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welcome to everyone we have two quick announcements the first is that there is a luncheon after the service this morning all are invited and encouraged to attend that it will be in the fellowship hall just upstairs and then secondly the Sunday School class classes for children will begin the lord willing on november six there will be two classes a three to five and then a six and up and the actual catechism is in that white rack it's the top right hand pamphlet called the Catechism for boys and girls an email should come out this week just to remind or confirm all of that information well for our call to worship you can turn in your Bibles to psalm 116 psalm 116 beginning in verse one I love the Lord because he has heard my voice and my supplications because he has inclined his ear to me therefore I will call upon him as long as I live the pains of death surrounded me and the pangs of she laid hold of me I found trouble and sorrow than I called upon the name of the Lord oh Lord I implore you deliver my soul gracious is the Lord and righteous yes our God is merciful the Lord preserves the simple I was brought low and he saved me return to your rest o my soul for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you for you have delivered my soul from death my eyes from tears and my feet from falling I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living I believed therefore I spoke I am greatly afflicted I said in my haste all men are liars what shall i render to the Lord for all his benefits toward me I will take up the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord i will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all his people precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints o Lord truly I am your servant I am your servant the son of your maidservant you have loosed my bonds I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call upon the name of the Lord i will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all his people in the courts of the Lord's house in the midst of you o Jerusalem praise the Lord amen well please turn in your Trinity hymnal to him number 136 him number 136 will stand as we sing together this morning will remember Shane Abby I sent out an email the other day he may possibly have any autoimmune disease he has been quite ill he is currently having a steroid treatment and tomorrow has a meeting concerning possible other means to deal with this immune problem and then pastor cam is in california specifically in palmdale preaching for them and attending the conference there in southern california this week so we'll remember him in prayer so let us go to the Lord our God in our Father we gather together on this lord's day we acknowledge your glory and majesty we acknowledge that from everlasting to everlasting you are God you are the one who made this world and all things in it you're the God who governs all this creatures and all their actions you are the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ in whom we have redemption even the forgiveness of sins we praise You Father Son and spirit for so great a salvation we praise you for your great grace and your mercy and your goodness and your kindness we praise you for the gospel of our salvation for we know it's not by works of righteousness it's not because of our deeds that we stand justified in your sight but it's through the doing and the dying and the rising of a blessed Savior even the Lord Jesus Christ we pray today that as we sing as we pray as we look to Holy Scripture all of this would redound to the praise and the glory of our great triune God may you be exalted on the praises of your people and may you even be pleased to dwell among us and to encourage our hearts and to strengthen us and may we know the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit of God that we may worship you in spirit and in truth we ask most high that you would look with favor upon this congregation we ask most high that you would be with our brother Shane and just commit him to you and to the word of your grace and pray that you would watch over him that you would bless him that you would strengthen him richly also we rejoice that mr. Proctor can be with us this morning we pray from mr nufeld who's absent we pray for a brother Joe we just asked that you would look with favor upon these men and that you would cause them to to know the nearness of God as they're good the midst of trials and calamities may they be encouraged may they realize that Christ is the Lord in the midst of even the trying circumstances that life does have for us we pray for all those in our midst to our physically ill we pray for all those in our midst that struggle on a daily basis on a recurring basis thought we know that these things are a challenge to piety we know that often times we think only of the external man so I pray that you would come to the aid of your people here she would encourage them and strengthen them and that you would bless each and every one we ask that you would look with favor upon all of us we all come tired and weary into the house of God being dealt with the world the flesh and the devil in this past week and yeah even today so we seek our comfort we seek our stability we seek our strength and you a gracious and a great God it's truly amazing that the psalmist says that he loves the Lord because he heard the voice of my supplications certainly this is our testimony as well when men in this world don't listen we always have the ear of a gracious God we always have our Lord Jesus Christ who is our great high priest we can always come to You Father and i pray she would remind us of this and that we would use this benefit we would use this access this means that you have given to us we have audience with the Living God himself through the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ may we indeed capitalize upon this and may you indeed caused us to be a prayerful people and a people of the word of God we ask that you would forgive us for all of our sins and our transgressions so we look at scripture as we see what it says concerning you the Angels praise God Almighty they ascribe holiness three times to you we know that you are a glorious and a righteous God and we have transgressed your law we have fallen short of that glory and we confess our sins and we pray for forgiveness through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ we thank you for that promise in first John that if we do confess you are faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and we know that now and may we respond in singing with gratitude in our hearts for redemptive benefit and privilege that we have through Jesus Christ our Lord we pray for any and all who have come here this morning that are not forgiving those who have not closed with Christ those who have not believed the gospel we pray that today would be the day of salvation we pray that you'd open eyes and hearts and minds to the truth of Scripture then we pray that by the power of the Holy Spirit sinners would look and live that they would know the joy of being found in Jesus Christ not having their own righteousness which is from the law but that which is from you through faith and our God we pray that you would just grant us grace as we worship grant us grace as we praise grant us grace to do all that we do for your glory sake and we come to you through Jesus Christ your son and our Lord amen well please turn with me in your Trinity hymnals to number 393 number 393 again we'll stand as we sing together Oh you for please turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 24 our scripture reading Matthew chapter 20 will be looking specifically at verses 17 and following matthew twenty beginning in verse 17 now jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them behold we are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes and they will condemn him to death and deliver him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify and the third day He will rise again then the mother of Zebedee sons came to him with her son's kneeling down and asking something from him and he said to her what do you wish she said to him grant that these two sons of mine may sit one on your right hand and the other on the left in your kingdom but jesus answered and said you do not know what you ask are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with they said to him we are able so he said to them you will indeed drink my cop and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with but to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give but it is for those for whom it is prepared by my father and when the ten heard it they were greatly displeased with the two brothers but Jesus called them to himself and said you know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them and those who are great exercise authority over them yet it shall not be so among you but whoever desires to become great among you let him be your servant and whoever desires to be first among you let him be your slave just as the son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many now as they went out of Jericho a great multitude followed him and behold two blind men sitting by the road when they heard that Jesus was passing by cried out saying have mercy on us Oh Lord son of David than the multitude won them that they should be quiet but they cried out all the more saying have mercy on us Oh Lord son of David so Jesus stood still and called them and said what do you want me to do for you they said to him Lord that our eyes may be open so Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes and immediately their eyes received sight and they followed him a man will notice specifically here in verse 17 this is the third time that Jesus tells his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem in order to be betrayed in order to die too in order to rise again third time that they needed to be reminded of this particular situation he's going to Jerusalem he will be crucified this is a heavy statement that our Lord declares this is a magnificent word concerning the suffering that faces him these disciples understood what crucifixion was these disciples understood what it would be to be scourge Dan crucify and right after he makes this declaration the sons of Zebedee 'he's mother comes and says grant that they may have privilege grant that they may be on your right hand and on your left I think this displays to us how often we just completely are oblivious to the sufferings of others I mean Jesus says he's going to be scourge and he's going to be crucified and these this mother for her son says well let them sit on your writing on your left it's almost like didn't you just hear what he said this is a magnificent statement concerning his coming death and is his scourging at the hands of godless men of course Jesus corrects this and Jesus instructs her and structs these young men he says you do not know what you ask and verse 22 are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink we're going to sing about that cup in just a moment in Psalm 11 it's the cup of God's wrath and fury that's what Christ drank prior to and including the cross of our Lord Jesus remember in the Garden of Gethsemane says if it is possible let this cup pass from me nevertheless not my will but thine be done it's the cup of God's wrath and fury it is God's curse against covenant breakers that our Lord Jesus drinks on behalf of his people he says are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with this refers to the overwhelming influence of suffering that would occur upon him with reference to his crucifixion they of course say we are able Jesus highlights the fact that they would indeed they wouldn't be scourge Dan they wouldn't be crucified but these two particular sons of Zebedee would meet their aunt in acts 12 this particular James is beheaded in Revelation 1 this particular John is pegs I'll Don the island of Patmos for the Word of God and the testimony of the Lord Jesus in other words they like him would understand that the cross always precedes the crown we do not get the crown brethren until we have by the grace of God taken up that cross daily and follow the Lord Jesus I'm not suggesting we earn salvation or we earned the crown by the way that we carry the cross but the whole paradigm or pattern of salvation we are safe freely by His grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone and then comes the task the Blessed task and privilege of bearing the cross daily and following Jesus and it is intriguing that he highlights the reality that he must go to Jerusalem he must be betrayed he must be condemned he must be delivered he must be mocked he must be scourge he must be crucified the ends in verse 28 by declaring just as the Son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many that's why Jesus went to Jerusalem that's why the son of god was scourge that's why the Son of God was crucified he came not to be served but he came to serve and to give his life a ransom for many this is the beauty of the Christian gospel if you are unconverted here this morning if you are not a believer in Jesus Christ I say to you to look to him and live because he lived in obedience to the father's Law and when he died on the cross it wasn't for crimes that he had committed it wasn't for sins that he had engaged in but rather it was because God heaped upon him the sins of all those whom he came to save and so the Bible says when we look to this one we will have everlasting life he didn't come to be served but he came to serve and to give his life a ransom for many he didn't come to just set an example just to encourage us with warm thoughts concerning what love looks like but he came to give his life a ransom in other words he paid the debt we couldn't pay he paid the debt that we desperately owed Christ took in himself the punishment due for our sins and Christ because of his finished work gives us that righteousness that he availed with God I said that was it we have to look at these blind men notice these blind men they know that Jesus is passing by and they say lord have mercy on us Oh Lord son of David note the crowds response in verse 31 the multitude warned them that they should be quiet surprised or I suspect that that happens with people sometimes they they hear about religion they hear about Jesus they hear you know certain things even mention this morning about the fact that he is a ransom for sinners they get intrigued they get interested and they may even have that that desire to cry to Jesus have mercy on us and then either friends or peer pressure who knows what comes along and warns them and says well if you do that then you'll no longer be cool if you become religious or you become a Christian then you'll no longer be any fun to hang out with it they warn people against crying out to the Son of God have mercy on us I love the response of these blind men verse 31 the multitude warned them that they should be quiet but they cried out all the more saying have mercy on us O Lord son of David great eid promotes great cries and these men were blind they weren't going to listen to warnings from wretches they were going to call upon the son of David to heal them from their malady don't listen to foolishness with reference to peer pressure don't listen to foolishness with reference to the pit of hell itself you don't want to come to Christ because then you'll have to make drastic changes in your life you have a desperate condition far worse than being blind you are dead in your trespasses and sins and the only hope is the son of David who has mercy on sinners well let us pray father we thank you for the word of God we praise you for the depiction of the the description of our beloved Savior the fact that he is entreated the fact that he does stop the fact that he does come to these men and he heals their malady may you encourage each chart here this morning to realize that that crying out in faith have mercy on me the Son of God does have mercy on sooners bless pastor Porter as he preaches today in palmdale we ask that you would own the proclamation of truth there that it would be edifying and encouraging for the saints and I pray for this pastors conference this coming week that all the men would be encouraged and edified that you would be with the speakers and use them God to communicate truth to your Shepherds or you're under shepherds and I want to thank you as well that Bev is with us this morning what a blessing to see your goodness and your kindness to her and what an encouragement she is to us and we pray through Christ our Lord amen well you may turn in your Trinity Salter to Psalm 11 Psalm 11 will use a familiar tune you can stand as we sing together you you may turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 24 Matthew chapter 24 while you're turning there I want to say I always find a bit of a niggling feeling in my heart when we sing certain Psalms like this I i wonder if persons think is this all right that we actually sing the sorts of things that we have song the Lord tries just and wicked man his soul hates cruel ones and that's not a popular teaching today it's only held onto in reformed theology that God does not love everyone the way that he loves the elect it then says upon all wicked man he will reign entangling snares brimstone and fire and burning wind for he for their cut prepares these are indeed the inspired words of the living and true God God is a God of love to be sure and John tells us that very simply and very clearly but God is a God of righteousness and a God of justice a God who does visit wrong-doers and unrepentant people with punishment and with vengeance from on high and it's in that vein I suspect er I submit that we need to understand Matthew 24 it is God's curse executed upon apostate Israel notice beginning in chapter 24 at verse 1 then Jesus went out and departed from the temple and his disciples came up to show him the buildings of the temple and Jesus said to them do you not see all these things assuredly I say to you not one stone shall be left here upon another that shall not be thrown down now as he sat on the Mount of Olives the disciples came to him privately saying tell us when will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age jesus answered and said to them take heed that no one deceives you for many will come in my name saying I am the Christ and will deceive many and you will hear of wars and rumors of wars see that you are not trouble for all these things must come to pass but the end is not yet for nation will rise against nation and Kingdom against Kingdom and there will be famines pestilences and earthquakes in various places all these are the beginning of Sorrows then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you and you will be hated by all nations for my name's say and then many will be offended will betray one another and will hate one another then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many because lawlessness will abound the love of many will grow cold but he who endures to the end shall be saved and this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world is a witness to all the nations and then the end will come therefore when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place whoever reads let him understand then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house and let him was in the field not go back to get his clothes but woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days and pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath for then there will be Great Tribulation such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time no nor ever shall be and unless those days were shortened no flesh would be saved but for the elects sake those days will be shortened then if anyone says to you look here is the Christ or there do not believe it for false Christ's and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive if possible even the elect see I have told you beforehand therefore if they say to you look he is in the desert do not go out or look he is in the inner rooms do not believe it for as the Lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west so also will the coming of the Son of man be for wherever the carcass is there the Eagles will be gathered together immediately after the tribulation of those days the Sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light the stars will fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens will be shaken then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory and he will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they will gather together his elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other now learn this parable from the fig tree when its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves you know that summer is near so you also when you see all these things know that it is near at the doors assuredly I say to you this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place heaven and earth will pass away but my words will by no means pass away amen will let us pray our Father we thank you for the word of God we thank you for this discourse by our Lord we ask that your spirit would guide us now as we look at scripture and help us to understand I pray that you would forgive us for all sin and transgression I pray that you would help us to know that blessing that joy that we have in Jesus redemption through his blood and again fill us now with the Holy Spirit and we pray these things through Christ our Lord amen so if I have said on several occasions this is a very controversial passage of Scripture with three primary ways of interpreting it there are those who are called futurists they believe that the bolt or that this is indeed something for our future there are those who see two events going on both the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 and the second coming of our Lord at the end of history and then there are those in the minority called preterist sand preterist believe that everything written here did take place in AD 70 I have tried to demonstrate that in verses 4 to 14 and then as well in verses 15 to 28 I am mindful of the fact that this is where most people part company with the preterist interpretation as we come to verses 29 to 31 but I will suggest that this is Old Testament language in the mouth of the prophet Christ again with reference to the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 we're simply going to take up verse 29 this morning but just to give you an overview of 29 and 30 29 30 and one what we have is the cosmic upheaval specified in verse 29 the coming of the Son of Man in verse 30 again I don't believe that's the second coming at the end of history but a judgment coming by our Lord when he comes on the clouds to vindicate his name in the judgment rendered upon Jerusalem in AD 70 and then the third with is with reference to the calling of God's elect will take up those latter two points God willing next week try to finish with the parable of the fig tree the following week then as I said last week I have surgery so I'll be off for probably about four Lords days and then God willing we'll return but look at this language of cosmic upheaval in verse 29 immediately after the tribulation of those days the Sun will be darkened the moon will not give its light the stars will fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens will be shaken I understand the challenge to the preterist position this sounds like you know absolutely cosmic language I mean if the Sun is darkened and the moon doesn't give its light and the stars fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens will be shaken well then you can't obviously believe that this was indeed in AD 70 well I want to note a few things as we look at this particular verse 5 specifically first I want to notice the time reference secondly I'll indicate what the specific meaning is as I understand it thirdly the Old Testament background fourthly the reversal of roles involved and then fifthly comment on the new heavens and the new earth but with reference to the time reference notice in verse 29 I believe 29 to 31 expands on verse 27 verse 27 for as the Lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west so also with the Covenant coming of the son of man be you won't have to go out to the deserts you won't have to go to the inner rooms you won't have to ask these pretender Christ's but rather the coming of Christ in terms of judgment upon Jerusalem will be so evident it will be so conspicuous it will be so visible it will be as it were like a lightning flash that comes from the west of the East and notice what Jesus then says in verse 29 there are two time princes in verse 13 a 29 that connects us to the preceding contacts note first those days he says immediately after the tribulation of those days he uses that language in verses 19 and 22 where he's talking about the Great Tribulation in those days and that Great Tribulation as I've tried to argue was the the siege upon Jerusalem when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies then know that it's desolation is near that's the parallel passage in Luke's Gospel the abomination of desolation which Matthew communicates to his Jewish audience would suggest that same thing as they were looking forward in terms of a near history with reference to Antiochus Epiphanes but a further history with reference to 80 70 and then the specific instructions to flee are particular those in Judea those in the field he he makes known that it will be difficult for those who are pregnant to those who are nursing that would have no reason to be in there if it was the second coming there is no escape there is no place to hide there is no running to any mountains when Christ comes again at the end of of history it will be to judge the living in the dead and you cannot escape and we have noted this several times what Jesus specifies going on it this Great Tribulation is the potential of escape but when we look forward to the end of history there is no escape the only way of escape now is by faith in Jesus Christ it's by looking and living Christ will come to judge the living and the dead that means every man woman boy and girl we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ Paul tells us in 2nd Corinthians 5 to give an account of deeds done in the body whether good or ill we will look upon that man whom God raised from the dead that man whom God is stationed at his right hand we will give an account to him of every blasphemous thing we've said of every idolatrous idolatrous thing we've engaged it every time we broken the Sabbath every time we've been insubordinate to parents every time we've heard murderous thoughts in our heart every time we've committed the sin of adultery if not externally internally for Jesus says if you look up on a woman to lust you have broken the commandment will give an account for every time we have stolen for every time we have lied for every time we have coveted we are going to scan before the Lord Jesus Christ and I assure you as much as I believe that this has a first century setting as much as I believe that this has in 80 70 application and that their general genuinely were persons that were able to flee the siege of Jerusalem by the Roman armies as sure as I am of that I know that you will not be able to escape that day when he comes again in glory to judge the living in the dead there is no crackpot attorney or attorney that's going to scan for you there is nobody who's going to argue your case on that day you're not going to be able to say by Lord that's not me but lord I didn't do such and such but look you know sometimes we can be some of the best defense attorneys in the world in this life can't we somebody catches us doing something or somebody calls us on something and if not me it could have been me because I'm too holy and pure it ever do such a thing like that on that day we will have no defense Paul tells us in Romans 3 that all the world will become guilty or silent rather before God most high that man that is caught or found in Matthew 22 without the wedding garment when the the father of the groom comes to him it says he was speechless he'd have anything to say for himself he didn't have any argument to give and you don't either the only way of escape that day of judgment is by faith in Jesus Christ now the one who did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many that one's enthroned at the right hand of the Father on high and he says that all the look to him will everlasting life it's all that in the prophet Isaiah this morning where Yahweh says look to me all ye ends of the earth for I am God and there is no other it's not a beautiful invitation from the God of Israel look to me all the ends of the earth for I am God and there is no other you're not going to get hope or help from your drugs you're not going to get help from your alcohol you're not going to get help from your sex you're not going to get deliverance from your money silver and gold do not profit on the day of wrath the only profitable thing on that day of judgment is the blood and the righteousness of Jesus Christ say with the hymn writer my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness I dare not trust the sweetest frame but I holy lean on Jesus name isn't that our hope isn't that what brings us here on Sunday morning isn't that what gets us out of bed on Thursday morning I mean really when you stop and think about it Christian what do we have that the world doesn't we have everything we may not have the money we may not have the resources we may not have the prestige but we have one in heaven we have the darling of heaven we have the gem of heaven himself and he has us in his grip and we are safely folded in the arms of Christ back to Matthew 24 there was escape in this context there was the ability to flee there was the ability to find a safety but here he says immediately after the tribulation of those days so whatever those days are in verses 15 to 20 this is consistent with those days notice as well the use of the word immediately immediately after the tribulation of those days if the tribulation of those days in verses 15 to 20 can be shown to be the siege upon Jerusalem in AD 70 that if that's the case that immediately after the tribulation of those days this phenomena will take place one man says the structure the discourse then inflexibly resists the supposition of a change of subject time place circumstances all continue the same there's no textual identifier between verses 28 and 29 that we're now dealing with something in our future there is nothing in the tax whatsoever to suggest a in time Gil comments on the attempt to project verses 29 to 31 to the second physical coming he says for all that is said to account for such a sense addressing those who say that yeah what we're dealing with up to this point is AD 70 but now in verses 29 to 31 we need to put that into our future he says for all that is said to account for such a sense as that it was usual with the prophets to speak of judgment so far off as near and that the Apostles often speak of the coming of Christ these are justifications Gil is addressing for putting 29 to 31 into our future again we're not talking about the disciples future we're talking about our future Jesus is answering a question on this supposition that has nothing to do with these disciples Gil goes on to say and of the end of the world has just at hand and that one day with the lord is as a thousand years he says will not answer to the word immediately or show that that should be understood of 2,000 years after the signs all the following things were to be filled fulfilled before that present generation in which Christ lived passed away verse 34 and therefore must be understood of things that should directly and immediately take place upon or at the destruction of the city and the temple verse 29 has two time indicators that keeps us in the present context verse 29 has two time indicators that keeps us buoyed to the context there's absolutely no textual warrant for us to jump into our future there maybe feel logical warrant there may be a differing views warrant but in terms of the text as read we have two things specifically tethering us to what's going on in verses 15 to 20 and the use of jet this generation that Gil points out we're gonna investigate that more fully when we get to verse 34 I'm certain in the first sermon on the Olivet discourse I indicated that this generation when employed by Matthew always means the people to whom Jesus is speaking it meant get this this generation Carson says this generation can only with the greatest difficulty be made to mean anything other than the generation living when Jesus spoke now Carson believes that what we're dealing with in the future so you know I think that's a bit on inconsistent either all these things happen in this generation or all these things didn't happen to this generation I think in some sense that's what we're forced to with the language of the tax so that's the time reference secondly the specific meaning the language that is employed is often taken literally by many and thus it is believed to speak at the end of the world sounds like the end of the world in verse 29 that's it you can nod because it does I mean it sounds epic the Sun darkening the moon not giving its light and the stars falling from heaven and the heavens themselves being shaken it sounds epic it sounds cosmic it sounds like the end of the world so many persons take this language literally and they see in this a description of the end of the world I argue that the language is common common apocalyptic language from the Old Testament in a moment we're going to go through several Old Testament passages the attempt is not to bury you with passages from the Old Testament but to try and demonstrate there is a grammar of prophecy that the prophet Christ is utilizing when he speaks this Olivet discourse so some see this as I take it as language that is common apocalyptic language and it's supposed to be understood figuratively or metaphorically or analogically its language that is highly charged to teach us a particular truth it's not the literal son that is darkening it's not the literal moon that's not giving its light it's not the literal stars that are falling out of heaven but rather this is language utilized in the Old Testament prophets to speak concerning the fall of kingdoms and it fits the contacts go back to 2143 the broader context of Matthew's Gospel Jesus tells the parable of the wicked vine dressers and these men understand that Jesus will destroy Earth at the the owner will destroy those wicked men miserably this is 21 41 and lisas vineyard to other vine dressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons he's speaking to Jews about Israel he's speaking to Jews about the land he's speaking to them about their own history you always sent prophets and what did they do they stone them they scourge them they beat them they killed that you always says I'll send my son certainly they'll have respect to him what do they do they saw see Jen they say are they they take him they scourge him and they kill him and so Jesus says what do you think the owner of the vineyard is going to do when he comes and these men understand the emphasis in the bassett he will destroy those wicked men miserably and lisas vineyard to other vine dressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons Jesus says have you never read in the scriptures the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief Cornerstone this was the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes now notice verse 43 therefore I say to you the kingdom of God which was the prized possession of hold covenant Israel the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it and whoever falls on this stone will be broken but on whomever it falls it will grind him to powder so it is the language employed in Old Covenant contacts to speak to the fall of kingdoms one man says simple and metaphor belong to the grammar of prophecy as every reader of the Old Testament prophets must know that brings us now thirdly to consider the Old Testament background I hope you have your Bibles with you because we're going to look at a few tax notice in the first place Genesis 37 Genesis 37 just showing that the language employed by our Lord in terms of Sun and Moon and stars has a long pedigree in the Old Testament and that when we look at those particular contexts their context very similar to what we find in Matthew 24 it is a prophecy concerning the fall of an opposing kingdom now here this isn't that specifically but I just want you to notice the language in Joseph's second dream Genesis 37 9 then he dreams still another dream and told it to his brothers and said look I have dreamed other dream and this time the Sun the moon and the 11 stars bowed down to me so he told it to his father and his brothers and his father rebuked him and said to him what is this dream that you have dreamed shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come down to bow or come to bow down to the earth before you again it's not strictly parallel in terms of Matthew 24 but the language is Sun Moon and stars Joseph is essentially saying that his father his mother and his 11 brothers will bow down to him and that becomes a reality when he is exalted in Egypt there's no corn in Israel and so they flee flee to Egypt and they come to Joseph who is the one who gives them these particular goods notice judges five judges five and I would ask you as well to notice that oftentimes in these passages we see the Lord coming we'll deal with the Lord Jesus coming in Matthew 24 30 next week but just to see that every coming in the Bible doesn't necessarily refer to a physical coming this is why I argue that if we asked what did the disciples understood do you notice in the scripture reading this morning in Matthew 24 the third time they had to be told that Jesus was going to die he was going to raise again the third time what happens after his resurrection in Luke chapter 24 he has to teach those two men on the road to Emmaus says all that the scriptures have testified concerning me concerning the death in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus in acts 1 they look at Jesus as he ascends on high and the angels tell them that he will come again in like manner these men didn't have has developed an eschatological system as we do in our century in our generation they were very familiar with judgment comings of Yahweh in history to deal with the enemies of God noticin judges five verses four and five the song of Deborah Lord when you went out from seer when you marched from the field of Edom this is the type of stuff that would be in the disciples heads so that every mention of the coming of Jesus the mention of the coming of God doesn't necessarily suggest a physical coming God comes in judgment God comes on the field of battle and this is one of those instances when you marched from the field of Evan the earth trembled em the heavens poured the clouds also poured water the mountains gushed before the Lord this Sinai before the Lord God of Israel its apocalyptic language it's highly charged language it displays cosmic realities to try and parallel the majesty of God most high coming in judgment what other language do we have that's big enough of God what other language can we possibly conceive of that can even start to scratch the the edge of God Sun Moon and stars is as big as we get isn't it Sun Moon and stars is as massive as we can even begin to entertain and yet this is a means by which God displays something even greater concerning himself notice thirdly the prophecy of judgment against Babylon in Isaiah 13 keep in your head the whole idea of Sun Moon and stars consistent with or parallel to the coming of the Son of Man with reference to judgment notice in Isaiah 13 at verse 1 the burden against Babylon which Isaiah the son of a maz saw see we see the target of the prophecy we see the target of the the destruction here note verse 6 this is called a day of the Lord so we see that phrase in Scripture day of the Lord and again we immediately think and associate it with the second coming of Jesus now they were probably typical of that to be sure but there were days of the Lord in the Old Covenant when God Himself came in judgment verse 6 wail for the day of the Lord is at hand it will come as destruction from the Almighty note the similar language to the Olivet discourse in verses 9 to 13 behold the day of the Lord comes cruel with both wrath and fierce anger to lay the land desolate and he will destroy it sinners from it for the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light the Sun will be darkened and it's going forth and the moon will not cause its light to shine I will punish the world for its evil in the wicked for their iniquity I will halt the a or arrogance of the proud and we'll lay low the haughtiness of the terrible i will make a mortal man immortal more rare than fine gold a man more than the golden wedge of affair therefore i will shake the heavens and the earth will move out of her place in the wrath of the Lord of hosts and in the day of his fierce anger and then note the specific target again highlighted in verse 19 and Babylon the glory of kingdoms the beauty of the Chaldeans pride will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah note fourthly the prophecy of judgment upon Edom in Isaiah 34 Isaiah chapter 34 again the attempt here is not to bury you with text but simply to highlight there is a grammar of prophecy metaphor and symbol are in that grammar of prophecy Christ understood the prophets because he authored them he moved them to write he takes their language as his own language when he comes in the triumphal entry in Matthew 21 the men of Galilee when asked or the men of Jerusalem say who is this and the men of Galilee say this is the Prophet well Christ assumes this prevent a prophetic role on Mount all of that and he teaches consistent with what Israel had always received notice in Isaiah 34 beginning in verse 4 says all well just so you get the contact come near you nations to hear verse 1 and he do people let the earth here and all that is in it the world and all things that come forth from it for the indignation of the Lord is against all nations and against and his fury against all their armies he is utterly destroyed then he has given them over to the slaughter also their slain shall be thrown out their stench shall rise from their corpses in the mountain shall be mentioned melted with blood of their blood note all the hosts of heaven shall be dissolved in the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll all their hosts shall fall down as the leaf falls from the vine and as a fruit falling from the fig tree for my sword shall be bathed in heaven indeed it shall come down notice specifically on eda the city of Basra is mentioned specifically as the prime city of Edom and on the the people of my curse for judgment the sword of the Lord is filled with blood it is made overflowing with fatness with the blood of lambs and with the fat of the kidneys of rams for the lord as a sacrifice in boa and a great slaughter in the land of edom the wild ox and shall come down with them and the young bulls with the mighty bowls their land shall be soaked with blood and their the saturated with fatness you see the language employed it's big language it's huge language talking about God bringing to bear judgment upon opposing nations and note verse 8 before we move on for it is the day of the Lord's vengeance the year of recompense for the cause of Zion we have seen this phrase used in Luke's version of the all of that discourse after he says that Jerusalem will be surrounded by enemies he says for these are the days of vengeance that all things written maybe fulfill God's vengeance comes upon sinful nations when those kingdoms fall cosmic language is employed to highlight the significance of the event notice fifthly Ezekiel 32 Ezekiel 32 beginning in verse 6 this is a prophesy against Egypt specifically verse Tucson a man take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him and the notice in 30 to six of the prophet Ezekiel i will also water the land with the flow of your blood even to the mountains and the riverbeds will be full of you when I put out your light that's the language God puts out the light of these enemy nations he put out their light the Sun is dark and the moon no longer gives it's like the stars fall from heaven that is biblical language to speak to the destruction of kingdoms that have risen in opposition to God most high he puts out their light verse 7 I will cover the heavens and make it stars dark I will cover the Sun with a cloud and the moon shall not give her light all the bright lights of the heavens i will make dark over you and bring darkness upon your land says the Lord God notice i will also trouble the hearts of many people's when i bring your destruction among the nations into the countries which you have not known yes I will make many people's astonished at you and their King shall be horribly afraid of you now note this when I brandish my sword before that Yahweh brandishes his sword before Egypt how does he do that look at what he says and then they shall tremble every moment every man for his own life in the day of your fault for thus says the Lord God the sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon you so when the Babylonians came to wipe out Egypt it's as if Yahweh is brandishing his sword to bring judgment upon Egypt and in so doing he puts out their lights so the disciples on all of it would have had these things and concepts in their minds it would not have been a stretch for them to see that the son of man coming in the clouds of heaven didn't mean Jesus coming to Earth but rather his coming to the Ancient of Days where he receives this kingdom and he executes this vengeance upon Israel who had opposed him and who had who had rejected him and all of this causes their fall verse 12 by the swords of the mighty warriors all of them the most terrible of the nation's I will cause your multitude to fall notice as well the prophecy of judgment upon Judah in Joel to Joel to one of the minor prophets Hosea Joel they're not minor prophets because they're not as important they're minor prophets because they're not as long as a ax Jeremiah and Ezekiel right very long prophecy hosea joel amos obadiah jonah micah nahum Ibaka Kiev an ayah Haggai Zechariah and Malachi don't write as long so it's not minor because they're not important they're minor because they're not as long notice in Joel to again just getting a flavor for the language that is used and in the context this is judgment upon Judah this was written in about the ninth century BC 835 Joel was a prophet to the south he is for telling the destruction of Jerusalem that would happen not in 80 70 but in 587 / 86 b/c now note specifically what he says in Joel to 10 and 11 the earthquakes before them the heavens tremble the Sun and Moon grow dark and the stars diminished their brightness the Lord gives voice before his army for his camp is very great for strong is the one who executes his word for the day of the law Lord is great and very terrible who can endure it actually this probably refers to the locust plague that came from God in judgment upon Judah far before the Babylonian captivity forgive me so the locust plague a day of the Lord a locust plague a judgment from God he brandished his sword not through Babylonians against Egypt but he brandishes a sword through locusts who come to devastate the inhabitants of Judah because they offended and defied and rebelled against the living and true God notice Joel to 28 to 32 a passage I think we're all familiar with whether we read Old Testament scripture or not this is quoted by Peter on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2 remember when they're surprised and perplexed and wonder what does it mean that the Holy Spirit has come upon these men and they're speaking in tongues and Peter says this is that which the Prophet Joel spoke notice in 228 and 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 and also on my menservants and on my maidservants I will pour out my spirit in those days and I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth blood and fire and pillars of smoke the Sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the coming of the Great and awesome day of the Lord 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 again the language is conspicuous you see the language utilized in Biblical prophecy there is a grammar there is symbol there is metaphor there is figurative use there is saw and darkening there's moon not giving its light there are stars falling again it's huge language to try and get at the hugeness in the immensity of our great God as I said Peter quotes this on the day of Pentecost he speaks concerning the fall of the spirit upon the Church of Jesus Christ but he also quotes that bit about judgment I think peter has in mind eighty seventy I think what Joel is speaking of here is first century reality Spirit comes upon the church God's word goes forth Jews continue to reject it and all they are destroyed in the siege at Jerusalem John Owen understood acts to that way he said the things here spoken of in acts 2 were those signs commenting on the language of Sun Moon and stars he says the things here spoken of were those science prodigies and judgments which God showed unto and exercise the people of the Jews with all before the destruction of Jerusalem even those foretold by our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 24 and they were all wrought during the time that they enjoyed the dispensation of the gospel before described notice Joel three verses 14 to 16 again just to see the language utilized once again Joel 314 multitudes multitudes in the valley of decision for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision the Sun and Moon will grow dark and the stars will diminish their brightness the Lord also will roar from Zion and utter his voice from Jerusalem the heavens and earth will shake but the Lord will be a shelter for his people and the strength of the children of Israel notice in anus chapter 5 Amos chapter 5 Amos chapter five very specifically verse eight he made the ply ads in Orion he turns the shadow of death in the morning and makes the dark day dark as night he calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the face of the earth the Lord is his name he reigns ruin upon the strong so that fury comes upon the fortress notice in Amos chapter 8 specifically versus nine to twelve the vision of summer fruit the summer fruit in this particular vision is Israel the idea of summer fruit is that they're right for judgment just as summer fruit is ripe for the picking Israel had offended God they'd broken covenant with God they had brought themselves into that place of being the enemies of God and in this vision the Prophet declares as much notice in Amos chapter eight beginning in verse 9 and it shall come to pass in that day says the Lord God that I will make the Sun go down at noon and I will darken the earth and broad daylight I will turn your feasts in the morning and all your songs into lamentation I will bring sackcloth on every waist and baldness on every head I will make it like morning for an only Son and it's in like a bitter day now before you muse on the fact that baldness is a sign of God's judgment look at the language that is used in this particular section it's the same stuff it's the same thing behold verse 11 the days are coming says the Lord God that I will send a famine on the land not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the words of the Lord they shall wander from sea to sea and from the north to the east they shall run to and fro seeking the word of the Lord but shall not find it before we move on to consider this grammar of prophecy in just a couple of more texts look what Amos says there is a judgment from God behold the days are coming says the Lord God that I will send a famine on the land not a famine of bread nor thirst for water but of hearing the words of the Lord would that affect us would that bother us the government mandated that Bibles were to be burned and Christians were to shut up about their faith would it really perplex us so of course it would well Christians we love the book we love the Bible we love this scriptures why such biblical illiteracy that not speaking about us but throughout the Christian world a professing Christian world I referred in the last hour we're considering concerning you know interpreting Bible or interpreting the Bible there was a famous pastor a man by the name of Rick Warren I think last year the year before who released a book on Daniels diet plan you know Daniel didn't eat the delicacies of Babylon that were offered to him he ate the veggies and those sorts of things and when the the man who handled the slaves came they saw that Daniel was robust and he was healthy and he was strong brethren if you're reading Daniel to slim down you have completely missed the point of the Bible see I think that if we would seriously be perplexed by a threatened famine of the word it would be evident from the way that we live it would be manifest in the way that we spend time with God in private it would be manifest by the way that we spend time with God in public it would be manifest by our response to the word a person who doesn't read scripture a person who neglects the public means of grace a person who doesn't meditate or contemplate or think through the word and dare I say it a person who doesn't apply that word in his life it'd be very hard I'd be very hard-pressed to believe you're actually be concerned about losing Scripture we're not using and how if we're not capitalizing on and how if we're not searching it now if we're not under its preaching now then why in the world would we say Oh we'd hate it if the government came and took our Bibles away I think I've shared with you before that that account that's in Puritan hope by Ian Murray I think it was the Puritan Pastor John Rogers where he he he personifies God to the people and then he personifies the people to God and God to the people says something to the effect that you know you neglect my Sabbath's you neglect my house you neglect my word you neglect my you know prayer to me you neglect all these things so here's what I'm going to do I'm going to take nine Bibles away and then Rogers personifies the people to God and he says to God it says on behalf of them to God Lord God please take our houses take our our our carts take our fields take our children he says but take not buying word from us that was a sermon that Rogers preach to indict the people in his day that they were content with a famine not that there was a famine in the Puritan era they should have been lapping it up when these giants roam the earth brethren search your heart what's my view of Scripture not do you believe me in Matthew 24 again I've said many times if we disagree I hope that you'll at least learn where I'm coming from I think this wealth of material from the Old Testament does highly illustrate what Jesus is doing on Matthew 24 in Matthew 24 but if you disagree that's fine but what do you think about Scripture do you think about the Bible what do you think about searching it privately what about you men are you leading your families are you taking your children by the hand to the throne of God's grace what better thing for families to do than to worship God it's fun to go to the park it's fun to have picnics it's fun to have all this stuff certainly is it's great but you know what's more glorious than going to the park or having picnics it's taking your child by the hand and leading them to the throne of grace staking your child and telling them the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ saw on daughter you're a sinner you've transgressed the law oh you'll hurt their delicate psyches if you do that they know they're sinners we're not telling them that something they don't know each one of you kids knows when you're rebelling against God that's not right because you're made in the image of God and God has is his creational law written in your hearts and you know that to transgress your parents is wrong so that damaging their delicate psyche it's damaging them not to tell them there owners it's keeping from them the hope that they desperately need yeah it is keeping from them the Lord Christ himself show them teach them speak to them preach to them so men we might say oh I love scripture I just love it but I love it so much i'm not going to share it with those whom i love the most in this world I'm going to pray with them not going to read to them not going to pray for them get shared as well before in a church that I was at I remember visiting somebody and asking this man about his prayer life I you know prayer police I'm going to get you is how you you know how are you doing with prayer and then his wife piped up I just want him to pray for me so do you pray for your wife he says not really I died a little bit inside of what do you mean you profess saving faith in Jesus and you don't pray for your spouse so needless to say I smack no I didn't smack your face said you need to pray for your spouse brothers we live in a theologically rich age everybody's a theologian today everybody spends time on the internet debating today you spending time with your wife and kids and catechism when I say Catechism I don't mean just the rote memorization though I do mean that the Puritans used Catechism to speak of instruction to teach to catechize catechesis put in their heads get that raw data in there so that when God by His grace opens their heart they know what justification by faith is not just cognitively but now experientially they own it for themselves they've got a debt a data bank there that is to be drawn off of so you see we may say oh it would really bother me if there was a famine impose with reference to the Word of God know if that's the case than our lives 11 and said well evidence by the way that we treat the Word of God that we presently have notice as well prophecy of judgment upon Judah and zephaniah one zephaniah one namma back except ania 114 the great day of the Lord is near this is specifically targeting Judah via Babylon in the sixth century BC the great day of the Lord is near it is near and hastens quickly the noise of the day of the Lord is bitter there the mighty men shall cry out that day is a day of wrath the day of trouble and distress a day of devastation and desolation a day of darkness and gloominess a day of clouds and thick darkness a day of trumpet and alarm against the fortified cities and against the high towers again he doesn't specifically speak of Sun Moon and stars there but it's in the vein of that grammar of prophecy and then one final Old Testament text is in Haggai to six and seven haggai two verses 6 and 7 this is a post-exilic prophet says after the Babylonian captivity God speaks concerning the future glory of the people of God to six and seven for thus says the lord of oats once more it is a little while I will shake heaven and earth the sea and dry land and I will shake all nations and they shall come to the desire of all nations and I will fill this temple with glory says the Lord of hosts for those of you who are readers of the book of Hebrews you'll note that the apostle quotes this in the context matha Hebrews chapter 12 that you've not come to Mount Zion or Sinai but you've come to Zion starting about New Covenant realities in Hebrews 12 talking about the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ haggai the Prophet is looking forward to the future glory of God's people as it pertains to God's Christ it's the Messianic age it is the reign of Jesus at the right hand of God Almighty and in Hebrews 12 specifically he quotes verse 25 i'll just start there to give the contact see that you do not refuse him who speaks for if they did not escape who refused him who spoke on earth much more shall we not escape if we turn away from him who speaks from heaven whose voice then shook the earth but now he is promising yet once more I shape not only the earth but also heaven now this yet once or this is a guy to six and seven indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken as of things that are made that the things which cannot be shaken may remain therefore since we are receiving presently a kingdom which cannot be shaken let us have grace by which we may serve God except Allah with reverence and godly fear for our God is a consuming fire Owen Gill apply this language in Hebrews 12 not to the shaking of the heavens and earth in terms of the second physical coming but of the fall of Jerusalem the destruction of that visible Kingdom the transfer of the Covenant people are the transfer rather of the kingdom from Old Covenant Israel to the New Covenant Israel which is the Church of Jesus Christ the recipients of God's blessings and promises so we see the time reference the specific meaning the Old Testament background now quickly we move on France says language about cosmic collapse then is used by the Old Testament prophets to symbolize God's act of judgment within history with the emphasis on catastrophic political reversals there's a reversal of roles going on here too this ought not to be new to us who have studied the book the Gospel of Matthew Matthew 8 what does Jesus say many will come from the east and the west and what will they do they will sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out right with Jesus say in Matthew 21 concerning the religious leaders of his day John came and preached to you you rejected him but harlots and publicans they're entering into the kingdom of God this is a role reversal Israel has become Babylon apostate Israel who had rejected the Lord Christ who had persecuted the people of God had assumed babylons posture and as a result the Sun will be darkened the moon will not give its light and the stars from how are the stars will fall from heaven and there will be a shaking in the heavens when Israel is a body politic as the people who once were the people of God become low a me from the Prophet Hosea not my people it's a Oh reversal the Lord God brings judgment to bear upon these Covenant breakers and now he includes men from every tribe tongue people in Asia including Jews but it's not by virtue of their Jewishness it is by virtue of the true Israel of God Jesus Christ the Lord who fulfills all that the father gave him and saves to the uttermost all who draw nigh unto him through Christ and then a final thought consent concerning the new heavens and the new earth this will be very quick if you understand Matthew 24 29 literally if you understand Matthew 24 29 literally that the Sun really stopped giving its light or it will and the moon will the Sun be darkened and the moon will not give its light the stars will fall from heaven if you understand that literally then you have to believe I think or you're committed I think to believe it the new heavens and the new earth will be brand new there will be an utter discontinuity between this age and the age to come in other words if the Sun is darkened the moon doesn't give its light and the stars fall from heaven imagine if the stars fall from heaven what happens to the earth I'm not an astronomer I'm not a rocket scientist I think though that if all the stars from the heavens fell to the earth I think the earth wouldn't be any more so the new heavens and the new earth would be something brand new a brand new creation that's a legitimate option I'm not saying that's a heretical view some people think that that this this this heavenly state that we look forward to described in the book of Revelation as new heavens and new earth is something completely new I'd argue that the scripture highlights more continuity there's discontinuity but there's continuity in other words it's not a new heavens and a new earth that is absolutely brand new but it's redeemed it's restored the Paradise Lost at creation is paradise gained at new creation and I think there are several lines that suggest this thought when Abraham Isaac and Jacob died Jesus refers to them at the feast in Matthew 8 there's still Abraham Isaac and Jacob the words I'm going to go into the grave I'm not going to come out camp order he's not going to come out jim butler he's probably quite thrilled about that there is continuity in terms of the believers resurrection note the Lord Jesus Christ he goes into the grave he comes out of the grave it's the self-same Jesus though glorified right Thomas sees the piercings in his side he sees the piercings in his hands he sees the piercings upon the Son of God there is a continuity it's a new heavens and a new earth not because the old has been obliterated but because the new has redeemed it the new has restored it in Romans chapter 8 the Apostle says creation itself is in bondage and it yearns for the redemption of the sons of God God's not at war with creation God doesn't hate us in our physicality God is at war with sin and in the redemption wrought by Jesus Christ yes there's discontinuity it's a new heavens and new earth wherein there is no more sin there is no more sorrow there is no more pain there is no more hunger there is no more thirst there is no more death that's a discontinuity but the continuity is is that it will be us looking upon Jesus seeing it in his glory seeing him in his splendor seeing that one who bears five bleeding or who bears those wounds in his own body so it's not obliteration that the scripture envisage as its restoration its Redemption this creation that yearns and Romans eight will know the blessing on that day when Jesus does come so I suspect that if we take a cosmic view of 29 or a literal view rather than we have to conclude that the world will be remade if we see it figuratively we see the thrust or trajectory of scripture that what goes into the grave comes out of the grave albeit Laura fine albeit energized by the spirit albeit fit capacity to glorify and enjoy God forever but nevertheless if you and I go in you and I come out so the new heavens and the new earth there is a continuity our confession seems to indicate this at the last day such of the Saints as are found alive shall not sleep but be changed and all the dead shall be raised up with the self-same bodies and none other although with different qualities which shall be united again to their souls forever so the pattern of individual believers the pattern of our Lord Jesus Christ the yearning of creation itself for the redemption so in conclusion I hope that we have seen that the language employed and again if you disagree you disagree but the language employed is not the first time it's been employed verse 29 does not occur in a vacuum this is language comment common I think you would agree yeah that was a lot of text and it's not the amount of tax makes the point I'm not suggesting that but the amount of text highlights or illustrates the point there is a grammar of Biblical prophecy Jesus is in tune with that grammar and Jesus uses it at all of it to communicate the specifics concerning the significance of the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened the moon will not give its light the stars will fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens will be shaken that means that the kingdom has been destroyed in Old Covenant israel lights out for Old Covenant Israel again they can come by grace through faith to the Messiah in this new covenant era hopefully a whole multitude of Jewish people will be saved but the emphasis here is on the first century fall of Jerusalem the significance as we have seen many many times covenantal transformation transfer the kingdom the fulfillment of all things which are written the vindication of the Son of Man which we will see next week in the calling of the nation's to repentance and faith in Christ I suspect and I submit that at times we come to Matthew 24 more a tube the prophecy that we have learned than with the prophecy of the Old Testament Scriptures I realize that's not the case for everybody but we oftentimes bring our presuppositions to bear upon verse 29 asta me the end of all things well if it meant that in Amos and if meant that in Ezekiel and if it meant that in Isaiah if it meant that in judges of amenta in Genesis will I understand how it works now it's language that is used by the prophets to highlight something epic in redemptive history visa vie the fall of the enemies of God as well we need to recognize prophetic language and compare Scripture with Scripture and then I would suggest there is some degree of inconsistency now this is always a tough thing for a preacher to say because we're all inconsistent every single one of us some of us were talking recently about Luther what a colorful figure he was in the history of the church and we in the 21st century have the vantage point of seeing his spots and seeing his warts and saying his blemishes and this young brother said to me in a hundred years they're going to see ours as well we don't always see them I don't know why but I think I'm awesome not mean personal things beside do but we all tend to have that right we live in the selfie age so to say there's inconsistency as a preacher whose inconsistent I shudder at the thought of the implication but there is an inconsistency here when we're ready to take verse 29 literally except for the word immediately its literal son literal moon literal stars but that word immediately really doesn't mean right after the tribulation of those days there is that inconsistency of interpreting language that is meant to be interpreted figuratively Sun Moon and stars and the intriguing language that is supposed to be interpreted literally figuratively immediately doesn't mean immediately there and this generation can't mean this generation now John MacArthur I have a great deal of respect for but when he deals with the Olivet discourse his argument as to why preterism is wrong with reference to the all of that disco he says because none of these things did take place in the first century I think I've shown at least how we could see that these things did take place in the first century the 4 to 14 things and the 15 to 20 things and if those 15 to 20 things were first century AD Jerusalem are 80 70 Jerusalem then that immediately happens that Sun starts shining that moon is darkened or the other way around and that the stars are falling we need to be consistent we take the figurative figuratively we take the literally a literal literally and then finally I want you to turn back to the Prophet Amos it's the last thing then we'll close with a word of prayer pray again and then go eat hosea joel amos look at amos 5 please love this depiction of the day of the Lord set forth by the Prophet I've mentioned that you won't be able to escape on the day of judgment the persons in Matthew 24 15 to 20 could escape when they saw the abomination of desolation they could run they could leave they could flee to the mountains they were told not to go get their stuff out of their house they were told not to get their code at the edge of the field they were told it would be difficult if they were nursing babies in those days are pregnant in those days they were told it would be difficult or pray that your flight be not on Sabbath but there was the opportunity to escape I have sought to remind us each and all every single time we look at the Olivet discourse there is no escape when Jesus comes again in his glory to judge the living and the dead and i think the prophet here illustrates this point attempt to escape our attempt to hide but god will find us out notice Amos chapter 5 specifically at verse 16 therefore the Lord God of hosts the Lord says this there shall be wailing at all streets and they shall say in all the highways alas alas they shall call the farm of the morning and skillful Dementors to wailing in all vineyards there shall be wailing for I will pass through use as the Lord I will pass through you says Yahweh he will pass through how in providence in historical events now notice verse 18 woe to you who desire the day of the Lord those who are saying oh yeah we want the day of the Lord similar in the Prophet Malachi will do you say i want the day of the Lord the day of the Lord is going to be a day of judgment for you and that's the point here in verse 18 woe to you desire the day of the Lord for what good is the day of the Lord to you it will be darkness and not like now note this illustration it will be as though a man fled from a lion and a bear met him this is what can happen in the day of judgment you're going to run as from a lion I'm escaping a lion you ever been out in the wilderness and seen a lion me either I can only imagine the thing that would be most necessary and essential at that time is to run to run to flee to hide and what does the Prophet say you're going to try to run you're going to try to flee you're going to try to hide because you've seen this lion of judgment and a bear meet you now what what do you do when you meet a bear they say assume the fetal position they say Ron they say go downhill I think all of that is a bunch of garbage i would say pray to God most high because this killing machine is about to lay his teeth and his paws into you and play with you but you see what the Prophet is saying this is going to be the temptation this is going to be the tendency when the clouds roll back and are open like a scroll and the Son of God descends and the glory of his father to judge the living and the dead the temptation or the tendency is going to be to be like when you see low high on you running you high and then you meet the spare but he doesn't stop it will be as though a man fled from a lion and a bear met him or as though he went into the house leaned his hand on the wall and a serpent bit him you run from the lion you meet the bear you run from the bear you get to your house you enter into your front door you shut the door you start to brush your head off of the sweat and you lean your hand on the door and a serpent bite you on the hand you see some of you think you're going to escape the judgment of God because you good people you're not good some of you think you're going to escape the judgment of God because my parents are members of the church some of you think you're going to Jaya scape the judgment of God because you know that's all back then there's nothing of that Bible that that is for us today yes it is the judgment of a thrice holy God and having outlined all this the Prophet that ends with verse 20 is not the day of the Lord darkness and not light is it not very dark with no brightness in it you O Israel of all people ought to be the last to desire the day of the Lord the only ones who desire the day of the Lord are those who are safely in the arms of the Lord only those who by the grace of God are clothed with the righteousness of Christ those who have been forgiven of their sins we are the ones who say come lord jesus come if you are not a believer you don't want the day of the Lord but if you are not a believer come to the Lord it's the beauty of scripture God calls sinners not to go out and fix their lives and get everything sorted out and then calm because you can't it's come come and God sort you out calm and Christ cleanses you come and Christ gives you a righteousness that avails with God you kids you young people all this stuff about preterism and futurism in Matthew 24 and all these tax on moon stuff it's probably somewhat confusing and I sympathize with you but this much is clear if you do not believe the gospel if you are not found in him there will be a terrifying judgment that makes what happens to Israel and the Old Covenant looked like a walk in the park makes it look like it was nothing it is the wrath of the cup of the wrath of God that sinners will drink for eternity for having violated his holy law means of escape is faith in Jesus Christ well let us pray father we thank you for the word of God and thank you for the consistency of it and I pray that all of us would take heed to this warning of the Prophet Amos that we would be prepared for that day when we will stand in judgment before the God of heaven and earth as well give us a spiritual appetite give us a hunger and a thirst for righteousness give us a desire for the truth of Holy Scripture and I pray that you would go with us now that you would watch over us that you would encourage and strengthen our hearts and we pray through Christ our Lord amen we'll close with a brief time of meditation then I'll come back up and we'll pray for the food you