The Coming Of Christ Series

Introduction

A. The disciples want to know just when Jesus is going to come again

1. Lets turn to Matthew 24:29

2. Well, we want the answer to that very same question

3. But, you know, Jesus has told us exactly when His return would be

Matthew 24:29 (NKJV)

"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.

4. Notice Jesus says, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days”

a. In my mind what Jesus did not tell us was when the tribulation would begin

(1) So that we have the exact time of His return

(2) But, we do not know when the beginning of the key event of that time is, that is the tribulation

(a) Turn to Luke 21:23 - 24

5. Note a number of things in this Luke passage

Luke 21:23-24 (NKJV)

"But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. {24} "And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

a. Christ has told us a number of things in this passage

(1) In verse 23 we read, “For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.”

(a) Is there distress in the land of Israel today?

(b) Yes there is, great distress

(c) Is there wrath being shed upon the people of Israel?

(d) Yes, there is, great wrath

(2) In verse 24 we read, “And they will fall by the edge of the sword”

(a) Are the people of Israel falling by the edge of the sword?

(b) We know that soldiers are dying in battle, “falling by the edge of the sword”

(c) Innocents are being killed by rockets and bombers

(d) I would say that the people of Israel are falling by the edge of the sword

(3) And again in verse 24 we read, “And they will . . . be led away captive into all nations”

(a) Are there still Jews and Hebrews in countries around the world

(b) We know there are

(c) Hebrews and Jews have been found in almost every country in the world

(4) And again in verse 24 we read, “And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled”

(a) Is Jerusalem “trampled by the gentiles?”

(b) We know that Palestinians are still a significant portion of Jerusalem

i) And they dictate significant issues especially concerning the temple mount

6. We need to take note that Jesus did not return immediately after the fall of Jerusalem

a. The time of the gentiles still goes on

B. No people have ever gone through what the Jews have gone through

1. The Jews are still suffering under the hand of the gentiles

a. Hitler murdered 6 million Jews during the 2nd World War

b. And Jews around the world are still suffering

(1) They suffer prejudice

(2) They suffer hatred

(3) They suffer discrimination

(4) They suffer torture

(5) And they suffer being slaughter

(6) This will continue through the seven years of tribulation then Christ will return and bring peace

(a) Lets return to Matthew 24:29

II. Body

A. There will be astronomical signs

Matthew 24:29 (NKJV)

"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.

1. Look at what this verse says about the heavenly bodies

a. The sun will be darkened

b. The moon will not give its light

c. The stars will fall from heaven

d. And the power of the heavens will be shaken

2. Today, if a volcano spews forth smoke and ash, the sky is darkened

a. If there is a forest fire, spewing forth smoke

b. If there is a dust storm

c. I remember driving through Oklahoma during a dust storm. It started to rain so that what we had was a mud storm. The mud caused the sky to darken and I had to pull off the road often to clean off my windshield

d. And the sun light and moon light are blocked

3. We have meteor showers often on this old planet of ours

a. And there have been some meteors that caused great damage to our world

(1) There is evidence in the great meteor crater in Arizona

(2) Possibly Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana