Participants: Glenn Russell & Ranko Stefanovic (Host)
Series Code: MTBOTB
Program Code: MTBOTB00019B
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00:01 Welcome, back we're exploring Jesus' experience
00:04 with disciples in Mathew, chapter 24. 00:06 They've just asked him about the temple. 00:09 What would become of it? 00:10 And they have asked him, the question was, 00:13 "tell us when will this be? 00:14 What will be your sign of your coming 00:17 and the close of the age?" 00:18 Okay, so let us see what we have in the text. 00:23 We saw that the questions of the disciples 00:28 to Jesus were related to Jesus' comment. 00:30 That, no stone will be left up on the stone of the temple. 00:35 And it's also related to what we saw, 00:39 before in Chapter 23, that the house, 00:43 the temple will be left desolate. 00:46 Evidently this was a shocking statement for the disciples. 00:53 So when they reached the Mount of Olives they couldn't wait. 00:55 They approach Jesus and they asked Jesus 3 questions. 00:59 This is very important to keep in mind. 01:01 The first question was, "when will these things take place?" 01:05 Which things? The destruction of the temple. 01:08 But then immediately 01:10 there are two other questions that they ask Jesus. 01:13 "What is the sign of your coming 01:17 and the sign of the end of the age?" 01:21 You see, they ask these 3 questions 01:23 combining them together because when will destruction 01:27 of the temple take place, when? 01:30 At the end of the age, it's evidently 01:32 when Jesus comes again at His coming. 01:36 There could be nothing worst. Nothing worst. 01:38 So you see the problem is with the Mathew, Chapter 24, 01:42 that we have hard time always to understand some text. 01:47 Because the way how the disciples ask to Jesus. 01:51 Now Jesus gives them the answer. 01:54 Since, they connected the destruction of Jerusalem 01:58 and destruction of the temple. 01:59 They connected with the end of the world. 02:02 This is how Jesus actually answers. 02:04 So we are not sure always, 02:07 even though we can be sure enough as we will see it. 02:09 As Jesus was explaining to them 02:13 sometimes Jesus talks about the destruction of Jerusalem. 02:16 Sometimes Jesus talks about His coming. 02:19 But the keyword that we have here is "when?" 02:25 And second is, what is the sign? 02:29 So now Jesus gives them the answer. 02:32 And when we read Mathew Chapter 24, 02:35 the speech that Jesus made to His disciples in answering 02:40 the question actually it really falls into 3 parts. 02:43 It's very important to keep these 3 parts in view. 02:48 The first parts are Verses 4 to 15. 02:54 Glenn, can you just read some verses 02:59 and make quick survey, 03:02 give us some glimpse into some of these verses. Okay. 03:05 Okay, we don't have a time to read everything. 03:07 Sure, Mathew 24:4, "And Jesus answered them, 03:11 'Take heed that no one leaves you astray. 03:13 For many will come in my name saying I am the Christ. 03:17 And they will lead many astray 03:19 and you'll hear of wars and rumors of wars. 03:21 See that you're not alarmed for this must take place. 03:24 The end is yet. For nation will rise against nation, 03:27 kingdom against kingdom. 03:29 There will be famines and earthquakes. 03:31 Beginnings of birth pains.'" 03:32 Verse 9, "Then they will deliver you up 03:34 to tribulation and put you to death." 03:37 In Verse 10, "Many will fall away and betray one and other." 03:39 Verse 11, "There will be many false prophets to arise." 03:43 Verse 12, "Wickedness is multiplied. 03:45 Men's hearts-- Love-- 03:47 His love grows cold. 03:49 Verse 13, "he who endures to the end." 03:51 Verse 14, "And this gospel of the kingdom 03:53 will be preached throughout all the world 03:55 as a testimony to all nations 03:57 and then the end will come." 03:58 Okay, this is the first part. 04:00 What is Jesus talking about? 04:02 So many times Christians are taking these verses 04:06 to read as the sign of the second coming of Christ. 04:11 When we see earthquakes. When we see famine. 04:16 When we see pestilence. 04:17 When we hear of wars and rumors of wars etcetera. 04:20 We know that Jesus Christ, 04:22 the second coming of Christ, is here. 04:25 Unfortunately there is one thing that we have noticed. 04:29 That all these things were fulfilled 04:34 already during the time of the disciples. 04:39 Actually in the book of "Desire of Ages" 04:42 we make very very clear that Jesus in giving us 04:47 these signs describing this actually 04:50 He pointed really this to the destruction of Jerusalem. 04:55 He's answering their immediate question. Immediate question. 04:58 However, Jesus also pointed about something 05:02 what will take also place in the world 05:05 all up to the time of his disciples. 05:08 I have here in my hand a photocopy of, 05:15 Sabbath School Quarterly, 05:17 which was one of several lessons 05:19 that we have in Mathew 24 in last lets say twelve, 05:22 thirteen years that we have been studying, okay. 05:27 All the week long about this. 05:29 It says, Mathew 24 and I am like to read 05:32 what we have been studying in the year 2002. 05:37 It's a spring quarter semester 05:40 actually about the meaning of these signs. 05:42 I don't want to put in my words. 05:43 I want to officially what we are teaching. 05:45 It says, "what is the purpose of these signs of the end? 05:48 It was not Jesus purpose to expound 05:51 up on the series of events 05:53 that we could use to establish the date of His coming." 05:57 We see earthquakes, "Oh, Jesus is coming soon." 05:59 Of course, He's coming. We'll explain this. 06:02 "Instead, He talks about the signs 06:04 so they will keep afresh in our minds 06:07 the promise of His return. 06:09 Jesus mentioned events that would happen throughout history 06:13 and whenever one of they of them take place, 06:16 His people make the connection 06:18 with the second coming of Christ." 06:20 Let me make one little bit unusual statement. 06:24 And we will explain it. 06:26 Did Jesus here provide the signs of His coming? Yes. 06:32 But these signs are not the signs of the end. 06:36 That's make difference. We better unpack that one. 06:39 How many times Jesus he tell these things. 06:41 He says, "the end is not is yet. 06:43 The end is not yet. This is just the beginning. 06:46 The end is not yet." 06:49 What Jesus provided here we call, 06:51 the so called, general signs 06:54 that were suppose to take place in the world 06:58 between the his first coming and the second coming. 07:03 To always remind the every generation of Christians 07:08 that Jesus indeed is coming soon. 07:11 But not to tell us take these signs 07:14 to establish the date that the end is here. 07:17 Does that-- Sure, so if I say, 07:20 "there's more famines this year than last 07:23 therefore Jesus is coming this year," 07:25 that's a misunderstanding of text. Yes, that's true. 07:28 You're saying that there have regularly 07:30 have been earthquakes, famines to remind us. 07:33 Yes we see to day. We have to remind our viewers 07:37 that those signs have intensified. 07:41 With every generation of Christians 07:43 these signs have become intensified. 07:45 More and more. More severe etcetera. 07:48 But the problem is we have today 07:51 those signs are very much intensified. 07:53 What if Jesus does not come in next ten years? 07:56 Those signs will be even more intensified. 07:59 And this reason we do not know. 08:01 We will see in Mathew 24 and 25 08:04 that Jesus reminds His disciples constantly 08:07 about the day and hour, about the time 08:10 when I am coming. Nobody knows, 08:13 these signs are not given to us to establish the date. 08:16 By the way I want to show to the readers 08:18 I have on two pages. All these signs 08:21 that Jesus mentioned here telling us 08:22 I have the evidence historical evidences, 08:25 how they were all fulfilled 08:27 and prior to the destruction with Jerusalem. 08:29 So these kinds of things took place and the disciples 08:33 who were the witnesses of Jesus' answer 08:36 went through those experiences. 08:37 He's preparing them firstly for what lies ahead. 08:41 So see the purpose of these signs 08:43 is always to keep afresh in our minds that Jesus-- 08:46 you see we see today signs. I can mention number of them. 08:49 Do you remember tsunami that we had? Yes. 08:51 The Christians were at ease. 08:54 They don't care about second coming of Christ. 08:56 These work is so much attached to the heart, 08:59 they don't think about the future. 09:01 And then suddenly something happens. Terrible in the world. 09:05 Suddenly the same Christians are going there to the Bible. 09:09 We know, after numerous events 09:11 in United States that happened, 09:13 I don't want to listen about Katrina and many others. 09:16 Many wars that we experienced. 09:17 Suddenly we have even newer times 09:20 we have special issue dedicated to that how suddenly Americans 09:24 they started talking about the second coming of Christ. 09:28 They started talking about the end of the world. 09:30 Not before. Before the percentage of Christians 09:34 talking about second coming of Christ, about the future, 09:36 about the end of at the end of the world, was very small. 09:40 Suddenly people wake up and start talking about that. 09:43 You see, this is the purpose of the signs. 09:45 To remind us always. To keep in afresh in our minds 09:49 that Jesus is coming soon. Actually to wake us up-- 09:54 So there is an urgency, an urgency of being alert. 09:57 Yes. Watch is what He often says. 10:00 So Jesus give us here those general signs. 10:04 After that Jesus moves to the second, 10:07 to the second part telling Christians. 10:10 And what is the second part? 10:11 Glenn, please would you do me favor and read verse 15. 10:17 "So when you see the desolating sacrilege 10:19 spoken of by the prophet Daniel, 10:21 standing in the holy place, let the reader understand." 10:25 And then he says, "then-- Please read a few more verses. 10:29 "Then let those who were in Judaea flee to the mountains. 10:31 But Him who is on the house top 10:33 not go down to take what is in his house. 10:36 And let him who is in the field not turn back to his mantle. 10:39 And last for those who are with child and for those 10:42 who are nursing a child in those days, 10:44 pray that your flight 10:45 may not be in the winter or on the Sabbath." 10:48 Can we stop here for a while? 10:50 Unfortunately I don't want to be critical of people, 10:53 specially my dear friends, Christians. 10:56 But we have a million of Christians in United States, 10:58 who believe that Jesus He appoints of the sign 11:01 of the great tribulation that will take place 11:05 prior to the second coming of Christ. 11:07 I will suggest to you that this is not exactly 11:10 what the text says. When Jesus talks here 11:14 about the abomination of desolation 11:17 about which the prophet Daniel speaks, 11:19 we have go to go back to Daniel, Chapter 9, 11:23 where Daniel talks about the Roman army 11:27 as the fourth world empire 11:30 that will come and to destroy Jerusalem. 11:33 So Jesus is talking here about the destruction of Jerusalem. 11:37 Not the end of the world. How do you know that? 11:39 Do you have any support of that? Yes, praise God. 11:42 That's why I like to read the Bible 11:46 and compare the scripture scripture. 11:48 Because we have the same sermon that is found here, 11:53 it's also found there in the gospel of Luke. 11:57 But I would like to suggest us 11:58 that we leave this topic for our next presentation. 12:03 Praise God we're not left in uncertainty 12:06 about the second coming of Christ. 12:08 God cares for us and he put many things in the nature. 12:12 He allows certain events to take place in this world 12:17 to remind us constantly that this world is not our home 12:22 and that Jesus indeed is coming soon. Very soon. |
Revised 2014-12-17