Jesus did not command his followers to know the timing of his return and the โend of the age,โ nor did he provide them with keys and โsignsโ by which they can decipher the time of his โarrivalโ or โparousia.โ Instead, he exhorted them to be prepared every day since his return will come just โlike a thief in the night.โ Only his Father possesses this knowledge.
Continue reading “The Final Season?”
Jesus compared the final years before his return to the period leading up to the Great Flood of Noah. โJust as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it beโ when the โSon of Manโ returns. Some commentators take this saying as a prediction of the return of the same conditions that existed in Noahโs day; that is, a repetition of the moral anarchy and violence that prompted God to send the floodwaters in the first place.
Continue reading “Normalcy or Chaos?”
The Discourse opens with warnings about coming deceivers who propagate false expectations about the end โ Mark 13:5-13.
Jesus began his Olivet Discourse with an ominous warning about coming deceivers, men who will claim his authority and spread rumors about calamities, thereby โdeceiving many.โ This warning is repeated at pivotal points in the discourse. For example, prior to the coming of the Son of Man, โmany false prophets will arise and deceive many,โ including the employment of signs and wonders.
Continue reading “WARS AND RUMORS”
Instead of calculating times and seasons, followers of Jesus must always be prepared for his sudden arrival – Acts 1:6-8.
Did Jesus task his followers with knowing end-time chronologies, the โtimes and seasonsโ? Are believers able to decipher key โsignsโ by which they can decipher the time of Christโs return? For that matter, did Jesus and the apostles leave us with a comprehensive list and timeline of end-time events whereby we can calculate the arrival of the end of the age?
Continue reading “KNOWING TIMES AND SEASONS”
On Olivet, Jesus reiterated key information that is necessary for his followers to avoid being misled by deceivers.
Christโs final block of teaching is commonly called his โOlivet Discourse,โ a series of instructions given to the disciples shortly before his arrest, trial, and execution. In it, three warnings are repeated that disciples must heed to avoid deceit and disaster, warnings about deceivers, the timing of his return, and the need for constant vigilance.
Continue reading “REPEATED WARNINGS”
Insights into Bible Prophecy 