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you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not
expect him (Mt 24:42-44).
Are some scholars of the opinion that they will not have to worry about the thief for the
first part of the night until “the Antichrist alarm” goes off Do they think that only after this
alarm is sounded is the time to be watchful What about the people described in the preceding
verses Jesus says: “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two
women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left” (Mt 24:40,41).
Will the man who was left complain: “Excuse me Jesus! I did not recognize this Antichrist
about whom you spoke” Will the woman who was not taken say, “Jesus, I believe that you
came too early. I do not recall hearing about this Antichrist you were going to reveal to us”
If Bible scholars who hold to this belief concerning the Antichrist were present at this
precise moment would they be able to say, “The world could end today, it could end tomorrow”
Is it their contention that the end times are yet to come If they are waiting for the Antichrist to
be revealed to mark the end times, then why bother being watchful until he appears Why bother
being prepared if one must simply await a certain sign of the “final lap” of this present world
Jesus describes the end times in Matthew 24:4-13. We do not have to wait. We are already
living in the end times.
“Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am
the Christ,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to
it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation
will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and
earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. ‘Then you will
be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations
because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate
each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the
increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the
end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as
a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.’”
One can look at these words of our Savior, apply them to the world today, and realize that the
end times are already here. Nations have risen against nations. Consider the conflicts and wars
in the world, present and past. Count the numerous catastrophes that have happened throughout
the world within the past year. The earth is certainly enduring birth pains. Look back to the time
of the Apostles and record all of the persecutions Christians have endured throughout the ages.
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