people. They will even perform great signs and wonders, and even the elect might fall into their trap (Matt. 24:24). The entire natural world will change (Acts 2:19-20). Even when it seems hopeless, God will never forsake His people. He can shorten the time of suffering for the believers (Matt. 24:22).
Although Jesus' predictions here (Matt. 24:25) fully align with the prophecies of Daniel, Zechariah, and the apostle John in Revelation, this end-time scenario is beyond our imagination or complete understanding, just as it was for the apostles at that time. But we are blessed because we can see the direction the world is heading. Technological advances have made many previously unimaginable things happen, and deception has become more convincing. We must always wear the full armor of God to resist the lies of the world. Satan's attacks are constant (1 Peter 5:8), becoming more frequent and more intense. Are we vigilant and ready for battle? Do we have the right expectations for our life on earth (Rom. 12:2)? Do we have the peace and joy in the Lord Jesus Christ?
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