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2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

Yesterday, I examined the falling away that must come before “the Day” that will come.  This morning I would like to examine what the “man of sin” will be like.  Notice I did not say who because no one know who that might be.  Many have attempted to name the Antichrist; men like Antiochus Epiphanes (a Syrian king), Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Henry Kissinger, John Kennedy, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Barak Obama, and Donald Trump have all been targeted for being the “man of sin”.  True, they are sinners but they are not the Antichrist. 

The “man of sin’ will rise to a position of authority and power due to the chaos of the world situation.  Use your imagination to think what confusion will be upon the earth due to all of what Jesus said would be happening in the Sermon on the Mount.  Add to that millions of people that have suddenly disappeared in the Rapture of the True Church.  Remember that the restrainer of lawlessness (see 2 Thessalonians 2:7) will be taken away.  As the “man of sin” is taken away, God will send a “strong delusion, that they (those left behind) should believe a lie, that they may be condemned who did not believe the truth (the power of Jesus’ death and resurrection) but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:11).

When the restrainer (the Holy Spirit) is removed, the earth will be subject to the full effects of sin.  The “man of sin” will be energized by Satan, working great signs, wonders, miracles in order to deceive people into following him.  Dr. David Jeremiah states that those who willingly reject the gospel of Jesus Christ before the rapture will lose their opportunity to be saved because the strong delusion will be so persuasive that they will believe the lie (because they have no commitment to believe the truth).  With the wonders of technology, the entire world will be able to see the demonstrations of the “man of sin”.  They will be encouraged by what they see and be drawn to him as the solution to the problems the world is facing.

Both Jesus and Paul have cautioned believers about assuming everything miraculous comes from God.  Satan can only imitate what he sees; he is cunning and deceptive.  The Bible speaks about testing what you see against God’s Word; if what you see does not align with the Bible and does not honor Jesus Christ, reject it.  Knowing what the Bible say about the day we are living is extremely important to our well-being, our walk with the Lord.  It is so important to be Learning Daily. 

Stay with me, as we look into what we can do to fight against the deception we face.   We will also look further into what Daniel’s 70^th week, the Tribulation, looks like.

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2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

Why such an emphasis on deception?  I’m glad you asked!  In Paul’s time the people of Thessalonica had come to believe that the rapture of the church had occurred and they were living in the end times.  There may have been false teaching, or a rumor had been started, or possibly a letter sent to them with Paul’s forged signature. Regardless, they were shaken.

Paul told them (and us) that two things had to occur before the return of Jesus Christ to establish His kingdom.  Today we will examine the first thing, “the falling away comes first”.

The “falling away” is a time of what is called “apostasy”.  Apostasy is from the Greek meaning a defection from the truth; apostasy is to fall away or forsake. It is a time when truth will be forsaken or gone away from.  You have heard the analogy of the frog in boiling water. Put it in the boiling water and it immediately jumps out.  But put the frog in cool water and gradually increase the heat to boiling - it is unaware of what is happening until it’s too late.

Little by little evil has been creeping into every aspect of our life.  People are willing to lie and deceive us to promote their personal or corporate agendas (like becoming president).  The politically correctness is out of control; you don’t say certain things for fear of hurting another’s feelings.  Little by little we have become decentralized to sin.  There appears to be little difference from those calling themselves Christians and those who don’t.

James 4:4 states “Adulterers and adulteresses. Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?  Whoever therefore wants to be free with the world makes himself an enemy of God.”  Love of the world and what it offers is slowly causing more and more people to reject the truth, reject God.  By rejecting God, they are rejecting wisdom and choosing foolishness.  This can be seen around the world; this is not isolated to the United States. Apostasy abounds – it will grow worse.   Do not be deceived!  Keep close to the Lord, stay in His Word, Learn Daily. 

Tomorrow we will examine the second thing that must happen – the man of sin is revealed.


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2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

I have not enjoyed the political “stuff” the past several years as I have in the past.  In fact, much of it has turned my stomach because of unrealistic promises, lies, crazy accusations.  Who does one believe?  What is true and what is false?

One headline caught my attention yesterday.  Those supporting one candidate stated that this candidate attracts Marxists, anarchists, really radical people who want to “strip power from capitalist”.  The article went on to say that those supporting the president should be sent to re-education camps (like the old Russian gulags) in order to de-Nazify them. 

Well, that got me thinking about the time we are living in.  Deception abounds!  I know that has been the subject of several pages of this blog, but bear with me.  What I am encouraging the reader to do is to be careful about who you are following, who you might vote for.  Do not fall for empty words that sound good to “itchy ears” (2 Timothy 4:3).  And, no, I am not telling you that any of the candidates for president is the Antichrist.  I am telling you to not be deceived.  Study who these people are and make good choices.

Understand that what we are seeing must take place before the Day comes.  The Day refers 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2; deception will be greater before the tribulation comes and there is “a falling away”.  The people of Thessalonica were fearful that they had missed the rapture of the church and were living in the tribulation (again deception).  Because of the persecution they lived under, it was easy for them to believe.  Day in the New Testament refers to more than a 24- hour period.  It refers to the Tribulation, the Second Coming of Christ, the Millennium, and the final judgment.  As proof that these events have not yet occurred, Paul give some things that must occur before the events that follow the rapture of the church.

Tomorrow, we will look at what Paul has revealed in the above verses.



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Job: 38:11, “When I said, ‘This far you may come, but no farther, and here your
                   proud waves must stop!’”

 Last week we took a cruise that left from Galveston, Texas to go to Roatan, Honduras, Belize City Belize, and to Cozumel, Mexico.  We really enjoyed sitting on the deck reading and watching the sea.  I have always been fascinated by the ocean; I kept checking the television in our room to see the depth of the water. The water was a little rougher on this cruise – the captain said it was due to the “cold front” that had gone through Texas.  I have to admit that the wind did make for a pretty cold experience on the deck.  The water seemed to be moving pretty fast and as I watched it, I could not help but wonder where it was going.  It seemed like the water should flood the land.  I know there are all sorts of scientific reasoning why it does not do so.  However, to me the answer is God has established boundaries for it. 

I could not help thinking about how God has established boundaries for mankind.  For example, in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve could not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Boundary!  To the nonbeliever, boundaries mean little as they believe they can do whatever they want.  But, to the one who has given their life to Jesus Christ, boundaries have been established.  To the woman caught in adultery, Jesus told her to go and “sin no more”.  God has called us to live a holy life in our conduct which is possible for us only with Jesus.   One must know that our best attempt to live right still falls short. In fact, John told us in his first epistle that “to say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”  He goes on to say, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9).   Boundaries!  We are not to sin!  But, because we are weak and fall because of sinful actions or words, He tells us to ask for forgiveness.  This is not a license to sin; it is a promise when we do that, He is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse us.   

Be diligent to live the life that we have as believers in Jesus Christ.  Embrace the boundaries He has given to each of us in His Word.  To know what those boundaries are, read His word daily. Learn Daily!  Boundaries are established for our good not to keep us from enjoying anything.  I once heard someone say “the only thing he was missing (by living within the boundaries set by the Lord) was sin.”  The rewards of Christ-like living, living within the boundaries established by the Lord, are for eternity!

  

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We are home from our vacation; we enjoyed our time away.  But it is good to be home.  I will share some thoughts on our time tomorrow.

Today, I would like to share some thoughts on the tragedy that occurred yesterday.  I spent some time watching and reading the many tributes to Kobe Bryant.  He was one of those basketball players I had a love/hate relationship with when watching him play.  I did not like him much when he played so well against the team I was rooting for.  But I respected his abilities to play the game of basketball so well.  It was said by many yesterday and many others will say it today and, in the days ahead, his competitiveness and love for the game stood out; he prepared constantly to maintain his ability to perform at the highest level.

I have seen the deaths of many athletes in many sports that I grew up watching and it always makes me rather sad.  I have had the opportunity to shake several of their hands over the course of my life.  I knew very little about their personal life – just what was reported in the news.  This sort of tragedy, where a life is taken so unexpectedly, makes me reflect on what is really important in life.  I have been impressed with the reporting of Kobe’s relationship with his family, his involvement in the life of his daughter.  I hope that I am remembered for the involvement in the lives of my family. 

It also reminds me of the need to be ready for eternity.  I have often used the phrase “we are not promised tomorrow” and it certainly is true.  Death can occur at any moment for each of us.  I have been reminded that each of us needs to live a life that strives to be the best we can possibly be each day; to love life regardless of what comes our way; and to prepare each day to live the life God created us to live.  We are to die daily to ourselves, pick up our cross and live for Jesus Christ (Mark 8:34).  Then, when we “stand” before the Lord, we will hear Him say, “Well done good and faithful servant”!



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This will be the last writing until January 27.  My wife and I are taking a vacation next week.    

Daniel 9:27, Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering, and the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.

Matthew 24:15, “Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),

The Sermon on the Mount is about Daniel’s 70^th Week called the Tribulation.  Remember a “week” refers to a seven-year period of time; therefore, Daniel’s 70^th week is a year of tribulation.  It is the time when Paul’s “man of sin”, the “son of perdition” known as the Antichrist comes to power (2 Thessalonians 2:3).  2 Thessalonians 2:4 states this about him,

“who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”  This is the abomination of desolation. 

Do not forget that during this time the church has been raptured or taken up to meet the Lord Jesus Christ in the air and that the Holy Spirit no longer restrains evil from having its way (2 Thessalonians 2:7).  The abomination of desolation ushers in what is called the Great Tribulation.  The last three- and one-half years of the tribulation period will be the worst period of time in the history of Israel.    Abomination means “disgust” or “repulsion” and in Scripture is used to describe things associated with idolatry or gross ungodliness.  It refers to spiritual uncleanness of false religion.

When we get back from our vacation, I want to look more at the specifics of Daniel’s 70^th week to understand what the Scriptures say about it and Jesus’ answer to the disciples about the time of His return to establish His kingdom.  I want to discuss the Bible’s description of the Antichrist. 

Remember that knowledge of this time is to help us to live our life in such a way that we do not need to fear what is coming upon the earth. We live our lives in such a way that they are pleasing to the Lord, the One who saved us from our sins and gives the strength and power to overcome the powers of darkness.  Because of that, we can live a life pleasing to Him.  Knowing about the times ahead is incentive to live right and look forward to eternity with Him.

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Daniel 9:27, Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering, and the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.

It is necessary to get some Old Testament teaching at this point in the Sermon on the Mount in order to understand what Jesus was telling His disciples and us.  Daniel 9 gives information about 70 weeks; a week here means 7 years; 70 7s would be 490 years.  The Jewish calendar was made up of 360 days.  Verse 24 gives six things are to be done during the 70 weeks (be sure to read what they are!). 

The 70 weeks began with the decree to rebuild the city of Jerusalem; Nehemiah 2:1-8 gives the date for Nehemiah’s request to King Artaxerxes go to Jerusalem.  The king’s reign began in 465 B.C. which means the twentieth year of his reign, 445 B.C., was the beginning of the 70 weeks.  Sir Robert Anderson give the following chronology.  March 14 on our calendar is the equivalent of the day given in Nehemiah.  Anderson’s formula is: 69 weeks (years) x 7 (days of each week) = 483 years x 360 days (Jewish calendar) = 173,880 days.  March 14, 445 B.C + 173,880 days comes to April 6, 32 A.D.  Sir Robert Anderson states that is the date Jesus rode into Jerusalem in triumph.  This is exactly what Daniel was told – from the time the decree went forth to rebuild the city until the anointed One would come there shall be seven weeks plus forty-two weeks or 69 weeks (Daniel 9:25).

The end of the of the 69 weeks is the time for the church to fill a gap until the 70^th week would begin.  During this time the church would grow, the Holy spirit would be given to believers, and He would work to restrain the complete assault of evil in the world.  As the church is rapture, the Holy Spirit no longer restrains evil and the 70^th week begins.  God has all things under His control and has days numbered.

Next, I want to show what the relevance this is to the Sermon on the Mount and what Jesus is specifically talking about in Matthew 24:15-28.

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Matthew 24:12, And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

Paul needed to address the false teaching that the rapture of believers had occurred and people were terrified that they had missed it; he addressed the problem in Second Thessalonians.  Jesus gave His disciples signs that would occur leading to His return to establish His kingdom on earth.  It appears that many of these signs occur before the rapture of the church but get increasingly worse after the church is taken to be with the Lord.  Look around at what is happening in our country and around the world.  If Paul thought he was experiencing the end times, we must certainly be at the end of the end times.  Nothing needs to happen before the rapture of the church occurs.

We have seen a great increase in immorality, shamelessness, rebellion against God and a throwing off of moral restraint that will characterize the last days.  We are seeing an increase in sexual perversion, pornography, drugs, ungodly music, and lustful entertainment. Read Romans 1:28-32 to see exactly what the last days will be like.  Then read 2 Timothy to see what Paul calls “perilous times”.  Romans 1:32 states, who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. We must not ignore our conscience regarding these issues.

Too strong?  I would guess those who read this are strong in their biblical beliefs.  You and I need to decide what to do with this because the times are not getting better.  Are we reaching out to those in our area of influence to encourage, correct, and guide them into truth? We must do what we can to help others know truth while we can; our responsibility is to be led by the Holy Spirit in what we say and do, to be the light of Jesus Christ in this ever-growing dark world.  We show others the love of Jesus Christ to a world where love is growing cold.

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Matthew24:6-14

Wars, rumors of wars, famines, pestilence, earthquakes, persecutions and hatred – does that sound like the news we hear each day?  Its pretty grim and makes me want to stop watching or listening to the news today.  You are correct this has been news every day for years, so much that one has become weary and complacent regarding it.

Just this week Puerto Rico experienced two serious earthquakes (just after being hit by a major hurricane).  The 2019-2020 flu season is on track to be severe and the worst Ebola outbreak the world has experienced is taking place right now.  Measles and chicken pox, once thought to taken care of by vaccination, are once again on the rise.  Persecution of Christians is increasing in our country and especially around the world.

The news headline just the other day was, “Is This the Beginning of WWIII?”  Wars have been constant throughout the history.  I have lived through the threat of Russian missiles during the Cold War, the Vietnam War, wars in the Middle East and now the threat of Iran. There has been actual war and the threat of war; it is constant.

Do I need to even discuss the hatred?  It is everywhere; hatred in politics, between racial groups, between religious groups, everywhere. 

Jesus said, “See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  All these are the beginning of sorrows.”  It is time to be sober about living our life by Biblical standards.  All these things are in the world today.  What will they be like when the church is taken out of the world?  The Lord said they are only the beginning.  What did He mean?

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Matthew 24:4-5, And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and deceive many.”

There have been many who have claimed messiah-like qualities and because of their charisma have been able to draw a following.  Their claims often show their lack of knowledge of Scripture or that they are easily discerned as false messiahs.  A false messiah or false Christ is one who is pretending to be sent by God to save humanity.  They often begin with a Bible study which eventually turns a verse or passage into their own particular teaching; they build their own theology around it.  Often Jesus Christ is reinvented to be someone other than the Son of God, the difficult passages of the Bible are minimized or interpreted differently than their true meaning.

Jesus was definitely giving a warning to His followers (and us) about false messiahs, about the times we are in; He spoke about them three times in the Sermon on the Mount (verses 4-5, 11-12, 23-26).   We are living in a time when the spirit of the Antichrist is thriving.  People are seeking spiritualists, fortune tellers, mystics, and religious leaders who claim to have a deep knowledge of Scripture.  They are seeking those who make them feel good, make them think all is well, and offer an exciting but false interpretation of the Bible that fits their desires.

After the rapture of the church, Jesus warns of terrible times.  Imagine millions of people disappearing.  Confusion and chaos will allow the false messiahs to exploit the situation and deception to increase.

Jesus said, “Take heed!”  Be alert!  Keep your eyes open and be sure what you are hearing is what the Bible says.  Be like the Bereans and study the Bible daily.  If you think someone or something is not correct do not follow blindly.  Be sure you are in a sound, Bible teaching church.  Deception is certainly in the world today.  You do not need to be one who is deceived.

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1 Corinthians 15:51-52, Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed – in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-10, For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with Him.

A shout, a trumpet, caught up, asleep, dead, not appointed for wrath, in the twinkling of an eye – what does all this mean?  Even though the word “rapture” does not appear in the Bible it is referenced here.  The word “rapture” means to be “caught up or caught away.”  When Christ returns at the rapture, graves will be opened and those believers who are asleep will ascend to heaven to be with the Lord.  Those who are still alive will be transformed, their bodies must “put on immorality”; all accomplished in the “twinkling of an eye”. 

Resurrected believers and transfigured believers will be caught up together to meet Christ somewhere between heaven and earth.  This is the blessed hope of the church – that the Lord will return to take us out of the world to “ever be with the Lord” (1 Thes. 4:17).  Christ delivers believers from the wrath to come, from the great tribulation.

Paul understood that the rapture could take place during his lifetime.  It did not.  How much closer to the rapture are we?  What must still happen before the rapture occurs?  The answer is nothing!  The rapture of the church could happen at any time, even today.   The Word of God insists that believers today be ever watchful and eager for Christ to return and take them to heaven. 

Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 4:18, “Therefore, comfort one another with these words.”  Be alert!  Be spiritually awake and morally alert, continue walking in love, faith, and the knowledge of your salvation so you won’t be “left behind”.

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Matthew 24:3, Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and the end of the age?”

We are always looking for signs that inform us where to turn to get to our destination or to see if we are gaining the approval of someone. 

The disciples wanted to know what to look for so they would know when the Lord was going to return.  The Greek word for coming in this verse is parousia. The Vines Expository Dictionary states the word “signifies, not merely His momentary coming for His saints, but His presence with them from the moment until His revelation and manifestation to the world.”  Literally the question would be, when will you to come to be with us permanently?

Question three uses the phrase “end of the age” which means “end of the world”.  This question reveals an understanding of God’s plan to end this world someday.

The Olivet Discourse is Jesus’ prophetic reply to these questions.  A general outline could be verses 4:14 as general signs of conditions in the world leading up to the last days; verses 15-28 giving signs to indicate the final days of the Great Tribulation; verses 29-31 signs to occur at the triumphant coming of the Lord with power and in glory; verses 32-51 admonition for believers to be alert and spiritually ready for Christ’s coming for His faithful people (the rapture of the church).  Matthew 25 continues the thought of the rapture and describes the judgment of the nations. 

Tomorrow we will look at what the rapture of the church is and how it relates to the Olivet Sermon.  From there we will examine what Jesus was telling His disciples and how it relates to believers today.  

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Matthew 24:3, Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and the end of the age?”

William Miller lived in England in 1843. By a mathematical formula he came up with he determined that Jesus was coming back to earth on March 31, 1843.  At the appointed time he and his followers, prepared in their ascension robes, went into the mountains and climbed as high as possible in trees in order to have less distance to travel through the air to meet Him.  It did not happen.  Going back to his calculations, he found that he had miscalculated by one year. 

A year later Miller and his followers were back up in the trees.  Again, nothing happened.   Nothing happened the next year either.

The reality is that no one knows the time of Christ’s return.  No man, no angel, not even the Son knows the time of His return.  Verses in the Sermon on the Mount tell us this (Matthew 24:36, 42, 50, Matthew 25:13).  Mark 13:32 adds, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”    I need to add that the Son now knows the timetable set by the Father.

I was asked by students not long ago why this was so important to know.  They thought we should spend our time studying about Jesus so we know how to act like Him.  I told them it is important to study the life of Jesus.  But, not knowing when He will return gives us purpose to live holy lives and to be watching for His return; we are to always be ready!

In Matthew 24 and 25, Jesus gives us the longest answer to the question about His return and the end of the age; it gives detail to other passages of Scripture.  Because of this we will be spending some time in these two chapters to see what signs Jesus gave us to be watching for.

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Matthew 24:3, Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and the end of the age?”

In their response to Jesus’ statement regarding the destruction of the temple, the disciples asked when these things were going to happen.  The only writer to record His response was Luke.  Jesus quickly answers their question.

Here is the sign Jesus gave them about the destruction of the city.  “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.” (Luke 21:20).  He then told Jewish believers to flee the city when they saw this happening.  In the year 68 A.D. a Jewish revolt broke out against the Romans resulting in the Roman general, Cestus Gallus, surrounding Jerusalem with his army. The question has to be asked: if the city was surrounded how could Jewish believers escape while the Roman army had the city surrounded?  Dr. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum provides the answer in his book The Footsteps of the Messiah. 

            Then Cestus Gallus noticed that his supply lines were not secure.  He

             did not have enough supplies to maintain an extended siege, so he lifted 

             the siege in order to go back to Caesarea.  On the way, he was attacked 

             by Jewish forces and killed.  Temporarily, the city was no longer surrounded 

             by the armies, so every single Jewish believer was able to leave Jerusalem.

             

In 70 A.D. Jerusalem was again surrounded by the Romans and destroyed.  The Jewish historian, Josephus, estimates that nearly one million Jews were killed and one hundred thousand more were taken captive.  Yet, Jewish believers were alive because they had obeyed the words of Jesus.

Luke 21:24b states, And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.  This began with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and continues to this day.  Jerusalem will not be free from being “trampled on by the Gentiles” until Jesus Christ returns as the “King of kings and Lord of lords”.

Question one has been answered.

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Matthew 24:3, Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and the end of the age?”

This chapter in the Gospel of Matthew is known as the Olivet Sermon and comes due to observations the disciples have made about the temple.  The temple was a massive place that occupied much of a mountain top and was surrounded by a huge wall.  As impressive as it was Jesus told them that it was going to be destroyed; He told them “not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down”.

Prophecy often refers to something in the immediate future, but it can also have long term significance.  In this case the temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.  The disciples, upon hearing Jesus’ words, came to Him privately and asked Him three questions.  Over the next few days those questions will be discussed.

The Jews were looking for a Messiah to bring political leadership rather than spiritual leadership.  There was no need for spiritual leadership because they had their laws to guide them.  But there was a desire for the Messiah to establish a kingdom, His kingdom that would remove the oppressive rule of Rome.  So, when they asked about the end of the age, they were thinking about getting the Romans out of Israel.

Believers are waiting and watching for the return of Jesus – the time He returns to establish His kingdom on earth.  This is not what is known as the rapture of the church, which will be discussed at a later time.  There are events that must happen before His return and those events are what we will be examining for the coming year.  Dr. David Jeremiah has said that at any given day, we are only seven years away from the return of Christ. We want to try to understand what he means. It is an exciting study; so, get ready!

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Hebrews 9:28, So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.  To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

Revelation 1:7, Behold He is coming with clouds, and every eye shall see Him even the they who pierced Him.  And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.  Even so, Amen.

The first coming of Jesus Christ began in the humble beginnings we celebrate during the Christmas season.  His second coming will come suddenly, in power and “on His thigh will be written: King of kings and Lord of lords” (The Revelation 19:16).  There will be those eagerly waiting and watching and those who will do not have a clue.  We want to be one of those eagerly waiting and watching for His return!

The year 2020, I will dedicate Learning Daily to examine what the Bible says about the Second Advent or the return of Christ.  I want to examine verses from both the Old and New Testaments.  I warn you ahead of time that the verses or passages looked at may appear to be chosen randomly; I ask that you bear with me.

I am excited to search the Scriptures and hope you join me in the journey.  Oh, invite a friend.

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