The End Times Series Part 1

The time between Jesus’ first coming to fix the heart and His second coming to fix the world is what we call the end times. Share on X

Jesus said the signs before His return are like birth pains. They come suddenly, grow stronger, and get closer together (Matthew 24:7–8). The prophets used the same picture. Labor before delivery and distress before the Messiah’s return, resurrection, and redemption.

Genesis shows us why the world went wrong, the Gospels show us how God made it right, and Revelation shows us when God will make everything right forever.

1. The end times are not the end of the world, but the end of this present evil age.

• This age – the fallen world under sin.
• The age to come – God’s eternal rule.
• The end times – from Christ’s first coming to His return.
  

2. The end times are about enduring, not escaping.

“But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” – Matthew 24:13 

“All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.” – Matthew 24:8 (ESV)

Sin is not a bug in the system; it’s a virus in the heart and the cross is the only antidote. Share on X

The Bible compares the events leading up to Christ’s return to birth pains; they come suddenly, grow in intensity, and happen closer together as the end approaches (Matthew 24:7 8; Luke 21:10 11; 1 Thessalonians 5:3). 

Don’t fear the contractions of tribulation; they are only the labor before the birth of His second coming.

• Jesus spoke of the end times not as a hope of escape, but as a call to endure.
  
• Escaping is a new popular doctrine that wasn’t held by the Church for over 1,800 years.
  
• The early Church’s fathers expected believers to face tribulation, with Christ’s return occurring afterward.
  
• The same word Jesus used when He promised, ‘In this world you will have tribulation,’ is the very word used for the great tribulation.
  
• The Bible talks about only one second coming of Jesus Christ, and it will be after the tribulation.
  
• Jesus came to save us from the eternal wrath of God revealed at the final judgment, not from the seven-year Tribulation experienced by a single generation.
  
• Scripture consistently shows that God doesn’t always remove His people from trials; He often preserves them through them.
  
• The “church” in the book of Revelation is not mentioned, but saints are.
  
• The most faithful reading of Revelation 3:10 is not physical removal but divine preservation in the midst of suffering.
  
• The first resurrection happens right before the thousand-year reign of Christ, not before the tribulation (Revelation 20:4-6)
  

3. The end times are about conquering, not cowardice.

In the end times, there will be three kinds of people: the compromising, the cowardly, and the conquering. 

“In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

All seven churches in Revelation were called to overcome: Ephesus (2:7), Smyrna (2:11), Pergamum (2:17), Thyatira (2:26), Sardis (3:5), Philadelphia (3:12), and Laodicea (3:21) and just as Jesus overcame, He calls us to do the same.

Evil might plan smart, but it’s spiritually clueless. Killing a truth-teller doesn’t stop the truth; it multiplies it. We won’t be bullied into shutting up. Share on X

4. The end times involve the whole world, but the epicenter is Israel, not the West.

The Bible presents the great tribulation as Israel-centered: the Antichrist’s rise, the great battle, and the nations’ war target Jerusalem and the Jewish people. The church shares in tribulation worldwide, but Scripture frames the final clash around Israel, not the West.

Revelation contains around 400 Old Testament allusions; the most of any New Testament book. By contrast, Hebrews has just over 100. This shows the end-times vision is anchored in the Jewish Scriptures.

5. The end times are about the expectation of Jesus’ coming, not the fear of the coming Antichrist.

The Book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus, not revelation of the beast (Revelation 1:1). So, our focus isn’t fear of the Antichrist. It’s the appearing of Christ. Fix your eyes on Him.

In the end times, there will be three kinds of people: the compromising, the cowardly, and the conquering. Share on X

In pressure, people tend to be either compromising, cowardly, or courageous. Jesus told all seven churches to overcome just as He overcame.

6. The end-time story touches the whole world, but its epicenter is Israel.

The church shares in tribulation worldwide, but the center stage is Israel. Gentile believers await Jesus’s return and the Jewish people await the Messiah. We’ll share in the pains, but Israel may feel them most. So stand with Israel, stay faithful, and live courageously.

Watch The Full Sermon Here: