Series: Are We Nearing the End of Time? A study of Christ’s sermon about the fall of Jerusalem.

Series: Are We Nearing the End of Time? “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 (NKJV)

The Questions “And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. 3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” Matthew 24:1–3

The Questions Matthew 24Mark 13Luke 21 When shall these things be? What shall be the sign of thy coming? What shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled? What sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? …And of the end of the world? The term "world" here translates the Greek word "aion" and may be more appropriately translated "age" referring to the end of the Jewish age.

The Questions “For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” Hebrews 9:26

Signs – False Christs and False Prophets Matthew 24:4-5Fulfilled “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” Flavius Josephus, Wars of the Jews, 2:13:5 Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 20:8:6

Signs – Wars and Rumors of Wars Matthew 24:6-8Fulfilled “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.” Rome and Parthia Regions south of Judea Four Roman Emperors [Nero, Galba, Otho and Vitellius] died within 18 months.

Signs – Calamities, Earthquakes Matthew 24:7-8Fulfilled “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.” Claudius Caesar: Acts 11:28 Famine at Jerusalem: Tacitus, The Histories, Book 5, Chapter 12 Pestilence at Babylon: Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 18 9:8 Earthquakes in Crete AD, Rome 51 AD, Phrygia 60 AD, Campania AD

Signs – Persecutions, Gospel Preached Matthew 24:9-14Fulfilled “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many… 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Persecutions False Prophets Colossians 1:23 – “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;”

Signs – Abomination of Desolation “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:” Matthew 24:15-16 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.” Luke 21:20 (NKJV)

Signs – Abomination of Desolation Matthew 24:15-16Fulfilled “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:” Roman army carried their ensign. They fully surrounded the city. They worshipped their ensign as an idol god. They brought the ensign near the temple and made sacrifices.

The Christians Escape Matthew 24:16-18Fulfilled “Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.” When saints saw Jerusalem encircled they took the next opportunity to escape. Cestius Gallus inexplicably withdrew for a short time. Josephus said many Jews left the city near this time. Eusebius said Christians escaped, “having been commanded by a divine revelation”. They fled to Pella.

Difficulties Matthew 24:19-20Fulfilled “And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:” Pregnancy or having an infant would make the flight to safety more difficult. Winter travel would be more difficult. The city gates were closed on the Sabbath.

Tribulation Matthew 24:21-22Fulfilled “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” Multitudes, often over 500 a day, were crucified during the siege. Some starved or were victims of violent crime. So many were killed the Roman soldiers grew weary of killing. Some say over one million were killed. Some were carried away captive.

Next In Succession “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:” Matthew 24:29 The word "immediately" means directly, at once, soon, straightway, forthwith. It seems to typically carry the notion of immediacy.

Next In Succession – Sun Darkened “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:” Matthew 24:29

Next In Succession – Sun Darkened “For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: The sun shall be darkened in his going forth, And the moon shall not cause her light to shine… Therefore I will shake the heavens, And the earth shall remove out of her place, In the wrath of the Lord of hosts, And in the day of his fierce anger.” Isaiah 13:10, 13 “The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see… 17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, Which shall not regard silver; And as for gold, they shall not delight in it… 19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, The beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, Shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.” Isaiah 13:1, 17, 19

Next In Succession – Christ Coming with Power “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Matthew 24:30

Next In Succession – Christ Coming with Power “The burden against Egypt. Behold, the Lord rides on a swift cloud, And will come into Egypt; The idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, And the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst. 2 I will set Egyptians against Egyptians; Everyone will fight against his brother, And everyone against his neighbor, City against city, kingdom against kingdom. 3 The spirit of Egypt will fail in its midst; I will destroy their counsel, And they will consult the idols and the charmers, The mediums and the sorcerers. 4 And the Egyptians I will give Into the hand of a cruel master, And a fierce king will rule over them, Says the Lord, the Lord of hosts.” Isaiah 19:1–4 (NKJV)

Gather the Elect “And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:31

Fig Tree “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.” Matthew 24:32–33

Generation “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” Matthew 24:34

Series: Are We Nearing the End of Time? “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:8

Series: Are We Nearing the End of Time? A study of Christ’s sermon about the fall of Jerusalem.