OUTLINE:
THE COMING TRIBULATION.
QUESTION 1:
TELL US, WHEN WILL THESE THINGS BE ?
The
Doom Of The Holy City JERUSALEM.
The Grim Terror Of The Siege.
THE LAST DAYS.
QUESTION 2:
WHAT WILL BE THE SIGN OF YOUR COMING, AND OF THE END OF THE AGE ?
SIGNS OF THE END OF THE AGE.
THE DAY AND HOUR UNKNOWN.
The
Day Of The Lord.
The Persecution To Come.
Threats To The
Faith.
The Coming Of The King.
PARABLES OF THE LAST DAYS.
THE PARABLE OF THE FAITHFUL SERVANT 24:45-51.
Ready For The Coming Of The King.
THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS 25:1-13.
The Fate Of The Unprepared.
THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS 25:13-30.
The Condemnation Of The Buried Talent.
THE COMING JUDGMENT.
PARABLE OF THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS 25:31-46.
The Standard Of God's Judgment.
THE OLIVET DISCOURSE: THE VISION OF THE FUTURE.
Extended Teaching Given By Jesus Christ On The Mount Of Olives.
HIS SUBJECT IS THE END TIMES.
IT
IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT JESUS’ TEACHING IN THIS DISCOURSE
IS IN REFERENCE TO ISRAEL AND NOT THE CHURCH.
Christ
Was Speaking Of God’s Future Program For Israel.
Other Passages To Consider Studying The Olivet Discourse Are:
Daniel 9, Revelation 6. The Future 7 Year Period: THE TRIBULATION.
NOTE:
GOD’S PROGRAM FOR THE CHURCH CONCLUDES WITH THE RAPTURE.
WHICH IS NOT TAUGHT IN THE OLIVET DISCOURSE.
THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH: JOHN 14, COR. 14-15, 1 THESS: 4.
MATTHEW
24: Jesus Was Leaving The Temple When The Disciples Called His
Attention To The Magnificent Buildings On The Temple Mount.
Jesus Then Tells The Disciples That Not One Stone Here Will Be Left On Another; Every One Will Be Thrown Down.
THEY
ASKED HIM:
QUESTION 1: TELL US, WHEN WILL THESE THINGS BE ?
The Disciples Were Concerned And Fearful About This Prediction.
They Were Alone With Jesus On The Mount Of Olives.
This
Prophecy Was Literally Fulfilled In A.D. 70 When The Romans Destroyed
Jerusalem.
The Temple Was Burned.
The Gold In The Temple Melted In The Fire.
The Gold Ran Down Into The Cracks Between The Stones.
As Searched For The Gold They Toppled Every Stone From Its Place.
This Destruction Of Jerusalem Was A Foreshadowing Of The Future.
QUESTION
2: WHAT WILL BE THE SIGN OF YOUR COMING, AND OF THE END OF THE AGE ?
What Follows Refers To The Future:
Seven-Year Tribulation Period.
The Second Coming Of Christ At The End Of The Tribulation.
During That Time:
God Will Complete His Chastisement And Purification Of Israel.
God Will Judge The Whole World.
THE TRIBULATION WILL BE DIVIDED INTO TWO EQUAL PARTS.
MATTHEW 24:4-8: REFERS TO THE FIRST HALF.
The “Birth Pangs” (verse 8)
Refer To The Sufferings That Israel Will Experience During The First 3 1/2 Years.
THE
SIGNS WITH REFERENCE TO THE END OF THE AGE ARE:
The Coming Of False Messiahs (verse 5).
The Threat Of Wars And Widespread Conflict (verses 6-7).
And Various Natural Catastrophes (verse 7).
REVELATION 6: A PARALLEL PASSAGE.
The Apostle John Writes Of The Seal Judgments.
REVELATION 6:2. A Rider On A White Horse, Which Refers To A False Messiah Called Elsewhere The Antichrist And The Beast.
REVELATION 6:4: Peace Is Taken From The Earth.
REVELATION 6:6-8: Famine And Death.
The Beginning Of Birth Pangs.
Worse Is Yet To Come.
MATTHEW 24: 9-14: REFERS TO THE SECOND HALF.
Persecution Of The Jews And Death Will Be The Result Of The Beast’s Rise To Power.
The Antichrist Will Also Persecute Anyone Who Refuses To Follow Him.
THE SALVATION PROMISED:
Deliverance From The Beast’s Persecution.
The One Who Endures Until Christ Returns Will Be Saved From The Beast.
Jesus Says That The GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM Will Be Preached Worldwide Before The End Comes.
The Message Will Be:
That Christ Will Soon Return In Judgment To Set Up His Earthly Kingdom.
The Message Will Cause:
Many People To Realize Their Sinful State And Receive The Savior During The Tribulation.
MATTHEW 24:15-26:
Further Details Concerning The Tribulation.
Jesus Refers To An ABOMINATION AND DESOLATION Of A Future Temple.
The Beast Will Take Authority And Set Up An Image Of Himself In The Future Temple.
THE ABOMINATION THAT MAKES DESOLATE IS SET UP IN THE TEMPLE.
Determined To Stamp Out Judaism.
Desecrate The Temple.
Erect An Altar To ZEUS in Greek Culture,
Also Known As JUPITER in Roman Culture.
Sacrificing Swine On The Altar.
Turn Priest Living Quarters Into Brothels.
MATTHEW: 24: 16-20:
When This Happens:
DO WHAT ? Head For The Hills.
Those In Jerusalem Are Advised To Flee For Their Lives.
DO IT WHEN ? The Beast Has Taken His Seat Of Authority.
The Antichrist Will Rule From Jerusalem For 3.5 Years.
MATTHEW 24: 21-22:
The Latter Half Of The Tribulation, Called The GREAT TRIBULATION.
Jesus Warns That The Great Tribulation Will Be The Worst Time Ever Seen On Earth.
Jesus Saw Coming Upon Jerusalem A Repetition Of The Terrible Things.
This Time There Would Be No Deliverance And No Purification.
There Would Be Nothing But Ultimate Destruction.
Those Days WILL BE CUT SHORT By The Return Of Christ Or None Would Survive.
MATTHEW 24: 23-31:
Jesus Again Gives A Warning Of False Prophets In The Last Days.
At The End Of The Tribulation There Will Be Astronomical Upheaval.
The Nations Of The World Will See The Christ Coming On The Clouds Of The Sky, With Power And Great Glory.
Those
Who Were Saved During The Tribulation Will Be Gathered Out Of The
World By The Angels.
Jesus Emphasizes:
SIGNS LEADING UP TO THE DAY OF JUDGMENT.
HIS WORD IS SURE.
No One Knows The Timing Of These Events.
Those
Upon Whom Judgment Is Coming Will Be Caught Unaware.
JESUS ENDS THE OLIVET DISCOURSE WITH FOUR PARABLES.
ONE:
PARABLE OF THE FAITHFUL SERVANT: (24:45-51).
READY FOR THE COMING OF THE KING.
PARABLE OF TWO SERVANTS, ONE IS FAITHFUL.
TEACHES RESPONSIBILITY: WHEN MASTER RETURNS HOME.
About A Slave Who Has Been Put In Charge Of The Entire Household. Includes The Responsibility To Give Other Slaves Their Allowance.
Jesus Says:
Blessed Is That Slave Whom His Master Will Find At Work When He Arrives (Matt. 24:46).
That Slave Will Be Promoted To ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITY.
On The Other Hand, Jesus Observed:
But If That Wicked Slave Says To Himself,
My Master Is Delayed.
He Begins To Beat His Fellow Slaves.
Eats And Drinks With Drunkards.
The Master Of That Slave Will Come When He Does Not Expect Him.
At An Hour That He Does Not Know.
Here Is The Practical Outcome Of This Parable:
ALL LIFE MUST BE A CONSTANT PREPARATION
FOR HIS COMING.
1. To LIVE Without Watchfulness Invites Disaster.
2. To LIE Is To Think There Is Plenty Of Time.
3. To REJECT The Urgency Is Failure In Duty.
4. The REWARD Is Based On Being Faithful In Duty.
TWO:
PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS: (25:1-13).
THE FATE OF THE UNPREPARED.
TEACHES ENCOURAGEMENT: READINESS AND WATCHFULNESS:
A Wedding Was A Great Occasion.
The Whole Village Turned Out To Accompany The Couple To Their New Home.
The Point Of This Story Lies In A Jewish Custom Which Is Very Different From Anything We Know.
When A Couple Married They Did Not Go Away For A Honeymoon.
They Stayed At Home For A Week And They Kept Open House.
They Were Treated As Royalty.
It Was The Happiest Week In All Their Lives.
To The Festivities Of That Week Their Chosen Friends Were Admitted.
IT WAS ALSO THAT JOYOUS WEEK THAT THE FOOLISH VIRGINS MISSED, BECAUSE THEY WERE UNPREPARED.
The Parable Of The Ten Virgins,
Jesus Tells A Story About A Party Of Virgins,
Perhaps Bridesmaids Or Torchbearers For A Procession,
Chosen To Participate In A Wedding.
Each Of The Ten Virgins Is Carrying A Lamp Or Torch.
As They Await The Coming Of The Bridegroom,
Which They Expect At Some Time During The Night.
Who Are The Five Foolish Virgins?
It Its Broader Message, The Wise (or Righteous) Virgins
Were Those Who Led Virtuous Lives
And Were Therefore Prepared To Enter Heaven.
The Foolish Virgins Were Those Unrighteous Women
Who Were Unprepared For The Coming Of The Bridegroom (Christ)
And Consequently Had The Gates Of Heaven Closed To Them.
What Is The Moral Lesson Of The Parable Of The Ten Virgins?
The Meaning And Moral Lesson Of The Parable Of The Ten Virgins Is This:
The Savior Can Return At Any Time.
If You Have Not Accepted Him As Your Savior,
When He Comes Back You Are Not Going To Get Another Chance.
It Doesn't Matter That The Savior Hasn't Came Back In 2021 Years.
What Does It Mean To Keep Your Lamps Filled With Oil?
Keeping Your Lamps Lit Means Having Your Mind Alert And Tuned Into Jesus,
Ready To Hear Him. Keeping Them Full Of Oil Means Preparing In Advance,
By Storing In Your Mind Knowledge Of Scripture And Similar Things.
What Does The Lamp Represent In The Parable Of The Ten Virgins?
The Oil Lamps Used By The Jews In Jesus's Day Are Called Herodian Lamps.
These Lamps Enabled People To Carry Light Wherever They Went.
In The Same Way, We Are To Carry The Light Of The Gospel With Us.
The Handle Was Shaped By Hand And Then Attached To The Lamp.
Naturally, This Is About The People Of Israel.
They Were The Chosen People.
Their Whole History Was To Prepare For The Coming Of The Son Of God.
They Ought To Have Been Prepared For Him When He Came.
Instead They Were Quite Unprepared And Therefore Were Shut Out.
THE TRAGEDY OF THE UNPREPAREDNESS OF THE JEWS.
BUT THE PARABLE HAS AT LEAST TWO UNIVERSAL WARNINGS.
(i)
It Warns Us That Certain Things Cannot Be Obtained Last Minute.
EX: A Student Can Not Prepare For An Exam On The Day Of The Exam.
Likewise: It Is Too Late To Prepare Ourselves To Meet God.
(ii) It Warns Us That Certain Things Cannot Be Borrowed Last Minute.
EX: The Virgins Found It Impossible To Borrow Oil When They Discovered They Needed It.
A Person Cannot:
Borrow A Relationship With God.
One Must Possess It For Self.
Borrow A Character.
One Must Be Clothed With It.
Acquire Spiritual Life From Others.
One Must Possess It From God.
THIRD:
PARABLE OF THE THREE SERVANTS: (25:14-30).
THE CONDEMNATION OF THE BURIED TALENT.
TEACHES FAITHFULNESS: GOD’S SERVANTS MUST GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF THEMSELVES ONE DAY.
A Man Who Was Going Abroad Called His Servants.
This Man Gave His Possessions To His Servants.
To One He Gave A Thousand Pounds.
To Another Five Hundred Pounds.
To Another Two Hundred And Fifty Pounds.
To Each According To His Individual Ability.
So He Went Away.
The Man Who Had Received The Thousand Pounds Went And Worked With Them, And Made Another Thousand Pounds.
The Man Who Had Received The Five Hundred Pounds Made Another Five Hundred Pounds Of Profit.
But The Man Who Had Received The Two Hundred And Fifty Pounds Went Away And Dug Up The Earth, And Hid His Master's Money.
After A Long Time The Master Of Those Servants Came And Wanted An Accounting Of His Possessions:
The
One Who Had Received The Thousand Pounds Came And Brought Another
Thousand Pounds.
His Master Said To Him: WELL DONE! GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT.
You Have Been Faithful In A Few Things;
I Will Put You In Charge Over Many Things.
Enter Into The Joy Of Your Master.
THE SAME HAPPENED WITH THE SERVANT WHO RECEIVED 500 POUNDS AND DOUBLE HIS AMOUNT. WELL DONE !!
HOWEVER:
The One Who Had Received The Two Hundred And Fifty Pounds Came.
HE SAID: I Knew That You Are A Harsh Man, Reaping Where You Did Not Sow, And Gathering Where You Do Not Winnow.
So I Was Afraid, And I Went Away And Hid Your Two Hundred And Fifty Pounds In The Earth.
Look! You Have What Is Yours.
The Master Answered Him, EVIL AND TIMID SERVANT.
You Were Well Aware That I Reap Where I Have Not Sowed.
And That I Gather Where I Have Not Winnowed.
AT LEAST YOU SHOULD HAVE PUT MY MONEY OUT TO THE BANKERS.
I WOULD HAVE RECEIVED BACK WHAT IS MY OWN WITH INTEREST.
Take,
Then, The Two Hundred And Fifty Pounds From Him.
Give It To Him Who Has The Two Thousand Pounds.
For To Everyone Who Has It Will Be Given And He Will Have Abundance.
But From Him Who Has Not Even What He Has Will Be Taken Away From Him.
And Cast The Useless Servant Into The Outer Darkness.
There Shall Be Weeping And Gnashing Of Teeth There.
The
Whole Attention Is Riveted On The Useless Servant.
There Can Be Little Doubt That He Stands For The Scribes And The Pharisees, And For Their Attitude To The Law And The Truth Of God.
The
Useless Servant Buried His Talent In The Ground.
It Was hat He Might Hand It Back To His Master Exactly As It Was.
The Whole Aim Of The Scribes And Pharisees Was To Keep The Law Exactly As It Was.
In Their Own Phrase, They Sought "to Build A Fence Around The Law."
THEIR METHOD PARALYZED THE TRUTH ABOUT GOD'S WORD.
Like The Man With The Talent, They Desired To Keep Things Exactly As They Were.
THAT CONDEMNED THEM IN THE EYES OF CHRIST JESUS.
(i) It Tells Us That God Gives Men Differing Gifts.
One Man Received Five Talents, Another Two, And Another One.
It Is Not A Man's Talent, Which Matters; What Matters Is How He Uses It.
God Never Demands From A Man Abilities Which He Does Not Possess.
But He Does Demand That A Man Should Use To The Full Abilities Which He Does Possess.
MEN ARE NOT EQUAL IN TALENT;
BUT MEN CAN BE EQUAL IN EFFORT.
It Tells Us That The Reward Of Work Provides More Responsibility.
It Tells Us That The Punishment Comes When One Doesn't Try.
The One Talent Did Not Lose His Talent; He Simply Did Nothing With It.
The Condemnation Is For The Man Who, Having Even One Talent, Will Not Try To Use It, And Will Not Risk It For The Kingdom.
It Tells Us A Rule Of Life Which Is Universally True.
He Who Has More Will Be Given.
He Who Has Not Will Lose Even What He Has.
The Meaning: Use A Talent And It Will Be Progressively More Valuable.
Fail to Use It One Will Inevitably Lose It.
FOURTH:
PARABLE OF THE SHEEP AND GOATS: (25:31-46).
GOD'S STANDARD OF JUDGMENT.
JUDGEMENT OF THE NATIONS.
TEACHES ETERNAL SEPARATION:
SAVED
FROM THE UNSAVED AT THE END OF THE TRIBULATION.
God Will Judge Us In Accordance With Our Reaction To Human Need.
His Judgment Does Not Depend:
On The Knowledge We Possess.
On The Fame That We Have Acquired.
On The Fortune That We Have Gained.
BUT On The Help That We Have Given.
It Must Be Helping In Simple Things.
It Is A Case Of Giving Simple Help To The People We Meet Every Day.
It Must Be Help Which Is Uncalculating.
The Natural, Instinctive, Quite Uncalculating Reaction.
With A Loving Heart.
THE OLIVET DISCOURSE.
JUST DAYS UNTIL:
JESUS WAS BETRAYED.
HANDED OVER TO UNBELIEVERS.
CRUCIFIED.
THE HOLY ONE OF GOD
WILL ONE DAY RETURN IN GLORY
TO JUDGE THE WORLD.
BUT FIRST: HE HAD TO PROVIDE
THE WAY OF SALVATION
FOR
ALL WHO WOULD TRUST IN HIM.
TWO GREAT FACTS.
(I) THE FACT OF THE ULTIMATE TRIUMPH OF CHRIST.
He Whom Men Crucified On A Cross Will One Day Be The Lord Of All Men.
For Jesus Christ The End Is Sure.
And That End Is His Universal Kingship.
(II)
THE FACT THAT HISTORY IS GOING SOMEWHERE.
Sometimes Men Have Felt That History Was Plunging To An Ever Wilder And Wilder Chaos Recording The Sins And Follies Of Men.
Sometimes Men Have Felt That History Was Cyclic And That The Same Weary Round Of Things Would Happen Over And Over Again.
THE SECOND COMING HAS IN IT THIS ESSENTIAL TRUTH:
There Is One Divine Far-Off Event
Toward Which The Whole Creation Moves.
THAT EVENT IS THE ETERNAL RULE OF GOD.
ONE THING WE DO KNOW FOR SURE:
FROM THESE PICTURES THERE EMERGES CERTAIN GREAT TRUTHS.
(i) They Tell Us That God Has Not Abandoned The World.
Even While Wicked, The World Is Still The Scene In Which God's Purpose Is Being Worked Out.
It Is Not Abandonment That God Considers.
It Is Intervention.
(ii) They Tell Us That Even An Unleash Of Evil Must Not Discourage Us.
Part Of The Jewish Picture Of The Day Of The Lord Is That A Complete Breakdown Of All Moral Standards And An Apparent Complete Disintegration Of The World Must Precede It.
THIS IS NOT THE PRELUDE TO DESTRUCTION.
IT IS THE PRELUDE TO RE-CREATION.
(iii) They Tell Us That Both Judgment And A New Creation Are Certain.
Does God Contemplates The World Both In Justice And In Mercy ?
YES: God's Plan Is Not The Obliteration Of The World.
But The Creation Of A World Which Is Nearer To His Heart's Desire.
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