7.1 The Great Prophecy of our Lord                                            

 

1. How did Christ feel concerning Jerusalem, as He was about to enter the city for the last time before His crucifixion?
Luke 19:41-42
41 And when He was come near, He beheld the city, and wept over it,
42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.

 

2. In what words did He announce the destruction of Jerusalem?
Luke 19:43-44
43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,
44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

 

3. What sorrowful appeal did He make to the impenitent city?
Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

 

4. What did He say as He was about to leave the temple?
Matthew 23:38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

 

5. What did His disciples ask when they heard these words?
Matthew 24:3 And as He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?

6. How did Christ make it clear in His word that neither the end of the world nor that of the Jewish nation was to be expected immediately?
Matthew 24:4-6
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

 

7. What did He say concerning the wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes, which would precede those events?
Matthew 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

 

8. Who did He say, would be saved?
Matthew 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

 

9. When did He say that the end would come?
Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

 

10. What sign did Christ mention, by which His disciples could know that the destruction of Jerusalem was near?
Luke 21:20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.

 
11. When this sign appeared, what were the disciples to do?
Matthew 24:15-16
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
Note: In October 66 AD, when Cestius besieged the city, but for some reason suddenly withdrew with his army, the Christians recognized the sign that Christ had foretold and fled. After Cestius withdrew, many of the city's most prominent Jews fled. It is remarkable that during the terrible siege of Titus, three and a half years later, there is no record of a single Christian who lost their life there, while it is said that 1,100,000 Jews perished. This is a striking lesson regarding the value and importance of investigating and believing in the prophecies and paying attention to the signs of the times. Those who believed what Christ had said and looked forward to the sign that He had foretold were saved, while the unbelievers perished. So it will be at the end of the world. The watchful and the believers will be delivered, while the indifferent and unbelievers will be attacked.

 

12. When the sign would appear, how quickly were they to flee?
Matthew 24:17-18
17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

13. Besides exhorting His disciples when they had to flee, how else did Christ show His concern and tender care for them?
Matthew 24:20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day:
Note: The prayers of the followers of Christ were answered. The events were arranged in such a way that neither the Jews nor the Romans hindered the Christians in their flight. After Cestius retreated, the Jews pursued his army, and the Christians thus had the opportunity to leave the city. Also, the surrounding land was free of enemies who could have cut off their escape route. At the time of this siege, the Jews were gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, and thus the Christians of Judea were able to escape unhindered, and that in the autumn, the most favorable season for fleeing.

 

14. Of what trying experience did Christ foretell?
Matthew 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Note: The destruction of Jerusalem was followed by the persecution of the first Christians under the pagan emperors during the first three centuries of the Christian era, beginning under Diocletianus in 303 AD, which lasted ten years and was the bitterest and most widespread persecution of God's people that the world has ever witnessed. Afterward, the even greater and more terrible persecution of the saints took place during the long centuries of papal rule foretold in Daniel 7:25 and Revelation 12:6. All these times of distress were either under pagan or under papal Rome.

 

15. For whose sake did Christ say that the period of papal persecution would be shortened?
Matthew 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
Note: Through the influence of the Reformation of the sixteenth century and the movements arising from it, the power of the papacy to carry out its orders against those it called heretics slowly diminished, until about the middle of the eighteenth century, the beginning of the era of freedom, the persecution ceased almost entirely.

 

16. Against what further temptations did Christ warn us?
Matthew 24:23-24
23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

 

17. What did Christ say, what would be the sign of His Second Coming and of the end of the world?
Luke 21:25-26
25 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;
26 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.

 

18. When were the first of these signs to appear, and what were they to be?
Matthew 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

 

19. How is this expressed by Mark?
Mark 13:24-25
24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.

 

20. When was there a miraculous darkening of the sun?
On May 19, 1780
Note: May 19, 1780 is known in history as “the dark day.” That day, over a large part of the New World, upon which the eyes of the whole world were cast at that time, a strange eclipse occurred at noon. In many houses, candles were lit. The birds fell silent and vanished. The chickens went to roost. In accordance with the impression God wanted the sign to make, many thought that the Day of Judgment had arrived.

 

21. When did the moon cease to give its light?
On the night that followed the eclipse of the sun, May 19, 1780.
Note: Although the moon had only been full the evening before, the darkness of that night was so dense that for a time not a single luminous sphere could be seen in the sky, and one could not discern a sheet of white paper held a few inches away from the eyes.

 

22. What sign would follow the eclipse of the sun and moon?
Matthew 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

 

23. When did the stars fall, as here predicted?
On November 13, 1833

 

24. What would be the signs on earth of the Second Coming of our Lord?
Luke 21:25-26
25 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;
26 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.

 

25. What did Christ say that the next great event would be that would follow these signs?
Luke 21:27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
Matthew 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

 

26. When these things should begin to come to pass, what did Christ tell His people to do?
Luke 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
Matthew 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:

 

27. What may be known with equal certainty when these signs have been seen?
Matthew 24:33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

 

28. What did Christ say about the certainty of this prophecy?
Matthew 24:34-35
34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.
Note: Everyone who is even slightly familiar with history knows that what Christ predicted concerning the destruction of Jerusalem has been literally fulfilled. In the same way, we may be certain that what He said concerning the end of the world will be fulfilled just as certainly and just as literally.

 

29. Who alone knows the exact day of the Second Coming of Christ?
Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only.

 

30. What did Christ say the moral condition of the world would be just before His Second Coming?
Matthew 24:37-39
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

 

31. In view of the fact that we do not know the exact time of the Second Coming of Christ, what important admonition does He give us?
Matthew 24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

 

32. What will be the experience of those who say in their hearts that the Lord will not come soon?
Matthew 24:48-51
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, my Lord delayeth His coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for Him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.