Luke 21

Luke 21:1-24

Chapter 37 Lessons For Troublesome TimesWe are living in troublesome times. These are perilous days. These are difficult days for everyone. But they are particularly difficult for people who believe God and seek, in all things and above all things, to honour him. I know that your minds are constantly full of questions, for which there seems to be no answer. Moral decadence, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, and the paedophilia that it spawns are not just tolerated, but actively promoted in our public schools and by law.

The brutal slaughter of unborn babies is as common as the removal of warts. By some perverse logic, the same people who want to protect rattlesnakes from extinction and weep over the misuse of laboratory rats, tell us that the murder of a baby is a matter of choice! Domestic violence is epidemic. War is an everyday activity. And the religion of the day is nothing short of men worshipping themselves. When I think about these things, three passages of scripture come to my mind (Deuteronomy 31:17; Psalms 10:4; Galatians 6:7). “Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us?” (Deuteronomy 31:17). “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts” (Psalms 10:4). “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7). How do we deal with these things? How are we to react to the things going on around us every day? Where are we to find help for our souls in these perilous times? In the first 24 verses of Luke 21 our blessed Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, gives us some needed lessons for troublesome times. Let us look at them together. Christ Sees All Here is the first lesson. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, he with whom we have to do, sees all and knows all. “And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had” (Luke 21:1-4). How keenly our Lord Jesus Christ observes the things that are done upon earth. We read that “he looked up and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.” It would seem reasonable to me that our Lord’s mind would have been on other things. His betrayal, his unjust arrest, his mock trial, his crucifixion, his sufferings, and his death, were all at hand; and he knew it. The destruction of the temple at Jerusalem, and the casting away of Israel, the long period of this gospel age, “until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled”, and his glorious second advent were all spread before his mind like a great picture. Yet, he took notice of “the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.” Truly, he sees all and knows all. “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13). “The eyes of the Lord are in every place” (Proverbs 15:3). Nothing escapes his observation. Every act and thought of every person is written down in the book of his remembrance. The same eye that sees the council-chambers of the mighty observes all that goes on in your house and mine. He observed the pompous show of these rich men. And he observed the great sacrifice of the poor widow. He observed not only what they did, but also why. Yes, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, he with whom we have to do, sees all and knows all! To religious hypocrites, that fact is terrifying, and ought to be. To the believer, it is blessedly comforting (John 21:17). Marked For Destruction Here is the second lesson. Everything on this earth is marked for destruction. “And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down” (Luke 21:5-6). These words were a striking prophecy. How strange and startling they must have sounded to those who heard them. The temple at Jerusalem was utterly destroyed just a few years after these words were spoken. Soon, all earthly buildings and all earthly things, no matter how firm they appear to be, no matter how much they are prized and treasured by us, shall melt with a fervent heat and be destroyed. Hold nothing here with a firm hand. Value nothing on this earth more than you will value it when you die (2 Corinthians 4:17 to 2 Corinthians 5:9). Our Lord was talking about the temple of God. It was a fabulous piece of architecture. To the Jews, the thought of it being destroyed was incomprehensible. They looked upon that building with idolatrous veneration. It was built according to the pattern given by God himself. David, Solomon, Hezekiah, Josiah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, Haggai, Zechariah, and Nehemiah were the venerated names associated with that building. Every devout Jew in every corner of the world prayed toward the temple daily. But the temple was to be destroyed by the hand of God. The temple at Jerusalem, though once the place of God’s manifest glory, though once the place where God met with men, though once the place where men and women drew near to and worshipped the triune God, had become an empty shell, a den of thieves, and a synagogue of Satan. That which was once the house of God had become the brothel of Babylon, and must be destroyed. So it shall be with every local church, every form of religion, and every person who abandons the gospel of Christ and the worship of God. When Babylon falls, all who sleep in her bed shall fall with her. When the world is ablaze with Divine judgment, all false religion shall be burned as wood, hay, and stubble. The true temple of God is not a building, or a system of religion, but the broken and contrite heart of poor sinners trusting his Son (John 4:23-24; Philippians 3:3). False Christs “And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them” (Luke 21:7-8). Everyone wants to know when the end of the world will be, when Christ shall come again, and when the great Day of Judgment shall come. But our Lord Jesus completely passes over the questions asked in verse seven, because all such questions are totally unimportant. They are questions to which no answer can be found, because God has hidden the answer. Our Master refused to indulge their vain curiosity about prophecy. We would be wise to do the same. Instead, he addressed himself to a matter that ought to be of great concern to us all. Here is the third lesson. Many false christs are in the world, by whom multitudes are deceived. I am not interested in the many men who appeared in the years following our Lord’s crucifixion who claimed to be the Christ. They are of no danger to us today. But there are many false christs being preached in the name of the true, just as there were in the days of the Apostles (2 Corinthians 11:3-4; Galatians 1:6-9; 1 John 4:1-3). Of these false christs, we must beware. I urge you to give earnest heed to the words of the Son of God. “Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many … For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matthew 24:4-5; Matthew 24:21-24). The plain fact is there are many false christs, many antichrists, by whom the souls of men are deceived and damned. I want to be as charitable, kind, and gracious as I can; but charity, kindness, and grace will not allow me to be silent while immortal souls are deceived and God’s glory is trampled beneath the feet of men. If you trust a false christ, you cannot be saved any more than you could be saved by trusting a tadpole. We are called of God to trust, love, follow, and obey the true Christ and him only. Salvation is promised to none but those who trust the true Christ. Therefore, we are warned in our text to “Take heed that no man deceive you.” We must take heed to the teachings of holy scripture, lest we be deceived by some false christ. We know about the christ of the liberals. He was a social do-gooder. “Of course”, we are told, “he is not God.” The virgin birth, the incarnation, the resurrection are all things that must be understood allegorically. In fact, the Christ of the liberals is considered by many to be a man of very questionable moral character. Any who are deceived by liberal theology and the christ of the liberals are willingly deceived. We are not deceived by the christ of the liberals. Only a prating fool would pretend to be a Christian while teaching what liberals do concerning Christ. The christ of the liberals is a false christ. All who trust the christ of the liberals are lost. We also know about the christ of the various cults. He is represented to us as a good man, a prophet, a teacher of morality, the first and greatest creation of God, or even a sort of secondary god. But the christ of the cults is never represented as the true and eternal God. Their christ receives his existence from another god, one who is greater than he is. This, of course, is not the Christ of the Bible. We are not deceived by him. The christ of the cults is a false christ. All who trust the christ of the cults are lost. We know about the christ of Roman Catholicism. The papists profess that Jesus Christ is God, that he came into the world as a man, that he suffered the wrath of God as a substitute for sinners, that he died, was buried, rose again the third day, ascended back to heaven, and that he is coming again. But the christ of Romanism is not a complete Saviour. The christ of Rome cannot save sinners without their own good works, the intercessions of priests, and the sacraments of the church. The christ of Rome is not the Christ of the Bible. We are not deceived by him.

Though many are damned by the darkness of Roman Catholic idolatry, that is not a danger and deception by which any who read these lines are likely to be deceived. The christ of the papists, we know, is a false christ. All who trust the christ of Rome are lost. However, there is a false christ much more dangerous than the antichrists of the liberals, the cults, and the papists. There is a false christ by whom the souls of men have been deceived for years, by whom millions are being deceived today. In fact, I am compelled to say, the vast majority of those who profess faith in Christ are followers of this false christ who will ultimately lead them to eternal ruin. This christ, this antichrist is such a dangerous and deceptive christ, that our Lord tells us he would deceive the very elect were it not impossible for God’s elect to be deceived (Matthew 24:24). He must be identified. The christ I speak of is the christ of Arminian, freewill, works religion. Few think that I am uncharitable when I denounce the false christs of liberals, cults, and papists as antichrists, and warn men that following those false christs will result in everlasting damnation. Yet, whenever I assert that the christ of Arminian, freewill, works religion is a false christ and that all who trust him are lost, I am castigated as an evil man. Be that as it may, as a watchman upon the walls of Zion, I am responsible to warn you of the danger of this antichrist. The christ of Arminian, freewill, works religion is extremely dangerous, because in many ways he appears to be the true Christ. The freewillers and workmongers of this age tell us that Christ is the true God, in every way equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. They even assert that he saves by grace alone, without the works of man. They insist vehemently that good works play no part in their salvation. The devotees of this christ will have nothing to do with the christ of the liberals, the cults, or the papists. But “take heed that no man deceive you”! Do not be fooled. The christ of Arminian, freewill, works religion is not the Christ of the Bible. He is a false christ. All who trust this false christ are lost, too. Be sure you understand the issue. The issue is not what or how much does a person have to know to be saved. The issue is who. Who must I know? The answer to that question is plainly stated in John 17:3. We must know the true God and the true Christ. Let me make five comparisons of the false christ of modern religion, the christ of Arminian, freewill, works religion, with the Christ of the Bible. When you have considered these five comparisons in the light of holy scripture, I have no doubt that you will see the obvious distinctions between the false christs and the true.

1. The christ of modern, freewill, works religion loves everyone in the universe and wants to save them. We are told that Christ loves all men alike, desires the salvation of all men alike, and is gracious to all men alike. That makes the love, will, and grace of Christ helpless and useless. However, that language cannot be applied to the Christ of the Bible. The true Christ, the Christ of the Bible, the saving Christ loves his people, wills and prays for the salvation of his people, and is gracious to his people, the people unconditionally chosen unto salvation from eternity, whom he came to save (Psalms 5:5; Psalms 7:11; Psalms 11:5; Matthew 1:21; Matthew 11:27; John 10:16; John 17:9-10; Acts 13:48; Romans 9:21-24; Ephesians 1:3-6).
2. The christ of modern, freewill, works religion tries to save everyone. We are told that he offers salvation to every sinner and does everything he can to save them all; but that his offer is rejected and his work is frustrated by the will of those who refuse to come to him and be saved. The Christ of the Bible does not merely offer salvation. He performs it! Grace is not an offer. It is an operation! The Son of God effectually calls to himself all his elect, his sheep, and sovereignly works salvation in them by the irresistible power and grace of his Holy Spirit. Not one of them will be lost. Is this, or is it not the teaching of holy scripture? (Psalms 65:4; Psalms 110:3; Isaiah 55:11; John 5:21; John 6:37-40; John 10:3; John 10:25-30; John 17:2; Philippians 2:13)
3. The false christ of Arminianism cannot regenerate and save anyone who does not first choose to be saved by him. We are told that man has a freewill, but that Christ’s will is bound by and must wait upon man’s will, because it would not be right for him to violate man’s will! The true, saving Christ does violate man’s imaginary freewill; and I am very thankful that he does. Had he not violated my freewill, I would be lost or in hell now! The same is true of you. He sovereignly regenerates and saves every chosen, redeemed sinner. His operations of grace are totally independent of the will and choice of the sinner.

Apart from his work of grace in us, spiritually dead sinners never would or could believe on him and come to him in faith. Faith is not our contribution to the work of salvation. Our faith in Christ is the result, not the cause of God’s saving operations. “Let God be true, but every man a liar” (John 3:3-7; John 6:44; John 6:65; John 15:16; Acts 11:18; Romans 2:4; Romans 9:16; Ephesians 2:1-4; Ephesians 2:8-10; Philippians 1:6; Philippians 1:29; Colossians 2:12; Hebrews 12:2). 4. The false christ of modern, Arminian, freewill, works, man-centred religion died on the cross for everyone in the world, to make it possible for everyone in the world to be saved, but actually secured no one’s salvation by his death. We are told that Christ by his death made it possible for all men to be redeemed, justified, and saved, but that his death has no efficacy and saving power for anyone until they believe on him. Thus, we are informed that the Son of God died in vain for all who perish in unbelief. Though he tried to save them, he failed! The Christ of God is not a frustrated failure! He died for God’s elect and effectually put away our sins by the sacrifice of himself. Having satisfied the justice of God for us, he obtained eternal salvation for us. We were and are forever pardoned, justified, and sanctified by his blood (Isaiah 42:4; Isaiah 53:8; Matthew 20:28; John 10:14-15; John 10:26; Acts 20:28; Romans 5:9-10; Ephesians 5:25; Hebrews 9:12; Hebrews 10:10-14; 1 Peter 3:18; Revelation 5:9-10). 5. The false christ of Arminianism loses many who have been saved by him because they do not hang on, hold out, or persevere to the end. Among the heretical Baptists of our day, some do grant that the sinner has what has come to be called “eternal security”. But it is not security based upon the will, work, and purpose of God in Christ. It is not security based upon the blood of Christ, or the operations of his Spirit. According to the freewiller, all these things are done for all people alike. So their doctrine of “eternal security” is a declaration of security based upon the choice and will of man, not the choice and will of God. The true Christ, the saving Christ, the Christ of the Bible preserves his chosen, redeemed, called ones by his almighty grace, so that they cannot fall away and perish at last. We are kept in life, grace, and faith by the immutability of his will, the power of his blood, the efficacy of his grace, the seal of his Spirit, and the perfection of his intercession (Malachi 3:6; John 5:24; John 10:27-29; Romans 8:28-39; 1 Peter 1:2-5; Jude 1:24-25). At first glance, the christ of modern, Arminian, freewill, works religion may seem to closely resemble the true Christ, the Christ of Scripture; but he does not. The one is a false christ, antichrist. The other is true, the Christ of God. One is weak and helpless, waiting upon and bowing to the will of man. The other is the sovereign Lord, Who wills what he pleases and does what he will! The one is supposed to be able to save with your cooperation. The other is able to save without any cooperation on your part. His salvation produces your cooperation! Those who believe on and serve the false christ of freewill, works religion do not believe on and serve the Christ of the Bible. They are deceived. They are lost. And they shall forever perish under the wrath of God, unless they come to know and trust the Christ of God, who saves his people from their sins by himself. We must, as we fear God and care for the souls of men, have no fellowship with and give no credibility to Arminian, freewill, works religion (2 Corinthians 6:14 to 2 Corinthians 7:1; Revelation 18:4). We must, in these days of darkness, deception, and delusion, proclaim the Christ of God in all his saving fulness, grace, and glory. He alone is able to save (Romans 1:15-17). Let us ever adore, praise, and extol the Lord Jesus Christ, alone and completely, as our great Saviour (Isaiah 59:16) By And By Here is the fourth lesson. The Lord Jesus will appear when it’s time, as he puts it in Luke 21:9, “by and by”. “But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by” (Luke 21:9). We are to watch and look for him to come at any moment. Expect him to appear, and to appear soon. Yet, we must never begin to think the time of the end is immediately at hand. We are to watch for him with anxious, hopeful expectation, on the tiptoe of faith. Yet, we are to patiently wait for him, serving him with diligence and perseverance, with an eye to the generation before us and to the future generations that may be influenced by us. Troubles Sure Here is the fifth lesson. Until Christ returns, troubles are sure and will only increase, troubles in the world and persecutions against the gospel and all who worship and faithfully serve the Lord Jesus. “Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake” (Luke 21:10-12). “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake” (Philippians 1:29). “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls” (1 Peter 2:21-25). Confess Christ Here is the sixth lesson. Times of great trouble are times of great opportunity to confess Christ. “But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist” (Luke 21:12-15). All these things, our Saviour says, “shall turn to you for a testimony”. They supply us with great opportunity to confess him before men, to proclaim to this wicked and perverse generation the glorious gospel of God’s free, saving grace in Christ. And we are not left to come up with something to say. He has in his Word given us the “mouth and wisdom” needed for the hour in which we live; and that “mouth and wisdom” is the gospel. Let us settle it in our hearts that we will speak Christ’s gospel in the day he has given us. The gospel we preach, the grace of which we testify, our adversaries can neither “gainsay nor resist”, “for the Word of God is not bound”. Perfectly Safe Here is the seventh lesson. Though we may be betrayed, hated, persecuted, and sometimes even put to death, for Christ’s sake, God’s saints are always perfectly safe in his omnipotent hands, and shall never suffer any harm or injury of any kind. “And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. But there shall not an hair of your head perish” (Luke 21:16-18). It is written, “There shall no evil happen to the just.” “It shall be well with the righteous.” “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” (Hebrews 13:5-6). Patient Possessing “In your patience possess ye your souls. And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (Luke 21:19-24). Here is the eighth lesson in our text. Our Lord Jesus teaches us, in the midst of troublesome times, “In your patience possess ye your souls.” Child of God, enjoy yourself, and enjoy your God and Saviour. Let nothing disturb or distress you. You possess that peace and joy in your souls which the world cannot take away (Romans 5:3-5). And he tells us that we are to possess our souls in this patience of grace and faith and peace until all his elect have been gathered into his kingdom, “until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (Romans 11:25-27). William Cowper wrote these encouraging and comforting words: God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform; He plants his footsteps in the sea And rides upon the storm. Deep in unfathomable mines Of never failing skill He treasures up his bright designs And works his sovereign will. Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; The clouds ye so much dread Are big with mercy and shall break In blessings on your head. Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust him for his grace; Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face. His purposes will ripen fast, Unfolding every hour; The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flower. Blind unbelief is sure to err And scan his work in vain; God is his own interpreter, And he will make it plain.

Luke 21:25-38

Chapter 38 “Men’s Hearts Failing Them”I am fully aware that these verses speak specifically of our Lord’s coming to destroy Jerusalem and Judaism when he sent the armies of Rome to destroy that city and its temple in 70 AD. Our Saviour’s words in Luke 21:32 make that crystal clear. “This generation (the generation then living) shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.” But that does not mean that they have no meaning for us today. Everything recorded in this passage of Inspiration is written for our “learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4). Without question, all that we read here is to be properly applied to this day in which we look for “the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour”, the Lord Jesus Christ. Historians tell us that the early saints used to greet one another with these words, “He is risen.”, and upon parting they would say, “The Lord is coming.” Thus they constantly encouraged one another in the faith and constantly reminded one another of both the accomplishment of redemption by Christ and the certainty of resurrection glory with Christ. Before he left this world, our Lord Jesus assured his disciples that, just as surely as he arose from the grave, he would come again to raise his saints from their graves and translate all his elect in resurrection glory to heaven. Let us ever rejoice in the blessed prospect of our Saviour’s return. The Lord is coming (Revelation 1:7). I want, by the Spirit of God, to stir up your hearts and my own to ever be mindful of this fact: The Lord is coming! May God give us grace ever to live in the blessed expectation of Christ’s glorious second advent. The Lord Jesus Christ is coming again. The Glory Of Christ’s Coming “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (Luke 21:25-27). Our Saviour begins this discourse by describing the time of his coming as a time of great fear, so great that men’s hearts will fail them. I do not know that this is the case, but if that is to be taken as a description of the days just before Christ returns, surely we may reasonably conclude that our “redemption draweth nigh”! In Hebrews 9 the Holy Spirit tells us three things about our blessed Saviour: (1.) The Son of God appeared once to put away our sins by the sacrifice of himself (Luke 21:25-26). (2.) Our great Advocate and High Priest now appears in the presence of God for us, making intercession for his elect according to the will of God (Luke 21:24; 1 John 2:1-2). And (3.) our great God and Saviour shall, at the appointed time, appear again on this earth to consummate his great work of saving his people from their sins (Luke 21:27-28). As our Saviour describes his second advent in his Olivet discourse in our text, it is obvious that when he comes again, it will not be a secret thing. At his glorious second advent, he will appear with power and great glory. “There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” That is the language of holy scripture. Christ’s second coming shall not be in some imaginary “secret rapture”. His shall be a glorious appearing (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Revelation 1:7). The Lord Jesus speaks about the sun being turned into darkness, the moon refusing to give light, the falling of stars, and the shaking of powers in the heavens. Such language conveys the idea of a great, universal convulsion, a climactic dismantling of creation by the finger of God. The language he uses is very much the language Peter used to describe his coming (2 Peter 3:10). In other words, that which shall immediately precede the glorious appearing of Christ will be the conflagration of the universe. Without question, when that happens we will see, “Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth.” Order Of Events The order of events at the second coming seems to be as follows. These things are not written in concrete. I would not argue in defence of them for even a second. However, this is what appears to me to be likely. I have formed this order by carefully comparing scripture with scripture. Whatever the order of events may indeed be, it will not take long to accomplish the whole thing. When the Son of God rises from his throne and says, “Behold, I make all things new”, it will all be done quickly. Christ will come in the clouds of heaven. He will raise up those bodies of his saints which sleep in the earth. Those then living in faith will be caught up to meet him in the air. He will destroy this creation with all his enemies, and make all things new. We shall come with him to the earth. We shall come with him into a new heavens and a new earth. Then will come the resurrection of the dead and the great white throne judgment. After these things eternal life with Christ! Our Lord’s second advent will be radically different from his first. Our Saviour came the first time in humiliation, an infant, born of a poor woman, laid in a manger at Bethlehem, unnoticed, unhonoured, unknown. He is coming the second time in power and great glory, in royal dignity, with all the armies of heaven surrounding him, to be seen, recognized, known, acknowledged and feared by all people, nations, tribes, and tongues. Christ Jesus came the first time to suffer, to bear the sins of his people, to be made sin and made a curse, to be despised, rejected, unjustly condemned, and slain. He is coming the second time as the reigning, almighty Monarch of the universe to put down every foe, put an end to all rebellion, to take possession of all the kingdoms of this world, to rule them in perfect righteousness, to judge the world, destroy his enemies, and to be eternally admired by redeemed sinners. We would all be wise to lay these things to heart and meditate upon them regularly. These facts are filled with comfort for every believer. Our great King, our all glorious Christ, will soon be here again! We shall, with him, inherit all things. We will soon exchange the cross for a crown. We shall enter into everlasting honour, joy, bliss, and life. But, for you who believe not, the facts revealed in the Book of God about the second coming of Christ ought to be terrifying. Indeed, if you dare think upon them, I know, they are terrifying to your soul. Christ, whom you despise, reject, and mock, will soon call you before his holy bar of judgment. That God-man, whose gospel you daily trample beneath your feet, will soon hold you accountable. In that day, you shall receive of the Lord’s hand your exact, just due for all your sins. Hell will be your everlasting portion! Do you ask, “What is hell?” Everlasting fire! Endless misery! Everlasting, indescribable woe! Never-ending wrath! Never-ending torment! Everlasting darkness! Everlasting isolation! Everlasting cursing! Everlasting madness! Everlasting death! The Gathering Of God’s Elect In verse twenty-eight our Master tells us plainly that the first order of business and the primary purpose of his great second advent shall be the gathering of his elect. Throughout the Word of God we are distinctly and constantly taught that our God does all things for the elect’s sake. “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Mark puts it in these words: “And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven” (Mark 13:27). Just as God’s servants, as the angels of God, are sent out to gather his elect into his kingdom from the four corners of the earth by the preaching of the gospel, so at the end of time those heavenly spirits created to minister to the chosen shall be sent forth to fetch them out of the earth and gather them, all of them, even their dust and ashes unto Christ in glory! As the angels carried Lazarus into Abraham’s bosom, so they shall carry all God’s elect into heaven’s bosom to be with Christ! I stated before that the gathering out of God’s elect will immediately precede the Lord’s judgment upon the earth. Our safety shall be taken care of when the Lord consumes the earth with the fiery brightness of his coming. Nothing shall be done to destroy the earth until God’s elect are beyond the reach of harm (2 Peter 3:9). Not one drop of rain fell until Noah was safe in the ark. Fire and brimstone could not fall upon Sodom until Lot was safely secluded in Zoar. And God’s wrath will not consume his enemies in the earth until he has taken his saints out of the earth. Blessed be our God, there is a great gathering day coming! We who believe ought to look forward to that great day with unmingled joy, without the slightest dread or fear (2 Thessalonians 2:1 : Titus 2:13). It shall be the gracious gathering of God’s chosen. The elect shall be gathered in righteousness, being made worthy to stand before God by the righteousness of Christ, which is our righteousness (Luke 21:36; Jeremiah 23:6; Jeremiah 33:16; Colossians 1:12). The Parable Of The Fig Tree “And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled” (Luke 21:29-32). Our Lord sternly reproved the Pharisees because they could not “discern the signs of the times” (Matthew 16:3). They could not see that the sceptre was passing away from Judah. They did not see that Daniel’s seventy weeks were fulfilled. Let us beware of such blindness. It is a blindness caused by spiritual lethargy and an overmuch fondness for this world. This parable of the fig tree is not a deep, mysterious, secretive thing. In this parable our Lord tells us plainly that when we see the things spoken of in its context, as Mark relates this discourse (Mark 13:14), when we see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, his glorious second advent is at hand. The abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel is the revelation (to God’s saints, not to the world) of antichrist (Arminian, freewill, works religion). It is that which Paul speaks of in 2 Thessalonians 2, the loosing of Satan to deceive the nations of the world (Revelation 20:1-8). The lesson of the parable of the fig tree is just this: while we must never even guess at or try to figure out the time of Christ’s coming, increasing darkness, ungodliness, apostasy, and idolatry ought to cause every believer to live looking expectantly for Christ’s appearing. The rising infidelity, increasing acceptance of popery, Islam, Judaism, and mysticism, the worldwide will-worship of this apostate age, the lawlessness, the anarchy, the contempt of authority, the acceptance of sexual promiscuity, (fornication, adultery, homosexuality), and the general calling of evil good and good evil ought to be glaring beacons in our eyes and trumpets in our ears telling us “THIS IS THE END! Judgment has begun. The end is near. The Lord is coming.” The more we see these things coming to pass the more reason we have to look up in hope. Our redemption draws nigh! We must therefore watch, be sober, and keep our garments white and unspotted from the world (Revelation 16:15). Armageddon is here. The judgment of the great whore is at hand. The Lord is coming! The Certainty Of God’s Word In Luke 21:33 our Lord seems to have anticipated our tendency toward scepticism and unbelief and therefore warns us emphatically against it. “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.” We must never allow ourselves to give any credibility to any questioning of God’s Word. Let us never dare imagine that any word of prophecy is improbable or unlikely simply because it seems contrary to nature, or experience, or our judgment. Let us never be found among those arrogant fools who imagine that they are smarter than God. We must never find ourselves agreeing with those scoffers who, walking after their own lusts, say, “Where is the promise of his coming?” (2 Peter 3:3-4). The People Worthy Now, look at Luke 21:34-36. Here our Lord Jesus tells us to watch and pray that we may be found worthy to escape his wrath and stand before the Son of man when he comes to judge the world. “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” Let us watch, lest we be corrupted from the simplicity of Christ and engulfed with the corruptions of the religious world around us. Ever watch against freewill/works religion, will worship, self-righteousness, and legalism. Watch against idolatry. But how can we be counted worthy to escape the wrath of the great Judge, when he comes in his glory to judge the earth? How can we be made worthy to stand before the Son of man in that day? That is altogether the work of his grace. Our worthiness is his blood atonement, his righteousness imputed to us in justification and imparted to us in the new birth! Our worthiness before God is Christ! Bold shall I stand in that great day, For who aught to my charge shall lay, When, with his righteous garments on, I am as holy as God’s Own Son? God’s Restless Servant I cannot fail to call your attention to our Saviour’s constant, faithful devotion to the souls of men, the glory of God, and the preaching of the gospel, as it is described in Luke 21:37-38. “And in the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives. And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him.” He never wearied of his labour of love. He never laid aside his commission. Yes, sometimes we find him obliged to sit to rest himself by a well, and sometimes obliged to catch a nap in the day. But, even then, he was resting to meet a woman who needed grace, and was sleeping on his way to save a wild Gadarene. He came here to seek and to save that which was lost, and never gave up the work. Aren’t you glad? I am! It is no marvel that “the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him”! It is my constant prayer that he who so graciously served and serves my soul will give me the constant supply of his grace that I may serve him in serving his elect for the glory of God, proclaiming the gospel of his grace in this wicked and perverse generation. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences” (2 Corinthians 5:10-11). Christ is coming again. You and I are going to meet God in judgment. We are going to spend eternity somewhere, either in the torments of the damned in hell or in the bliss of the redeemed in heaven. Our only hope is Christ. Trust him, and live forever. Child of God, the Lord is coming. REJOICE!