Apprehension or Hope

MEN WILL FAINT FROM TERROR, APPREHENSIVE OF WHAT IS COMING ON THE WORLD, FOR THE HEAVENLY BODIES WILL BE SHAKEN. AT THAT TIME THEY WILL SEE THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD WITH POWER AND GREAT GLORY. ( LUKE 21 v. 26—27 )

In His Temple Mount discourse recorded in the twentyfirst chapter of Luke’s gospel, the Lord Jesus Christ made some remarkable predictions. First of all He stated that the temple at Jerusalem would be destroyed. (v. 6) This was fulfilled some thirty odd years later in A.D. 70 by the Romans under Titus. (v 20 )

Jesus foretold that afterwards there would be wars and revolutions with nation rising against nation and great earth—quakes, famines and pestilences in various places, fearful events and great signs from heaven. (v 10—11 )

Verse 24 covers a considerable expanse of time, for it refers to the scattering of the Jewish people throughout the nations by the Romans after A.D. 70. But veiled within its content is the wonderful prediction of the regathering of the Jews back into their own land, for this verse states that Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

What Jesus is saying here is, that the time will come when the Gentile nations will lose their sovereignty over Jerusalem and that it will be restored to its ancient owners the Jewish people. Since the banishment of the Jews the ‘Holy City’ has been in the hands of various Gentile powers, the last of these being the British who in 1917 under General Allenby wrested it from the hand of the Turks who through their Ottoman Empire had controlled it for centuries.

A number of Old Testament prophecies foretell the regathering of Israel back into their native land. (see Isaiah 61 v 4— 11 and Ezekiel 36—37) I feel sure that chapter 37 is an allegory about the birth of the Modern state of Israel and Christ’s return. ( see also Amos chapter 9 v. 8—15 and Zephaniah 3.v 8—20 )

The 20th Century has witnessed this remarkable prediction taking place. In 1948, after a United Nations referendum the modern state of Israel was born. In 1967 after a number of wars and skirmishes with her hostile Arab neighbours Israel was attacked and during the six day war she took control of the whole of Jerusalem. Up to that point she had controlled only the western half of the city. After almost two thousand years of Gentile occupation Jerusalem is now under the command of the Jews. Could this be the start of the times of the Gentiles being fulfilled ?

Along with this, the 20th century has witnessed an increase of earthquakes and in addition, unusual weather conditions, the most serious of these being drought which has inevitably led to dreadful famines. All of this convinces me that we are getting very close to the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, although it would be folly to state the actual time, only God the Father knows when ! ( Matt 24:36 )
It is a fact that Christ’s return shall affect the whole world. There will be a great sifting of people when he divides the sheep from the goats. The former shall enter into a glorious inheritance, the latter cast into eternal fire. ( Matt 25: 31-46) Jesus called himself the good shepherd, saying that He knows his sheep and that they know Him ( John 10:14) The most important question anyone can ask himself is " Am I one of Christ’s sheep ?" To love Christ is to belong to Him . How can you know that you love him ? By obeying his commands ! ( John 14 :15 )

My conclusion is that people who live by faith in the Son of God need never live in apprehension of what is coming on the world. The christian has grounds for tremendous hope because the One in whom he trusts cannot fail and therefore such hope is sure and certain. Indeed it is as steadfast as the promises of God.

AMEN.

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