THE END OF THE WORLD
Matthew 24:35 “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall never fail.”
These words were spoken by our Lord to his disciples during his discourse on the end of the world.
The end of the world. Can there really be an end to the world? This planet which is home to all human beings? Can there be a time when it will be uninhabited? No life, no everyday activities, no homes, no towns, no cities, no nations, nor governments? All this vanished as a vapor in a morning breeze.
Seems impossible…
This world is part of the universe and seemingly owes its existence to it, whether it stands or falls. Let us examine the words of our lord and their impact upon our lives. Will they really come to fulfillment?
Jesus had just been shown the buildings which made up the temple complex. Some spoke of the size and grandeur of the stones of which it was built. Seemingly it was built to last forever. But Jesus was quick to tell them the day would come when not one of these stones, which were laid with great skill and labor, would rest upon the top of another. The disciples could envision no power on earth able to move these stones.
Throughout this discourse Jesus speaks of the end.
The end of kingdoms and nations,
The end of peace,
The end of happiness,
The end of life.
But the end of the world was the most shocking statement of all. There never was a time in the history of man when the world did not exist. It’s always been here, or so it would seem.
Many years have passed along on the stream of life since this great prophecy fell on the ears of those disciples; now where are we?
Jerusalem has been uprooted and rebuilt and torn down many times since that day.
History tells us the story of siege and destruction by the Romans in A.D. 70, and again in A.D. 150. The total annihilation of every building and structure in the city. The temple was completely destroyed by fire, and the stones themselves dragged away into the Kidron valley.
But this was only the beginning of the end of the world.
Now the Roman conquerors are all dead and the empire, which stood longer and taller than any before or after, has vanished. The Jewish people are scattered and torn; the Kidron is dried up like a refuse potsherd.
But the words of Jesus, who went to his crucifixion after that night, have swept round and round the world; they are living today, and more alive than ever. Those words will stand when the trumpets sound, and the stars fall, and the sky is scrolled in fire.
In this discourse Jesus speaks of deceivers coming, of wars and rumors of wars, nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom, famines, pestilence, earthquakes, afflictions and persecution, people being offended and betrayed, hatred and sin rampant, and then shall the end come.
No less than one dozen times in this message Jesus speaks of the end of the world. We know all these other afflictions and calamities have come, and many are with us, and haunt us day after day. The only one left is the end of the world, and it will follow soon.
Peter tells us (2 Peter 3:10-14) like our lord that the day will come suddenly, “like a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements (atoms) shall melt with fervent heat, and the earth also shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for, and hasting unto (with great speed) the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements (atoms) shall melt with fervent heat?”
Here it speaks of utter annihilation.
A great noise, of which Peter had no inkling, has actually been heard, and fervent heat has melted the bodies and cities of men, yet many are not moved to repentance.
What will it take?
Will they be moved when the stars fall from heaven, and the islands move out of their places, or when the waters turn to blood, and living creatures cease to move to and fro in the earth?
What a day, the end of the world!
It will dawn as any other day.
There will be no great display of heavenly fireworks on that day.
Men and women will go about their ordinary routine.
The sounding of the clock, the hustle and hurry to the mill, the field, the house-top, the school, factory, store, office, your assigned task, to spend another day, or so we think.
To have no warning, no more warning, no more preaching, no more prayer.
It comes suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye, the end has come.
The trumpet has sounded so loud as to wake up the dead.
The Savior has come.
The Church has gone.
The end has really come.
Let us make sure we are prepared for that day.
