SIGNS OF THE END
The New Testament gives signs the lead to the end of the age. The question I have of those who believe the end of the age has not as yet come, which of those signs did not happen in the first century?
In Matthew 24, Jesus gives signs of the end. First sign was the destruction of the temple. That happened in 70 AD. Then, in reply to the disciples' question about when the end will come, Jesus gave them signs that they would witness. The last of those signs is that the gospel of the kingdom would be preached in all the world, then he said, "and then the end will come." Unless the apostle Paul lied in Colossians 1.23, that last sign happened.
Then he went on to talk about the "great tribulation," of which he said the disciples would witness. He warned that people should leave Judea because of the great tribulation they would go through. By the very fact that Jesus warned the disciples to flee Judea, doesn't it make sense that the disciples would still be around when this great tribulation would occur.
Then in Luke 21, it is related there also that Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple. Again Luke tells of the question by the disciples, and the answer Jesus gave, which included signs of the end, and the coming persecution that would happen to those disciples, just as is recorded in Matthew 24. Then starting at verse 20, Luke also wrote about the great tribulation, but with some different signs that the disciples would see. He told them that when they see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, that it's destruction was near. Here again Jesus warned that people in the city should flee to the mountains. He said that this was a time of punishment when all that is written would be fulfilled. It is here that Jesus said the city would be trampled by the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
Two things about the signs of the end we learn are, the disciples would witness them, and they would happen in Jerusalem and Judea. Because of this, we must understand that the signs of the end have been fulfilled. Since the signs of the end have been fulfilled long ago, is it credible that the end has not yet come? I don't think so. Why? Look at Matthew 24.29. That verse starts with the word, "Immediately." Not 2000 or more years in the future. But, immediately after the tribulation of those days that he had just told the disciples about. If the events Jesus spoke of after he said "Immediately," has not yet happened, then Jesus lied. It's that simple. I for one do not believe Jesus to be a liar. Therefore those events he spoke about after he used the word "immediately," did happen as he said they would.
The signs of the end have happened as Jesus said they would, therefore the end happened as Jesus said it would.
