♪ theme music ♪
(Derek) Welcome to Hope Sabbath School,
an in-depth, interactive study
of the Word of God.
I'm glad you joined us today
as we continue a life-changing series
of studies on the Gospel of Matthew.
Today we're going to talk about
"The Teachings of Jesus
about the Last Days."
A relevant topic,
and I know you'll be blessed.
So welcome to Hope Sabbath School
and welcome to our team.
What a great series of studies.
I'm so thankful that the Spirit of God
inspired a former tax collector,
Levi Matthew, to write this account,
and I'm excited today because
one of our team, Tricia Lee,
is going to be leading in our study.
Tricia Lee, thanks for your commitment
to the Word of God,
and I know God is going to bless us
in wonderful ways.
We're just so glad
that you're part of Hope Sabbath School,
and when you write to us it brings joy
to our hearts to hear how God is blessing you.
You can write to sshope@hopetv.org.
You can also write a note
on our Facebook page;
we've got more than 150,000 followers
on Facebook now, and it's wonderful.
Sometimes we'll put a picture of you, if you send one.
We're just part of a global family
seeking God and wanting to be used
to bless others with His Word.
So thanks for writing.
Ely writes from California.
Anybody from California?
Some of you have lived in California, right?
Okay.
"Greetings to every Hope Sabbath School member."
(Team) Greetings.
Several of you look happy.
"I watch your program every day.
I learn a lot from the discussion.
I also downloaded the app,
and I love to watch the archives.
I feast on the Word of God every day."
Well, Ely, thanks for letting other Hope Sabbath School members know
that if you go to our website,
hopetv.org/hopess,
you can not only watch programs
in this series on the Gospel of Matthew
that you might have missed,
but you can watch a multitude of past programs
with wonderful topics
that will be a blessing.
If you have the app on your iPhone
or your smartphone,
you can access the archives there;
you can watch all kinds of wonderful Bible studies.
So, thanks for putting in a little promo,
Ely, for the app, and that's
a wonderful blessing to many people.
James writes from Ghana.
Anyone with Ghanaian roots?
We do have some occasionally on our team, don't we?
"I enjoy your class and the contributions
you make.
I pick your contributions,
and I replicate them in my class
when I teach in my church."
Is that good?
(Derek) That's exactly what we're hoping for.
"Oh, how I wish I could contribute live,"
says James.
"Send my greetings to the Hope Sabbath School team."
Well, James, if you come over when we're filming,
we'd love to have you as part of the program,
but, you know, we're equally excited
to know that you're leading a Bible study
program there in your homeland of Ghana,
and, along with tens of thousands
who are downloading that outline,
we're glad you're teaching the Word to others.
Benson writes from Kenya,
and I know we've got one Kenyan.
Eric, wave to your brother from Kenya.
All right, a big smile for Benson
writing from Kenya, "I follow your programs.
I am a Sunday School teacher."
So Benson's teaching the Word
in his church.
"Please don't give up because your work
is not in vain."
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) That's awesome!
"God bless you all, amen."
Well Benson, to know that you're a witness
there in your church in Kenya
brings great joy to our hearts.
You encourage your other Sunday School members
to watch Hope Sabbath School,
and they'll learn much more
about the Word of God, too.
Here's one last note,
actually, I've got a couple here; lots of people writing.
I want to thank Jean
for writing from Russia.
You say, "Jean doesn't sound Russian."
Well, Jean is from Rwanda,
studying in Russia.
"I greet you in the mighty name of our soon-coming Savior Jesus Christ."
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) "Peace be with you.
I am Rwandese,
currently living and studying in Russia."
Now I want you to listen to Jean's testimony.
"I discovered Hope Sabbath School
in late 2014 shortly after I came to Russia.
I used to go through the Sabbath School study by myself
because I didn't have anyone to study with me.
Even after I discovered a church in the city,
it was still difficult because all of the services were held in"...?
(Team) Russian.
(Derek) "...Russian, and I just was learning the language.
As a response to my longings,..."
(Somebody is going to say "amen" here.)
"As a response to my longings,
God revealed Hope Sabbath School to me,"
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) "...and I was able to be part
of the in-depth study of the Word of God in English.
It blessed me so much
that even though I've now acquired enough language skills
to discuss the lesson in Russian,
I still watch Hope Sabbath School,
and I'm blessed by that.
I pray that you keep serving, letting people know
about the Word of God
and that you might even broadcast in different languages
to reach many unreached places for Christ."
Well, Jean, I want to ask you to pray
because we are moving forward with closed captioning,
and we are looking for the opportunity
for volunteer translators
in a multitude of different languages
so that people who don't have English as their language,
even a major second language,
will be able to watch and read the closed captioning
because, you know this Gospel of the Kingdom
is going to go the whole World,
and then Jesus will come back, isn't that right?
(Derek) So thank you for being a witness there
while you're studying in Russia.
One last note from Alexander in Zimbabwe.
Anyone from Zimbabwe, Simiso?
Hold your hand up and wave to your brother;
we'll get that on the screen,
all the way from Zimbabwe.
"Greetings, Hope Sabbath School team."
(Team) Greetings!
(Derek) "I'm blessed to be watching Hope Sabbath School in Harare..."
(capital?) "...of Zimbabwe.
I really enjoy the discussions;
they're so interactive and informative.
May God bless the entire Hope Sabbath School team,
for spreading the Word of God."
Well, you say that's a lot of emails
coming from around the world,
and, you know, we are just so glad that we can be part of a global family.
And we're going to sing together now as a global family,
and then Tricia Lee's going to lead us
in a powerful study of the Word of God,
"The Teachings of Jesus about the Last Days,"
but we're singing now, Psalm 148.
I hope you've learned it for this series,
"Praise Him in the Heights."
♪ music ♪
(Derek) You know, I've got a feeling when we're done with this series,
we're going to be singing this in our sleep,
but what a great Psalm to sing,
"Praise Him in the Heights,"
and, Tricia Lee, as you lead our study today, I know we'll have a lot
to praise Jesus for as He gives us hope for the last days.
(Tricia Lee) Amen, amen.
Let us pray.
Dear Lord, we need your Holy Spirit
to help us to understand
the times that we're living in.
We need your Holy Spirit to help us understand Your words to us
about the Last Days.
Please bless this study,
in Christ's name we pray, Amen.
(Derek, Team) Amen.
(Tricia Lee) I am so excited
that God has not left us in the dark
about what to expect, what will happen
in the last days.
Some people are very anxious or nervous about the things
that happen at the end of time.
Some people have heard rumors or strange stories of the apocalypse
or even science fiction zombies,
but God's Word reveals to us what to expect.
So as we study together, let's just thank God that He has not left us
in darkness about what will come in the Last Days.
(Derek, Team) Amen.
(Tricia Lee) Let us turn our study
to the Book of Matthew chapter 23.
Before we hear what Jesus teaches about the last days,
first we find our study right after the Triumphal Entry.
Jesus has entered Jerusalem, and He has met the religious leaders,
and unfortunately they are filled with envy and anger towards Him,
and with a sorrowful heart He begins to pronounce a series of woes to them.
Woe means misery or trouble to come,
bad things that are happening, so He's warning them
about the condition of their hard hearts and what that means.
So let's see first, before we talk about the last days,
what Christ says to the religious leaders and to the people at the time
about these woes, this miserable condition that they are unfortunately now
finding themselves in because they've rejected Him.
Let's start in Matthew chapter 23.
I'll ask Gary if he would please read for us
Matthew chapter 23, verses 1 through 12.
(Gary) Okay, I'll be reading from the New King James Version:
(Tricia Lee) Amen.
So before addressing the Scribes and Pharisees,
Christ first addresses the people;
He actually gives them some warnings.
Nicole, would you summarize for us
what has Christ warned the people about in the verses we just read.
(Nicole) Sure, I'm thinking back to humility again and not being
caught up in names and being in certain places in society,
and so I think He is warning against being kind of hypocrites,
you know, saying one thing out of your mouth, but acting and living a way
that's not reflecting what you're saying.
So I think these 12 verses kind of talk about hypocrisy and warning
against living a life that you're not actually living.
(Tricia Lee) That's correct.
Let's keep reading now in verses 13 through 15
where now Jesus is speaking directly
to the religious leaders and pronounces these woes upon them.
Olric, will you please read Matthew chapter 23:13-15?
(Olric) Yes, I'll be reading from the King James Version:
(Tricia Lee) Wow, wow, strong words
from Jesus here.
Jonathan, would you summarize for us
what is the rebuke that Jesus is giving to the Scribes and Pharisees here?
(Jonathan) It seems like He is just kind of debunking
their whole approach to religion.
They had set up all these rules and set up all these different things,
and He's calling their bluff.
It's like, "You talk about My Kingdom,
but you don't actually want people in;
you don't actually invite people to really live these things out.
It's more this external thing for you."
(Tricia Lee) Strong rebukes, but there is more.
Juliana, will you continue reading, for us, Matthew 23, verses 16 through 24?
(Juliana) Sure, and I will be reading from the New King James Version:
(Tricia Lee) Wow, wow.
Simiso,
summarize for what Jesus is rebuking the religious leaders.
(Simiso) I think Jesus is rebuking
the religious leaders to be genuine and authentic
and be all rounded in terms of what
Scripture requires of them.
(Tricia Lee) That's correct, when we look at verses 21 and 22,
it seems as though they have a lack of reverence for the things that are holy.
They're not really reverencing what God is saying.
What do we see in verse 24
about the tithing of mint and anise?
Olric, what is Christ telling them or for what is he rebuking them?
(Olric) They had this teaching back then that
they were not to eat anything unclean, and the gnat would be an unclean animal.
So they will take time to make sure
that the water does not contain
any of these little bugs,
but, you know, He is saying,
"Your hypocrisy is so evident;
you take time to pay tithe and cummin and this stuff.
You're being outwardly religious,
but inwardly you're not there
because things like faith and mercy, love,
that you don't have.
You take time to look at these little things,"
okay, "but there are bigger things that you're not doing."
(Tricia Lee) Have you ever heard the phrase,
"the letter of the law but not the spirit of the law,"
being able to keep certain requirements
but not really having and living the love to motivate it?
Let's keep reading.
There's some more rebukes that Jesus gives them.
Jason, would you read for us Matthew 23, verses 25 through 36.
(Jason) I'll be reading from the New King James Version.
Matthew chapter 23, verses 25 through 36, says:
(Tricia Lee) Wow.
These are some strong words.
I can't even imagine calling someone a viper or a snake.
It's hard to even picture Jesus doing it.
We can imagine Him with tears in His eyes
telling those people that he loved
those scathing rebukes.
Why do you think the rebukes of Jesus
were so harsh?
Why was He speaking to them so severely?
Nathan?
(Nathan) I think we can read this in two different ways, but we should read it
thinking of Jesus with tears in His eyes and in His voice.
When you look at the next verse that follows, verse 37 in Matthew 23.
Can I read it from the New King James Version, where He says:
I mean, the pain in His voice;
He's longing for them to be saved, and He says, "You're not willing to come to it."
It reminds me of, I think in Isaiah, God speaking through the prophet says,
"All day long I stood with My arms open wide to a stiff-necked
and rebellious people," -- Here He is calling you to salvation,
and you're turning away, not just turning away but rebelling against Him.
(Tricia Lee) And it's sad.
In a previous study, we've talked about the choices that we all have to make,
and that God wants us to choose Him,
but we do have the free will to choose otherwise.
(Derek) You know, I'm thinking,
Tricia Lee, I really appreciate what Nathan said about the love of Jesus.
And there were some Pharisees,
Nicodemus was a Pharisee
and also a member of the Sanhedrin,
who did repent.
(Tricia Lee) Yes, praise God.
(Derek) So you know,
if Jesus was just kind of harsh and kind of fighting with the weapons of this world
or acting like they acted,
they'd have an excuse,
but I think He is speaking with love in His heart.
And, praise God, some of the Scribes and Pharisees said,
"We need to repent;
we need to turn our lives around."
(Tricia Lee) Amen, amen.
Reading through this passage,
something was very interesting,
and I'd like to ask the class this question:
How could He say that the guilt
of all the righteous blood, all the martyrs,
would fall on this generation?
What does that mean?
How are they guilty of all these things?
They're just living their little lives;
how is it that He can say that the blood of all the righteous
from Abel to Zechariah would fall on this generation?
Any idea what the significance was of that statement, Missy?
(Missy) All throughout the generations, God has sent prophets,
throughout all ages,
but along with the prophets were the dissenters
who chose not to listen to them, and not only that, to oppose them
and even kill the prophets.
And they have the same spirit,
so this is why they would carry the guilt.
(Tricia Lee) I think you're right, Missy; Let's turn to Luke chapter 24,
and we'll see that the Bible supports what you just said, Missy.
Luke chapter 24,
and Eric, would you read for us Luke chapter 24, verses 25 through 27?
(Eric) I'm reading from the New Living Translation,
Luke 24:25-27, and it says:
(Tricia Lee) Amen, that's right, Missy.
All the prophets were given the same message,
the Gospel of Jesus that was to come, the Messiah to come,
they were all testifying to Him,
so every generation, when they kept rejecting the prophets that were sent
to them, they were rejecting Christ,
and ultimately when that generation rejected Christ, they were rejecting
the entire message that had been sent to them time after time after time.
Jonathan?
(Jonathan) Just the fact that, not only did they reject the sayings
that were entrusted to them, now they came with greater power.
I mean, like, when you have Christ doing all these miracles,
so if they reject Christ, who is the fulfillment and testimony
and perfect representation of everything they were given,
they in essence have rejected it and killed everything else before them.
(Derek) But you know, we have no excuse
because we have Jesus,
and yet, you know, one of the things I've noticed, teaching about Jesus,
there are many young people who grow up in a Christian home
who have never read the Book of Matthew or Mark or Luke or John.
They have the testimony of Jesus Himself,
and yet a lot of times
we act like it doesn't exist.
(Tricia Lee) That would be the rebuke to our generation.
(Derek) I think it would be.
(Tricia Lee) We have this Word that has survived generation after generation;
we know that it's been preserved through time
exactly as it was spoken to the prophets and written down;
we know the life of Christ,
and so here we are today with such grace, such mercy,
and if we still choose not to accept God then that's the rebuke
that we have on ourselves.
We're going to keep reading now,
and we're going to transition now to Matthew chapter 24
and get into the real heart of our study.
We're going to now see that Jesus leaves the Temple.
Again, tears in His eyes.
Thank you Nathan; I believe He had tears in His eyes, too.
Sad that the people were doubting Him and not believing Him,
and now we're going to see another conversation
that He and the disciples get into that leads us to this amazing prophecy
about the destruction of Jerusalem as well as the last day events.
We're going to read on in Matthew chapter 24.
I'm going to ask Nicole if she would start reading for us
Matthew 24, verses 1 through 14.
(Nicole) Matthew 24, verses 1 through 14,
I'm reading from the New International Version,
and it says:
(Tricia Lee) Nicole, would you pause there; I have a question for the group.
What do you think they mean by that?
The "end of the age?"
My New King James Version says, the "end of the age."
Does anyone's Bible say something different?
Anyone have "end of the world?"
Any thoughts...?
(Olric) What was happening here, they were equating
whatever destruction would come to Jerusalem,
they were equating it with the end of the world.
So they put the two events together
because this is how they saw it in their own minds.
That's why they asked Jesus the question in that manner.
(Missy) It was a dual prophecy.
It was talking about two separate events,
but they run parallel to each other.
(Derek) But I think Olric's right, that they thought
that must be the end of the world,
I mean, if every stone in this Temple of God is going to be torn down.
We know that it's not going to be the end of the world, it's only 40 years later
in 70 A.D. it will be fulfilled,
but I think in their minds, as Olric said,
they're thinking that must be one and the same thing as the end of all things.
(Tricia Lee) Yes, one thing's for certain, if we have questions on what that means
we're going to find out as we keep reading,
but certainly as we listen to what's going to be read to us
as we continue in chapter 24 -
the end of the age - it was something drastic.
The end of the world is what you described, Olric,
and that's the context that the disciples had in asking this question,
what is the sign of this big, grand, finale, if you would.
So Nicole, please keep reading for us.
(Nicole) I'm reading from verse 4 of Matthew 24.
It says:
(Tricia Lee) Amen, amen.
Missy, you were right that this is a dual prophecy,
so we're going to continue reading
and skip down to verses 21 through 28
about the prophecy regarding the last days and the end times.
I'm going to ask Alex if he would read for us verses 21 through 28.
(Alex) Sure, and I'll be reading from the King James Version:
(Tricia Lee) Amen.
One last set of verses,
Nancy, would you please read verses 32 and 33 for us?
(Nancy) Okay, and this is from Matthew 24, verse 32
in the New King James Version:
(Tricia Lee) Amen, at the doors.
So let's talk about these amazing, amazing Scriptures, amazing prophecy,
Jesus letting us know what to expect
in the last days.
What signs of the last days do you see, even today, taking place?
Olric.
(Olric) Wars, rumors of wars, you have nation rising against nation,
and it's becoming more prevalent,
but not just more prevalent,
but they're using more sophisticated weapons
for their warfare,
and it doesn't, you know, seem to be ending.
(Tricia Lee) Okay, Juliana.
(Juliana) Olric mentions things that are involving man,
but I think that the Earth is also groaning.
We're seeing more and more earthquakes.
I think of what happened not that long ago in Nepal,
and there's also been things in Mexico
and in Africa and just all over the world.
We have earthquakes, we have famines.
There's things happening in rivers,
that animals are dying,
and the environment...it's groaning;
it's asking for Christ to come back.
(Tricia Lee) Alex.
(Alex) I think there are many false prophets now, too.
Just more and more, all the time, I see preachers and pastors coming out
with these end-time preachings and end- time things, and even a lot of my friends
are really getting into these things, "Here, check out this message," and such.
And it's like, wow, if I didn't know the truth, this would be so easy to believe.
You know, how they point things out in the world, but it's very easy to be deceived.
(Tricia Lee) Jonathan.
(Jonathan) I think it's interesting to look at the things He chooses
and how He lays them out.
I feel like in some sense He kind of picks the things,
not so much that we can calculate the end of time,
but more to say, okay, what do we need to look at
because, I mean, a lot of the things He lays out happen throughout history.
The church was persecuted, you have earthquakes, I mean,
that's been happening for a lot of time,
and certainly He does say things that get close to the end of time,
but I think also He's just saying for the disciples and for us in general
a way to look at the world and to have our hearts,
and how to respond to the things that happen.
So I think it's kind of, "How to live in the context of My Coming."
(Derek) I think the positive thing
is the Gospel is going to go to the whole world,
and then the end's going to come.
(Tricia Lee) Yes.
(Derek) You know, I think the joy we have as a little team, Hope Sabbath School,
is that we're a little part of that,
and technology even in the lifetime
of many of our viewers,
there's been a revolution in terms of communication.
And of course, the Enemy's wanting to use that,
as Alex said, to promote false ideas
and just idolatry,
but I believe God's going to use that by His Spirit, too.
So we're on the brink of where
the Message can go rapidly around the world.
(Tricia Lee) Amen.
Alex, you mentioned the false christs that come in the last days,
what's our safeguard against
the deception of a false christ,
or let's talk some more about what that looks like,
a false christ or someone that's coming in the name of Chris. Olric.
(Olric) I've looked through the Old Testament,
and I've seen some scenarios where
false messages were brought to God's people.
We see in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve
with the Devil tempting them with false words.
Even in the case of, in a previous study we did in Jeremiah,
we see Jeremiah being countered there by an individual by the name of Hananiah.
The problem with these false christs, false teachers,
they propel messages
that seem to distract God's people
from God's way of doing things,
the way God had commanded.
And the way to counter this,
as we will see from the Word of God,
is through the truth like Isaiah 8, verse 20.
(Tricia Lee) Let's go there.
Let's go there, Isaiah 8, verse 20,
and Olric, will you read that for us?
(Olric) Isaiah 8, verse 20,
reading from the King James Version:
(Tricia Lee) Wow.
So what I heard you say, Olric, is there
may not just be manifestations of people
saying that they are a false messiah, to physically "follow me,"
but even teachings of false Christianity
that can also be a way to deceive people in the last days.
(Derek) Right, and I think Alex made a really important point when he said,
"I could follow what some of my friends are saying
if I didn't study the Word,"
because these people, they do signs and wonders, it says,
and they're religious;
they're false christs and false prophets,
so they speak about maybe needing to be close to God,
and, you know, it all sounds good,
but it's false.
So, you know, we shouldn't try to..."Oh, is that false?"
we should be focusing on the true
and on Jesus who is the true Christ,
because when we see the false
we will immediately recognize
that it isn't the truth.
(Tricia Lee) There's another promise that Jesus Himself has made to His believers,
and I'm going to ask Missy
if she would read for us John chapter 10, verses 27 and 28.
John chapter 10:27-28.
And it is a bit scary for some to think that you could be deceived
by false teachers and false miracles
and false people to lead us astray,
but I thank God that He has this promise recorded for us.
(Derek) Amen.
(Missy) I'm reading from the New International Version:
(Derek) Amen.
(Tricia Lee, Team) Amen.
(Tricia Lee) We are safe in the hands of Jesus.
"My sheep hear my voice... and they will follow."
Thank you for reading that Scripture in Isaiah, Olric.
If there is a message or a person that's not speaking according to the Word of God,
then that's an alarm for us,
but He's also promised that He will keep us,
that we will recognize His voice, and I believe there are so many examples
in the Bible of the Lord revealing Himself to His people,
literally leading His people through the wilderness by day and by night,
and so even in the midst of strong deception in the last days,
if we keep our eyes on Jesus...
(Derek) Amen.
(Tricia Lee) ...He will see us through.
Simiso, let's read another promise from the Lord
on why we shouldn't be afraid
and should not be discouraged.
Simiso, would you read John chapter 14, verses 1 through 3?
Why we should not be afraid of these last day events.
(Simiso) John 14, verses 1 through 3,
and I'm reading from the New King James Version.
It says:
(Team) Amen.
So the last days are a necessary step
in the process of getting us closer to going Home.
Jesus is coming back to take us Home to be with Him,
and as scary as last day events,
wars and earthquakes and pestilence
and family members betraying one another, may sound,
God has promised to keep us
and the promise is that when He returns
He is going to take us Home with Him.
(Derek, Tricia Lee) Praise God.
(Tricia Lee) Missy mentioned earlier that there was a dual prophecy,
that the disciples were thinking about the destruction of Jerusalem,
and Jesus answered their question
about when those things would take place as well.
Let's read the verses where Jesus describes
the destruction of Jerusalem.
Eric, would you read for us
Matthew chapter 24, verses 15 through 20?
(Eric) I'm reading from the New Living Translation, and it says:
(Tricia Lee) Amen, amen.
Gary, we talked a bit earlier about it being difficult for the disciples
to think of the destruction of Jerusalem to happen at any other time
than at the end of the world.
Why was that?
Why did they connect the two together?
(Gary) I guess how they related
to the Temple, their mission;
they're the people of God.
They couldn't get past the fact that,
if this is not going to be in existence anymore,
then that must mean everything must be falling apart.
(Derek) You know, I think they're trusting in the building rather than in God.
And before we judge them and go, "That's really foolish,"
I think we could trust in our institutions.
We could trust in our organization,
and the truth of the matter is,
that before this is all over,
a lot of those things could collapse.
(Tricia Lee) That's true.
(Derek) And all we have is to hold on to our Savior,
you know, because we know that He's going through.
He's going to take us through to the very end.
But lest we be too hard on them, I think
they associated confidence in God,
and now it's the building,
and pretty soon God's kind of set aside,
and they're just trusting in their structures.
(Tricia Lee) You're absolutely right.
We're going to have to let go of a lot of ideas that we have,
things that we hold dear,
to accept Jesus and His return.
Juliana, would you read for us.
Let's turn to Philippians chapter 3:7-8,
and we'll hear an account of someone
who had to let go of some things they held dear.
Philippians chapter 3:7-8.
(Juliana) I'm reading from the New King James Version:
(Tricia Lee) Amen!
What we didn't read is that previously
we're hearing an account of having confidence in self
and being able to keep the Law and being of the stock of Israel,
all the things that I'm sure the disciples
are very proud of in thinking about the institution and the Temple.
They had to let those things go,
and surely we will have to let some things go, as well,
to accept Christ.
We talked in a previous study about falling on the Rock,
submitting to Christ
and learning to count the things of God as gain and learning how to let go.
Let's keep reading in Matthew chapter 24.
Not only does Jesus tell us what to look for
in His coming, but He gives us a description of His coming,
and certainly this is key because
we're watching and we're waiting,
and we want to be ready when He comes, and we want to know what we're looking for
when He comes.
So Nathan, would you please read for us
Matthew 24, verses 27 through 31?
(Nathan) All right, I'll be reading from the New King James Version:
(Tricia Lee) Amen! Amen.
What are some of the characteristics and aspects of Jesus' coming?
What do we learn from this passage?
(Nicole) Everyone will see Him when He comes.
(Tricia Lee) It's visible, so it looks like there are a lot of angels.
You can't miss the whole angels of the Heavenly Host.
What else do we learn?
(Olric) The trumpet sound.
(Tricia Lee) So it's loud; it's audible.
Okay, what else have we learned here?
(Jason) There will be some signs of the heavens that precede the coming,
particularly with the sun, moon, and stars.
(Tricia Lee) Anything else?
(Derek) It's dramatic.
It's not just, "Oh, I think I see something."
(Tricia Lee) Yes.
(Derek) It's like lightening from the east
all the way to the west,
and I think that's important, because,
you know, Jesus talks about, is this secret or is it...
I think it's a surprise
even for those of us who are looking for His coming,
when it actually happens.
I mean If it happened in the middle of this broadcast,
you know I'd use my favorite Hebrew word,
Hallelujah,
but I would be surprised
because I thought we were going to finish the program.
Right? RIght?
Yeah, but it's not secret.
It's not secret;
it's visible, audible, but it's dramatic!
It's like lightening from the east to the west.
(Tricia Lee) My version of the Bible
says that "the powers of the heavens will be shaken."
I can't even imagine what that's like, but I feel like we won't miss when
the heavens are shaking.
This is a dramatic, dramatic occurence.
We'll all see it.
We will not miss it.
What else can we learn about Jesus' coming?
Let's turn over to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4
where there's another description of some of the "what" that takes place
and the "how" that takes place
when Jesus comes.
1 Thessalonians chapter 4:15-17.
I'll ask Gary to read that for us.
(Gary) Sure, and I'll be reading from the New King James Version:
(Tricia Lee) What else is happening
at the coming of Jesus?
We're not going to miss any of these things.
I heard again, the loud shout,
the Lord Himself is coming,
the Archangel.
I can imagine if the Archangel and the Lord are shouting,
this is going to be a loud shout.
What else do we see?
(Nathan) In verse 15, we read that there would be a resurrection.
(Tricia Lee) Yes, hard to miss!
(Nathan) We're not going to Heaven without the ones...
I think probably the Thessalonians were writing to Paul
and saying, "What about our loved ones who have fallen asleep in Jesus?
Are we going to go to Heaven when Jesus comes, and we leave them behind?"
He says, "No, before we go, they're going to be raised from the Earth."
So that's something that we won't really miss, will we?
It's hard to miss that.
(Derek) I think growing up I thought the loud shout was like, "Yo!" you know?
But I think the shout is, "Awake!" you know,
because the Scripture speaks about awake, you who sleep in the dust.
It's like, "Lazarus, come forth!"
when Jesus raises Lazarus.
So it's not just, "Yo!" you know?
It's a shout
that will conquer death;
it will defeat death.
(Tricia Lee) I've even imagined to myself sometimes, like, "Honey, I'm home!"
We're the Bride and He's coming, right?
With excitement, He's here.
Let's not forget, though, why Jesus was so sad
in rebuking the Pharisees and the Scribes and the religious leaders in Jerusalem
who had rejected Him.
It was because He realized
that at His coming there will be no second chance,
that things are final.
Our destinies will be decided by Christ the Judge,
and that's why He had those tears in His eyes,
because He knew their salvation was on the line.
Let's look at some verses
again in Matthew 24
because there are some who believe that there is a second chance,
that when Jesus comes again there's another chance to get things right.
But we will learn that it really is the end of time, the end of the age,
the end of the world,
and how important it is for us to make our choice and our decision for Him now
and today.
Olric, will you read for us Matthew 24, verses 36 through 42?
36 through 42.
(Olric) Reading from the King James Version:
(Tricia Lee) Through verse 42.
(Olric) Verse 40:
(Tricia Lee) Amen, thank you.
Particularly verses 40 and 41,
there are some that believe that there is something called the "Secret Rapture,"
that the Lord will come at one point and take some chosen people away secretly,
and others will not know, and that those who are left behind have a second chance
for some period of time to get things right before He comes again.
But what we've learned so far and what these texts are describing to us
is...Well, the first thing we can say about the women is that they are
kind of going along in their everyday lives, right?
They are going along, it's business as usual, right?
They are at the mill, is that where they are?
Grinding at the mill, and so exactly what Pastor Derek described
about, we could be filming one of these Sabbath School lessons,
and the Lord could come.
We're going about our lives; it's a surprise.
It catches us suddenly, and that's the shock that can be with two people
working at a mill or two people sleeping in bed.
Yes.
(Olric) Notice what is being said here.
In this passage, Jesus is not saying that you should not work.
This is daily work that they are doing.
The problem is, is that these two passages, 40 and 41,
are in the context of Jesus saying that,
"My coming will be a surprise," not a secret,
just a surprise,
because it will be loud,
it will be visible.
But the surprise is, it will come at a time when people least expect it
because many folks, as He's saying here,
will be going about their daily work...
(Tricia Lee) Eating, drinking.
(Olric) ...doing all this stuff without getting themselves ready.
(Derek) You know, there are many sincere Christians who may believe
in a Secret Rapture of the saints
and then another chance,
and certainly we may not have everything right about Scripture,
and we know if we love Jesus, and we've accepted His salvation,
that whenever He comes we'll be ready, right?
So we're not saved by correct understanding.
The danger is
that people would put off
until tomorrow the commitment they need to make today
and say, "Well, maybe when they go I can make another chance,"
and that's, of course, the deception
because the Bible say, "Today, if you hear His voice,
do not harden your heart."
(Tricia Lee) Amen.
Well, let's read another Scripture one chapter over,
Matthew chapter 25, verses 31 through 34,
and I will ask Simiso to read that for us,
Matthew 25:31-34.
It will give us a little bit more insight about what happens when the Lord comes
and this idea of being taken.
(Simiso) Matthew 25:31-34, I'm reading from the New King James Version:
(Tricia Lee) Amen, amen.
When Jesus comes, His coming is not a secret.
It may be a surprise to some who are going about their everyday lives
not watching, not being ready,
but it's His judgment that determines
who's on the left, who's on the right,
who's taken to be with Him when He returns.
Again, Jesus knew this, and that's why
He pleaded and begged because He knew that
the choices we make today,
the choices they made in that day,
were what would determine
whether they would be on the right hand
or on the left hand,
whether they'd be taken back Home with Him.
(Derek) And those who are left... I think this is really important;
you've been emphasizing the need for a decision.
We read that where the body is,
there the vultures will gather.
As we study Scripture,
those who are left are not left to continue on,
but they are destroyed by the brightness of Christ's coming,
and that's why we need to make our decision today.
(Tricia Lee) Amen, amen.
Well, let's wrap up our study
in learning what it means to watch and be ready
and how we should act when we know that the Lord is coming.
Jason, would you read for us
verses 42 through 51 of Matthew 24?
(Jason) I'll be reading from the New King James Version,
Matthew chapter 24, verses 42 through 51:
(Tricia Lee) Oh, mercy.
Olric, quickly,
how can we be ready
for Jesus' Second Coming?
(Olric) Simple, get ourselves ready
spiritually first through our commitment to Jesus Christ,
and use that commitment to reach others.
(Tricia Lee) Amen, amen.
Thank you for this wonderful study,
and let's continue to thank God that He reveals to us the things that will come
in the future through His Word.
(Derek) Thank you, Tricia Lee.
What an amazing study,
and thank you for joining us for Hope Sabbath School today.
Jesus wants you to be ready.
He wants you to know peace and joy today,
even in the midst of the difficulties around you.
I want to pray that you'd make that commitment today,
just as Olric said, today,
that you'll trust Christ as your Savior
while we have this wonderful opportunity.
Let's pray.
Our Father in Heaven, we don't want to take for granted
the great privilege of learning the truth about Jesus
and accepting Him as our Savior
while there is still time.
I pray for each one who hears this prayer today,
that we may make our calling and election sure
by trusting Jesus as our Savior and soon-coming King.
And God, I thank you that you'll also use us
to share that Good Word, that Word of hope
with those around us,
in Jesus' name, amen.
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) Well, we're looking for that glorious appearing,
we'll see Him come, we'll hear Him,
we'll hear a shout that will wake the dead.
It's going to be a glorious reunion.
Won't you determine today
that you'll be part of the Redeemed for all eternity,
and won't you also make the commitment
that Jesus wants you to share that Good News
so that others can be with us on that glorious day.
Go out,
make a difference to the lives of those around you.
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