What Did the Lord Say About His Second Coming?
Matthew 24:1-31
Intro:
1. This passage is the most detailed explanation of the Lord’s Second Coming that we have in the Bible.
2. Two questions are asked & both are answered: “when will this happen” and “what will be the sign of your coming?”
I. v4-22 - First Question: “When Will This Happen?”
A. This question was what would happen in their lifetime?
1. v1-2 - What spurred the question? What do you mean that not one stone in the Temple would be left standing?
2. The answer: Destruction of Jerusalem which happened in 70 AD!
B. The General Signs leading up to this event.
1. v4-5 - The false teachers.
a. Act 8:10 - Simon Magus - the sorcerer.
b. Act 13:6-11 - Bar-Jesus of Cyprus.
2. v6-8 - The times of world trials.
a. The Romans threatened to invade Palestine 3 times.
b. Major earthquakes happened in Crete (46 AD), Phrygia (60 AD) & Pompeii (63 AD).
c. In 79 Ad Pompeii was completely destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.
d. Thousands starved in & around Rome from famine in the 60s.
3. v9-12 - The times of specific trials for the church.
a. The death of Stephen in Acts 7.
b. The death of James in Acts 12.
c. v9 - Being hated by all nations (the civilized world) came about through the persecutions of Nero (64-67 AD) & Vespasian (68-75 AD).
4. But how about the gospel being “preached in the whole world”? - v13-14
a. Col 1:23 - This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven . . .
b. So by 63 AD, Paul claimed that the gospel had been preached to the whole civilized world of his day!
C. The Specific Signs leading up to this event.
1. v15 - What is the “Abomination that causes desolation”?
a. ILL: Antiochus IV of Syria offered pigs on the altar.
b. This was prophesied in Dan 11:31 - His armed forces will rise up to dese- crate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation.
c. When General Titus invaded Jerusalem in 70 AD the Zealots used the Temple as a fortress & 8500 people were massacred in the Temple courts!
2. When Christians saw what was happening in the Temple, they remembered the Lord’s words here & fled to Pella in the Perean mountains!
D. v21-22 - The Great Destruction of Israel.
1. v21 - The Jews were completely wiped out as a nation.
2. v22 - If God had not shortened the length of time of the invasion everyone in the country would have been killed!
II. v23-31 - Second Question: What Will Be the Sign of Your Coming?
A. What are the only things Lord Jesus wants you to know about when He comes again?
1. v36 - The Lord Himself didn’t know the time He would return!
2. v23-26 - Before that time some will claim to be the Christ or to be prophets.
3. v27-29 - The Second Coming will be obvious! The sky will light up like lightening & His coming will be immediate & sudden.
4. v30 - The disobedient & the unfaithful will mourn.
5. v31 - The obedient will be gathered together to be with Him!
B. What is the only essential thing that you need to know? v13 - . . . but he who stands firm to the end will be saved!
So - will you be ready?
He could come today!
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