Luke 21:25-38 “The Olivet Discourse: Part #2 / ‘Why Does Jerusalem Play Such A Central Role In the World & In God’s Plans?’ ”

By

Jim Bomkamp

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1. INTRO:

1.1. In our last study, we looked at chapter 21 verses 1 through 24.

1.1.1. Jesus first of all commended a poor widow for her giving.

1.1.2. Then, prompted by a question from His disciples Jesus began to tell them how to know when the end times were occurring and the things that they should do at that time.

1.2. In our study today, we are going to look at verses 25-38 of chapter 21.

1.2.1. In our previous study, we noted that this chapter 21 of Luke corresponds to Matthew chapter 24 and Mark 13, and that these chapters contain Jesus’ teaching as given upon the Mount of Olives, and thus, that this teaching has been called “The Olivet Discourse.”

1.2.2. We noted also that aside from the book of Revelation which is one big prophetic revelation that this Olivet Discourse is the largest section of prophetic scripture in the New Testament.

1.2.3. From Matt. 24:3, and Matthew’s record of this teaching, we can surmise that the questions that the disciples were asking Jesus on this day were a little larger than what Luke records and consisted of (This also explains why Jesus answer to Luke covers a question that is larger than the disciple’s questions):

1.2.3.1. “When will these things be?”

1.2.3.2. “What will be the sign of your coming?”

1.2.3.3. “What will be the sign of the end of the age?”

1.2.4. We observed also that being from the pre-millennial camp in interpreting the scripture we see that there are really two differing events being covered by Jesus in this discourse: the 70 AD destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Romans, and Jesus’ Second Advent, or Coming. As to where we draw the line and say that these verses refer to the 70 AD destruction and then that these later verses refer to the Second Advent, is something that good commentators debate.

1.2.5. I mentioned that my belief is that the 70 AD destruction is a near and partial fulfillment of this discourse and that the Second Advent of Christ is the far and complete fulfillment of it. I would add to this the fact that at the very least from verse 25 through the end of the chapter that Jesus has to be referring to His Second Advent.

1.2.6. We saw in the last study that Jesus foretold that before the 70 AD destruction of Jerusalem as well as before the Second Advent that there would be many signs that would occur, including: wars, rumors of wars, nation fighting against nation, (terrorism), kingdom fighting against kingdom, famines, plagues, earthquakes (all manner of natural catastrophies), signs in the heavens, false Christ’s, and persecutions. We saw that many of these things happened prior to the 70 AD destruction of Jerusalem. We have also seen all of these signs occurring in our lifetime, and occurring with increasing frequency and intensity, which leads us to conclude that today we must be very close to Jesus’ Second Advent.

1.2.6.1. Quoting from my previous study of several years ago in Matthew 24, here are corroborating (though dated) facts that indicate that these signs in this discourse have been increasing at an exponential rate in the past 80 or more years:

A few years ago I accumulated these facts concerning the exponential rise in the incidence of earthquakes and other catastrophes that have occurring upon the earth, “There have been many studies done of the exponential increase of, per the Richter scale, magnitude 6.0+ killer earthquakes upon the earth in the last 30 years. In 1994, the US Geological Survey put out a report about the frequency of these 6.0+ killer earthquakes. They said that from 1890 to 1899, there was one magnitude 6.0 earthquake. From 1900 to 1910, there were 3. From 1910-1920 there were 2. From 1920-1930, there were 2. From 1930 to 1940, there were 5. From 1940 to 1950, there were 4. From 1950 to 1960, there were 9. From 1960 to 1970, there were 13. From 1970 to 1979, there were 51. From 1980 to 1989, there were 86. From 1990 to 1994, there had already been over 100 of them.,, Likewise, there has been an exponential increase of all natural catastrophes upon the earth in the last 30 years. Floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, famines, etc. have been on an exponential increase.”

A few years ago I compiled this list from various sources of the exponential rise of the incidence of famines occurring in our world, “It is a fact though, that there is massive famine that has been occurring in our world to an increasing degree the last 30 years or so. A decade or two ago, we saw the massive famines in Ethiopia, and since then there have been other famines in some of the African nations. Today, at least half of the world will go to bed hungry each night, for at least half of the world is currently living in a malnourished condition. 10,000 people die every day from malnutrition in our world. One half of the children of the world are so undernourished today that their physical and mental growth is retarded. The average American dog has a higher protein diet than most of the peoples of the world. While we sit down to dinner tonight, 400 people will starve to death…

The present loss of fertile land to desert that has been happening at an alarming frequency the past 100 years or so will aid in this catastrophic famine that is to occur all over the world. It is estimated that each year, due to the process of erosion, deforestation, and desert expansion, an area approx. the size of the state of Maine is consumed in desert. Another factor that adds to the increase of land given over to desert each year is the fact that today when many countries wage war, they will burn down all of the foliage in a land occupied by an enemy nation in order to better find and destroy them. There is also the commercial exploitation of the Amazon rain forest that is having disastrous ecological results. As the trees are cut down, the very arid topsoil is lost. This is also causing the destruction of many animal and plant species. It is expected that 2 million species of plants and animals will be lost in the next two decades alone. Many of the species that will be lost are essential for a correct ecological balance on the earth….

Another factor that will aid in this world-wide famine is that the world’s oceans are quickly becoming incapable of producing edible fish. The United Nations produced a study recently in which they stated that the world’s oceans have suffered irreparable damage. The pollution that has already been placed in the ocean is spreading by the minute and killing off what fisheries that presently remain. From the simple spreading of the damage that has already been done, there will one day be no life left in the ocean. The nations of the world have for years been dumping their sewage into the oceans. The United States is the worst offender. Each day we dump 450,000 tons of sewage into the ocean. Not only is there pollution from sewage, there is also major areas where nuclear waste is leaking into the oceans from sunken nuclear submarines and weapons.”

1.2.7. We ended up our last study with verses 20-24 of chapter 21 in which Jesus told His disciples that when they saw Jerusalem being surrounded by armies that they would know that these things were occurring, “²⁰ “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near. ²¹ “Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are in the midst of the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city; ²² because these are days of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled. ²³ “Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for there will be great distress upon the land and wrath to this people; ²⁴ and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”

1.2.8. I mentioned at that time that Jerusalem was the center of what was going on in 70 AD when that portion of this discourse was fulfilled, but that it will also be the focus when Jesus’ Second Advent occurs for at that time we read from the scriptures that armies will again be surrounding Jerusalem, only this time Zechariah chapter 12 tells us that these armies will be comprised from all of the nations. The 70 AD destruction was God’s judgment against Israel for rebelling against Him all throughout her years and for rejecting her Messiah, but when Christ returns it will be to deliver Israel His people who have recently returned to Him for salvation and recognized Jesus as their Messiah, as the armies of all of the nations of the world are joining together against Israel and against Christ in battle. It will be the Battle of Armageddon into which Christ will return.

1.2.9. In our last study, I promised that we would discuss the centrality of Jerusalem in God’s plans as revealed in the scripture and why Jerusalem has always been at the center of the world’s conflicts:

1.2.9.1. Background and history of the city of Jerusalem from the “New World Dictionary” :

Jerusalem is one of the world’s famous cities. Under that name, it dates from at least the 3rd millennium bc; and today is considered sacred by the adherents of the three great monotheistic faiths, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The city is set high in the hills of Judah, about 50 km from the Mediterranean, and over 30 km W of the N end of the Dead Sea. It rests on a none-too-level plateau, which slopes noticeably towards the SE. To the E lies the ridge of Olivet. Access to the city on all sides except the N is hampered by three deep ravines, which join in the Siloam Valley, near the well Bir Eyyub, SE of the city. The E valley is Kidron; the W is now called the Wadi al-Rababi, and is probably to be equated with the Valley of Hinnom; and the third cuts the city in half before it runs S, and slightly E, to meet the other two. This latter ravine is not mentioned or named in Scripture (although Maktesh, Zp. 1:11, may well have been the name of part of it), so it is usually referred to as the Tyropoeon Valley, i.e., the Valley of the Cheese-makers, after Josephus.

…Jerusalem is described in Is. 52:1 as the holy city, and to this day it often receives this title. The Heb. phrase is ˓îr haq-qōḏeš, literally ‘the city of holiness’. Probably the reason for this title was that Jerusalem contained the Temple, the shrine where God deigned to meet his people. Hence, the word qôḏeš came to mean ‘sanctuary’ as well as ‘holiness’. To Judaism, then, Jerusalem was the holy city without a rival. It was natural for Paul and John, seeing that the earthly city was far from perfect, to designate the place where God dwells in true holiness as ‘Jerusalem which is above’ (Gal. 4:26) and ‘new Jerusalem’ (Rev. 21:2).

…When the Israelites entered Canaan they found Jerusalem in the hands of an indigenous Semitic tribe, the Jebusites, ruled over by a king named Adoni-zedek. This ruler formed an alliance of kings against Joshua, who soundly defeated them; but Joshua did not take the city, owing, doubtless, to its natural strength of position. It remained in Jebusite hands, bearing the name Jebus. Comparing Jdg. 1:8 with Jdg. 1:21, it appears that Judah overcame the part of the city outside the fortress walls, and that Benjamin occupied this part, living peaceably alongside the Jebusites in the fortress.

This was the situation when David became king. His first capital was Hebron, but he soon saw the value of Jerusalem, and set about its capture. This was not only a tactical move but also a diplomatic one, for his use of a city on the Benjamin-Judah border would help to diminish the jealousy between the two tribes. The Jebusites felt confident of their safety behind the fortress walls, but David’s men used an unexpected mode of entry, and took the citadel by surprise (2 Sa. 5:6ff.). In this passage we meet a third name, ‘Zion’. This was probably the name of the hill on which the citadel stood; Vincent, however, thinks the name originally applied rather to the fortress building than to the ground it occupied.

Having taken the city, David improved the fortifications and built himself a palace; he also installed the ark in his new capital. Solomon carried the work of fortification further, but his great achievement was the construction of the Temple. After his death and the subsequent division of the kingdom, Jerusalem naturally declined somewhat, being now capital only of Judah. As early as the 5th year of Solomon’s successor, Rehoboam, the Temple and royal palace were plundered by Egyp. troops (1 Ki. 14:25f). Philistine and Arab marauders again plundered the palace in Jehoram’s reign. In Amaziah’s reign a quarrel with the king of the N kingdom, Jehoash, resulted in part of the city walls being broken down, and fresh looting of Temple and palace. Uzziah repaired this damage to the fortifications, so that in the reign of Ahaz the city was able to withstand the attacks of the combined armies of Syria and Israel. Soon after this the N kingdom fell to the Assyrians. Hezekiah of Judah had good reason to fear Assyria too, but Jerusalem providentially escaped. In case of siege, he made a conduit to improve the city’s water-supply.

Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon captured Jerusalem in 597 and in 587bc destroyed the city and Temple. At the end of that century the Jews, now under Persian rule, were allowed to return to their land and city, and they rebuilt the Temple, but the city walls remained in ruins until Nehemiah restored them in the middle of the 5th century bc. Alexander the Great ended the power of Persia at the end of the 4th century, and after his death his general Ptolemy, founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt, entered Jerusalem and included it in his realm. In 198 bc Palestine fell to Antiochus II, the Seleucid king of Syria. About 30 years later, Antiochus IV entered Jerusalem, destroying its walls and plundering and desecrating the Temple; and he installed a Syrian garrison in the city, on the Akra. Judas the Maccabee led a Jewish revolt, and in 165 bc the Temple was rededicated. He and his successors gradually won independence for Judaea, and the Hasmonaean dynasty ruled a free Jerusalem until the middle of the 1st century bc when Rome intervened. Roman generals forced their way into the city in 63 and 54; a Parthian army plundered it in 40; and 3 years after that Herod the Great had to fight his way into it, to take control. He first had to repair the damage created by these various incursions; then he launched a big building programme, erecting some notable towers. His most renowned work was the rebuilding of the Temple on a much grander scale, although this was not finished within his lifetime. One of his towers was Antonia, commanding the Temple area (it housed the Roman garrison which came to Paul’s aid. Acts 21:34).

The Jewish revolt against the Romans in ad 66 could have but one conclusion; in ad 70 the Roman general Titus systematically forced his way into Jerusalem, and destroyed the fortifications and the Temple. He left three towers standing; one of them, Phasael, still remains, incorporated in the so-called ‘Tower of David’. But further disaster awaited the Jews: another revolt in ad 132 led to the rebuilding of Jerusalem (on a much smaller scale) as a pagan city, dedicated to Jupiter Capitolinus, from which all Jews were excluded. This was the work of the emperor Hadrian; he called the newly constructed city Aelia Capitolina (the name even found its way into Arabic, as Iliya). It was not until the reign of Constantine (early 4th century) that the Jews were again permitted to enter the city. From his reign on, the city became Christian instead of pagan, and many churches and monasteries were built, notably the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Jerusalem has suffered many vicissitudes since the 2nd century, and has been captured and held at various times by Persian, Arab, Turkish, Crusader, British and Israeli troops and administrations. The most important building developments in the Old City (as opposed to the rapidly growing modern suburbs) were due to the early Muslims, the Crusaders and finally the Turkish sultan Suleiman the Magnificent who in 1542 rebuilt the city walls as they can be seen today. The Israelis give the city its ancient Heb. name, yƒrûšālayim; the Arabs usually call it al-Quds (al-Sharîf), ‘the (noble) Sanctuary’.

1.2.9.2. The city’s centrality is seen in that “Jerusalem” occurs 816 times in our Bibles, over 700 times of which are in the Old Testament. Jerusalem is mentioned 2259 times in the Bible Knowledge Commentary.

1.2.9.3. Jerusalem has seen more conflict than any other city as brought out by Paul Lee Tan who has written, “Ancient Jerusalem lies buried from thirty to one hundred feet below the level of the present city. Jerusalem has been besieged forty-six times. It has been completely razed to the ground seventeen times!””

1.2.9.4. The following shows who ruled over Jerusalem since 1004BC:

DIVINE COMMONWEALTH    1004 TO   597 BC
BABYLONIAN CONQUEST       597 TO   538 BC
THE PERSIAN PERIOD        539 BC - 332 BC
THE HELLENISTIC PERIOD    332 BC - 168 BC
MACCABEES                 168 TO   143 BC
HASHMONIANS (ROMANS)      143 TO    70 AD
ROMANS AND BYZANTINE)      70 TO   637 AD
MOSLEM                    637 TO  1072 AD
CRUSADERS                1072 TO  1291 AD
MAMELUKES                1291 TO 1516 AD
OTTOMANS (TURKEY)        1516 TO 1918 AD
BRITISH MANDATE 1918 TO 1948 AD
JEWISH RULE              1948 TO

1.2.9.5. Only one country has ever made Jerusalem its capital, and that is Israel. The 1964 PLO charter makes no mention of Jerusalem. Jerusalem wasn’t important to Islamists until June 6, 1967, when it was reunited under Israeli control. Mohammed died in 632 AD and he never visited Jerusalem. Jerusalem is not mentioned in the Koran. While he was alive Jerusalem was a Christian city with the Byzantine empire. Caliph Omar captured Jerusalem in 638 AD. During all this time, only churches existed in Jerusalem and a church stood on the Temple Mount, called The Church Of St Mary Of Justinian.

1.2.9.6. Jerusalem is the only city which has been proposed to be an international city, and Israel is the only country which the U.N. will not let pick its own city of its choosing to be its capital.

1.2.9.7. Soon after the birth of the State of Israel in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly decided that Jerusalem was to be internationalized. This was violently opposed by Jews everywhere. In December 1949, the UN’s Special Political Committee reiterated this decision, saying that “Jerusalem should be placed under a permanent international regime … administered by the United Nations.” Moreover, it shall include “the present municipality of Jerusalem, plus the surrounding villages and towns, the most southern being Bethlehem, the most western Ein Karem, and the most northern Shufat”—embracing an area of approximately 70 square miles. But both Israel and Jordan declared that they would oppose the implementation of the UN decision, by force if necessary.

1.2.9.8. Those in the religion of Islam have determined that they shall never allow Israel to exist as a nation:

1.2.9.8.1. Former Pakistani Prime Minister Ali Bhutto, chairing the Second Islamic Summit Conference, said that there is no doubt or division in Muslim ranks on the issue of Jerusalem. “Let me make it clear from this platform,” he declared, “that any agreement, any protocol, any understanding which postulates the continuance of Israeli occupation of the Holy City or the transfer of the Holy City to any non-Muslim or non-Arab sovereignty will not be worth the paper it is written on.”

1.2.9.8.2. The PLO's Charter still calls for the destruction of the State of Israel and no Arab map shows the nation of Israel on it, only Palestine. Israel has given the Palestinians most of the West Bank land. Autonomy under the Palestinian Authority has supplied them with weapons.

1.2.9.8.3. One big lie that is often being told today is that if the PLO just were given sovereignty and more land they could have peace with Israel. However, the PLO will not be satisfied being granted sovereignty and more land because the issue with them has always been about the “existence” of Israel.

1.2.9.9. The nation of Israel has been persecuted by every nation and she has endured continual conflict. The U.N. Record on Israel and the Arabs: Of the 175 Security Council resolutions passed before 1990, 97 were directed against Israel. Of the 690 General Assembly resolutions voted on before 1990, 429 were directed against Israel.

1.2.9.10. Why does all of this turmoil always center around Israel and why has she suffered at the hands of all of the nations? The reason has to do with the purpose of Jerusalem in God’s plans. The Lord has promised us that Jesus Christ will reign in Jerusalem, that the 12 apostles shall all sit upon thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel, and that all of God’s promises for His people in the future are dependent upon Jerusalem being central. Therefore, the Devil knows that if he can destroy Jerusalem, destroy Israel, or derail Jerusalem from being in the center of God’s plans that God’s promises to His people cannot be fulfilled. Thus, the Devil has been and will continue to try his best to destroy Jerusalem.

1.2.9.11. Below are 25 references from the Old Testament prophets where God promises Israel that He will re-gather them to Israel and give the land to them:

1.2.9.11.1. Isaiah 11:11-12, “ Then it will happen on that day that the Lord Will again recover the second time with His hand The remnant of His people, who will remain, From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, And from the islands of the sea. ¹² And He will lift up a standard for the nations And assemble the banished ones of Israel, And will gather the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth.”

1.2.9.11.2. Isaiah 14:1-3, “When the Lord will have compassion on Jacob and again choose Israel, and settle them in their own land, then strangers will join them and attach themselves to the house of Jacob. ² The peoples will take them along and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them as an inheritance in the land of the Lord as male servants and female servants; and they will take their captors captive and will rule over their oppressors. ³ And it will be in the day when the Lord gives you rest from your pain and turmoil and harsh service in which you have been enslaved.”

1.2.9.11.3. Isaiah 27:12-13, “¹² In that day the Lord will start His threshing from the flowing stream of the Euphrates to the brook of Egypt, and you will be gathered up one by one, O sons of Israel. ¹³ It will come about also in that day that a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were perishing in the land of Assyria and who were scattered in the land of Egypt will come and worship the Lord in the holy mountain at Jerusalem.”

1.2.9.11.4. Isaiah 43:1-7, “¹ But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! ² “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. ³ “For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have given Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in your place. ⁴ “Since you are precious in My sight, Since you are honored and I love you, I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life. ⁵ “Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, And gather you from the west. ⁶ “I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring My sons from afar And My daughters from the ends of the earth, ⁷ Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.””

1.2.9.11.5. Jeremiah 16:14-16, “¹⁴ “Therefore behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when it will no longer be said, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ ¹⁵ but, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries where He had banished them.’ For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers. ¹⁶ “Behold, I am going to send for many fishermen,” declares the Lord, “and they will fish for them; and afterwards I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain and every hill and from the clefts of the rocks.”

1.2.9.11.6. Jeremiah 23:3-8, “³ “Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply. ⁴ “I will also raise up shepherds over them and they will tend them; and they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord. ⁵ “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land. ⁶ “In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The Lord our righteousness.’ ⁷ “Therefore behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when they will no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ ⁸ but, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up and led back the descendants of the household of Israel from the north land and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ Then they will live on their own soil.””

1.2.9.11.7. Jeremiah 29:14,”¹⁴ ‘I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’”

1.2.9.11.8. Jeremiah 30:10, “¹⁰ ‘Fear not, O Jacob My servant,’ declares the Lord, ‘And do not be dismayed, O Israel; For behold, I will save you from afar And your offspring from the land of their captivity. And Jacob will return and will be quiet and at ease, And no one will make him afraid.”

1.2.9.11.9. Jeremiah 30:11, “¹¹ ‘For I am with you,’ declares the Lord, ‘to save you; For I will destroy completely all the nations where I have scattered you, Only I will not destroy you completely. But I will chasten you justly And will by no means leave you unpunished.’”

1.2.9.11.10. Jeremiah 31:8-10, “⁸ “Behold, I am bringing them from the north country, And I will gather them from the remote parts of the earth, Among them the blind and the lame, The woman with child and she who is in labor with child, together; A great company, they will return here. ⁹ “With weeping they will come, And by supplication I will lead them; I will make them walk by streams of waters, On a straight path in which they will not stumble; For I am a father to Israel, And Ephraim is My firstborn.” ¹⁰ Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, And declare in the coastlands afar off, And say, “He who scattered Israel will gather him And keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.””

1.2.9.11.11. Jeremiah 32:37, “³⁷ “Behold, I will gather them out of all the lands to which I have driven them in My anger, in My wrath and in great indignation; and I will bring them back to this place and make them dwell in safety.”

1.2.9.11.12. Jeremiah 32:38, “³⁸ “They shall be My people, and I will be their God.”

1.2.9.11.13. Ezekiel 11:17, “¹⁷ “Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries among which you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.” ’”

1.2.9.11.14. Ezekiel 20:34, “³⁴ “I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out.”

1.2.9.11.15. Ezekiel 20:41-42, “⁴¹ “As a soothing aroma I will accept you when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered; and I will prove Myself holy among you in the sight of the nations. ⁴² “And you will know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the land which I swore to give to your forefathers.”

1.2.9.11.16. Ezekiel 34:11-13, “¹¹ For thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. ¹² “As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. ¹³ “I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land.”

1.2.9.11.17. Ezekiel 36:24, “²⁴ “For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land.”

1.2.9.11.18. Ezekiel 36:28, “²⁸ “You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.”

1.2.9.11.19. Ezekiel 36:33-38, “³³ ‘Thus says the Lord God, “On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt. ³⁴ “The desolate land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by. ³⁵ “They will say, ‘This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.’ ³⁶ “Then the nations that are left round about you will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolate; I, the Lord, have spoken and will do it.” ³⁷ ‘Thus says the Lord God, “This also I will let the house of Israel ask Me to do for them: I will increase their men like a flock. ³⁸ “Like the flock for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so will the waste cities be filled with flocks of men. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”’ ””

1.2.9.11.20. Ezekiel 37:1-14, “¹ The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. ² He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry. ³ He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, You know.” ⁴ Again He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.’ ⁵ “Thus says the Lord God to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. ⁶ ‘I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the Lord.’ ” ⁷ So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. ⁸ And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. ⁹ Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.” ’ ” ¹⁰ So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. ¹¹ Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.’ ¹² “Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. ¹³ “Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people. ¹⁴ “I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and done it,” declares the Lord.’””

1.2.9.11.21. Ezekiel 37:21, “²¹ “Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land.”

1.2.9.11.22. Ezekiel 37:22, “²² and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations and no longer be divided into two kingdoms.”

1.2.9.11.23. Ezekiel 39:25-28, “²⁵ Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name. ²⁶ “They will forget their disgrace and all their treachery which they perpetrated against Me, when they live securely on their own land with no one to make them afraid. ²⁷ “When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies, then I shall be sanctified through them in the sight of the many nations. ²⁸ “Then they will know that I am the Lord their God because I made them go into exile among the nations, and then gathered them again to their own land; and I will leave none of them there any longer.”

1.2.9.11.24. Hosea 1:10, “¹⁰ Yet the number of the sons of Israel Will be like the sand of the sea, Which cannot be measured or numbered; And in the place Where it is said to them, “You are not My people,” It will be said to them, “You are the sons of the living God.””

1.2.9.11.25. Hosea 1:11, “¹¹ And the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel will be gathered together, And they will appoint for themselves one leader, And they will go up from the land, For great will be the day of Jezreel.”

1.2.9.11.26. Amos 9:14, “¹⁴ “Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, And they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them; They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, And make gardens and eat their fruit.”

1.2.9.11.27. Amos 9:15, “¹⁵ “I will also plant them on their land, And they will not again be rooted out from their land Which I have given them,” Says the Lord your God.”

1.2.9.11.28. Micah 4:4-7, “⁴ Each of them will sit under his vine And under his fig tree, With no one to make them afraid, For the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken. ⁵ Though all the peoples walk Each in the name of his god, As for us, we will walk In the name of the Lord our God forever and ever. ⁶ “In that day,” declares the Lord, “I will assemble the lame And gather the outcasts, Even those whom I have afflicted. ⁷ “I will make the lame a remnant And the outcasts a strong nation, And the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion From now on and forever.”

1.2.9.11.29. Zephaniah 3:18-20, “¹⁸ “I will gather those who grieve about the appointed feasts— They came from you, O Zion; The reproach of exile is a burden on them. ¹⁹ “Behold, I am going to deal at that time With all your oppressors, I will save the lame And gather the outcast, And I will turn their shame into praise and renown In all the earth. ²⁰ “At that time I will bring you in, Even at the time when I gather you together; Indeed, I will give you renown and praise Among all the peoples of the earth, When I restore your fortunes before your eyes,” Says the Lord.”

1.2.9.11.30. Zechariah 8:4-8, “⁴ “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Old men and old women will again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each man with his staff in his hand because of age. ⁵ ‘And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets.’ ⁶ “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘If it is too difficult in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, will it also be too difficult in My sight?’ declares the Lord of hosts. ⁷ “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; ⁸ and I will bring them back and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God in truth and righteousness.’”

1.2.10. Jesus will return to Jerusalem and establish His throne and kingdom from Jerusalem for Jerusalem is central in God’s plans for the future for His kingdom and for mankind.

2. VS 21:25-26 - “²⁵ “There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, ²⁶ men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” - Jesus tells His disciples that before that end time that there will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars and on earth dismay among nations

2.1. In these verses, we see that before Christ’s Second Advent that there will be signs in the heavens that will produce ‘dismay’ among the people on the earth.

2.2. The roaring of the sea and the waves may have a symbolic intent and refer to events occurring with people and leaders and nations in the world. However, the moon does affect the tides of the sea.

2.3. The cosmic events described here are so severe in nature that it says here that there will be ‘men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world.’

2.4. The severity of the reaction of people here as well as the fact that the events described here are coming upon ‘the world’ tell us that the event being described is the Second Advent of Christ. Beginning with these verses Jesus must not be referring to the 70 AD destruction of Jerusalem but of His Second Advent.

2.5. The following table shows the destruction that will occur with each of the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments during the 7 year tribulation of the book of Revelation:

During the 7 yr. Tribulation Period of the Book of Revelation the world will be battered under- (1) God’s divine judgments of the 7 seals, 7 trumpets, & 7 bowls; (2) Antichrist will issue absolute economic and political decrees which bring further woes; and (3) Satan and his emissaries will concentrate activities on earth (Rev. 12:12)			As the world begins to come apart, supernatural events will transpire worse than any ecologist’s nightmare. Acts of man and judgments from God will combine to cause- Stars to fall Planets to run off course Unnatural climate changes Food production largely wiped out Strange new epidemics spread Gigantic earthquakes level cities				And destructions to occur in other areas of human life- Economic systems collapse Moral standards cease to exist Social structures breakdown A super-church absorbs all religions Satanism, occultism, witchcraft Humanism and human knowledge increase Terrorism, fear destruction abound An unprecedented world war (Armageddon)
THE 3 SETS OF 7 JUDGMENTS OF THE 7YR. TRIBULATION IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION
SEVEN SEAL JUDGMENTS (Rev. 6)	FIRST	SECOND		THIRD	FOURTH	FIFTH		SIXTH	SEVENTH
	Rider on White Horse : The Antichrist	Rider on Red Horse: Wars, Threats, Terrorism		Rider on Black Horse: Famine and economic ruin	Rider on pale horse: Death and Hades	Martyred saints and more persecutions		Physical Disturbances, earthquakes	Silence; then, the 7 Trumpet Judgments occur
SEVEN TRUMPET JUDGMENTS (Rev. 8-9)	FIRST	SECOND		THIRD	FOURTH	FIFTH		SIXTH	SEVENTH
	1/3^rd Earth on fire; 1/3^rd Trees on fire; All grass burned	1/3^rd Sea Becomes Blood; 1/3^rd Ships sink; 1/3^rd Fish die		A falling star poisons 1/3^rd of all rivers and 1/3^rd of all fountains	1/3^rd sun darkened; 1/3^rd moon darkened; 1/3^rd stars darkened	Demonized locusts torture men 5 months		1/3^rd of mankind dies; 200 million men go from Asia to the Middle East	Huge earthquake and 7,000 die in Jerusalem
SEVEN BOWL JUDGMENTS (Rev. 16)	FIRST	SECOND		THIRD	FOURTH	FIFTH		SIXTH	SEVENTH
	Boils on followers of Antichrist	All sea becomes Blood; All fish die		All rivers are turned into blood	Sun scorches all mankind	Total darkeness covers earth		Euphrates River dries up; Asian kings go to Middleast for Battle of Armageddon	Earthquake topples all cities on earth; Babylon cited; Huge hail kills people

3. VS 21:27-28 - “²⁷ “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸ “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”” - Jesus tells His disciples that after these signs that they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory

3.1. In verse 27, Jesus is referring to the event of His Second Advent when He returns at the end of the 7 year Tribulation. This isn’t the rapture of the church that is occurring here, even though Jesus is coming on a cloud.

3.1.1. The rapture of the church will be a rather stealth and non-climactic event for the people who remain on the earth for Jesus shall secretly steal His people away and then life will go on as normal for the rest of the people who are alive on the earth.

3.1.2. Jesus says here that ‘they’ will see His appearing at that time and this refers to the people who are alive on the earth at that time when He returns at the end of the 7 year Tribulation.

3.2. When Jesus returns there will be people who are on the earth and who have come to know the Lord during the 7 year Tribulation and it is to these people that Jesus says to, ‘straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.’

4. VS 21:29-33 - “²⁹ Then He told them a parable: “Behold the fig tree and all the trees; ³⁰ as soon as they put forth leaves, you see it and know for yourselves that summer is now near. ³¹ “So you also, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near. ³² “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place. ³³ “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” - Jesus tells His disciples that when they see the fig tree put forth its leaves that that they know that summer is now near and in the same way that when they see these things happening that they should recognize that the Kingdom of God is near

4.1. In Israel in Jesus’ day, once a year the fig trees would put on new leaves. Whenever you saw the new leaves beginning to form on the fig trees in Israel then you could be sure that the seasons were changing and that the ‘summer is now near.’ Well, in the same way, Jesus says that when people see the signs that He has outlined happening that they should also be aware that ‘the kingdom of God is near.’

4.2. This phrase of Jesus, ‘this generation will not pass away until all things take place’ has been interpreted variously.

4.2.1. Those of the Amillennialist position look at this verse as saying that the generation that Jesus was currently living in during that day would see all of these things. They believe, you see, that all of the events refer to the 70 AD destruction of Jerusalem and that all of the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments of the book of Revelation occurred prior to 70 AD.

4.2.1.1. A major problem with this interpretation is the fact that the earth has never seen any kind of catastrophes near the degree of those mentioned by Jesus in this discourse (nor those in the book of Revelation for that matter).

4.2.2. This phrase most likely refers to the people who will be alive during the generation that is alive on the earth just before His Second Advent. That generation that sees these signs shall not pass away until they see the Lord’s return.

4.3. Jesus makes the very provocative statement here that, ‘Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.’ Jesus’ words are inspired and indestructible. Notice that it is the very “words” of Jesus that are inspired not just general theological and didactic concepts.

5. VS 21:34-36 - “³⁴ “Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; ³⁵ for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth. ³⁶ “But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”” - Jesus exhorts His disciples concerning the appearing of that day to be on their guard and not let their hearts be weighted down with dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life, and thus they become ensnared when that day comes

5.1. These sober truths relative to the end times and the return of Christ as judge must bring about a sober application in our lives. Knowing that Jesus can return at any moment for you and that you will have to at that time give account of every part of your life to the Lord ought to bring about the result of walking circumspect before the Lord trying to obey Him in all that He desires and requires of our lives.

5.2. So many times when we as people get our eyes off of the Lord and the hope that awaits us with Him in heaven, we can begin to get caught up in the acts of the flesh and begin to practice ‘dissipation and drunkenness.’

5.3. Likewise, when our eyes are only upon the material things of this life we can begin to get caught up in the ‘worries of life’ and concerns of this life. However, when we are keeping our eyes on the Lord and trying with all of our hearts to walk in a way that pleases Him, then we will trust the Lord with our problems and needs and not worry about this or that. Likewise, when our priorities are where they should be then we will never begin to follow worldly endeavors and grow cold in our relationship with the Lord.

6. VS 21:37-38 - “³⁷ Now during the day He was teaching in the temple, but at evening He would go out and spend the night on the mount that is called Olivet. ³⁸ And all the people would get up early in the morning to come to Him in the temple to listen to Him.” - Jesus was teaching in the temple by day and spending the night on the Mount of Olives and all of the people were coming early n the morning to listen to Him teach

6.1. Jesus had a popular following with the people in Jerusalem on this last week of His life. The people loved to come daily to hear Him teach and preach about the coming kingdom.

7. CONCLUSIONS:

7.1. Lets make a sober application of these sober truths to our lives. Lets be sure to avoid the temptations of this world to think worldly thoughts, get involved in worldly pursuits, and fulfill the lusts of our flesh. Instead, lets be wise and daily put our old man to death by faith and walk with the Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit.

7.2. Lets determine to always be ready each day in our hearts so that whether the Lord shall return in the early or the late watch He shall find us walking uprightly in faith and obedience to the Lord.

7.3. A final thought:

On April 14, 1865, just five days after the Civil War had ended, president Abraham Lincoln went to Ford’s theatre with his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln. She recalled his last words as they sat there:

He said he wanted to visit the Holy Land and see those places hallowed by the footprints of the Saviour. He was saying there was no city he so much desired to see as Jerusalem. And with the words half spoken on his tongue, the bullet of the assassin entered the brain, and the soul of the great and good President was carried by the angels to the New Jerusalem above.

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