Today as Jesus sits on the Mount of Olives with His disciples, He foretells of three future events.
- Jesus speaks about the temple that will be destroyed in 70 AD when the Roman army will invade and destroy Jerusalem – “Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” David Guzik writes, “Many Jews expected the Messiah to return in glory when hostile Gentile armies surrounded Jerusalem. However, Christians in Jerusalem knew what Jesus had said and they obeyed Him, fleeing across the Jordan River mostly to Pella. Few, if any, Christians perished in the fall of Jerusalem. The ancient Christian historian Eusebius wrote that Christians fled to Pella in response to ‘an oracle given by revelation’ (History of the Church, 3.5.3, cited in Morris)… History records that 1.1 million Jews were killed and another 97,000 were taken captive in one of the worst calamities ever to strike the Jewish people. Jesus warned them to avoid it. When the Romans were done with Jerusalem in A.D. 70 not a single Jew was left alive in the city.”
- Jesus says an even more difficult time will occur at His second coming, which is described in detail in the Book of Revelation. He warns His disciples not to believe the false christs and false prophets who will rise up to deceive people before His return. Jesus foretells of wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes which will occur. He says, “But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.”
- Jesus tells His disciples that following Him is going to cost them their lives here on earth. However, they will be gathered to Him in heaven for eternity – “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake. But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But not a hair of your head shall be lost. By your patience possess your souls.”
Our salvation comes at a high cost, the life of God’s Son. So following the Son will come at a cost to us, our earthly lives – “But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
“Immediately after the tribulation… the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Therefore, eternally speaking, not a hair on our heads will be lost because no one can destroy those in Christ. We will spend eternity with Jesus. Tomorrow Jesus speaks more about His return, so keep reading. (Mark 13:1-23, Matthew 24:1-25, Luke 21:5-24, Mark 13:24-31, Matthew 24:26-35, Luke 21:25-33)
Chronological Bible in Layman's Terms 