In the next verse of the Lord’s discourse concerning the end of the age, and after saying there will be “wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6) He speaks of the issue that will cause most of the wars and conflicts.

The Greek word that is translated “nation” here is ethnos from which we derive the English word, “ethnic.” He is specifically speaking of how increasing ethnic conflict will be one of the primary signs of the times, and one of the primary causes of the conflicts at the end. Even though ethnic conflicts seem to have been with us since the tower of Babel, it has been increasing at a dramatic pace just in the last few years. Not only are there more of such conflicts, but the brutality of them seems to be increasing as well.

As we have discussed before what the Lord said in Matthew 13:39,

“the harvest is the end of the age...” A harvest is the reaping of what has been sown. The end of this age will be the time when everything that has been sown in man, both the good and the evil, will come to maturity and be reaped. The ethnic conflict, the racism, is the cause of much of the death and destruction at the end because it is one of the ultimate evils of the human heart.

Racism is one of the ultimate evils because it is founded upon two of the most powerful evil strongholds that can grip the human heart—fear and pride. Racism is the result of one or both of these evils having influence in the way that we live and view life.

We will be a racist to the degree that these have influence over us. If it is pride, we become racists because we view ourselves as superior, and others as inferior because of the flesh or externals. If fear has a great influence over how we live and view the world, we will tend to become racists because we will fear those who are not like us. Of course, the worst forms of racism are the combination of both pride and fear. These can grow to the point where almost all that we do and think is controlled by them—which is the case with racists, which can themselves be any color.

When Luke records this discourse of the Lord concerning the end of the age, he adds:

As soon as the Iron Curtain came down, many began to use their new freedom to attack their neighbors who were from other ethnic groups. The most cruel and devastating wars broke out over conflicts that were sometimes centuries old. Tribal conflicts in Africa seem to be unending. Of course, the oldest such conflict of all is in the Middle East. Worldwide, there are racial tensions that are only waiting for a spark which will cause an explosion of violence. As we proceed toward the end of this age this will only get worse. However, as the church is called to be “the light of the world,” we are called to have the answers to the world’s ultimate problems—and we do.

As the Lord Jesus said in Mark 11:17, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'?” The Greek word that is translated “nations” here is the same word used in Matthew 24:7 quoted above—it is the Greek word ethnos. The Lord was literally saying that His house would be a house of prayer for all ethnic groups.

The God who so loves diversity that He would make every snowflake, every leaf on every tree, and every one of us different, will not be found in a house where the pressure to conform has stripped people of the uniqueness and individuality that He created them with. The God who never seemed to even heal people the same way twice will not be found in a house of stifling and boring uniformity. That’s why His house must be a house composed of all ethnic groups.

The church cannot fulfill its destiny until it truly becomes a house of prayer for all ethnic cultures and peoples. It too will mature at the end of this age, and in place of pride and fear, the church will be filled with humility and faith that enables Christians to open their hearts to those who are different from themselves. This will be in stark contrast to the racial tensions that have arisen in the world, and will be a great witness to the world because of it. In place of fear and pride the whole world will see Christians loving each other regardless of race or cultural background. Therefore, let us resolve to live as the apostle Paul exhorts us to live:

If we are truly new creatures in Christ, we simply cannot be racists. The church, above all, should never judge others according to the color of their flesh, or their cultural background. We must learn to see by the Spirit, and judge only by the Spirit, just as our Lord did when He walked the earth.

Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream that one day men would not judge others by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. That is a dream which will certainly come to pass. For those who have truly had their minds renewed, who are the true representatives of the kingdom of God, this dream is already a reality.