Jesus Christ promise
to return to this earth.
00:00:01.98\00:00:03.65
So, let's read what it
says in John Chapter 14,
00:00:03.68\00:00:06.86
Verses 1 to 3. Let not
your heart be troubled,
00:00:06.89\00:00:11.14
you believe in
God, believe also in me.
00:00:11.17\00:00:14.16
In my fathers
house are many mansions;
00:00:14.19\00:00:17.22
if it were not so,
I would have told you.
00:00:17.25\00:00:19.60
I go to prepare a place for you.
00:00:19.63\00:00:22.03
And if I go and
prepare a place for you,
00:00:22.39\00:00:24.86
I will come again, and
receive you unto myself;
00:00:24.89\00:00:27.84
that where I am,
there you maybe also.
00:00:28.07\00:00:30.91
We'll read too in
Acts Chapter 1, Verse 11.
00:00:31.60\00:00:34.67
This same Jesus, who
was taken up from you into
00:00:35.07\00:00:37.83
heaven will shall
come in like manner
00:00:37.86\00:00:40.42
as you saw him go into heaven.
00:00:40.45\00:00:42.88
Well, that's a great promise,
00:00:43.42\00:00:45.07
but many are
going to be unprepared.
00:00:45.10\00:00:47.59
The best illustration
we've really of what
00:00:47.99\00:00:50.72
Jesus was talking
about happened in 79 AD
00:00:50.75\00:00:54.28
in the town of Pompeii in Italy.
00:00:54.31\00:00:56.62
And, that's why the
title of today's program
00:00:57.04\00:00:59.85
is The Doom of Pompeii.
00:01:00.07\00:01:01.94
Well, Pompeii was a
truly magnificent Roman city.
00:01:41.95\00:01:45.89
Of course it's become
pretty well over ground
00:01:46.42\00:01:48.27
with weeds. It's a long
time since it was excavated,
00:01:48.30\00:01:50.75
you see many of these places,
00:01:50.78\00:01:52.29
but Pompeii was just
200 kilometers from Roman
00:01:52.32\00:01:56.62
and to this
place came the affluent
00:01:56.95\00:02:00.30
and wealthy Roman nobles.
00:02:00.33\00:02:02.37
Well, pave
straights, beautiful shops
00:02:02.84\00:02:05.05
stuck with all the
lightest commodities
00:02:05.08\00:02:07.35
and this is where
the Roman's could come
00:02:07.70\00:02:09.71
and have the
time of their lives.
00:02:09.74\00:02:12.16
And, you may be
sure that the Romans have
00:02:56.32\00:02:59.03
the latest model chariots.
00:02:59.06\00:03:00.86
You can see lot of
marks here where they went
00:03:00.89\00:03:03.17
along the roads. And,
there were places too,
00:03:03.20\00:03:06.39
where the
pedestrians could step over,
00:03:06.86\00:03:08.78
so that they
wouldn't get their feet wet.
00:03:08.81\00:03:10.54
But of course with
all these the Romans
00:03:24.23\00:03:25.87
did not neglect their Gods.
00:03:25.90\00:03:27.35
And, so there were temples
here in Pompeii including
00:03:27.47\00:03:30.02
this temple to Apollo.
00:03:30.05\00:03:31.68
But all this
came to an abrupt end.
00:03:33.97\00:03:36.35
Life was going on as
usual until one day in AD 79,
00:03:36.66\00:03:42.32
when an ominous
rumble came from the mountain
00:03:42.72\00:03:45.03
and smoke began to
pull it down the side.
00:03:45.06\00:03:47.27
People panic some
jumped into their church
00:04:14.42\00:04:16.94
and galloped away.
00:04:16.97\00:04:18.06
And this rain
down to the seashore
00:04:23.65\00:04:25.50
and got on the ships.
00:04:25.53\00:04:26.79
Other state behind filleting
00:04:29.80\00:04:31.49
or just hoping
that don't go away.
00:04:31.85\00:04:33.64
But it didn't,
00:04:38.34\00:04:39.31
a tide of poisonous
gas poured down the side of
00:04:42.94\00:04:45.74
the mountain into the houses
00:04:45.77\00:04:47.33
and people were asphyxiated,
00:04:47.36\00:04:49.40
died in agony, contorted.
00:04:49.43\00:04:51.72
Not only the human
beings, but also the animals,
00:04:51.84\00:04:54.32
dogs, and other
creatures were asphyxiated
00:04:54.68\00:04:57.57
and died in agony.
00:04:57.60\00:04:59.06
I think all of this
has a message for us today.
00:05:07.00\00:05:10.18
I think it's a solemn
warning that the end of
00:05:11.86\00:05:14.38
the world is coming.
00:05:14.41\00:05:15.68
And I think we should
take note of it. In Matthew 24,
00:05:16.03\00:05:20.18
Jesus Christ said, in Verse 37.
00:05:20.36\00:05:24.36
As the days of Noe
were, so also will be the
00:05:24.72\00:05:28.00
coming of the Son of Man.
00:05:28.03\00:05:29.40
For as in the days
before the flood though eating,
00:05:29.95\00:05:32.49
drinking, marrying
and giving in marriage
00:05:32.52\00:05:34.52
until the day that Noe end
at the ark and did not know,
00:05:34.83\00:05:38.12
until the flood came
and took them all away.
00:05:38.47\00:05:40.71
So, also well the
coming of the son of man
00:05:40.97\00:05:43.92
they
unexpectedly. Just as unexpected
00:05:43.95\00:05:47.59
as was the Doom of Pompeii.
00:05:47.62\00:05:50.31
And, so Jesus
Christ says, in Verse 42.
00:05:50.84\00:05:53.89
Watch therefore
for you do not know
00:05:54.91\00:05:58.20
what hour your Lord is coming?
00:05:58.23\00:06:00.06
Now, we didn't
know the exact hour,
00:06:00.92\00:06:02.40
we don't know the exact date,
00:06:02.43\00:06:03.93
but I will tell
you what we can know.
00:06:04.58\00:06:06.24
In Verse 32, Jesus said,
00:06:07.29\00:06:09.81
"Now learn this
parable from the fig tree;
00:06:10.64\00:06:12.75
When his branch has
already become tender,
00:06:13.19\00:06:15.39
and put forth leaves, you
know that summer is near".
00:06:15.42\00:06:18.49
So, you also when
you see all these things
00:06:18.86\00:06:22.37
know that it is
near, at the very doors.
00:06:23.10\00:06:25.86
So, we don't
know the exact hour.
00:06:27.23\00:06:28.69
We don't know the exact date.
00:06:28.72\00:06:30.35
But we should know when
the end of the world is near.
00:06:31.37\00:06:36.12
And, how can we know.
00:06:36.84\00:06:38.11
I think we will find
the answer in Jerusalem.
00:06:39.12\00:06:42.00
On standing
outside the Western wall,
00:06:55.99\00:06:58.54
which was part of the
world that one surrounded
00:06:58.92\00:07:01.12
the enclosure in
which the temple stood
00:07:01.15\00:07:03.48
in the day of Jesus Christ.
00:07:03.51\00:07:04.97
It is a beautiful temple
00:07:05.00\00:07:06.45
and a very
strong wall around it.
00:07:06.48\00:07:08.36
And, so it was here that
the disciples came to Jesus
00:07:09.32\00:07:12.23
as recorded in Matthew 24.
00:07:12.26\00:07:14.24
As Jesus went out and
departed from the temple,
00:07:14.46\00:07:16.85
his disciples came to
him to show him the buildings
00:07:16.88\00:07:19.33
of the temple. And
Jesus said to them,
00:07:19.36\00:07:21.95
do you not see all these things?
00:07:21.98\00:07:23.85
Assuredly, I say to you,
not one stone shall be lift
00:07:24.21\00:07:28.37
here upon another that
show not be throne down.
00:07:28.40\00:07:31.38
The disciples must
have been absolutely
00:07:32.83\00:07:34.94
staggered at this
statement not one stone
00:07:34.97\00:07:38.04
at the beautiful
temple and it was God's temple
00:07:38.07\00:07:41.60
surely God wouldn't allow
the temple to be destroyed,
00:07:41.63\00:07:44.33
but absolutely fun the
staggered Jesus statement,
00:07:44.66\00:07:47.08
but it all
happened. In the year 70 AD,
00:07:47.62\00:07:51.01
the Roman General
Titus came here and
00:07:51.57\00:07:54.10
be seized the
city, terrible scenes of
00:07:54.13\00:07:56.51
suffering followed
and finally the city was
00:07:56.54\00:07:59.10
conquered and the
whole city was destroyed
00:07:59.13\00:08:03.06
and burned put up in the flames.
00:08:03.09\00:08:05.22
If you go to
Rome, there was an arch
00:08:05.68\00:08:08.07
that Titus left their
and on the only inside of
00:08:08.10\00:08:10.81
that arch you see some
men carrying the seven golden
00:08:10.84\00:08:14.16
candle sticks that have
taken out of this temple
00:08:14.19\00:08:16.17
as a trophy. Some
of these stones were
00:08:16.20\00:08:19.39
ending up to eight
meters in length enormous stones
00:08:19.42\00:08:22.65
and the height
of the temple wall.
00:08:23.42\00:08:25.41
Well, the
archaeologies have dug down some
00:08:25.92\00:08:28.79
20 meters below the
level of the ground,
00:08:28.82\00:08:31.79
as you see at the present time.
00:08:31.82\00:08:33.18
And, so this was a
terrible thing that
00:08:33.71\00:08:36.27
happened as far as the
disciples was concerned
00:08:36.30\00:08:38.93
and naturally they
were completely dumb
00:08:39.45\00:08:41.20
founded wanted no more about it.
00:08:41.23\00:08:43.49
Jesus went on to
say, in Verse 12,
00:08:45.66\00:08:48.18
And because
lawlessness will abound,
00:08:48.77\00:08:51.00
the love of many will grow cold.
00:08:51.46\00:08:53.65
We are living in
the lawless world today
00:08:54.49\00:08:56.59
and if you don't realize that,
00:08:56.79\00:08:58.24
you just pick up a newspaper or
00:08:58.27\00:08:59.72
tune it to your TV news.
00:08:59.75\00:09:01.69
This is a very lawless world.
00:09:02.21\00:09:04.45
And, Paul gave a run
down on the sort of thing
00:09:04.70\00:09:08.27
we can expect in
second Timothy Chapter 3,
00:09:08.30\00:09:11.53
and in Verse 1.
But now this that in
00:09:11.56\00:09:15.20
the last days
paralyse times will come.
00:09:15.23\00:09:18.36
It's dangerous
living today you know.
00:09:19.03\00:09:20.74
For men will be
lovers of themselves,
00:09:21.35\00:09:23.95
lovers of
money, boasters, proud,
00:09:23.98\00:09:26.39
blaspheme,
disobedient to parents,
00:09:26.42\00:09:28.54
without self control,
brutal, despises of good,
00:09:28.94\00:09:32.01
lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of God.
00:09:32.04\00:09:35.50
That's what we find
today lovers of money,
00:09:36.41\00:09:38.56
lovers of pleasure,
mad fuel of excitement,
00:09:38.59\00:09:42.07
you know, in the
days of our grandparents
00:09:42.10\00:09:43.91
they just went out
off to the local dance for
00:09:43.94\00:09:46.28
once in a month and
that was their pleasure.
00:09:46.31\00:09:47.99
Today, people wanted
every night of the week,
00:09:48.02\00:09:50.14
mad whelming pleasure,
putting pleasure before God.
00:09:50.68\00:09:54.34
It also says here
disobedience to parents
00:09:54.93\00:09:57.68
ever heard of
youthful delinquency,
00:09:57.71\00:10:02.13
we live in an age when
children just don't listen
00:10:02.79\00:10:05.51
to their parents anymore.
So, it's quite obvious that
00:10:05.54\00:10:09.83
this is the world
we are living in today,
00:10:10.12\00:10:11.72
and Paul describes
it's the last days.
00:10:12.86\00:10:15.83
And, Jesus goes on to
say and this gospel of the
00:10:16.04\00:10:19.80
kingdom will be
preached in all the world for a
00:10:19.83\00:10:22.84
witness to all nations
and then will the end come.
00:10:22.87\00:10:26.29
So, God wants
everyone to have a chance
00:10:26.32\00:10:28.64
to know that Christ is coming.
00:10:28.67\00:10:30.37
Have you stopped to
think just how extensively
00:10:31.39\00:10:34.26
the gospel has been
preaching all the world
00:10:34.29\00:10:36.58
since 200 years ago.
Nobody ever thought of
00:10:36.61\00:10:39.13
going anyway.
Except in their own country
00:10:39.16\00:10:41.65
and then the
foreign mission program
00:10:42.14\00:10:43.79
started and look at
Christians missions that
00:10:43.82\00:10:46.06
are going all
over the world today,
00:10:46.09\00:10:47.48
it's dramatic.
And I will tell you
00:10:47.51\00:10:49.37
what's helping it too.
There was another prophecy
00:10:49.40\00:10:52.13
very relevant to this
and that's in Daniel 12
00:10:52.16\00:10:54.87
and in Verse 4,
where the angel said,
00:10:54.90\00:10:57.36
you Daniel shut up the
words and seal the book
00:10:57.85\00:11:00.57
until the time of the end.
00:11:00.60\00:11:02.52
Many shall run to and fro,
and knowledge shall increase.
00:11:03.12\00:11:06.62
What would the
dramatic amount of knowledge
00:11:06.65\00:11:09.22
we've today. How it proliferated
00:11:09.25\00:11:11.91
all the
techniques, all the technology
00:11:12.17\00:11:15.09
it is just incredible,
it states mind bogging
00:11:15.50\00:11:17.72
all the things
that we know today
00:11:17.75\00:11:19.00
that we didn't
know 50 years ago,
00:11:19.03\00:11:21.10
even 10 years ago.
And, so this increase of
00:11:21.13\00:11:24.89
knowledge and the
proliferation of the
00:11:24.92\00:11:27.41
media is enabling the gospel
00:11:27.44\00:11:30.33
and the knowledge
of Christ coming to be
00:11:30.66\00:11:32.26
preached all over the world.
00:11:32.29\00:11:33.62
And of course the
running to and fro helps.
00:11:33.96\00:11:35.89
You see, today the roads
are filled with vehicles,
00:11:36.36\00:11:39.97
the skies are filled with
jets winding over the head
00:11:40.91\00:11:43.95
and men have learned to go
to the moon in their rockets.
00:11:44.53\00:11:47.00
All these things
that happening today,
00:11:47.54\00:11:49.15
but this is a great help to
the preaching of the gospel.
00:11:49.18\00:11:52.99
The missionary can go
to places that otherwise
00:11:53.02\00:11:55.42
would not have been
able to go to before.
00:11:55.45\00:11:57.81
And, so these look
to be the last days
00:11:58.03\00:12:01.30
of this world's
history. Well, what is Jesus say
00:12:01.33\00:12:04.38
here in Matthew
Chapter 24 and in Verse 32?
00:12:04.41\00:12:08.37
"Now learn this
parable from the fig tree:
00:12:08.95\00:12:11.53
when its branches
already become tender
00:12:11.87\00:12:14.14
and puts forth leaves,
you know that summer is near
00:12:14.17\00:12:16.51
" There are fig trees on
this amount of all leaves
00:12:17.42\00:12:19.24
and when you see
the leaves coming,
00:12:19.27\00:12:20.88
you know, that
summer is on the way.
00:12:20.91\00:12:22.18
Show you also, when you
see all these things know
00:12:22.71\00:12:26.78
that it is near at the
very doors and some people say,
00:12:26.81\00:12:30.00
oh! Yes, we've heard
these prophecies before.
00:12:30.03\00:12:31.99
The world is still going on,
00:12:32.02\00:12:33.29
could go on for
another thousand years,
00:12:33.32\00:12:35.20
but listen when
it's at the very doors,
00:12:35.23\00:12:38.13
I can't see a
thousand years in there,
00:12:38.16\00:12:40.08
I can't even
see a hundred years.
00:12:40.11\00:12:41.57
And, who knows just
how soon the last great
00:12:41.99\00:12:44.93
dramatic event of this world's
00:12:44.96\00:12:46.23
history could take place.
00:12:46.26\00:12:48.12
And, so Jesus tells us
to be ready and prepare
00:12:48.63\00:12:53.06
for his coming.
Now, do you feel perhaps
00:12:53.09\00:12:56.55
little uneasy about
this? Do you feel perhaps that
00:12:56.58\00:13:00.09
you're not quite
ready? What can you do?
00:13:00.12\00:13:02.86
An incident took
place down at Jericho that
00:13:03.62\00:13:05.89
2000 years ago
that I think throw some
00:13:05.92\00:13:09.08
helpful light on this.
00:13:09.11\00:13:10.61
I don't know how
Hare the great who filled
00:13:20.83\00:13:23.41
all the babies in
Bethlehem would feel about this,
00:13:23.44\00:13:26.03
but I'm actually
standing on top of the ruins of
00:13:26.06\00:13:28.41
one of his Jericho palaces.
00:13:28.86\00:13:30.80
Actually there
were three Jericho's.
00:13:31.23\00:13:33.40
Away over their on
the distance is the city
00:13:33.89\00:13:37.68
that was conquered by Joshua
00:13:37.71\00:13:39.22
and that today is
just a deserted ruins.
00:13:39.82\00:13:42.43
And, then over in
this direction here
00:13:45.28\00:13:47.46
is the modern Arab settlement.
00:13:47.67\00:13:50.07
But down here in the
valley is the city that was
00:13:57.36\00:14:01.70
occupied in Roman
times in other words
00:14:01.73\00:14:04.00
at the time Jesus
Christ. Now, way over there to
00:14:04.03\00:14:06.65
the left was the western gate,
00:14:06.68\00:14:08.79
where the road led
up to Jerusalem and then
00:14:09.21\00:14:11.94
you come down, you
can see some residential
00:14:11.97\00:14:13.82
quarters there and then
in the foreground here is
00:14:13.85\00:14:17.12
a beautiful palace,
another palace that Hare had.
00:14:17.15\00:14:19.68
It was a lovely pool of
water there and then way
00:14:19.71\00:14:22.89
over there on the
right was the entrance gate.
00:14:22.92\00:14:25.29
And this city must have
been adorned with palm trees
00:14:25.32\00:14:28.15
and date palms, sycamore trees
00:14:28.18\00:14:30.43
it must have been a
very beautiful city.
00:14:30.46\00:14:32.64
Well, it was in this
Jericho that a very interesting
00:14:35.37\00:14:37.67
incident is recorded
in the New Testament.
00:14:37.70\00:14:40.18
You see, Jesus
Christ came through
00:14:40.66\00:14:42.87
this Roman Jericho on
his way up to Jerusalem
00:14:42.90\00:14:45.54
for the last time.
And as he entered the city
00:14:45.57\00:14:48.40
you might be sure lot
of people came out to see
00:14:48.43\00:14:50.81
the great teacher and Hiala.
00:14:50.84\00:14:52.79
And as he passed through,
he no doubt heal the sick.
00:14:53.42\00:14:56.63
And then he finally
reached that gate up
00:14:57.15\00:14:59.66
at the other end there.
And, everyone was anxious
00:14:59.69\00:15:02.86
to see him including a
little man called Zacchaeus.
00:15:02.89\00:15:06.86
Now, he was one of
these despites text gatherers
00:15:07.21\00:15:10.05
and I think he was
gonna make room for him and
00:15:10.40\00:15:12.78
being a small
stature he couldn't see
00:15:12.81\00:15:14.90
over the heads of the crowd.
00:15:14.93\00:15:16.21
So, he decided
that he would run ahead
00:15:16.46\00:15:20.41
of Jesus Christ and
climb up a sycamore tree
00:15:20.44\00:15:23.69
and as Christ went
underneath he would be
00:15:23.72\00:15:25.89
able to look down and
get a good look at them.
00:15:25.92\00:15:28.05
And, that's what he
did? And, can you imagine his
00:15:28.08\00:15:31.41
astonishment as the
crowd went by Jesus Christ
00:15:31.44\00:15:34.50
looked up and he
said, Zacchaeus come down
00:15:34.53\00:15:37.47
out of that tree, I
want to go and dine at
00:15:37.50\00:15:40.24
your place tonight
and how, I guarantee,
00:15:40.27\00:15:42.93
he just about
fell out of the tree.
00:15:42.96\00:15:44.61
And of course you
know, how the Pharisees are,
00:15:45.35\00:15:47.08
they said, he is
going to dine with a man
00:15:47.64\00:15:50.93
that is a sinner and
that's when Jesus Christ
00:15:50.96\00:15:54.24
made a statement
that it's a very wonderful
00:15:54.39\00:15:56.56
thing, I think over here
in Luke 19 and in Verse 10.
00:15:56.59\00:16:00.44
He said the son of
man has come to seek
00:16:00.71\00:16:03.44
and to save that which was lost.
00:16:03.87\00:16:06.40
Have you ever felt to
just want good enough to
00:16:07.58\00:16:10.05
live forever in God's kingdom.
00:16:10.08\00:16:12.12
You won't ready to
meet Christ when he comes.
00:16:12.19\00:16:14.33
Well, Jesus Christ
came to seek and save that
00:16:14.94\00:16:17.68
which was lost that
which was not good enough.
00:16:17.71\00:16:19.84
In fact, their here
in Isaiah 118 it says,
00:16:20.21\00:16:22.63
come down and let
us reason together said
00:16:22.66\00:16:24.68
the Lord thou your
sins are like scarlet they
00:16:24.71\00:16:27.49
shall be as white as snow.
00:16:27.52\00:16:29.59
Your sins may be like scarlet.
00:16:29.62\00:16:32.12
But if you just
believe in Jesus Christ
00:16:32.58\00:16:34.59
you will stand in front
of him and you will just
00:16:35.12\00:16:36.84
look like that
purest whitest snow,
00:16:36.87\00:16:39.00
you can't be ready to make
Jesus Christ when he comes,
00:16:39.03\00:16:42.43
if you just believe
in him as your savior.
00:16:42.79\00:16:46.01
Personally, I
shall welcome the second
00:16:46.52\00:16:48.75
coming of Christ. I
think this whole world
00:16:48.78\00:16:51.69
with all its pain and
hunger and human suffering
00:16:51.72\00:16:54.77
has gone on long enough,
00:16:55.10\00:16:56.63
but that does lead us
to a number of questions.
00:16:57.39\00:16:59.72
What will the
immortal life be like?
00:17:00.78\00:17:02.70
Will we eat there? Will
we recognize each other?
00:17:03.22\00:17:05.90
And what will we do
with all that spare time.
00:17:07.11\00:17:09.47
To answer to
these questions we take
00:17:10.49\00:17:12.11
you in our next program
to the Acropolis in Athens.
00:17:12.14\00:17:15.68
The ruins are spectacular
and I'm sure you will find
00:17:16.43\00:17:19.35
it's a really
interesting program.
00:17:19.38\00:17:21.74