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Focus on the Future - 1
Christ’s Urgent Warning
Can you guess the fastest-selling adult fiction series of all time? Would it be Tom Clancy’s paperbacks? Stephen King’s novels? Guess again. Actually, it’s the prophecy series Left Behind. That blockbuster series has sold more books in less time than any other adult fiction series. About 60 million copies at last count.
And why not? It’s exciting to think about Christ’s soon coming. And what could be more important to study in these last days? But you know, there’s a risk. Jesus issued one of His most urgent warnings concerning His second coming. Let’s get the background on this.
One day Christ’s disciples approached Him as He sat on the Mount of Olives, overlooking Jerusalem. “Tell us about your second coming and the end of the world.” Lots of conflicting theories are going around. We need the truth and need it now, Lord. We know You’ll tell it to us straight.
Christ’s first words hit like a hammer: "Take heed that no one deceives you.” That’s Matthew 24 verse 3. And you know what? The danger of deception is just as real for us as for those first disciples. Even more, since we live in earth’s last days!
Listen carefully, friend. It’s not enough to want Jesus to come. Wrong information about prophecy can be worse than no information at all. People imagine themselves knowledgeable when they are tragically misinformed.
We see this in the story of Christ’s first coming. Back then, people got so caught up in prophetic excitement about the Messiah that they forgot to open God’s Word. So misconceptions about Bible prophecy led many to reject Jesus. Christ failed to fulfill their expectations. And because He didn’t fit their job description, they turned away.
Confusion came even to the faithful and fearless prophet who announced Christ’s coming: John the Baptist. He dispatched a delegation of disciples to Jesus wondering: "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" Matthew 11 verse 3. John also expected a politically active Messiah to cleanse Jerusalem. When all Jesus did was teach and heal, John questioned whether He was the real deal.
Similar doubts and delusions plagued the whole nation. In John 7 we see Jesus in Jerusalem attending the festival of Tabernacles. Let’s read verses 11 and 12: "There was much murmuring among the people concerning Him. Some said, 'He is good'; others said, 'No, on the contrary, He deceives the people.'"
The debate about Jesus swept back and forth. Yet another popular misconception of Bible prophecy caused Christ's hearers to question His identity. They murmured: "We know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from." John 7 verse 27.
I guess they thought their Messiah would show up suddenly and mysteriously out of nowhere. Since Jesus had been around awhile, they didn’t think He qualified for consideration. Their overall ignorance of prophecy caused them to shun their Savior. It’s not that they didn’t care about Bible prophecy. They were as excited as our generation. They just didn’t open the Word and study for themselves.
Others in Christ’s time knew something of the Scriptures yet still rejected Jesus. Realizing that Messiah would be born in Bethlehem–as Jesus indeed was–they stumbled over the fact that His hometown was Nazareth: We read again in John 7 beginning with verse 41: "'Will the Christ come out of Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?' So there was a division among the people because of Him."
A little background check would have resolved their perplexity. They didn’t bother to find out that Jesus had been born in Bethlehem. They just assumed he was a Galileean by birth. So popular misinformation led thousands to reject Jesus. Let me say again: False or incomplete information about prophecy can be worse than no information at all. People in Christ’s day thought they knew, but they didn’t. And even after denying and crucifying their Messiah, they still didn’t learn their lesson. Forty years later they lost their beloved city—and their very lives. Why? They preferred deadly delusions about prophecy over Bible truth.
The story of how this happened is tragic. Let’s go back to August of the year 70, as recorded by historian Flavius Josephus in The Jewish War. Here’s a dramatized account of his description:
Fire is raging through the holy city! Roaring flames spew embers across the evening sky, like a meteor shower. Hot coals rain down on screaming residents fleeing through smoke-filled streets. Soldiers chase them, wielding bloody swords. Buildings collapse amid the thunder of crashing timbers.
The general orchestrating the attack is Rome’s future Caesar. Monitoring progress from a hilltop outside Jerusalem, he sees the inferno advancing toward the temple. The temple is the most spectacular building in that part of the world, rebuilt by the Romans themselves. The general issues orders to save it.
But the temple is a taunting target for the rampaging attackers. One soldier shoves a fiery torch between the hinges of the huge doors. In seconds the cedar-lined structure flares into unquenchable flames. Distraught citizens, hidden amid the surrounding hills, watch their temple burn. Some wail, others vow vengeance.
Thousands make their graves in the ashes. Unfortunate survivors are captured and tortured.
The destruction of Jerusalem as foretold by Christ remains a devastating memory to Jews around the world. Nearly 2,000 years later, they still memorialize the burning of the temple each year on the ninth of their month Ab.
How could it have happened? Didn’t God guarantee protection for Jerusalem. He passionately promised through His prophet Isaiah (chapter 37 verse 35): “I will defend this city, to save it for My own sake and for My servant David's sake.”
So come on, now! God said it and they believed it. That settles it! He will protect Jerusalem. But then He let the Romans burn it down.
Where was He now when His people needed Him? For many Jews, the Roman flames consumed not just Jerusalem but also their faith–misplaced faith. They believed in their city rather than God’s Messiah. They welcomed various counterfeit Messiahs who idolized their city rather than calling them to repentance.
You see, in all their confidence about God’s blessing on Jerusalem, the Jewish leaders had not considered a warning from Jesus about their temple: “Not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down.” Luke 21 verse 6. Christ then elaborated: “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” Verses 20 and 21.
Jerusalem surrounded by armies? Our Lord predicted it decades in advance, as a signal for His people to flee before destruction of the city.
And so it happened. In the year 66 the Roman governor of Syria, Cestius Gallus, marched south with his army. Upon arriving at Jerusalem in October, he encountered opposition when he mustered his army outside the city. Rather than pushing forward to storm the city, Cestius unexpectedly and mysteriously withdrew. I’m out of here, he said. He just turned his army around and headed north, home to Antioch. Not what you would expect from the mighty Roman army.
But the Jerusalem church took its cue, recognizing God’s signal to flee. When the Romans later returned with overwhelming force to sack Jerusalem, every Christian who believed Jesus’ prophecy had already escaped. Not one who believed and obeyed Christ’s warning perished in the flames.
It pays to know and obey Bible prophecy!
So let’s take a closer look at Christ’s dramatic warning. He referred to what would ultimately happen to Jerusalem and its temple as “the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet.” Matthew chapter 24 verse 15. This happened as predicted. The Roman army defiled the temple mount by setting up symbols of pagan emperor worship. Beyond that idolatrous abomination, they also desolated the site with total destruction. Nobody could even tell there had been a temple there.
All this was predicted–decades in advance—by Jesus, and centuries earlier the prophet Daniel had made similar predictions. Just in case anybody missed the importance of Daniel’s prophecy, Jesus emphasized: “Let the reader understand.” But nobody did.
Is this warning for us too? Remember: wrong information about prophecy can be worse than no information at all.
Get the picture? The crowds in Christ's day got caught up in popular excitement. Rather than studying the Scriptures, they looked to their favorite teachers and spiritual leaders: "Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed on Him?" John 7 verse 48. In other words, “We’re not going to follow truth until our favorite religious leaders lead the way."
Do we hear echoes of that mentality today? Some Christians seem to suffer from truth deficit disorder. Will they unwittingly cooperate with the antichrist’s deceptions? A haunting but plausible possibility.
There's too much to lose here, friend. In earth’s last hours, please don’t take someone else's word about Bible truth.
I realize that what we discover in this Focus on the Future series may be surprising. Shocking perhaps. Challenging, for sure! But the blessings of truth are worth our full attention. I leave you with the promise of Jesus: “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
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