110. Beginner Bible Course: Jesus gives the signs preceeding his return

EPISODE 110   A simple Bible overview of...JESUS ON WHAT WILL HAPPEN BEFORE HE RETURNS AS MESSIAH THE KING (WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN HE’S EXPECTED)

Coming and being a dad is the greatest joy I've had during my 60 years on this planet. That's for sure watching these little ones grow inside my wife and then seeing them delivered into this world comes pretty close. I had to wait almost 33 years before I got to lay eyes on my firstborn. So when we heard that ultrasound heartbeat on my little girl, I got busy becoming a student of pregnancy, childbirth and parenting. Now I'm not just talking lame dad who shows up at childbirth classes, I'm talking lay-person OB GYN guy. The internet was just kind of getting rolling in 1992. So I went out and bought the best book out there.

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What to expect when you're expecting people. I practically memorize that book today. 30 years later, I can still impress even strangers with my knowledge of fetal development and childbirth I'll drop words like Braxton Hicks or meconium, and they know I'm not bluffing. Pregnancy and childbirth is the word picture. Jesus tapped into to answer a question of his disciples, rabbi Jesus, what will be the sign of your coming to do that righteous King of the world thing in a phrase, what should we expect when you're expected in case you haven't been following along in this word picture podcast, I need to catch you up a little bit through the prophet, Daniel, God infallibly stated he would send a Messiah called the son of man to earth.

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At some point in mankind's history, that person would have all power and authority forever and ever read it in Daniel chapter seven, Jesus referring to Daniel's prophecy. Use the term son of man for himself no less than 31 times in the gospel of Matthew alone. Jesus claimed that he was the one promised in Daniel's prophecy. The one who'd be sent directly by God, the father, the ancient one to be worshiped by all men and have all authority over all one. Scholar has notated 333 prophecies or possible prophetic illusions in the old Testament about the Messiah of those only about one third were fulfilled in the gospels Jesus time on our planet.

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2000 years ago, if we trust the Bible to be accurate, then Jesus must return to fulfill the other two thirds in Daniel's visions. He too wanted to know what to expect when this King was expected. Now, 600 years later, the disciples are asking the same question. When Lord, when will these things come to be? Thankfully Jesus gave them more of an answer as we'll see, he didn't give them a date and time. He gave them signs of the seasons of his return. We're going to focus on Matthew 24 and 25 though, Mark and Luke also talk about it. Jesus has just completed reading the riot act, the Sadducees, the Pharisees, and the scribes, those religious bullies of Jerusalem.

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These are the harshest words Jesus has recorded in the new Testament. The entire chapter of Matthew 23 is just Jesus going off on them. Apparently Jesus read most of this riot act right in the temple. He now leaves the temple with his disciples. The temple in Jerusalem was something else. Herod. The great began construction in 20 BC, and it wasn't finished for 84 years in 64 BC, the foundation stones of these things were massive. Some were as big as 45 feet long, 10 feet high and 11 feet thick. If you want to have a little fun Google, how much something of that size would weigh as Jesus and the disciples exited the temple, his disciples comment, man, rabbi, can you believe these stones?

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Jesus makes a statement. Not one of these stones will be left on top of each other. The next thing you should, Google is the first Jewish Roman war. It occurred in 67 to 73, a D or in the middle of this war. 70 Ady Jerusalem was leveled by the Romans. It was a bloodbath and it was provoked by the Jews themselves, Titus the emperor level Jerusalem. And he leveled that temple. This is the context to the disciples question. When will these things take place, rabbi Jesus and the disciples head out of Jerusalem and go up on the Hill, the Mount of olives to the East of Jerusalem, they sit down and turn back toward Jerusalem.

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That massive temple complex is sitting right in front of them at the Eastern edge of the city. It's here. Jesus breaks out his childbirth metaphor to describe what to expect when he's expected. And his answer is laid out remarkably like the childbirth process. The first stage of that childbirth process is the early labor stage. This stage is preparing a woman's body to deliver the child. This can happen for several months and the changes can be almost unnoticeable. Jesus said, there'll be an early stage of his return. A long-term preparation. Jesus gives the first two indicators in verses four through seven.

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The first is lots of false messiahs. Since the first century, there have been a parade of men and women who've come along like false contractions claiming to be from God or even Jesus Christ himself returning in my lifetime. There've been at least three or four son, young moon, the leader of the Moonies, the Reverend Jim Jones, famous for the cliche. Don't drink the Kool-Aid and David Koresh, the branch Davidian guy, the wacko of Waco. The first century had its false messiahs to read acts chapter five men who came within months or a few years of Jesus' exit, who claimed to be the returning Messiah.

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Jesus says, ignore these. These guys will come and go. Jesus. Second indicator was there'll be Wars and threat of Wars all over the planet. Even a quick summary of world history over the last 2000 years will demonstrate. There's hardly been a year in our calendar where Wars aren't breaking out all over. Jesus tells his disciples. These are just preparations for my return. Take them in stride. The second stage of having a baby is called active labor. Now the contractions are longer and stronger. There are fewer breaks between them. A delivering mother can get more emotional and focused.

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Jesus gives his disciples five basic indicators that we're kicking into an active stage prior to his return. The first is this. His people will be persecuted to the point of death. Jesus said, you'll be handed over persecuted and put to death. The last 2000 years of history. It's also hard to find a year or at least a season of time where God's people, whether you view that as the Jewish race or Jesus followers called Christians, haven't been treated poorly. Jesus says when the frequency and intensity of persecution of Jews and Gentile believers in Christ increases, it's a sign that the return of Jesus is closer.

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The second characteristic is apostasy will turn people away from God. Jesus says many will turn away from the faith that could be to deny Jesus directly or as the later new Testament writers, right? To take on a form of godliness, but denying its power. Jesus is likely saying when the frequency of individuals and nations abandoning truly following Jesus for religious facades increases, the return of Jesus is close at hand. The third characteristic, spiritual deception by false teachers. Jesus says many false prophets will appear and deceive many later Jesus says they'll deceive many because they'll appear to carry almost supernatural power.

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If you're a member back to exit a seven, when Moses appears to Pharaoh, God gave him several God's signs. His staff becoming a serpent for example, but Pharaoh's magicians were somehow able to convince Pharaoh that they too could change their rides into serpents further. Jesus warns. These teachers will be so impressive in counterfeiting truth that it can even lead genuine Christ seekers astray, especially if they're not students of Jesus and the word of God it's at this point, I tell my students how the FBI trains its counterfeit group to recognize false bills. They don't have them study samples of counterfeits.

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They have them study the real bill, how it looks, feels bins even smells. The only way to spot a counterfeit is to know what the real thing looks like. We'll see the writers of the rest of the new Testament appeal to this very thing, a passionate study of God's word. So as to not fall prey to false doctrine, the fourth characteristic of this active labor stage Jesus said will be deterioration of normal relationships. He says many will be trade each other. And because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. During the siege of Jerusalem in 70 Ady, people were eating their own children that happened in the siege of Symeria as well in the old Testament, but that was caused by dire, starvation and circumstances.

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It appears here. Jesus is going to talk about a more insidious loss of natural affection, a slow leak that brotherly love for each other and even love within families is going to be replaced by a self absorption, a love of self. When you see this loss of natural affection, when it becomes the norm, rather than the exception, then expect that I'm very expected. And the last characteristic Jesus gives the, this active period of labor is that the gospel will be preached in all nations. Jesus says the gospel will be preached to all nations. And then the end will come.

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If the disciples were drifting at all in Jesus, what to expect lecture, they woke up here. They still couldn't grasp that. The gospel, the good news was to be preached to all nations, but they shouldn't have been surprised. That goes all the way back to Genesis 12, Abraham through one who comes from your descendants. As numerous as the stars, all nations will be blessed by nations. Jesus likely meant people, groups, every language we'll be able to hear and respond to the gospel. The third stage of labor is you better get to the hospital. Now, if you're not already there stage it's called transitional labor. It's intense, overwhelming.

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Thankfully for the mom. It's also the shortest stage. It's often though not always triggered by an event. The bloody show, when the plug over the uterus opening detaches, this imagery appears in Jesus. What to expect when I'm expected. Talk with his disciples, there'll be a trigger event. The same one Daniel talked about. Jesus says, when you see the abomination that causes desolation standing in the Holy place, then it's Showtime in Daniel's visions. This Showtime event is talked about more and much of the book of revelation dictated by Jesus to the gospel writer.

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John will discuss this in more detail in verses 16 through 26 of Matthew, 24. Jesus makes it clear that when this happens, there's no time to delay. His return is eminent. If you've left something in your house, leave it and run kind of eminent. Verse 22 is interesting. It reminds me of a decision Michelle and I made with our last two births. When the going got tough in transitional labor, we asked for an epidural and that's a bit like what Jesus seems to describe in verse 22 at the peak of this unbelievable time of distress it's as if God is going to give his people an epidural.

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Jesus said, if those days had not been shortened, those transitional labor days, no one would survive. But for the sake of God's children, his elect those days will be shortened. We'll discuss what that shortening might mean in the letters of the new Testament. You can make it through this transitional labor stage as a mom, because you know, it's time to push you're soon going to have a baby in your arms. And that's what Jesus describes next verses 27 through 31 birth, his return to rule Jesus describes it as quick like lightning. He describes it as clearly evident and unmistakable to everyone in the world.

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Jesus said they will see the son of man coming on the clouds of the sky with great power and glory. That's almost a direct quote from Daniel seven 13, Jesus mentioned something like a trumpet call, summoning his people. He mentions cosmic signs in the heavens. Don't worry about missing my coming. Nobody on this planet will miss it. That's what to expect when he's expected. As I mentioned, Jesus will flesh this out much more in the revelation he gives to John, the book that anchors the new Testament. Having answered their question, what will be the sign of your coming? He answers their obvious unasked question.

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When he says this you'll know the season, but not the exact time. Not even the son of man knows the day nor the hour I'll return. Only the father knows that, but I'll be ready to go. When the father says go, Jesus then adds a bit of an element of surprise in using an illustration of Noah and the flood. People were enjoying life with Gusto, they're eating and drinking. They were marrying and giving in marriage. And then one day the door of the Ark and the skies opened up with rain. That's how it will be with the coming of the son of man. It should be obvious that I'm eminent, but at the same time, the world will just kind of be doing its thing.

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As if my coming is not eminent at all. Peter also refers back to Noah when discussing what to expect when Jesus' return is expected, he said, people will begin to mock. Where's the sign of his coming for? Since he left, life goes on, the implication is stop drinking the Jesus Kool-Aid, he's not coming back. People. Then Peter adds, but hold on a minute. A day to God is like a thousand years and a thousand years as a day, God's outside of time, he's not clock EIT or calendar focused. That's likely one reason he's waited for 2000 years so far. Then Peter gives another reason don't you get it?

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He's waiting because somebody out there needs to hear the gospel. God wants his kids back. He wants all nations and every person of every tongue to have an opportunity to respond to Jesus as the savior, Jesus finishes his what to expect. When he's expected conversation with his disciples, he gives two parables about how his people should behave in his absence. The first is about bridesmaids being ready for him as the groom. The second is about three managers of his money, investing it wisely in his absence, Jesus challenges, his disciples both then and now to be ready and faithfully productive because Jesus is coming for his bride and his return is certain.

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You can take it to the bank. The next day, Jesus moves from a chat on the Mount of olives to an upper room in Jerusalem. The Eve before his death will eavesdrop on Jesus and the disciples in that upper room in our next two wordpictures.