Mark 13:5-13 — 5 And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 6 Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and will mislead many. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end. 8 For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
9 “But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. 10 The gospel must first be preached to all the nations. 11 When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit. 12 Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. 13 You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.
There have certainly been many times throughout the history of the world where God’s people across the globe have been tempted to wonder if evil will ultimately prevail and God will not conquer all unrighteousness in the end. However, the period right before Christ returns, will prove to be the greatest time of temptation yet. Despite the somber warnings and predictions of life during the church age in Mark 13:5-13, there is a time coming after that which will exhibit the most harsh and hostile circumstances in the history of the world. The timing of such turmoil will be sparked by the most blasphemous act ever committed by a man who is then revealed to be the ultimate anti-Christ. But in the infinitely wise and good plan of God, this time of great tribulation will end with the 2nd coming of Christ and he will gather his elect whom he protected. I love what James Edwards says about the significance of Christ’s coming: Unless human history, in all its greatness and potential as well as its propensity to evil and destructiveness, can be redeemed, human life is a futile and sordid endeavor. The longing that things ought not to be as they are, and cannot be allowed to remain as they are, is essentially an eschatological longing. The grand finale of the gospel preached by Jesus is that there is a sure hope for the future. It is grounded not in history or logic or intuition, but in the words of Jesus [that]“in those days” humanity will no longer usurp history but relinquish it to its Lord and Maker, who will return in glory and justice to condemn evil, end suffering, and gather his own to himself.
It’s true that the return of Christ solves the problem of a futile and hopeless existence. This expectation is designed to guard against the temptation to despair that evil will reign in the end. The glory of God and the faithfulness of Christ depend upon His future coming in righteousness.