Are We There Yet?
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· 66 viewsAn explanation of the prophecy of Jesus in Matthew 24:1-31.
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Are we there yet? At the end?
Are we there yet? At the end?
My wife and I were at the dollar store this past week...
17 “ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;
1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,
2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
Two Questions by the disciples
Two Questions by the disciples
When will these things be?
What will be the sign?
Your “coming”
The end of the age
Signs from Jesus to keep His disciples from being fooled (vs. 4-14)
Signs from Jesus to keep His disciples from being fooled (vs. 4-14)
false Christs who will lead many astray (v. 5)
hearing of wars and rumors of wars (v. 6)
Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom (v. 7a)
famines and earthquakes in various places (v. 7b)
28 And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius).
Such historical records as we have for the first century mention earthquakes in Asia Minor in ad 61and in Italy in ad 62, in Jerusalem in ad 67, and another serious earthquake at an unspecified earlier date in Palestine.
See respectively, Pliny, Nat. Hist. 2.84; Josephus, War 4.286–287; 1.370.
8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
5. tribulation, death, and hatred for the apostles (v. 9) (cf. The Church History of Eusebius, ie. 2.23)
6. a falling away and betrayal and hatred (v. 10)
7. many false prophets who lead many astray (v. 11) (cf. Acts 5:36)
8. the extinguishing of love (v. 12)
9. the gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed worldwide (v. 14)
Abomination that makes desolate (vs. 15-20)
Abomination that makes desolate (vs. 15-20)
The profaning of the temple
fulfills Daniel 9:27
cause for the Jews to flee to the mountains
pray that it doesn’t occur in winter or on the Sabbath
The Jewish War with the Romans
AD 66 – AD 73
Emperor Vespasian sieged Jerusalem in AD 69
His son Titus, burned the temple, sacked and destroyed the city
Second Coming Signs (vs. 21-26)
Second Coming Signs (vs. 21-26)
Great Tribulation (v. 21)
Death in overwhelming numbers (v. 22) (cf. J. Wars; Book 6.9.3–1,100,000)
False Christs and false prophets doing great signs (23-26)
Second Coming (vs. 27-31)
Second Coming (vs. 27-31)
Christ’s coming shines like lightning! (v. 27)
Vultures will gather! (cf. Revelation 16:16; 19:11-21)
After the Great Tribulation (v. 29)
sun will be darkened
moon will not give light
stars will fall from heaven
powers of the heavens will be shaken
Sign of the Son of Man (v. 30)
clouds of heaven
power
great glory
What is the Christian to do while we wait for Him?
What is the Christian to do while we wait for Him?
Don’t be led astray (v. 4)
Don’t be alarmed (v. 6)
Endure to the end (v. 13)
Proclaim the gospel to the world (v. 14)
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!
Christ’s coming has been immanent since the close of the 1st century! (1 Thess 4:11-18; 2 Thess 2:1-12)