1NR Matt. 24:3 The disciples thought the temple would not be destroyed until the end of the world, so they wanted to know when that would happen.

      • "The disciples asked three questions that Jesus used to
         develop His . . . message.

• "The first question–'When will this [destruction of
   the temple] happen?' (NIV)–is addressed by Jesus
   in Matthew 24:15-20. The second–'What will be
   the sign of your coming?' (NIV)–is discussed in
   verses 21-31. The third–'What will be the sign . . .
   of the end of the age?' (NIV)–is dealt with in
   verses 4-14. In other words, Jesus began His talk
   by answering the last question first (end of the
   age); then He moved to the first question (fall of
   Jerusalem); and finally He dealt with the central
   question, the most important one–Christ's return in
   glory. Apparently, Jesus main interest is located
   not in the fall of the city but in the end of the age
   and His second advent. The rest of the sermon
   deals with proper preparation for that event."
            Angel Rodriguez, SSLQ 5/12/2002

2NR Matt. 24:15-20 In AD 68, the Roman armies came up against Jerusalem and began a siege which lasted three years (68, 69, 70). Toward the end of the siege, the Romans withdrew for some, to the Jews, unknown reason. The Christians in the city remembered what Jesus had warned them and fled to the mountains. When the Romans returned and destroyed the city, none of the Christians were lost.

3NR Matt. 24:21-31 He mentioned His second advent.

• Vss. 21, 22: "The tribulation of the 1260 year/days [Rev. 12] was the greatest in history in that it continued for centuries and from time to time produced extremely high percentages of mortality." C. Mervyn Maxwell, God Cares, vol. 2, p. 35.

     • Vs. 24: Paul described the tribulation in these
              words.

• Acts 20:29-31 I know that after I leave,
   savage wolves will come in among you
   and will not spare the flock. Even from
   your own number men will arise and
   distort the truth in order to draw away
   disciples after them. So be on your guard!
   . . .

• Vss. 27, 30,31 The second coming will not be a
   local appearance: It will be world-wide, and
   everyone will see Him come. (see Rev. 1:7)

• Vs. 30: This is the only occurrence which Jesus
   actually calls a "sign" . . . Christ's actual
   appearance in the sky.

4NR Matt. 24:4-14 He outlined, in a panoramic view, many of the things that would happen before the end of the world.

• Vs. 6: "Wars and rumors of wars made great signs
   of the end in the Jewish understanding of final
   events, but in Matthew 24 they do not herald the
   end; they are part of what life is like before the
   end." SSLQ Sept. 20, 2001

• Vs. 12: Paul in 2 Tim 1.9 tells us that we were
   saved in Christ since the beginning of time; but
   Jesus includes in that the fact that we have to
   continue to "stand firm" (to choose) Him until the
   end (of our lives/time).

• Vs. 14: The disciples asked for "the sign" of the
   end of the world. This is the only part of His
   sermon (other than His actual appearance in the
   clouds [see vs. 30]) where Jesus gives them
   something with which to gauge the nearness of His
   return.

5NR Matt. 24:4, 5, 11, 23-26

       • Vss. 4, 5: Don't let a false Christ take the place of Jesus.

• Vs. 11: beware of false prophets. (If there are false
   prophets, there must be true prophets as well.)

• Vss. 23, 24: Since we already know that the Second
   Coming of Christ will be seen by everyone in the
   world at the same time–when He comes in the
   clouds–it would be foolhardy for us to search for
   Him in some secret place.

• Vs. 26: There have been many cults who have
   lured people into wilderness areas in search of
   Christ or some other unbiblical spiritual goal.
   Today, one of the most alluring prospects is
   "connecting" with the spirits of the dead. The New
   Age movement fits into this as well.

There are other situations that the Bible mentions that are indications that we are moving toward the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Here are a few:

6NR James 5:1-8 James warns of those who, because of their riches mistreat the poor.

• Vs. 4: In a time that stands on the border of the
   coming of Jesus in the clouds, there will be trouble
   between wealthy business owners and their
   workers. Could this be an indication of the advent
   of labor unions?

(James isn't necessarily speaking against the wealthy merely because they are rich. There is nothing wrong with having wealth so long as a person doesn't rob others in any way while earning the money. But James describes the misuse of others by many in order to amass a fortune. The multiplication of this kind of attitude and practice indicates that the coming of the Lord is near at hand.)

7NR Dan. 12:4 Many people will seek diligently (go to and fro) for an understanding of the prophecies of Daniel. In the end times (of which Daniel is referring) knowledge of these prophecies will increase. (The prophecies of Daniel were largely a mystery before the beginning of the 19^th century. In the early 1800s several Bible students studied the prophetic sections of Daniel and began to see a pattern. By diligent study they found the keys to unlock the message of Daniel. Today, the messages of Daniel and Revelation are open and understood by all who are willing to study them.

8NR Luke 21:11

       • Earthquakes have been on the increase in recent years.
       • Volcano eruptions producing immense damage.
       • Famines, in the last century, have been widespread
         and have destroyed millions of people.
       • Pestilence–disease; illness: AIDS is perhaps the
         most devastating plague in the history of the planet.
         It has killed millions and ruined the lives of
         multiplied millions of others who have lost family
         and friends to it.

9. HOW CAN WE EXPECT TO FIND THE MORAL WORLD PRIOR TO THE COMING OF JESUS?

New International Version: But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God– having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

• "The widespread iniquity prevalent today may in a
   great degree be attributed to a failure to study and
   obey the Scriptures, for when the word of God is
   set aside, its power to restrain the evil passions of
   the natural heart is rejected. Men sow to the flesh
   and of the flesh reap corruption." {PK 624.1}

10NR Matt. 24:12, 14

• The last days will be marked by lawlessness and
   the waning and confusion of an understanding of
   what love is all about. This will mean an increase
   of every crime known to man. But . . .
• Christ predicted a world-wide distribution of a
   warning message that the end is near..

11NR 2 Pet. 3:3-5 Scoffers; evolutionary theory.

• One of the worst sins of modern-day man is that he
   has turned away from believing in a God who has
   the power to create, and accept instead, the theory
   that everything in the world came about by chance.
   But . . .
• "If we are to accept the biblical concept of a literal,
   visible second coming of Christ, we must also
   accept the biblical concept of Creation. For in the
   Second Coming, Christ will recreate 'in a moment,
   in the twinkling of an eye,' just as He did in the
   beginning (1 Cor. 15.52). The dead in Christ will
   be resurrected (1 Cor. 15.20-22), and those who
   are alive will be re-created (1 Cor. 15.51, 52). If
   God does not create, as it is reported in the Bible,
   there would be no Second Coming as such, or one
   is led to devise an alternate, unbiblical
   explanation." SSLQ May 22, 2000

12NR Isa. 2:3-5

       • The national leaders will make a great show of their
          efforts to work for peace.
       • But while they seek outwardly to make peace, they
         are secretly preparing for war. (see Joel 3:9, 10, 14)

13NR Mark 13:28, 29 (1479) When these things happen, we shall know that Christ's coming is at the door.

Imagine inviting the President of the United States for dinner at your house. You want everything to be just perfect. But as you prepare, you get sidetracked into:

       • Watching a cardinal on the branch in front of the
          kitchen window;
       • Looking at the sales sheet in the grocery store instead 
         of buying just what you need;
       • Picking stray weeds out from between the plants
         when you merely wanted to cut flowers for the
          table . . . .

Suddenly you realize that the time for the President's arrival is almost here and you haven't finished getting everything ready. You begin to hurry with this and that which needs to be done.

But then you see the presidential limousine pull up out front and the Secret Service men fanning out across the yard. It's too late; he's here; and you are not ready.

It's the same with us in relationship to the coming of Jesus: we may find life has so many pleasures that we get side-tracked, and fail to get ready for Jesus' coming. But soon He'll step out of the sky and appear in all of His glory, with all His angels around Him so as to fill the entire sky all around the world. If you aren't ready then . . . it's too late.

The only way we can be ready to meet Jesus when He comes is to be ready at all times.

Mat 24:44: So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.