In recent years I’ve begun to study a little the great topic of Biblical prophecy. As I’ve done so, I’ve been more impressed with just how vast a topic this is; there is so much to learn! Yet, such a study can be so helpful to our spiritual life, because it lifts our eyes up from the earth to the heavens and reminds us we should not be living our lives for the sake of some earthly gain in this age, but to stand with the Lord for bringing in His kingdom to the earth and so prepare the way, and ourselves, for His soon return.

One small but important point that has touched me in this regard is found in the Lord’s own prophecy in Matthew 24 concerning the end of the age.

The Lord’s word in this chapter begins in verse 4; from there until the end of verse 14, He is speaking about the course of this age prior to the Great Tribulation.

In verse 15, however, He turns to speak of the end of the age. There He refers to

…“the abomination that causes desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet [Dan. 12:11], standing in the holy place.”

And a few verses later He adds,

“For at that time there shall be a great tribulation.”
— Matthew 24:21

So, from verse 15 on in this section, which goes to verse 25, the Lord is speaking of the Great Tribulation, during which “the abomination that causes desolation” will be placed in the temple. And we know this will take place during the last 3 1/2 years of this present age, because Daniel 9:27 tells us this abomination will be set up during the middle of the final, seven-year “week” of the 70 weeks of Biblical prophecy (Dan. 9:24-27).

So, in brief, there are two main periods in this present age, according to the Lord’s word in Matthew 24. First, there is the general period of human history, and second, there will be the 3 1/2 years of the Great Tribulation to follow that period at the end of this age, which will bring this age to its conclusion and so usher in Christ’s 1,000 year reign on the earth (Rev. 20:1-6).

What impressed me, however, relates to the first section of this history, the general period of human history; it involves the little word “then” in verse 9:

Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations for My name’s sake.

It seems the Lord is saying here that, at a certain point towards the end of the first period, i.e., towards the end of the general period of human history, there will be a time of increased persecution of the believers: “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation.” It is not the Great Tribulation yet, but nonetheless there will “then” be a time of increased tribulation for the faithful followers of Christ.

And when you consider how the Lord goes on to describe the events of that time in verses 9 through 14, it does seem we may have entered into it already; and surely, if that is the case, we are indeed coming even closer to the Lord’s return!

We shall consider what these events are in the next Note in this series.

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—  20 November 2024 —