📡✞ Wars, Famine, Persecution, Death (Satan) Appearance Before the True Messiah (Jesus) Returns—Luke 12: In-Depth Bible Study
📡✞ Wars, Famine, Persecution, Death (Satan) Appearance Before the True Messiah (Jesus) Returns—Luke 12:
In-Depth Bible Study 🟥⃢YouTube▶️ 🔗
📖 Understanding the Seven Signs of Christ’s Second Advent in Luke 21 ✝️
Meta description:
🔎 Explore the seven prophetic signs of Christ’s second coming in Luke 21 and how they reveal the end of this age. Understand prophecy, deception, and God’s promises. 🙏📖
Keywords:
🔑 Second Advent • Luke 21 • End Times Prophecy • Christ’s Return
🌟 Introduction to the Second Advent Signs
The study of Luke chapter 21 is pivotal for anyone seeking to understand the prophetic events surrounding the second coming of Jesus Christ. 📖✝️ This chapter offers a detailed outline of the seven signs that will mark the end of this age, closely mirroring the seven seals revealed in the book of Revelation. 🔐📜
By comprehending these signs, believers can prepare spiritually, remain watchful, and discern truth from deception during the turbulent times ahead. 🕊️⚔️
Jesus explicitly warns us to be vigilant, particularly warning against false teachers who claim authority in His name but mislead many. ⚠️🚨 This study explores these vital signs in depth, providing clarity and spiritual wisdom for the modern Christian navigating prophetic fulfillment. 🙏📖
⚠️ Avoiding Deception: Christ’s First Warning
🚨 Beware of False Messiahs
Jesus warns: “Many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ” (Luke 21:8). 📖⚠️
These impostors will seek to mislead believers, often preaching false doctrines such as “you don’t need to understand prophecy” or “you will be raptured before the tribulations.” 🚨
The Antichrist will appear before Christ’s return, and many will be deceived unless grounded firmly in Scripture. 📖🛡️
📚 Importance of Understanding Prophecy
The Bible’s warnings are line upon line, precept upon precept. 📖🔍
Scripture will come to pass exactly as written—without error or deviation. ✝️📜
Avoid teachings that dismiss the book of Revelation or end-time signs as unnecessary. ⚠️
True spiritual wisdom lies in studying God’s Word deeply and consistently. 🙏📖💡
🔔 The Seven Signs of the End Times — Luke 21:9–28
1️⃣ 🌍 Wars and Nation Conflicts — Verses 9–11
Jesus predicts wars, uprisings, and natural disasters such as earthquakes and famines. ⚔️🌎🌋
These events are not to cause fear but serve as indicators of approaching end times. ⏳
Conflicts largely center around religious tensions, exemplified in regions like the Middle East. 🌍🕊️
These signs must be understood as part of the unfolding divine timeline. ⏰📖
2️⃣ 🛡️ Persecutions and Testimonies — Verses 12–19
Believers will face persecution, imprisonment, and betrayal, even by family members. ⚠️⛓️
Such trials are for “my name’s sake”—affirming the authenticity of faith. ✝️
The Holy Spirit will empower believers with wisdom and words to testify under difficult circumstances. 🕊️🗣️
Despite hatred and physical threats, God remains sovereign over His people. 🙏🛡️
3️⃣ 🏙️ Jerusalem’s Siege and the Days of Vengeance — Verses 20–24
Jerusalem surrounded by armies signals imminent desolation, fulfilling prophecy from Daniel and Isaiah. 📖🏙️⚠️
Believers in Judea are urged to flee to the mountains for safety. ⛰️🏃
The “days of vengeance” reflect God’s righteous judgment and the fulfillment of His promises, including comfort for the mourning and restoration for God’s people. ⚖️📜🕊️
4️⃣ ☀️🌙⭐ Cosmic Disturbances — Verses 25–26
Signs in the sun, moon, and stars accompany distress among nations. ☀️🌙⭐🌍
These heavenly signs underscore the gravity of the times and the cosmic conflict in play. 🌌⚔️
People’s hearts will fail because of fear and anticipation of these events. 😨🌎
5️⃣ 👑✝️ The Visible Return of Christ — Verses 27–28
After the preceding signs, “then they shall see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” ☁️✝️👑
Jesus’ return is presented as visible and unmistakable, rather than secret. 👀✝️
Believers are encouraged to lift up their heads and trust that redemption is near when these signs appear. 🙏⬆️🕊️
🌳 The Parable of the Fig Tree: Recognizing the Generation — Verses 29–32
Jesus uses the parable of the fig tree as a metaphor for Israel. 🌳🇮🇱
The rebirth of Israel as a nation in 1948 is interpreted in this study as marking the beginning of the last generation before Christ’s return. ⏳📖
Understanding this “generation” means interpreting prophetic timings as unfolding in our current era. 🕰️🔍
Believers can recognize the “season” of the end, even though the exact day and hour remain unknown. ⏰🙏
🕊️ Spiritual Preparation and Staying True
👰 The Bridegroom and the Virgin Bride — Verse 23 Focus
Christ returns expecting a pure and faithful bride, symbolizing true believers remaining untainted by false teachings. 👰✝️
Those spiritually “with child” or “giving suck” are interpreted in this study as representing those deceived by the false messiah or Antichrist. ⚠️
Staying vigilant means rejecting counterfeit Christs and remaining loyal to Scripture. 📖🛡️✝️
🛡️ The Armor of God and Faithful Endurance
Ephesians 6 teaches believers to put on the armor of God to stand against spiritual deception. 🛡️⚔️📖
Patience, faith, and a deep knowledge of Scripture strengthen believers through trials. 🙏💪
Spiritual victory belongs to those who remain faithful to God. 🕊️✝️
📜 The Role of Revelation and Biblical Literacy
The famine mentioned in end times is understood here as including a famine for hearing and understanding God’s Word (Amos 8:11). 📖🍞
Chapter-by-chapter, verse-by-verse teaching is crucial for avoiding confusion and deception. 🔎📖
The Bible’s consistency between the Old and New Testaments reveals the unchanging nature of God’s Word. 📜➡️📖
True peace and purpose come from immersion in Scripture, rather than messages that minimize biblical prophecy. 🕊️❤️📖
🌅 Conclusion: Living in the Last Generation
The signs in Luke 21 serve as a prophetic roadmap to the second coming, urging believers to awaken spiritually. 📖⏰✝️
Rather than fear, these signs can encourage believers to trust that God’s promises will be fulfilled. 🙏🕊️
Staying rooted in Scripture, discerning falsehood, and faithfully witnessing amid trials define the faithful believer. 🛡️📖
As Jesus said: “This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled” (Luke 21:32). ✝️📜
🙏📖 Make a Commitment Today
Make a commitment today to study God’s prophetic Word deeply and prepare your heart with steadfast faith. ❤️📖
This era offers a unique privilege to live with certainty, hope, and spiritual discernment amid the unfolding of prophecy. ⏳🕊️
Embrace the truth. 📖 Stand firm against deception. 🛡️ Remain faithful. ✝️ And be ready to welcome Christ’s glorious return. 👑☁️
🙏 Study. Watch. Pray. Stand. 📖👀🕊️
___________________________________________________________
**Shepherd’s Chapel lecture on Luke 21 (Pastor Arnold Murray)**
Good day to you. God bless you. Welcome to the Shepherd’s Chapel. Welcome to this family Bible study hour. Hey, we’re ready to get back into our Father’s Word. What an exciting chapter this 21st chapter of Luke—telling what? Let’s get the subject: the return of Jesus Christ at the second advent. He has given us, or is in the process of giving us, seven signs which are identical to the seven seals in the book of Revelation—telling us exactly what we should be doing, what we should be looking for, and so forth.
So once a subject is given, focus on that subject—at the return of Christ. Example: keep that in mind. Let no man deceive you, because many will come saying “I’m Christian” or “Christian teacher or preacher,” and “I didn’t send them.” That was His first warning. And then He continued on about how many would be delivered up before the spurious messiah and so forth. So I ask that you keep it in mind—the subject: the return, the second advent—Luke 21.
Let’s ask a word of wisdom from our Father in Yeshua, Jesus’ name.
**Verse 23**
“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.”
What people? Those that are with child. Now, do you think for one moment—inasmuch as God brought the blessing of childbearing and so forth (many might call it otherwise, but it is)—that He would change His mind that it was a woe, that it was everything but a curse? Of course He wouldn’t. So naturally you must put yourself in the shoes of the Teacher as He taught this and get back to the subject. The subject is His return.
Then let me ask you a question to bring this into focus for you: What does Christ expect to find at His return? Well, He’s coming back as a bridegroom. He always expected a wife. Well, then let me ask you something: What kind of a feeling would it give you if you were expecting your wife and you found her with a suckling child—and you hadn’t seen her in 2,000 years, or even say 20 years, say 10 years—you know, any length of time over that nine-month period? How would you feel about it? You know how you would feel about it: you would know that somebody had been very unfaithful.
Now He, inasmuch as He expects spiritually to find a virgin bride—that’s what He expects to find. This is why, and is a take-up so that He puts it right down where the rubber meets the road—where all the emotions that you feel in your little flesh body: jealousy, you know, the need for love and understanding to know that you can depend on someone. Well, He’s hoping He can do that with you spiritually—you know, that He can trust you, that He can place His faith in you. I mean, that’s really the kind of person He wants to find waiting for Him. Not one of these knuckleheads that has already fallen off to false teaching, but working in the field, doing the work of Almighty God, remaining a virgin spiritually—not impregnated with a mark of some beastly system, that is to say, a one-world order headed by he that is spoken of in Revelation chapter 13, beginning with verse 11: looks like the Lamb of God, but he’s got two horns. Yes, looks fine. But he has the voice of the dragon. Do you know the difference? Have you read the Word of God with understanding that you understand the false shall come first and he will seduce spiritually many.
This is why that when Jesus returns and many of the revolving revs run up to Him and say, “Ah, Jesus, Jesus, we’ve healed in Your name and we’ve cast out demons in Your name”—and you know what He’s going to say? “Get out of here. I never knew you.” Just like with the same probably anger that He had in His voice when He drove the money changers from His Father’s house—that is to say the temple—and kicked the filthy mite-infested doves out that they sold for a quarter as a sacrifice to God, making a mockery of our Father’s house and His teachings.
No. When He returns, I would say woe to those that are with child. Also, there is no sin in the impregnation in a family whereby a young child comes forth. And I don’t want any of you young people even giving it one serious thought that this is what Christ is talking about—that you should remain barren in the end times. No, that’s not it at all. It’s those that are deceived and are seduced by false teachings, by those that say they come in the name of Almighty God, that they are Christian, but they’re as biblically illiterate as someone of a totally different religion.
Basically got a little sharp Scripture over here. Let me turn to it. Let’s see—John 3:16. You know, they get that one verse and give them a doctorate. Now, I’m just making friends, winning and influencing people. All right? But the point I want you to know: He’s jealous. The same feeling you would have if you came home—whether let’s take the gender out of this and put it both ways. Let’s say that the wife comes home and her husband has a child by the neighbor lady and she’s nursing it along. And that’s what it means—is to give suck means to actually nurse, having been deceived by Satan, but nursing along his work, working for him. Is it any wonder Christ would say, “Get away from me. I never knew you”? Yeah, they’re going to cast out demons. All right.
It’s real sad when someone doesn’t really know where the demonic force comes from. You know, it would seem strange that they would never have read 2 Corinthians chapter 11 where you are definitely warned Satan will come. You know, this is why the little scribes have a way of fixing things up. The scribes translate it, “Let it be no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” Do you know what the Greek says in the manuscripts? “Let it not be a marvel that you would be deceived by some super preacher.” That’s what Paul’s teaching in that 11th chapter of 2 Corinthians. He says, “You swallow it hook, line, and sinker.” He said, “I can, though I might be crude in speech, I can jerk the rug out from under him anytime I choose.” He said, “And it is no wonder any marvel for Satan comes disguised as an angel of light”—meaning Yeshua, meaning Christ, because he is the spurious messiah, illegitimate. That’s what “spurious” means. And I think it’s put well.
So thus the understanding of what are those that are with child and that give suck. Christ is returning to find a virgin bride. See that you do. See that you’re not the first taken in the field because she was taken and seduced by the false one. And how many lectures have you ever had taught you “I want to be the one taken first. Leave everybody else here”? Well, that’s just contrary to God’s Word.
It is amazing that people lose the ability to read when they hit the Bible—than they would if they were, let’s say, in the fifth grade and learn the basics of reading with understanding to follow a subject and an object—that you can’t just stick stuff in wherever you want. But with the Bible, you can do that? No, you can’t. The subject is the return of Jesus Christ. And to understand verse 23, you must put yourself in that position to understand what it is He expects to return to.
If you need help, if you need a little assistance, go to the 25th chapter of Matthew and read of the ten virgins. And five of them remained virgins right up to the last minute. But what happened? The false Christ appeared. They ran out of oil real quick. They had to go get a little more truth. That’s what the oil is. In the Greek—let me give it to you in the Hebrew: it is *elya*, both names of God for the olive tree. That was the oil they were a little short. Why? They didn’t understand God’s Word.
I’m going to tell you what: if God has given you eyes to see and ears to hear, blessed you indeed that you can see and understand these events—these seven events that consummate the end of this age. For what an exciting time to live today, now—to be a Christian to the end. Not one of these reeds shaken and blowing in the wind, believe this five minutes and switch over and believe something else the next, but straight on with the truth, waiting for the true Father/Son to return, to follow Him and to give aid to His ministry—not giving suck to the false Christ and his ministry. That’s what the 23rd verse means. Don’t ever forget it.
Christ has such a beautiful way of teaching that He can take such a normal natural thing with all the emotions of jealousy, anger and so forth involved with it so that you can understand how He feels about that situation. See that you’re not impregnated with the mark of lies that proceed forth.
And again—I’m not—I just want you to know I can’t understand how anyone could listen to some preacher that was wiser than God. By that I mean that would say something to you such as “You don’t have to understand the book of Revelation because you’re going to be gone.” Well, God’s Word doesn’t say that. And the very word “revelation” itself means to uncover or to reveal—in whatever language you wish to put it in. And as a linguist, it’s a little difficult to understand how someone that claims to be a man of God could make such a statement. We have a saying for it, but I won’t say it at this time. But listen to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Teacher and never let man pull you in any direction other than straight on as He leads.
All right, I think we made our point.
**Verse 24**
“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.”
Translate it “nations” if you have difficulty understanding, because that’s what the word is in the Greek—“of the nations”—until the time of the nations be fulfilled where they will never trod it down again. Well, when is that? Well, you know when it is. It’s when the true King of kings and Lord of lords returns. In other words, that looks forward to everything that is written that should come to pass before the King of kings returns is going to. And as these seven events transpire, as they come to pass—the signs in the heavens, the famine for the Word of God in the end times—
Let me ask you a question: How many people do you know that teach God’s Word chapter by chapter and verse by verse? I don’t know. How many of you heard on television teaching chapter by chapter and verse by verse? How many people have you heard teaching on television that never quite get around to teaching God’s Word? The famine is for hearing—not man’s words—the Word of God. And I dearly love the brothers that try and so forth. And I’m not belittling someone. I’m simply telling you: in your search, in your quest for peace of mind, you will find it in the Word of God and not through man. That that is written must come to pass, but the treading down shall end.
And naturally, you know, as a student of the Word, a verse pops into my mind and maybe it’s well that I read it—and it would be the 10th verse of the 13th chapter of the great book of Revelation. And if my memory doesn’t serve me about being the captive, led away captive and so forth: who holds you captive? Does the truth hold you captive?
**Revelation 13:10**
“He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.”
And you know what? And I’ll continue with the 11th verse: “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.” Meaning that is the false Christ and his appearance. Many will be led captive. You are captive to that that you have faith in—that that your beliefs hinge on. Every human being must have—it is rare that you’ll find a human being that does not reach out in some direction for a higher source or power to place their faith in.
Now what does that say for the human? Well, maybe it doesn’t say too much for the human that we have to go somewhere else. But it is natural because naturally we are led to the Source which is our Father, the Creator of all things—when He spoke and nothing became everything. And I know that that may confuse some. Be that as it may. But don’t be led captive because wherever your mind is, that’s where you’re captivated even without chains. Then let your heart and your mind be held captive by the Lord Jesus Christ that you have a destiny. He—behold—He foretells you all things exactly as they will come to pass whereby you will know in that hour just as sure as you were reading tomorrow’s newspaper—for it always comes to pass exactly as it’s written.
So make certain: learn the movement of the nations. Strike the word “Gentiles” if you have to to get the real true picture—if you don’t understand the Greek—because the nations will be in the exact position that it is stated they shall be as a sign within themselves, letting you know what time of the day it is.
**Verse 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.”
Confusion, anxiety, not knowing for sure. “Oh, if I could only be sure. If I only knew why I was here.” You know, now you know we’ve had some very strange—meaning, well, what signs is He talking about?
Well, let’s see. Passover before last—let me think for a moment now. And know I’m going to correct myself. In the last Passover, we had a very strange thing that transpired. There was an eclipse of the moon at the same time it broke the surface that fixed Passover day. Do you know something? Exactly six months to the day there was another total eclipse at the time the moon breaks the horizon that determines the feast—Sukkot. Interesting. What? You bet. Especially not to mention the fact that six months later on Purim the same thing would occur—and then that six months after that we would have Jerusalem totally eclipsed—the most beautiful eclipse pointing to what? Jerusalem, of course. And then people would still say we haven’t had any signs. Wake up.
**Verse 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.”
When are the powers of heaven shaken? Have you ever read Revelation 12:7? For there was a great shaking in heaven and Michael and his angels cast Satan and his angels out upon the earth. “Rejoice in heaven—is peaceful here—but woe to you people on earth. For Satan and his little ones are back down with you again.” This is not spiritual. This is de facto in person. He very much has a body and he will be very anxious, for he knows he has but a short time to accomplish what he hopes to do—is take over the world. Will he take you? Will you be one of those that jumps in bed with him as it is written in the great book of Revelation chapter 3? Think about it. I think in the futurist sense she’s called Jezebel. You don’t want to be a Jezebel, do you? For all the Jezebels woven together make up one great harlot. She’s called Mystery Babylon. The prime root of the word Babylon means Babel—confusion. Don’t be confused. Stay with your Father’s Word in the simplicity in which He teaches.
Yeah, heaven’s going to be shaken. You know, this is almost a copy of the sixth seal. If you wonder where we’re at—and there were seven—this is six right here. When the sixth seal—the fifth identifies what happens with Apollyon and Abaddon—which is to say Satan as the leader of spurious messiah. But also when the sixth trump—rather, let me correct myself: when the sixth trump (which is the sixth seal by this time they are also alleviated)—the sixth seal, the sixth trump, and the sixth vial—that 666—meaning all three of the sixes align to announce one thing: who? Antichrist, the false Christ. It says there is a great shaking in heaven and the untimely figs fall to the earth. I don’t know. Are you ready for it? And then it simplifies and stresses his little reign here on earth. Yeah, it’s going to happen.
**Verse 27**
“And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”
Now I would have a question for you. After that—Christ, the true Christ, comes at the second advent. These other events precede that. Contrary to what many of you might have been taught—that you’re going to be whisked out of here like a butterfly. Forget it. Christ didn’t teach it. If you want to believe some man that teaches it, then you would certainly omit the great warning that Christ gave you in verse 8, which says: “Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many, not a few, many shall come in my name, claiming to be a Christian preacher, saying, I am Christ’s disciple; and the time drawing near: go ye not therefore after them.” Don’t follow them. You wait with patience as you see the signs unfold before you in your daily life that you can recognize these simple happenings if you’re even halfway alert—because Christ makes them so very, very simple. After this, then the true Christ comes.
Is that who you’re waiting for, beloved? The Bridegroom. Is that the wedding you want to participate in? Then don’t get trigger-happy or shook up on your first cruise and jump in bed with the fake before the truth comes. Can I make it any plainer? I think not.
**Verse 28**
“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.”
And let me tell you something, beloved: your redemption will not draw nigh until this time. Do you know what redemption? That means your Redeemer is coming. The other will not redeem you except into the chains of bondage and into the pits of hell. After these things, then comes the Redeemer.
**Verse 29**
“And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees.”
How intelligent our Father is allowing the Son to teach on this level. What trees? Well, my mind races back to the 31st chapter of Ezekiel whereby it stipulates that Satan thought he was the brightest of all and he was of the highest boughs in the garden of Eden, the garden of God, and deceived everyone that he would—that is there. So naturally, if you behold and think on the trees, then you must consider the two trees that the conflict is between. And that is to say the tree of life which gives you life eternal, or the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which is none other than the serpent himself—the old dragon which is to say Satan—is to say the spurious messiah.
But He mentions specifically the fig. I don’t know. Do you understand the parable of the fig tree? Christ didn’t say as He would say in Mark 13 “not maybe you should learn it.” He said, “Learn it.” And it is essential that you understand of all the seals that you should understand the parable of the fig tree. For Christ would make a special attempt before He cleansed His own temple by walking up to one fig tree and wilting it to show you that Jeremiah chapter 24 is fact. There are good figs and there are bad figs. The good figs are very good and the bad figs are very bad. The subject in Jeremiah 24 is Jerusalem and who inhabited/inhabits it in this generation.
So look at the trees now. First of all, God is natural—meaning He’s supernatural. He’s more natural than we are. So He uses nature itself a great deal. And you should learn a little bit about the horticulture of a fig tree, or you’re never going to understand. You don’t necessarily plant a fig tree with seed. You plant it with a shoot. You set it out. You sprig it.
**Verse 30**
“When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.”
And I know many might say, “What are you talking about?” It’s talking about the time that Israel/Judah would move herself back into Jerusalem and form a nation. Well, let me see. How many times has that happened? Let’s think. Let me put my history cap on here a minute. Let’s see. Israel has—Judah has gone back to Jerusalem how many times since 70 AD? Well, let’s see—once. And inasmuch as we’re talking about nations, when did that transpire? Well, how well I can remember: May the 14th, 1948, began the final generation because that was the generation of the fig. But the important thing for you is to know that both good and bad figs were there. And he that is the worst tree of all is on his way.
You know, there is a proverb in the Old Testament that is very fitting for this generation because the trees didn’t have a king. As I said, make this a parable if you choose. You’ll probably—because naturally we know keys—trees don’t have kings. But to look at them as people because God does and they are His planting—people are. And they could—the vine didn’t want to be—let’s to say the grape vine didn’t want to be king—and the fig didn’t even want to be king necessarily—but the old thistle came along and said, “I’ll be your king if you’ll just make promise you’ll rest in my shadow.” There’s just one problem: the thorn or the bramble bush thistle. It doesn’t have a shadow. Have you ever seen an old Texas or Oklahoma tumbleweed tumbling along? Look, how much shadow do you get from it? Doesn’t have a shadow that can cool you or comfort you. Well, that’s what Satan will do to you. So you better look at the trees and you’d better understand it.
And if you can’t—if you don’t understand the languages enough to decide for yourself, I have a work titled *The Parable of the Fig Tree*. And if you have not learned it, you better get started because it came into being in the year of our Lord 1948. And it’s not one of those things that somebody “I predict the end will be.” No, there wasn’t any prediction about it. It is history. It happened exactly as it’s written concerning that parable. And it would be for that reason that Christ would say not “maybe”—He said “Learn it.” He meant it.
What is “summer is nigh”? What happens in summer? It’s harvest. What do you mean? Well, God’s going to harvest the earth. And what do you do at harvest? Well, it’s according to what the fruit is. You know, some of it we winnow and fan, but we beat the heck out of it before we start fanning it. And if it’s the grape, we crush it. I mean, just—and we get the good away from the bad. All right? So when God chooses, He also separates the good from the bad. And I guarantee you, she that was with child back in verse 23—that is to say, spiritually impregnated by the false messiah—won’t be there. See that you take your place with the wheat.
**Verse 31**
“So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.”
What is a kingdom? It has to do with the king and his dominion—meaning the King of kings and Lord of lords is going to return. We’re getting very close. And I’m not saying it’s tomorrow or the next day. It’s going to be exactly when He wants it. And certainly I wouldn’t want it at any other time. Would you?
**Verse 32**
“Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.”
That’s why you can rest assured. You know, the wise in the end times are supposed to understand the seasons—not the day, the hour, or the moment. No one knows that. But the wise are to understand the season. It doesn’t take an overly bright child of God to understand. But let’s see: 1948 began—Israel become a nation. And that’s the last generation. “Oh, even I understand that.” Well, there you can see: some say don’t make God’s Word too difficult or you’ll certainly cloudy the water yourself and not see. It means exactly what it says. The generation of the year of our Lord 1948—beginning to get a little gray on it. So it’s time you need to look up. That is a promise that this generation is not going to pass till all be fulfilled. All what? All of God’s Word. That even comes down to the return, the kingdom.
**Verse 33**
“Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.”
In other words, you never waste time studying, absorbing, loving the Word of God because that’s the only thing that you have a guarantee that’s going to be absolutely permanent. It’s never going to change because God is the same yesterday, He is today, and He will be forever. He is the Word. So you spend your time well when you study our Father’s Word. Most of all, it keeps you from being tempted by lies and false teachings because you know better. In other words, if you know a thing is bad, you’re not tempted by it because you know it’s bad.
Many people—the way they buttercoat Satan’s teachings about whisking one out of here makes it seem like a big ice cream sundae and they’re just really licking their chops to get into it—where to us they can paint it, picture it about our gathering back—and to us it’s still Satan and he is an abomination. It alleviates—it takes away—it removes temptation and makes the hackles rise on your neck whereby you want to do nothing but make a stand against him. That’s what truth will do for you. It will set you free whereby you are never in bonds or taken captive by false teachings. That’s what God’s Word will do for you.
You know why? Because He loves you. He loves you enough that He has gone to great lengths to see that you have the truth in the simplicity in which He taught it. He wrote that letter to you personally. I surely hope that you’ve read it all. And certainly if you haven’t, I hope that if you do anything in the coming year that you make a decree, a contract, a covenant with yourself—nobody else—with yourself and be honest about it that you’ll get into that Word and be somebody, which is to say a child of God to receive His blessings, to help you find peace of mind, to give you a purpose in life—for truly we are in that generation. Even the prophets wanted to live in this generation. Beloved, you do. You’re very fortunate indeed. And how exciting to be a Christian in that generation.
Do not miss the next lecture.
All right. Bless your heart.
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