seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Luke 21:1 As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3 “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
5 Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, 6 “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.”
7 “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”
8 He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. 9 When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.”
10 Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
12 “But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13 And so you will bear testimony to me. 14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 Everyone will hate you because of me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 Stand firm, and you will win life.
20 “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. 22 For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. 23 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
29 He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30 When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
32 “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
37 Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple, and each evening he went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives, 38 and all the people came early in the morning to hear him at the temple.
I found the blueletterbible.org site first this morning.
But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies: Most Jews expected the Messiah to return in glory when hostile Gentile armies surrounded Jerusalem. When the Romans circled the city in 70 A.D., there was a sense of rejoicing among many of the Jews.
Let those who are in Judea: However, Christians in Jerusalem knew what Jesus had said and they obeyed Him, fleeing across the Jordan River to a city named Pella. No Christians perished in the fall of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles: The Israelis took possession of Jerusalem in 1968, but the holy mount is still Arab property, under Arab rule. As far as God is concerned, the most important piece of real estate in Jerusalem-and prophetically speaking, the most important in the world-is still trampled by Gentiles.
Until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled: What happens when the times of the Gentiles are over? Then, His particular dealings with Israel begin again, and the last seven-year period of Daniel 9 begins. The calamities described in following verses will come in this period.
These comments are from the easy English site.
Good relationships between nations will end. But wars will not be the evidence of the immediate end of the world. Wars will happen all through the time. Bad events have happened on the earth all through history. Strange events in the sky have always frightened people. But all these events will probably happen together before the end of the world.
About 40 years later, Roman armies camped outside Jerusalem for about 5 months. The people in the city were starving. They were so desperate that they were even prepared to eat human bodies.
Jesus thought especially of women who were expecting babies or still feeding them. They would suffer themselves. And they would watch their children starve to death. It would be a terrible experience.
The Old Testament prophets often wrote of strange events in the sky. These would happen before God’s judgement. The earth will become dark because the sun, moon and stars will not give their light (Amos 8:9; Joel 3:15). The sea will be greatly more stormy than usual. Something will shake the sky. The Greek word for ‘shake’ refers to an earthquake (when the earth shakes greatly). But this will happen in the sky.
Thousands of people came to Jerusalem for Passover. Jesus was able to continue to teach. The crowds were too great so the rulers would not arrest him. He may have slept outdoors on the Mount of Olives or stayed in a friend’s house that night.
So... according to this chapter.... this is not the end... the pandemic, hate, riots, and kids home all day every day.... is not the end. I wrote a whole long paragraph about how the preachers are stealing from the poor to line their own pockets but I erased it. It's not just the old women who have been steadily supporting the church that will be taken advantage of..... almost everyone will be "taken in" by the church. Jesus said a lot of false preachers would come along.... claiming to be preaching the Gospel.... but what better place for a fake to take their place.... but in the pulpit.... where the paycheck and the housing are free. The wolf is in the meadow with the sheep.... and the sheep will not fight.Jesus says the heavens will rock.... the stars and the moon won't give light. The commentaries say it will be quick. But... it will be awful.... mothers will watch their babies starve to death. That's going on now.... babies are starving all over the world.... but I get the feeling Jesus is talking about something even more sinister. I've read there has to be a horrific earthquake.... and here I read that there has to be no stars or moon visible and on top of that the oceans will more stormy than usual.
Before this whole pandemic thing really got going [and before the riots].... I was diagnosed with a detached retina. I had not one but two surgeries to repair it. NOW.... I have been in quarantine since the first week of March.... and day before yesterday I was told that before I can get the gel removed [surgically] I have to have a negative COVID-19 test. So yesterday I tracked down a place to have the test done.... shoved that swab up my nose and now I am waiting..... they won't even schedule the procedure until the test comes back.... so I'm in the house.... away from everyone except hubby... till then 'cause I want my sight back.
One of the "benefits" or "trials" of being in quarantine is PBS and Quest. A girl can only watch so much talk about when sports may start up again.... or bashing of numerous types.... I've been watching a lot of stuff about history and how the earth was formed and how people around the world are living on top of the remains of other people long before them. I can see how the oceans will be stormier.... if the core heats up before the earthquake..... the oceans would be releasing all kinds of steam.... and the volcanoes will be burping chemicals from deep in the earths core.... and the resulting clouds will hide the heavens. What dry might shift to ocean bottom and what is ocean bottom now.... might be dry earth when this is done shifting. .......
All that natural calamity makes the riots and bashing seem idiotic.
God is in control.
