Preview: When the end is near signs will be made plain to God’s people.
Scripture Reading: Matthew 24:29-35.
Memory Verse: Matthew 24:33.
1. How may we know when the coming of Christ is near? Matthew 24:33.
2. Did Christ say men would never get to know the day and hour? Matthew 24:36, Matthew 24:42 & Matthew 25:13.
Note: When Christ was here, He and the angels did not know the day and hour. After Christ’s resurrection, all power of Heaven and earth were given to Him. All things are in His hands today. No one can truthfully say that Christ does not know the day or hour, and that the angels don’t know, as the Lord has promised to reveal the deep things by the Holy Spirit; and that His servants are to know ALL things. I Corinthians 2:10 & I John 2:20.
3. What has the Lord promised He would do in the last days for the nations? Daniel 12:4.
4. Will the wicked understand? Daniel 12:10.
5. What did Jesus do for the Jews when they rejected Him? Luke 19:41-42.
6. Did Jesus pronounce the curse that would overtake them? Luke 19:43-44.
7. How would Christ have cared for the Jews if they would have accepted Him? Matthew 23:37.
8. As Jesus was about to leave the temple what did He say? Matthew 23:38-39.
Note: This is all in the past. We cannot hate or despise truth and get by Christ.
9. What question did the disciples ask as they heard the word of Jesus? Matthew 24:3.
10. What did Christ warn them against as He answered the questions? Matthew 24:4-6.
11. Did Jesus say that wars, famines, pestilence, and earthquakes were a sign of the world coming to an end? Matthew 24:7-8.
12. How will those signs affect the nations and the Church? Matthew 24:10-11.
13. How will it affect professed followers of Christ? Matthew 24:12.
14. Who only will be saved? Matthew 24:13.
Note: It is a known fact that leaders of Sunday keepers and Sabbath keepers have used wars, pestilence, earthquakes, and famines to scare people into their Churches, and to open their pocketbooks, so that they could use it to their own glory. That is what we call racketeering not Christianity. They said World War One and Two were Armageddon. Then they said that the Korean War would be the last war and then the next war and the next; but remember that one guess is as good as another. Christ said: “…see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the END IS NOT YET.” Matthew 24:6.
15. Did Christ say that deceivers would show great signs and wonders? Matthew 24:24.
16. Had Christ mentioned it to them before? Matthew 24:25.
Note: No man has a divine right to take the saying of Jesus in Matthew 24:6, that “…wars and rumors of wars” is the battle of Armageddon. But rather that it is the BEGINNING of sorrow (Matthew 24:8). Remember that sorrow began years ago and the battle of Armageddon is not here yet. There is a great work for God’s people to do before Christ can come; and if God can’t use His people, it is because the Spirit of God is not leading them.
17. Who only can be a messenger of Christ? Romans 8:9.
Note: We must earnestly seek for the filling of the Holy Spirit before we can teach others and follow Christ.