The Signs of Christ's Coming, Part 2

Even the disciples didn't perceive his coming as a second coming, so they think it's all going to happen one moment it all happens at one time the Messiah is here, the kingdom's gotta follow immediately.

They don't understand this long period of time which the Lord is redeeming. Matthew Henry the great Puritan said we would no doubt be alarmed if we knew we had only a month to live in yet were careless even though no one knows if you live another day.

Of course you don't know how long you're going to live. What's more, you don't know when Christ will return either that calls for a different approach to day-to-day life living with a sense of expectation. Today's message can help you understand why living in expectancy of our Lord's return is crucial to living the life God desires. If you've ever thought end times events were difficult to understand.

You may feel differently.

After studying with John MacArthur today on grace to you. He's going to show you what Scripture clearly reveals about the signs of Christ's return.

The title John study Jesus is coming to the lesson. Now here's John, you need to remember that Jesus came to Israel to be their Redeemer, their Savior, their deliverer, their Messiah, their king, but John says he came to his own and his own received him not. 33 years after he entered this world is about to exit. He began his ministry by offering himself to the people of Israel, and he ended it by them rejecting him it's only a couple of days now before he will be executed on a cross, by the very people he came to save and to rule you know that he has just given final pronouncement of judgment on Israel's words are in verse 37 of chapter 20 30, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that Telus the prophets and stones them who are sent under the how often would I have gathered thy children together even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not behold, your house is left unto you desolate. That is the last public speech. Jesus ever gave to the people of Israel. His final words to them or words of judgment. He never preaches another sermon in chapter 21 chapter 22 in chapter 23, he pronounced judgment on the nation Israel judgment on the false leaders in judgment on the people who followed their deceptions's judgment came in the form of direct statements of judgment. It came in the form of parables of judgment, and finally in chapter 23 a literally blistering denunciation of the false leaders that led the people astray and he closes it by saying your house is left unto you desolate a pronouncement of judgment, but that pronouncement of judgment. Most interestingly, is followed in verse 39 by these words for I say unto you, you shall not see me henceforth, till you shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Now he that cometh in the name of the Lord is a messianic title and he says you won't see me again until I come as Messiah and King. So on the one hand, he pronounces judgment on the other hand he says I'll be back on the one hand, he says your house is left unto you desolate wasted. On the other hand he says I will return as it were, to restore it again.

Now this particular conclusion to his message.

No doubt filled his disciples hearts with great hope.

Sure, they heard that he pronounced judgment, but they also heard that he would come as the one who would establish his kingdom. They had waited for this for all the years that they had been with Jesus, and I believe it this very moment. At the close of the sermon in Matthew 23. The disciples were probably at the high point of their experience with Jesus through all the three years of their ministry they heard him say that he was going to bring judgment and they also heard him say that he was going to come in the name of the Lord, a messianic truth and so they felt because of the way they understood.

The Old Testament prophets that this was it. He was going to bring judgment and that judgment would be a purging in a cleansing and then immediately would be followed by his kingdom. They believed they were on the edge of the messianic kingdom. In fact, in Luke chapter 19 verse 11 we have a verse that really supports that idea. In Luke 1911. Listen to this as they heard these things, he added, and spoke a parable because he was near to Jerusalem. This is one there just on the way to Jerusalem. In the beginning of this week and it says he added this parable because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear, the disciples from the time he approached Jerusalem thought the kingdom should immediately appear as though they were living in that anticipation when the crowd through palm branches and clothing in front of him as he rode the cult full of and ask and they shouted hosanna blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord hosanna to the son of David. They thought this was all part of readying the people for the kingdom and then as he went into the temple and cleansed the temple. They thought that was the purging of the hypocrites. And now, as he says he is going to come in judgment. They feel this is going to be the purification of Jerusalem, which they believed was going to happen and then he's going to come in the name of the Lord as their Messiah. They see all of this happening immediately. In fact, as they leave the temple ground in chapter 24 verse two Jesus looking at the temple, says there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down, and even tells them that the temple itself will be destroyed and that fit into their teaching to because they remembered that Ezekiel said in the kingdom there would be a new temple and this temple. After all, was built, not even by a Jew, but by Herod the into me and and it was a temple that was occupied presently by hypocrites and false religionists and so it all was sort of coming together in their minds. The Messiah had reached the moment when he was going to bring his kingdom and they disregarded his words about dying, about a seed falling into the ground and die. They ignored what he said about having to be delivered over the chief priests and scribes, and to be crucified, and the rise again the third day and all they could see was the kingdom. The kingdom the kingdom and sure enough he had already begun to cleanse the temple. Now he was going to destroy it. He was going to judge the ungodly, and purge the nation, and then he was going to come in full glorious King of Kings and Lord of lords, and they believed they were imminently at that point. This was how they interpreted the prophets you see they didn't have any sense of a long time. Between the first and second coming. They didn't have any idea that Christ would come and then he would go back and will be a long period of thousands of years before he returned. That's not the way the prophets spoke. They only spoke of one coming of the Messiah. They didn't fill in that large gap in the middle. That's why the New Testament calls that a mystery which was hidden in time pass the whole church age. As we know it is an unrevealed thing in the Old Testament. It's not spoken of their there's a big gap which they did not understand. Let me illustrate that to you by having you take your Bible to look to Isaiah 61 and just one illustration will show you what I mean in Isaiah 61. We have a picture of the coming Messiah and it says in verse one. The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, it's the Messiah speaking here in anticipation of his coming because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek. He sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, the opening of prison to those who are bound to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord in the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all that morning to appointed to those who mourn in Zion, to give than to them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. That's a marvelous prophecy. Then, from verse four down to verse 11. You have more of that prophecy not notice what's in it. First, he comes to preach in verse one and a set at liberty to captives and so forth.

And then to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. That is the year of the Lord. Salvation then it's followed by, and the day of vengeance of our God. In other words, the prophet sees the Messiah coming preaching the gospel and bringing the vengeance of the day of God. At the very same time, but that is and how it is. And then of course that's followed immediately by the, the kingdom, which is a time of comfort for mourners at time of of beauty for ashes, oil of joy for mourning, garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness and the planting of trees of righteousness, and so forth and so on.

And then it's all the way down to verse 11 the earth to bring forth her, but the garden causes things to grow that are sown in it to spring forth in that way, the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. In other words, the whole messianic work is seen in one unit not go to look for to me show you something. Look for Jesus in Nazareth in the synagogue. Verse 16 as his custom was, went to the synagogue and the Sabbath day, and stood up to read and it was delivered on to him. The book of the prophet Isaiah, and when he opened the book, he found the place where it was written that he found Isaiah 61, one, and following any read the spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he's anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He sent me to heal the brokenhearted preach deliverance to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised to preach the acceptable year of the Lord, and he closed the book. I would he only got halfway through Isaiah 61 to the is and the day of vengeance of our God, why did knee talk about that part.

Why did he read that for because that is what future and here was an indication that what Isaiah saw as a whole. Jesus would fulfill into separate parts and that's why he closed the book after preaching the acceptable year of the Lord. The first time the Savior came he came to preach the second time becomes, he comes to what to judge and so it wasn't until the Gospels unfold that we begin to see the distinction between the first and second coming. Even the disciples.

Now you may go back to Matthew 24. Even the disciples didn't perceive his coming as a second coming, they perceived that he will come only in the sense of coming in fullness as Messiah only in the sense in coming as the fully anointed king and ruler, and Lord of lords.

Only in the sense of coming to his kingdom and glory, and so they think it's all going to happen one moment it all happens at one time the Messiah is here, the kingdom's gotta follow immediately. They don't understand this long period of time in which the Lord is redeeming a people from all over the earth and so they asked the questions in verse three. Tell us, when shall these things be, and implied in the awareness today or tomorrow or next week or how fast and what shall be the sign of thy coming end of the end of the age. What is the sign were looking for. They could sense that the stone cut out without hands of Daniel was ready to crush the power of evil men that the Messiah the Prince was ready to make an end of sins, and make reconciliation for iniquity, and bring in everlasting righteousness, and anoint the most holy King they could sense that the Son of Man would be given dominion and glory and a kingdom that was everlasting. They could sense what Isaiah had said what Daniel had said what Ezekiel had said was about to happen. What Zachariah had said was about to come in the day of the Lord and they think it's momentary so they say when and what is the sign know what makes them feel such anticipation. The fact that he promised the destruction and desolation of Jerusalem. The fact that he promised he would come in the name of the Lord the product.

The fact that he said the temple would be devastated.

They think it's imminent so he has to explain to them that it isn't that it's yet in the future that it's a great way off and that is the purpose from verse four on is a prophetic sermon that sweeps them and us into a time not yet come does not describe time between then and 70 A.D. the destruction of Jerusalem is no way that can be possible, the terms will allow us to believe that it does not describe the church age. It can't, it has to describe the future time right before the coming of Christ.

They want to know the signs of the coming of Christ. The signs of the end of the age and the signs that say this is it this is it. It's coming in so we sweeps them all away to the end time not to let us know this is not the time. Prior to the destruction of Jerusalem. It's not just the church ages. Many commentators have wanted to lead us to believe, but that is the end time. Let me give you some key interpretive indicators.

All right, so follow along. Notice first of all verse eight. This is very important verse eight. Now in verses 4 to 14. He describes many of the signs of the coming of Christ. People coming in saying I am Christ, and deceiving wars and rumors of wars, nation rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, famine, earthquake in verse seven verse nine persecution in killing and hating and then there's defection from the faith, and false prophets in verse 11, and the love of of many grows cold in verse 12, the gospel of the kingdom is preached in verse 14.

He's describing all kinds of signs that are going to come at the end of the age there signs of the coming of the Messiah and those verse eight. All these signs are the beginning of birth pains very important.

It's the Greek word for birth pains. The actual pain the woman has in bringing forth a child is the beginning of birth pain only ask a simple question when does birth pain occur at conception. That's ridiculous. During pregnancy equally ridiculous. Birth pain occurs when just prior to birth. At the very end.

That's the last thing that happens and you know you're there.

In fact, you start monitoring the frequency of birth pains until they come in a rapid succession, and then it's time for the issuing forth of life birth pains happen at the end they're not strung out all through the pregnancy and neither are these things strong out all through the history of the church age there are things which occur in rapidfire succession that issue in the birth as it were of the messianic kingdom not to illustrate that to you.

I wanted not to look with me at first Thessalonians chapter 5 first Thessalonians chapter 5 and here is another use of the same illustration and Paul is talking also hear about the coming of the Lord, and he says of the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write and you for yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night is I don't need to give you and eschatology you have that and if you have nothing else to have the Olivet discourse.

Yet, the teaching of our Lord so you know that the day of the Lord.

That is the coming of Christ to set up his kingdom comes like a thief in the night, the house, a thief in the night, very quietly, unexpectedly, suddenly, unexpectedly, suddenly it happens and then in verse three he says for when they shall say, peace and safety, everything looks okay then sudden destruction comes the coming of Christ is sudden the destruction when it is sudden and he says it's like birth pains on a woman with child same illustration when he wants to illustrate something that comes suddenly and devastatingly just before the day of the Lord uses the illustration of birthday. So this is consistent with the use the Jesus at birth pains in the Jewish mind came suddenly and unexpectedly, just before birth and that is the way the illustration is used in first Thessalonians, and that is the way the illustration is used in Matthew 24.

So when it says these are the beginning of birth pains. This has to put us at the end it has to.

So our Lord is saying before the end there will be a sequence of birth pains. Now listen to this birth pains come at first infrequently right and then more frequently and more frequently and more frequently, until there coming in very frequent sort of expulsions until that child is sent out of the body. And that's exactly the way will be in the end time there will come birth pains events separated by distance and then less distance and less distance and less distance until finally, right at the time of the coming of Christ. There will be an explosion of con current Holocaust events all across the year, so the frequency be the chronology of frequency becomes condensed more and more and more and more and more until finally the kingdom come. That is the illustration of our Lord in verse eight, so that tells us to be talking about the end time just before the kingdom now. Second indicator and one that I think is is equally important is found in verse 13 verse 13 but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be safe.

What is the end.

Well, the end is mentioned in verse 13 and the end is mentioned in verse six. The end is not yet. He says what end is he talking about go back to verse three the end of the age he's talking about the end of the dates it has to be that that is his subject and so in verse 13 when he said he that shall endure to the end. What end is he talking about the end of the age.

Now if this is all about people enduring till the end of the age. It's gotta be people who are alive at the end of the age right. In other words, the people go through these events googled through these birth pains and endure till the end of them and the end of the age will be safe so he has to be talking about people that are not going to endure till the end� All happens real fast, and unless I miss my guess about the rapture, the disciples and endure to the end because the end hasn't come yet. The point is the end of the ages the end of the age and is talking about people going through these things and enduring until the end of the age so he has to be talking about people who are alive at the end of the age who are able to endure it. Very important. The troubles that come up on people are coming up on people who are alive at a time when they could endure to the end of the age was verse 14. Another indicator it says and the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come. What end the end of the age again and prior to the end of the age there's gonna be worldwide preaching the gospel and it couldn't of been troops before 70 A.D. there is no way there was no preaching of the gospel around the world before 70 A.D. and it isn't even true today. There are many many places in the world where the gospel is not being preached at all, and has never been preached. But before the end it will be preached in all the world you say how is this going to happen.

I don't think it's happening sort of the along the path of history little now little and look I think before the end of the age. It says right here, supernaturally, instantaneously, miraculously, there will be a worldwide blanketing of the gospel by supernatural means so that everybody in the face of the earth going to hear it.

But the point here is before the end of the age there's going to be in a worldwide preaching of the gospel.

That's never happened.

That's not today and that wasn't before 70 A.D. others.

Another indicator in verse 15. Notice verse 15 when ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place was liberated. Let them understand, then let them who are in Judea flee to the mountains. In other words, it's all going to break loose.

When you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet know what is that that's easy. All you need do is look at Daniel chapter 9 and he says in verse 27 that the antichrist is going to cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he will make it desolate. What is going to do is the antichrist goes into the temple in the future tribulation time he desecrates the temple he commits sacrilege in the temple where the Jews have set up their worship and it says he does it on until the consummation, until the final end and that determined or that which is determined by God to be done is poured out on the desolate. In other words final judgment he does it at the very end. In the final day of man when God is going to pour out judgment. He does it. Daniel says at a time when the Prince comes to finish transgression make an end of sin make reconciliation for iniquity, and bring in everlasting righteousness. In other words, in Daniel 924 27.

The prophet says the abomination of desolation takes place right before the Prince who sets up everlasting righteousness, right before final judgment and vengeance so it has to be at the end time so it says here in verse 15 of Matthew 24.

When you see the abomination of desolation then you know you're seeing the signs of the end and Daniel tells us that that happens just before the Messiah sets up his kingdom and judges the ungodly. So again another indicator that we must be looking at a future time.

That's exactly what Daniel had in mind. This is grace to you with John MacArthur. Thanks for being with us.

John's a pastor, a conference speaker and Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary today. He continued his series on the glorious return of Christ. It's titled, Jesus is coming John if there's a popular idea that your study collides with its this notion that history is just ongoing.

No beginning no ending. But John, your messages make it clear history is headed somewhere and that destination is getting closer. Yeah, that's the sort of cyclical view of history that history is just always going in circles and circles and circles and circles that that is not at all correct.

History is linear. It had a beginning in six days it's going to have an ending in the Holocaust of the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of his kingdom followed by the destruction of the current heavens and earth in the creation of the new heavens and new earth.

That's that's in the Old Testament in Isaiah promises that as well as in the New Testament book of Revelation.

So, no history is linear and we understand how critical that is I I am just amazed at how many Christian people.

I guess you could say and even evangelical people and many evangelical pastors and leaders have a kind of indifference about the end they they think it's confusing the book of Revelation is confusing. We can't be sure, some people believe there will not be a kingdom there called millennialist. Some people think working to bring the kingdom in a politically and that's post millennialism and then once there, I guess the pan millennialist or just think of all pan out in the end. And then there are those who actually believe Christ will return and establish his kingdom.

And that's what the Bible says, but there is just not consensus across the evangelical world on the end. Even though the book of Revelation is crystal clear about it that that's what the book of Revelation is the only book that says blessed is the one who reads and understands this book you read it you understand it is one of the easiest books to interpret and of course the book of Revelation is also helpfully interpreted by Matthew 24 and our Lord's sermon on his own second coming. I written a book on it called the second coming. This is the series were talking about the signs of the second coming. This book will be a tremendous resource view available in softcover from grace to you is always a reasonable cost.

If you have questions about Christ's return or if you wonder what it means for you. John's book titled the second coming has answers get a copy when you contact us today. The second coming costs $15 and shipping is free. You can order the book@ourwebsitedety.org or call 855 grace the second coming is an ideal resource to use with your Bible study or small group minutes available in both English and Spanish again to purchase the second coming. Call 855 grace or go to GT Y.that's our website, TTY.org and while you're there. I would encourage you to download the grace to you at your smart phone or your tablet. It gives you access to all 3500 of John's sermons including messages from popular series like the believers armor if God's will is so important, why can't I find it. The battle for the beginning and John's current radio series. Jesus is coming again to download the free grace to you at or are free Bible study go to GT Y.Ward now for John MacArthur and the entire grace to you staff, I'm Phil Johnson, thanks for joining us today and be here tomorrow when John continues his look at the signs of Christ's return. Don't miss the next 30 minutes of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on Tuesdays. Grace