Christ Has Come, He Will Come Again

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0:17That is some passage. Let me encourage you to keep your Bibles open to Matthew 24. We're going to be looking at the text quite a bit in some different places. We come this morning to one of the hardest texts in Matthew's Gospel. So we're going to need to put on our thinking caps a little bit. And despite the difficulties and the challenges in this text, I believe that this passage unveils, in a miraculous, amazing way, the authority, trustworthiness, and glory of Jesus. So may we have eyes to see. Would you join me as I pray?

1:02Father in heaven, we need understanding. We need wisdom. We need the indwelling power of your Spirit so that we would discern rightly from this text, see clearly, and love you more. And so do all those things for your glory and for our joy. We pray in Christ's name. Amen. How do you know if Jesus will return? How would you answer that question? How do you know if Jesus will return? Say your neighbor says to you, "Well, you're a Christian. What gives you the confidence that Jesus is actually coming back? Because you Christians have been predicting that for 2,000 plus years. And if you read the Book of Revelation with its beasts and dragons, it sounds like a fantasy novel.

2:07Are you sure you guys aren't mistaken?" What's our response? How do you know Jesus will return? He said so. I wasn't asking for an answer, but thank you. He said so. We might answer, "The Bible tells me so," and that is true. Jesus has promised his return in his word. In the very last chapter of the Book of Revelation, he says, "I am coming soon." So probably no more comforting words than that. And yet, I think what our passage does for us this morning is that he gives us another reason for confidence. Jesus predicted the temple's destruction 40 years before it happened. We saw a little bit of that last Sunday, which means that his word is faithful and true, and we can trust him to carry out the promises that have yet to be fulfilled. In other words, we can take Jesus at his word.

3:13We can read a text like Matthew 24 and see God did all that, which reassures us that he will be true to all that he has said about his second coming. And so despite some scary-sounding things in this text, the abomination of desolation, false Christs, stars falling from heaven, I think Matthew 24 is a deeply comforting passage this morning because it reminds us that Jesus is sovereign and he's unfolding his plan of redemption sovereignly. So last week, we saw that Jesus shockingly foretells the destruction of the temple after pronouncing all of these woes on the scribes and Pharisees, and it raised two questions for the disciples.

4:09You see that in chapter 24, verse three. When will these things happen, and what will be the sign of them? And we said last week, the disciples seemed to put together the destruction of the temple and Jesus' second coming as sort of the same event, and Jesus is separating that out to show them that these are two distinct events. Now, before we jump into Matthew 24, I'm going to sketch some of the major thoughts of how to interpret the Olivet discourse. The first view is called preterism. It's from the Latin word just for past. And it says that much of Matthew 24 is referring to events that have already been fulfilled in AD 70 and the events prior to that.

4:58The second view is a futurist view or futurism, which sees most of Matthew 24 and 25 as things that have yet to happen, things yet still to come. And this view was popularized by books and movies like the "Left Behind" series. And then the third view is really maybe a range of views that views this passage as speaking of both Jerusalem's destruction and Christ's future return, and there's some nuances within that as well. But I'm just going to tell you what I believe, and then I'm going to try to show you from the text. My view this morning is that verses 15 to 35, which we just heard read, primarily describe the events before and during the destruction of the temple in AD 70, which is past.

5:51And then I think verses 36 and onward are speaking of the second coming, which has not yet happened. And so my main point this morning is that Jesus has come in judgment upon Jerusalem, and then he's coming again to consummate his kingdom, or you could just put it as Christ has come, and Christ will come again. And my aim this morning is to remind us that Jesus is trustworthy and true. We can take his words to the bank, and we can bank our lives on all that he has said to us. Now, one more thing. I'm not going to teach the various interpretations for this text because it would make it a four-hour sermon, which I know some of you would love, but we're not going to do that. I'll teach what I see and then invite you to be Bereans.

6:45If you have questions, you can send those to Pastor Josh. No, just kidding. You can ask me about those later. And I just want to say, I know many fellow believers, including some of our elders and pastors, interpret these passages differently. And so we should hold our convictions firmly and yet treat other views and other people charitably, not letting this create division. So this passage has four sections, I think, in response to the question that comes in verse three. When will these things be, and what will be the sign? And the four things that Jesus prepares his disciples for in the destruction of the temple is to see the sign of desolation, verses 15 to 22, to reject false messiahs in 23 to 28, to understand the Son of Man's coming in 29 to 31, and then to trust the words of Jesus, 32 to 35. So look with me at verses 15 and 16. Here we see the sign of desolation.

7:48Look with me at verse 15. "So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel standing in the holy place, let the reader understand, then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains." So the question comes, who is Jesus talking to, and what is he talking about? Well, Jesus is talking to his disciples that they are going to see this abomination of desolation. I think it means within their lifetime. They had asked, "What's going to be the sign of the destruction of the temple?" And Jesus says, "Here is going to be the sign." It's when you see this desolation, it's going to be the sign that the temple is soon going to be destroyed.

8:33And then he says, "And this is your cue to flee to the mountains. If you're in Judea, to leave Jerusalem and go up into the mountains." So he had described the labor pains earlier. Now he's saying this is coming to a climax, this intense distress in the destruction of the temple. Now, the first question is, who or what is this abomination of desolation? Well, Daniel makes mention of an abomination that makes desolate three different times in the Book of Daniel. Some of you may remember when we preached through the Book of Daniel. Daniel 9:27, 11:31, and 12:11. An abomination that desecrates is basically something that is detestable or scandalous or idolatrous in the temple.

9:19And most commentators understand that Daniel, in at least chapter 11 and 12, was predicting Antiochus Epiphanes or Epiphanes, the Syrian king who slaughtered a pig and erected an idol of Zeus in the temple on the altar in 167 BC. But I think Jesus says you got to think a little bit more critically. That's why we get that parenthetical statement. Let the reader understand. I think he's saying that there's going to be another abomination of desolation in the temple. Now, as we look throughout history, this abomination of desolation is the sign to flee Jerusalem, which needs to happen early enough so that the disciples can actually escape Judea before Rome came and surrounded Jerusalem and then ultimately destroyed the temple. And I think there's a lot of speculation.

10:15I know that there's different interpretations. I don't want to spend too much time here, but I want to at least give you a sense of what this is. I think it's pointing to the zealots, the Jewish zealots that desecrated the temple. The zealots were this violent, revolutionary faction that seized control of the temple during the Jewish revolt, which ultimately led to the Jewish-Roman war. And Josephus, this ancient historian, records that they shed innocent blood in the temple, that they defiled the temple with the wounded and with the dead, and they turned the holy place into a place of political violence.

10:52And they displaced the legitimate priestly leadership with their own priests that were not from that of the Levites. They refused to offer sacrifices on behalf of the Roman emperor or any foreigners. And so I think this abomination of desolation is not a singular person. The verb standing can indicate position rather than posture, and it means that there was the shedding of blood in the temple. So this desolation fits Jesus' warning that comes later, or actually in this parallel account in Luke, chapter 21, verse 20. That parallel passage says, "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near." This would've been referring to the Roman governor of Syria, Cestius Gallus, which surrounded Jerusalem with 20,000 soldiers to stop the Jewish rebellion, and then they later withdrew.

11:51So I'm suggesting that the abomination of desolation is something that took place prior to AD 70, probably AD 66, that let the disciples of Jesus know that the destruction of the temple was coming shortly and that they were to flee to go up into the mountains. Now look with me at verses 17 and 18. It says to leave urgently. Don't go back into the house. Don't go back and get your cloak. It's like those airplane safety instructions. In case of emergency, leave your backpack, leave your personal belongings, just exit immediately. In verse 19, it's going to be especially difficult for pregnant women and nursing mothers because it's going to be hard to run away and to hike up into the mountains. Verse 20 says pray that it won't be in winter, or travel will be difficult, or the Sabbath. I think perhaps travel restrictions are in effect.

12:43Now look with me at verses 21 and 22. "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short." Now, when we hear of the word tribulation, often we think of the great tribulation that's in Revelation. I don't think it's referring to that. Tribulation just means distress or affliction or troubled. And so Jesus is saying that this will be an unparalleled time of distress. And I think this is an idiomatic expression.

13:28Just listen as I read Ezekiel 5:9. See if you hear something similar. "Because of all your abominations, I will do with you what I have never yet done, and the like of which I will never do again." Very similar language. That has never been done, that will be never done again. You can actually see that same phrase in Exodus, where there was the killing of all the firstborn, and it says, "There was an outcry that has never been and never will be again." Again, this is an idiomatic expression. It's saying that this distress is going to be horrible, that it will seem unparalleled. Now, Josephus actually records the siege of the Roman armies of Jerusalem, and it was indeed horrible.

14:15We can't recount all of the various atrocities or convey the horror of the siege, but let me just give you a sense of it. The famine was so severe that people searched the sewers for anything edible. They ate grass and cow dung and gnawed on shoes and belts. Josephus records that a well-respected mother cannibalized her own baby, that those who were captured by the Romans were subjected to new forms of torture. Others were carried off to the Colosseum to be killed by gladiators or mauled by wild beasts. The Roman soldiers even ran out of crosses to crucify their prisoners. And so it tells us that this was indeed a horrific, horrific siege of the city of Jerusalem. Now, verse 22 tells us that despite such atrocities and horrific evil, God is still on his throne.

15:09"If the Lord has not cut short the days, no human being would be saved." That's Mark 13:20, which tells us explicitly that it's God who cut short those days for his elect, for his chosen ones. So despite violence and birth pains and tribulations and sufferings, God is in control, and Satan is on a leash. How does that help us this morning? Well, the disciples asked for a sign of when the temple would be destroyed. Jesus gives them that sign so that they would be able to flee the tribulation, and early church historian Eusebius reports that the Jerusalem church actually fled to Pella before the war. This was the means that God used to protect his people, to preserve the elect.

16:04And what this means for us this morning is that we can trust Jesus to keep us. Whatever trials his disciples faced way back in that time, he protected them from those trials. And in the same way, whatever trials, tribulations, sufferings, persecutions that we face today, the Lord Jesus Christ is on his throne, and he will see us through, and he will protect us even in this day. He is, for all time, a refuge and a strength, a very present help in time of trouble. So the first thing the disciples are to see is the sign of desolation. Now, second, they're to reject the false messiahs. Look with me at 23 to 28. The main thrust of this section is do not believe false messiahs. Look at me at verse 23.

17:04It says, "Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ,' or, 'There he is,' do not believe it." And then skip down to verse 26. "If they say to you, 'Look, he's in the wilderness,' do not go out. If they say, 'Look, he's in the inner rooms,' do not believe it." So three different times Jesus tells his disciples, "Don't believe false messiahs." Verse 25, Jesus tells his disciples not to be deceived. He says, "See, I have told you beforehand." I'm warning you now so that when these false messiahs come, you don't get led astray. I don't want you to be led astray. I don't want you to be deceived.

17:49They'll claim that he's in the wilderness or that he's in hidden rooms. This calls to mind kind of Moses and John the Baptist and Elijah, who ministered in the wilderness. Or perhaps he's some secret figure hidden away in some safe house. And some of these figures will even claim to do signs and miracles that will be so convincing that they would lead the elect astray if such were possible. I think what he's saying there is that it's not possible. The elect will persevere until the end. The implication, though, is that God is protecting them. Now look with me at verse 27 This is a tricky one. It says, "For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man." What he's saying there is, don't believe all of these false messiahs that say, "Here's the Christ. He's out in the wilderness.

18:43Go out to the wilderness to find him," or, "Go into the inner rooms. Just wait. He's being hidden away." He says, when Jesus actually comes in his second coming, it's going to be so obvious, it's going to be like lightning. No one sees lightning and says, "Well, was that lightning?" No, lightning is just stunning, sudden, and obvious. It will be unmistakable. It will be seen from east to west. It will be public, and it will be visible. He will descend with such glory and splendor that everyone will fall on their faces at the second coming. In other words, don't be deceived by rumors of the Messiah, because when the Messiah comes, everyone will know.

19:27They will fall on their faces, either in terror or in worship. So verse 27, I think, is speaking of the second coming, but he's contrasting it with all these false messiahs who say, "I'm the one." And he's saying, "No, don't be deceived. When he comes, it's going to be really clear." Now, verse 28, Jesus returns to talking about the distress before the temple's destruction, and he uses this very familiar image. Whenever you see a corpse, scavenger birds are going to be hovering over or devouring that flesh. It's like all the roadkill we see as you drive up north, right? So in the same way, when you see the distress and the suffering and the tribulation, the fall of Jerusalem is near.

20:14And I think he's also channeling some of the covenant curses that are mentioned in Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy 28:26 says, "And your dead body shall be food for all the birds of the air." Speaking of the covenant curses that would fall on Israel. So how do we think about this second point? Well, Jesus is warning his disciples not to be duped or tricked by false messiahs. He did that earlier. He said, "Don't be alarmed. Don't be deceived." When Jesus does return, it will be so obvious. And we know this from other passages in 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians and Revelation, that Jesus will descend from heaven, riding in on a cloud, and the trumpets will sound. He will be faithful and true, riding in on a white horse even, and he will wage war against his enemies, and he will consummate his kingdom.

21:09He's making all things new. So we are awaiting the return of the true King. I don't think that's what it's talking about here, but it's pointing forward and anticipating that reality. So we're to see the sign of desolation. We're to reject the false messiahs. And then his disciples, third, are to understand the Son of Man's coming. Now, if you're anything like me, anytime you have read verses 29 to 31, you have thought this is just a straightforward description of the second coming. I don't know if any of you feel that. If I asked for a show of hands on that, guess is I would get some hands or some nods here. That's how I've often understood it as well.

21:52But as I've studied the Old Testament background and the flow of Matthew's argument, I'm persuaded that Jesus is actually describing judgment on Jerusalem. So there's three kind of interpretive options, if you will. Verses 15 all the way to 31 refer to end times tribulation, or 15 to 28 refer to the fall of Jerusalem, but somehow there's a shift in 29 to 31 that talks about the second coming. Or you could say 15 to 28, including 29 to 31, use all of this prophetic language to describe the temple's destruction. And I take this third view. So notice first in verse 29, the word "immediately." Immediately connects 29 to 31, I think, to whatever follows previously.

22:40And if 15 to 28, in fact, describes the events leading up to Jerusalem's destruction, then we kind of have to account for a shift either earlier or somehow here. And as modern readers, we can easily assume that this cosmic language of stars falling, the sun being darkened, the moon not giving its light, is kind of pointing to literal physical realities. And yet, I think the Old Testament used very similar imagery metaphorically to describe divine judgment on a nation. So I'm going to take you to three different passages where I see this. You can turn there if you're fast in turning to your Bibles, but we're going to see three different passages that describes God's judgment on various nations that sound just like this. The first one is Isaiah 13, verses 9 and 10.

23:29Isaiah 13, verses 9 and 10. This is Isaiah's prophecy about Babylon, and it says this. Just listen if you're not turning there. "Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger." So this is judgment. "To make a land a desolation and destroy its sinners from it." And then now listen to verse 10. "For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light. The sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light." So exact same phenomenon, cosmic collapse, if you will, in the destruction or the judgment upon Babylon. The second passage is Ezekiel 32, verses 7 and 8.

24:14Ezekiel 32, verses 7 and 8, and this is describing judgment upon Egypt. And it says, "When I blot you out, I will cover the heavens and make their stars dark. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give its light. All the bright lights of heaven I will make dark over you and put darkness on your land,' declares the Lord God." Again, what we see there is that the stars, the sun, and the moon all go dark, and its language describes judgment on Egypt. The third passage is Joel, chapter 2. Joel, chapter 2, and this is describing judgment on Israel. Same exact language. Just listen again. I'm going to read verses 1 and 2, and then 10 and 11.

25:02"For the day of the Lord is coming. It is near, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, and the stars withdraw their shining, for the day of the Lord is great and very awesome. Who can endure it?" So what we get in those three passages is this description of cosmic collapse, where the sun and the moon and the stars all collapse, and it's all in the context of God bringing judgment on nations. And so I think what is going on here is that it pictures divine judgment upon the nation of Israel. So in verse 29, Jesus is drawing on this prophetic tradition to describe the severe judgment upon Jerusalem, namely the destruction of the temple.

25:54Now, you might say, "Well, what do you do with verses 30 and 31?" "Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." You might say, "Pastor, that sounds like Jesus is coming back." It might. Daniel 7 is what we often go to when we think of the Son of Man. Daniel 7:13-14, the Son of Man comes to the Ancient of Days, and there he receives dominion and authority and power and an everlasting kingdom. So the main emphasis of Daniel 7:13-14 is not necessarily his return, but actually his divine authority and his enthronement rather than his literal descent to Earth. So to understand verse 30, when we talk about the coming of the Son of Man or the Son of Man coming in great glory, there's three key passages in Matthew, two of which we've already seen, where we said the coming of the Son of Man doesn't necessarily refer to a second coming.

27:00The first one was Matthew 10:23, which says, "When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next." This is Jesus speaking to his disciples. "For truly I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes." He says you won't be able to evangelize all the various towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. It can't be the second coming because they will have gone through all the towns of Israel. So what was he talking about there? Well, back when we preached that, we said the Son of Man comes at various stages or waves. You could say Jesus came in glory at his incarnation and at his baptism, at his transfiguration, as his death and resurrection and ascension, and at Pentecost. And so in Matthew 10:23, we said Jesus was referring to the Son of Man coming in AD 70, when he would destroy Jerusalem and the temple, and then everything would be scattered from that point forward.

27:59So it was speaking of divine authority in judgment with the Son of Man coming. The second passage is in Matthew 16, verse 28, which says, "Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." Again, Jesus is speaking to his disciples, and he says, "Some of you aren't going to die until you see the Son of Man coming." Well, either he was wrong if he was speaking about the second coming, or there's a different way to understand this text. And then we said he was probably speaking about his transfiguration. They would see Jesus shining in all of his glory as if he had received dominion and power and glory on that mount of transfiguration.

28:44So his kingly glory is revealed in the Son of Man coming. The third text, which we haven't looked at, is Matthew 26:64. This is where Jesus is put on trial. The chief priest comes to Jesus and, "Tell me, are you the Christ? Are you the Son of God?" And what does Jesus say? "You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven." So Jesus is saying to the Sanhedrin, all of these people who unrighteously condemned him to death, "You will see the Son of Man coming." Is he talking about his second coming there?

29:24No, they would all die before the second coming. So what is he talking about there? I think, again, this is metaphorical language, drawing on Daniel 7, where the Son of Man is vindicated and glorified, and I think he's vindicated and glorified at his death, at his resurrection, and at his ascension. So all of that to say, I think verse 30, when he says, "The sign of the Son of Man coming," is actually Jesus, in a sense, in his power and kingly authority, coming to judge Israel at AD 70 in the destruction of the temple. So this will cause all the tribes of the earth or all the tribes of the land, which is another translation for that word, which I think is referring to the tribes of Israel, to mourn.

30:15Why are they mourning? Because they have rejected their Messiah, and now it's too late. The temple's destruction has come. And so this shows us that Jesus is vindicated. It's a sign that he rules and reigns in the heavens. When the temple is destroyed, it's not just the fall of a building. It's Jesus being vindicated because he said, "I'm tearing down the scribes and the Pharisees. I'm tearing down their authority. I'm tearing down the temple because the only way to relate to God Almighty is through me, this rebuilt temple, which is the temple of my body." And so in the destruction of the temple, it's just not the fall of a building, but it's the vindication of the Lord Jesus Christ in all of his power and all of his authority.

31:04Everything I said comes true, comes to pass, and it reveals Jesus as the Lord. Now, verse 31 portrays the gathering of the elect as the worldwide gathering of Christ's people under his kingship. It could suggest that these angels, or perhaps messengers, which is the word messengers there, they could be human messengers, are proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom throughout the world, and it's calling people into the kingdom of the enthroned Son of Man. But I do think that 29 to 31, even if it speaks of the destruction of the temple, is pointing forward to a greater revelation of the Son of Man, which is Jesus come at his second coming. The angels and the trumpets and the four winds and the mentions of the ends of heaven seem to anticipate and foreshadow the ingathering, the final ingathering of the saints when Christ returns.

32:05And so I don't want us to think, well, Matthew 24 is just speaking of the destruction of the temple. There is no second coming. That would be the wrong conclusion. Jesus absolutely will return physically, bodily, personally, riding in on the clouds, and he will rule over all things. And yet, I'm just saying Matthew 24 is not yet describing that reality. It's anticipating, it's foreshadowing that. Now, so 29 to 31 portrays Jesus' judgment in cosmic language, and it foreshadows and anticipates Christ's second coming. If you look actually ahead in Matthew 25 to verse 31, and then it says, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne." I do think that verse is speaking of the second coming then.

33:04And we have that glorious day to look forward to, don't we? In Acts 1:11, the disciples are looking into the sky. They're seeing Jesus ascend to heaven on these clouds. Two angels come to them. They're like, "Why do you guys keep looking?" And they say to them, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." Jesus is not going to come from among men. He will descend from the clouds on that great day. So the disciples are to see the sign of desolation. They're to reject the false messiahs.

33:47They're to understand the Son of Man's coming, I think particularly in judgment and the destruction of the temple. And then finally, they are to trust the words of Jesus. He gives us this final lesson in 32 to 35. "When you see the fig tree put out its leaves, you know that summer is near." And so I think what he's saying is when you see the abomination of desolation and you see these false messiahs and you see all these tribulations, it reveals that it is near. There's no personal pronoun there, and I think he's referring to the temple's destruction. And verse 34 gives us a time frame. They ask, "When are these things going to be?

34:28What's going to be the sign, and when is this going to be?" And now he gives them the time frame. Verse 34, "Truly I say to you, this generation," disciples, "will not pass away until all these things take place." Meaning the fall of Jerusalem, the destruction of the temple, will take place within their lifetime, and we know that it happened 40 years later. All these things, I think, is referring to everything that precedes in the fall and the events that precede the fall of Jerusalem. And in verse 35, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." Jesus puts his word, his prophecies here, on par with scripture, like Isaiah 40:8, "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of the Lord will stand forever." In other words, these words are fixed.

35:27They will endure. They will outlast heaven and Earth itself, and these promises, these prophecies, will indeed come to pass. And then if you look on further, I think we would say verse 36 and onward is actually speaking of the second coming because he's just given them the timing, and he's given them a sign. But then when it comes to the second coming, verse 36, "Concerning that day and hour," of the second coming, "no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son." And in verse 44, "You must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." So he gives them a sign of the temple's destruction, but he does not give them a sign of the second coming.

36:08So what's the takeaway for us this morning from this somewhat complex, detailed, maybe controversial text? First, Jesus' words will never pass away. Faithful he has been; faithful he will be. And as we read this, despite complexities and difficulties and challenges in interpretation, his word remains firm. There's nothing wrong with him. He is coming back, and he will rule and reign as the sovereign Lord of all. And so if you're not trusting in Jesus here this morning, the invitation is for you to see the truthfulness of Jesus' words, how they have come to pass, and then to see the words that have yet to come to pass, that they will come to pass, and that you would repent and believe. When Jesus returns like lightning, all will see, and everyone will fall on their face.

37:17Every knee will bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, some as worship and others under condemnation. But they will still see the truthfulness of Jesus' word. And if you're not among the elect, oh, this morning, come, repent, and believe. Come into this family. Jesus beckons you in so that you might escape the destruction, the eternal destruction that is to come. For those of us who are trusting in Jesus, I have two more reminders or two more applications. The first is that because Jesus reigns, we can trust him amid suffering and upheaval.

38:09When we hear of wars, which are present in our world, when we hear of famines, when we hear of earthquakes and false messiahs and tribulations, the thing we are to remember is that God reigns in the heavens. God is sovereign. Jesus is in control. He's seated at the right hand of the Father Almighty, given all authority in heaven and on earth, and he's unfolding that authority for our good. And so we need to remember, evil cannot ultimately overcome Christ and his kingdom. When the world feels unstable, when we face personal suffering, even as our bodies waste away, disaster looms on the horizon, we do not need to fear.

39:02I wonder how many of this is true for. I remember as a kid, I grew up in the church, and whenever I read the Book of Revelation, which I can't say was often, it just seemed super scary. My youth pastor would show those "Left Behind" movies, people kind of rapturing up, if you will, and it just seemed so frightening. Am I going to accidentally get the mark of the beast somehow? Is that a computer chip, or what is that? Is that a tattoo? Will false prophets deceive me? What if the dragon or the beast gets me? And I just had this sense of fear about the future. And yet, I would argue that Matthew 24 and 25, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, the entire Book of Revelation is written not to instill in God's people fear, but comfort.

39:55It tells us that Jesus wins. Tribulations and sufferings will not decisively destroy the elect. Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus, not the abomination of desolation, not the man of lawlessness, not the Antichrist that is to come, not the beast, not the ancient serpent, Satan. No evil power, no person, no principality under heaven can possibly keep us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, because we know that Christ wins. He rules at his Father's side. He's unfolding this glorious plan of redemption, and his word endures. It is true, and he tells us this morning, "I am coming soon."

40:45And that should remind us and fill us with great hope for the future. Every day you live, you are getting one day closer to Christ's return. His word endures. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom that will know no end. And secondly, because Jesus will return, we can live with hope and readiness right now. We can live with hope and readiness right now. Jesus is coming back. His arrival, when he comes, will be unmistakable, undeniable, irrefutable, inescapable, unambiguous, and unequivocal. His glory will far exceed anything like it that we have seen before or after, and that's not metaphorical language.

41:44When Christ comes in all of his glory to consummate this kingdom, his kingdom, it will be unlike anything we have seen and anything we will ever see again. He will separate the sheep from the goats. He will judge the living and the dead. He will open the books. He will ride in on the clouds, and he will make all things new. And that is going to be a glorious day. And so brothers and sisters, do we live in light of that?

42:17Are we thinking, "Oh, I got so many problems on Monday. Oh, state of Minnesota, this election, it's just got me all stressed out and anxious. Oh, look at the world and everything going on." Or do we live in light of the glories of Christ that will be unveiled unlike any other, and let that reality trickle down into every crevice of our heart and mind and transform us so that we say, "Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly." So Christ has come, and Christ is coming again. Let's pray. Father, we don't want to get lost in the trees and forget the forest, and yet we want to understand what your word actually says.

43:05And so give us wisdom how to do that rightly and well. And then we pray, Father, that you would encourage our hearts this morning, that as we see your judgment in the destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem, your words have come to pass. They are faithful, and they are true, and your word to us that, "I'm coming back soon," is faithful and true and will come to pass in your perfect timing. Oh, we long for your return. So come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. We pray in Christ's name. Amen.

43:54Amen.

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Christ Has Come, He Will Come Again

The End Is Not Yet

Woe To Hypocrites!

Christ Has Come, He Will Come Again