The True Fakes

Kovalum, a city in the southern part of India, has a store called “The True Fakes,” where one can buy imitations of Levi’s jeans, Louis Vuitton handbags, Kate Spade accessories, and Air Jordan shoes. Apparently, among all the fake stores and products, theirs are the true fakes.

One of the signs that the temple would be destroyed soon was the presence of authentic but false Jesuses! The true Jesus cautioned,

“Watch that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name saying, ‘I am he,’ and many will be deceived.” (Mark 13:5–6)

In Maui, we have one of these Jesuses. He sits on Lahaina Road with a cross sign that says, “I am Jesus. Truly.” The world had seen many of these Jesuses, and the disciples weren’t to be deceived (again said twice).

The presence of false Jesuses was just the beginning of the end. Other signs would follow.

“When you hear about wars, sounds of wars, don’t be alarmed. They need to come. But that’s not the end. Nations will rise against nations and kings against kings. Earthquakes and famines will happen in many places. These are the beginning of birth pain.” (13:7–8)

Pregnant ladies get Braxton Hicks contractions. They are not real contractions, and the babies are far from birth. Similarly, wars, sounds of wars, nations fighting against nations, earthquakes, and famines are fake signs of the end.

The preterites see these events as those that accompanied the temple’s destruction in A.D. 70. Ample evidence exists for wars, international fights, earthquakes, and famines between A.D. 33 and 70. Acts 11, for example, records a famine that happened in A.D. 36. Historical writings tell us that Colossae and Laodicea were destroyed in an earthquake in A.D. 64.

The futurists, however, wonder at every report of wars, earthquakes, and famines if the world’s end was coming. Jesus wasn’t discussing the world’s end but the temple’s destruction. It happened once and would happen again if the temple were rebuilt.

In the meantime, however, the disciples would be Jesus’s defense witnesses.

“You will be handed into Sanhedrin, and you will be thrashed in the synagogues. You will stand before leaders and kings because of me for a testimony [defense witnesses] to them since the gospel must be proclaimed to all the nations. Do not worry about what you would say when they lead you to be handed over. You will be given what you should say in that hour since you will not speak but the Holy Spirit. Siblings will testify against siblings for their death, parents will turn against children, and children will testify to their parent’s deaths. All will hate you for my name’s sake. Anyone of you who stands till the end will be rescued/saved.” (13:9–13)

The time between Jesus’s ascension and the temple’s destruction would have been difficult for the disciples. They would be in the spotlight for defending Jesus and might lose their lives. Yet, they were to persevere till the end for Jesus’s sake and proclaim the gospel to every nation.

The Book of Acts is a tiny sample of what happened to the disciples between Jesus’s ascension and the temple’s destruction. James was killed, Peter was imprisoned, and the rest were scattered throughout the Mediterranean. Persecutors like Saul went from city to city to capture and imprison them. Many Christians lost their lives for Jesus’s sake.

We might have to face similar persecution and death. Just like the disciples, we must be willing for Jesus’s sake.