TEACHING NOTES Introduction As we end our series about King Jesus today, we’re going to focus on the return of King Jesus. 2,000 years ago Jesus left heaven to come to earth. He lived, He died, He rose again, He appeared to hundreds of people, and He ascended to the throne of God. The New Testament tells us repeatedly that Jesus will leave heaven again, return to earth, and appear to all the world as every knee bows to Him as King. ‌ Last week we learned about the the King’s Great Co-mission. At the end of the Great Commission, Jesus made a big promise. ‌ Matthew 28:18–20 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” ‌ I will be with you always = In one sense, Jesus actually never left because His Holy Spirit lives in us. This is why the apostles refer to what we know as the second coming as His “appearing” (2 Thess. 2:8; 1 Tim. 6:14; 2 Tim. 4:1, 8; Titus 2:13; Heb. 9:28; 1 Pet. 5:4; 1 John 2:28). ‌ To the end of the age = The “age” that we are in now is called “the last days” by the apostles (1 Cor. 10:11; Heb. 1:1-2; 9:26; James 5:3). The last days began at Jesus’ first coming and continues until His return. We are in the last age of this creation and a new creation is coming. Therefore, instead of saying “the end is near” we should say “the beginning is near.” ‌ Today, we’re going to talk about “the end of the age.” ‌ Warning: This is going to be one of those moments when you realize that what you’ve been told about what the Bible says is not what the Bible says. ‌ Disclaimer: One teaching cannot begin to cover everything about this topic. If you want to go deeper into this topic, watch our Midweek series: ‌ The End of the Age: A Study of Matthew 24 ‌ https://graceandtruthministries.churchcenter.com/channels/13575/series/20780 ‌ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEQ4hrR34e0&list=PLvoxJRsW9VybDZVYwUUM50w8oZ5tBf5hU&pp=gAQBiAQB ‌ Revelation: A Letter to Seven Churches ‌ https://graceandtruthministries.churchcenter.com/channels/13575/series/20554 ‌ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6I8XUv5pbCw&list=PLvoxJRsW9VyaXszeFi6yVSjAdxkMsYgbu&pp=gAQBiAQB ‌ There is a mountain of confusion in American Christianity about the end times or the last days. Some of the most wild ideas in Christianity come from the study or theorizing about the end of the world. Much of this confusion comes from misreading the passage we are going to cover today. ‌ The Roots of End Times Confusion: ‌- Lack of church history knowledge ‌- Popular views are actually new ideas ‌- Popular Books vs. The Bible ‌- Biblical Illiteracy ‌ The End is Near Catchphrases In the modern world it’s common to hear certain catchphrases that are said to be about the end of the world. It’s important to know where these phrases come from in the Bible and what they actually mean. ‌“Great Tribulation” ‌“Antichrist” or “false christs” ‌“Wars and rumors of wars” ‌“Abomination of desolation” ‌“the sun/moon darkened” ‌“Two in the field, one taken, the other left behind” ‌ Much of the confusion is the result of a certain view of the end. ‌ This view is called Dispensational Premillennialism. Rapture—7 Year Tribulation—2nd Coming—Millennium—Judgment Day ‌ In this view, the Church will be raptured up to heaven before the 7-year tribulation begins. After the tribulation, Jesus will return and begin the kingdom of God for 1,000 years. After the millennium, the dead are resurrected for judgment day. ‌ Big Problem: No one ever heard of this view until the 1800s. ‌ The idea that the great tribulation would be seven years, and that the Church would be raptured before it, did not exist until John Darby and a few other popular revival preachers came up with this view beginning in 1830. It was not until Darby’s view were popularized in the Scofield Study Bible that this view was made popular in America. It is now the most publicized view in popular Christianity. ‌ Matthew 24:1–2 1 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” ‌ The Temple = This is the subject of discussion in this passage. If you miss the fact that the following conversation is about the Jerusalem temple, you will misinterpret everything Jesus is about to say. ‌ The buildings of the temple = The temple mount was a massive building complex. The temple sat in the middle with various large structures surrounding it. The disciple have just heard Jesus say in the temple that it would be destroyed. So they are still in unbelief that such a massive structure could be torn down. ‌ Not one stone left upon another = Jesus is saying that this magnificent temple complex was going to be completely destroyed. This prophesy came to pass about 40 years later in AD 70. A Jewish (non-Christian) eyewitness to that event named Josephus wrote a detailed account where he described the destruction using this exact phrase. ‌ Matthew 24:3 3 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?” ‌ Mount of Olives = If you sit on this mountain side, you have a gorgeous view of the entire temple mount and complex. Jesus often spent time there praying and teaching His disciples. ‌ Three Questions: ‌1. When will the temple be destroyed? ‌2. What will be the sign of your coming? ‌3. What will be the sign of the end of the age? ‌ Matthew 24:4–8 4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. ‌ You = Who is “you” in this passage? This question is vital to reading this passage correctly and in its original context. The “you” in this passage refers to the disciples who are sitting there on the Mount of Olives listening to Jesus. Jesus is not talking to the reader, but the reader is listening to Jesus talking to His disciples. When “you” appears in any passage, we must determine who is being addressed or we will misunderstand the meaning. ‌ Jesus is warning His disciples because they would present when these events would happen. If Jesus is talking to Christians thousands of years later, this would have made no sense to those disciples. So, whatever Jesus is talking about was going to take place while these disciples were still alive. ‌ Signs Preceding the Temple’s Destruction: ‌- False christs and many led astray ‌- Wars and rumors of wars ‌- Nations and kingdoms fighting ‌- Famines and earthquakes ‌ Matthew 24:9–11 9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.” ‌ They will deliver you up = Jesus had already told the apostles that they would be persecuted and killed (Matt. 10:16-23; Luke 21:16). Jesus is telling the disciples that they would be heavily persecuted during this time of tribulation. ‌ Here’s a good question, if Jesus is describing a great tribulation after the rapture of the church, why is He speaking as if His disciples would still be on the earth during this tribulation? If all the Christians will be snatched up to heaven before the tribulation begins, then someone forgot to tell Jesus about that part. ‌ False prophets = Jesus will say more about this later. ‌ Matthew 24:12–14 “12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” ‌ Lawlessness will be increased = Josephus and other ancient historians detail the gross immorality and lawlessness that occured in Jerusalem during the war. The Jews within the city walls began killing each other, betraying each other by giving their own people over to the Romans, and even eating each other when starvation set in. Jews even killed each other in the temple, which defiled their own temple. ‌ The one who endures to the end will be saved = This is about staying faithful to Jesus by doing what He says. This idea also occurs in Rev. 1:9; 2:2-3, 7, 10-11, 17, 19, 26; 3:5, 10, 12, 21; 13:10; 14:12). Contrary to the rapture view, believers are present during this time of tribulation. ‌ The whole world = There are two Greek words that are often translated “world” in the New Testament. The word kosmos refers to the whole world (heavens and earth) and is not the word used here. The word used here is oikoumene, which means the whole empire or the whole known land and does not include the heavens. ‌ The gospel proclaimed, then the end = Jesus says that the Gospel will be proclaimed to all nations and then the end will come. If “the whole world” refers to the whole Roman empire, then we know the Gospel did reach the whole empire before the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in AD 70. Therefore, “the end” here is not the end of the world, but the end of the old covenant age. There is another end of another age mentioned later. ‌ Matthew 24:15–18 15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak.” ‌ Abomination of desolation = This comes from Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11. It refers to a foreign leader entering the Jewish temple and defiling it. This happened before the time of Jesus when Antiochus Epiphanes IV conquered Jerusalem, entered the temple, sacrificed a pig on the altar, and turned God’s temple into a temple to Zeus. Another abomination of desolation happened in AD 70, when the Roman general (later Emperor) Titus entered the temple, did some awful things in the holy of holies, and was declared to be a god by those with him. ‌ Let the reader understand = This was not said by Jesus, but was inserted by Matthew to tell the reader to go back and read the book of Daniel. Why? Because Daniel contains much more about foreign nations conquering Jerusalem. ‌ Luke interprets this abomination for us = Matthew is writing to Jewish people who knew all about the abomination of desolation in the book of Daniel. Luke is writing to Gentiles who knew very little, if at all, about the Old Testament. So when Luke is recording this same conversation, he interprets the “abomination of desolation” as “when Jerusalem is surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near” (Luke 21:20). Luke is explaining to Gentiles what Matthew didn’t have to explain to Jews. ‌ Flee to the mountains = Jesus is telling the disciples that when they see Roman armies surrounding the city, they need to get far away from Jerusalem. We know from historical records that the Christians fled Jerusalem in AD 66-69 and went to a place in the north named Pella across the Jordan river. They saw these signs that Jesus warned them about and fled the city. ‌ Do not turn back = This is the same kind of language from the story of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19:17). In that story, Lot and his family are told to flee to the mountains and not look back. Lot’s wife did turn back and immediately was turned into a pillar of salt (Gen. 19:26). The point here is that Jesus is talking about the destruction of a city, not the end of world. ‌ Matthew 24:19–21 “19 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.” ‌ Pray your flight not be in winter = Why? One obvious reason is that it would be very cold. The less obvious reason to us is that winter is flood season in Jerusalem. The Jordan river, which they will need to cross, floods in winter. Something similar is mentioned in Rev. 12:13-17, which is about Mary and “her offspring” (believers) fleeing from the devil who tries to destroy them with a flood. ‌ Sabbath = The Jews were not allowed to travel on the Sabbath. So Jesus tells them to pray that they can leave Jerusalem on any day other than the Sabbath. If they tried to flee the city on the Sabbath, they would have been arrested and could not get out of the city in time. ‌ There will be great tribulation = While the popular modern views say this refers to a seven-year period in our future, there is no place in the Bible that says the time of great tribulation is seven years. The book of Revelation, which describes a time a great tribulation, repeatedly says that it is three and a half years, not seven. The war between Rome and Jerusalem lasted 42 months (Rev. 11:1-2) and the final seige lasted five months (Rev. 9:5). Though there may be more tribulation or difficult times in our future, Jesus is referring to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. If you read the account of Josephus in his “Wars of the Jews” (written in AD 70-75), this war was certainly the worst thing that has ever happened in Jerusalem. Many of the events recorded in that history match what we read in Rev. 6-19. ‌ Matthew 24:22–25 “22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.” ‌ Days cut short = Many modern views teach that this refers to the rapture of the church. However, Jesus says nothing about being snatched up into heaven here. Jesus is referring to a break or pause in the war that would allow the Christians to get away. This is exactly how it happened in history. In September of AD 66 the Romans began to seige Jerusalem, but suddenly for no good reason they turned back and fled. The Romans then came back later in AD 69 and finished the job. ‌ False christs, false prophets = While the Romans were closing in on Jerusalem the Jews had divided into three groups and were fighting each other within the city walls. During this infighting, there were people claiming to be the Messiah and claiming to be prophets. These false teachers led many people outside the city where they were all killed by the Romans. ‌ Perform great signs and wonders to lead astray = During this time of war in Jerusalem, some false christs and prophets would do miracles. Josephus records some of these in his eyewitness account. The book of Revelation also describes demonic spirits empowering false prophets to do miraculous signs (Rev. 13:13-14; 16:14; 19:20). ‌ Matthew 24:26–28 “26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” ‌ As lightning comes from east to west = This is not literal, but is figurative language to communicate that when Christ’s coming will be undeniable (they would know if it was really Him) and they should not follow some human out into the wilderness. ‌ Wherever the corpse is = Jesus is saying that there will be multitudes killed during this time. Just outside of Jerusalem there is the Valley of Hinnom or Gehenna, where dead were thrown and even burned the first time Jerusalem was conquered by Babylon. This happened again in AD 70. ‌ Matthew 24:29 29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” ‌ Sun, moon, stars = Jesus has just given signs that will be seen on the ground. Now He says there will also be signs in the heavens. During the fall of Jerusalem, eclipses were seen and have been verified by astronomical records. However, this does not have to be taken literally. In the Old Testament, the prophets were told the same kind of language about the first fall of Jerusalem (Isa. 13:10; 24:23; Ezek. 32:7). This kind of apocalyptic language is used to communicate total destruction. ‌ The powers of the heavens shaken = The New Testament repeatedly refers to “the powers” as spiritual beings. The Jewish people understood that the stars represented or were a reminder that these spiritual beings exist. ‌ Matthew 24:30–31 “30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, 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. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” ‌ Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man = Notice that nothing is said about Jesus landing on the ground. This sign is seen in the skies. Josephus tells us that during the war in Jerusalem, strange things happened in the skies. One one occasion a bright T-shaped (cross shaped) star was seen hovering over the city. ‌ Coming on the clouds = It would be easy to assume that this means Jesus is coming down from the clouds to earth. However, this is the same phrase used in Dan. 7:14 where Daniel sees the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. There is nothing about coming down to earth in that passage. Rather, the Son of Man is coming on the clouds to God’s throne in heaven. Also, Isaiah and Ezekiel both describe God’s judgment on a city as God coming on the clouds (Isa. 19:1; Ezek. 38:9). This is standard Jewish judgment language for the destruction of a city, not the end of the world. ‌ All the tribes of the earth = This is better translated, “all the tribes of the land” which refers to the land of Israel. The Greek word for “earth” here is ge, which does not mean the entire globe. It refers to the ground or dirt. For example, if you are digging a hole in your yard you could say, “I’m digging up earth.” But you would not mean that you are digging up the entire globe. ‌ Gather his elect from heaven = Notice that the “gathering” is being done in heaven, not on earth. This is not what is commonly called the Rapture of the Church. The elect angels are being gathered to fight against evil angels. Multiple witnesses (both Roman and Jewish) reported seeing armies of angels moving in the clouds over the city during the war. ‌ Matthew 24:32–35 32 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” ‌ The fig tree lesson = Some in the last few centuries have falsely stated that the fig tree here represents the nation of Israel. This is made up and there is no biblical reason to believe this. Jesus is simply saying that like the blooming of the fig tree indicates a change in the seasons, these signs in Jerusalem indicate a major change is coming (the destruction of the city and temple). ‌ This generation = In the Bible, a generation is around 40 years. Jesus is clearly stating that the events described in verses 4-33 would occur within 40 years. Jesus said this around AD 30/33. In other words, these events would occur by AD 70/73. And that is exactly what happened. ‌ Don’t miss this point: Jesus told the disciples a timeframe of these events even the year in which it would be finished. Therefore, these events cannot be the final return of Jesus and the end of the world. ‌ Heaven and earth will pass away = Most modern readers do not know that this refers to the temple. In the Bible, the temple is the place where heaven and earth meet. Since the presence of God resided in the temple, it was a heaven-and-earth spot. Though that temple has passed away, God’s new temple (the bodies of believers) lives on. ‌ My words will not pass away = Here’s the proof, we’re still reading His words almost 2,000 years later. ‌ Now Jesus shifts to “the end of the age” question. Verses 1-35 is very different from verses 36-44. ‌ Vv. 1-35 is about Jerusalem and the temple. Vv. 36-44 is about the whole world. ‌ Vv. 1-35 contain numerous signs before the event. ‌Vv. 36-44 contain no signs. ‌ Matthew 24:36–37 36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” ‌ But concerning that day and hour = The Greek phrase here clearly indicates a change in the conversation. Jesus is shifting to the disciples’ last question from Matthew 24:3 “… what will be the sign…of the end of the age?” Having just answered their question about the temple’s destruction, now Jesus will turn to the end of the age. ‌ Only the Father knows = Notice that Jesus gives no “signs” for this event. No one will be able to figure out when it will happen because there are no signs to signal the event ahead of time. This is a stark contrast from verses 4-35 where Jesus gives multiple signs and even a time period (this generation, within 40 years). ‌ As were the days of Noah = Everything Jesus is about to say should be understood in relation to Noah’s flood. Jesus is clearly telling us that at the end of the age, it will be like the days of Noah’s flood. If we miss this interpretive instruction, we will misinterpret what follows. ‌ The coming of the Son of Man = Jesus already mentioned “the coming of the Son of Man in Matt. 24:30. So, it would be natural to think that verse 37 is the same event. However, Jesus uses a different Greek word for “coming” in verse 37. We miss this in English, but the Greek word for “coming” in verse 30 is erchomai (going, coming, moving). Here in verse 37 Jesus uses the Greek word parousia, which means “presence” or “appearance.” This means that the coming of the Son of Man in verses 29-35 at the destruction of Jerusalem is a different than the coming of the Son of Man in verses 36-51. ‌ Matthew 24:38–39 “38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” ‌ They were unaware until the flood came = The flood was a day of judgment that came on the wicked while they were unaware. Only Noah and his family (the righteous) were expecting the event and were prepared ahead of time. ‌ Swept them all away = The Greek word for “swept” here eren/airo, which simply means “taken away.” Notice who is taken away in the flood. It was not the righteous (Noah and his family) who were taken. Those who were taken away in the flood were the wicked/unrighteous. Jesus says this is how it will be at the end of the age. The unrighteous will be taken and the righteous left behind. ‌ This next part is often described as the Rapture of the Church, but that cannot be true because the flood is the interpretive key for this event. ‌ Matthew 24:40–42 “40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.” ‌ One will be taken and one left = In Noah’s flood the righteous were left alive on earth to restart creation. The unrighteous were taken away in the flood. At Jesus’ return the same kind of event will occur. The unrighteous will be removed and the righteous are given new bodies for a new creation. ‌ Stay awake = This is a command to remain faithful to Jesus and expect Him to return at any time. This clearly states that Jesus could return at any time. Therefore, we can stop looking at world events and getting worked up as if we can know when it will happen. Simply be ready at all times. ‌ To further illustrate the end of the age, Jesus also told a parable about this event. In Matthew 13:24-30 Jesus tells the Parable of the Weeds. And in Matt. 13:36-43 Jesus explains the parable as the end of the age. ‌ The Parable: ‌- A man planted good seed (wheat) in his field. ‌- An enemy planted weeds during the night. ‌- The servants want to go pull the weeds. ‌- The master says to wait until the harvest. ‌- Reapers are sent to gather out the weeds first. ‌ Matthew 13:37–40 37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.” ‌ Son of Man = This is the title that Jesus used the most for Himself. It is the famous title from Daniel 7:13–14 “13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” The Son of Man is the Divine King of God’s eternal kingdom. ‌ Sons of the kingdom = This refers to the human family of God. Sons of the evil one = This refers to the human followers of evil. ‌ Connection to Genesis: Jesus is picking up on a major theme in Gen. 3. God told the serpent in Genesis 3:15 “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring (seed) and her offspring (seed); he shall crush your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” God has a family and the serpent has a family too. ‌ The enemy is the devil = While the Old Testament presents several rebellious spirits as enemies of God, Jesus identifies the devil as the chief evil one. ‌ The harvest = Jesus portrays the end of the age as a day of harvest. When you harvest crops, the bad is sorted from the good. When you sort the wheat from the weeds, the wheat is saved and the weeds are burned. In other words, the weeds are taken away and the wheat stays. ‌ The reapers are angels = Jesus speaks of the involvement of angels at the end of the age several times (Matt. 13:49; 25:31; Luke 9:26). ‌ Matthew 13:41–43 “41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.” ‌ Gather out of his kingdom = This means that “His kingdom” is the earth. ‌ Gather out all causes of sin and law-breakers = Notice that believers are NOT being gathered, but unbelievers. There are actually two different but related groups of evil here. “All causes of sin” refers to the devil and rebellious spirits who have been corrupting the world since Gen. 3. “All law-breakers” refers to humans who have rejected God and lived in sin. Both spiritual and human evil will be removed from God’s creation in the end. ‌ Fiery furnace = This refers to Gehenna (the lake of fire). Gehenna is a literal valley outside of Jerusalem where the Israelites sacrificed children to Molech in the Old Testament. As a result, God allowed Israel to be conquered and many thousands of Israelites were killed and burned in the same valley where they burned their children to another god. This backstory is why Gehenna gets used as an example of the lake of fire (hell). ‌ Weeping and gnashing of teeth = While this is often understood as eternal suffering, the Greek terms here refer to anger and indignation. For example, before Stephen was stoned in Acts 7 he gave a long sermon against the Jewish leaders. After the sermon we read in Acts 7:54 “Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they gnashed their teeth at him.” Those who end up in the lake of fire will not be surprised or confused, they will hate God even more than they did in this life. ‌ The righteous will shine like the sun = Jesus is quoting straight from Dan. 12:3, which is about the final resurrection of the dead. The righteous are those who trusted in Christ and tried to “turn many to righteousness.” In other words, the righteous are those who lived out the Great Commission. The faithful inherit eternal life in a new creation where all evil has been removed. ‌ In the kingdom of their Father = The kingdom of God is an already-not yet reality. Jesus kickstarted the kingdom in His first coming and the kingdom has been spreading all over the earth since. When Jesus returns He will finish the job and the entire world will be the kingdom of God. ‌ He who has ears, let him hear = This famous statement is an invitation to listen and take the words seriously. If you do not have ears to hear, you are not interested enough to seek more understanding. ‌ Conclusion ‌King Jesus could return at any time. ‌When He returns, all will be judged. ‌The faithful will inherit eternal life. ‌The unfaithful will inherit eternal death. ‌Are you prepared?