Season 5 Podcast 12 The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew Ch 24 “The Sign of Thy Coming and the End of the World Pt A.”

Season 5 Podcast 12 The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew Ch 24 “The Sign of Thy Coming and the End of the World Pt A.”In last week’s podcast we examined Matthew 24 as it related to the destruction of the temple and the destruction of Jerusalem. Over a million Jews were killed. Most of the rest were scattered, and the nation of Israel ceased to exist. The Roman conquerors built an arch in Rome celebrating the plunder of the temple. The Arch of Titus still exists today.In this podcast we shall discuss the prophecies of Jesus relating to his Second Coming and the End of the World. All this is given as Jesus sits on the Mount of Olives with his disciples Peter, James, John, and Andrew who had come to him privately. As Jesus speaks, they are overlooking the great Temple which stood in all of its majesty. It must have been difficult for the apostles to believe that in just forty years not one stone would sit upon another. As reported last week, we have two views of the event. One is prophetic, as prophesied by Christ. The other is secular as recorded after the fact by the Jewish historian Josephus. We can look at the signs of the Second Coming of Christ and the End of the World in both religious and secular terms.  Eventually everything turns political. Today we are living in the signs of the times. We have the point of view of Josephus as well as the point of view of Jesus and all the holy apostles and prophets who spoke of our day.Let’s examine Matthew 24 as it relates to the Second Coming and the End of the World. At this moment Israel has been attacked by Hamas who inflicted excruciating acts of terror on innocent Jews, and war is raging as a polarized world looks on in judgment, some calling for the annihilation of Israel. Christ could be addressing this moment when 2000 years ago he said:And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. That is an incredibly bleak prophecy. 1.     Nation shall rise against nation2.     Kingdom against kingdom3.     Famines4.     Pestilences5.     EarthquakesIt appears that the world will engage in World War III. The above can fall under four classifications: 1.     Manmade wars—nation against nation and kingdom against kingdom.2.     Human deprivation caused by lack of food, lack of supplies all a product of a world war.3.     Imbalance of nature causing fatal epidemic diseases. This could be manmade such as lab created chemical warfare, or it could be from insects or animals or pollution and lack of medicines.4.     Natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis.What makes prophecy difficult to pinpoint is that all those things are already happening. Covid with its nefarious origins is still a threat. Despite modern technology and so-called modern enlightenment, those disasters above have increased in intensity in our lifetime. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. John the Revelator also prophesied of the above event.And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.