Will the World Come to an End?

I. The thought of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ is often rejected by men. Sometimes religious publications cause people to reject the thought that the world is coming to an end.

A. The kook that is dressed in the white gown, carrying the sign saying, "Repent, the end is near."

B. A magazine at the grocery story check out. The kind of magazine that carries stories like: 100 year old woman goes to the hospital with a stomach ache, gives birth to three headed alien monster.

1. The same type of magazine declared that 50 Bible scholars agree that the world is going to come to an end.

2. It doesn't make any difference whether many or few Bible scholars say the world is going to come to an end - it is.

3. The verse to remember is Matt. 24:35,36: Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

C. The year the planets all lined up.

1. Many people believed that there would be great cracks in the earth's crust when the planets lined up with each other.

2. Many books were written and sold (making the authors rich) which stated the many catastrophes that would occur on the earth when the planets all lined up.

3. The planets lined up and nothing happened.

4. The verse to remember is Matt. 24:35,36: Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

D. A preacher declared that he had calculated that Jesus would come back on a certain day.

1. The preacher sold millions of dollars worth of books, making a lot of money for himself.

2. Many people quit their jobs, sold their houses, went on expensive vacations, and looked for Christ to return.

3. He didn't.

4. The preacher declared he had made a mistake in his calculations, wrote another book which said that Jesus would return the next year.

5. Many people believed him, and repeated the events of the previous year.

6. Jesus didn't come back.

7. The verse to remember is Matt. 24:35,36: Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

E. Today - 1996 - Many people are declaring that Jesus will return in the year 2000.

1. The thought behind this theory is that one day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

a) I Peter 3:8 - But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

b) Since this is true, and plainly a scripture that is connected with the last days:

c) Verse 9 and 10 states The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

2. If we take the 6,000 years since the earth has been created, add the coming 1,000 year reign of Christ, that makes 7,000 years, which equals one week.

3. The Lord will come back at the end of the full week, or 7,000 years.

4. People are getting pretty excited believing that Christ will return in just four short years.

5. The problem is that there is no scripture that says Christ will come back after the world has been created 7,000 years!

6. The verse to remember is Matt. 24:35,36: Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

II. What does Jesus say about His return?

A. Jesus declared that He would return to the earth.

1. Matt. 24:3-4 - 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 of the end of the world? 4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

2. Matt. 24:30 - And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

3. Daniel 7:13 - I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

4. Acts 1:9-11 - And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

5. Rev. 1:7 - Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

B. The above passages should be enough for anyone who believes the Bible to know that Christ will return to this earth, that He is alive and well and that He will one day judge this world because of all the wickedness that men do.

C. Because we don't know when He will return, we are admonished to be constantly on watch for Him to return.

1. Matt. 24:42 - Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

2. Matt. 25:13 - The parable of the ten virgins - Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

3. Mark 13:32-37 - (Jesus is discussing the end of the world and His return for His saints) But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. 33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. 34 For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. 35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: 36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

4. Luke 21:36 - (Jesus is instructing his disciples about the end of the world and His return) Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

5. I Thess 5:6-8 - (Paul is discussing the suddenness of Christ's return) Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

6. I Peter 4:7 - (Peter is talking about how to live in this present world, that Christians ought to stay away from evil, and be a light unto the unbelievers) But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

7. Rev. 16:15 - (Jesus says to us, as He describes the events during the Great Tribulation period) Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.