Historical Background for Signs of the End of the World

1
Historical Background for Signs of the End of the
World
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Jerusalems House Desolate

• Jesus had just pronounced Jerusalems house left
  to them desolate (Matthew 2337-39).
• As they went to the Mount of Olives, the temple
  would have appeared massive with the shadows
  caused by the setting sun.
• So, the disciples called Jesus attention to the
  buildings of the temple (Matthew 241).

3
Jesus Prophecy

• Jesus said not one stone would be left on top of
  another (Matthew 242-3).
• Its massive size must have made them marvel.

4
The Temple

• For it was covered all over with plates of gold,
  of great weight and at the first rising of the
  sun reflected back a very fiery splendour.
• The white stones appeared to strangers coming
  from a distance like a mountain covered with
  snow.
• Of its stones some of them were forty-five
  cubits in length, five in height, and six in
  breadth. (Josephus, Wars of the Jews V, 5).

5
The Disciples Questions

• Tell us, when will these things be?
• And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of
  the end of the age?
• Likely, they viewed this as three parts of one
  question.
• Jesus answered as if they had asked two questions
  with two parts.

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Deceptive Signs

• Matthew 244 And Jesus answered and said to
  them Take heed that no one deceives you.
• Matthew 245 For many will come in My name,
  saying, I am the Christ, and will deceive
  many.
• The Jews looked for a Messiah to lead them in
  conquest of Rome, which caused them to reject
  Christ and accept false Christs.
• Acts 536 Theudas
• Acts 2138 An Egyptian

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False Teachers

• Now it came to pass, while Fadus was procurator
  of Judea, that a certain magician, whose name was
  Theudas, persuaded a great part of the people to
  take their effects with them, and follow him to
  the river Jordan (44-45 A.D., Josephus
  Antiquities XX, V).

8
False Teachers

• There also came out of Egypt, about this time to
  Jerusalem, one that said he was a prophet and
  advised the multitude to go along with him to the
  Mount of Olives, which lay over against the city,
  at the distance of five furlongs. He said
  further, that he would shew them from hence how,
  at his command, the walls of Jerusalem would fall
  down and he promised that he would procure them
  an entrance into the city through those walls,
  when they were fallen down (c. 52-59,
  Antiquities XX, VIII).

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Deceptive Signs Wars and Rumors of Wars

• Matthew 246-7a And you will hear of wars and
  rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled
  for all these things must come to pass, but the
  end is not yet. For nation shall rise against
  nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
• The world was basically at peace when Jesus
  spoke. Notice he said the end is not yet.
• McGarvey says Alford mentions three separate
  threats by emperors and three uprisings of
  Gentiles against the Jews.

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Deceptive Signs Natural Disasters

• Matthew 247b-8 And there will be famines,
  pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.
  All these are the beginning of sorrows.
• Agabus prophesied a worldwide famine (Acts 1128
  Antiquities III, XV).
• According to McGarvey, at least one Roman writer
  refers to a pestilence which killed some 30,000
  in Rome alone.
• There were earthquakes in Laodicea in A.D. 61 and
  at Pompeii in A. D. 62.

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Tribulation

• Matthew 249 Then they will deliver you up to
  tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated
  by all nations for My names sake.
• Acts 41-22 Peter and John were arrested and
  brought before the Sanhedrin.
• Acts 517-41 The high priest arrested the
  apostles. They were beaten and told not to speak
  the name of Jesus.
• Acts 121-3 James was killed by Herod and Peter
  was arrested.

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Trouble in the Church

• Matthew 2410 And then many will be offended,
  will betray one another, and will hate one
  another.
• 2 Corinthians 1126b in perils among false
  brethren.
• Galatians 416 Have I therefore become your
  enemy because I tell you the truth?

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False Prophets and Lawlessness

• Matthew 2411 Then many false prophets will
  rise up and deceive many.
• Paul encountered false prophets and warned of
  their coming (Galatians 16-9 21-5 2
  Corinthians 1113-15 Titus 110-11).
• Peter and Jude also encountered and warned of the
  same (2 Peter 210-22 Jude 4).
• Matthew 2412 And because lawlessness will
  abound, the love of many will grow cold
  (Revelation 24-5)

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Reward for Endurance

• Matthew 2413 But he who endures to the end
  shall be saved.
• Jesus paused to note that those who remain
  faithful to the end of their lives will be saved.
• Revelation 210

15
The Gospel Preached in the Whole World

• Matthew 2414 And this gospel of the kingdom
  will be preached in all the world as a witness to
  all the nations, and then the end will come.
• As Jesus instructed (Matthew 2818-20).
• In Herods speech before the rebuilding of the
  temple, he described the Romans as rulers of the
  world (Antiquities XV, XI).
• In about A. D. 62, Paul told the Colossian
  brethren this had taken place (Colossians 123).

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The Signal to Flee The Abomination of Desolation

• Matthew 2415 Therefore when you see the
  abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel
  the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever
  reads, let him understand).
• Daniel 926-27 1131)

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The Signal to Flee The Abomination of Desolation

• Luke 2120 But when you see Jerusalem
  surrounded by armies, then know that its
  desolation is near.
• Matthew 2416 Then let those who are in Judea
  flee to the mountains.
• Why would Jesus warn Christians to do this if he
  was speaking of the end of the world? (2 Pet.
  310 1 Thes. 413-18)

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The Need for Haste

• Matthew 2417 Let him who is on the housetop
  not go down to take anything out of his house.
• Matthew 2418 And let him who is in the field
  not go back to get his clothes.
• Matthew 2419 But woe to those who are pregnant
  and to those who are nursing babies in those
  days!
• Matthew 2420a And pray that your flight may
  not be in winter (During winter, the rains
  would slow them down).
• Matthew 2420b or on the Sabbath. (The length
  of a Sabbath days journey would not have allowed
  them to get far enough away. Though Christians
  did not keep that day holy, it might have enraged
  the Jews against them).

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The Time Shortened

• Matthew 2421-22 For then there will be great
  tribulation, such as has not been since the
  beginning of the world until this time, no, nor
  ever shall be. And unless those days were
  shortened, no flesh would be saved but for the
  elects sake those days will be shortened.
• Josephus claims 1.1 million people were killed
  (Wars of the Jews
• The siege lasted from April to September

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Beware of False Prophets

• Matthew 2423-24 Then if anyone says to you,
  Look, here is the Christ! or There! do not
  believe it. For false christs and false prophets
  will rise and show great signs and wonders to
  deceive, if possible, even the elect.
• Matthew 2425-27 See, I have told you
  beforehand. Therefore if they say to you, Look,
  He is in the desert! do not go out or Look, He
  is in the inner rooms! do not believe it. For
  as the lightning comes from the east and flashes
  to the west, so also will the coming of the Son
  of Man be.
• Matthew 2428 For wherever the carcass is,
  there the eagles will be gathered together
  (Vultures, or false prophets, naturally flock to
  dead bodies, or Israel).

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A Coming in Judgment

• Matthew 2429-31 Immediately after the
  tribulation of those days the sun will be
  darkened, and the moon will not give its light
  the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers
  of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of
  the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then
  all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they
  will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of
  heaven with power and great glory. And He will
  send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet,
  and they will gather together His elect from the
  four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
• This destruction was a coming of the Lord in
  judgment described in a fashion similar to the
  Old Testament prophets.
• Deaver sites similar references to Idumea (Isaiah
  13 344-5) and Egypt (Ezekiel 327-8 Isaiah
  1911).

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Sure Signs

• Matthew 2432-33 Like one can know summer is just
  around the corner because the fig tree puts forth
  its leaves, the signs previously mentioned
  foretell the speedy destruction of Jerusalem.
• Matthew 2434 In that generation.
• Matthew 2435 Jesus words are sure (1 Peter
  124-25).

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Signs of Christs Coming at the End of the World

• Matthew 2436 Only the Father knows.
• Everything will be going on like normal before
  the Lords second coming (Matthew 2437-41).
• Matthew 2442 Because it is unexpected, the Lord
  urges watchfulness.
• Matthew 2443-44 Like a thief comes unannounced.
• Matthew 2445-51 Illustration of the householder
  and servants readiness for his return.

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Those Days and That Day

• Those days
• Matthew 2419
• Matthew 2422
• Matthew 2429
• That day Matthew 2436
• Matthew 2450 a day
• Matthew 2513 the day