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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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