When the end of this age occurs, it will be a very troubling time. Even families will be divided over Jesus. The Lord told His disciples that the rejection of Jesus would be widespread, and as a result, “Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Mark 13: 13). It will be the same hatred that caused people to celebrate the crucifixion of Jesus. 

While Scriptures like Mark 13 can define what happened in 70 AD when Jerusalem was destroyed, other parts of that chapter include things that can only happen in the future. What is consistent in that chapter is the appearance of false messiahs who have appeared across time and will attempt to gain a following leading people away from the Lord. Some false messiahs will even perform miraculous signs to convince people to follow them.

Jesus said, “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time” (vs. 22-23). While the Lord was speaking specifically about the time of His return, false messiahs have arisen across time in the Church. These false messiahs all have the same mission – to lead us astray.

The Lord warned His disciples, “Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come” (vs. 33). That guarded alertness will define us as followers of Jesus when false messiahs appear and attempt to lead us away from Christ.

That time will bring great tests of our faith when hell brings about signs and wonders that appear to come from Heaven but are a message from hell attempting to deceive the Church and lure us into believing the message of these false messiahs, not the Lord who is above all things, even the evidence performed by false messiahs. It will be hard to dismiss these falsehoods when the world’s hatred of Jesus rises and comes against us in an attempt to convince us that another way for our salvation exists apart from Jesus.