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Beginning on Sunday, December 8, 2024, our Pastor began using the LSB version of the Bible in all of his teaching and preaching. This is the newly updated version of the NASB, which he has been using for a number of years. Here is some information on the LSB for those who would like to learn more. It also explains why Pastor Alan is now using this version of the English Bible.

The Legacy Standard Bible has been produced with the conviction that the words of Scripture as originally penned in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek are the eternal Word of God. The Holy Scriptures speak with authority to each generation, giving wisdom that leads to salvation, that people may serve Christ to the glory of God. Because it is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16), every word of it is inspired, every word is true, and every word must be conveyed to every nation, tribe, people, and tongue (Rev. 7:9), so that every word can be taught and obeyed (Josh. 23:14; Mt. 28:20; Jn. 17:17).

THE FOURFOLD AIM OF THE LOCKMAN FOUNDATION

1. These publications shall be true to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.

2. They shall be grammatically correct.

3. They shall be understandable.

4. They shall give the Lord Jesus Christ His proper place, the place which the Word gives Him; therefore, no work will ever be personalized.

PREFACE TO THE LEGACY STANDARD BIBLE

In the history of the English Bible translations, the King James Version is the most well-known. This time-honored version of 1611, itself a revision of the Bishops’ Bible of 1568, became the basis for the English Revised Version, which appeared in 1881 (New Testament) and 1885 (Old Testament). Its American counterpart, a product of both British and American scholarship, was published in 1901. Recognizing the values of the American Standard Version, The Lockman Foundation felt an urgency to preserve the ASV while incorporating recent discoveries of Hebrew and Greek textual sources and rendering it into more current English. This resulted in the New American Standard Bible, a translation based upon the time-honored principles of translation of the ASV and KJV, along with other linguistic tools and biblical scholarship.

The Legacy Standard Bible reflects another iteration of such preservation and refinement. Worked on by a core translation team in conjunction with pastors and educators from different countries, it is designed to honor, maintain, and advance the tradition represented by the NASB.

PRINCIPLES OF TRANSLATION

Key Principles: The Legacy Standard Bible has worked to uphold the style and translational choices of the NASB as much as possible. Even more, it has endeavored to follow through on the NASB’s stated intent to be true to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. While the interpreter, teacher, and pastor have the goal of understanding what the text means, the translator is to provide them with what the text says. Consistently, the goal of this translation is to be a window into the original text. Within that goal, this revision has focused upon accuracy and consistency. It has checked that words and grammar have been carried over properly. It also established rules for the consistent translation of terms within their various nuances. This allows the reader to more easily reconstruct what the original texts said. It also helps the reader more easily trace the flow of argument within a text, identify when the same word is used in another passage, and make connections between texts.

There are limits to the application of this philosophy. In this edition, a word might not be translated consistently in order to maintain a highly familiar rendering of a text or to preserve a wordplay in the text that advances the inspired author’s message. Moreover, because Scripture is a literary masterpiece, some linguistic features could not be transferred to this translation, not even by a note. Nevertheless, ensuring that the original languages are precisely rendered paves the way for careful readers to discover these insights for themselves.

In this way, the LSB upholds the philosophy that a translation does not replace pastors or teachers but rather depends upon faithful believers and the church to study and live out what has been written (Acts 8:30-31). Translation is a tool for the church and must be done in that context so that each word of Scripture may be taught and lived.

Modern English Usage: The attempt has been made to render the grammar and terminology in contemporary English. When word-for-word literalness was determined unacceptable to the modern reader; a change was made in the direction of a more current English idiom. In the instances where this has been done, the more literal rendering has been indicated in the notes. There are a few exceptions to this procedure. Of note, while an effort has been made to incorporate conjunctions as much as possible, the conjunction “and” is occasionally not translated at the beginning of sentences because of differences in style between ancient and modern writing. Punctuation is a relatively modern invention, and ancient writers often linked most of their sentences with “and” or other connectives.

Alternate Readings: In addition to the more literal renderings, notations have been made to include readings of variant manuscripts, explanatory equivalents of the text, and alternate translations that may bring out a play on words difficult to maintain in the text. These notations have been used specifically to assist the reader in comprehending the terms used by the original author.

THE COMMITMENTS OF THE LEGACY STANDARD BIBLE

The Legacy Standard Bible aspires to be a legacy preserved – to uphold the work and tradition that is found in translations from the KJV, ASV, to NASB.

The Legacy Standard Bible aspires to be a legacy performed – to advance the commitments of past translations by bringing forth features of the original text relative to accuracy and consistency.

The Legacy Standard Bible aspires to be a legacy passed on – to equip generations to study Scripture and continue the philosophy of being a window.
~ The Lockman Foundation

For additional information we recommend you contact The Lockman Foundation -- https://www.lockman.org/legacy-standard-bible-lsb/

A WORLD OF DECEPTION

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we come before You this morning in pursuit of the truth. We know that You alone can reveal what is hidden in darkness and bring to light what is concealed. I ask that You would give us divine discernment to know what is true and what is false, what is right and what is wrong. I pray that You will uncover any deception or lies that may be clouding our minds or leading us astray. Shine Your light on any hidden motives or agendas that are not aligned with Your will. May we remember that the truth is not just a set of facts, but it is a way of life. It is living in alignment with Your word and being guided by Your Holy Spirit. Help us, Lord, to always seek after the truth, even when it is difficult or uncomfortable. I ask You to give me clarity of thought and the courage to speak truthfully and boldly to Your people today. I pray for these things in the name of Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life. Amen.

Introduction: The end came swiftly – 4 p.m. local time on Christmas Day, 1989. Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, hands bound, faces defiant, stood before a firing squad of Romanian paratroopers. In an instant, their bodies were riddled with 120 rounds of ammunition, and one of the twentieth century’s most brutal reigns of terror came to an end. These executions also signaled the end of the Communist regimes knows as the Soviet Bloc.

Ceausescu was a master of deception. His face could be stern, happy, terrifying – whatever he wanted it to be. He and his wife kept an iron grip on Romania for 24 years, promising to turn the nation into a utopia, a country without oppression or poverty, and a place of plenty and prosperity. All the while, their cruel fists were crushing their own people and squeezing their nation dry.

Ceausescu presented himself as a man of unprecedented talent: “the supreme embodiment of good,” the “hero of heroes,” the “worker of workers,” and the “first personage of the world” (his words, not mine).

His wife, Elena, was an attractive woman from a peasant background who was determined to be as powerful as her husband. She became first deputy prime minister and the “mother of the nation.” The media hailed her as a model for women everywhere. Actually, she was more like a modern Jezebel. In fact, the Ceausescu’s story bears a striking resemblance to King Ahab and Queen Jezebel of OT infamy. It’s the story of an arrogant couple who were addicted to power and reigned through deceit, duplicity, and unimaginable cruelty – with a disastrous ending.

Many historians will tell you they were as evil and Hitler; they simply lacked the opportunity to work on as grand a scale. They deceived not only their own people but also the West. Queen Elizabeth II knighted Ceausescu. The United States granted his country “most-favored nation” trading status. Former Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin credited Ceausescu with successfully mediating Anwar Sadat’s peace mission to Jerusalem. This couple fooled the world for decades.

Unfortunately, they aren’t the last of the great deceivers. Counterfeit leaders are still proliferating like spores in the air, growing worse by the day. This trend won’t end until the Antichrist meets his doom.

Deception is a frequent topic in Scripture. It begins in the garden of Eden when Eve said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (Gen. 3:13). At the other end of the Bible, we read something similar: “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:10).

Just think of it: the master deceiver – Satan – enters the picture three chapters into the Bible, and he is cast into the lake of fire three chapters from the end of the Bible. From Eden to the end, he’s been spinning webs of deception and smothering our world.

Jesus took keen notice of this theme in His Olivet Discourse. Deceit occupies a significant place in the prophetic passages of the NT, and this is actually where Jesus began His teaching about signs of the times. When the disciples came to Jesus and asked Him about the future, He began His response by saying, “Take heed that no one deceives you” (Mt. 24:4).

I. THE STATUS OF DECEPTION (Mk. 13:5-6; Lk. 21:8; Mt. 24:23-24; Rev. 6:1-2; Mt. 24:11, 36, 42, 44, Mt. 25:13; Mk. 13:32)

According to Jesus, disinformation will play a major role in the world during the last days. While we should always be on alert for lies and misdirection, the Lord warned us to be especially watchful for spiritual deceit as the day of His return approaches.

[READ Mk. 13:5-6]
5 Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 6 Many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many.

[READ Lk. 21:8]
8 And He said, “See to it that you are not deceived; for many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time is at hand.’ Do not go after them.

[READ Mt. 24:23-24]
23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

As I mentioned last week, the judgments promised in Matthew 24:4-11 parallel the first five seal judgments of Revelation 6:1-11; with the very first seal depicting a false messiah.

[READ Rev. 6:1-2]
1 Then I looked when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, “Come.” 2 Then I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sits on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out overcoming and to overcome.

This rider on the white horse is a counterfeit. He is a false christ. He will arise as a global champion, the person of the hour, to rescue the world from impending catastrophe. In short order, he will mutate into the Antichrist. But this personage won’t simply appear in a vacuum. Leading up to his appearance, many others will come and falsely claim to be the Messiah (1 Jn. 2:18). Our Lord specifically instructed His disciples not to fall for such claims.

Is this such a far-fetched idea? People actually claiming messiahship? Figures claiming the be the Savior? No! Even in the first century, several revolutionaries made that boast and are mentioned in the book of Acts (see the inside cover of today’s bulletin).

In every century after Christ’s death and resurrection, impostors have claimed to be the Messiah or some other sort of savior to their people or to the world. And every single one of them have been pretenders.

But it’s not only false messiahs that are the problem. For every impostor who has claimed to be the Messiah, at least ten others claim knowledge about the future that they simply cannot know. These are false prophets. Jesus warned us about these individuals as well.

[READ Mt. 24:11]
11 Many false prophets will arise and will deceive many.

I shared a little bit about one of these false prophets on Wednesday. In the 1800s, a New Englander named William Miller became enamored with determining the date of the imminent return of Christ, using dubious mathematical calculations. He collected mounds of data, analyzed it, and was certain Christ would return on March 21, 1843. The press went wild, and the news spread across the country. As March 21 approached, businesses closed, people stayed home, and Miller’s devoted followers donned their ascension robes, hiked into the mountains, and climbed towering trees to get as high as possible so they would have “less distance to travel through the air” when the Lord returned with a shout.

Well, the day came and went. The Lord didn’t return. The Millerites trudged home, accompanied by leers and jeers from their neighbors and friends. It was a confusing day for these disappointed men and women. Even worse, it made everyone who followed the news a bit more cynical about Christianity.

But Miller wasn’t a man to give up easily. He went back to the Scriptures and found a one-year “mistake” in his calculations. Exactly 365 days later, the Millerites once again robed themselves, climbed trees, and awaited the Lord’s return. And once again, they were disappointed -- and this time angry. Most of them abandoned their sincere but deluded leader. And infinitely more tragic, some of them turned their hearts away from God altogether. To his credit, Miller repented of his date setting and publicly admitted he had made a terrible error, not just in his calculations but in his foolish attempts to set the date of Christ’s return. But by then, or course, the damage was done.

Many other people have speculated on the day and hour of the Lord’s return, some of them making specific predictions about the end of the world. When I read about these false prophets, I wonder what Bible they’re studying. The Bible clearly says the date of our Lord’s return is unknown and unknowable by anyone on earth.

[READ Mt. 24:36]
36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

[READ Mt. 24:42]
42 “Therefore stay awake, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.

[READ Mt. 24:44]
44 For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

[READ Mt. 25:13]
13 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

[READ Mk. 13:32]
32 But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

Perhaps a couple of these verses confuse you. If Jesus is God, why didn’t He Himself know the time of His own return? Well, when Jesus spoke these words, He had divested Himself of the independent use of His attributes. He had taken the form of a man (Phil. 2:7), totally obedient to His Father and completely reliant on the Holy Spirit. In His humanity, He had temporarily relinquished some of the privileges of His deity. When Jesus rose from the dead and received His glorified body, He once again had access to His omniscience. Therefore, Christ now knows and looks forward to the day of His return.

Why, then, would some people claim to know the timing of Jesus’ return? If Christ Himself, in His humanity, didn’t know the details, why would anyone else boast of knowing? That’s the pull and power of deception.

Jesus strenuously warned us against being deceived in our spiritual lives. The NT epistles warn God’s people about the possibility of being deceived no fewer than 11 times! Just as brilliant people have been scammed and taken in by clever hoaxes, it’s also possible for Christians – even solid and mature believers – to be tricked. Without the wisdom and grace of God, we’re all vulnerable to deception. This danger will only accelerate as we move closer to Jesus’ return.

II. THE SOURCE OF DECEPTION (Rev. 12:9; Jn. 8:44; 2 Cor. 11:13-14)

The spiritual deception Jesus warns us of isn’t mere coincidence. There is someone behind these deceptions. Satan, the enemy of our souls, is the ultimate deceiver and the father of lies. From the dawn of history, one of his primary tools has been deceit.

[READ Rev. 12:9] John describes Satan this way …
9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world.

[READ Jn. 8:44] Jesus describes Satan this way …
44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Spiritual deception may be Satan’s most insidious weapon against those of us who follow Christ and belong to His church. Jesus and His apostles spoke of it nearly 30 times in the NT. Satan is a liar. He is the Serpent. He is the deceiver. But he masquerades as something else, and so do his followers:

[READ 2 Cor. 11:13-14]
3 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

When this deception becomes full-blown in the period surrounding the rapture, it will be unlike anything that has ever happened before on earth. Just as clouds gather before a storm, we are experiencing the pull of apocalyptic deception. It is all around us. It’s in the air! What we’re sensing are the birth pains of deception, which will intensify around the globe before the rapture occurs. We feel it when politicians regularly fail to follow through on campaign promises. We feel it when media personalities tell us that up is down and dark is light. We feel it when scientists make outlandish claims about basic biology that don’t stand up to the scrutiny of common sense. We feel it when governments practice censorship in the name of protection, and persecution in the name of peace. We feel it when social media entraps our children with its lies.

In short, we’re already seeing an erosion of trust in the foundations that have held our cultures and civilizations together for millennia. That erosion will intensify as we approach the Lord’s return.

III. THE STRATEGY OF DECEPTION (2 Cor. 2:11)

About 2,400 years ago, a man in China by the name of Sun Tzu wrote a book called The Art of War. It remains popular even today with leaders in business, entertainment, education, law, politics, government, sports, and many other fields who study and apply Tzu’s principles in modern contexts.

Tzu wrote, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” Based on this paragraph, Sun Tzu is credited with coining the phrase, “Know your enemy.”

This is what the apostle Paul had in mind when he told the Corinthians not to be “ignorant of [Satan’s] devices” (2 Cor. 2:11). As followers of Christ, we need to know our enemy so we can stand against his schemes – including the scheme of deception. The best way to learn about Satan’s strategies is by studying God’s Word. The strategy Satan implemented in the garden of Eden is the same he uses today, and the same he will utilize in the last days. Unfortunately, many Christians have never analyzed his strategy, which is one reason they’re victimized by false prophets and deceptive doctrines running rampant. What is Satan’s universal strategy? It’s presented in detail in the third chapter of Genesis.

• Satan Disputes God’s Word (Gen. 3:1)
Satan began tempting Adam and Eve by disputing God’s Word.

[READ Gen. 3:1]
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which Yahweh God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”

Satan tried to water down what God had said. To change it just a little. He whispered in Eve’s ear that perhaps she didn’t hear God correctly.

The devil tries something similar on us today. We open the clear, plain Word of God in front of us and read a verse that tells us we shouldn’t do something we’d really like to do. The next thing we know, someone shows up to give us an alternate interpretation of the text that will allow us to do what we know God has forbidden. That is a moment of decision. We must choose to accept the truth of God’s Word and act accordingly – or allow ourselves to be deceived.

• Satan Denies God’s Word (Gen. 3:4, 2:17)
Next, Satan told Adam and Eve, “You will not surely die” (Gen. 3:4). The road from doubt to denial is not very long. When Satan said, “You will not surely die,” he was brazenly contradicting what God had said. See for yourself:

[READ Gen. 2:17]
17 … But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat from it; for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.

You can’t miss the sequence! Doubt opens the door to denial. If Adam and Eve had not listened to Satan in the beginning, they would have never denied God in the end.

• Satan Displaces God’s Word (Gen. 3:5; Isa. 5:20; 1 Cor. 10:13)

After Satan disputed God’s Word and then denied it, he displaced it. He told Adam and Eve: “You will be like God” (Gen. 3:5). Satan was putting into their minds the same disturbing thought that had once entered his own mind – the same impulse that had transformed him from the anointed cherub to the devil of hell.

One of the easiest ways to see Satan’s plan at work in the world today is to observe how our culture treats sin. How easily we seem to push aside the pure truth of Scripture when doing so suits our purpose. Lying doesn’t seem bad if we’re trying to spare another person’s feelings or when facing a case of situational ethics. Adultery doesn’t feel as wrong when we describe it through doublespeak – just an “improper relation-ship” or even “true love.” Or gluttony and addiction aren’t the result of personal choices but genetic disorders or chemical imbalances.

Soon we find ways to dispute what God’s Word actually says. We say, “Those restrictions may have been true in the culture of Paul’s day, but things are different now. A sophisticated modern person such as myself can handle a bit of gray instead of treating everything as black or white.” When we allow Satan to sow seeds of doubt in our minds about the significance of sin, we’ve opened our hearts to the devil’s deception. How easily we justify our behavior! Right and wrong are turned upside down in the twinkling of an eye.

[READ Isa. 5:20] Isaiah wrote
20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil,
Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness,
Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

That can easily happen if we allow ourselves to be deceived. But it doesn’t have to. We don’t have to let Satan control our lives. The apostle Paul’s promise to the Corinthians still stands:

[READ 1 Cor. 10:13]
13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man, but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

• Satan Discounts God’s Goodness (Gen. 2:16-17, 3:2)

There’s another link in the chain of deception. The devil wants us to discount the Lord’s goodness, mercy, and grace. Notice God’s original instructions for humanity:

[READ Gen. 2:16-17, NKJV]
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Do you see God’s generosity? An abundance of goodness was offered “freely,” with only one restriction. Yet Eve reframed God’s original command when she spoke with Satan.

[READ Gen. 3:2, NKJV]
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; …”

Do you see what’s missing? Eve omitted God’s gracious provision that she and Adam could “freely” eat of every tree in the garden. In other words, her comprehension of God’s provision wasn’t nearly as magnanimous as God had intended. Satan got her with his evil insinuations about God. When you start questioning the grace and goodness of God, you’re on the road to deception.

Have you been tempted in that way? Why did God let this happen? You might wonder. If God is so good, why are these things taking place? Will He not answer my prayer? Where is He?

Let me give you some advice that has helped me in these situations. Stop and ask yourself a few questions to get reoriented. Is God good? Has He been good to me? Does His Word light the path ahead of me? Are His grace and provision sufficient for all my needs? Has He met my needs in the past? Has He given me promises to bear me through the difficulty? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes and yes!

Don’t let Satan push you into thinking God has abandoned or failed you. When you open the door to those kinds of thoughts, you’re allowing Satan to sow seeds of deception in your heart.

• Satan Dramatizes God’s Restrictions (Gen. 3:2-3; 2 Tim. 2:15)

Adam and Eve not only discounted God’s goodness, but they also dramatized God’s restrictions, or they added to them.

Nowhere in Genesis 1 and 2 do we find that God told the first humans not to “touch” the forbidden tree. But Eve said to the serpent …

[READ Gen. 3:2-3, NKJV]
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”

You might wonder, well what difference does that make? It makes a big difference. When you handle God’s Word carelessly, you give Satan an inroad to your life. You’ll soon be thinking less of the grace of God and more of the law of God. You’ll be focused on what you can’t do rather than what you are privileged to do.

That’s how the Serpent deceives us. Throughout my pastoral ministry, I’ve seen this demonic process played out. It happens to young people and older people, to new Christians and individuals who have been in the church for years, to the rich and the poor, to the highly educated and to high school dropouts. When we overemphasize the boundaries in our lives, we are prone to misrepresenting God and His Word, and we fall into Satan’s trap.

[READ 2 Tim. 2:15] The Bible tells each of us to …
5 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

• Satan Diminishes God’s Penalty (Gen. 2:17; 1 Pet. 5:8; Jn. 10:10)

Adam and Eve discounted God’s goodness, they dramatized God’s restrictions, and finally they diminished God’s penalty. Eve said, “Lest you die.” But that’s not what God said. Let’s look again at Genesis 2:17.

[READ Gen. 2:17]
17 … But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat from it; for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”

Eve left out the “surely die” part and changed it to a simpler “lest you die.” The latter sounds like death is something that might happen – that it might be a possibility. The former makes it clear that death is inevitably connected with sin.

It’s easy for modern Christians to start reading the Word of God in this fashion – to see “maybe” when the text says “definitely,” or to hear “consider” when Scripture says “obey.” It opens the door to the deception of Satan.

For example, have you ever noticed how the devil comes to a young person and whispers, “You know how you’ve got all these drives within you? God put them there. He never meant for you to be frustrated all the time. After all, everybody’s doing it. We live in a sexually free environment, and yeah, I know you’re a Christian, but you’re also human. God expects you to be happy.”

Are you listening? The devil doesn’t want to help you! He wants to harm you. He wants to destroy, not build. He wants to enslave, not liberate. The Bible says, “The devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). He seldom does this in an obvious or obnoxious way. He does it deceptively, by sowing little seeds of doubt about the Word of God.

[READ Jn. 10:10]  Jesus said …
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; ….

We must understand this reality as we look toward Christ’s return. Satan is conducting an onslaught of deception designed to destroy you and me. If we’re not aware of it, we’ll be victimized by it. And the momentum seems to be on his side because evil is accelerating to warp speed as we hurtle toward the tribulation.

IV. THE SOLUTION TO DECEPTION (Jn. 14:6)

I recently read a story about an author named Mack Stiles who described leading a young man to faith in Christ. This particular young man, Andreas, was from Sweden, and the conversation got started when he voiced a common misconception about who Jesus is and what He offers.

Andreas said, “I’ve been told that if I decide to follow Jesus, He will meet my needs and my life will get very good.”
“No, Andreas,” said Stiles.
Andreas blinked with surprise.
“Actually, Andreas, you may accept Jesus and find that life goes very badly for you.”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“Well, you may find that your friends reject you, you could lose your job, your family might oppose your decision – there are a lot of bad things that may happen to you if you decide to follow Jesus. Andreas, when Jesus calls you, He calls you to go the way of the cross.”
“Then why would I want to follow Jesus?”
“The answer, Andreas, is because Jesus is true.”

Amen to that! Jesus is the solution to our world being driven deeper and deeper into deception. He’s the only needed answer to Satan’s strategy of deceit. Jesus is the truth, and He tells the truth. He is always, only, and forever true.
If you grasp the truth and it grasps you, it will set you free (Jn. 8:32). That’s the answer we need, and that is the answer Jesus provides. We know because He told us,

[READ Jn. 14:6] 
6 … “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.

Jesus is utterly dependable and trustworthy. You can take Him at His word. When you meet Him, you move from false to true, from deception to reality, from relative confusion to absolute knowledge.

Now, let’s think as practically as we can. What can we do in our everyday lives to lift up the voice and value of truth to a world drowning in deception?

• Seek the Truth (Ps. 119:160)

First, make up your mind to seek the truth wherever it leads.

Dr. Michael Guillen was a professor of physics at Harvard and science editor for ABC News. He was an atheist, but the complex precision of the universe shook his faith in atheism. He became fascinated with Buddhism, Islam, and Chinese mysticism. But they didn’t satisfy him intellectually or emotionally.

One day his girlfriend, Laurel, asked him, “Have you ever actually read the Bible?” For the next two years, Michael and Laurel read the Bible cover to cover. That led to a longer study of Scripture and a reevaluation of his worldview in light of the person of Jesus Christ. Michael was especially impressed with the prophetic portions of Scripture. “Among the hundreds of OT prophecies are ones that foretell the coming of a Messiah,” he wrote. “Those were fulfilled in Christ, and the logic of the NT became unassailable.”

Dr. Guillen continued: One day it finally became clear to me what that conclusion had to be. It wasn’t an emotional experience for me. Rather, it was the culmination of an intellectual dawning, a gradual awakening, that had begun two decades earlier at Cornell when I – an unkempt, malnourished scientific monk – asked myself a simple but pointed question: How did this amazing, mostly invisible universe of ours come to be? … The answer, I now concluded … had everything to do with the loving God who spoke them into being, and the resurrected Jesus who brought this loving but remote God down to Earth, making it possible for me – for you, for anyone – to know Him personally.

[READ Ps. 119:160a]
160a The sum of Your word is truth, ….

I ran across a little maxim this week: The Bible: need it, read it, heed it, and speed it on its way to others. In other words, seek the truth.

• Speak the Truth (Col. 3:9-10; Prov. 12:22)

Second, speak the truth.

[READ Col. 3:9-10]
9 Do not lie to one another, since you put off the old man with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new man who is being renewed to a full knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.

Let’s be honest with one another. Many people feel comfortable with little lies. White lies. Minor misdirection.

* “Yes, the check’s in the mail.”

* “No, officer, I wasn’t aware I was speeding.”

* “I didn’t think my friend would mind my using his account for that streaming service.”

* “I didn’t mean to.”

As a culture, we’ve convinced ourselves dishonesty is only dangerous if it actively harms another person. But we’re only fooling ourselves.

[READ Prov. 12:22]
22 Lying lips are an abomination to Yahweh,
But doers of faithfulness are His delight.

For this very reason, let’s speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

• Show the Truth (2 Thes. 2:10; Prov. 23:23)

I recently read a story about a 67-year-old woman who was caught shoplifting in Stockholm, Sweden. Now, here’s the really strange part: this woman was one of the justices on Sweden’s Supreme Court!

How should we process this news? On the one hand, her crime was relatively minor. For many around the world, shoplifting is not a big deal (which is another deception, by the way). Yet, because of her status – because of her identity as a representative of the law in her nation’s highest court – she had to resign from her position.

The solution to the devil’s deception is for followers of Jesus to seek the truth, speak the truth, and, most important, show the truth through the witness of our everyday lives. Why? Because we are representatives of our Lord, who is the truth! Of course, representing Christ as the truth can be difficult when we live in a world that doesn’t value or believe in “truth.”

In his book Time for Truth, Dr. Os Guinness argued that the concept of truth in our modern world is dead: “Truth in any objective or absolute sense, truth that is independent of the mind of the knower, no longer exists. At best, truth is relative – it’s all a matter of interpretation and it all depends on the perspective. At worst, truth is ‘socially constructed’ – merely a matter of human convention and a testament to the community that believes it and the power that established it.”

This is satanic! The devil has effectively inserted a false definition of truth into our culture, our schools, and yes, even our churches. But you cannot be a genuine follower of Christ if you embrace a diluted form of truth.  Dr. John MacArthur wrote, “Every true Christian should know and love the truth. Scripture says one of the key characteristics of ‘those who perish’ (people who are damned by their unbelief) is that ‘they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved’ (2 Thes. 2:10).”

Instead of diluting what is true, let’s take Solomon’s advice: “Buy the truth, and do not sell it” (Prov. 23:23).

V. IN CONCLUSION (3 Jn. 3-4)

In closing, let me share another insight from Os Guinness: All truth is God’s truth and is true everywhere, for everyone, under all conditions. Truth is true in the sense that it is objective and independent of the mind of any human knower ….

Let me put it another way, Christian faith is not true because it works; it works because it is true. It is not true because we experience it; we experience it – deeply and gloriously – because it is true. It is not simply ‘true for us;’ it is true for anyone who seeks to find it, because truth is true even if nobody believes it and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. This is why truth does not yield to opinion, numbers, office, or sincerity – it is simply true and that is the end of it.

[READ 3 Jn. 3-4] The apostle John wrote …
3 For I rejoiced greatly when brothers came and bore witness to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. 4 I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

Beloved, let’s be the truth. Let’s stand against the things that are false by standing up for the things that are true. Let’s stop posturing and actually be the people we want others to think we are. This is what I know: as we move into the deceptive days Jesus told us about in Matthew 24, the world is watching. It’s time for us to be honest!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we come to You seeking discernment and wisdom. Enable us to see through the falsehoods and deceptions of this world, as well as the lies and manipulations from the enemy of our souls. Keep us alert and vigilant, not only for ourselves, but for those around us. Give us courage to speak the truth and share Your Word in the face of opposition and adversity. We pray for the Holy Spirit to guide us in path of truth, leading us towards righteousness. O Father, give us the strength to resist temptation and stand firm in our faith. We ask You to protect us and our loved ones from the schemes of the enemy. May we be lights in the darkness, shining Your love and goodness for all to see. I ask this in the Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who has defeated the enemy and given us the victory. Amen.

Invitation Slides: “This Is the Threefold Truth” (3 vs.)

Benediction: Beloved, set a watch over your lips; let no corrupt words come out of your mouths. Rather, speak what is true and good for edification, so that it will impart grace to those who hear it. Amen. (Eph. 4:29)

A WORLD OF DECEPTION

Olivet Discourse (Lesson 2) - September 14, 2025 - Rev. Alan Cousins

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Introduction: Unfortunately, counterfeit leaders are still proliferating like spores in the air, growing worse by the day. This trend won’t end until the Antichrist meets his doom.

Deception is a frequent topic in Scripture. Jesus took keen notice of this theme in His Olivet Discourse. Deceit occupies a significant place in the prophetic passages of the NT, and this is actually where Jesus began His teaching about signs of the times.

I. THE STATUS OF DECEPTION (Mk. 13:5-6; Lk. 21:8; Mt. 24:23-24; Rev. 6:1-2; Mt. 24:11, 36, 42, 44, Mt. 25:13; Mk. 13:32)

II. THE SOURCE OF DECEPTION (Rev. 12:9; Jn. 8:44; 2 Cor. 11:13-14)

III. THE STRATEGY OF DECEPTION (2 Cor. 2:11)

* Satan Disputes God’s Word (Gen. 3:1)

* Satan Denies God’s Word (Gen. 3:4, 2:17)

* Satan Displaces God’s Word (Gen. 3:5; Isa. 5:20; 1 Cor. 10:13)

* Satan Discounts God’s Word (Gen. 2:16-17, 3:2, NKJV)

* Satan Dramatizes God’s Restrictions (Gen. 3:2-3, NKJV; 2 Tim. 2:15)

* Satan Diminishes God’s Penalty (Gen. 2:17; 1 Pet. 5:8; Jn. 10:10)

IV. THE SOLUTION TO DECEPTION (Jn. 14:6)

* Seek the Truth (Ps. 119:160a)

* Speak the Truth (Col. 3:9-10; Prov. 12:22)

* Show the Truth (2 Thes. 2:10; Prov. 23:23)

V. CONCLUSION (3 Jn. 3-4)
Beloved, let’s be the truth. Let’s stand against the things that are false by standing up for the things that are true. Let’s stop posturing and actually be the people we want others to think we are. This is what I know: as we move into the deceptive days Jesus told us about in Matthew 24, the world is watching. It’s time for us to be honest!

THE PROPHECY

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Prayer: Gracious Father, You know we live in times of uncertainty, so today I ask that You remind each of us of Your promises. Help us to trust in Your plan and have faith that You are in control. Today, as we study this poignant and power message from the holy Scriptures concerning how things will be in the days just before our Savior’s return, I pray the Holy Spirit will strengthen our belief in Christ’s second coming and the fulfillment of Your kingdom. In the meantime, impress upon us the importance of watching, waiting, and working for Your glory. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Introduction: “And that’s the way it is ….”

Sitting behind his desk at CBS Evening News, Walter Cronkite delivered that iconic sign-off for the last time on March 6, 1981. That moment wrapped up his incredible journalistic career spanning 46 years, 3 major wars (4 if you count the Cold War), the civil rights movement, the Kennedy and King assassinations, the Watergate scandal, and thousands of nightly broadcasts. At the peak of his career, Cronkite spoke to 29 million viewers every night. He shared the news of the day with honesty, impartiality, and a cool level-headedness that helped his views remain calm even in the most uncertain of circumstances.

What is perhaps the most remarkable thing about Walter Cronkite is that he understood the position he occupied within the culture, and he took it seriously. He often described his role as someone asked to “hold up the mirror – to tell and show the public what has happened.” That was it. No flooding the airwaves with opinions. No strong-arming the public to move in one direction or another. He simply spoke the truth about the world, and in doing so he helped millions find their place in it. Given that reality, perhaps it’s not surprising that he was often identified as the most trusted man in America.

Regrettably, there are no Walter Cronkites today – no voice or team of voices the majority of us trust to tell us what we need to know. Instead, our world is filled with innumerable prognosticators and prediction-makers ready to share their opinions. That includes millions of podcasters, hundreds of thousands of journalists, hundreds of 24 hours news networks, and countless ministers all clamoring for your attention and all claiming accuracy and authority on what’s happening today and what may happen tomorrow.

We hear so many voices. So many arguments. So many speculations. Everyone has a theory or an idea. Everyone is pushing some slant on the world – including what’s in store for the future. The clamor is louder than ever because we all have the feeling we’re living in a sudden-death overtime. Not until our own generation, has technology provided so many potential ways for humanity to end. If you do an online search for “the end of the world,” it’s not sermons and preachers you’ll find. It’s scientists, statesmen, physicians, physicists, and secular sages.

In the midst of all of this noise, let me suggest that there is one slant we should trust more than any other, one agenda we ought to prefer above all others, and one opinion we ought to value more than all the voices on earth. Amid the thousands of messages screaming for our attention, there’s only one voice we need to hear. It’s the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Mirror that can show us not just what is happening in the world but why it’s happening – and what will happen next.

What does Jesus have to say about the future? A lot! It may surprise you to discover that one of the longest messages of Jesus recorded in the NT is all about the future. Our future. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke all include a section often referred to as the Olivet Discourse (Mt. 24, Mk. 13, Lk. 21). It is called this because Jesus answered the questions of four of His disciples – Peter, James, John, and Andrew – while sitting on the Mount of Olives (Mk. 13:3). Also known as Olivet, this area is a ridge east of Jerusalem that overlooks the city. It is a place Jesus often visited for rest and refuge.

Fewer than 50 days after His sermon on Olivet, Jesus ascended to heaven from that same mountain – perhaps from the very spot where He had preached. And it’s to this same spot He will soon return to earth (Acts 1:12; Zech. 14:4).

Interestingly, many of the slopes of the Mount of Olives are now covered with concrete tombs. Faithful Jews want to be buried there so they’ll be close at hand when the long-awaited Messiah arrives to enter the Eastern Gate of Jerusalem. No one knows how many people are buried there, but the number may be as high as 150,000, including the late Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin.

In our Lord’s day the hillsides were covered with olive trees, and the message Jesus gave His disciples on that historic day is – like the olive tree – ancient, sturdy, fruitful, and badly needed. The Olivet Discourse is our Lord’s second-longest recorded sermon in Matthew. The only one longer is the Sermon of the Mount (Mt. 5-7) which was a public sermon given at the beginning of Christ’s earthly ministry. By contrast, the Olivet Discourse was a private message at the end of His earthly ministry.

While the Olivet Discourse is the second-longest sermon of Jesus in Matthew, it ranks first in another category. It occupies more space than any other message by Jesus in the entire Bible, when you consider it is recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It occupies two chapters in Matthew alone.

Dr. Tim LaHaye said, “The Olivet Discourse … is the most important single passage of prophecy in all the Bible. It is significant because it came from Jesus Himself immediately after He was rejected by His own people, and because it provides the master outline of end-time events.”

I. THE SETTING OF THE PROPHECY (Mt. 24:1, 21:9, 23:37-39, Mk. 13:1)

Matthew introduces us to Jesus’ prophecy with these words:

[READ Mt. 24:1]

1 And coming out from the temple, Jesus was going along, and His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him.

Let’s enter the time machine of our imaginations and travel back to the time and place of Matthew 24. The Passover week would have fallen in early April, before the temperatures reached their oppressive summertime highs. Jesus and His disciples had traveled with crowds of pilgrims from Galilee, and everyone felt exuberant. Everyone except, perhaps, Jesus, who had “set His face to go to Jerusalem” for this final trip (Lk. 9:51).

Along the way He tried to prepare His disciples for the impending trauma of His arrest, trial, torture, death, and resurrection. But it was more than their minds could absorb. Who can blame them? A crucified Messiah wasn’t part of their worldview. Instead, they expected to soon be sitting at His right hand and left hand as He fulfilled the OT promises of God’s coming kingdom (Mt. 20:21).

The Lord and His companions walked through the Jordan Valley to Jericho, where He healed two blind beggars and gave them sight (Mt. 20:29-34). Then they ascended the old Jericho Road, hiking upward toward the backside of the Mount of Olives. When they arrived in Bethany, Jesus visited with His friends who lived there. Mary and Martha prepared supper, and Lazarus undoubtedly thanked Jesus again for restoring His life. Mary anointed His feet with oil, and the house was filled with its fragrant perfume (Jn. 12:1-7). Our Lord now had less than a week to live.

When the Galilean guest awoke on Sunday morning, they trudged up the eastern side of Olivet to the crest, and then Jesus asked His disciples to fetch Him a colt. In stark contrast to the Jerusalem crowd that would reject Him in just a few days, large crowds of Galilean pilgrims welcomed Him by singing,
“Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Hosanna in the highest!” (Mt. 21:9).

Jesus entered the temple briefly before returning to Bethany for the night.

On Monday morning, Jesus cursed a fruitless fig tree on His way back into the Holy City (Mk. 11:12-14). Later that day, He caused a stir in the temple as He overturned the tables of the money changers (Mk. 11:15-18). The chief priests and scribes were angry enough to kill Him. Monday evening, He returned to Bethany with the twelve disciples for the night.

And that brings us to the day of Jesus’ great prophecy. On Tuesday morning, Jesus returned to the temple. There He delivered a blistering rebuke to the Jewish leaders and the nation of Israel. Have you ever been in a public place when a violent argument broke out – the kind in which conversations cease and everyone’s attention is glued to the conflict? Today people would be pulling out their cellphones to record the scene. Matthew didn’t have a cell phone, but you can’t read his account without picturing it in your mind and feeling the tension. Jesus words are recorded in Matthew 21-23. The same Lord who began His teaching ministry with a series of beatitudes (“Blessed are …”) in Matthew 5, concluded His public ministry with a series of curses (“Woe to you …”) in Matthew 23. Jesus spoke with righteous anger, and His fiery words condemned the Jewish leaders and their nation for rejecting Him. At the same time, His heart was breaking. These were His people! He loved them and the city of Jerusalem. Looking out over the houses, streets, and buildings covering the hills and deep ravines of that ancient Jewish capital, He wept, saying:

[READ Mt. 23:37-39]

37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you did not want it. 38 Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! 39 For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

The last thing Jesus did before He left the temple on Tuesday evening was to sit opposite the temple treasury and watch people give their tithes and offerings. He watched as the rich gave much but a poor widow only her two mites (Mk. 12:41-44). Tuesday drew to a close. Only three days left. Then perhaps with a passionate backward glance, Jesus departed from the temple, symbolizing the withdrawal of God’s presence from that sacred place (Mt. 24:1). He sadly descended the staircase, leaving the mount where His people should have received Him. They would see Him no more until they were ready to say,
“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!” (Mt. 23:1).

That’s when the disciples remarked to Jesus, “Teacher, look at these magnificent buildings! Look at the impressive stones in the walls” (Mk. 13:1). There’s been a lot of speculation about why the disciples chose this moment, of all times, to become so infatuated with the temple buildings. I confess, I have no idea what the reason could have been. Maybe it was because the barrenness of their inward lives had been exposed. In other words, their spiritual lives might have been empty, but they sure were proud of the beautiful building their ancestors had built. Or, perhaps, the disciples wanted to distract Jesus and themselves from the emotional exhaustion they had gone through that day. Maybe as the evening sun sank low in the sky, it sent cascades of gold across the stones and through the columns, and they were simply awestruck by the beauty of what they saw.

We might not know exactly what the disciples were thinking about the temple that Tuesday evening, but it’s pretty clear what Jesus thought about it. It is remarkable that Jesus spent the entire last week leading up to the cross focused on the temple and the corruption taking place there. The temple had become a place of financial greed where false religion and hypocrisy abounded and where poor widows were being robbed. God’s people had made a mockery of the temple and its purpose – and for that, judgment was coming soon. Jesus had had enough.

II. THE SUBJECT OF THE PROPHECY (Mt. 24:2, 3-8; Lk. 19:42-44; Mt. 24:3, 4-8)

From their vantage point on the Mount of Olives, Jesus and His disciples had a staggering view of Jerusalem and the temple complex. It was there, at that place and moment, that Jesus made a stunning prediction about the future.

[READ Mt. 24:2]

2 And He answered and said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”

What was Jesus doing when He predicted the utter destruction of the temple in Jerusalem? We dare not miss the significance of this! His words were breathtaking and definitive because He intended to show us His infallibility as a prophet. He said something so profound it could hardly be believed, yet so historic that later it could not be denied. Jesus was giving a specific prediction that would be fulfilled to the exact letter, so not even our modern historians can dispute it. He foresaw the soon-coming total destruction of everything they were gazing at – all of the edifices on the Temple Mount.

This wasn’t the first time Jesus had predicted the destruction of the temple. When He rebuked the Jews for their unbelief a chapter earlier, Jesus told them, “Your house is left to you desolate” (Mt. 23:38). He was also speaking about the city of Jerusalem, and particularly the temple, when He said this on the day of His triumphal entry:

[READ Lk. 19:42-44]

42 “If you knew in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, 44 and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

The Jewish historian Josephus described the temple complex as “the most admirable of all the works that we have seen or heard of, both for its curious structure and its magnitude, and also for the vast wealth bestowed upon it, as well as for the glorious reputation it had for its holiness.” The temple was one of the most expansive, majestic, and important buildings in the world. But not for long. In a few brief words, Jesus made a profound prediction that must have stunned the four disciples who heard it and the three disciples who recorded it for us in their gospels.

Fast-forward to AD 70. Less than 40 years after our Lord’s message, the temple was gone. Here’s how it happened. Responding to a Jewish uprising throughout Judea, the Roman general Titus built large wooden scaffolds around the walls of the temple buildings – a tactic never before used. He piled the scaffolds high with wood and other flammable material and set them on fire. The intense heat weakened the temple structure, and the Romans were able to dislodge the giant stones, prying them off one by one and casting them into the valley below. Afterward, soldiers sifted through the rubble retrieving any gold that had melted into the smoldering ruins. All that remained on the site was flattened down to the retaining walls – exactly as Jesus had predicted.

What are the odds that Jesus could accurately “guess” about a huge and highly honored temple being destroyed within a few decades? What is the likelihood that His “guess” would be so accurate? The statistical probability boggles the mind. But when Jesus speaks, odds mean absolutely nothing. What He predicts always comes true. What He prophesies happens – precisely as He says it will. So, less than 40 years after our Lord’s message, the temple was gone.

My reason for telling you all this is because one of the keys to understanding Jesus’ words about the world at the end of history is to understand that His prophecies were fulfilled exactly as He said they would be. They are precise. And nothing illustrates that truth more powerfully than Jesus’ prophecy concerning the destruction of Herod’s temple. This prophecy is the prelude to the Olivet Discourse, proving that we can fully depend on the accuracy of the rest of what He said about the future. We can have every confidence in their precise fulfillment.

Probably stunned by Jesus’ blunt promises, the disciples responded by asking Him two questions:

[READ Mt. 24:3]

3 Now as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”

In Matthew 24:48, Jesus began to answer by describing the initial group of what we often refer to as “the signs of the times” – the things that will happen just before He returns. We’ll devote the rest of this series to studying this revelation in detail.

[READ Mt. 24:4-8]

4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains.

III. THE SECRET TO THE PROPHECY (1 Thes. 5:1-3; see also Rev. 6:1-17, 8:1-5, 9:21, 11:15-19, 16:1-21)

The secret to understanding our Lord’s prophecy is found in the final word of the verse, which is sometimes translated as “sorrows.” The Greek term used in Matthew 24:8 is odin, which literally means birth pains – the contractions that begin and increase during the birth of a baby.
The contractions occur when the muscles of a woman’s uterus tighten and release, which prepares her body to give birth. At first, these contractions may be rather mild and irregular. But as the delivery draws closer, the contractions become stronger, closer together, more regular, and more painful. When the contractions are coming quickly and intensely, you’d better get to the hospital or you’ll be giving birth in the back seat of the car.

The apostle Paul used the same figure of speech when he discussed the return of Christ with the believers in Thessalonica, saying:

[READ 1 Thes. 5:1-3]

1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman who is pregnant, and they will never escape.

The time period Jesus describes in Matthew 24 is also pictured in the book of Revelation where the seal judgments unfold over a period of probably years (6:1-17; 8:1-5), the trumpet judgments over a much shorter period of time, perhaps weeks (8:6-9:21, 11:15-19), and the bowl judgments over the period of maybe just a few days or even hours (16:1-21).
What Jesus wants us to know as we unpack the rest of His sermon is this: the things that are going to happen in the future will not take place all-of-a-sudden. They will be like birth pains, with the frequency and intensity of each gradually increasing. When we observe this pattern in the world, then we’ve discovered the secret to understanding the signs of the times.

IV. THE SCOPE OF THE PROPHECY (1 Thes. 4:17; Mt. 24:4-14)

Some who have written about the subject of the end times have buried this sermon by Jesus deep into history. In other words, they want us to believe everything Jesus said to His disciples was fulfilled in AD 70 when Titus destroyed Jerusalem. Several of these writers have even tried to convince us that the second coming of Christ happened in AD 70!

Others believe that Jesus’ words have nothing to do with today’s world. They take a two-pronged approach: (1) What Jesus said about the temple being destroyed has already happened, and (2) The remainder of the Lord’s prophecy won’t be triggered until the church is removed during the rapture. Over the years, I have come to believe that these words of Jesus are for us today. They are for me, and they are for you.

Here’s what respected theologian Dr. John Walvoord wrote about the Olivet Discourse (and this aligns with my own convictions today):

The words of Christ to His disciples on the Mount of Olives delivered not long before He died have dramatic contemporary significance. In this discourse, Christ answered their questions concerning the signs of the end of the age and of His second coming. The revelation becomes increasingly vital to understanding the meaning of events that are occurring today …. A study of these prophecies will help one to understand the headlines of our newspapers today.

In his book Prophecy Made Plain, Carl G. Johnson wrote, “As I have studied this chapter, I am convinced that we have in the first eight verses a picture of this present age.”

The signs Jesus promised are like birth pains. They are occurring now, increasing in frequency, and pointing toward the rapture of the church. But the moment the church is gone, those signs will become much more severe and will throw the post-rapture world of the tribulation into a state of seizures and spasms such as we see described in the book of Revelation. In fact, the signs of Matthew 24 line up perfectly with the seals of Revelation 6. It is uncanny how accurate the Word of God really is.

However, none of this means we’re exempt from the buildup of these birth pains today. Jesus’ prophecy applies to us at this critical hour of history. While it does not tell us when the rapture will occur, it does describe what life will be like during the season of the rapture. Yes, after the rapture these signs will be solidified and fully realized during the first half of the tribulation. Yet they will not appear out of nowhere. They will represent the continuation and intensification of what was already unfolding on the world stage.

When Christ comes in the air for His church (1 Thes. 4:17), every single Christian on earth will be removed – and with the Christians, the indwelling Holy Spirit, who is the restrainer of all evil. At that point, all hell is going to break loose on earth, and the signs given in Matthew 24:4-14 will accelerate to tribulation speed.

V. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROPHECY

What Jesus shared in His Olivet Discourse is not some ivory-tower speech with no impact on our lives. He spoke each word carefully and precisely, and each one is meant to help you and me on a personal level. They are just as relevant to us as His Sermon on the Mount.

I never want to impart biblical information without making sure we see the spiritual lessons in every page and verse. There are three things that strike me about our current life – the day-to-day activities, and attitudes lived out by the followers of Christ.

• Jesus Wants to Teach Us About the Future

First, Jesus wants us to study the future. Our Lord was in the habit of preparing His disciples for upcoming events even during His days on earth. As we’ve seen, He made a point of telling those around Him some of the things they could anticipate in the days ahead. So, don’t let anyone tell you Jesus didn’t bother about the future or was uninterested in prophecy, because the facts say otherwise.

Also, Scripture says otherwise. J Barton Payne’s Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy lists 1,239 prophecies in the OT and 578 prophecies in the NT for a total of 1,817. These encompass 8,352 verses out of 31,102 – or more than a quarter of God’s Word!

The Olivet Discourse was one of the ways Jesus warned His disciples, including you and me, about the end of history. He showed us the signs to watch for and how to live. The question is: Will we listen? Will we respond? If we do, we won’t be surprised by the future. We will recognize the signs of the times, and we will properly handle the strains of everyday life as we anticipate His return and strive to live for Him in the last days.

• Jesus Wants to Transform Us for the Future (Jn. 16:1, 4)

Second, Christ’s prophetic ministry also transforms us so we’ll be able to meet the demands of the future. Jesus said:

[READ Jn. 16:1, 4]

1 “These things I have spoken to you [about the future], so that you may be kept from stumbling …. 4 But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them.

Jesus was saying, “If you grasp what I am telling you about the future, you won’t fall all over yourself. You won’t fall into the trap of running around in panic mode when you can trust Me instead. You won’t be blown off course because you will have a sense of what God is up to.”

If you’re looking for a manual to the future that places no demands upon you today, or a guidebook for the days to come that has no bearing on the times we are living in, you’ve come to the wrong place. I believe God intends knowledge of future events to help us live in our world with a sense of urgency until the Lord returns.

Paul Benware wrote, “A believer who gets out of bed in the morning thinking my Lord Jesus could return today will probably not let sin take root in his or her life. But Christians who rarely, if ever, reflect on the realities of the future life, the Lord’s coming, and the judgment seat of Christ are far more vulnerable to temptation and sin. And perhaps that explains something of the sin and apathy seen in much of the church today.”

• Jesus Wants Us to Trust Him with the Future (Rev. 1:17-19; Isa. 46:9-11)

Finally, as human beings, we often get things wrong when we try to predict the future. For example, during a 2007 interview with USA Today, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer forecasted, “There’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance.” Ballmer based his conclusion on the notion that iPhones would be interesting to technology nerds, but not to the general public. “I want to have products that appeal to everybody,” he said. Eighteen years later, with more than 2.6 billion iPhones sold, it’s safe to say Ballmer was wrong.

So, what about Jesus, then? Why can we be sure that His prophecies will come true? Why can we trust that He is telling us the truth about the future?

In his introductions to the book of Revelation, the apostle John answered these questions by giving us one of the most profound reasons imaginable for listening to the prophetic words of Jesus. John was on the Isle of Patmos when he saw the One to whom we should listen, and this is how he described the encounter:

[READ Rev. 1:17-19]

17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not fear; I am the first and the last, 18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. 19 Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.

Who else do you know who has one foot planted in eternity and the other planted in time? Who do you know who actually lives in the present and in the future and says to us today,

“This is what you should expect as you await My return”?

No one ever grasped the future as firmly and completely as the Lord Jesus Christ. He sees it all, and He knows it all. As the eternal God, He sees the whole parade of humanity from beginning to end, from Adam to the Antichrist. We only see little bits and pieces of it, but Jesus alone is the Alpha and Omega.

[READ Isa. 46:9-11]

9 … I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, 10 declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My counsel will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure’…. 11 Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have formed it, surely I will do it.

The lesson is clear: you can trust our Savior with the future! And not just with “the future” generally, but with your future specifically.

VI. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM GOD’S WORD (Phil. 2:15-16)

Now we can understand why Jesus didn’t answer the disciples’ two questions in great detail. In fact, He didn’t even answer one of their questions at all – the question about the timing of the destruction of the temple. Instead, He gave them a series of signs of what the end of the world would look like. Jesus was reminding His disciples that they didn’t have to figure out how all the pieces of the end-times puzzle would fit together. Instead, their responsibility was to trust Him with the future and remain faithful to Him until the end.

Beloved, that’s going to be the focus of the rest of this study. Jesus gave us this prophecy to prepare us for what’s to come and I want to share His advice with you. He didn’t give us this information so we would be afraid of what’s to come or be over-whelmed by it. He knows what’s ahead, and He wants to make sure we can face it with confidence and hope. He wants us to be:

[READ Phil. 2:15-16]

15 … blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life ….

Prayer: Heavenly Father, may the Holy Spirit take the words of Jesus we have heard today, and help us apply our hearts to wisdom. As the sands of time run down to the end of this wicked world, keep us blameless and innocent, help us to never lose our grip on the word of life, and use us to light the way to Christ’s salvation, in whose name I pray, Amen.

Invitation Slides: “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” (3 vs.)

Benediction: Beloved, keep looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven – Jesus Christ our Lord, whom God the Father raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment. Amen. (1 Thes. 1:10)

THE PROPHECY

Olivet Discourse (Lesson 1) - September 7, 2025 - Rev. Alan Cousins

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Introduction: What does Jesus have to say about the future? A lot! It may surprise you to discover that one of the longest messages of Jesus recorded in the NT is all about the future. Our future. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke all include a section often referred to as the Olivet Discourse (Mt. 24, Mk. 13, Lk. 21).

I. THE SETTING OF THE PROPHECY (Mt. 24:1, 21:9, 23:37-39, Mk. 13:1)

II. THE SUBJECT OF THE PROPHECY (Mt. 24:2; Lk. 19:42-44; Mt. 24:3, 4-8)

III. THE SECRET TO THE PROPHECY (1 Thes. 5:1-3; see also Rev. 6:1-17; 8:1-5, 9:21, 11:15-19, 16:1-21)

IV. THE SCOPE OF THE PROPHECY (1 Thes. 4:17; Mt. 24:4-14)

V. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROPHECY

* Jesus Wants to Teach Us About the Future

* Jesus Wants to Transform Us for the Future (Jn. 16:1, 4)

* Jesus Wants Us to Trust Him with the Future (Rev. 1:17-19; Isa. 46:9-11)

VI. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM GOD’S WORD (Phil. 2:15-16)
Now we can understand why Jesus didn’t answer the disciples’ two questions in great detail. Instead, He gave them a series of signs of what the end of the world would look like. Jesus was reminding His disciples that they didn’t have to figure out how all the pieces of the end-times puzzle would fit together. Instead, their responsibility was to trust Him with the future and remain faithful to Him until the end.

Beloved, Jesus gave us this prophecy to prepare us for what’s to come and I want to share His advice with you. He didn’t give us this information so we would be afraid of what’s to come or be overwhelmed by it. He knows what’s ahead, and He wants to make sure we can face it with confidence and hope (see Phil. 2:15-16).

WAITING FOR THE CONSUMMATION

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we live stuck in between two realms - the world we live in and the eternity we look forward to in heaven. In the middle chaos abounds; less and less makes sense or aligns with the truth of Your Word. Yet through it all, You reign. Jesus sits on Your right-hand, and death has already been defeated. We realize that in Your great mercy, You are waiting for every ear to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ; You are leaving opportunity for all to come to You and live in the presence of Your love. We pray today for You to bless our lives as we seek to honor You in everything we do. In our lives between the here and the not yet, give us courage and bravery to abide in Your Truth even when we are afraid. As the world strips Your name from everything and tries to blot it out everywhere, may we proclaim it louder and longer everywhere we go. Jesus has defeated death, so in Him, we are victorious, and hope in the promise that He will come again. Be our strength when it’s hard to be Christians in this world. Embrace us this morning with encouragement from the Scriptures and fortify us with Your perfect love. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Introduction: Last Sunday, we began to look at the final event in the history of God’s creation – the consummation. We focused on the second coming of Jesus that will usher in the end of all things. While there is disagreement on exactly how all of those events will play out, we have a sure hope that Christ will return for those for whom He has been preparing a place (Jn. 14:2-3). We know this will happen because we trust in God’s character and know He will fulfill His promises.

Today, we are going to continue looking at the consummation, focusing on what will happen to the earth in that day, and where people will spend eternity.

I. JUDGMENT BY FIRE (2 Pet. 3:1-13)

Let’s begin in 2 Peter 3.

[READ 2 Pet. 3:1-13]

1 This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” 5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6 through which the world at that time was destroyed, being deluged with water. 7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some consider slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be found out.
11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens burning will be destroyed, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

2 Pet. 3:1-3
1 This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, …

Second Peter is an epistle (letter, vs. 1) offering encouragement and instruction. Peter’s audience in this case are those who have obtained faith through the righteousness of Christ (2 Pet. 1:1), or are Christians. Peter’s purpose in writing according to verse 2, was to call these believers to remember what was written by the holy prophets, commanded by Jesus, and taught by the apostles. Peter’s use of the phrase “the holy prophets” is a reference to the OT writings. In verse 3, when Peter writes “knowing this first” the phrase is intended to communicate importance, not timing. Peter wanted them to know that “mockers,” or scoffers, would come in the last days. Then he gives some characteristics that would help them identify these scoffers. According to verse 3, Peter says mockers are characterized by following after their own sinful desires.

2 Pet. 3:4-6
4 … and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” 5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6 through which the world at that time was destroyed, being deluged with water.

They could also be recognized by their tell-tail message as verse 4 reveals. They cast doubt on Jesus’ promise to return, outright denying the second coming, saying that all things are continuing just as they always have from the beginning. In verse 5, Peter describes the attitude of their error. They deliberately overlook the truth, betraying that theirs is an intentional act of the will. And what do these mockers overlook? In verses 5 and 6 we’re told they disregard (1) the creation of the universe by the word of God, and (2) the flood that destroyed the earth.

The underlying philosophy of these scoffers when it comes to looking at how the world operates is that even though they do not deny God’s existence or that He created, they believe there is some function of the created order which follows a pattern that has not changed since the creation of the world. Things happen today in the same way they happened in the past. The modern idea of uniformitarianism could be included in this philosophy. According to this view, the slow and gradual processes we see in the created order today are the same as those that happened in the past. Now let’s move to the next section, to discover what the scoffers are attempting to avoid with their uniformitarian philosophy.

2 Pet. 3:7-9
7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some consider slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

What are they trying to dismiss? Look at verse 7, they are trying to abolish the coming judgment at the return of Christ, as if they could thwart God’s plan! Among the things we’ve already divulged about their beliefs, they must have also denied the global nature of the flood and the supernatural creation of the universe in six literal days as described in the Bible.

So, in verse 7, Peter points forward to the coming judgment of the ungodly. Notice that this coming judgment will be accomplished by fire. The idea of fire consuming and cleansing everything is repeated several times in verses 7, 10, and 12. Even the heavens will be burned up and dissolved. This judgment is universal in extent. Going back to verse 7, we also find the relationship between the creation of the world and the preservation of the current world. Both are accomplished by “the word of God” as their source of power. In verse 8, Peter makes a comparison between man’s view of time and God’s view of time. In God’s mind one of His days is equal to 1,000 years from the way we reckon time, and vice-versa. Peter’s intent in verse 8 is to show that God is outside of time, and he wants his readers to keep this fact at the forefront of their thinking. The promise Peter is discussing in verse 9, is the promise of Christ’s return and, consequently, the salvation of all of those who will meet Christ at His coming. The “you” in verse 9, indicates that Peter is referring to believers in Christ, or the “beloved” of verse 8.

Did you notice God’s attitude toward those mentioned in verse 9? He is “patient,” “not willing for any to perish,” but “for all to come to repentance.” There is some disagreement among interpreters of this passage about whether the “any” of verse 9 refers to all men or the “you” of the immediate context of verses 1, 2, and 9. I personally believe the later to be the correct interpretation.

2 Pet. 3:10-12
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be found out.
11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens burning will be destroyed, and the elements will melt with intense heat!

Peter explains to his readers, in verse 10, that the day of the Lord will come as a thief. And the earth and its works, and the heavens will all be burned up, dissolved, or exposed.

2 Pet. 3:13
13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

According to verse 13, the earth and heavens will be replaced by new heavens and a new earth. We are then told what they will be like; righteousness will dwell in them.

2 Pet. 3:11-12a
11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God …

Going back to verses 11-12, how should believers behave in light of these truths? We should pursue holiness and godliness, looking forward to the day of God.

The arguments that we see Peter refuting here seem to be very similar to the claims being made by those with a uniformitarian view of earth’s history. Uniformitarianism teaches that the rate of things happening in the present is the same rate at which they have always happened – or the present is the key to the past. Ideas like the universe forming from the big bang and the gradual formation of rock layers over millions of years are uniformitarian. This view denies supernatural catastrophes like the flood and rapid special creation.

Those who hold these erroneous views scoff at Christians who believe in a young earth, pointing to the billions of years they claim the earth has existed. They say that since we can’t trust the history of the Bible, we shouldn’t trust what it says about the future. Examining the rock layers and fossils from their old-earth view, they declare, “If there really wasn’t a global flood like the Bible says, we can’t trust the Bible. If Moses was wrong, then Peter is wrong.” Unfortunately, they do so to their own peril facing the just judgment of God for their sin of unbelief and rejection of His Son.

This thinking doesn’t just come from outside the church by people who deny God’s existence; it also comes from those who believe in God, and may even claim to believe in the Bible. Many Christians today believe in a uniformitarian view of earth’s history, which denies that the flood was a global event, but they still believe that there will be a second coming of Christ. However, this exposes an inconsistency in their thinking. If the flood was not a global judgment event against sin, why should we believe the second coming and judgment by fire is a real event? This inconsistency demonstrates the importance of looking to the Scriptures alone as being sufficient to understand the world around us. To be sure, not everyone who believes in a uniformitarian history denies Christ’s return and the final judgment, but it seems to be an inconsistent position to hold. Why trust the Bible to tell us about certain earthly events in the future while rejecting the earthly events Scripture describes in the past? To resolve this, many point to the flood as a localized event and cling to other ideas concocted by men to explain away (what they suppose) to be contradictions and inconsistencies.

Let’s take a moment now to think of some of God’s attributes which are evident in His judgment described in this passage. God’s holiness and justice are evident in the final judgment, while His mercy and grace are evident in the salvation of those who believe in Christ. The absolute and utter cleansing to completely eradicate the existence of sin, displays God’s omnipotence.

As Peter told his readers, scoffers deliberately overlook all God has done and deny His works of judgment in the past. He called on believers not to overlook God’s promises of salvation in the future. These promises are based on knowing that God has been faithful in the past. Just as God promised to bring the flood as judgment, He promises to bring fire to cleanse the earth in the end.

II. THE NEW HEAVENS & EARTH (Rev. 21:1-8; 2 Thes. 1:9; Rev. 21:22 – 22:5)

Now we’re going to look at two passages in the book of Revelation that talk about the glory of the new earth that we will dwell on for eternity after the judgment. We often refer to this as heaven, but let’s see what the text has to teach us.

[READ Rev 21:1-8]

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain. The first things passed away.”
5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” 6 Then He said to me, “They are done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. 7 He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. 8 But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Rev. 21:1-3
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, …

In verse 1, what did John see? “A new heaven and a new earth.” What had happened to the first earth? It had “passed away.” This is what was described earlier in 2 Peter 3. What then descended from heaven in verse 2? “The new Jerusalem.” According to verse 3, what did the voice from heaven say God will do? He will “dwell among His people.”

Rev. 21:4-6a
4 … And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain. The first things passed away.”
5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” 6a Then He said to me, “They are done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.

According to verse 4, what did the voice from heaven say God will do? He will “wipe away all of their tears.” Verse 4 also informs us that there will be some things missing in the new earth -- there will “be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain” like there has been on the first earth. Then, in verse 5, God speaks from His throne claiming that He “makes all things new.” This is another reference to the restoration of God’s original, perfect creation. Did you notice that God reports that His word is “faithful and true”? In verse 6, God describes Himself as “the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.” This title means that He is sovereign over all of His creation, both old and new.

Rev. 21:6b-8
6b I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. 7 He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. 8 But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

In verses 6-7, God proclaims that those who have “thirsted for salvation” (water of life) and who have “overcome” “will inherit the new earth.” And God will be their God and claim them as “His children.” Verse 8, gives us the fate of all sinners who rejected God and His free gift of salvation. They will face “the second death” of the “lake of fire and brimstone,” (which we know better as sulfur).

Scripture is clear that there will be eternal punishment for everyone who does not believe in the name of Jesus Christ. All who reject the salvation Jesus offers, and refuse to repent and trust Him alone for forgiveness, will go to hell for all eternity. The list of sins in verse 8 shows the lifestyles of those who have rejected the truth (cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and liars). While this is a difficult truth for us to hear and wrap our minds around, it is the truth from God’s Word. We must not shrink back from warning unbelievers of the dire consequences of sin, pleading with them to turn to Christ for salvation.

Now, let’s turn to 2 Thessalonians 1, which tells us more about what will happen to people who do not believe the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[READ 2 Thes. 1:9]

9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His might ….

2 Thes. 1:9
9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His might ….

What will God do to those who turn away from Him and refuse to believe and trust in Jesus Christ? They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction.

God is just, and He must judge sin. Sinners who do not believe the gospel of Jesus Christ will be punished in the lake of fire forever. They will be separated from God’s presence and the power of His glory forever. This is certainly a difficult truth for some. And as a result, they have decided that hell doesn’t exist – that everyone will eventually be saved. But, instead of causing us to shrink back from the clear teaching of Scripture in this area because it may be difficult, it should motivate us that much more to share the gospel of Christ with others, because it is the only hope there is for sinners.

Let me get you to turn back to Revelation 21. We are going to jump over the detailed description of the new Jerusalem and move to 21:22.

[READ Rev. 21:22 – 22:5]

21:22 And I saw no sanctuary in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its sanctuary. 23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 And the nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 And its gates will never be closed by day, for there will be no night there; 26 and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. 27 And nothing defiled, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
22:1 Then he showed me a river of the water of life, bright as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His slaves will serve Him; 4 and they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will no longer be any night, and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them, and they will reign forever and ever.

Rev. 21:22-26
21:22 And I saw no sanctuary in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its sanctuary. 23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 And the nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 And its gates will never be closed by day, for there will be no night there; 26 and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.

Why does verse 22 point out that there is no temple in the New Jerusalem? Because “God and Jesus, the Lamb, will be the sanctuary” there. Also, as verse 23 proclaims, there will be no need for the sun and the moon in the new Jerusalem because “the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.” However, I want you to note that this verse does not indicate that there is no sun or moon, just that they are not needed to illuminate the city.

Rev. 21:27 – 22:2
21:27 And nothing defiled, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
22:1 Then he showed me a river of the water of life, bright as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Verse 27 explains that there are some things that will never enter the new Jerusalem. It will be free from anything that is defiled, abominable (detestable), or false. This indicates that there will be no sin in the presence of God in the new Jerusalem.

In chapter 22:1-5, John briefly describes the new Jerusalem for us. In verse 1, he depicts the river, which flows through the city as being filled with “the water of life,” as “bright as crystal,” and “flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb,” who is the source of the river. In verse 2, John reports on a tree by this river -- “the tree of life.” Then he details the properties of this tree as “bearing twelve kinds of fruit,” “yielding its fruit every month”; and that “the leaves of the tree will be for the healing of the nations.”

The analogy of this passage is reminiscent of the original garden of Eden, which had a river flowing out of it (Gen. 2:10), as well as the tree of life. Again, all of this imagery indicates the restoration of the new earth to the original, perfect creation. However, there was one tree in Eden that will not be present in the new Jerusalem. Of course, I’m talking about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This means there will be no opportunity or desire to sin in the new earth.

Rev. 22:3-5
3 And there will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His slaves will serve Him; 4 and they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will no longer be any night, and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them, and they will reign forever and ever.

Verse 3 announces that “there will no longer be any curse.” The curse of sin will have been removed and reversed since there will be nothing accursed in this eternal city. Verse 3, tells us of the activity that will be going on there. The “servants of God” (all of us) will be attending to the Father and the Lamb. Elsewhere in Scripture, we see descriptions of worship through song and other activities. I especially want you to notice in verse 4, how the presence of God is indicated. All of those in the new earth “will be able to see God face to face”! Verse 5 wraps up the passage by reminding us there is “no need for a lamp, or even the sun, because the Lord God will be the light of that new world!” Then at the very end of verse 5, we learn that this will go on “forever and ever!”

Beloved, this is what we have to look forward to at the consummation of all things – a new earth that is restored to its original creation where God will dwell among His people. As we look forward to the hope of heaven, let’s focus on the truth that a far better world awaits us where we will dwell in the presence of our Lord forever!

III. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM THE WORD

While there is much more to learn about our future state in the new earth, unfortunately, we must stop here for today. I pray that even with this briefest of glimpses, you can begin to understand what our future holds. Eternal life is not some fuzzy ethereal experience or sitting on clouds strumming harps. It is serving our God and experiencing His presence forever and ever. We will get to worship and serve God with no sinful distractions in our glorified bodies. What we now only see through a distorted reflection, we will see face to face in all of the glory that is in the face of Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Your servants have waited a long time looking for Your Son’s return. With shame, we confess that in our waiting we’ve doubted Your promise, losing the focus and perspective Jesus’ return charges us with. Father, forgive us. Open our eyes to see the signs of His return. We realize, Lord, that You are not slow in keeping Your promise to return, as some have supposed, but rather You have patiently waited for people to turn to You for salvation, because You are not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance. It is not for us to know the hour of Your coming, for You have told us to watch for Your coming and believe with all our hearts that You will keep Your promise to return. Please, fill our hearts with faith as we look for the arrival of that great and glorious day. Invigorate us, Lord, to watch and pray. Rouse us from distraction. Keep us sober and prayerful. Make us fervent to serve You while it is still called “today,” by spreading the good news of salvation to those who have yet to hear it. O, that we may all be ready for Jesus’ appearing, in whose name I pray, Amen.

Invitation # 549: “Face to Face” (4 vs.)

Benediction: Beloved, may you understand the signs of the times and watch carefully. The hour has come for you to awake from sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. Amen. (Rom. 13:11)

WAITING FOR THE CONSUMMATION

Answers (Lesson 180) - August 31, 2025 - Rev. Alan Cousins

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Introduction: Today, we are going to continue looking at the consummation, focusing on what will happen to the earth in that day, and where people will spend eternity.

I. JUDGMENT BY FIRE (2 Pet. 3:1-13)

2 Peter 3:1-13

Second Peter is an epistle (letter, vs. 1) offering encouragement and instruction. Peter’s audience in this case are those who have obtained faith through the righteousness of Christ (2 Pet. 1:1), or are Christians. Peter’s purpose in writing according to verse 2, was to call these believers to remember what was written by the holy prophets, commanded by Jesus, and taught by the apostles. Peter’s use of the phrase “the holy prophets” is a reference to the OT writings. In verse 3, when Peter writes “knowing this first” the phrase is intended to communicate importance, not timing. Peter wanted them to know that “mockers,” or scoffers, would come in the last days. Then he gives some characteristics that would help them identify these scoffers. According to verse 3, Peter says mockers are characterized by following after their own sinful desires.

They could also be recognized by their tell-tail message as verse 4 reveals. They cast doubt on Jesus’ promise to return, outright denying the second coming, saying that all things are continuing just as they always have from the beginning. In verse 5, Peter describes the attitude of their error. They deliberately overlook the truth, betraying that theirs is an intentional act of the will. And what do these mockers overlook? In verses 5 and 6 we’re told they disregard (1) the creation of the universe by the word of God, and (2) the flood that destroyed the earth.

The underlying philosophy of these scoffers when it comes to looking at how the world operates is that even though they do not deny God’s existence or that He created, they believe there is some function of the created order which follows a pattern that has not changed since the creation of the world. Things happen today in the same way they happened in the past. The modern idea of uniformitarianism could be included in this philosophy. According to this view, the slow and gradual processes we see in the created order today are the same as those that happened in the past. Now let’s move to the next section, to discover what the scoffers are attempting to avoid with their uniformitarian philosophy.

What are they trying to dismiss? Look at verse 7, they are trying to abolish the coming judgment at the return of Christ, as if they could thwart God’s plan! Among the things we’ve already divulged about their beliefs, they must have also denied the global nature of the flood and the supernatural creation of the universe in six literal days as described in the Bible.

So, in verse 7, Peter points forward to the coming judgment of the ungodly. Notice that this coming judgment will be accomplished by fire. The idea of fire consuming and cleansing everything is repeated several times in verses 7, 10, and 12. Even the heavens will be burned up and dissolved. This judgment is universal in extent. Going back to verse 7, we also find the relationship between the creation of the world and the preservation of the current world. Both are accomplished by “the word of God” as their source of power. In verse 8, Peter makes a comparison between man’s view of time and God’s view of time. In God’s mind one of His days is equal to 1,000 years from the way we reckon time, and vice-versa. Peter’s intent in verse 8 is to show that God is outside of time, and he wants his readers to keep this fact at the forefront of their thinking. The promise Peter is discussing in verse 9 is the promise of Christ’s return and, consequently, the salvation of all of those who will meet Christ at His coming. The “you” in verse 9, indicates that Peter is referring to believers in Christ, or the “beloved” of verse 8.

Did you notice God’s attitude toward those mentioned in verse 9? He is “patient,” “not willing for any to perish,” but “for all to come to repentance.” There is some disagreement among interpreters of this passage about whether the “any” of verse 9 refers to all men or the “you” of the immediate context of verses 1, 2, and 9. I personally believe the later to be the correct interpretation.

Peter explains to his readers, in verse 10, that the day of the Lord will come as a thief. And the earth and its works, and the heavens will all be burned up, dissolved, or exposed.

According to verse 13, the earth and heavens will be replaced by new heavens and a new earth. We are then told what they will be like; righteousness will dwell in them.

Going back to verses 11-12, how should believers behave in light of these truths? We should pursue holiness and godliness, looking forward to the day of God.

The arguments that we see Peter refuting here seem to be very similar to the claims being made by those with a uniformitarian view of earth’s history. Uniformitarianism teaches that the rate of things happening in the present is the same rate at which they have always happened – or the present is the key to the past. Ideas like the universe forming from the big bang and the gradual formation of rock layers over millions of years are uniformitarian. This view denies supernatural catastrophes like the flood and rapid special creation.

Those who hold these erroneous views scoff at Christians who believe in a young earth, pointing to the billions of years they claim the earth has existed. They say that since we can’t trust the history of the Bible, we shouldn’t trust what it says about the future. Examining the rock layers and fossils from their old-earth view, they declare, “If there really wasn’t a global flood like the Bible says, we can’t trust the Bible. If Moses was wrong, then Peter is wrong.” Unfortunately, they do so to their own peril facing the just judgment of God for their sin of unbelief and rejection of His Son.

This thinking doesn’t just come from outside the church by people who deny God’s existence; it also comes from those who believe in God, and may even claim to believe in the Bible. Many Christians today believe in a uniformitarian view of earth’s history, which denies that the flood was a global event, but they still believe that there will be a second coming of Christ. However, this exposes an inconsistency in their thinking. If the flood was not a global judgment event against sin, why should we believe the second coming and judgment by fire is a real event? This inconsistency demonstrates the importance of looking to the Scriptures alone as being sufficient to understand the world around us. To be sure, not everyone who believes in a uniformitarian history denies Christ’s return and the final judgment, but it seems to be an inconsistent position to hold. Why trust the Bible to tell us about certain earthly events in the future while rejecting the earthly events Scripture describes in the past? To resolve this, many point to the flood as a localized event and cling to other ideas concocted by men to explain away (what they suppose) to be contradictions and inconsistencies.

Let’s take a moment now to think of some of God’s attributes which are evident in His judgment described in this passage. God’s holiness and justice are evident in the final judgment, while His mercy and grace are evident in the salvation of those who believe in Christ. The absolute and utter cleansing to completely eradicate the existence of sin, displays God’s omnipotence.

As Peter told his readers, scoffers deliberately overlook all God has done and deny His works of judgment in the past. He called on believers not to overlook God’s promises of salvation in the future. These promises are based on knowing that God has been faithful in the past. Just as God promised to bring the flood as judgment, He promises to bring fire to cleanse the earth in the end.

II. THE NEW HEAVENS & EARTH (Rev. 21:1-8; 2 Thes. 1:9; Rev. 21:22 – 22:5)

Now we’re going to look at two passages in the book of Revelation that talk about the glory of the new earth that we will dwell on for eternity after the judgment. We often refer to this as heaven, but let’s see what the text has to teach us.

Revelation 21:1-8

In verse 1, what did John see? “A new heaven and a new earth.” What had happened to the first earth? It had “passed away.” This is what was described earlier in 2 Peter 3. What then descended from heaven in verse 2? “The new Jerusalem.” According to verse 3, what did the voice from heaven say God will do? He will “dwell among His people.”

According to verse 4, what did the voice from heaven say God will do? He will “wipe away all of their tears.” Verse 4 also informs us that there will be some things missing in the new earth -- there will “be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain” like there has been on the first earth. Then, in verse 5, God speaks from His throne claiming that He “makes all things new.” This is another reference to the restoration of God’s original, perfect creation. Did you notice that God reports that His word is “faithful and true”? In verse 6, God describes Himself as “the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.” This title means that He is sovereign over all of His creation, both old and new.

In verses 6-7, God proclaims that those who have “thirsted for salvation” (water of life) and who have “overcome” “will inherit the new earth.” And God will be their God and claim them as “His children.” Verse 8, gives us the fate of all sinners who rejected God and His free gift of salvation. They will face “the second death” of the “lake of fire and brimstone,” (which we know better as sulfur).

Scripture is clear that there will be eternal punishment for everyone who does not believe in the name of Jesus Christ. All who reject the salvation Jesus offers, and refuse to repent and trust Him alone for forgiveness, will go to hell for all eternity. The list of sins in verse 8 shows the lifestyles of those who have rejected the truth (cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and liars). While this is a difficult truth for us to hear and wrap our minds around, it is the truth from God’s Word. We must not shrink back from warning unbelievers of the dire consequences of sin, pleading with them to turn to Christ for salvation.

Now, let’s turn to 2 Thessalonians 1, which tells us more about what will happen to people who do not believe the gospel of Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 1:9

What will God do to those who turn away from Him and refuse to believe and trust in Jesus Christ? They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction.

God is just, and He must judge sin. Sinners who do not believe the gospel of Jesus Christ will be punished in the lake of fire forever. They will be separated from God’s presence and the power of His glory forever. This is certainly a difficult truth for some. And as a result, they have decided that hell doesn’t exist – that everyone will eventually be saved. But, instead of causing us to shrink back from the clear teaching of Scripture in this area because it may be difficult, it should motivate us that much more to share the gospel of Christ with others, because it is the only hope there is for sinners.

Let me get you to turn back to Revelation 21. We are going to jump over the detailed description of the new Jerusalem and move to 21:22.

Revelation 21:22 – 22:5

Why does verse 22 point out that there is no temple in the New Jerusalem? Because “God and Jesus, the Lamb, will be the sanctuary” there. Also, as verse 23 proclaims, there will be no need for the sun and the moon in the new Jerusalem because “the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.” However, I want you to note that this verse does not indicate that there is no sun or moon, just that they are not needed to illuminate the city.

Verse 27 explains that there are some things that will never enter the new Jerusalem. It will be free from anything that is defiled, abominable (detestable), or false. This indicates that there will be no sin in the presence of God in the new Jerusalem.

In chapter 22:1-5, John briefly describes the new Jerusalem for us. In verse 1, he depicts the river, which flows through the city as being filled with “the water of life,” as “bright as crystal,” and “flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb,” who is the source of the river. In verse two, John reports on a tree by this river -- “the tree of life.” Then he details the properties of this tree as “bearing twelve kinds of fruit,” “yielding its fruit every month”; and that “the leaves of the tree will be for the healing of the nations.”

The analogy of this passage is reminiscent of the original garden of Eden, which had a river flowing out of it (Gen. 2:10), as well as the tree of life. Again, all of this imagery indicates the restoration of the new earth to the original, perfect creation. However, there was one tree in Eden that will not be present in the new Jerusalem. Of course, I’m talking about the tree of the knowledge of good an evil. This means there will be no opportunity or desire to sin in the new earth.

Verse 3 announces that “there will no longer be any curse.” The curse of sin will have been removed and reversed since there will be nothing accursed in this eternal city. Verse 3, tells us of the activity that will be going on there. The “servants of God” (all of us) will be attending to the Father and the Lamb. Elsewhere in Scripture, we see descriptions of worship through song and other activities. I especially want you to notice in verse 4, how the presence of God is indicated. All of those in the new earth “will be able to see God face to face”! Verse 5 wraps up the passage by reminding us there is “no need for a lamp, or even the sun, because the Lord God will be the light of that new world!” Then at the very end of verse 5, we learn that this will go on “forever and ever!”

Beloved, this is what we have to look forward to at the consummation of all things – a new earth that is restored to its original creation where God will dwell among His people. As we look forward to the hope of heaven, let’s focus on the truth that a far better world awaits us where we will dwell in the presence of our Lord forever!

III. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM THE WORD

While there is much more to learn about our future state in the new earth, unfortunately, we must stop here for today. I pray that even with this briefest of glimpses, you can begin to understand what our future holds. Eternal life is not some fuzzy ethereal experience or sitting on clouds strumming harps. It is serving our God and experiencing His presence forever and ever. We will get to worship and serve God with no sinful distractions in our glorified bodies. What we now only see through a distorted reflection, we will see face to face in all of the glory that is in the face of Jesus Christ.

This earth that is corrupted and stained by sin and the curse will be purged with fire only to be recreated into a paradise where we will spend an eternity with God. While in this life we fight against our own sinful flesh and the physical and emotional pain we experience, we can eagerly long for the hope of eternal life with God, experiencing Him in all the beauty of His holiness. We would do well to fix our minds on what that will be like – dwelling in the heavenly city to worship and serve our great God and Savior forever!

THIS SAME JESUS … SHALL COME AGAIN

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing Yourself to us in Your Holy Word, the Bible. We want You to know today how much we love and adore You. Thank You for Your grace, mercy and peace. Thank You for working all things together for our good. Thank You for being trustworthy and dependable. Thank You for our new life and hope in Your Son Jesus. Thank You Lord that Jesus is coming in the clouds and one day every eye will see Him. One day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord to Your glory. Thank You for being eternal, sovereign and in control over all things. Thank You that our very lives are all a part of Your great plan! So now, Lord, bless us as we draw to the end of this survey study of Your Word. But as we will learn this morning, the end of the written Scriptures are not an end at all, but a new beginning with our eternal future in view. May the Holy Spirit guide us through today’s study, kindling within each of us a deep desire for the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in whose name I pray. Amen.

Introduction: As we come to the final two messages of our chronological trip through the Bible, we need to take a minute to stop and remember how we’ve arrived at this point. You may recall the 7 C’s of History we used as a framework to aid us in our study of biblical history. We began by looking at the Creation of all things in a perfect state. That perfection was shattered by the Corruption that Adam’s sin brought to the world. This sin led to God’s judgment in the Catastrophe of the global flood. In another act of judgment after the flood, the Confusion of languages scattered the people around the globe. Each of these events recorded in Genesis 1-11 provides a historical framework that the rest of the Bible and the doctrines of our faith are built upon.

Then we walked through the rest of the OT and the continual pointing forward to the coming of the Son of David – the Messiah. In the opening of the NT, we came to the birth of Christ as the Savior of the world who took on flesh. He lived a life of perfect obedience on our behalf and then died in the place of sinners on the Cross – only to rise victoriously from the dead on the third day.

While we could add many other C’s to the OT (Covenant, Commandments, etc.) and a few to the NT, there is one element of history that is yet to come. That element is the Consummation of all things at the end of the age.

You may wonder how we can consider the still future consummation as a part of “history.” Here’s how: Knowing that the future has already been determined by God, what will happen in the future, as described in Scripture, is as good as done in God’s mind. Also, it has been recorded for us in a historical document that contains these prophecies, as well as many others which have already been fulfilled.

Today, next Sunday and the following Wednesday, we will be looking at the consummation as it is described in Scripture. This week we are going to focus on the second coming, or the return of Jesus to the earth. Then beginning next Sunday, we will look at the nature of the new heaven and new earth. The study of things that has to do with the end times is called eschatology, from the Greek word for “last” or “final,” eschatos. By the way, before you sigh in disappointment – thinking “only TWO lessons on the end times, that’s all?!” Fear not. These are just the final lessons in our chronological survey of the Bible. From there we are going to immerse ourselves in a much deeper study of the end times, beginning in September, with a series on what Jesus had to say about the last days. This is so we can get the true bearings and correct headings as we embark on a deeper study of biblical eschatology from the Author of History Himself. So, consider these last few lessons in this series as the introduction to our future studies.

However, before we jump into today’s lesson, I must give you a disclaimer: there are many different views of the end times, and faithful Christians disagree about how to interpret the passages we will look at today. This is especially true when it comes to the exact order of the timing and duration of the events. Since these things are described in the books of Daniel, Isaiah, Joel, Matthew, Thessalonians, Revelation, and other places, it is hard to connect all the dots in a consistent way. And that has been true throughout much of church history as different ways of understanding the text have been proposed. Every true Christian believes that Jesus is coming back at the end of the age, but how that is going to play out is what is difficult to fully understand.

I. DEFINING TERMS (1 Thes. 4:15-18; Mt. 24:15-31; Rev. 20:1-10)

Now, we’re going to look at three words that frame our understanding of the consummation. As we talk about these words, we’re going to briefly look at where each is found in Scripture and its use in discussing eschatology. The first word is rapture, so be looking for it as we read from 1 Thessalonians.

[READ 1 Thes. 4:15-18]

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

1 Thes. 4:15-18
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

According to verse 15, what two groups of people does Paul refer to? Believers. Believers who are alive at the second coming of the Lord, and the believers who have already died (“asleep” is a euphemism for the death of believers). We find the major event in verse 16, Jesus will descend from heaven. Notice there are three things that accompany His return: (1) a cry of command, (2) the voice of an archangel, and (3) the trumpet of God. What will happen to believers? They will rise to meet the Lord in the air. Verse 16 tells us which believers will rise first, the dead in Christ. This has to be a description of a physical resurrection since the spirits of those who have died in Christ are already present with the Lord (see 2 Cor. 5:8). Verse 17 explains that “the dead in Christ” will be followed by the believers who are still alive at Jesus’ return, rising with them into the air to meet the Lord. And how long will they remain with Christ? Always. Finally, in verse 18, we find the purpose for this passage. Paul wanted the believers to encourage one another with this truth. Keep in mind, this is not a passage intended to communicate when these things will happen, as the following verses in chapter 5 make clear.

Now, who can tell me what verse the word rapture is found in? What? It’s not there? You’re right. Rapture doesn’t occur in this passage. However, the phrase “caught up” is translated in Latin from the root word raptus. This means we are using a Latin phrase found in early church writings by various theologians. This is similar to us using the word Trinity, which is a Latin word used to describe the biblical concept of the Godhead.

When we talk about the rapture, we are speaking of the event at the return of Jesus, where believers are caught up in the air to be with Him. The dead in Christ are united with their resurrected bodies, and living believers are given a glorified body.

Our next key word is tribulation. Let’s look at Matthew 24, where Jesus was answering the disciples’ questions about the timing of His second coming.

[READ Mt. 24:15-31]

15 “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. 17 Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. 18 And whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his garment. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. 22 And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 Behold, I have told you in advance. 26 Therefore, if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. 27 For just as the lightning comes from the east and appears even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
29 “But 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 the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. 31 And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Mt. 24:15-16
15 “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.

According to verse 15, the tribulation will happen after the “abomination of desolation” is set up in the temple.

Mt. 24:21
21 For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.

Notice that this tribulation is described in verse 21 as one that has never been seen before on the earth. I also need to point out that in this passage, Jesus doesn’t give a specific length of time this tribulation will last.

Mt. 24:29-30a
29 “But 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 the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, ….

Verse 29 and the first part of verse 30 apprise us that the second coming will not happen until after this awful time of tribulation.

Mt. 24:30b-31
30b … They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. 31 And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

While there are some important differences, how is the imagery in this passage similar to the rapture passage we read a few minutes ago in 1 Thessalonians 4? (1) The Son of Man comes on the clouds with great power (authority); (2) angels appear; (3) a trumpet sounds; and (4) the elect are gathered together.

Our next keyword is millennium. Let’s turn to Revelation 20 to see what we can learn.

[READ Rev. 20:1-10]

1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were finished. After these things he must be released for a short time.
4 Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their witness of Jesus and because of the word of God, and who also had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand. And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection. Over these the second death has no authority, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
7 And when the thousand years are finished, Satan will be released from his prison, 8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. 9 And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

How many times does the word millennium appear in this passage? While the word millennium is never used, it is the word we use to refer to the 1,000 years that is mentioned six times in this passage.

Rev. 20:1-2
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;

According to verses 1 & 2, what happens to Satan just before the beginning of the millennium? He is bound with a great chain.

Rev. 20:3
3 … And he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were finished. After these things he must be released for a short time.

Verse 3 tells us that he is prohibited from doing what during this time? He cannot deceive the nations.

Rev. 20:4
4 Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their witness of Jesus and because of the word of God, and who also had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand. And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Verse 4 reveals that all the martyred saints, who willingly laid down their lives for Christ’s sake, will reign with Him during the millennium.

Rev. 20:7-8
7 And when the thousand years are finished, Satan will be released from his prison, 8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.

Verses 7 & 8 inform us that at the end of the millennium, Satan is released, and there is a war.

Rev. 20:10
10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Verse 10 announces that at the end of this war, Satan is cast into the lake of fire to be tormented forever, which should bring us to our feet, our hands raised to God, and our voices shouting, “Hallelujah, and Amen!”

So, what is the point of talking about these three words? Well, when we talk about eschatology, there is typically a lot of jargon we use. That jargon is framed around these three words and how they relate to the events of the end times. The three passages we’ve looked at are just a sampling of the many passages, both OT and NT, that are used to support various views. For example, if you asked a Christian what they believed about the end times, they might tell you they are a dispensational premillennialist who believes in a pre-tribulational rapture. So, let’s break down the three major views that lie within orthodoxy. As we do, we’re going to be talking in broad generalizations, so remember that there are lots of nuances that could be explored and described.

While some would divide it further, we can think of these views as being framed by believers understanding of the millennium with respect to the return of Christ. Premillennialists believe that Jesus will return before the millennium, and then He will set up a 1,000-year reign. Postmillennialists believe Jesus will return after a godly kingdom has been established on earth by the church. And amillennialists believe that the millennium is a symbolic period that stretches from the resurrection of Jesus (or the Day of Pentecost) until Christ returns. There are different forms of each of these views of the millennium that can be defined by the other terms we’ve looked at.

The timing of the tribulation described in Matthew 24 (and other passages) is another defining factor that separates these views. Premillennialists generally believe that the tribulation happens near the end of the church age, just before Christ returns and sets up the millennial kingdom. Among premillennialists, some believe that the rapture of the church happens before the tribulation, and others believe it happens near the middle, partway through, or at the end of the tribulation (which most would say lasts 3½ to 7 years). The four major views are the pre-tribulational rapture, the mid-tribulational rapture, the pre-wrath rapture, and the post-tribulational rapture. After the millennium, there is a resurrection of the dead unbelievers who will be judged. For premillennialists, the kingdom of God was inaugurated by Jesus when the church was established and will be consummated at His return.

Among postmillennialists, there is agreement that the rapture happens at the end of the age when all people are taken to judgment after the return of Christ. Within postmillennialism, some believe that the tribulation was mostly accomplished in the first century before the destruction of the temple in AD 70 (known as partial preterism). Others believe that the tribulation continues as unbelievers persecute Christians, even though society as a whole is becoming better under the authority of Christ. For postmillennialists, the disciples are called to establish the kingdom of God through the preaching of the gospel and to change society toward godliness until Christ returns. According to postmillennialists, the church will usher in the millennium, and then Christ will return after a long time of peace and prosperity.

Within the amillennial camp, there is a group that believes the tribulation was primarily leading up to the destruction of the temple (partial preterism), then continues throughout the church age until the second coming of Christ and the rapture of all believers, even as society becomes progressively more evil. For amillennialists, the kingdom of God is being established through the church until Christ returns, despite the worsening of society.

While these are clearly different views, we can consider each of these views to be within orthodox Christian belief, and we can worship God alongside one another. The reason for this is that those who hold to these differing positions are attempting to build their understanding of the end times based on what Scripture teaches, not on what outside sources or influences would dictate. While we can wrestle through the text together and try our best to decide which view is taught in the Bible, we are all ultimately trying to use exegesis, drawing ideas out of the text, rather than eisegesis, importing our own ideas into the text. That is what distinguishes this debate within the church from the debate say over origins, since those who adopt evolutionary views are bringing ideas from outside of the Bible into their arguments.

II. THE BLESSED HOPE (Titus 2:11-14; Phil. 3:20 – 4:1)

Let’s end our study of the Scriptures today on a positive note by looking at the hope that the doctrine of eschatology gives us.

[READ Titus 2:11-14]

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us that, denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all lawlessness, and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good works.

Let’s take a moment to refresh our memories about the epistle to Titus from our lesson on the pastoral epistles. Do you remember who wrote it? Paul. Obviously, he was writing to a young preacher named Titus; what you may not remember is that Paul had left Titus behind in Crete to order and establish the churches there.

Titus 2:11-14
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us that, denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all lawlessness, and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good works.

According to verse 11, what brings salvation? The grace of God. When did this grace become evident? It came in the past since it “has appeared.” Also notice that this grace appeared to all people. Paul intended for his use of the word grace to be a reference to Jesus Christ. In this context, how should we understand the phrase “all men?” It is a reference to humanity in general, not to each individual person. Jesus came to declare God’s grace to mankind in general, but not every individual will hear or has heard this message.

In verse 12, Paul reminds Titus of what Jesus trained us to do. He trained us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, living self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age. In the context of Paul addressing Titus, the words “us” and “we” in this verse are referring to all believers. Verse 14, provides us with a list of promises that are universal to all Christians.

In verse 13, Paul announces that all believers should be looking forward to the appearing of Jesus Christ, or His second coming. Notice that the appearing of Christ is described as a blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of God. Then, Jesus is declared to be our great God and Savior.

Going back to verse 14, we are told that Christ gave Himself for us, which is a reference to His life, death, and resurrection. He gave Himself for us to redeem us from lawlessness and purify a special people for Himself. We should respond to our redemption by being zealous for good works, living lives worthy of the calling to be “a people for His own possession.”

[READ Phil. 3:20 – 4:1]

3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by His working through which He is able to even subject all things to Himself. 4:1 Therefore my brothers, loved and longed for, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.

First, to understand this passage, we must realize that Jesus Christ will return.

Phil. 3:20 – 4:1
3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by His working through which He is able to even subject all things to Himself. 4:1 Therefore my brothers, loved and longed for, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.

In verse 20, we learn that our citizenship is in heaven, not on earth. Verse 21 explains that at the resurrection of believers we will be transformed to have a glorious body like Christ’s resurrected body. In light of these truths, in 4:1, Paul calls believers to stand firm in the Lord, knowing that He is returning to bring us to Himself.

As we think about what Paul has written, we can have hope that Jesus will return. In John 14:1-3, Jesus told His disciples that He was going away to prepare a place for them and that He would return for them. But when we use the word “hope” in these passages, we don’t mean it in the sense that we usually use it. The biblical concept of hope is one of a certain trust in God’s promises, not a vain wish that the rain will stop or our favorite team will win. Biblical hope is a certain hope – a confident expectation – because of whom we are hoping in. We can hope in the return of Christ because we know the character of the One who has promised to return. Jesus does not lie. God’s promises are sure. We hope in the return Christ with certainty because He is faithful.

III. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM THE WORD

While we may not understand all the details of what is coming in the consummation, there are some things we can be sure of. We may not know exactly when Christ will return, how the millennium will play out, or the sequence of events surrounding the tribulation and rapture, but we know He is coming again. We know for certain that Jesus will return to bring about the consummation of all things, bringing resurrection and justice to all of mankind.

All of those who have put their faith in Jesus as Messiah will stand before God, clothed in His righteousness, and know that their names are written in the book of life. They will be rewarded with eternal life in the presence of God, inheriting the new heaven and the new earth. They will never have to fear or mourn the effects of the curse, every tear will be wiped from their eyes, and there will not even be the opportunity to sin. Our bodies will be conformed into a glorious form with no disease or pain, and we will use our entire beings to worship and serve God for eternity in His presence.

However, those whose names are not found written in the book of life face a horrible future at the second coming. After their bodily resurrection, they will stand before God in their sin, having no excuse and no defense. They will be cast into the lake of fire, facing the eternal punishment of hell as God’s wrath for their sin is poured out upon them. For those outside of Christ, the second coming is a most dreaded and fear-filled event.

As we consider all of this, we cannot pretend that our eschatology does not influence the way we live. For those with a postmillennial view, working to spread the gospel and influence society toward godliness informs how they live each day. Those with a premillennial view who think society will continue to get worse may tend to focus on evangelism and discipleship rather than social and political issues. While we may tend to ignore eschatology, it truly is something we need to seek to understand so that we can live a life that is faithful to God’s calling on us.

Beloved, knowing the faithful character of our God, we have great hope for the future. Knowing that there are many who have not yet bowed the knee to Christ, we have a great opportunity to serve God as His ambassadors and share the hope we have at the coming of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are the God of our past and our present. By Your hand we were each created for a unique purpose to be realized in the days of our lives on this earth. Though we have no way of knowing exactly what is coming our way, we know from Your Word of truth that life this side of heaven will be hard. We know we have an enemy set to destroy us. Give us the boldness we need to operate in the power Your Holy Spirit, to discern the lies of the enemy, with total recall of the truths found in Your Word.
Jesus is the story of our salvation; there in the beginning with You when the universe was created, and now seated at Your right hand where He intercedes for us. We ask You to empower us by Your grace to love the people in our lives well, even though the ways of the world are always pushing against us. Lord, we confess that our mistakes are rampant. We’re not getting it right all of the time. We’re succumbing to pride and discord, even though our Lord Jesus set an example for us and commanded us to love You and people above all else.
May the Holy Spirit stir-up conviction in our souls like never before. Giving us lessons in humility, coaching us in encouragement, and mentoring us in peaceably and gracefully asserting our faith into the brokenness of this world. Infuse a durability in us that is unworldly. Bless our lives to persevere, and run the race laid out for us with full steam to the very end; until the tape breaks, the trumpet sounds, and we’re called home. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Invitation # 239: “Jesus Is Coming Again” (3 vs.)

Benediction: Beloved, may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen. (Num. 6:24-26)

THIS SAME JESUS … WILL COME AGAIN

Answers (Lesson 179) - August 24, 2025 - Rev. Alan Cousins

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB
Introduction: This week we are going to focus on the second coming, or the return of Jesus to the earth.

The study of things that has to do with the end times is called eschatology, from the Greek word for “last” or “final,” eschatos.

Every true Christian believes that Jesus is coming back at the end of the age, but how that is going to play out is what is difficult to fully understand.

I. DEFINING TERMS (1 Thes. 4:15-18; Mt. 24:15-31; Rev. 20:1-10)

Now, we’re going to look at three words that frame our understanding of the consummation. As we talk about these words, we’re going to briefly look at where each is found in Scripture and its use in discussing eschatology. The first word is rapture, so be looking for it as we read from 1 Thessalonians.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-18

According to verse 15, what two groups of people does Paul refer to? Believers. Believers who are alive at the second coming of the Lord, and the believers who have already died (“asleep” is a euphemism for the death of believers). We find the major event in verse 16, Jesus will descend from heaven. Notice there are three things that accompany His return: (1) a cry of command, (2) the voice of an archangel, and (3) the trumpet of God. What will happen to believers? They will rise to meet the Lord in the air. Verse 16 tells us which believers will rise first, the dead in Christ. This has to be a description of a physical resurrection since the spirits of those who have died in Christ are already present with the Lord (see 2 Cor. 5:8). Verse 17 explains that “the dead in Christ” will be followed by the believers who are still alive at Jesus’ return, rising with them into the air to meet the Lord. And how long will they remain with Christ? Always. Finally, in verse 18, we find the purpose for this passage. Paul wanted the believers to encourage one another with this truth. Keep in mind, this is not a passage intended to communicate when these things will happen, as the following verses in chapter 5 make clear.

Now, who can tell me what verse the word rapture is found in? What? It’s not there? You’re right. Rapture doesn’t occur in this passage. However, the phrase “caught up” is translated in Latin from the root word raptus. This means we are using a Latin phrase found in early church writings by various theologians. This is similar to us using the word Trinity, which is a Latin word used to describe the biblical concept of the Godhead.

When we talk about the rapture, we are speaking of the event at the return of Jesus, where believers are caught up in the air to be with Him. The dead in Christ are united with their resurrected bodies, and living believers are given a glorified body.

Our next key word is tribulation. Let’s look at Matthew 24, where Jesus was answering the disciples’ questions about the timing of His second coming.

Matthew 24:15-31

According to verse 15, the tribulation will happen after the “abomination of desolation” is set up in the temple.

Notice that this tribulation is described in verse 21 as one that has never been seen before on the earth. I also need to point out that in this passage, Jesus doesn’t give a specific length of time this tribulation will last. Verse 29 and the first part of verse 30 apprise us that the second coming will not happen until after this awful time of tribulation.

While there are some important differences, how is the imagery in this passage similar to the rapture passage we read a few minutes ago in 1 Thessalonians 4? (1) The Son of Man comes on the clouds with great power (authority); (2) angels appear; (3) a trumpet sounds; and (4) the elect are gathered together.

Our next keyword is millennium. Let’s turn to Revelation 20 to see what we can learn.

Revelation 20:1-10
How many times does the word millennium appear in this passage? While the word millennium is never used, it is the word we use to refer to the 1,000 years that is mentioned six times in this passage.

According to verses 1 & 2, what happens to Satan just before the beginning of the millennium? He is bound with a great chain. Verse 3 tells us that he is prohibited from doing what during this time? He cannot deceive the nations. Verse 4 reveals that all the martyred saints, who willingly laid down their lives for Christ’s sake, will reign with Him during the millennium. Verses 7 & 8 inform us that at the end of the millennium, Satan is released, and there is a war. Verse 10 announces that at the end of this war, Satan is cast into the lake of fire to be tormented forever, which should bring us to our feet, our hands raised to God, and our voices shouting, “Hallelujah, and Amen!”

So, what is the point of talking about these three words? Well, when we talk about eschatology, there is typically a lot of jargon we use. That jargon is framed around these three words and how they relate to the events of the end times. The three passages we’ve looked at are just a sampling of the many passages, both OT and NT, that are used to support various views. For example, if you asked a Christian what they believed about the end times, they might tell you they are a dispensational premillennialist who believes in a pre-tribulational rapture. So, let’s break down the three major views that lie within orthodoxy. As we do, we’re going to be talking in broad generalizations, so remember that there are lots of nuances that could be explored and described.

While some would divide it further, we can think of these views as being framed by believers understanding of the millennium with respect to the return of Christ. Pre-millennialists believe that Jesus will return before the millennium, and then He will set up a 1,000-year reign. Postmillennialists believe Jesus will return after a godly kingdom has been established on earth by the church. And amillennialists believe that the millennium is a symbolic period that stretches from the resurrection of Jesus (or the Day of Pentecost) until Christ returns. There are different forms of each of these views of the millennium that can be defined by the other terms we’ve looked at.

The timing of the tribulation described in Matthew 24 (and other passages) is another defining factor that separates these views. Premillennialists generally believe that the tribulation happens near the end of the church age, just before Christ returns and sets up the millennial kingdom. Among premillennialists, some believe that the rapture of the church happens before the tribulation, and others believe it happens near the middle, partway through, or at the end of the tribulation (which most would say lasts 3½ to 7 years). The four major views are the pre-tribulational rapture, the mid-tribulational rapture, the pre-wrath rapture, and the post-tribulational rapture. After the millennium, there is a resurrection of the dead unbelievers who will be judged. For premillennialists, the kingdom of God was inaugurated by Jesus when the church was established and will be consummated at His return.

Among postmillennialists, there is agreement that the rapture happens at the end of the age when all people are taken to judgment after the return of Christ. Within postmillennialism, some believe that the tribulation was mostly accomplished in the first century before the destruction of the temple in AD 70 (known as *partial preterism). Others believe that the tribulation continues as unbelievers persecute Christians, even though society as a whole is becoming better under the authority of Christ. For postmillennialists, the disciples are called to establish the kingdom of God through the preaching of the gospel and to change society toward godliness until Christ returns. According to postmillennialists, the church will usher in the millennium, and then Christ will return after a long time of peace and prosperity.

Within the amillennial camp, there is a group that believes the tribulation was primarily leading up to the destruction of the temple (*partial preterism), then continues throughout the church age until the second coming of Christ and the rapture of all believers, even as society becomes progressively more evil. For amillennialists, the kingdom of God is being established through the church until Christ returns, despite the worsening of society.

While these are clearly different views, we can consider each of these views to be within orthodox Christian belief, and we can worship God alongside one another. The reason for this is that those who hold to these differing positions are attempting to build their understanding of the end times based on what Scripture teaches, not on what outside sources or influences would dictate. While we can wrestle through the text together and try our best to decide which view is taught in the Bible, we are all ultimately trying to use exegesis, drawing ideas out of the text, rather than eisegesis, importing our own ideas into the text. That is what distinguishes this debate within the church from the debate say over origins, since those who adopt evolutionary views are bringing ideas from outside of the Bible into their arguments.

II. THE BLESSED HOPE (Titus 2:11-14; Phil. 3:20 – 4:1)

Let’s end our study of the Scriptures today on a positive note by looking at the hope that the doctrine of eschatology gives us.

Titus 2:11-14

Let’s take a moment to refresh our memories about the epistle to Titus from our lesson on the pastoral epistles. Do you remember who wrote it? Paul. Obviously, he was writing to a young preacher named Titus; what you may not remember is that Paul had left Titus behind in Crete to order and establish the churches there.

According to verse 11, what brings salvation? The grace of God. When did this grace become evident? It came in the past since it “has appeared.” Also notice that this grace appeared to all people. Paul intended for his use of the word grace to be a reference to Jesus Christ. In this context, how should we understand the phrase “all men?” It is a reference to humanity in general, not to each individual person. Jesus came to declare God’s grace to mankind in general, but not every individual will hear or has heard this message.

In verse 12, Paul reminds Titus of what Jesus trained us to do. He trained us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, living self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age. In the context of Paul addressing Titus, the words “us” and “we” in this verse are referring to all believers. Verse 14, provides us with a list of promises that are universal to all Christians.

In verse 13, Paul announces that all believers should be looking forward to the appearing of Jesus Christ, or His second coming. Notice that the appearing of Christ is described as a blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of God. Then, Jesus is declared to be our great God and Savior.

Going back to verse 14, we are told that Christ gave Himself for us, which is a reference to His life, death, and resurrection. He gave Himself for us to redeem us from lawlessness and purify a special people for Himself. We should respond to our redemption by being zealous for good works, living lives worthy of the calling to be “a people for His own possession.”

Philippians 3:20 – 4:1

First, to understand this passage, we must realize that Jesus Christ will return.

In verse 20, we learn that our citizenship is in heaven, not on earth. Verse 21 explains that at the resurrection of believers we will be transformed to have a glorious body like Christ’s resurrected body. In light of these truths, in 4:1, Paul calls believers to stand firm in the Lord, knowing that He is returning to bring us to Himself.

As we think about what Paul has written, we can have hope that Jesus will return. In John 14:1-3, Jesus told His disciples that He was going away to prepare a place for them and that He would return for them. But when we use the word “hope” in these passages, we don’t mean it in the sense that we usually use it. The biblical concept of hope is one of a certain trust in God’s promises, not a vain wish that the rain will stop or our favorite team will win. Biblical hope is a certain hope – a confident expectation – because of whom we are hoping in. We can hope in the return of Christ because we know the character of the One who has promised to return. Jesus does not lie. God’s promises are sure. We hope in the return Christ with certainty because He is faithful.

III. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM THE WORD

While we may not understand all the details of what is coming in the consummation, there are some things we can be sure of. We may not know exactly when Christ will return, how the millennium will play out, or the sequence of events surrounding the tribulation and rapture, but we know He is coming again. We know for certain that Jesus will return to bring about the consummation of all things, bringing resurrection and justice to all of mankind.

All of those who have put their faith in Jesus as Messiah will stand before God, clothed in His righteousness, and know that their names are written in the book of life. They will be rewarded with eternal life in the presence of God, inheriting the new heaven and the new earth. They will never have to fear or mourn the effects of the curse, every tear will be wiped from their eyes, and there will not even be the opportunity to sin. Our bodies will be conformed into a glorious form with no disease or pain, and we will use our entire beings to worship and serve God for eternity in His presence.

However, those whose names are not found written in the book of life face a horrible future at the second coming. After their bodily resurrection, they will stand before God in their sin, having no excuse and no defense. They will be cast into the lake of fire, facing the eternal punishment of hell as God’s wrath for their sin is poured out upon them. For those outside of Christ, the second coming is a most dreaded and fear-filled event.

As we consider all of this, we cannot pretend that our eschatology does not influence the way we live. For those with a postmillennial view, working to spread the gospel and influence society toward godliness informs how they live each day. Those with a premillennial view who think society will continue to get worse may tend to focus on evangelism and discipleship rather than social and political issues. While we may tend to ignore eschatology, it truly is something we need to seek to understand so that we can live a life that is faithful to God’s calling on us.

Beloved, knowing the faithful character of our God, we have great hope for the future. Knowing that there are many who have not yet bowed the knee to Christ, we have a great opportunity to serve God as His ambassadors and share the hope we have at the coming of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

*Partial Preterism: Preterism is the eschatological view that the “end times” prophecies of the Bible have already been fulfilled. So, when we read what the Bible says about the tribulation, we are reading history. Preterism is divided into two camps: full (hyper) preterism and partial preterism. Full preterism takes an extreme view that all prophecy in the Bible has been fulfilled in one way or another. Partial preterists take a more moderate approach, and many partial preterists consider full preterists to be guilty of heresy.

Those who hold to partial preterism believe that the prophecies in Daniel, Matthew 24, and Revelation (with the exception of the last two or three chapters) have already been fulfilled and were fulfilled no later than the first century AD. According to partial preterism, there is no rapture, and passages describing the tribulation and the Antichrist are actually referring to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. Partial preterists do believe in the return of Christ to earth and a future resurrection and judgment, but they do not teach a millennial kingdom or that Israel as a nation has a place in God’s future plan. According to partial preterists, the Bible’s references to “the last days” are speaking of the last days of the old Jewish Covenant, not the last days of the earth itself.

The partial preterist viewpoint leads to a belief in amillenialism (or post-millenialism) and is associated with covenant theology. Its main problem is its inconsistent hermeneutic and its allegorizing of many biblical prophecies that are better understood literally. While partial preterism is within the scope of orthodoxy, it is not the majority view among believers today.

PRESCRIPTION FOR PRAYER

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You have commanded us to pray at all times, with all prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, being alert in perseverance and petition for all believers; to continue in prayer, and by prayer and supplication, to make our requests known to You, O Lord. You have directed us to ask, seek, and knock, promising that we will receive, we will find, and it will be opened to us. You have appointed us a great High Priest, in whose name we may draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may find mercy and grace to help us in our time of need. You have assured us that the prayers of the upright are Your delight. You are the One who hears our prayers. You tell us, “Seek My face” and our hearts answer, “Only Your face shall we seek.” Where else shall we go, O Lord, but to You? For You have the words of eternal life. We humbly come before You, grateful for the precious gift of direct access into Your presence. Thank You for inviting us to share our hearts, our burdens, and our joys with You. We ask You now to fill us with Your Spirit so we may understand the truth of Your Word for us today. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

Introduction: We have been studying the establishment and expansion of the early church. As the gospel spread, so did the dangers of persecution, false teaching, and misapplication of doctrinal truths. The apostles served the churches by instructing them, encouraging them, and exhorting them to faithfulness in their Christian walks. We have seen many practical instructions given to the church by Peter, Paul, John, and others.

As we’ve worked our way through the epistles, you may have noticed a common aspect in most of them. Paul almost always began and ended his letters with some sort of prayer for the believers. Many of the others similarly wrote prayers for those to whom they wrote. Prayer is an important part of the Christian life, and today we’re going to focus on what prayer looks like in the life of the believer.

If you are like most believers, your prayer life is probably one of the aspects of your Christian walk that you are the least satisfied with. Prayer can be hard to understand. Why should we pray? How should we pray? When should we pray? These are all questions that we can look to the Bible to answer for us.

God has called us to pray to Him, but He has not left us without loving guidance on how to do so. In short, prayer is simply communion with God – relating to Him as we would to another person. By one accounting there are over 600 prayers found in the pages of Scripture. While the Bible has much more to say about prayer than we could cover in today’s lesson, we are going to get a big-picture view of what is revealed to us and for us.

I. BIBLICAL PRAYER (Phil. 4:4-7; 1 Thes. 5:16-18)

Let’s read Philippians 4:4-7 together as we try to understand a bit more about prayer as it is described in Scripture.

[READ Phil. 4:4-7]

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your considerate spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Phil. 4:4-7
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your considerate spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

First, let’s consider the context. Paul and Timothy were writing to the church in Philippi, offering them instruction and guidance on various topics. This closing section of the letter has several short passages on these assorted subjects.

What commands are present in these verses? Rejoice; let your reasonableness be known; do not be anxious; and pray to God. Why do you think the command not to be anxious is attached to prayer? Our attitude as we come to prayer should be one where our minds are focused on God’s ability to provide what we need, therefore we should not worry. If we are anxious or worried, it reveals that we are not trusting God in our circumstances. What two words are used to describe our communication with God? Prayer and petition. In this case, I think some of the older translations, like the KJV, are clearer in the wording they use. I think you will see my point. “Prayer” is a general word for petitions to God while “petition” (supplication) has the meaning of making specific requests where there is a need. These words are found together in other passages like Ephesians 6:18 and 1 Timothy 2:1. Notice in verse 6, that an attitude of “thanksgiving” should accompany our communication with God. It is clear that our prayerful requests are to be made to God the Father. Then as verse 7 clarifies, as we pray to God, trusting in His character, we should find the peace of God in our hearts. Paul describes this peace as surpassing our ability to understand. Paul’s use of “hearts and minds” refers to our total being. He goes on to tell us that we will be “guarded in Christ Jesus.” Here, the word “guard” is drawn from a military term used to describe keeping watch over something. Beloved, isn’t this comforting to know? Jesus Christ Himself is on guard over our lives! So, let’s make the connection between “anxiety/worry” in verse 6 and “peace” in verse 7. When we go to God in prayer, trusting in His perfect character, the anxiety and worry we have for our circumstances can be replaced by the peace of knowing that Jesus is standing guard over our lives.

[READ 1 Thes. 5:16-18]

16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thes. 5:16-18
16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

This passage adds to our understanding of prayer. We are to pray without ceasing and with an attitude of thanksgiving in all circumstances. The incentive for us to rejoice and pray is found in verse 18, where the apostle writes that this is God’s will for us in Jesus. How is the command to “rejoice always” related to the Philippians passage we were looking at a few minutes ago? In Philippians 4:4, Paul gave a similar command to always rejoice in the Lord. So, how should we understand “always” and “without ceasing” in these commands? Well, they cannot mean for us to be in silent, devoted prayer all of the time, or else we would not be able to fulfill other commands or even sleep. They have the sense of having a constant attitude of joy in the Lord and prayerful communion with our Heavenly Father. Also, we are to do so in all circumstances, not just in the good times or the bad times when we feel like it.

As Christians, God calls us to constant communion with Him through prayer. Prayer should be a constant part of our lives. However, this doesn’t mean we have to stop, bow our heads, and fold our hands every time we pray. We can offer silent prayers to God as we go about the other business He has called us to. We don’t have to stop at specified times; we are to offer Him praise or ask Him for wisdom at any time.

When we offer our prayers to God, we are trusting in His attributes. For example, God’s graciousness is demonstrated in giving us good gifts; as a good Father, He will not give us a stone when we ask Him for bread (Lk. 11:11-13). Since God is sovereign, we can trust Him in whatever circumstances we may find ourselves.

Our ability to approach God in prayer relates to our adoption as children of God. As children of God, we can approach Him as our Father and ask Him to act on our behalf. As we come, we make requests of Him and not demands. Since we are united with Jesus, we have communion with God, and offering prayer to Him is one of the benefits of our adoption (see Heb. 4:16 & Eph. 3:12). Further, we can think of prayer in a trinitarian way – we pray to the Father in the name of the Son by the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

II. THE ACTS MODEL (Ps. 145:1-9; 1 Jn. 1:6-10; Ps. 139:23-24; 2 Cor. 2:14, 8:16; Eph. 5:20; Mt. 6:9-13; Eph. 3:14-19)

As I mentioned earlier, many Christians struggle to have a satisfying prayer life. It seems that we pray the same old things in the same old ways. But the types of prayers in the Bible are quite diverse, and we can use them as a framework to go to God in prayer. There are many helpful models of prayer, but we’re going to look at one of my favorites known as the ACTS model.

As an acronym, the A stands for Adoration, C is for Confession, T for Thanksgiving, and S is for Supplication. Now, we’re going to look at examples of prayers which fit into each of these categories. Let’s look at each of these categories using various passages of Scripture and talk briefly about how they can be turned into prayer.

Adoration means to offer worship to God for who He is in all of His character, glory, holiness and beauty. If we begin a time of prayer by acknowledging the amazing attributes of God and praising Him for these things, it sets our minds in the right frame for communion with Him. The psalms are full of adoration that blesses God for His works and character. In fact, Psalms 144-150 are all psalms of this kind of praise.

[READ Ps. 145:1-9]

Aleph: 1 I will exalt You, my God, O King,
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
Beth: 2 Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
Gimel: 3 Great is Yahweh, and highly to be praised,
And His greatness is unsearchable.
Daleth: 4 One generation shall laud Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty deeds.
He: 5 On the glorious splendor of Your majesty
And on the words of Your wondrous deeds, I will muse.
Vav: 6 Men shall speak of the strength of Your fearsome acts,
And I will recount Your greatness.
Zayin: 7 They shall pour forth the memory of Your abundant goodness
And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness.
Heth: 8 Yahweh is gracious and compassionate;
Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.
Teth: 9 Yahweh is good to all,
And His compassions are over all His works.

Ps. 145:4-9
4 One generation shall laud Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty deeds. 5 On the glorious splendor of Your majesty And on the words of Your wondrous deeds, I will muse. 6 Men shall speak of the strength of Your fearsome acts, And I will recount Your greatness. 7 They shall pour forth the memory of Your abundant goodness And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness. 8 Yahweh is gracious and compassionate; Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness. 9 Yahweh is good to all, And His compassions are over all His works.

How does this passage reflect the adoration of God? Verses 4-5, speak of blessing God for the things He has done. Verse 7, says we are to bless God for His righteousness. Verse 8, tells us to praise Him for His grace, mercy, and steadfast love. And verse 9, reminds us to extol Him for His goodness to all. We can turn this psalm into a prayer by reading each phrase as a prayer of praise to God for His attributes and works.

Confession is another important aspect of prayer where we bring our individual acts of sin to God. While there is no need to wait for a specific time of prayer to confess sin, we can pause during a time of devoted prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind any sins we need to confess in order to cleanse our conscience before God.

[READ 1 Jn. 1:6-10]

6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not do the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

1 Jn. 1:6-10
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not do the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

This passage informs us that if we say we have no sin to confess in prayer, we are deceiving ourselves and are calling God a liar by denying we have sinned. Verse 9 explains that when we confess our sins, God promises He will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. According to verse 7, we can be cleansed from our sins because God is just to forgive us because Christ has paid the penalty for our sins with His blood.

[READ Ps. 139:23-24]

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.

This passage can be used as a prayer to ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind the things we need to confess.

If you were just able to take a breath, you have a reason to thank God. Thanksgiving is an attitude we should bring to prayer, but we can also take time to identify certain things for which we are thankful. These can range from the simplest of joys in our lives, such as the ability to hear a bird’s song, to physical blessings, like a house or good health, to the gift of salvation and the opportunity to commune with God in prayer. The opportunities to thank Him are endless.

[READ Psalm 95:2]

2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving,
Let us make a loud shout to Him with songs of praise.

This verse calls on us to come into His presence with thanksgiving.

[READ 2 Cor. 2:14]

14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ, and manifests through us the aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.

In this verse Paul thanks God for the victory in Christ as the message of the gospel spreads.

[READ 2 Cor. 8:16-17]

16 But thanks be to God who puts the same earnestness on your behalf in the heart of Titus. 17 For he not only accepted our plea, but being himself very earnest, he has gone out to you of his own accord.

In this example, Paul was thanking God for the love He placed in the heart of Titus for the Corinthians.

[READ Eph. 5:18-21]

18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21 and being subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

Eph. 5:18-21
18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21 and being subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

According to verse 20, we are to thank God for everything, at all times, and in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
While it is not a word we use every day, supplication is something we do every day. It simply means to make a request – “Father God, can You supply this for me?” It can be for ourselves or on behalf of others (sometimes this is referred to as intercession), but it is asking God to act in a certain way. As we mentioned earlier, this is not a demand to God, but a request that is in line with His will.

[READ Mt. 6:9-13]

9 “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]

Mt. 6:9-13
9 “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]

Notice what Jesus requests in this prayer: He asked for God’s will to be accomplished, for daily bread (food), forgiveness, and to not be led into temptation. Considering our ACTS model, what other elements do you see in this prayer? Adoration in honoring God’s name; confession and seeking forgiveness for debts.

[READ Eph. 3:14-19]

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that He would give you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being firmly rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

Eph. 3:14-19
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that He would give you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being firmly rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

In this prayer, Paul asks God to strengthen the Ephesian saints with the various spiritual blessings mentioned. He makes these requests on the basis of the riches of God’s glory.
While there are certainly other aspects of prayer we could include, this ACTS model can offer a helpful way to structure a devoted time of prayer to God. As with any other method or tool, it may become a bit stale if it is overused. But it is sure to help us focus on God as not only the One we are praying to, but also the One who can answer our prayers as He pleases.

III. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM THE WORD
There have probably been thousands of books written on prayer, and the Bible is filled with examples of prayers from cover to cover. We know that we have only scratched the surface on what the Bible has to teach us on this topic, but I hope that today’s study will spur you on to learn more on your own or with others.

Prayer is an amazing privilege. We have direct access to the Creator of the universe, and He is pleased to hear from us. Whether it is a prayer of lament, a confession of sin, or a request, we can approach the throne of grace with confidence and boldness knowing that our sovereign God will hear us. As we trust that God knows all and has all power, we can trust that He will answer our prayers in the manner that brings Him the most glory. The answer may not always be what we want, but it will be what is best in every situation because God works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, with grateful hearts we thank You for the precious privilege of prayer. We cherish this sacred connection, where we can share our burdens, seek Your guidance, and experience Your peace. May we never take this gift for granted, and may our prayers rise as fragrant offerings to You. Help us remember that through prayer, we find strength, and undergo transformation. With the Holy Spirit as our guide, teach us to pray more effectively. Help us to love one another, and all believers sacrificially. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Invitation # 435: “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” (3 vs.)

Benediction: Beloved, may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. (Rom. 15:13)