> 10. What Is Coming? > > > 1. What important questions did the d > > isciples ask Jesus? > > “Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives. There the disciples came to him > in private. ‘Tell us,’ they said. ‘When will this happen? And WHAT WILL BE > THE SIGN OF YOUR COMING? WHAT WILL BE THE SIGN OF THE END?’” (Matthew > 24:3). > > The followers of Jesus asked Him, "What will happen in the world just > before > You come back? How will we know the end of the world is near?” Answers to > these questions are in the Bible. Jesus told us some signs of His coming. > > 2. What are some signs of the coming of Jesus? > > “NATION will fight AGAINST NATION. KINGDOM [COUNTRY] will fight AGAINST > KINGDOM” (Matthew 24:7). > > Read Matthew chapter 24 very carefully. You should read it many times. > This > chapter is like a clock. It tells us in what time we are living and where > in > history. It is a clock of prophecy – predicting what we will see in our > lives today. Jesus tells us how we will know when His coming is near. He > said, "Nation will fight against nation. Kingdom [country] will fight > against kingdom.” Luke chapter 21 tells the same story as Matthew chapter > 24. Here are some verses from this chapter in Luke: > > “Do not be afraid when you hear about WARS and about FIGHTING AGAINST > RULERS. . . . NATION will fight AGAINST NATION. KINGDOM will fight AGAINST > KINGDOM. . . . THERE WILL BE MIRACULOUS SIGNS IN THE SUN, MOON AND STARS. > The NATIONS OF THE EARTH WILL BE IN TERRIBLE PAIN. They will be puzzled by > the ROARING AND TOSSING OF THE SEA. TERROR WILL MAKE PEOPLE FAINT. They > will > be WORRIED ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING in the world. THE SUN, MOON AND STARS > WILL BE SHAKEN FROM THEIR PLACES. At that time people will see the Son of > Man coming in a cloud. He will come with power and great glory” (Luke > 21:9-10, 25-27). > > War and fighting; nations in trouble; terrorism, great fear of the future; > strange things in the skies. These are all signs of the coming of Jesus. > We > see them today. Jesus told us more than 1,900 years ago that there would > be > trouble on the earth in the last days. Some people say that the world will > get better. But the Bible tells us that there will be war and trouble that > is worse than ever before. > > We hear about trouble in many parts of the world. We should say when we > hear > these things, "The second coming of Jesus is near!" > > 3. What about the nations just before Jesus comes again? > > “The NATIONS WERE ANGRY, and the time for your anger has come. The time > has > come to judge the dead. It is time to reward your servants . . . and those > who honor you. There is a reward for all your people, both great and > small. > It is time to destroy those who destroy the earth” (Revelation 11:18). > > Today nations are angry. Little nations and big nations speak angry words. > These are signs that we are living in the last days. God has told us these > things before they happened. > > 4. What does Paul tell us about the last days? > > “You know very well that the day of the Lord will come LIKE A THIEF IN THE > NIGHT. People will be saying that everything is PEACEFUL AND SAFE. Then > SUDDENLY THEY WILL BE DESTROYED. . . . None of the people will escape. > Brothers and sisters, you are not in darkness. So that day should not > surprise you as a thief would. . . . So let us not be like the others. > They > are asleep. Instead, LET US BE WIDE AWAKE AND IN FULL CONTROL of > ourselves” > (1 Thessalonians 5:2-6). > > Christians who study the Bible should not be surprised about war and > trouble > in the last days. The Bible warns us about these things. Christians do not > look for a long time of peace in this world. This world will be finished > soon. A new world is coming. The troubles that we see today tell us that > the > end of this old world of sin is near. > > When you give your heart to God, you do not need to be afraid. Let Jesus > make your heart and life ready for His second coming. When Jesus comes His > people will be taken from this world of sadness and death. Let us watch > for > His coming. > > > A PROPHECY ABOUT THE NATIONS > 5. What did God show to Nebuchadnezzar, the strong king of Babylon? > > “But there is a God in heaven who can explain mysteries. Nebuchadnezzar, > he > has shown you WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN” (Daniel 2:28). > > God showed this king a dream many years ago that tells us what will happen > in the last days like today. Study this prophecy well. It has a special > message for us. > > 6. What did the king see in his dream? > > “King Nebuchadnezzar, you looked up and saw A LARGE STATUE standing in > front > of you. It was huge. It shone brightly. And it terrified you. The head of > the statue was made out of pure GOLD. Its chest and arms were made of > SILVER. Its stomach and thighs were BRONZE [BRASS]. Its legs were made out > of IRON. And its FEET were PARTLY IRON and PARTLY BAKED CLAY” (Daniel > 2:31-33). > > Nebuchadnezzar, the king, saw a large statue. It was made of five > different > things: gold, silver, bronze or brass, iron, and clay. > > 7. What was to happen to the statue in the last days? > > “While you were watching, a rock was cut out. But human hands didn’t do > it. > It STRUCK THE STATUE on its feet of iron and clay. It smashed them. Then > the > iron and clay were broken to pieces. . . . The wind blew them away without > leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge > mountain. > It filled the whole earth” (Daniel 2:34, 35). > > A great stone hit the feet of the statue. This stone destroyed the statue. > The stone then filled the earth. What do the statue and the stone mean? > God > used Daniel to tell Nebuchadnezzar. Let us read what Daniel says about the > statue. > > 8. What did Daniel say about the head of the statue? > > “Nebuchadnezzar, you are the greatest king of all. The God of heaven has > given you authority and power. He has given you might and glory. . . . YOU > ARE THAT HEAD OF GOLD” (Daniel 2:37, 38). > > The statue looked like a man. It was divided into different parts. Each > part > of the statue was for a kingdom or nation. The head of gold was for the > kingdom of Babylon. Babylon was a rich and strong nation. It ruled over > much > of the world. Babylon was in what we know today as the Middle East or > Iraq. > > 9. What other kingdoms followed Babylon? > > “After you, ANOTHER KINGDOM will take over. It won’t [will not] be as > powerful as yours. Next, a THIRD KINGDOM will rule over the whole earth. > The > bronze [or brass] part of the statue stands for that kingdom” (Daniel > 2:39). > > Babylon was a very strong kingdom. The king of Babylon thought it would > last > for ever. But Daniel, the prophet of God said, "After you, another kingdom > will take over. It won’t be as powerful as yours.” and, more than five > hundred years before Christ was born, Medo-Persia fought against Babylon > and > won. Medo-Persia is shown by the silver chest and arms. > > Then Medo-Persia was beaten. The kingdom of Greece fought Medo-Persia and > won, 331 years before Christ. Medo-Persia had many soldiers. There were > twenty Medo-Persian soldiers for every one in the armies of Greece. But > God > did say that Greece would win the fight. A young man called Alexander The > Great was the king of Greece. His soldiers were very brave and they won > the > fight. The bronze (or brass) is Greece. The soldiers of Greece ruled much > of > the world. They were a strong nation. > > 10. What does the Bible say about Rome, the last kingdom? > > “Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom. It will be as strong as IRON. > Iron > breaks and smashes everything to pieces. And the fourth kingdom will CRUSH > AND BREAK all of the others” (Daniel 2:40). > > The Romans beat the Greeks in 168 B.C. (before Christ). The Romans were > strong and cruel. Rome was ruling the world when Jesus was born. It was a > king appointed by Rome that tried to kill the baby Jesus. Soldiers of the > Roman kingdom nailed Jesus to the cross. Rome was like iron - strong and > hard. But it did not last for ever. > > “You saw that the feet and toes were made out of iron and baked clay. And > THE FOURTH KINGDOM WILL BE DIVIDED UP” (Daniel 2:41). > > The four nations ruling the world were Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and > Rome. After Rome, that part of the world was divided into small nations. > Some of these nations are in Europe today, such as France, Germany, Italy, > Spain, and Britain. > > 11. Will these different nations be joined together again? > > “You saw the iron mixed with baked clay. And the fourth kingdom will be > made > up of all kinds of people. They won’t [will not] hold [stick] together any > more than iron mixes with clay” (Daniel 2:43). > > The Bible says these nations will not be joined together again. There will > not be a strong nation ruling all the world. God said they would not stick > together. You cannot mix iron and clay. The nations are like that. They > will > not join together into one nation. Some are strong like iron. Some are > weak > like clay. They will be separate countries until Jesus comes again. > > Strong kings and rulers have tried to make one nation like Rome. They have > tried and are still trying to make the nations of Europe into one large > nation. They have tried to join all the nations of the world together. > They > have fought against the prophecy of the Bible. But the Bible is true. No > man > can fight against its word. > > 12. What will happen in the days of the many nations of Europe? > > “In the time of those kings, the GOD of heaven will SET UP A KINGDOM. It > will never be destroyed. And no other nation will ever take it over. It > will > crush all of those other kingdoms. It will bring them to an end. BUT IT > WILL > LAST FOREVER” (Daniel 2:44). > > The kingdom of God is like the great stone. God's kingdom will destroy all > the nations. Jesus will come as King of kings. He will rule for ever. > > The statue marks off the history of the world. We are living in the time > of > the feet and toes. Europe was divided when Rome was beaten. The world is > still divided. Europe is still in many parts. While Europe is in many > parts, > God will set up His kingdom. Jesus will come to rule as King. Wars and > troubles in the world tell us Jesus is coming back soon. Yes! Jesus will > come soon! When Jesus comes there will be one kingdom. This will be the > kingdom of God. > > > THE OTHER NATIONS WAKE UP > 13. What does the Bible say about other nations who do not believe in God > just before the end? > > “Why do the nations plan evil together? Why do they make useless plans?” > (Psalm 2:1). > > “Announce this among the nations. Tell them to prepare for battle. > Nations, > get your soldiers ready! Bring all of your fighting men together and march > out to attack. Hammer your plows into swords. Hammer your pruning tools > into > spears. LET THOSE WHO ARE WEAK SAY, ‘WE ARE SOLDIERS!’ Come quickly, ALL > OF > YOU SURROUNDING NATIONS. Gather together in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. > LORD, > send your soldiers down from heaven! The LORD says, ‘STIR UP THE NATIONS > INTO ACTION! Let them march into the valley where I will judge them. I > will > take my seat in court. I will judge all of the surrounding nations. My > soldiers, swing your sickles. The nations are ripe for harvest. . . . The > nations have committed far too many sins!’ Huge numbers of soldiers are > gathered in the valley where the LORD will hand down his sentence” (Joel > 3:9-14). > > This is a wonderful prophecy from the Bible. Heathen (non-Christian) > nations > that do not know about Jesus will wake up and become strong. This is a > sign > that Jesus is coming. India, China, and Japan are awake. Other heathen > nations like Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Korea and Iraq are waking up. Weak > nations say they are strong. Small nations talk like strong nations. This > is > another sign of the coming of Jesus. > > > THE FINAL WAR > 14. What does the Bible tell us about the last war? > > “The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates. Its > water > dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. . . . They are > spirits of demons performing miraculous signs. They go out to GATHER THE > KINGS OF THE WHOLE WORLD FOR BATTLE. That battle will take place on the > great day of the God who rules over all. . . . Then the evil spirits > gathered the kings together. The place where the kings met is called > ARMAGEDDON in the Hebrew language” (Revelation 16:12-16). > > Armageddon is the final war. Nations will fight each other. They will > fight > against God and His people. The whole world will be in this battle. It > will > happen at the time of the second coming of Jesus. Jesus comes while the > nations are fighting. His coming will end this final war. > > 15. What does Jesus tell us to do? > > “So you also must be ready. The Son of Man will come at an hour when you > don’t > [do not] expect him” (Matthew 24:44). > > The second coming of Christ finishes all war and sorrow. Soon Jesus will > come. He told us about many signs that are coming true today. Jesus says > to > us, "Be ready.” Before Jesus comes, is the time to get ready. Give your > heart to Jesus now. He will help you to be ready. > > >
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