Are these the last
days?
To answer that with
certainty would mean I was saying I know something the Bible says is impossible
to know.
Mat_24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth NO man, no,
not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
However, we are told
by our Savior to WATCH and PRAY because we don't know.
What are we watching
and praying for?
We are watching for
our Savior and praying we will be His.
We are given signs
and told that we know when a fig tree puts forth shoots that summer is
nigh.
We MUST watch for
the signs and we will KNOW Christ's return is near.
No, we don't know
the exact time of it, but we can know when it is near.
Let's read more of
William Grotheer's study- An Hour and An End.
By the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ may we come to all truth, may we study and know all we need
to know to be prepared.
*******
p 14 -- Chapter V--
"This Generation Shall Not Pass Away"
Jesus outlined three
major events which were to take place between His resurrection and His second
coming.
These events were to
serve as signs to His followers at the given time of their fulfillment.
First, as has been
noted, Jerusalem was to be surrounded by armies. This would be the sign for the
Christians to flee the city and its environs.
Then came the signs
in the heavens - the sun darkened, the moon not giving its light, and the stars
falling from heaven. This marked the beginning of the period of the revelation
of the Son of man - first in judgment, then His coming as King of kings.
Finally Jerusalem
was to be freed from domination by the Gentiles, thus marking the close of the
times of the Gentiles, and the beginning of the distress of nations.
We have yet to look
closely at what this means to us who are living in the time when this prophecy
has been fulfilled.
After completing the
enumeration of these signs and certain details concerning them, Jesus stated to
His disciples: - Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away,
till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not
pass away. Luke 21:32-33
Each generation, in
which these major events as prophesied occurred, perceived itself as living in
the end of time. This doesn't exempt even the generation living prior to the
destruction of Jerusalem.
The Early Church --
When Paul wrote his first epistle to the church at Thessalonica, he described
the coming of Christ and the first resurrection. (I Thess. 4:16-19) While they
were to be comforted by the hope of the resurrection, they were also warned to
take heed that the day not overtake them "as a thief." (5:4) These
new converts became convinced that the second coming of Christ would be in
their day. Paul then had to write a second letter telling them that certain
things were first to take place before the event. (II Thess. 2:3) Nevertheless,
he noted that "the mystery of iniquity doth already work." (2:7) The
message comes through - "Not just now, but not too far away."
In his prison
epistle to the church at Colosse, Paul told them, "not to be moved away
from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to
every creature under heaven." (1:23) That hope of the gospel included what
Paul in his letter to Titus called "that blessed hope, [even] the glorious
appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." (2:13) In
describing the extent of the proclamation - "to every creature which is
under heaven" - Paul is alluding in concept to the words of Jesus when
giving the signs of His return. Jesus said the gospel of the kingdom would
"be preached as a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end
come." (Matt. 24:14) Paul wrote this had been done. His essay to the
Hebrews begins with the concept that God "in these last days" has
spoken to us in a Son. (1:2) The early Christians thought of themselves as
living in the end times - and it was to be the end time for the Jewish
nation/church.
The fact dare not be
overlooked that the Christians who saw the event which Jesus
p 15 -- had
prophesied for that generation - Jerusalem surrounded by alien armies - lived
to see the event to which it was connected, fulfilled - the destruction of the
city. The Roman armies under Cestius surrounded the city in 66 A.D., and then
suddenly withdrew. In a little less than four years - 70 A.D. - the Roman
legions under Titus returned, captured and burned the city. Jesus' words did
not pass away; they were fulfilled!
A Diagram of This
Period
The Cross
----------------------------------------------------- 66 A.D.----------------
70 A.D.
___|________________________________________|______________|_____
The Second Major
Sign -- The second major sign was to be seen in the heavens. These collective
signs in the sun, moon and stars occurred during the period of 1780-1833.
Following this
period, there was a worldwide stir concerning the coming of Christ. The
followers of William Miller and finally Miller himself proclaimed that Christ
would come October 22, 1844. Joseph Wolff heralded the message of Christ's soon
return throughout the Near East. Other voices were raised in England, and in
Sweden, young children moved by the Holy Spirit proclaimed the near return of
Jesus.
Again the fact comes
through - the generation who saw the last sign in the heavens, and who heard
the proclamation that they were living in what was perceived to be the end
times, also lived to hear the message concerning the event to which the signs
given by Jesus directed mankind - His final ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary,
the beginning of the period of the revelation of the Son of man.
A Diagram of This
Period
May 19, 1780
-----------------------------Nov. 13, 1833 ------------------------ Oct. 22,
1844
___|________________________________|______________________|_____
The Final Sign -- We
come now to the final major sign of His prophetic discourse, the sign which
would signal that the times of the Gentiles had been fulfilled.
This has been
fulfilled in this generation before the eyes of the whole world. Thus this
generation which has seen the event which fulfilled the prophecy of Jesus will
not pass away till all is completed and Jesus returns the second time. We have
reached the end of time.
A Diagram of This
Period
1948
----------------- --1967 ------------ 1980 --------Dan. 11:45 --------- SECOND
COMING
___|________________|_________|_________|___________________|_____
As we next turn our
attention to the data which surrounds and supports the prophecy of the closing
times of the Gentiles, we shall see that all prophecies concerning the end time
are moving to their final climax. Well would it be for us to carefully ponder
the words of Jesus as He brought His prophetic discourse to a close. Take your
Bibles and read prayerfully His words in Luke 21:34-36.
Luk 21:34 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.
Luk 21:35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that
dwell on the face of the whole earth.
Luk 21:36 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.
More tomorrow by the
grace of our GOD!
May we read and
understand, truly understand!
All in HIS LOVE!
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