Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
General Christian
Relationships and Religion
Jesus Warns Against False Prophets: “Do Not Go after Them”

Jesus Warns Against False Prophets: “Do Not Go after Them”

Last updated on: January 21, 2025 at 12:06 pm by Rick Rice

0 Comments

Jesus Warns Against False Prophets: “Do Not Go after Them” 2025-01-21T12:06:49-05:00 Rick Rice

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Photo by Enguerrand Blanchy on Unsplash

We live in an age when many warn, “The end is near!” In Luke 21, Jesus warns His disciples about such teachers: “Do not go after them!”

Scripture:

Exodus, chapters 1-2; Psalm 88; Luke, chapter 21

Luke 21:1-9 (NASB):

Now He looked up and saw the wealthy putting their gifts into the temple treasury. And He saw a poor widow putting in two lepta coins. And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all contributed to the offering from their surplus; but she, from her poverty, put in all that she had to live on.”

And while some were talking about the temple, that it was decorated with beautiful stones and vowed gifts, He said, “As for these things which you are observing, the days will come when there will not be left one stone upon another, which will not be torn down.”

They asked Him questions, saying, “Teacher, when therefore will these things happen? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” And He said, “See to it that you are not misled; for many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and ‘The time is near.’ Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and revolts, do not be alarmed; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.”

Observations: “Do Not Go after Them”

The subject of “the end” is one of the most common topics that I’ve reflected on in my blog posts. I suppose there are several reasons for that. First, most Christians think about Christ’s Second Coming pretty frequently. When the world seems out of control, we wonder: “Why is God waiting?” On the other hand, when things are going well, we think about how great it will be in God’s eternal kingdom. That’s nothing new, of course; the apostles had to face similar thoughts and confusion in their day:

In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Paul had to address confusion about those who died before Christ’s return.
In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2, he reassured them that “the day of the Lord” had not already come.
In 2 Peter 3:3-9, Peter reminded his flock that God is not slow, but rather is patient. Peter also cautioned them that God’s timing is not like ours (“with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day”).

“Many Will Come in My Name”

In this passage, Jesus addresses the topic of His return and “the end” with some warnings for His disciples. First, He warns them: “There will not be left one stone upon another, which will not be torn down.” Second, he cautions: “See to it that you are not misled.” When fear and anticipation mix, confusion isn’t far behind!

But it is the third warning that catches my attention today: “Many will come in My name, saying ‘I am He,’ and, ‘’The time is near.’ Do not go after them. Because fear and anticipation often produce confusion, Jesus reminds His disciples to stay away from those who create that confusion. How do they do that? By alternately using fear and hope to manipulate us emotionally. That’s why John encourages us: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).

The Widow’s Offering

It may seem strange that Luke connects the account of the widow’s offering with Jesus’ warnings about false prophets and the end. In fact, the widow’s gift – and the disciples’ response to it – lays the groundwork for Jesus’ cautionary remarks. After all, He identified “money” as a primary rival to God’s Kingdom (“you cannot serve God and money”). When the disciples were marveling at the temple –decorated with beautiful stones and vowed gifts – Jesus brought them back to earth with a thump. One day, this will all be destroyed. Don’t put your trust in material things, in things made by human hands. And in the same way, don’t put your trust in those who teach contrary to what God’s Word says. Do not go after them!

Application: “Do Not Go after Them”

Jesus’ warning catches my attention, because He identifies those who say the time is near. I suppose the reason that catches my attention is because there are so many who “come in His name” and say that “the end is near.” Do they understand that Jesus told us not to go after them?

It’s easy to proclaim that “the end is near,” and it’s certainly not a new phenomenon. But what motivates people to do that, when Jesus told us not to listen to it? Of all the things that Jesus told us about God’s Kingdom, He spends very little time talking about “the end.” He spoke much more about living today as members of God’s Kingdom. We pray that God’s kingdom will come on earth as in heaven. Jesus focused much more on encouraging people to experience the joy of God’s Kingdom now, and much less on trying to frighten them into avoiding the ultimate judgment.

Of course, that does not mean that the end isn’t near. In the rest of chapter 21 He talks about the things which will precede His return. In the final part of the chapter, He shifts His attention from the coming destruction of Jerusalem to His ultimate return, when everyone will “stand before the Son of Man” (verse 36).

I believe that God is telling us that if someone seems to be more concerned with telling us that “the time is near” and less focused on telling us to come into His Kingdom now, do not go after them!

Prayer:

Father, we hear so many voices telling us that “the end is near.” Jesus warned us that this would happen – and He told us, “do not go after them.” Help us to live in Your Kingdom today. Prepare us for when it comes in its fullness. And help us to proclaim the good news of Your Kingdom in ways that will point people toward You. Amen.

Evangelical

History and Religion

Previous Post

January 20, 2025

Looking Toward God's Kingdom: "This Place Is not My Home"

Next Post

January 22, 2025 My Favorite Bible Passages? Here Are 7 You Should Know

Who was Boaz's kinsman-redeemer?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Elimelech Unnamed relative Naomi Ruth