Things to Come (Luke 21:7-38, Jeff Kliewer)

Well if we did but unfortunately time prohibits that from happening so much of the references come from Daniel Also, we could read

Isaiah Ezekiel. There would be a lot of background material to what Jesus draws on in Luke 21

The widow comes with her offering in verses 1 to 4 and then what follows in verses 5 through 38 is

The second broadest teaching of Jesus in the entire New Testament So you have the

Sermon on the Mount Matthew chapter 5 through 7 and this the the Olivet Discourse is a

Long extended teaching from Jesus and it's about the second coming Before we get into that.

I just wanted to mention something many of you have heard the news Yesterday, maybe you saw on Facebook that Nabeel Qureshi passed away.

He has been battling stomach cancer and Yesterday he went home to be with the

Lord. We will remember his Family, he has a two -year -old daughter. He was only 34 years old

David Wood was the the man who led him to Christ and David has been here with us and he'll be back

Probably in a couple weeks unless things have changed But we need to be praying for him praying. I mean for for David and for the family and We need to think about this that Nabeel Qureshi only knew the

Lord for about 10 years He grew up Muslim and through the preaching of the gospel got saved

Around I think around age 24 and he was gone at age 34 He had one decade of ministry and in that time

He wrote three monumental books that have won many many thousands of Muslims to Christ God used him in a powerful way and as we were standing out there, you know

Just the time when Nabeel was passing we were out in a field in Mount Laurel preaching the gospel sharing the gospel we shared with Mormons and atheists and People of a secular humanist kind of background but after that that Festival was over we stood in a circle and we held hands and we just prayed that the seed which was sown at that time

Would bear fruit would grow and that some would come to know Christ in God's timing as he makes that seed grow

And you know after a day on on the field like that you think now that's how I should be spending my time

And as I think about Nabeel's life only ten years and how many years does each of us have if You come to know

Christ at a later time in your life. You don't have many years of serving him But even if you're younger we don't know the day of our death and You know today we're reading about end times and sometimes it can be almost academic often

You'll hear a lot of debating. Is there gonna be a pre -trib or a post -trib rapture? Will the millennial millennium be something to come in the future or is there no millennium?

And many people will will debate these things and spend a lot of time in theological debate But one of the things

I don't want us to miss this morning is that Jesus spends this time Pointing to the signs of the times for a very practical reason

That we would live With the idea with the knowledge that the return of Christ is imminent

The rapture of the church could be today and do you want to go stand before him?

regretting the last ten years of your life Or do you want to stand there?

Fully confident and excited that the years of your life that the short time

That you had on this planet Was devoted to him and his kingdom. That's how

I want to go. Now. I don't know how many years I have left but what this text does for us is it reminds us of the shortness of time and It points us to the coming of Christ So let's get to that.

It's Luke chapter 21 We left off last week at verse 6

Let's read it And they asked him teacher When will these things be and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?

And he said see that you are not led astray for many will come in my name saying I am he And the time is at hand do not go after them

And when you hear of wars and tumults do not be terrified for these things must first take place

But the end will not be at once Then he said to them nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom there will be great earthquakes and in various places famines and pestilences and There will be terrors and great signs from heaven

But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you Delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake

This will be your opportunity to bear witness Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer for I will give you a mouth and Wisdom which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict

You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends and some of you they will put to death

You will be hated by all for my name's sake but not a hair of your head will perish

By your endurance you will gain your lives But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies then know that its desolation has come near Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains and let those who are inside the city depart and let not those who are

Out in the country enter it for these are days of vengeance to fulfill all that is written

Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days for there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people

They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the

Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled and There will be signs in Sun and Moon and stars and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves

People fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world for the powers of the heavens will be shaken and then

They will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory now when these things begin to take place straighten up and Raise your heads because your redemption is drawing near and he told them a parable

Look at the fig tree and all the trees as soon as they come out and leaf You see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near So also when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near Truly I say to you this generation will not pass away

Until all has taken place heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away but watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and Cares of this life and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap

For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth But stay awake at all times praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to stand

Before the Son of Man and every day he was teaching in the temple But at night he went out lodged at the

Mount called Olivet and early in the morning All the people came to him in the temple to hear him

This passage is largely about the coming destruction of Jerusalem Jesus is speaking these words probably around 33

AD and The temple will be destroyed in the year 70 AD along with the entire city of Jerusalem So therefore

Jesus speaking these words ahead of time is actually prophesying He is speaking about the future things to come which have not yet happened

But he doesn't stop by telling what would happen in 70 AD. He enlarges the conversation

In fact, if you were to look to Matthew 24 3 There's a parallel text there.

The Olivet discourse is also recorded in Matthew 24 and the question in verse 3 concerns the end of the age

Not just the end of the temple so there's a broader context here that Jesus addresses

Our redemption is drawing near The return of the Israelites to the promised land indicates that the times of the

Gentiles is nearing fulfillment in 70 AD The temple was ruined

Jerusalem was destroyed and the Israelites were scattered diaspora to the ends of the world into all the nations

But not long ago in 1948 Israel was reestablished as a nation and In 1967 they took more of Jerusalem in the

Temple Mount and were reestablished in the land Much of what we read today in this text concerns

Israel and the temple but the broader picture is that these are signs of the return of Jesus Christ The signs that we look at there's seven of them in this passage that we'll go through They're not prophecies that are being fulfilled as In this hurricane

Irma or Harvey means that Jesus is coming back this year Irma is not a fulfillment of a prophecy

These are however signs of the times Jesus said to the people he said look you can look at the weather

In fact, we've gotten even better at it now right weeks out. We can see a hurricane is coming You can look at the weather and see when a storm is drawing near But why are you so dense that you cannot discern the signs of the times

These signs are not prophecies, but they're indicators of the time in which we live and here's what

I can say with certainty Every day that passes is one day closer to the return of the king

Every time you see a sign Don't be like 2nd Peter chapter 3 the scoffers that come especially in the end times

Which is probably the day in which we're living you hear many people saying where is the promise of his coming?

Everything goes on the way it always has from the beginning of time 2 ,000 years have passed since Jesus made these promises and look, where's the promise of his coming?

That's what the scoffers say and And Peter reminds us that for the day for the

Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day But we are to be alert and Watching for his coming and with each passing day to recognize that these signs are in fact pointing to the return of the king

So let's get into them in verse 5 Some of the people are noticing the temple how glorious it is and how it's adorned with gold and it's amazing

This temple is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world It is a sight to behold and the people notice it in verse 6

Jesus says as for these things that you see the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another

This temple it's temporary it will be destroyed and Notice he says not one stone left upon another in 70

AD when the Roman Empire led by Nero Surrounded Jerusalem. They enclosed the temple and they literally cast every stone down in Fact because it was overlaid with gold they tumbled every stone to scrape the gold off So there was not a stone left on the temple mount on the platform on Which the temple stood to this day beneath the platform, there's a pile of giant stones a

Testimony to the words of Jesus you can go visit there. You can pray at the wailing wall.

You can touch these stones The prophecy came true in 70 AD Verse 7 though.

They wanted to know this is yet future for his listeners So they say when will these things be and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?

Now the answer Jesus gives beginning in verse 8 is not so much Chronological like you have to tick off each box and then we're done rather I think he starts with the most important thing and he orders these signs by importance

All of them being important, but there is some chronology But here he goes straight away to something that will happen throughout false

Christ Verse 8 and this is the first sign See that you are not led astray

For many will come in my name saying I am he and The time is at hand

Do not go after them This is a sign of the times and We all know about Sun Yung Moon, and there's a guy out in Hawaii right now proclaiming proclaiming himself the

Christ There's been many Christ figures in fact the North Korean King although not identifying in the stream of Judaism considers himself a

God a Christ figure he's worshipped in his land and across the world there are false teachers who exalt themselves as The one to follow do not go after them

There's only one Christ There's only one way of salvation There's only one

Lord one faith one baptism one God who is overall To whom we belong when we put our faith in Jesus Christ the one true

Messiah the second sign verse 9 and when you hear of Wars and tumults do not be terrified for these things must first take place

But the end will not be at once if you study history

You will see that the story of history is really one war after another from the time of Christ When the king of peace came and the

Jews expected the Messiah To set up his kingdom and reign in Jerusalem and bring peace to the world

Their act their expectation was precisely the opposite of what has unfolded Because the king of peace came to reconcile and make peace between God and man those who would trust in him

But he did not bring peace on earth One war after another one tumult after another these are to be expected

If you're into studying prophecy and looking at history, maybe you guys like reading current events

Go home and read up on just about any country in the world today or any region of the world There are wars going on to this day

Wars across the world tumults these are signs that the king of peace has not yet set his foot on the

Mount of Olives and Split that mountain according to Zechariah and set up his kingdom to rule and reign in a thousand -year kingdom of peace

That time is yet to come but the wars we see should be signals to us signposts

That Christ is coming But notice something interesting at the next verse the third sign something that wasn't possible in 70

AD Because armies couldn't cross oceans In North America couldn't get involved in a battle in Europe or Japan In verse 9 it says and When you hear of wars and tumults do not be terrified for these must first take place

But the end will not be at once. So this is sort of an ongoing reality war but notice the next sign which should really straighten you up it says in verse 10 and Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom world war

Grand scale war. Do you realize that in World War 2? 84 million people died 29 million of those were on the battlefield and 25 million of those were in concentration camps plus the civilians who died 82 million people a war between kingdoms

The United States of America involved overseas the world at war

These are signs of the times keep going verse 11 and there will be great earthquakes and In various places famines and pestilences and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven

We have missionaries that have come out from this church and gone off to Japan They serve in a part of Japan that was wrecked by an earthquake they're there putting together the pieces and preaching

Christ But the number of earthquakes and the devastating earthquakes the tsunami that was originated from an earthquake under the sea that wrecked

Southeast Asia Devastating earthquake in Iran Many earthquakes have increased in intensity and the number of people who have died has been increasing in recent years

Earthquakes as a sign of the times in various places. They're spread out around the world

Famines and pestilences There will be terrors makes you wonder if modern -day terrorism is in view with this

And great signs from heaven probably in the context here that refers to looking up so storms hurricanes massive

Tumults in the skies that reap devastation on earth Signs of the times verse 12 and following Notice the but here which sets us apart as something that they need to take special notice of here

Jesus Will talk about the persecution that will come on the early believers mostly from the synagogue

So he's preparing his disciples for that period between 33 and 70 AD Once the

Jewish people are in diaspora. The threat is no longer from the Jewish synagogue

It now becomes from the Roman Empire itself So you have that in view where Jesus is preparing them for persecution from the

Jewish people But it's broader than that because this teaching is looking to end times as well.

So we also need to learn from this Persecution for the name of Jesus particularly verse 12 and following But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you

Delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake

This will be your opportunity to witness to bear witness Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer for I will give you a mouth and wisdom

Which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict in persecution you will speak with greater boldness and With greater clarity as the

Holy Spirit comes upon you and gives you the words to say You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends

Nabeel Qureshi talks about the most painful day of his life it was when he had to tell his parents that he had departed

Islam and Come to trust in Christ There was a breaking in his family because of that and fortunately at the end his father and mother came around him

But today if you live in the Middle East If you live in Pakistan or Saudi Arabia and you come to believe that Jesus is the

Christ It will be members of your own family Who line up first to hand you over to the authorities?

To disown you and separate you or maybe even deliver you up for death

It's a reality around this world and it's exactly what Jesus prophesied even Your own parents and brothers and relatives and friends and Some of you they will put to death now mark that you will be put to death

You will be hated by all for my name's sake and then he says in verse 18, but not a hair of your head will perish

How do you get put to death when not even a hair of your head will perish? By believing in the one who calls himself the resurrection in the life

That though they kill the body. They can't touch the soul That will raise you up that you will spend eternity with him in heaven

They cannot touch your soul by your endurance. You will gain your lives as you hold on to your confession of Christ Because Jude 24 and 25 teach us it's actually

Christ holding on to you. He's able to keep you. He has a keeping power You hold on to Christ even in death you live

What about in America? The persecutions a little different They won't send you to prison camp they'll send you to sensitivity training diversity school and They'll tell you this is tolerance

Not simply that you tolerate the worldview beliefs and religions of other people, but that you embrace and even celebrate them

That's the worldview of postmodern America Tolerance is more than just coexisting and being kind to others.

No, you also must agree and Embrace their worldview now.

Listen guys That is insane That is insanity

How can I embrace and celebrate? surah 4 157 and the

Quran that says it is supposed that Jesus was crucified But really they crucified him not it only appeared that way to them when my

Bible tells me they crucified my Savior and He rose from the dead

You see Postmodern America has thrown even logic and rationalism out the window.

It's a post truth culture We used to have a view that truth corresponds to a reality that's outside of itself

Now truth is only in the eye of the beholder, it's privatized its individual

It's what you believe and if you believe it that makes it true for you. And that's why you can never disagree or Consider your view to be true not only for yourself, but other people because this culture has not only rejected

Christ It's rejected the very idea of truth This is the reality in which we live and you will be persecuted

Not if you say you're a Christian Not if you say that you love Jesus You will have smooth sailing as long as you keep your religion to yourself

But sit in the school lunchroom and Tell your friend that unless he repents of his sin

He will die in his sin and there's only one remedy to sin and that is the precious blood of Jesus Christ Not corruptible like silver or gold but more valuable and that the blood alone can wash away your sin

You'll be called in to the principal's office for preaching that way You'll be talking to your boss at work

You'll be sitting in sensitivity training The persecution looks a little different In America, but I'm not convinced it won't progress the way of Rome Who's to say that it won't get physical?

There's already people who have been locked up for preaching the exclusivity of Jesus Christ in Canada it's farther along than it is here in Europe.

It's farther along than Canada. Who's to say what's to come? All I know is Christ is

Lord and I'm willing To preach Christ and him crucified to all people because it's good news and it's a good message

Come what may? Don't let the culture shame you into silence

Because the very thing that this culture needs is the message of Jesus Christ bear witness even in the face of persecution even when you'll be laughed at and And looked at as being intolerant and bigoted

It's not true. The truth is the way the truth the life Jesus Christ That's what we're exhorted to in this text and listen guys.

This is a sign of the times Christians even in a supposedly Christian country

Are now labeled as intolerant simply for believing the words of Jesus the

Christ Let's keep reading Chapter 21 verse 20 the next sign of the times

But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies then know that its desolation has come near then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains and let those who are inside the city depart and Let not those who are out in the country enter it

For these are days of vengeance to fulfill all that is written Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days

For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the

Gentiles Until the time of the Gentiles are fulfilled Jesus was a prophet

More than a prophet. He was a priest a king. He's the Son of God, but here he's speaking as a prophet

In 33 AD. He's saying this beautiful temple Will be destroyed not a stone will be left upon another this great city the city of God the city of David Jerusalem It's going to be surrounded by Gentiles and listen when it's given over to destruction

Get out of there Go Flee it's been given over in 770

AD the Roman Empire comes around and it crushes the city and it sends the people out into the nations

Look at verse 24. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations

Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles the Roman Empire Nero Until the times of the

Gentiles are fulfilled so we look at history we know These things happened.

It's a matter of historical fact that they happened and The dating of Luke I think is is definitely 65 or earlier.

So this is prophetic Jesus said it ahead of time. He called the shot and it happened

But listen He goes on to say that this diaspora this trampling underfoot will last until the times of the

Gentiles are complete What does that mean Well, this is why we need to go read the entire book of Daniel if we did we get to the ninth chapter verses 24 to 27 where it says 77s are decreed for God's people the

Jews to finish the transgression to seal up prophecy to make an end of sin and he says know this

That from the going forth of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the

Prince there will be 77s after 69 sevens, the

Messiah will be cut off and have nothing and Then appears the Antichrist for this final seven years

Read it for yourself later in Daniel 9 24 to 27. Here's what I'm telling you 77s refers to 490 years 70

Periods of seven years each From the going forth of the decree to restore and build

Jerusalem that refers to when Israel is in bondage they're in exile in Persia and The king

Artaxerxes gives a command in 444 BC to go restore and rebuild

Jerusalem That starts the prophetic calendar the clock ticking 483 years 69 sevens until Messiah will be cut off those 483 years using the

Jewish calendar Aligns us at 33 AD Jesus is cut off and has nothing.

He's crucified. He rises and ascends to the Father There's one seven year period left to go

For your people the nation of Israel to finish the transgression to make an end of sin

Here's what happens in 33 AD the end of the world does not come

Rather God Mysteriously because it's not revealed in the Old Testament.

We learn this in Romans 9 to 11 There is a hardening of the Jewish people in part for a time until the fullness of the

Gentiles comes in This gospel is not only for Jew It turns out to be for Gentile also in other words for the whole world the gospel then goes to the ends of the earth missionaries go to Japan and China and all over the earth preaching the gospel

Matthew 24 14 until this gospel runs until and covers the entire earth the times of the

Gentiles are going on There's still a seven -year period left to come

Where the Antichrist is revealed where the Jewish people are again in the picture.

They're they're the center of things Here's where I'm going with all this guys in 1948 miracle of miracles a

Nation that had been crushed and destroyed in 70 AD was reborn in a day

May 14th 1948 the United Nations the people of the world the world leaders signed a paper

Bringing Israel back into existence. Isaiah 66 verse 8 has this ever happened before a nation born in a day?

This is a sign of the times the time of the Gentiles is coming to an end Israel has been regathered in the promised land in 1967 they reunify the city they take control 50 years ago this year

Israel is back in the land The stage is set for the last seven years because when you go and read the book of Revelation You learn about the last seven years to come the things to come a seven -year period of tribulation on the earth

That's coming Now we live in a time when nothing stops it from happening if Jesus were to rapture the church today

The temple could be rebuilt within a year The Antichrist could set up the abomination of desolation spoken of in the book of Daniel and Matthew 24 in the temple

There's nothing that keeps Jesus Jesus from coming back the prophecies have been fulfilled the signs are there

So this is what it's saying in verse 24 until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled

It's time it's coming very soon the last seven years verse 25 and There will be signs and Sun and Moon and stars and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity

Because of the roaring of the sea and the waves people fainting with fear and With foreboding of what is coming on the world for the powers of the heavens will be shaken

That is a picture of the last seven years of this earth When everything comes undone

You see we've seen earthquakes But Revelation describes an earthquake that shakes the earth like a drunken man shaking

We've seen war but the Red Horse that rides in and Revelation chapter 6 is unrestrained we've only seen a restrained version of war and following war

There's famine and following famine. There's pestilence unrestrained disasters that kill one -fourth of the mankind

In a day Unrestrained Havoc on earth a final seven -year period that is to come

Until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled You notice that people are scared

There's a lot of people talking about global warming and Because the globe is getting warmer

Therefore the hurricanes are getting stronger. The ice caps are melting Nations will be flooded

There'll be a shortage of food because population has expanded so much The first billion people

I think was reached by 1850 And now we're up to 7 billion

Famines Pestilences people are afraid The hurricanes sir do seem stronger don't they and more frequent the disasters listen

These are the birth pangs When a woman goes to give birth

Before the child is born there are pangs that increase in frequency and intensity

But the birth has not happened yet The tribulation is described in verses 25 and 26 this final seven years

That deals with the Jewish people now their hearts will be softened 144 ,000 Jews going out preaching the gospel during that time that's coming

Verse 25 and 26 that's coming and at the end of that seven -year period look at verse 27 here's the final sign here's the great sign and Then they will see the

Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory

Behold he comes that's Daniel 713 was promised in the book of Daniel The Son of Man appears he comes to earth he sets up his kingdom and he makes everything right for a thousand years a

Thousand years living in this world on this planet The way things were originally designed to be in the

Garden of Eden where a lion can lay down next to a lamb and a little child can play with the Cobra a

Thousand years of a millennial kingdom with Christ in Jerusalem and Us on this planet

He's coming Now when you see these things begin to take place the birth pangs verse 28

Straighten up raise your heads because your redemption is drawing near He tells a parable of the fig tree, but notice in verse 29, and it's all the trees

So the fig tree isn't specifically about Israel This is about all the trees when you notice springtime

The the trees begin to bud you know the summer is almost here in the same way when you see all these things

The natural disasters the war is becoming global and world wars When you see the signs of the times notice your redemption is drawing near and Truly when these last signs appear that generation will not pass away until all has taken place

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away

Jesus Christ foretold the signs of the times He said that the world would go the way it has

We should not be caught off guard by this. We should not be surprised Rather here's the application.

We always try to close with an application The application comes from the text itself all these indicatives all these things that were taught now

We get some imperatives what we're to do and so the application is verses 34 and following Watch yourself

Lest your heart be weighed down with dissipation with with all kinds of sin. Are you getting entangled in sin and Drunkenness and cares of this life worldliness.

Are you so tied to what's happening in this world? That you're afraid all the time because you're so tied to this world and That day come upon you suddenly like a trap.

No We want to be looking for his coming watching for it Watching our lives and living for that coming keep going

It says for it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth, but stay awake at all times

Praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to stand before the

Son of Man You see whether we have 10 years to minister 20

For some of you young guys, hopefully 70 80 It's not long and it could be shorter than that because the coming of Christ the signs are there

It could be today. It could be this week Be careful, then how you live

Don't waste your life. What will you do today that has eternal consequence? Bear witness

Be bold don't worry about what the world says and the persecution that will come preach the gospel

Go forth with boldness Jesus taught these things in the temple at night

He was lodging in the Mount of Olives early in the morning. All the people came to him in the temple to hear him

Here we are two thousand years later. Do you hear him? Do you believe him?

Heaven and earth will pass away, but these words will not pass away. Let's close in prayer

Jesus we thank you for the Olivet discourse We thank you that you are

God and so you hold this world in your hands And though the world is terrified right now by all the terrorism and the disasters

The dangers on the left and on the right You keep us at perfect.

Peace You foretold these things and you are in control and Jesus we are not tied to this world.

We're not weighed down with cares of this world and drunkenness and Dissipation entangled in sin.

No Lord this morning. We ask that you would set us free entirely of those things We look for your coming and we live for your coming and until you come we preach the name of Jesus There's no other

Christ No other teacher that's worthy of our ears and our devotion no

Lord Jesus you alone are God We follow you

This morning we are watching for your coming and you've made us alert to these things

Help us to notice the signs of the times so that we would be awake for the purpose of prayer

I picture those disciples falling asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane at that last hour

Not us Lord by your spirit awaken us and quicken us that every day would be lived for your glory

That we would pass out tracks every day That we would pray for our co -workers and yes that we would be so bold as to preach

Christ in our schools and in our workplaces In our neighborhoods and at sporting events