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Rumblings of War and the Prince of Peace
Matthew 24:1-3
Skip Heitzig

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Matthew 24 (NKJV™)
1 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.
2 And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."
3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"

New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Rumblings of War and the Prince of Peace

When you hear of wars and rumors of war what do you think of? When you see TV news of images of the horrors of evil what do you think? Most of us turn to others for comfort and others turn to the bible for answers but the real question is do you believe in your heart that God is your Father? Matthew tells us of the concerns of the disciples as they heard of Jesus speaking of the end times. The disciples are much like you and I for they asked Jesus and He told them plainly but did they really believe? So are you hearing and believing or are you believing what you think you want to hear? Think about it.

For 2,000 years the church has awaited the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. For 2,000 years men have tried to predict the exact moment of His return. Though no man knows the exact hour or even the day He will come back, there are signs to indicate His coming is near. In the teaching series Rumblings of War and the Prince of Peace, Skip Heitzig thoroughly expounds upon Matthew 24, explaining prophecy of what must take place and encouraging the church to always be ready.

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Detailed Notes

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The world is in a tempest of conflict and turmoil but more so at this present time. We see in the middle east the war of Israel and Lebanon and for what? That's the question we ask but the answer has been known for years as all of these things have been foretold. Matthew has things to say by the Holy Spirit as we read how Jesus tells the disciples of a truth and prophetic saying, concerning the end of times and the wars to come.

Questions, questions and more questions have been asked over the end times but you know we don't have to be in fear over these things for God is on the throne and in control. The Bible has many things to say about the end times and the conflict to come. All of these things are the setting of the stage for the return of Christ for His church.

The disciples asked a question of Jesus that was sparked by the words of Jesus, 2And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. Then the disciples asked, when shall these things be and what shall the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world? You see the disciples are really no different than you and I in the thought process they bring forth to the Lord. Notice that Jesus answers the question with many warnings of signs of the end times and what is to come.

Let's look at three things, facts, concerning verses 1-3:

The place: This was the place where Jesus gave the Olivet discourse on the Mount of Olives. For the mountain, hill if you will, overlooks Jerusalem and Jesus talks to His disciples about His second coming. If we look at the conflict in the Middle East it is in the same place that Jesus was speaking about, it's amazing, but no surprise that we are seeing many things come to life from the words of Jesus. Many times Jesus spoke of things that were easy for the people to understand when it came to the commonplace things in life. We understand things in our culture more easily when we use commonplace things and issues. Jesus wants us to understand and not to be confounded. Jerusalem is really, geographically, the center of the planet concerning nations in biblical terms. Much conflict over the city of Jerusalem over the centuries has been seen for that is the center of true religion, not as repetitious chants or rituals, but as the fellowship of the believers of Christ. Revelation speaks about Jerusalem as the place that Jesus will set up His throne and we see this as King David ruled. But right now there is a Kingless throne on Earth. But that all will change forever for Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah will come and set up His Kingdom throne for a thousand years and then Jesus will rule from Heaven in the new city of Jerusalem as it comes out of heaven.

The jaw dropper: The verse in which Jesus predicts that the temple will be thrown down and not one stone will be left upon another stunned the disciples because they thought that the temple of stone was the very place that God was going to come back and reign in the temple. But Jesus was trying to tell them that the temple was not in the things made by hand, as they saw as they left from the temple, but of the body of Christ that was to be broken for them and all who believe in Him. It was also true that the temple would be cast down for history tells of it by the Roman Empire tearing down each massive block of stone to get at the gold that had melted into the stones due to the hot fire that burned within the temple. The temple mount in Jerusalem is the hot spot of the east and the world for this piece of real estate is the most desired by all the Middle East religions. Why? The word of God tells us that in the end times the temple mount would be the center of conflict but all for the wrong reasons for they who wish to destroy the temple mount do it for their beliefs but our belief's apart from God is worthless. God tells us by His word what we are to believe. So, you can see how the thoughts of the disciples where in conflict with Jesus' thoughts of what He was trying to tell them.

The problem: The disciples wanted Jesus to tell them when these things shall be, speaking to the answer that Jesus gave them that the stones of this temple would be cast down. You see, the time from the point when they came out of the temple in Jerusalem until they sat down to listen to Jesus on the Mount of Olives was about one hour. So during this time you can imagine, just as you and I would, they pondered in their mind and hearts and between each other about the temple being torn down. Why? Well since these knew either by the scriptures that they knew and heard or by the teachings of Jesus that He was the prince of peace the messiah that would set up the kingdom of God. So the disciples where not getting it when Jesus tells them that the temple would be destroyed. They thought Jesus was here to really set up the kingdom now but that was not the focus of Jesus or the Father for reconciliation must be first by the death (Jesus' sacrifice) and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So you can see how these disciples could be misguided by their own thoughts and ideas. As we think about the times of this world we are in and the conflicts we see and hear about, it all causes us to want the kingdom of God to come right now. We who are abiding in Christ desire to depart this world just as the apostle Paul spoke saying, I am torn between the two, whether to depart from this world, which is far better or to stay in this world which is needful for you, as he spoke to his beloved followers.

So we need to keep our mind on Christ but our understanding of the things of God to those who know not the Lord and the great God of our faith. So don't be afraid or moved from your walk with God for our salvation is closer now than it was when we first believed.

Transcript

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Rumblings of War and the Prince of Peace

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[APPLAUSE]

Good morning.

[APPLAUSE]

Good morning.

[APPLAUSE]

It's good to be home. We're excited to be back with you. We've really are. A few quick comments before I dig into our study this morning.

The staff here at this church is stellar. They're so good, so committed, and so qualified.

[APPLAUSE]

And I want to thank them. I'm impressed with them. And a special thanks to this young man right up here in the front, Dave Rowe.

[APPLAUSE]

He's done a great job. That's right.

[APPLAUSE]

It's actually fun to watch him get a little embarrassed.

[LAUGHTER]

We're also very impressed with you as a strong body of believers. We love you. We can't wait to grow together with you into the future. And that's where we're setting our sails, is to find out what God has next for us.

Also, before we begin today there's, a group of folks sitting up here on the floor that are going to England on a missions trip tomorrow. Why don't you guys all stand up?

[APPLAUSE]

And just stay. Stay right there. Stay standing. Can you stay standing? Just for the whole service, would you mind just--

[LAUGHTER]

We want to pray for you before you go. Heavenly Father, it's thrilling to see these, what some of us would consider, young people, certainly myself included. So excited to see them on fire for you and desiring to not just travel to a foreign country, but to bear the name of Jesus in that country, to make you more famous, Lord, to spread your name, to tell others how they can have peace with God.

We pray You'd strengthen each one. We pray, Lord, that You'd keep them safe while they travel and bring them back home here safely. We're honored to be linked with them, and we pray that as they go out that they would see great fruit as a result of this mission endeavor. So we commend them to You. We're so thankful for them. In Jesus' name, amen.

Amen.

Thank you, guys.

[APPLAUSE]

Now, would you open in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 24 as we begin a new series based on that chapter? Somebody once said that peace is that brief, glorious moment in history when everyone stands around reloading. And that could certainly be said of the Middle East as we look and find out what's happening with Israel and Lebanon, Iran coming into the picture, Syria, already a war that's been going on in Afghanistan and Iraq.

But this is an interesting battle that is going on right now. It's what Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House, has titled World War III. And it's virtually on every news outlet in the world right now, what's happening over there. Time magazine featured just this week the Middle East. And if you can see on the front is a picture of an AK-47 crossed with an M16. It says "Why They Fight and Why It's Different This Time."

You know the news. You know that over 1,200 Katyusha rockets have been fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon into Israel. You know that Israel has retaliated with airstrikes, and more recently, a ground incursion into that country. And we've heard the rhetoric that has gone on from the Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah-- these are hard words to say--

[LAUGHTER]

--who has basically said we are calling for the total annihilation of the state of Israel. And that doesn't surprise us, because the ones who back them, namely Iran, would say the same Hitler-like rhetoric. The leader of Iran, Mahmud Ahmadinejad, has called for the wiping away of all of the Jews because that is a blight to the Middle East.

So as we're watching all of this stuff, we're wondering, where does that leave us biblically? What state are we in terms of the end-time biblical scenario? Certain scriptures come to our mind, like Ezekiel 38 and 39, which predict an end-time invasion from the north of Israel named the Magog invasion. And what's very interesting to us is that the chief ally in that invasion is Iran, ancient Persia. So our ears perk up when we hear that Iran is behind this somehow.

Or we remember other texts of scriptures, like Isaiah chapter 17, which predict the total annihilation of the city of Damascus in Syria, which has never happened historically. And we're wondering, could we be on the verge of seeing some of these things take place?

And while we're wondering, what does this mean biblically for the world, we also wonder, what does this mean to us nationally as Americans? After all, we're the ally of Israel. We're the ones supplying them bombs and armaments to some degree to help fight this war. Where will America be in the end-time scenario?

And then even beyond that, what does it mean to us personally? How should we live in this present crisis? So I'm having you turn to the pages of scripture Matthew chapter 24. It says Jesus went and departed from the temple. And his disciples came to show him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another that shall not be thrown down."

Now, as he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of your coming at the end of the age? And Jesus answered and said to them, "Take heed that no one deceives you, for many will come in My name saying, I am the Christ, and will deceive many.

And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled, for all these things must come to pass. But the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines, pestilences, earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows."

If you open up the pages of scripture, and you start at the beginning in the Garden of Eden, you discover the Bible opens with peace. There is peace in the Garden of Eden. There is euphoria. There is utopia. It couldn't get any better. And if you go to that end of the Bible, the Bible closes in peace-- the new Jerusalem, the eternal state, everlasting peace.

So you've got the Garden of Eden, and the garden of eternity. Peace in the beginning, peace in the end, but everything else between point A and point B is not peaceful. In fact, the things that Jesus predicted here in Matthew 24 are things that to some degree have filled the pages of world history.

Author and historian Will Durant, who wrote that famous set of books The Story of Civilization made an interesting comment, and he did so almost 40 years ago. He said, out of the 3,421 years of recorded history, only 268 years have seen no war. If you average that out, that means only 8% of world history has been at a time of peace-- only 8%.

People everywhere of all times have always wanted world peace. They'll do anything to get it. I heard about a couple. They retired, and they were so alarmed by the threat of nuclear war that they wanted to find a place on Earth that was safe, impervious to any nuclear war. So they did a prolonged and intense study of all of the inhabited places on Earth, where they could sell everything, move to, and be protected, having ultimate security.

And they found it. And they moved everything and themselves to this new island paradise. And they wrote to their pastor at Christmas in 1981 from their new paradise, the Falkland Islands. And if you know your recent history, you know that a few months after that, there was an all-out war in the Falkland Islands between Argentina and Britain. No place is safe on this Earth.

The name of this message is The Rumblings of War and the Prince of Peace. And this morning, what I'd like us to do is look at Matthew 24. There are three facts we have to have under our belts before we can even understand what Jesus is talking about here in Matthew 24 and 25-- three very important facts. All of them emerge in the first few versus.

The first is the place from which this was given. The second is the prediction that Jesus made about the future in verse 2. The third is the problem that this posed for the disciples that they asked him about in verse 3. So the place, the prediction, and the problem, those are the three things we want to look at today.

You'll notice the place is the Middle East there in Israel. Jesus with his disciples are in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is the city mentioned 821 times in the Bible. No other city is given as much press in the Bible as the city of Jerusalem. Now, it's also interesting to note that the second most mentioned city in the Bible next to Jerusalem is Babylon-- Iraq. So that's very interesting. And we even see that play out in the very end of times in the tribulation period in the Book of Revelation.

So they are in the Middle East, in Israel, in Jerusalem, on the Mount of Olives overlooking the city of Jerusalem, especially the temple area. And that's why Matthew 24 is called the Olivet discourse, simply because Jesus is saying it on the Mount of Olives. And it's one of four major sermons that Jesus gives in his ministry, the first being the Sermon on the Mount-- Matthew 5, 6, and 7. The second being the kingdom parables of Matthew 13. The third being the Olivet discourse here. And the fourth being the upper room discourse of John chapters 13 through 16.

But what makes this one so fascinating to us is the subject matter. In the Olivet discourse, Jesus is talking about the future, the future of Jerusalem, the future of the Jews, the future of all the world, and most principally, his own future coming to rule and reign upon the Earth. So the point is this. Jesus Christ and his disciples were in the very same place that all of this conflict, all of this controversy that's happening today is.

You say, well, Skip, that's not really that true because they were in Jerusalem. This conflict is taking place on the border of Israel and Lebanon. But understand, the very center of this conflict is in Jerusalem. Jerusalem, the very heartbeat of the Jewish nation, the place where the temple once stood, the place where the Muslims say Muhammad ascended into Heaven to receive the Quran and come back down to the Earth. It's still all about what goes on in Jerusalem, and who owns that city, and especially that volatile piece of real estate called the Temple Mount.

Benjamin Netanyahu, former prime minister of Israel, this week told us what this conflict is about. He said, these people do not believe that we should even exist as a nation. The fact that we are living and breathing air on planet Earth in the Middle East is an affront to them, and they want to get rid of us.

Now, this war is not new. Since 1948, May 14th, 58 continual years of conflict has been in that region, and here's why. Because Jerusalem has always been and will always be the center of God's program on the Earth. That's why it's mentioned 821 times. It's the center of God's prophetic and salvation program for the world.

There is a set of books called the Midrash, Jewish ancient commentaries on the Old Testament. And one of the rabbis in commenting said, the land of Israel is at the center of the world. Jerusalem is at the center of the land of Israel. And the temple is at the center of Jerusalem. In other words, the very heart of the Earth is the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Now, from a biblical perspective, Jerusalem is the geographic center of the world biblically. Interesting scripture in Ezekiel chapter 5 verse 5, where God says this is Jerusalem. See? I have set her in the midst of all of the nations and countries all around her. Right in the middle.

And I grew up looking at a map of the world. And it was always interesting because if you look at a map of the world from America, guess what is in the center? We are-- America. But if we would have read our Bible before we produced those maps, we would have put Israel, Jerusalem, right in the middle. It's on a land bridge, that map will show, that connects three major continents-- Africa, Asia, and Europe, right there in the middle.

In the Bible, north is always north of Jerusalem. South is always south of Jerusalem. East is always east of Jerusalem. West is always west of Jerusalem. So Jerusalem is the geographic center of the world biblically.

But more than that, Jerusalem is the salvation center of the world spiritually. Remember that woman at the well of Samaria? She was talking to Jesus in John chapter 4, and she said, well, you Jews say Jerusalem is the place to worship. We worship on this mountain right here behind me. Remember what Jesus said?

He said, you don't even know what you worship. We know what we worship for salvation is of the Jews-- very interesting statement. Salvation is of the Jews. Well, the only salvation. God ever provided for planet Earth was provided just outside the Damascus Gate of Jerusalem at a little place called Golgotha or Calvary.

Not only that, but Jerusalem is the storm center of the world prophetically. You could ask any world leader, any world government, and they will tell you what happens in Buenos Aires, or London, or Los Angeles, or New York, or any other city, though it might be significant, doesn't hold a candle to what happens in Jerusalem. Whatever happens there, that is huge. And the Bible predicts that-- Zechariah. The Lord says, I will make Jerusalem a very burdensome stone for all peoples.

But there is more, and here's the best part. Jerusalem is the glory center of the Earth ultimately. You see, Isaiah the prophet in Isaiah 2 said the law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. So God still has his plan centered in Israel in Jerusalem. And when Jesus comes back the second time, he's going to touch his foot on the very mount he's saying this from, the Mount of Olives.

Look at it this way. Over in Israel right now is a kingless throne. It's the throne of David. It has not been occupied for 2,500 years, ever since Jeconiah sinned, and there was a blood curse placed on the household and the lineage of King David. For 2,500 years, that throne of David has been unoccupied. There is a kingless throne in Jerusalem.

In Heaven right now is a throneless King. And when Jesus comes back and the throneless King meets up with the kingless throne, it will be what the Bible calls the restitution of all things. And peace and glory will fill the Earth. So the place that this takes place in is very, very significant.

Here's my point. God's calling upon the Jewish nation is irrevocable. You read Romans 9, 10, and 11, and it will tell you that the plan that God has for the Jews is still intact. And you can read through the Bible, and you see that even in the end of times in the tribulation period, God will seal 144,000 whom? Jews. 12,000 from each of the tribes of Israel.

You go a little further on, and you find in the thousand-year reign of Christ on earth called the Millennium, Jesus Christ reigns from Mt. Zion. Later on, there's a new Heaven, and a new Earth in the eternal state, and there's a city that comes out of Heaven toward the Earth called the New Jerusalem. Not the new San Francisco, the new Jerusalem. And there are 12 gates to that city, and each gate is named after one of the tribes of Israel.

So we support Israel, not because they're politically perfect. They've made a lot of blunders. They've made a lot of mistakes. Not because of their economic policies or their humanitarian policies, but simply based upon the covenant that God has made with those people.

One pundit had an interesting little quote. He said, how odd of God to choose the Jew? But not so odd as those who choose the Jewish God, but hate the Jew. See, to choose God is to choose the one whose son, the Messiah, will ultimately rule and reign from that place, Jerusalem.

We'll now go to verse two. And notice the prediction that Jesus makes. Jesus said to them after they said, look at these beautiful buildings. Do you not see these things? Jesus said, assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another that shall not be thrown down.

Now, the text doesn't tell us this, but I'm convinced that as soon as the disciples heard this, they did this.

[LAUGHTER]

It was a jaw dropper. If you read the other accounts, Mark 13, Luke 21, those authors tell us that the disciples pointed specifically to some of the huge stones in the temple. Check out those stones. Look at that building.

See, to the disciples, the fact that there was a temple standing was evidence that God favored and blessed the Jewish nation. Here is a building dedicated to the glory of God. God is inhabiting it. Its standing shows that God is here, and blessing and favoring our people. Then Jesus said, well, boys, I got news for you. Every one of those stones is coming down. It was a shock to them.

The temple at this time was still under construction. Did you know that the temple started construction around 20 BC and ended in 64 AD? So just over 80 years, it took 18,000 people to put that thing up. It was a 45-acre complex of buildings, and the temple proper stood 90 feet from its bases upward. We're told that the temple itself was marvelous-- white limestone and white marble. And at the top of that limestone and marble edifice was a solid gold cornice that adorned the top so that for miles away, you could see it.

The Babylonian Talmud said, he who has never seen the temple of Herod has never seen a beautiful building. Some of the stones measured 12 feet by 12 feet by 40 feet and weighed over 100 tons. One stone-- we could even show it to you were we there today in Israel-- they say weighs up to 400 tons.

So you can understand these disciples going, look at those stones. Wow. They're coming down, Jesus said. Every one will be overturned.

Very interesting prediction, because we know it came true. In 70 AD, just a few years later, when Titus and the Roman armies surrounded Jerusalem, Titus specifically said, keep the temple intact. But a Roman soldier threw in a torch into the holy place. It caught the veil on fire. It burned the temple so hot that the gold cornice began to melt through the cracks in the stones. And the soldiers took every stone and overturned it, every single stone, to get the gold out of the cracks so that not one stone was left upon another. All were thrown down.

Flavius Josephus, Jewish historian around that era, said, so complete was the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem that if you were to visit the city after the destruction, you wouldn't believe that anyone ever lived there. And you could certainly not find where the temple once stood.

That's the prediction. Jesus made it. It happened. And folks, the prediction Jesus made of what would occur to Jerusalem in 70 AD, Hezbollah would love to see repeated all over again. The prediction Jesus made of what would happen to Jerusalem in 70 AD, Hamas would love to see happen all over again.

What Jesus predicted what happened to Jerusalem in 70 AD, the PLO, the Al Aqsa martyrs brigade, and a host of other factious groups would all love to see happen again and will not be content, they said, until it happens again. And what causes our attention is that Iran, which funds Hezbollah, from between $100 to $200 million per year, wants to see it happen again.

This week, you might have caught it, in Nablus, a 20-year-old Israeli soldier by the name of Osher Damari was killed in a bomb blast in the city of Nablus. His body was evac'ed out, except for his leg. One leg was severed in the blast. That remained-- pieces of clothing.

And the news reported that after they took his body out, some of the inhabitants of that city of Nablus all stood around the remains of this 20-year-old dead soldier and began to sing, and celebrate, and chant in Arabic, [NON-ENGLISH]. God is great. God is great. Because there has been an agenda in that place to see this happen again.

Keep this in mind, what Jesus said would happen happened in incredible detail. He just didn't say, yeah, it's going down. He said, not one stone will be left upon another. And every single stone was overturned, which once again shows us that the book that we read from and study every day in our quiet time is the word of God, and it's very accurate. In fact, one of God's calling cards is prophecy.

Isaiah 46, the Lord says, I am God, and there is no one else like me. Only I can tell you what is going to happen, even before it happens. That's why every time there's a problem, every day of our lives when there's an issue, we open this book for answers.

So the place is interesting, the prediction striking. The third, there is a problem that comes up from the prediction that Jesus made verse 3. Now, as He, Jesus, sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, tell us when will these things be? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?

I'm so glad the disciples asked that question. In fact, I'm really glad they asked questions period. Because unless they would have asked that question, we wouldn't have had this answer. In fact, Matthew 24 is the longest answer to any question in the New Testament. It's all about the future. Now, we're not told this unless you read the geography into these verses, but there is a time lapse between verse 2 and verse 3. Because it says, now, as he sat on the Mount of Olives, and they had just been in the temple area.

And I've taken that route on many occasions. If you walk outside of the temple, you walk down into the Kidron Valley. Then you have to walk up a very steep ascent to the Mount of Olives. It's like the La Luz trail, only not as long.

It was at least an hour from the time they left the temple to the time they got on the Mount of Olives. Jesus finally sat down. They've had about an hour to ponder this very solemn prediction that Jesus made. And they're dying to ask him this question.

So Jesus finally sits down. The disciples come up, panting. OK, Jesus, you've got to tell us. When is this all going to happen? And what are the signs of your coming and of the end of the world? Three questions-- when is what you predicted going to happen? Number two, what are the signs that denote your coming is here? And number three, the signs of the end of the world.

Now, in the disciples minds, all of those things were one event. This posed a problem to them. And here's the problem. Here's the core sentiment behind the question.

OK, Jesus, you're the Messiah. We got that. As the Messiah, as the Deliver, as our Savior, as our Peacemaker, you're not talking much about peace here. You just predicted total destruction of our city, especially its temple.

So how could you be the Prince of Peace-- we know Isaiah 9:6 unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Everlasting Father, Mighty God, Prince of Peace. How is it that you're the Prince of Peace when you predict this? This was a problem for them.

OK. Let's draw a little frame around chapter 24, shall we? There is a context in this chapter. The context of Matthew 24 is not a Baptist context. It's not a Presbyterian context. It's not a Methodist context. It's a Jewish context.

And in the mind of the Jews, including the disciples 2,000 years ago, they already had a fixed eschatology in mind. That is, in their minds, from their reading of the Bible, they had a scenario of end-time events. And this is what they believed would happen.

Number one, before Messiah comes, there will be worldwide turmoil, which they believe they were in. The Romans had occupied the land. Before that, the Greeks had occupied the lands. Before that, the Babylonians, the Persians, all of these people occupied their land. And there is this turmoil they are experiencing.

Number two-- an Elijah-like forerunner would come on the scene, pointing people toward the Messiah. That's why people drew a great interest when John the Baptist showed up. He reminded them so much of Elijah.

Number three-- the Messiah would come. And when he would come, he would destroy the enemies of the Jews-- they thought at this time the Romans-- set up His kingdom. All the scattered Jews from around the world would come back to Israel. And Jerusalem would be restored, not destroyed, restored. And that there would be worldwide peace.

So the disciples believed in this question that they were somewhere between phase 1 and phase 3. There's been trouble. The Romans are here. John the Baptist, Elijah-like forerunner, he's come. The Messiah is here. A couple days ago, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and for the first time presented himself as their Messiah.

Where's the peace? The next logical step is he's going to set up his kingdom. There's going to be peace. Now they've got a problem because Jesus just predicted the destruction of the city, which happened in 70 AD.

Here's the point. You've got the Prince of Peace predicting war and devastation. By the way, you know what Jerusalem means? City of peace. [NON-ENGLISH] To this day, you go to that city, and they'll wave their hand and go, shalom. That's their greeting. It means peace. At this point, it's a prayer. Peace. Shalom.

So they asked this question. And today, we would ask the same question. In fact, don't we ask this every time some new news erupts in the Middle East? Don't we say, are you coming soon? Is this the end? Is there ever going to be peace? We all ask that we all yearn for the Prince of Peace to come.

But we also know, once again, between creation and consummation, between Eden and eternity, there is these wars, rumors of wars, and even these detailed predictions of destruction. So where's the peace? Right in here. Right inside of us.

See, the Bible doesn't say that peace means the absence of conflict on the inside, but the presence of Christ on the inside. It doesn't mean that there will be no wars outside, but Christ will be with you inside. So the Prince of Peace came the first time 2,000 years ago to take away sin. The Prince of Peace will eventually come the second time to take away sorrow. The Prince of Peace came the first time to bring peace inside. He will come the second time to bring peace outside.

Remember that prediction when Jesus was born over Bethlehem, and the Angels said, glory to God in the highest, and on Earth, peace goodwill toward men. I'm so sorry that translators translated that wrongly. The literal translation is glory to God in the highest. Peace on Earth to men in whom God's favor rests. Meaning you can have peace on the inside in the midst of conflict.

So here's the question we end with. What now? It's happening again over there. God willing, it might stop in the next couple weeks, but that would only be temporary. So what do we do? Number one, we pray. The Bible says specifically pray for the peace of Jerusalem. May they prosper that love Thee.

So we pray, God, bring a cease fire. Bring peace to that region. Pray that the gospel would be heard by Jews and Arabs. Listen, God loves the Arabs. God loves the Muslims. Jesus Christ died on the cross for every single person, including every Muslim, every Jew, everyone in the world. Pray that many of them would come to Christ, even through this.

Second response-- be calm. Jesus here even said, don't be troubled by this. The end is not yet. These things have to happen. You know the end of the story. Approach it from that. Be calm.

Number three-- have a light touch. The things that are happening in the Middle East remind us we're just passing through. This is not home. We know what we're about. We know where we're going.

In fact, Jesus put it this way. He said in Luke, when these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads because your redemption draws near. I always have a twofold response when I turn on the news. One is oh no. The other one is all right because I know where this is going to lead.

Now, if you don't know Jesus Christ personally you ought to look at this as a wake-up call. You ought to look at the events in the Middle East as a warning because all of those things those crazy Christians told you for years is really starting to shape up.

I want to close with this it's from Billy Graham's book Approaching Hoofbeats. It's called a parable. Mount St. Helens belched gray plumes hundreds of feet into the blue Washington sky. Geologists watched their seismographs in growing wonder as the Earth danced beneath their feet. Rangers and state police, sirens blaring, herded tourists and residents from an ever widening zone of danger.

Every piece of scientific evidence being collected in the laboratories and on the field predicted the volcano would soon explode with a fury that would leave the forests flattened. Warning, blared loudspeakers on patrol cars and helicopters hovering overhead. Warning, blinked battery-powered signs at every major crossroad. Warning, pleaded radio and TV announcers, shortwave, and citizen-band operators. Warning, echoed up and down the mountains. The lakeside villages, tourist camps, and hiking trails emptied as people heard warnings and fled for their lives.

But Harry refused to budge. Harry was the caretaker of a recreation lodge on Spirit Lake, five miles north of Mount St. Helens' peak. The rangers warned Harry of the coming blast. Neighbors begged him to join them in their exodus. Even Harry's sister called to talk sense into the old man's head. But Harry ignored the warnings.

From the picture postcard beauty of his lakeside home, reflecting the snow-capped peak overhead, Harry grinned on national television and said, nobody knows more about this mountain than Harry, and it don't blow up on him. But on May 18, 1980, as boiling gases beneath the mountain surface bulged and buckled, Harry cooked his eggs and bacon, fed his 16 cats scraps, and began to plant petunias around the border of his freshly mowed lawn. At 8:31 AM the mountain exploded.

Did Harry regret his decision in that millisecond he had before the concussive waves traveling faster than the speed of sound flattened him and everything else for 50 square miles? Did he have time to bemoan his stubbornness as millions of tons of rock disintegrated and disappeared into a cloud reaching 10 miles in the sky? Did he struggle against the wall of mud and ash 50 feet high that buried his cabin, his cats, and his freshly mowed lawn?

Now, Harry is a legend in the Pacific Northwest, where he refused to listen. He smiles down to us from posters, t-shirts, and beer mugs. Balladeers still sing songs about old Harry, the stubborn man who put his ear to the mountain, but would not heed the warnings.

We've heard these warnings. Some of us have heard them for years. But my question is, have you placed your faith in the one who is coming in the midst of these events at some time in the future? If not, it's time to listen, and to act upon it, and give your life to Christ.

Heavenly Father, for me, this has been a wonderful family reunion. How I am thankful, Lord, that in the midst of these days in which we live, we find ourselves in, we have clear answers that come to us from the pages of scripture. We see what's happening around us. I pray that we would reflect a steady calm of assurance in the midst of yet another crisis in the Middle East.

Lord, be in the middle of the Middle East. Be in the middle of the conflict. May Your name be more famous. Help us here to glorify You and anyone who doesn't know You to make their decision to follow You this morning. In Jesus' name, amen.

Additional Messages in this Series

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7/30/2006
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Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign
Matthew 24:3-5
Skip Heitzig
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Do you believe signs when you see them? Do you know how to read signs when they are given to you? Jesus, in Matthew 24 tells of His return and the signs we are to look for. If we have a different understanding other than what the bible says then we may miss the greatest happening of all time and be left behind.., the return of Jesus. So, will you read the signs and seek to understand, or will you simply dismiss them and interpret your own signs.
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8/6/2006
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Why We Can't All Just Get Along
Matthew 24:6-8
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War has always been a part of the regular life of humanity since our beginning. So what makes war a sign that Jesus' return is near? And more importantly, why can't people around the world get along? Why is it that strife, conflict, rivalry, and fighting have so marred God's highest creation? Where will it lead and how can we cope?
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8/13/2006
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When Faith Turns Fatal
Matthew 24:9-11
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The Bible extols the benefits of faith. Faith justifies the sinner, appropriates God's promises for the believer and will bring us into eternal joy. But faith can also be fatal - there are consequences to believing! Faith in God brings us into direct opposition with Satan's worldly system and incurs the wrath and opposition of unbelievers and false believers. What will it be like for those who trust Christ just before His Second Coming?
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8/20/2006
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Big Mess; Bigger Message
Matthew 24:12-14
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Whenever there's a mess, a messenger with a message is needed. God has always worked that way. In ancient Israel he sent prophets to herald truth to a recalcitrant nation. In church history God raised up evangelists to proclaim the gospel to sin-hardened and cynical generations. The future Tribulation will be the biggest mess ever, yet God will still have his message heard! Lets notice four human conditions that will prevail in the future of earth's most severe time.
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8/27/2006
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God's House Vandalized!
Matthew 24:15
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This single verse is pivotal in understanding prophecy. It highlights something that is both historic as well as prophetic. This verse, when tied to its historical roots in the prophet Daniel, will help you understand what John wrote in the book Revelation. But it offers more than just biblical information it provides practical inspiration when properly understood.
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9/3/2006
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Holy Land Tour: CANCELED!
Matthew 24:16-20
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For many Christians, a trip to the Holy Land is a once-in-a-lifetime dream. To see where Jesus walked, taught and spoke prophetically of is thrilling. But trouble is in store for Israel's future, in fact Scripture refers to it as "Jacob's Trouble" (Jer. 30:7). What will be Israel's future and what can we learn about the nature of God in adversity? Moreover, what should a believer's response to catastrophic events be?
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9/10/2006
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When God Declares War
Matthew 24:21-22
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War is ugly but sometimes necessary. It's meant to defend the weak and punish deadly aggressors. Jesus' words here depict a time when God wages war on the human race and throws every conceivable judgment to the earth in the Tribulation. These two verses also highlight three prevailing conditions that exist between God and mankind. The first condition has existed since the Fall of Mankind, the second will be a temporary result of the first, and the third condition is rooted in the character of God and takes the edge off of the first two.
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9/17/2006
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The New Dark Ages
Matthew 24:23-28
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Jesus said, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."(John 9:5) and that His followers were to take up the same occupation: "You are the light of the world" (Matt 5:14). But what happens when the light has been extinguished? What happens when spiritual darkness overshadows everything, everywhere? There's an old saying, "It's always darkest just before the dawn." Jesus tells His followers here that just when the world plummets to its darkest moment, He will be returning!
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9/24/2006
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Ready or Not, Here He Comes!
Matthew 24:29-31
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Children love to play games. One of those games is Hide and Seek where a child, after counting to ten, will call out to his friends, "Ready or not, here I come!" One day, after a time of intense distress, Jesus will return to the earth for the second time and many will not be ready for it. Those who survive and are ready will be gathered together with the rest of God's people to be ushered into God's eternal Kingdom. Are you ready or not?
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10/1/2006
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The End Times Farmer's Almanac
Matthew 24:32-35
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For years agrarians have consulted the venerable Farmer's Almanac for predictive signs on what this next season would bring, in terms of weather forecasts, threatening bugs and water table levels. It helps them know how to navigate through the growing year. Jesus gave a story to His disciples on how the future generation can tell when the season of judgment is upon them and how they should live during the last days on earth.
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10/8/2006
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What Angels Want to Know
Matthew 24:36
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Man's knowledge is impressive but it pales next to God's knowledge. The only things we know for certain are the things that God has revealed to us. Some things must be stored in our hearts in the imaginary file marked, "Wait for further information." As we wait for Jesus to come for us, let's consider what we know and what we don't know; in fact let's see what angels don't even know!
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10/15/2006
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Eat, Drink and Be Judged!
Matthew 24:37-44
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When Noah built his ark, most people thought he was nuts. Only seven others listened to his warning and went with him. Jesus spoke about the fool who thought he was prepared for the future because of his wise investments. This man said to himself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." (Luke 12:19). Jesus also tells us that the world will largely adopt this attitude in the final days of history unaware of what's ahead.
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10/22/2006
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Caught in the Act!
Matthew 24:45-51
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Every parent remembers walking into their child's room catching them in some act either good or bad. The youngster wasn't expecting you to be there and that child's look tells all, betraying innocence or guilt. The return of Jesus Christ will catch some people off guard while others will be diligently involved in the Master's work. Ever wonder what you'll be up to when Jesus returns: what activities, conversations and thoughts you'll be engaged in? Let's consider two possibilities.
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There are 13 additional messages in this series.
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