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Verses 1-31 The Destruction of the
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1As Jesus was leaving the
temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones!
What magnificent buildings!”
2“Do you see all these great
buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every
one will be thrown down.”
3As Jesus was sitting on the
4“Tell us, when will these
things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be
fulfilled?”
5Jesus said to them: “Watch
out that no one deceives you.
6Many will come in my name,
claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many.
7When you hear of wars and
rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is
still to come.
8Nation will rise against
nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various
places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.
9“You must be on your guard.
You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On
account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them.
10And the gospel must first
be preached to all nations.
11Whenever you are arrested
and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say
whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy
Spirit.
12“Brother will betray
brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their
parents and have them put to death.
13Everyone will hate you
because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
14“When you see ‘the
abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong—let the
reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
15Let no one on the housetop
go down or enter the house to take anything out.
16Let no one in the field go
back to get their cloak.
17How dreadful it will be in
those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!
18Pray that this will not
take place in winter,
19because those will be days
of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until
now—and never to be equaled again.
20“If the Lord had not cut
short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he
has chosen, he has shortened them.
21At that time if anyone says
to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it.
22For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs
and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
23So be on your guard; I have
told you everything ahead of time.
24“But in those days,
following that distress,
“‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
25the stars will fall from
the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
26“At that time people will
see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.
27And he will send his angels
and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the
ends of the heavens.
28“Now learn this lesson from
the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know
that summer is near.
29Even so, when you see these
things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door.
30Truly I tell you, this
generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
31Heaven and earth will pass
away, but my words will never pass away.
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Concerning the destruction of
the temple,
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1) What did one of Jesus’ disciples say to him when he
was leaving the temple?
o
One of Jesus’ disciples
said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”
2) What did the disciple address Jesus as?
o
They addressed
Jesus as teacher.
3) What was the disciple impressed with about the temple?
o
The disciple was
impressed with the grandeur of the temple.
4) What was Jesus’ reply to the disciple?
o
“Do you see all
these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on
another; every one will be thrown down.”
5) Did Jesus’ pronounced judgment on the temple shock the
disciples and why?
o
Yes, because so
much of the Jewish culture was bound up with the temple that they could not
imagine what it would be like for the temple to be completely destroyed.
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Concerning signs of the end times,
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6) Where was Jesus sitting?
o
Jesus was sitting
on the
7) Where is the Mount of Olive located?
o
The Mount of
Olives is east of
8) What did Peter, James,
John and Andrew ask Jesus privately?
o
They asked Jesus privately,
“Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they
are all about to be fulfilled?”
9) What motivated Peter, James, John and Andrew to ask
Jesus the question?
o
Being able to
tell the sign that Jesus’ pronounced judgment on the temple was about to be
fulfilled would help them escape the calamity that would be coming upon
10) Should Peter, James, John and Andrew have come with
the other disciples to ask the question so that the others would know the
answer too?
o
Yes.
11)
Should Peter,
James, John and Andrew drag the other disciples to come along if the other
disciples did not bother to find out?
o
No.
12)
Is the prophecy
that Jesus was making going to be fulfilled at the end of this age or does it
have an earlier fulfillment?
o
The prophecy that
Jesus was making has manifold fulfillment
§
In 70 A.D.
§
At the end of
this age.
13) What happened in 70 A.D.?
o
Jesus’ pronounced
judgment on the temple came true in 70 A.D. when the Romans
§
Put down a Jewish
rebellion.
§
Burned and tore
apart the temple such that not one stone was left on another.
14) What false claim did Jesus tell his disciples to watch
out for?
o
Jesus said to
them: “Watch out that no one deceives you.
Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many.
15)
What does it mean
for people to come in Jesus’ name claiming to be Jesus?
o
These people will
claim to be the second coming of the Christ after Jesus
§
Died on the
cross.
§
Rose from the
dead.
§
Ascended to
heaven.
16)
What effects will
these false claims have?
o
Many will be
deceived.
17) What did Jesus say must happen before the coming of
the end?
o
There would be wars
and rumors of wars before the coming of the end.
18) What did Jesus say the disciples should do when they
hear of wars and rumors of wars?
o
They should not
be alarmed.
19) What did Jesus say are the beginning of birth pains?
o
The beginning of
birth pains comes when
§
Nation rises
against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
§
There are
earthquakes in various places, and famines.
20) What is the beginning of birth pains analogous to in
Jesus’ remark about the end?
o
The beginning of
birth pains is analogous to the beginning of the end.
21) What then indicates the beginning of the end?
o
The beginning of
the end comes when
§
Nation will rise
against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
§
There will be
earthquakes in various places, and famines.
22) What did Jesus say the disciples must be on their
guard for concerning persecution?
o
The disciples
must be on their guard for the time when they will be
§
Handed over to
the local councils.
§
Flogged in the
synagogues.
23) Whom will the disciples stand before as witnesses on
account of Jesus?
o
They will stand
before governors and kings as witnesses on account of Jesus.
24) What is another condition that must be fulfilled
before the end will come?
o
The gospel must
first be preached to all nations before the end will come.
25) What do all nations actually mean in the original
language?
o
All nations
actually mean all people groups in the original language.
26) How should the disciples conduct themselves when they are
arrested and brought to trial?
o
They do not need
to worry beforehand about what to say.
o
They should just
say whatever is given them at the time, for it is not they speaking, but the
Holy Spirit.
27) Where does the Holy Spirit reside?
o
The Holy Spirit
resides within every disciple as God resides in his temple.
28) What kind of persecution will the disciples face?
o
Brother will
betray brother to death, and a father his child.
o
Children will
rebel against their parents and have them put to death.
o
All men will hate
the disciples because of Jesus.
29) Where did Jesus say all the persecution against the
disciples will come from?
o
All the
persecution against the disciples will come from all men meaning the entire
society.
30) Where did Jesus say much of the persecution will come
from?
o
Much of the
persecution will come from within the family.
31) How will the disciples be saved amidst persecution?
o
Disciples who stand firm to the end will be saved.
32) What did Jesus mean when he referred to ‘the
abomination that causes desolation’?
o
Jesus
§
Meant the
antichrist who will proclaim himself to be God not long before the end of this
age comes.
§
Also meant the
Roman Legions that were putting down the Jewish rebellion in the late 60 A.D.
33) What did Jesus mean when he referred to ‘the
abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong?
o
Jesus
§
Meant the
antichrist who will proclaim himself to be God in the temple that will have
been rebuilt not long before the end of this age comes.
§
Also meant the
Roman Legions that were laying siege to
34) What do we know about the antichrist?
o
The antichrist is
a person who will
§
Appear not long before
the end of this age comes.
§
Oppose the
Christ.
35) What should the disciples do when they saw ‘the
abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong?
o
Let those who are
in
o
Let those who are
on the roof of their house not go down or enter the house to take anything out.
o
Let those in the
field not go back to get their cloak.
36) What does it mean to flee from
o
In the late 60
A.D. the disciples heeded Jesus’ advice and fled from Judea to a place called
o
Here is a map of
37)
What does it mean
for the disciples who are outside their house not to enter the house to take
anything out?
o
It means that the
disciples must flee immediately without delay.
38)
For which
particular group of people will the situation be particularly dreadful in those
days?
o
It will be particularly
dreadful in those days for
§
Pregnant women.
§
Nursing mothers.
39)
How dreadful will
those days be?
o
Those will be
days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world,
until now—and never to be equaled again.
o
That means those
days will be the most catastrophic in the entire human history.
40)
How can those
days be less catastrophic?
o
They will be less
catastrophic if the situation does not occur in winter.
41)
What can one do
to see to it that it does not occur in winter?
o
One can pray.
42)
What would happen
if the Lord does not cut short those days?
o
No one would
survive.
43)
Whom does ‘the
Lord’ refer to?
o
‘The Lord’ refers
to God.
44)
For whose sake is
the Lord going to cut short those days?
o
The Lord is going
to cut short those days for the sake of
the elect, whom he has chosen.
45)
Who are the elect
whom the Lord has chosen?
o
The elect whom the
Lord has chosen are Jesus’ disciples.
46)
When did the Lord
choose the elect?
o
The Lord chose
the elect before the creation of the world.
47)
What is the elect
to do when someone claims that the Christ is here or there?
o
The elect is not
to believe it.
48)
What deception
will appear at that time?
o
At that time
false Christs and
false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive, if possible,
even the elect.
49)
Will false Christs and false prophets performing signs and miracles be
able to deceive the elect and why?
o
No, if the elect
reads the bible and understands the conditions under which Jesus returns.
50)
What is Jesus’
advice for the disciples in light of the coming deception?
o
The disciples
need to be on guard.
51)
Would the
disciples be able to deal with what is going to happen and why?
o
Yes, because
Jesus told the disciples everything ahead of time.
52)
What signs in the
heavens appear after those days of distress?
o
The sun will be
darkened.
o
The moon will not
give its light.
o
The stars will
fall from the sky.
o
The heavenly
bodies will be shaken.
53)
What will people see
then?
o
At that time people
will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.
54)
What will Jesus
do upon his return?
o
He will send his
angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to
the ends of the heavens.
55)
What happens
after the angels finish the work of gathering the elect?
o
Disciples from
all over the world will be with Jesus forever.
o
Jesus will lead
the disciples into eternal life.
56)
What lesson did
Jesus use for teaching discernment of the imminence of the end?
o
Jesus used the
fig tree as the lesson.
57)
How does the
lesson of the fig tree aid in discerning the imminence of the end?
o
As soon as its
twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.
o
In the same way
when you see things happening that mark the beginning of the end, you know that
the end is near, right at the door.
58)
When did Jesus
say all these things that he had described will happen?
o
Jesus said, “Truly
I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things
have happened.”
59)
With what kind of
certainty did Jesus say that the things he had described will happen?
o
The things Jesus
had described are as absolute as truth in that heaven and earth will pass away,
but his words will never pass away.
60)
Did what Jesus
described happen within Jesus’ generation?
o
Some but not all
of the things that Jesus described happened in 70 A.D.
61)
Will what Jesus
described have complete fulfillment at the very end of this age?
o
Yes.
62)
Why did Jesus say
that this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened,
if only some but not all of the things that he described happened in 70 A.D?
o
Jesus needed to
cover the manifold fulfillment of the prophecy both in 70 A.D. and at the very end
of this age.
o
He emphasized
‘this generation’ in order to make sure that disciples in his generation would
heed his advice and flee to the mountain before the calamity struck in 70 A.D,
even though what he said would have only partial fulfillment in his generation.
o
Otherwise
disciples in his generation might fail to grasp that Jesus’ prophecy also had
to do with them and thus fell victim to the calamity that came upon his
generation.
o
On the other hand
disciples at the very end of this age will have no difficulties understanding
that Jesus’ prophecy has to do with them because all these things that Jesus
had described will be happening before their eyes.
o
‘This generation’
is a generic descriptor for both Jesus’ generation and the generation at the
very end of this age.
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Verses 1-31 The Destruction of the
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Verses 32-37 The Day and Hour Unknown
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32“But about that day or hour
no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
33Be on guard! Be alert! You
do not know when that time will come.
34It’s like a man going away:
He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned
task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
35“Therefore keep watch
because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in
the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.
36If he comes suddenly, do
not let him find you sleeping.
37What I say to you, I say to
everyone: ‘Watch!’”
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Concerning the day and hour
unknown,
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63) What did Jesus mean by ‘that day or hour’?
o
By ‘that day or
hour’ Jesus meant the timing of the end of this age.
64) Who knows about that day or hour?
o
No one knows
about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only
the Father.
65) Does it mean that Jesus is not God since he does not
know the future concerning this matter and why?
o
Jesus is fully
God and fully man.
o
When he was
walking the earth, Jesus chose to lay aside some of his divine capacity and
come under the limitation we face as humans.
o
It is seen in his
not knowing the timing of the end of this age.
o
It does not
contradict the fact that Jesus is fully God.
66) What must the disciples do since they do not know when
the end of this age will come?
o
They need to be
on guard and on alert.
67) What did Jesus liken the disciples’ keeping watch to?
o
It’s like a man
going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with
their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
68) Whom does the man who is going away represent?
o
The man represents
Jesus.
69) What does the man’s house represent?
o
The man’s house represents
the church.
70) What does the man leaving his house mean?
o
The man leaving his
house means Jesus ascending to heaven after his death and resurrection.
71) Whom do the servants represent?
o
The servants
represent Jesus’ disciples.
72) What does it mean for the man to put his servants in
charge of his house, each with his assigned task?
o
It means that
Jesus puts the disciples in charge of the affairs of the church, each with an assigned
task.
73) Why should the servants keep watch?
o
They should keep
watch because
§
They do not know
when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at
midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.
§
If he comes
suddenly, the owner would not find them sleeping.
74) Why should the disciples keep watch?
o
They should keep
watch because they do not know when Jesus returns.
75) What is the desirable consequence of the servants keeping
watch?
o
If he comes
suddenly, the owner would not find the servants sleeping.
76) What is the desirable consequence of the disciples
keeping watch?
o
If he comes
suddenly, Jesus would not find the disciples sleeping.
77) To whom did Jesus serve his warning to keep watch?
o
Jesus is telling the
disciples, in fact, everyone, to keep watch.
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Verses 32-37 The Day and Hour Unknown
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