Could Jesus Come Today? B

You see the sign of the Son of Man in heaven you've already seen the collapse of the stellar bodies, everything is moving into chaos, the whole calendar goes crazy, the tides will go crazy and the some of it is in verse 35 heaven and earth shall come to an end as we know heaven and earth will we know the heavens amino Einstein once said I never think of the future middle come soon enough. Well, you can choose to think lightly or not at all about the future. What being ignorant about what's ahead can have devastating eternal consequences. So I urge you to consider a few questions. Why do we know that Christ will return to the earth. How soon will he return and what's going to happen when he comes back for a glimpse into the future to see where history is headed stay here as John MacArthur continues to address this question. Could Jesus come today and now here's John with today's lesson.

Matthew 24, beginning in verse 32 now learn a parable of the fig tree when its branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So likewise ye, when you shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily, I say, and you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

He gives this parable and its explanation in verses 32 to 35 and I want to look at its marvelous and I want you to see for elements as it unfolds.

First, an uncomplicated analogy and uncomplicated analogy verse 32 now learn a parable of the fig tree when its branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.

So what the Lord is saying this is very simple and is uncomplicated analogy when you see the leaves come forth in the spring.

You know that the coming of summer is near and there will be soon. A harvest since they would perceive the harvest to be the second coming. The coming of God's judgment, they would very easily understand the intent of what the Lord is saying. So the uncomplicated analogy leads secondly to an unmistakable application and unmistakable application verse 33 so likewise ye, he says, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near at the Doris say what is the antecedent to all these things. Well, it's all the things that you just talked about what are all those things.

The birth pains of verses 4 to 14 the abomination of desolation of verse 15, the need to flee because of great tribulation in verses 16 to 28 and then in verse 34. Further, in an unmistakable application.

He says truly I say to you, and that's for emphasis to emphasize the importance and verity of the statement, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Now the question comes immediately at this juncture. What generation is he talking about what generation isn't going to pass.

Well, the past means to die to come to an end. The generation will not come to an end until all these things be fulfilled.

What generation very important question and we had a lot of different answers. Let me see if I can filter you down to the answer that I think is the right answer.

What generation.

Here are some of the options. Some suggest that this generation refers directly to the disciples. The what he is saying is you disciples will not die before the second coming. You will not die before the second coming.

You say, but that's not true right and those people to hold that you say Jesus was wrong. It was a good guess what he was wrong we shouldn't be surprised that he was wrong because even admitted they say in Mark 1332 the day nor the hour knows no one, not even the Son of Man, so they say Jesus even confessed his own ignorance was Jesus confessed there that his incarnation, he said he did not know he chose not to have that knowledge, but it's one thing to choose not to have knowledge its utmost to propagate something. It is true and Jesus and his incarnation may have restricted his knowledge, but he didn't lose his connection with the true.

That is an unacceptable view and if Jesus was wrong about this. Folks grab for the nearest skyhook because there's a good possibility.

He was wrong about a lot of other stuff. We reject that view totally. Jesus is not wrong. He is not mistaken he is not uttering ignorance at all in his incarnation, he put self-imposed limits on elements of his own deity and the expression of his divine knowledge, but at no point in time did he ever utter anything out of his mouth was not absolutely true. And there's no reason to believe this generation means this little group of disciples because if that's what he meant he could've said you will not pass away until all these things be fulfilled as another views. That's an unacceptable view view. Number two is that it refers to the disciples but the thing he's talking about being fulfilled was the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. in other words, they say this whole chapter is all about 70 A.D. that doesn't describe the second coming by with this very popular view in many of the commenters read the whole dispute that this whole thing is a description of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and that Jesus is saying you're going to be here this generation. Right now you disciples and the people of your time are going to be here in 70 A.D. when all this happens.

That also is an unacceptable view because you cannot confuse the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D. with the second coming of Jesus Christ. And they're not asking him about the coming of Romans there asking about the coming of Christ when they said in verse three.

What shall be the sign of thy coming in and that's what's the side of the Romans coming and when he answered them.

He answered their question and their question had to do with his coming. Plus there is no way under the sun that you can fit all of these events into 70 A.D. when in 70 A.D., for example, was the sun darkened the moon not giving. It's like the stars all falling out of heaven. The Son of Man appearing in heaven and gathering the elect from the four corners of the earth when it that particular time. Did did all the tribes on the face of the earth mourn, no way.

Absolutely impossible. And in 70 A.D. it was the Romans against the Jews. It was a nation rising against nation, and kingdom rising against kingdom and earthquakes and pestilences all over the world. No, it's impossible. It cannot refer to 70 A.D. so that also is an unacceptable view and by the way the people wanted to refer to 70 A.D. just make everything symbolic. They just say what seemed to the Jews like it was that bad or that seem to them and it sort of a hyperbolic way that it was it was that sort of far-reaching so that's an unacceptable view. The third view is that refers to the Jewish race refers to the Jewish race but what he says what he says this Gedney he could refer to a stock or a kind or a race of people. That's true he saying this generation of Jews. This Jewish people will not die until all these things come to pass. In other words, he is predicting the survival and continuity of the Jewish race until the second coming. Now that's true.

The Jews will survive till the second coming and I would want to go into an alley and fight a guy over this view, Frank. I would want to going on alley and fight a guy over anything, but certainly not over this view, but again that's not a good interpretation here for a couple of reasons. Reason comes to my mind is it it doesn't say Israel and if the Lord was talking about Israel, it would seem to me would say that I mean he's not. It would be a rather offhanded way to refer to the covenant people just call them this generation instead of saying my people would seem to me what it said my people shall not pass away till all these things be fulfilled to call them this generation seems to be a rather indifferent way to speak of the covenant people. And why would even bother to say they're going to survive until the kingdom. When that wasn't even a question in the minds of the disciples right. I mean, they believe in the survival of Israel because they believe in the everlasting nature of the covenants right. I may believe that God may covenants he was intending to keep in so they won't even ask he is God going to bail out all this that isn't in their mind here that is not want to know when it's going to come. Why would he say well you will be the Jews will survive until then it's it's obtuse to the issue so it's possible that view is possible. It's possible but it's not the one that I would choose as 1/4 view that is that Gedney or this generation means, God rejecting Christ rejecting kinds of people. In other words, the kinds of people rejected me the kind of people that we've been talking to all day in the temple that hate what I stand for this kind of God hating Christ rejecting phony religious people are going to be around until the second coming that he's referring to that there will be the continuance of evil Christ projectors Gedney can mean that it's used for example in the Old Testament Greek Old Testament Septuagint version for the word door in Hebrew, which sometimes is transited this evil generation or this righteous generation, so they say it means this evil generation is going to be around until Jesus comes.

So don't expect things to get better. There will always be wretched, God hating, Christ rejecting people among the Jewish race and elsewhere all the way to the second coming again as a possible view.

That's a possible view but it's vague and it seems that it's not consistent with the context nor with the issue in the hearts and minds of the apostles. They're not concerned about whether evil people are going to survival a second coming there concerned about when is it going to happen and what of the sun is a 50 this is probably the one you've been exposed to that is that that the fig tree is Israel and by the way, that doesn't say that either in the Scripture. It just says here's an illustration of the fig tree somebody along the line says the fig tree is Israel. Jesus didn't say that. So now you have stopped the analogy and you got an allegory and you have to tell us what the elements of the allegory refer to.

So we say then that the fig tree is Israel and what puts forth its leaves. I've heard that is the state of Israel in 1948 of your W okay, that's a sort of the popular view that when Israel becomes a state well in the first place. Jesus didn't say that, and how in the world. The disciples would ever perceive the statehood of Israel in 1948 is pretty far-fetched, and you have to remember this, Jesus is illustrating for them the things he's teaching them. He is trying to make clear what he is taught them. He is not trying to say something to them that is so infinitely obscure, but he could never be perceived by anybody who lived before 1948+ how can we conclude that the life pulsing through the fig tree and pushing out leaves is the statehood of Israel.

Certainly if were thinking if we would use it that way it would have to be if the tree was Israel and the start of the put forth leaves, we would assume that it was it was life coming into Israel right and life coming into Israel would be spiritual, not physical and Israel alive today is one of the most secular nations on the face of the earth, so it doesn't make a good allegory of the spiritual revival of Israel and why would the Lord talk about only the statehood of Israel as if it were spiritual life pulsing through the nation and who's to say that the fig tree refers to them anyway.

When the context has nothing to do with the survival or restoration of the nation Israel but has to do with the second coming of Jesus Christ. So I think that also is an unacceptable though imaginative view what's left my view, my view is that I know and I wanted this pretty open-minded because you know I've five thought about a lot of these things and I was just reading it so clear to me what he saying when the branch is tender and puts forth leaves, you know, the judgment is near. So when you see all these things all what things believes and what are the leaves, the birth pains right the sign in heaven. The attendant signs all things been described in the whole chapter when you see all those things you know the judgment is near and this generation what generation though. This has to modify the people who see all those thing this generation that sees all those things will not end until the rest is fulfilled. In other words, what he saying there wondering how long is it going to take and when we see the sign.

The signal rather of the abomination of desolation's and start to see the others birth pains and then all of a sudden the sign of the Son of Man in heaven.

How long a second to take a what he is saying is the generation that sees all these things will not die off till everything is fulfilled. In other words, he's emphasizing again the concept of the pushing forth the belief when you see the leap. You know summer is near. Summer is near. That's the whole point or the idea of the birth pains birth pains come in rapidfire, at the very end just before birth, so if you see the leaf you know you're going to be alive in the summer if you see the birthdays you know you to be alive at the birth.

The generation that is alive generation that sees these things the generation experiences the phenomena of signs and wonders at the end time will not die off all these things be fulfilled. In other words, when it comes it will come fast. In fact, we learn that it is a period of seven years, called the time of Jacob's trouble. But the real tribulation.

Last hello 3 1/2 years 1260 days, or three, or 42 months, and that's reiterated again and again by Daniel and John is a very intense condensed period of time and the generation that is alive when it begins is going to still be around when it ends, because basically it lasts just beyond 3 1/2 years and that's what he's trying to say look at back at verse 15 for example, when you see the abomination of desolation's verse 16 says then run to the mountains and he says run verse 21. Why, because a great tribulation is coming upon the earth get out as fast as you can get out and the point is going to come fast and furious and it's going to be ended by the sign of the Son of Man in heaven because it says in verse 29 immediately after that 3 1/2 year.

This this guy begins to fall in the Son of Man appears and is ready to establish his kingdom and he just summarize that so beautifully.

So he says those of you who see the signs will see the end got.

That's the clearest, simplest, I think unmistakable application of what our Lord said in an effort to make things clear. Anything else is unclear. That's extremely consistent with the context so and by the way does no injustice at all to the Greek text, the matter of out to end its antecedents is completely covered. Now when asked this question. Who is this generation what generation will be alive. What generation will be alive to see the sun now among Christians are to view some say the church will be there.

That's a post tribulation will view. In other words, we will be taken out of the world after the tribulation, so will see all the stuff will go through it.

Some of us to get slaughtered in the process will still go to heaven but will get slaughtered.

Some of us will survive, but will go through it be post tribulation rapture will go up and meet the Lord near come back down for the kingdom. Sort of like just a loop is all others believe that in a pre-tribulation rapture that is before any of this, we are taken out and we spend the time with the Lord and come back at the end of the seven-year some years ago I did a series on will the church go through the tribulation and you can listen to the fuller explanation, but let me just give you for this moment, a reason or two. Why I believe that we will not be there. We will not be that generation that is the redeemed church.

Some of you may who don't know the Savior because you will not go in the rapture.

You will be that generation who will see those thing and depending on whether you're saved or not and how much you know about the Bible.

Do you know what's going on or you won't know what's going on, but the church I believe will not be here. I believe we will be taken out and I'll give you some reason we just fire them at you rather rapidly. That's not my intent to get into great detail on the reason number one. The church in the book of Revelation appears in chapter 2 in chapter 3. In fact, it is the theme of chapter 2 and the theme of chapter 3 and our Lord speaks to the church and purifies the church and writes letters to the church and messages to the church and then ends that whole section at the end of chapter 3 with the idea that he stands at the door and knock ready to come you move right in the chapter 4 and the church is in heaven.

Church is in heaven.

In chapter 4.

The church is in heaven.

In chapter 5, chapter 6, the tribulation breaks out on earth, and from chapter 6 through 18. The whole story, the tribulation. There's never one mention of the church.

Never one mention of any local church or of how the church auto act.

The word churches and their so the absence of the church from Revelation 6 to 18 seems to be rather significant, especially when they been on earth in two and three in there in heaven and four and five. Another point there is an absolute absence of literature in the New Testament to instruct the church about how to endure the tribulation about how to conduct itself in the tribulation the church is not mentioned in Matthew chapter 24. As such, it is unique group of people from Pentecost to the rapture but I'm speaking in a sense, in a larger sense, were all part of God's redeemed people, but the unique church is not mentioned here in Matthew 24 and there's no warnings given to us about the tribulation and how to deal with and how to live through and how to handle the antichrist kind of thing as a church and so forth and so in fact the only church that I can find during that period is called the mystery harlot Babylon, the prostitute, the false church which is to be destroyed. Thirdly, the rapture seem to me to be absently pointless. The raptures describe in the first Thessalonians 4. Where were caught up to be with the Lord in the air and never are we with the Lord that seems pointless to me if it happens at the second coming.

Why bother to go out and come right back down again. I mean hippies coming to earth with the saints to reign and rule what is he just come down and will be them right here when he gets or how long is it taking to get them up there down here.

What's the point it it it eliminates the point of the rapture. Why does Paul make such a great point about the rapture. If that's all there is to it. That's it and ask another question.

If all the believers are rapture up with the second coming and come back with him was left on earth alive to populate the kingdom. In other words, when the Lord comes a Bible says he will destroy all the wicked, and if he comes down in rapture and rafters. All the redeemed all the redeemed are rapture all the unredeemed are destroyed. There's nobody left on earth to populate the kingdom except spiritually glorified beings and the Bible says there will be children born during the king was going have those kids and others got to be people there. There have to be people going in because they'll produce a whole generation.

They'll produce a whole population, many of whom will not even believe in will start a rebellion at the end remember that revelation so somebody's got to be alive. But if the rapture occurs at the same time of the second coming that all the redeemed are out and all the unredeemed or are destroyed as nobody left to populate the kingdom. So this generation refers to the people that are alive at that time that were not taken in the rapture because they did not know the Savior so the Jews and Gentiles. But during the time of the tribulation.

What happens, God takes 144,000 Jews according to Revelation 7. They witness all over the world, Jews are saved.

Gentiles are saved so that they can even be counted so you have a redeemed group and in unredeemed group and that unredeemed unredeemed group of Jews and Gentiles that have not gone in the rapture because their salvation came after that or they've never been saved there. The generation who will see these things come to pass and when they start to see them come to pass, they'll not die off till all those things are. I think that's what he say now is look at an unprecedented alteration and wrap it up with verse 35 an uncomplicated analogy and unmistakable application and then an unprecedented alteration verse 35 heaven and earth shall pass away, stop the that's a flat statement. Tremendous unbelievable statement heaven and earth shall pass away.

You see the sign of the Son of Man in heaven you've already seen the collapse of the stellar bodies, everything is moving into chaos that we already learned and we back in verse 22 that God's going to shorten the daylight hours during the day of the whole calendar goes crazy, the tides will go crazy and the some of it is in verse 35 heaven and earth shall come to an end as we know it heaven and earth will in the earth that we know the heaven that we know will cease by just exactly all that that embodies is very very difficult for us to perceive we read much much of Revelation in many things written by Isaiah the prophet, and others, so we know that heaven and earth are going to pass away as we know them and in their place is going to come a new creation, a new creation. Finally, Jesus said this heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words what shall not pass away.

That is an unchanging authority and he closes the parable with an unchanging authority. My words shall not pass away. In Luke 1617. He said heaven and earth will pass away.

It's easier for them to do that, then for one total out of the law to pass away. He said not one jot or one tittle in Matthew 518 will pass away, till all is fulfilled in John 1035. He said Scripture can not be broken. So if we believe the word of God. We believe this is going to happen. It's going to happen. The question we ask you is are you ready for the go with the Lord's rapture people to be in his presence.

Would you find yourself staying for the Holocaust that follows see that you know all these things, what manner of persons ought you to be. Peter said go to be godly and holy going to be looking for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to be growing in grace your redeemed people looking for the same. That's John MacArthur, Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary, wrapping up his lesson today on grace to you called. Could Jesus come today John, you know, there are so many things in life that we prepare for weddings and the birth of a child, and even the short trips we take our vacations. We plan and of course John after hearing a lesson like today's. The idea of being prepared for a trip takes on a weightier meaning because now I'm thinking about how I don't want to be caught unprepared for the trip to heaven know if you're gonna get ready for anything that would be a good thing right. Get ready for you know John really sums it up in a beautiful way. He says that we are headed that way in John five.

The whole human race is headed toward a resurrection I don't think people understand everybody rises every human being who's ever lived is going to rise in the resurrection of the adjuster, the resurrection of the unjust.

John five and they're going to face the judge and the eternal sentence of hell or the eternal bliss of heaven people live their lives as if they had whatever future they want to have. Maybe that's part of the idiocy of the prosperity message you can get sort of speak your own life now into existence.

So why not speak your future life into existence and understand that they are accountable to perfectly holy God who has determined their eternal destiny based on their response to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I think everybody needs to live in the light of eternity. One of the things that we we benefit from in society is a threat of death mean II can imagine people in the Ukraine and we been there many times and I can imagine there thinking about eternity more than they normally do when somebody bobbed up and bombs on you people need to have a real view of the brevity of life and its appointed men once to die, and after this the judgment and understanding that it's eternal you better want to be in heaven and you better find out how to get there. And of course, is only one way through Christ, but what helps.

I think in elevating the desire for heaven is to understand the glory of heaven so I just want to mention the book, the glory of heaven. The Bible says a lot about heaven. There a lot of silly foolish books written about people go to heaven. That obviously are fabricated with the Bible does say a lot about heaven and you need to know what heaven is like in this book will open up everything that the Scripture says about the glory of heaven. We'd love to get a copy of the glory of heaven in your hands. That's where you want to go you're going to die and you definitely want to be in the glory of God's heaven. That means you need to come to Christ but may be an attraction. If you haven't come to Christ would be to know what heaven is like so order a copy from Grace to you. That's right, the truth about heaven may be quite different from what you think.

To see all that awaits Christians get John's classic book, the glory of heaven. When you contact us today.

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And of course thanks for your prayers, your most important ministry to us is to uphold us in prayer now for John MacArthur. I'm Phil Johnson reminding you to watch grace to you television this Sunday on DirecTV channel 378 or check your local listings for channeling times and then join us. When John shows you the path to anxiety free living, that's the series he begins Monday with another 30 minutes of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on grace