Is it the end of the world when...?

 Is it the end of world when...?

(94) The Second Coming

Jesus, looking back over Jerusalem in the week before Passover, goes on to say more about the end of the world perhaps, not just the “end of the world as they knew it.” Read Matthew 24:29-31, Mark 13:24-27, Luke 21:25-28

1.       Read Isaiah 13:10-11,  Jeremiah 4:23-24, Joel 2:10, Amos 8:9, Revelation 6:12-14 What physical events cause the sun, moon, and stars to disappear? And what physical events might look like stars falling from the sky?

2.       Is Jesus talking about physical events? (There may well have been earthquakes and eruptions near the time of Jerusalem’s destruction – physical events could have inspired or fulfilled Revelation, or both.)

3.       In Matthew 24:30 what might be the “sign of the son of man”? Could it be something we’ll only know when we see it, like the “abomination” in the earlier passage?

4.       Read Exodus 19:16. In Matthew 24:31, what natural events make a sound like a trumpet, and how might they relate to falling stars and dark skies?

5.       Read Genesis 2:10-14 Why are there four rivers and four winds? (The rivers might be the Tigris and Euphrates in Mesopotamia—the fertile crescent—together with the Indus in the fertile Indus valley of India, and the Nile—the source of Egypt’s fertility.)

6.       Who do you think will be there when we are all gathered in heaven? What does it mean to be “his elect”?

One thing we can be sure of, this is hard to understand, and that’s fine. Jesus goes on to “explain” the inexplicable with parables. Read Matthew 24:32-35, Mark 13:28-31, Luke 21:29-33.

1.       Is Jesus talking about the destruction of Jerusalem (which did happen to their generation), or to the end times (which haven’t happened yet), or both? What “generation” are we?

2.       Read Mark 1:15, Luke 17:20-21, 21:31 Where is the kingdom of God?

3.       Which heaven and earth will pass away? What words will remain? How do we have an assurance of eternity?

There’s a sense of urgency to it all. Read Matthew 24:36-44, Mark 13:32-37, Luke 21:34-36

1.       Who knows when the end times will come?

2.       What’s the connection between the end times and Noah’s flood?

3.       If we’re weighed down with trying to figure out all the answers, will the Day come unexpectedly?

4.       Matthew writes about workers in the field and women at the mill; Mark about servants. How do you picture yourself?

5.       Who did Jesus ask to “Watch one hour with me”? Read Matthew 26:40

6.       How do we watch?

7.       Which matters more, protecting our homes against thieves or protecting our lives for God?

8.       What’s the difference between watching and claiming to know the time?

Is it comforting to know that God knows the time, that God has chosen (elected) us, that God’s word and promises last forever? Where do you need that comfort now?