We should keep in mind what two questions the disciples asked Jesus. One was about the destiny of Herod's Temple and the other was about the end of the age. Jesus responded by giving a sweeping description of characteristics from his time to the end of the age. These conditions will continue to get worse as we approach the end of the age as they have been doing for some time. However the natural and human negative characteristics of this as well as the preaching of the gospel will continue after this current church age or age of grace with likely some people reached from each of the nations during this church age part of the entire period between Jesus' first and second comings and more people of each tribe being reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ in the tribulation or 70th week of Daniel by God's main witnesses then which will be the 144,000 Jewish believers in Jesus mentioned in Revelation 7 and 14. The adverse natural and interpersonal conditions in the tribulation will also get much worse than during this church age with a lot of the restraining work of the Holy Spirit removed in the 70th week of Daniel or the tribulation. The phrase beginning of sorrows used to indicate all these adverse phenomena is an analogy to a woman in labor pangs that get more frequent and stronger until the birth of the baby which in this case will be the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ when He comes to judge the world and set up God's Kingdom on earth.
Just before the Lord Jesus Christ went to Calvary to die for our sins he and his disciples came from the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, in this case Herod's Temple, to the Mount of Olives where there is a clear view of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount that then included Herod's Temple. When the scripture here says that Jesus' disciples showed Jesus the buildings of the temple this means the structures on top of the temple mount which were destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. This does not refer to the foundation walls of the temple or temple mount which at least in the case of the western wall where Jews currently pray was preserved. Jesus responded by predicting that these buildings on top of the Temple Mount would soon be destroyed as they were in 70 AD. The scripture in Matthew 24 of Jesus' disciples showing Jesus the buildings on top of the Temple Mount and Jesus predicting their destruction is as follows:
And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. Matthew 24:1-2
After Jesus and His disciples came from the temple just before he went to the cross and were seated on the Mount of Olives with a clear view of Herod's Temple and the City of Jerusalem Jesus' disciples asked him their questions. These were when would the Temple be destroyed and when would be the end of the world (age)? They might have thought these would be approximately the same time but of course the Temple and Jerusalem were destroyed in 70 AD and it has been almost 2000 years since then and yet the end of the age hasn't quite arrived yet although it is likely very soon. The end of the age tribulation period will start after the rapture of the church with the 70th week of Daniel starting when the Antichrist makes an agreement with the Jews to build their third temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and end with the second coming to earth of the Lord Jesus Christ with His Church to judge the world and establish God's Kingdom on Earth. The scripture reference from Matthew 24of Jesus and His disciples sitting on the Mount of Olives and their asking Jesus critical questions about the future are as follows:
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and the end of the world? Matthew 24:3
Jesus then answered the questions from the disciples with a description of increasing characteristics of this age that will intensify until the end of this age with the rapture and continue to intensify for the part of the age between Jesus' comings when he returns to dealing through His chosen earthly people the Jews in the 70th week of Daniel after Jesus has completed HIs church and brought it to heaven at the rapture. Some of these characteristics include deception including religious deception where some people claim to Christ or Messiah. I think Jesus isn't just talking here about leaders of cults that claim to be Christ but also people like New Agers that say they have enlightenment or the Christ spirit or achieved godhood. There will in this period that includes the present also be wars or conflicts and concerns about them between nations that can include ethnic groups but also religious wars as we see promoted by militant Muslims. Also during this age with increasing intensity there will be famines and pestilences or epidemics and earthquakes in different places. Although Jesus does't mention them here I think he is implying there would also be increase in other natural disasters such as from floods and volcanos and hurricanes or typhoons or tornados. Jesus then said these are the beginning of sorrows. Especially when we compare this with other statements in the New Testament about the last days I believe Jesus is using the analogy of a woman in labor that has increasing intense and frequent labor pangs until she gives birth which in this case would be the time of Jesus' second coming when he comes to earth to set up His and God the Father's Kingdom and judge the world. The scripture reference of the beginning of sorrows that characterize this age from Matthew 24 is as follows:
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Matthew 24:4-8
As noted in the paragraph above, one of the conditions the Lord Jesus Christ mentioned with respect the beginning of sorrows of world conditions continuing to have some social and natural problems that would continue from His day to the Second Coming and get continually more frequest and more intense is pestilences or plagues. Pestilences and sometimes plagues means what we today can an epidemic or pandemic whether from a bacteria or virus. Some historical pestilences in this church age have been the bubonic plague, the Spanish flu around 1917, tuberculosis, small pox or some continuing ones like malaria. There have been some other serious epidemics or threatened epidemics in the last 20 years or so that could also be called pestilences such as SARS, MERS, the Zika Virus or Ebola and a now somewhat resurgence of measles. These diseases are all to some extent contagious and can be deadly.
Of course, as almost anybody on this world knows by now, a virus or pestilence that is causing a health crises that is affecting us all and that is much in the news and is a pestilence is the Covid-19 Coronavirus or that was first called the Wuhan virus after the city in which it originated in Wuhan China in the provice of Hubei. Although I agree it is important to contain this virus so it won't be a lingering problem in the general population and so the health care system won't be overloaded at any specific time what they are calling in Canada where I live on the media smoothing the curve I still think some of the world response to the Covid-19 virus has been way too excessive and might be guided by some other agendas. Although I don't know the comparative figures for how many cases there are for each disease and how deadly these respective diseases are for those who catch them I found at a Christian Facebook group posting from the Express news source I think in the United Kingdom that is stated to be from Spiegel.de which I think is the popular German news magazine Der Speigel and also the WHO or World Health Organization as of January 23, 2020 a chart with the title How Contagious is the Coronavirus? In this chart is plotted as a bar chart the "Average number of people infected by an individual with the following (diseases)" These disease are Ebola, Coronavirus (2019 nCov), Influenza, Sars-CoV, HIV/AIDS, Mumps, Polio, Smallpox and Measles. All of these other diseases than Covid-19 on this chart are respresented to be more contagious than Covid-19 except for Ebola which is shown to just a little more contagious as infecting 1.5 to 2.5 people compared to 1.4 to 2.5 for Covid-19. However I think Ebola is much more deadly or torturous for those people who get infected with it than Covid-19 from what I heard on the media. The respective figures for how many people can catch these other diseases (pestilences) for each person infected are the following: Influenza (the regular flu) 2 to 3 people, Sars-CoV 2 to 5 people, HIV/AIDS 2 to 5 people, Mumps 4 to 7 people, Polio 5 to 7 people, Smallpox (which Caucasians coming to the Americas ended up wiping out much of the indigenous American population with) 5 to 7 people and Measles with a notable 12 to 18 people.
Yet as many people are also aware there is much more extreme measures against the Covid-19 virus than these other more contagious diseases including at least the regular Influenza that this source indicates to be more contagious and is already a much more widespread and still in significant cases a deadly disease or epidemic. I agree with the world health and government or media that we don't want to have with Covid-19 an additional viral disease that is with us indefintely like we have with the regular flu. However the way the world is reacting there could be more lasting economic damage and perhaps even overall health crisis the way the world is responding to Covid-19 than if they treated it in a more moderate way such as with the regular flu. This is because many primary businesses are being affected in a major way including in Ontario, Canada where I live and am writing this article and web site from. To name just a few are international air lines, public schools and univerities, tourism including other international travel such as by land over the border between Canada and the US now except for essential travel, and forcing restaurants to close unless they can provide take-out service of food rather than sit-down format. Schools, universities and colleges have also all closed for the time being as well as churches and other religion's houses of worship have been forced to close for the time being at least for meetings of any more than 50 or maybe 10 people at once. Also almost all conferenes including science, technology or trade or business ones have been forced to be cancelled or postponed until further notice and some businesses are now being forced to reduce hours or operate mostly by on-line sales. Also most government-run places have been now closed including libraries, recreation centres or arenas etc. and local public transit is on reduced schedule.
Although all these measures probably add to the effectiveness of containing Covid-19 and stop it from becoming endemic (or permanently established in the population) including in Canada these extreme measures could also result in many permanent closures of businesses and new unemployment of many people and extra financial strain on the economy and could lead to substantial adverse health effects on some people who lose their jobs even deaths if they can't afford necessities like food or medication etc. or good shelter or for those people who live by themselves and are elderly and have a lot more trouble in this situation getting food or other necessities. But as a Bible believing Christian who believes we are already right at the end of this present Church Age and just before the rapture of all the true Church to heaven with Jesus followed by the seven year tribulation to be ruled by the Satanic world rulers the Antichrist or Beast out of the Sea and the False Prophet or Beast out of the Land and their associated one world governent or New World Order, one world economy and one world religion I think these measures against Covid-19 could likely be meant to sow fear and panic among the general population including through the mass media such as radio, TV and some of the internet and print media including their often projecting some almost worst case scenarios for the progress of Covid-19 and insisting on people relying on the national government or international community with the United Nations etc. for the solution to this problem including intensifying monitoring of people or businesses that could be used by the Antichrist against those who are left behind in the tribulation after the rapture of the Church very soon anyway.
I have also heard often the phrase on the mass media here in Canada the phrase about going through this Covid-19 outbreak "we're all in this together". While this is true currently and it is generally a good idea including from a biblical Christian basis to help out our neighbours and fellow citizens who may have contracted this disease or to help prevent them from getting it, I'm afraid there may be a darker implied message in some quarters from this message "we're all in this together". I have heard this phrase used in other disasters recently with the same fact that it is true now but could have some darker implications. This darker implication I believe is that some in the media or government who are generally not biblical Christian either don't believe in God's word the Holy Bible or at least don't take Bible prophecy seriously or at least don't take it seriously that major Bible prophetic events are very soon such as the rapture of the Church and the 7 year tribulation or 70th week of Daniel. Many unsaved people or institutions including the mass media or government especially don't like the idea of Bible prophecy literally in context that gives rise to the dispensational view that I share that says only those who are part of the true Church through personally trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour who died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead to give us eternal life will be raptured before and spared from being on earth during any of the tribulation as in John 14:1-3, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 or 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 because they want true Christians to be left behind for the tribulation with them even though we have met God's condition of trusting in Jesus to avoid going through the tribulation and some of those in the media or government or wider society including in the west are not interesting in doing this themselves including not wanting to humble themselves before our Creator God and admit we are sinners or inadequate ourselves in His sight and have to trust in His Son Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour to be accepted with Him or included in His Church or called out people Jew and Gentile (non-Jew) of this present Church Age from Pentecost almost 2000 years ago to the very soon rapture of the Church. Other important and extensive effects of this Covid-19 crisis are the extreme stock market downturn in North America and probably other parts of the world with the New York Dow Jones and probably Canadian Toronto TSX having to stop automatic trading because of too quick drops in stock values which still resulted in one day downturns in the New York Dow Jones Index of more than a thousand points (out of about 20,000 points altogether) and one day last week going down almost 3,000 points in mid March 2020.
Another possibly important result, although in this case one that I might end up being glad about, was the decision of the currently Jordanian based Islamic trust the Waqf in charge of some of the day to day operation of the Muslim shrines on the Temple Mount which the Muslims call Harem al-Sharif or the Noble Sanctuary closed the Muslim mosques the Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome on the Rock. However, fortunately, access to the general courtyard area of the Temple Mount is still allowed including by the Israeli authorities and some Jews or Israelites have been availing themeselves of the opportunities to go up to the Temple and pray there while there are not as many Muslims there who might object to this. Some of these devout Jews or Israelites who go up to the Temple Mount also strongly desire to build their next Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem on the site of the former Jewish Temple such as the Second Temple or Zerubbabel's/ Herod's Temple that was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD or the earlier 1st or Solomon's Temple on the Temple Mount that was destroyed by the Babylonians in around 586 BC. The temple these devout Jews are seeking to build as soon as possible will be the one the Antichrist will agree to let them build to allow them to resume their Levitical worship or the LORD or Yahweh or HaShem for the first half of the tribulation followed by the Antichrist using that temple for the second half to force people left behind on earth to then worship his as God or risk being killed by his world army or police. The Antichrist will be defeated by the Lord Jesus Christ at His Second Coming with His Church and some Israelite saints and holy angels and the Shekinah glory of God the Father to set up God's Millennial or Messianic Kingdom over all the Earth centred in Jerusalem included a much larger 4th temple mentioned in Ezekiel 40-48, Isaiah 2, Zechariah 14 and Matthew 23:37-39 with a Jerusalem area with altered geography due to a huge earthquake at Jesus' Second Coming (as also mentioned in Zechariah 14). I can't say whether the rapture of the Church and following tribulation will occur this year or a little bit later but I am sure it is soon and some of the perhaps exagerated response of the world including government control and panic sowing by the world media is perhaps an effort by the world authorities to prepare the world population to trust in them and give up control to them more as their protectors (instead of the Creator God mentioned in the Bible including His Son Jesus Christ).
In the account in the Gospel of Luke that Jesus gave for the course of this age between his first and second coming including this present church age and the 70th week of Daniel Jesus gave some similiar type of events as in the Gospel of Matthew and some unique to the Gospel of Luke. Jesus also mentioned in the Gospel of Luke that there would be deception including some saying they are Christ or Messiah. Jesus also mentioned there would be wars or commotions which could include riots or demonstrations and again the wars could be not just between nations but also between ethnic groups and religions. Jesus also mentioned in Luke that in this time there would be earthquakes, famines and pestilences which could also imply the occurence of other natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, typhoons, tornados or volcanos. However one phenomena Jesus said would characterize the time between his comings and that would get worse toward the end of this present church age and into the tribulation or 70th week of Daniel are fearful sights and great signs from heavens. Although it is hard to be sure exactly what these mean it is good to remember that the only other time in the Bible signs from heaven are mentioned is in the gospels when the Lord Jesus was tested by the Jewish religious leaders to give a sign from heaven to indicate he was the Messiah which he then refused to do. However there will be signs from heaven in this age especially towards the end of it. These could include meteors, lightning and UFOs especially ones that land, solar flares or coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the sun that can cause more brilliant and widespread auroras or if bad enough overload the hydro grid and cause blackouts and fire from heaven. At least UFOs are happening with increasing frequency and really started in earnest about the time Israel became a nation again so the timing is quite good to consider them a partial fulfillment of signs from heaven. As a Bible believing Christian I think some of the UFOs are real phenomena but demonic manifestations that indicate the tribulation is quite near when the devil and demons will be especially active. This is probably because this time is just before Jesus' second coming just as demons were quite active in Jesus' first coming as recorded in the gospels. The scripture reference from the Gospel of Luke 21 of the beginning of sorrows including many mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew as well as extra ones such as the signs from heaven is as follows:
And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. Gospel of Luke 21:8-11
From verses 9 to 14 of Matthew 24 although they are all covering from Jesus' first and second coming, however will be in two phases. Although these things will all intensify until Jesus' second coming, there will be a change at the rapture of the church to heaven and God's people through Jesus in the tribulation will be the 144,000 Jewish evangelists preaching Jesus and those who believe in Jesus through their gospel preaching when God deals through Israel rather than the church in general the things in Matthew 24 will continue and intensify until Jesus' second coming. One thing that will characterize all this time will be persecution of and hatred of believers in Jesus Christ. There will also generally be strife between people on earth not just towards believers in Jesus. There will also be deception by false prophets that could include not just from Christian or Jewish cults but from false prophets from other world religions, from the New Age movement or from secular backgrounds all of which can be quite zealous and deceptive with their non-biblical and non-Christian messages and sometimes quite popular. One effect of iniquity or lawlessness abounding is that the love of many shall wax or grow cold. Christians in the present church age need to continue to the end of this present church age is reached with the rapture of the church including to be active preaching the gospel of the kingdom that we can enter into Jesus and God's kingdom through trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ that he died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead to give us new life. This should reach some people of every nation or ethnic group with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. People left behind after the rapture of the church and that trust in Him as their personal Lord and Saviour and come to have a relationship with God through Him in the tribulation after the rapture will be expected to endure to the end of the tribulation or 70th week of Daniel or be killed for their faith by the antichrist for refusing the mark of the beast (antichrist). There will also then be the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom of trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ to enter God's Kingdom by the 144,000 Jewish evangelists that trust in Jesus of Revelation 7 and 14 that will reach remaining people of every nation or ethnic group that God will save before the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to judge the world and set up His and God the Father's Kingdom on first this earth for 1000 years at the end of the tribulation or time of God's wrath or 70th week of Daniel with the second coming of Jesus being the ultimate end in view in that case. The scripture reference from Matthew 24 of persecution of believers in Jesus, deception from false prophets, abundance of sin and the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom through faith in Jesus Christ in the time between Jesus' first and second comings is as follows:
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. Matthew 24:9-14
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