Matthew 24:20-22 (KJV) “[20] But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: [21] For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. [22] And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”
The great tribulation! Most of us have heard of it. What is it? It is a time when the world would experience a great level of darkness as an antiChrist society. It is called tribulation particularly with reference to the people of God. The word translated from Greek to English as “tribulation” also means “persecution”. Meaning, the great tribulation is a time when the people of God would experience persecution from the dark antiChrist society. Matthew 24:9 summarizes it by saying: “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.”. Such is the nature of the great tribulation. 1 Thessalonians 5:3 sheds more light on it by saying:
“For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”.
This is how the tribulation period will end, with worldwide destruction. But during it, the world would seem to have peace and safety as an antiChrist society with a one world government, while collectively hating the people of God. Then Matthew 24:10-13 says:
“[10] And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. [11] And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. [12] And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. [13] But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”
In other words, the Lord Jesus is saying that because of the persecutions of that period, many Christians would be offended and begin to betray one another and hate one another; and because of the level of ungodliness and anti-Christness that shall be normalized in society, the love that many Christians have for God will become cold (meaning, many will backslide into an ungodly life); however, Jesus said those who will endure to the end will be saved.
Will you be able to endure to the end?
This is a question for self-evaluation that every Christian should ask him or herself. But how can you judge your preparedness to endure to the end? The clue is in what the Lord said in Matthew 24:22: “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”.
When this passage says “… there should no flesh be saved …” it hints at the fact that having flesh in you is a major disadvantage. Meaning, the greater the level of the works of flesh in your life, the greater the possibility that you will be among those whom Jesus said will be offended and backslide during the great tribulation. As such, in order to be among those who will endure to the end, we need to begin to diligently yield to the Holy Spirit to remove the works of the flesh from our lives, because any of them can be a pathway for coldness and iniquity and backsliding to become our experience. A summary of the works of the flesh are listed in Galatians 5:19-21. They are: adultery, fornication, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, etc. Basically, any expression of sin (in mind, in speaking, or in doing). If any such is present in you, especially if it has a prevailing presence in you, then you are likely to not be able to endure to the end.
Prayer for today:
Lord Jesus, please search me and help me to overcome all works of the flesh (both in my mind and in my actions), so that I am not vulnerable in the great tribulation. Help me to endure to the end and not be among those who will be offended and backslide. Help me to be among those who will be saved. Amen.
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