Verses 6-8, “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many. But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.”
When you consider the enemies of Christ, you often look outside the church, but it's just not the case. Verse 6 says, "many will come in My name," pretending to represent Jesus or even claiming to be Jesus. Our biggest threats to the gospel are from those who call themselves Christians. Islaam, atheism, and secular humanism are not our biggest threats or sources of persecution. 2 Timothy 3:12-15, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” The deception comes from those who pretend to be believers but are on their way to hell and want to take you with them. Matthew 7:22-23, “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ ”
Mark 13:14-23, “So when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not” (let the reader understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter. For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.” The abomination of desolation is when the Jewish temple is desecrated, which is further described in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4: “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” Once this happens, the time of Jesus' triumphant returned is marked to about three and a half years. Daniel 12:11, “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.”
When you think about how bad the tribulation period will be...worse than it ever has been or will be...why would anyone want to take a chance on being left behind? We have seen God pour out lesser wrath on Sodom and Gemorrah, and it did not look pretty. Genesis 19:24-25, “Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens. So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.” If Jesus specifically tells us to pray for a way to escape this coming wrath, we should listen! Luke 21:36, “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Those who think they can repent during the tribulation are only fooling themselves. They chose their pleasure and serving their flesh over the truth, therefore God will send them strong delusion. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12, “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” If you do not have the strength now to deny yourself and choose to follow the truth, you certainly will not be able to then, when God sends you strong delusion.
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