October
20, 2003
THE
SIGN OF YOUR COMING
"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 of the end of the
age?' " (Matthew 24:3, NKJV).
Jesus
had just shared with His disciples that the magnificent temple
they had just left would be destroyed. He said, "Do
you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not
one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not
be thrown down" (Matthew 24:2). The disciples
shortly thereafter asked the question, "Tell us, when
will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming,
and of the end of the age?" Jesus did not answer His
disciples by separating the destruction of Jerusalem [which
took place within 40 years of this discussion] and the great
day of His coming. He mingled the description of the two events.
When He referred to the destruction of Jerusalem, His prophetic
words reached beyond that event to the events of His second
coming. Christ's statement was given, not for the disciples
only, but for those who would live during the last scenes
of this earth's history.
"If
anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!'
do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will
rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible,
even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. Therefore,
if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go
out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.
For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the
west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be"
(Matthew 24:23-27).
"Then
He said to them, 'Nation will rise against
nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be great
earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences;
and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven...
And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the
stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity,
the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for
fear and the expectation of those things which are coming
on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power
and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look
up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near'
" (Luke 21:10, 11, 25-28).
"But
of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of
heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were,
so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the
days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying
and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the
ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all
away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
"Now
learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has
already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that
summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things,
know that it is near--at the doors!"
(Matthew 24:36-39, 32, 33).
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