Purpose: To help class members

recognize the signs that will precede the Saviors second coming

and to encourage members to prepare themselves for this

great event

What is the sign of thy coming?

Gospel Doctrine Lesson Twenty One

Read Matthew 24:1-3. Identify the three questions that the apostles asked the Savior. We will look at Jesus answers one by one.

When will this time be? The answer is recorded in Luke 21:20, And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation

thereof is nigh. Forty years later, the Roman armies under Titus came in and fulfilled this prediction to the letter. With Titus was a Jewish historian named Josephus who recorded the story in minute detail. It was one of the most brutal sieges in all of history. When the Romans came the city was divided among three warring factions of Jews, who were so preoccupied with their own disagreements that they did notice the approach of the Roman army. Thus, Titus came and surrounded the city without any resistance. The Romans gave the Jews many opportunities to surrender and save Jerusalem but the Jews would not give up. During the long siege a terrible famine raged in the city and the bodies of the dead inhabitants were literally stacked like cordwood In the streets. Mothers ate their own children in order to survive themselves. The toll of Jewish suffering was horrible, but still they would not surrender. Instead, the Jews attempted again and again to trick the Romans through guile and perfidy. When at last the walls were breached Titus tried to preserve the Temple by giving orders to his soldiers not to destroy it. But the solders were so incensed by the refusal of the Jews to surrender that they disobeyed Titus and set fire to the temple anyway. The massive quantities of gold and silver which had been placed in the temple for safe keeping melted in the heat of the fire and ran down between the rocks into the cracks of the stones that formed the temple and the wall around it. When the Roman soldiers finally took the city, in their greed to obtain this gold and silver, they took long bars and prided apart these massive stones. Thus, the words of the Savior were fulfilled quite literally, and not one stone of the temple was left standing upon another.

1

What will be the sign of your coming? When the apostles asked Jesus about his coming they did not have in mind a second advent. They did not picture a descent

from heaven to earth. They had in mind a political revolution and the crowning of Jesus as King and his subsequent role as its acknowledged King and Messiah. When asking this question the apostles used a very interesting word for coming. It is the Greek word, "parousia." This word appears four times in this chapter, in verses 3, 27, 37, and 39. It is not the usual word for coming. It means more than the mere arrival of some person; it also implies his continuing presence after he arrives. This is important, for much of the understanding of this chapter will hinge on the meaning of this word.

2

What will be the sign of the end of the world? The Savior answers this question in Matthew 24:15, When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken

of by Daniel the prophet. The sign Jesus refers to is mentioned in Daniel at least three times. It is the sign of a man, a man who offers himself to the Jews to be worshipped instead of God. This man is the Anti-Christ and is described in Daniel 8:23-26 Daniel 9:26-27, and Daniel 11:36-39. Note that Daniel was told that his vision would not be fulfilled in his own day, but would happen many days hence. Thus Jesus answer is, When you see the man who fulfills the qualifications of the Book of Daniel, sitting in the temple and claiming to be God, then shall the end of the world arrived.

3

Likened to the days of Noah (Matthew 24:41-43)

As Jesus sought for a way to explain his return he hearkened back to the flood of Noah. Parallels are obvious. A message of judgment was proclaimed then. It is

proclaimed still. People didnt listen then. They refuse to listen still. Noah was sent to save the faithful. Christ was sent to do the same. A flood of water came then. A flood of fire will come next. Noah built a safe place out of wood. Jesus

made a safe place with the cross. Those who believed then hid in the ark. Those who believe now have their sins hidden in Christ.

If Jesus were to return today, would you be prepared? If not, what steps should you

take to get that way?

Elder M. Russell Ballard gave the following counsel of hope and

encouragement:

Although the prophecies tell us that these things are to take place, more and more people are expressing great alarm at what appears to be an acceleration of worldwide calamity. Admittedly we have

ample reason to be deeply concerned because we see no immediate answers to

the seemingly unsolvable problems confronting the human family. But

regardless of this dark picture, which will ultimately get worse, we must never allow ourselves to give up hope!

The Lord is in control. He knows the end from the beginning. He has given us adequate instruction that, if followed,

will see us safely through any crisis. His purposes will be fulfilled, and someday we will understand the eternal reasons

for all of these events. Therefore, today we must be careful not to overreact, nor

should we be caught up in extreme preparations; but what we must do is

keep the commandments of God and never lose hope!

But where do we find hope in the midst of such turmoil and catastrophe? Quite

simply, our one hope for spiritual safety during these turbulent times is to turn our minds and our hearts to Jesus Christ. Armed with the shield of faith, we can overcome many of our daily challenges and overpower our greatest weaknesses

and fears, knowing that if we do our best to keep the commandments of God, come

what may, we will be all right (in Conference Report, Oct. 1992, 4143; or

Ensign, Nov. 1992, 3132).

What sign of the second coming mentioned in JST Matthew 1:22? How do you see this

prophecy being fulfilled today?

What sign of the second coming is mentioned in JST Matthew 1:23, 28? How do you see this

prophecy being fulfilled today?

What signs of the second coming are described in JST Matthew 1:29-30? How do you see this

prophecy being fulfilled today?

The Cradle of Hope

THE 1989 ARMENIAN EARTHQUAKE NEEDED ONLY FOUR minutes to flatten the nation and kill thirty thousand people. Moments after the deadly tremor ceased, a father raced to an elementary school to save his son. When he arrived, he saw

that the build- ing had been leveled. Looking at the mass of stones and rubble, he remembered a promise he had made to his child: No matter what

happens, Ill always be there for you. Driven by his own promise, he found the area closest to his sons room and began to pull back the rocks. Other

parents arrived and began sob- bing for their children. Its too late, they told the man. You know they are dead. You cant help. Even a police officer encouraged him to give up. But the father refused. For eight hours, then

sixteen, then thirty-two, thirty-six hours he dug. His hands were raw and his energy gone, but he refused to quit. Finally, after thirty-eight wrenching

hours, he pulled back a boulder and heard his sons voice. He called his boys name, Arman! Arman! And a voice answered him, Dad, its me! Then the boy added these priceless words, I told the other kids not to worry. I told them if you were alive, youd save me, and when you saved me, theyd be saved, too. Be- cause you promised, No matter what, Ill always be there for you. God

has made the same promise to us. I will come back . . . , he assures us. Yes, the rocks will tumble. Yes, the ground will shake. But the child of God

neednt fearfor the Father has promised to take us to be with him. But dare we believe the promise? Dare we trust his loyalty? Isnt there a cautious part of us that wonders how reliable these words may be? Perhaps you have no

doubts. If so, you might want to skip this chapter. Others of us, however, could use a reminder. How can we know he will do what he said? How can we believe he will move the rocks and set us free? Because hes already

done it once. Jack Canfield and Mark Hansen, Chicken Soup for the Soul (Deerfield Beach, FLO:

Health Communications, 1993), 273-74.

Describe a time in your life when the rocks tumbled and the ground shookbut the promise of Christs return buoyed you up.