Matthew 24:1-14
The end of "the way things are" is often the last thing we believe.
A) Human hubris clouds our judgment.
B) For the public proclamation of the gospel, the fall of nations in general is a mercy because it reveals how God's judgment is both deferred and certain
Romans 3:24-26
C) The case of Israel and Jerusalem, while having all these general characteristics, also has a very
specific characteristic because it is
the end of God's Old Covenant relationship to the world.
Gen. 12:3, Gen 3:15; Gen. 22:17-18; Gen 49:9-10; Gal 3:15-22
1) Jesus is the judge of the Old Covenant and the New
2) The glory and sturdy permanence of our temples do not obligate God to defend them!
Jer. 7:3-4
3) Jesus teaching is less about timing the event and more about tending the heart.
3a. Cling to Christ
3b. Also, don't expect world-changing wars to be the end.
3c. When people are shaken, preach "a kingdom that cannot be shaken."
3d. The church will experience betrayal and hatred even from those who went out from us
4) Are you enduring?
James 1:2-4; 1 Pet. 1:6-7