LUKE 21:20-28 EXPECT MORE SIGNS2014 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Luke 21:20-28 Expect More Signs

As we look at this passage this morning, we are continuing on a conversation that Jesus has been having with his disciples.

It began in verses 5, 6, and 7 here in Luke chapter 21, where the disciples were across the way from the temple. They were on the Mount of Olives, and they were pointing out the large stones of the temple. And they were talking about the beautiful decorations and just the amazing beauty that had been put into the temple, and the temple had been decorated greatly.

And as they're talking about how amazing the temple is, Jesus says to them, hey, you know, that temple is not going to be there forever. In fact, there's going to be in the days to come where it's not one stone will be upon another, but every stone will be thrown down off of that temple.

And the disciples respond to Jesus and say, well, when is this going to happen? In verse 7 here in Luke 21, they say, what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?

And so as they start this discussion with Jesus, they're asking, well, when is this going to happen? And how are we going to know that it's about to happen? What are the signs that will come preceding the destruction of this temple that you're talking about, where every stone will be thrown down? And so Jesus has been giving us signs that

For the destruction of the temple, but as we talked about last week, we also see that these signs are parallel to the signs of the tribulation period, that the end of all things is near. Because we understand the prophetic picture that there is still seven years of tribulation that God has declared will take place upon the earth.

And what took place in Jerusalem was a foreshadow and a picture of what will take place on the whole earth during that tribulation period.

And so we've been looking at these kind of side by side, seeing the signs of the destruction of the temple and the signs of the end times as well and recognizing that we are seeing those signs increase and continue so that we can look up and know that our redemption is near.

Well, as we studied this passage last week, there was four signs that Jesus told us about, things that we could expect. First of all, he said, expect there to be deceivers. There's going to come on the scene people who lead others astray, who proclaim false messiahs and lead people away from the true God. And so we can expect deceivers. He said, expect wars.

And we have been seeing wars, you know, throughout history. And so we've been continuing to see this sign and this increase. And we looked at a few examples of the current battles and conflicts that are going on today, last week. And during this past week, if you've been paying attention to the headlines, you've seen more of those signs, more reasons to expect His return and the things that God has promised will take place.

Well, we also saw that we are to expect disasters in verse 11. Earthquakes and various things are going to be hitting the world. And so Jesus says those are a sign and those are the things that we need to expect. They're going to increase as we draw near to the end. And then finally we saw that we need to expect persecutions. That there is going to be a great persecution against those who believe in Jesus Christ.

And we see that happening. It's one of the signs. And we see that increasing. And so we need to be expecting that that is going to continue.

Well, now as we go on in this passage today, we're looking at four more signs. And so I titled the message, Expect More Signs. That we need to continue to expect those things we saw last week, but there's also some more that Jesus gives us in this passage and four things that we'll look at that we can be expecting and prepared for.

So the first sign that we should expect is found in verse 20 and 21. And that is that we need to expect Jerusalem to be destroyed. Jesus in verse 20 says this, But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Now remember this is part of the conversation he's having with his disciples. He's telling them about the temple being cast down.

And they say, when is this going to happen? When are the stones going to be cast down from the temple? And so what Jesus is explaining now is that this is going to happen soon after Jerusalem is surrounded. When you see the armies come and approach Jerusalem and begin to surround it on all sides, he says, then you know that the temple is about to be destroyed.

That's a signal. That's a sign that these things will very soon happen and the temple will be destroyed. Verse 21. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let those who are in the midst of her depart and let not those who are in the country enter her. So Jesus says, look, when you see the armies come around, then you know it's about to happen. So if you're anywhere nearby, get out of there.

If you're in the region, if you're in Judea, head to the mountains. If you're in the city, get out of there quickly. And if you're outside of the area, then don't go to Judea. Don't go to the Jerusalem or the temple because of the destruction that will take place. And so he says this sign will be when Jerusalem is surrounded, then you know that its desolation is near.

Now as we read these things today and study these things, we can look back in history and see that this has been fulfilled.

And so we could actually update this first point to Jerusalem was destroyed. We mentioned a few of the sieges that happened against Jerusalem last week leading up to its destruction. But the final one happened in 68 AD. Now this is about 30 years after Christ has resurrected and ascended into heaven. And

And it was about 30, 35 years after that, that Rome laid siege to Jerusalem for this final time. Led by the general Titus. And he laid siege to Jerusalem. It lasted two years. And so the siege ended in 70 AD. And at that time, Jerusalem was destroyed.

At that time, the temple was dismantled. So that what we see today there in Jerusalem, there is no remnants of the temple left. We see the temple mount, the platform that the temple was built upon. But the temple itself, just like Jesus said, every stone was cast off. There is no foundation left. There's no, you know, part of the walls left like we see in many other ruins. And

It's just flat, the platform on which the temple used to stand. And so this has been fulfilled. And it was very gruesome when it was fulfilled. The siege that lasted two years was horrendous. I mean, siege conditions are not good conditions to be involved in because the armies cut off all supply in and out of the city. And so the inhabitants of the city have to survive this.

whatever they have inside. And so whatever water, whatever food, whatever resources they have inside, that's what they have to survive on. And the armies on the outside are just basically waiting them out, waiting for them to starve to death or to surrender. Either way, they achieve their victory. Now Jerusalem at the time of the siege was especially bad because

The siege began during the Passover time. And so the faithful Jews of the region went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. And so when the siege began, Jerusalem had a much greater population than it normally has. And so even if it had supplies, you know, to be able to last out a siege, it would have been dwindled very quickly because of the great number of people who were there for the feast of Passover.

And so Josephus tells us about the terrible things that went on during this siege and how horrible it was. In the end, they lose the battle and Rome conquers Jerusalem. Over a million Jews are killed in the midst of this starvation and the battle that takes place.

And a bunch are also taken captive and then dispersed throughout the Roman Empire. And so it was a horrific scene that was going on. But it was exactly what Jesus declared would happen. And because it was so horrific...

That's why a few chapters earlier we see Jesus weep over Jerusalem because he didn't want this to happen. This wasn't the perfect thing for them, but it was what had to happen with the rejection of Jesus Christ. And so there was this destruction that took place in Jerusalem. Jerusalem was destroyed. Now, Jesus told us that this would happen.

And so I'd like to point out here that Jesus was right about Jerusalem. And so it should cause us to consider what else was he right about? He told us that Jerusalem would be destroyed, that the temple would be destroyed, dismantled, stone from stone.

So what else was he right about? What else did he get correct? And of course, as believers, we understand everything Jesus said he was right about. Everything he talked about, he knew what he was talking about, and it will be fulfilled, all of the prophecies that he has declared. And so we need to pay attention to these signs that he's giving us, because these are the things that will be taking place. We can expect these signs to be fulfilled.

So now in verses 22 through 24, we have the next sign. And here Jesus tells us to expect Jerusalem to be trampled. We can expect that Jerusalem not only would be destroyed as it was, but then that wasn't the end of the city as a whole. It would be rebuilt. But Jesus says it's going to be trampled ongoing for a particular time.

Verse 22, he goes on to say, For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days. For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. Here Jesus is talking about the destruction of Jerusalem. And he says this is going to be days of vengeance.

And there's going to be terrible things that take place. And so, woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing in those days because it's going to be very difficult.

Now again, we're looking at the destruction of Jerusalem and seeing that there's a parallel, not just for that particular event, but that that event foreshadowed the tribulation. And these same signs that preceded that event precede the tribulation. And so Jesus is saying these things really in both contexts. I kind of think about it this way. It's like watching the preview of a movie.

Now, if you're anticipating and you're looking forward to a particular movie, and then the preview comes out, you watch the preview with excitement, with kind of anticipation, and you're seeing the different clips. You're seeing glimpses of the storyline. They don't give you the whole story. They don't give you all the plot details. They don't show you every character, but they show you specific elements that

And then in your mind, you're trying to kind of make up the timeline and see, okay, where are they going to go with this story? How are they going to end this? And how are they going to do that? And you're trying to put these things together. And then when they release another preview, then you're kind of comparing them. Okay, like, okay, there's this guy and this one and this one. And you're trying to lay out the storyline. I really think that as we look at Luke chapter 21, there's some of that going on. That everything that Jesus said is not here in

Luke chapter 21. But Jesus said much more. But Luke captured some of those highlights for us. And so it's like a preview of the message. It's kind of the highlights of the message. We can also see in Matthew chapter 24 and Mark chapter 13, those authors recorded this same message. And there's some slightly different details here.

Not because, you know, they're incorrect or they got it differently, but because there was a lot in that message. And so they each grabbed hold of different parts of it. And so in Matthew chapter 24, Jesus there tells us, hey, when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet,

Then, he says, let those who are in Judea flee. He says, woe to those who are pregnant, to those who are nursing. He says in verse 21 of Matthew 24, for there will be great tribulation such as not been since the beginning of the world until this time.

And so Jesus here in Matthew 24, again, same message, but Matthew captures some different parts to it. And so he's referring to the abomination of desolation, which is an event that takes place in the tribulation period when the Antichrist goes into the temple, proclaims himself to be God, and demands that all the world will worship him.

That's something that has not yet happened. It's something that will happen. The scripture has foretold it. But it has not yet taken place. And this similar language here is being applied to something that hasn't taken place. As well as to the destruction of Jerusalem which has taken place. And so again we see what happened to Jerusalem...

was a foreshadow. It was a kind of a miniature example of what will take place to the whole world during the tribulation period. And so Jesus says, Woe to those who are pregnant.

Woe to those who are nursing babies. Because in those kinds of conditions, when those calamities are happening, when there is death all around, it's especially hard for those who are pregnant. I mean, normal life is especially hard for those who are pregnant. But then in those kinds of conditions, even more so. And for those who are nursing, it's going to be very difficult. And so he says, woe.

to those who are pregnant and nursing because terrible days are coming. Now, let me just say, as believers...

Listen, you don't need to worry about this. You can keep having babies. Go for it. Poulet, Colleen, you know, Josh, Kat. Keep it on. Keep it up. That's fine. Because what we're looking forward to is the rapture of the church, which will take place before the tribulation. And so you, as you believe in Jesus Christ and walk with him,

We'll be caught up to meet with the Lord. Your children, as you teach them to love Jesus Christ and walk with Him, they'll be caught up to meet the Lord. And so there will be that event where we are caught up to meet Him. And so it's not a woe to all who are pregnant or nursing, but who are there in those days. And so those who miss that opportunity and then are in that condition during the tribulation, it's going to be very difficult for them.

Whether it was in Jerusalem or in the tribulation, it would be very difficult. Verse 24, And they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. And so here Jesus is saying, look, so Jerusalem is going to fall. Many are going to die by the sword. Many are going to be led away captive. All things that actually took place.

But then he goes on to say, and Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. So this destruction of Jerusalem...

is not the end of the city, but it's going to be now in this ongoing condition of being trampled by the Gentiles. Now to help us understand this, I want to walk through a quick timeline of the end times events that we are looking forward to.

So we got to start really with what we refer to as the 69 weeks. This comes from Daniel the prophet in Daniel chapter 9, where there God reveals to him that there are 70 weeks that are appointed for the Jewish people.

Now, these are not weeks of days, but weeks of years. So, 77 year periods are appointed for the Jewish people, God tells Daniel. This time period begins, he tells Daniel, with the command to rebuild Jerusalem. And so, this has already taken place. In 445 BC, the command was given to rebuild Jerusalem and build

69 weeks went by, or 483 years passed. At the end of those 483 years, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. That completed that time period of 69 of the 70 weeks. 483 years that God said are appointed for the nation of Israel.

So there's one more week or one more seven-year period that is yet to be fulfilled. But at that point, when Jesus was crucified and then resurrected, it's kind of like God hit the pause button on the timeline for the Jewish people and has now been working in a different way to the world. And so we have what we call the church age.

And so in this time, the Lord is working amongst the church. The Holy Spirit is at work amongst the church to be, well, to cause us to be a light to the world around us. And we are God's declaration to the world and God's call to repentance to the world around us.

Prior to the church, that was Israel's role and responsibility in the world. But God has shifted that to the church for a season. This is a temporary season. Then at the rapture of the church, the church age will be complete.

And God will once again refocus back on Israel and that timeline will resume and there will be that final seven year period that God said is appointed for his people. And so that 70th week is what we often refer to as the tribulation.

During that time, the Antichrist will rise to power. In the middle of that seven-year period, he will commit what's referred to as the abomination of desolation, where he enters into the temple and proclaims himself to be God and demands to be worshipped.

And then that seven-year period ends when Jesus Christ returns. So the rapture of the church is different than the return of Jesus Christ. When Jesus returns, he will overthrow the Antichrist. He will bind Satan. And he will establish his kingdom here on the earth for 1,000 years.

And so that's the timeline, a quick glimpse anyways, at the timeline as we see the events that will be fulfilled that God tells us will happen in the last days. Now for our particular passage here in Luke chapter 21, he says that Jerusalem will be trampled until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. And so here's my suggestion for you about the time period that Jesus is talking about.

He's talking about the temple being destroyed. That happens, again, about 35 years after his resurrection. 70 AD, the temple and Jerusalem are destroyed. And he says it will be trampled until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Now there's two main options for working out this time period or when this time period ends.

You could look at it this way, which is that Jerusalem will be trampled until the time when Jesus returns. He sets up his kingdom there in Jerusalem. He will rule and reign literally there in Jerusalem for 1,000 years. And so from that time, the Gentiles will not be trampling Jerusalem any longer because Jesus will be ruling and reigning there in Jerusalem.

And so that's one way to look at it. Another way to look at it is that the times of the Gentiles are just looking at the church age. And so that concludes at the rapture of the church. And then the times of the Jews resumes in the tribulation as that 70th week continues. So either way you're looking at it ending at the rapture of the church or the return of Jesus Christ.

But until then, Jesus is saying, Jerusalem will be trampled. And so for us today, as we consider these signs, we should expect Jerusalem to be trampled. It's what Jesus said would be going on until, either way you want to look at it, he calls the church to himself or he returns to earth. Now let me remind you, Jesus was right about

about what he declared about the destruction of Jerusalem. So what else was he right about? We see today, in our days today, that Jerusalem is divided. That there is dispute over who has the rights to Jerusalem, over who has the rights to the Temple Mount. Is it a surprise to us that

There is this dispute, that there is this contention, that there is this conflict there in Jerusalem, in Israel. It really should not be a surprise. Jesus told us, Jerusalem will be trampled until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

This season, it's going to be happening. It should not be a surprise that there is this division, that there is this conflict, because it's exactly what Jesus declared would be taking place.

And so we need to expect Jerusalem to be trampled. Now as we go on into the next couple of verses, 25 and 26, here we have the third sign. Jesus tells us here to expect signs in the sun, in the moon, in the stars, and in the sea. So kind of a lot contained in this one thing that Jesus here tells us to expect. Verse 25.

He says,

In verse 22, he tells us, these are the days of vengeance. We're looking more specifically at the days when the wrath of God will be poured out upon the earth. And in the midst of that, there should be this expectation of these signs. And he lists a variety of ways that we'll see these signs completed. So, signs in the sun.

And so I've thrown up there a couple references there for you of some of the signs that will take place in the sun during the tribulation period. And so you can see in Revelation chapter 6 verse 12 talking about the seven seals on the seven sealed scroll. When that sixth seal is opened there's a great earthquake and it says that the sun became black as sackcloth of hair. And so there's a darkness, a blackness that occurs

...encompasses the sun at this time. Now, this could be fulfilled in a couple of ways. It could be some kind of eclipse that takes place...

And that could be a fulfillment of this. It could be some other type of event. It could be, you know, we don't know exactly, but here's what we know. It will be as black as sackcloth. Now, that's not the end of the sun, because later on in the tribulation, in Revelation chapter 8, we see that the sun is darkened. And so, although it becomes black as sackcloth in chapter 6, it's also darkened later on. And then later on, even after that, in Revelation chapter 16,

the sun is given power to scorch men. It becomes intensely much more hot than it is today. And so, you know, what you and I might consider a sunburn today, in those days, it won't even compare. And so people will be hiding from the sun because it will be greatly increased in its intensity. And so these are some of the signs that we are told will take place regarding the sun during the tribulation period.

But there's also signs in the moon. Now, they're very similar to the signs in the sun, which makes sense, right? Because the moon reflects the sun. And so when the sun is blackened, Revelation 6, 12 tells us that the moon will become like blood.

Now, don't get this confused. I used to think, well, how could the moon turn to blood? And I thought it would be like a big ball of blood. But no, no, no. He's not saying it will become blood. He says it becomes like blood. And so in appearance, in color, something like that, it will become like blood as a result of the sun becoming blackened. Then also we see the moon will be darkened. And there's a few references there.

There's many more actually that talk about these events happening where the sun and the moon and the stars are darkened. Isaiah chapter 13 verse 10 says, "...for the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light."

The sun will be darkened in its going forth and the moon will not cause its light to shine. But then in the next verse, Isaiah says, I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity. I will halt the ignorance of the proud and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

And I point out that next verse just for context. Again, looking at these are things that specifically will happen during the tribulation period. The moon becoming like blood, the moon being darkened and not shining is, you know, something that happens during this time of wrath where God says, I'm punishing the world for its evil. So it's not a time of wrath, you know, upon believers, but upon the world for its iniquity.

Well, then Jesus also says there's going to be signs in the stars. Again, very similar to the sun and the moon. In Revelation chapter 6, it tells us that stars will fall to the earth. Revelation 6.13, it says, "...and the stars of heaven fell to the earth as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind."

So picture a tree, you know, full of overripe fruit and a mighty wind hits the tree and all the fruit just begins to fall off the tree. That's how this is pictured. That the stars will fall like that. So there's just going to be this sudden whoom.

Where there will be these shooting stars, falling stars, perhaps comets, meteors, asteroids, however we want to talk about it, you know, coming down and it says that they'll be falling upon the earth. And so it's not that they just stop shining or that they just, you know, stop being visible, but that these things are going to be hitting the earth.

Now you can imagine very quickly how devastating that would be.

I remember as a kid, my parents took us in Arizona to the big meteor crater that is there. I don't know if you've ever seen that, but it's pretty fascinating to look at. It's about 3,900 feet in diameter. It's a little bit over a half mile wide. And so something impacted the earth and it was quite large. The crater is 500, over 500 feet deep.

And so there's this huge hole in the ground with evidence of this impact. Now, you know, there's a lot of discussion and debate amongst the scholars about when this happened and all that kind of detail. Some, of course, would suggest that it happened over 500,000 years ago and such. And we wouldn't believe that. We don't know when it hit or what exactly transpired. But we just see this massive hole that was left. Now, imagine that...

In a populated place, not in the middle of nowhere, you know, in the deserts of Arizona. But in a populated place, you could understand this would be very, very traumatic. It would be devastating. It would cause a lot of death for, you know, the people around it to be affected by this. And so that's just one. But, you know, the picture here is like falling like figs. So all of these falling at once and hitting the earth.

Similar to the sun and moon, we also see in the scriptures that the stars will be darkened. And so there will be the stars that are not shining any longer. Again, we see that in Revelation 8, 12, Isaiah 13, and Joel chapter 3. And then the last thing here that we'll look at in this point is the signs in the sea.

So in Revelation chapter 8, it tells us a third of the sea becomes blood and a third of the sea creatures die at the same time. And then later on in Revelation 16, all the sea creatures die. And so there's some dramatic things that are happening in the ocean, in the sea during this time period as well.

Revelation chapter 8 verse 8 describes, it says, something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea and then a third of the sea became blood.

So you can picture, as we've been talking about, comets, asteroids, whatever, you know, coming and hitting the earth. If they're hitting the water, if they're hitting the sea, you can imagine, you know, these great mountains of fire hitting the ocean. What would the effects be if it hit the ocean? There would be, well, verse 25 here in Luke 21 says, "...on the earth will be distress of nations with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring."

Think about that. The sea and the waves will be roaring. Not only will there be this devastation of the living things of the sea dying, but if those great asteroids or great mountains cast into the sea cause roaring waves, it's going to be devastating to the world. And it says that they're going to be distressed with perplexity.

They're perplexed. They're trying to figure out what is going on. How are we going to survive this? What is going to take place? We also know during this tribulation period, there's going to be massive earthquakes. We think we've seen some pretty massive earthquakes so far, but the ones described in that time period are much worse than even what we've experienced up to this point.

And yet even with the ones that we've seen, we've seen some pretty significant tsunamis, haven't we? The waves have roared as a result of those earthquakes. And so during the tribulation period, when mountains are cast into the sea, when these great earthquakes are taking place, there's going to be signs in the sea. It's going to be very evident that the end is near.

So much so that verse 26 here in Luke 21 says, Men's hearts will be failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. People are going to be freaked out and their hearts are going to be failing them

Because they're so afraid. And because they see the things that are happening. The powers of the heavens are shaken. And so Jesus says, these are the kinds of things to expect. Expect the signs in the sun, the moon, the stars, and the sea. Now remember, Jesus was right about Jerusalem. It was destroyed. The temple was destroyed exactly the way that he declared it.

He also is right about these things. And these signs will take place in the sun, the moon, the stars, and the sea. Now the things that we've been looking at here have been things that are going to take place during the tribulation period. That's when the worst of the worst will hit. But I'd like to just throw out a reminder here. Don't be surprised when we see the beginnings of these signs.

Jesus will say later on, when these things begin to happen, then look up, your redemption draws near. And so the worst of these signs will take place during the tribulation, but that doesn't mean that we won't see signs in the sun or the moon or the stars or the sea today. We're going to see devastating things take place. It's very likely that we will see some of the beginnings of these things, and so it should cause us

Not to be surprised, again, Jesus tells us to expect these things, but it should cause us to look up knowing that our redemption is near. Well, the final point is found in verse 27 and 28. And here we see that we need to expect Jesus to return. Expect Jesus to return. Verse 27, "'Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.'"

I always have to be very careful when I read this verse because if I read it quickly, it says it sounds like Jesus is coming with power and great glory. He's coming with great glory. No, it's great glory. Then verse 28. I'm sure great glory will be with him, but that's a separate point. Verse 28. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads because your redemption draws near.

So he says in verse 27, notice the first word there, then they will see the Son of Man coming. And here we can see there is a distinction between

between what we refer to as the rapture of the church and the second coming of Jesus or the return of Jesus. They're different events and one of the things that makes them distinct from one another is that the rapture has no signs that have to precede it. There is no signs that must take place

before the rapture could happen. In other words, the rapture could happen at any moment. Without warning, there is not things that have to be done in order for Jesus to catch up his bride to himself, and then we will forever be with the Lord. The second coming, or the return of Jesus Christ, however, is different. It has signs that must precede it.

Signs that must take place in the sun and moon and stars and sea. Signs and events that must take place like the revelation of the Antichrist, the abomination of desolation. A lot of the things that the scripture talks about, we see that those things must be completed and then Jesus Christ returns. And

And that's one of the things that makes it distinct. As we were reading our passage this morning, going through the Bible in three years, if you read chapter 12 this morning, you saw Jesus saying, hey, you don't know what time I'm returning. You don't know the hour, so you have to live expectantly. Live prepared. Be expecting my return because you don't know when it will take place. There's not going to be warning signs.

that must take place and then I'll return. And so there's this distinction between the rapture of the church and the second coming of Jesus Christ. And so again, you see the 69 weeks have been fulfilled. We're living today in the church age.

That will conclude at the rapture of the church, which could happen at any moment. It could happen this morning. It could happen tomorrow. It could happen a thousand years from now. But there's no signs that must precede it. There are signs that we might see. We might see Ezekiel 38 and 39 fulfilled. We might see some signs in the sun and moon and stars. And as we see those things, we need to look up and know that our redemption is near. But none of those things have to take place first. Then,

The tribulation takes place and then Jesus returns. And all of those events of the tribulation have to take place before Jesus will return. He'll come back. He'll overthrow the Antichrist. He'll defeat the armies that are gathered there at the Battle of Armageddon. He'll bind Satan for that thousand year period and he'll rule and reign here upon the earth for one thousand years. He is going to return. He said that he would.

And so we ought to expect Jesus to return. He accurately described the destruction of Jerusalem and he accurately described his return. We saw the destruction of Jerusalem, the destruction of the temple fulfilled exactly the way that he said. In the same way, we can expect he will return in the same way that he has declared. And he gave us some signs to let us know

That the time is drawing near. These are the signs that we saw last week. As well as this week. As we've been looking at this passage here in Luke chapter 21. And so he told us to expect deceivers. To expect wars. To expect disasters. To expect persecutions. Expect Jerusalem to be destroyed. And it was. Expect Jerusalem to be trampled. And it is being trampled. Expect signs in the sun, moon, stars and sea. And it is being trampled.

And then expect Jesus to return. Now here in verse 28 of Luke 21, he says, Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads because your redemption draws near. So he indicates here what you will see, what believers will see is the beginnings of these signs. The fullness of these signs will take place during the tribulation.

But believers will see the beginnings of the signs. And so he says, when you see those beginnings, then look up because your redemption is drawing near. In verse 22, Jesus referred to this as the days of vengeance. And then notice he says that all things which are written may be fulfilled. Everything that is written, the scriptures, will be fulfilled today.

And God has had his plan in motion for a while of the fulfillment of all those things. The tribulation period is a big part. Many things are going to be fulfilled. Many more things are going to be fulfilled when Jesus returns and establishes his kingdom. These things are going to happen. Jesus declared it. The scripture has been proven accurate in its prophecies. And so as we see the beginnings of these signs, he says, look up.

We need to have this expectation in our hearts. Jesus Christ is coming again. To finish up our time together this morning, I'd like to turn you to a passage in the book of Joel. Could you turn there please to the book of Joel chapter 2.

Because as we consider all these signs, these are interesting things for us to discuss. There's lots of details in here that we could kind of have fun with or enjoy a little bit trying to dissect the different ways that these things might be fulfilled and the different timings that might be going on. There's lots of detail that we could immerse ourselves in. But I want to conclude with just a thought that the Lord had on my heart this week as I was studying these things about

What should we be doing then with all this information? This is good information and we need to be expecting these things and looking up because the redemption draws near.

But how do we really do that? And what is it that we need to be involved in as we look forward to the return of Jesus Christ? Well, here in Joel chapter 2, we're looking at a passage that you might be familiar with because Peter quotes this passage in the book of Acts on the day of Pentecost as an explanation for what's going on as the Holy Spirit is poured out upon the church. Check out Joel chapter 2 verse 28.

It says,

The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. Here the prophet Joel is looking forward to the last days. And he says in those times the Holy Spirit will be poured out upon God's people. Now Peter declares that's begun. It began in Acts chapter 2, the day of Pentecost. So we're living in this time period where

The Bible calls the last days. When the Holy Spirit is being poured out upon the church. Joel goes on to talk about, you know, hey, when the sun's turned to darkness, the moon into blood. Those are things that are happening in the tribulation period. So we're living in between the beginning of those last days. When the Holy Spirit is poured out upon the church. And the end of the tribulation period when Jesus Christ returns. We're in that in-between period. And in this in-between period, here's what we should expect.

We should expect an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. And I want to encourage you as we consider all of these expectations and signs and we can see the increase of signs. We can see the increase of these things indicating that we are closer and closer and closer to the return of Jesus Christ. And so it ought to stir up in us this need, this desire for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

He says in verse 28, It shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Your old men shall dream dreams. Your young men shall see visions. I want to encourage you as you consider these signs and expectations that you would look to God and ask for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit because that is something that He said would be taking place.

As we see these days approach. As we enter in. As we continue on in these last days. Jesus explained earlier in the Gospel of Luke. That the Father gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask. And so I really want to encourage you this morning. You know kind of making it real. Making it practical for us. We can study the timelines of things all day. And that's great. And it's good. We need to be ready. But let's be ready by asking God. To pour out His Holy Spirit upon us.

Let's be ready by asking God to do a new work in us by the power of His Holy Spirit. Let's be ready by asking God to work through us to impact the world around us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Because He said, I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh. As believers in Jesus Christ, you have access to the throne room of God. You have the capacity to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

For God to do great things in you and through you. And so let's ask for God to fill us. Let's ask for God to work because we can see the final days are approaching. One last verse here in Joel 2, verse 32. It says, And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the remnant whom the Lord calls.

His promise is, if you call on the name of the Lord, you shall be saved. The promise of the Holy Spirit is for those who are saved. And so, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, if you've received Him and been born again, then you need to prepare yourself by asking God to fill you and empower you with the Holy Spirit. But if you've not received that forgiveness that is offered to us by what Jesus did for us upon the cross,

then that's where you need to start. That's how you prepare yourself for what is about to come. Call upon the name of the Lord and you shall be saved. Believe in Jesus Christ and live your life for Him. Turn from sin to follow Him. That's what it means to call on the name of the Lord. And so wherever you're at this morning, if you need to get right with God, call on the name of the Lord. If you're walking with God, that's great. Let's step it up.

And ask God to do a new and powerful work in us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen? And so Kim's going to come up and close us in a song. And I want to encourage you to take this time to do business with the Lord. If you need to call on the name of the Lord and be saved, then you can do that right where you're at. And just have a conversation with the Lord in your heart between you and Him. And say, yes Lord, I do need salvation. I am a sinner.

And you paid the price for my sin upon the cross. I receive you. I'm turning from my sin to follow you. And you can be right with God. And you can have the promise of eternity with God. Right now. As you commune with him. And for the rest of us. Let's ask God to empower us and to work in us. By his Holy Spirit. That we would be fully prepared for his return. And that we would be making.

a great impact in the world around us, that they would be ready for His return as well. So let's worship the Lord together and just spend this time with Him. We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.