The Book of Luke The Kingdom of God

Lesson #11 for June 13, 2015

Scriptures: [Luke 1:32-33; 11:2; 17:23-24; 18:16-30; 21:34-36; Revelation 21:1-3][i].

1.    During His ministry, Jesus spent a great deal of time talking about the kingdom of God. That was at least partly because the kingdom He was talking about was very different from the kingdom for which the people of Israel were looking. The followers of Jesus were told to pray for it, to recognize that it had already come in its first phase, but was yet to come in its ultimate form. They wanted things to be like they were in the days of David.

The kingdom of God comes not with outward show. It comes through the gentleness of the inspiration of His word, through the inward working of His Spirit, the fellowship of the soul with Him who is its life. The greatest manifestation of its power is seen in human nature brought to the perfection of the character of Christ.—Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, p. 36.2. [Bold type is added.]

What do those words mean?

2.    The people of Israel were looking for a kingdom like the kingdom of their ancestor David. They wanted earthly power and glory. But, what kind of kingdom was Jesus talking about? It was and will be very different from any earthly kingdom because it will be God’s kingdom-not one in which those in power rule with authority, often oppressing those under them. In God’s kingdom, the King dies for the citizens and humbly serves them whenever and wherever He can. (See [Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:5,9; Revelation 1:6; 5:10]ii.)

3.    God’s kingdom is to be a worldwide kingdom in which all will be treated equally and fairly with no class, gender, racial, or income distinctions. And best of all, Jesus Himself will be King, and His kingdom will never end. There will be no more wars and no more striving for the mastery.

4.    When he appeared to Mary, the angel Gabriel assured her that the Messiah Who was to be born to her was none other than “the Son of the Highest,” and He was to be named Jesus. By His life and death, He would forever prove the fallacy of all of Satan’s claims and ultimately, bring to an end Satan’s challenge that started next to the throne of God in heaven.

5.    Christ risked everything to win this battle. In the end, He will establish His kingdom on planet earth where the battle was won. Satan wishes that God would leave this earth to him.

6.    Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus offers the opportunity for human beings to be transformed to become members of His winning team.

7.    So, what do citizens in this new kingdom of God look like? Read [Luke 18:16-30; 12:31-33; 9:59-62]iii. Citizens of this new kingdom will exhibit childlike trust. It will not be the domain of the rich. No matter how much we have to give up-even home, father, mother, or children-it will be worth it. Everything we have should be invested in this new kingdom. Like Jesus, we are to assist the poor and the downtrodden; by helping them we are demonstrating that we understand the principles of this new kingdom. But, being a citizen of this new kingdom requires a total commitment. Once we understand something of what it is all about, we will never allow earthly matters to distract us and turn us back from our commitment.

8.    In Luke 18:29-30, Jesus made this amazing statement: “I assure you that anyone who leaves home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the Kingdom of God will receive much more in this present age and eternal life in the age to come.”—American Bible Society. (1992) The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation (2nd ed., Luke 18:29-30). New York: American Bible Society. Surely, this statement is not meant to suggest that we are to abandon all our earthly responsibilities. What Jesus was saying is that becoming citizens of this new kingdom by following Him must take priority over everything else in our lives.

9.    There are two temporal aspects to the kingdom of God. Jesus stated clearly that the kingdom of God had come in His day. (Luke 4:16-21; 17:21)iv What was Jesus implying by those statements? Jesus was saying that the King had arrived. He Himself was in their midst. God’s power was manifest through the healing of the sick, the preaching of the gospel, the forgiving of sins, and the ultimate triumph of good over evil. (Luke 9:11; 7:48-50; 19:9-10; 11:20)[v] But, even today, God’s kingdom is growing and enlarging because:

The kingdom of God’s grace is now being established, as day by day hearts that have been full of sin and rebellion yield to the sovereignty of His love.—Ellen G. White, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 108.1.

10.    Satan’s final defeat has been assured. But, there is also a “not yet” aspect to that kingdom.

. . .The full establishment of the kingdom of His glory will not take place until the second coming of Christ to this world.—Ibid.

11.    Read Luke 17:23-24; 21:5-36vi. If the kingdom of God has already been established, why do we see so much trouble in the world? Has God lost control? Or, as some claim, does God not even exist? In fact, Jesus predicted all the turmoil that we see in the world. (Luke 21) If this turmoil were not present in the world at the present time, then Jesus’s words would be false and God could not be trusted. But, God’s foreknowledge and His full awareness of all that is going to happen before the second coming is manifested by His accurate prophecies.

12.    What two certainties are we given about the kingdom of God? (1) God, through His church, has established a plan to save humanity from sin; and (2) Ultimately, God plans to come to this earth to live in peace, harmony, and happiness with His family. (Revelation 21:1-4vii) We now have the privilege of living in the kingdom of grace (Ephesians 1:4-9viii) and have the future hope of living forever with Christ, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. Through the death of His Son, God will ultimately accomplish His goal of returning the entire universe to harmony and peace, and He will accomplish that with the cooperation of His earthbound children. (Ephesians 1:7-10; 3:7-10; Colossians 1:19-20; Titus 2:13; John 12:31-32)ix

13.    If Jesus does not plan to come back to finalize His great victory, then there was no reason for Him to come the first time. Was it risky for Jesus to hand over His mission to His disciples?

14.    Read Luke 21:34-36[x]. In the mad rush of activities here on earth, one thing must take priority: Getting ready. There will not be a second chance to prepare ourselves for the coming kingdom. The opportunity is now-to become faithful citizens by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. We need to demonstrate that God can transform human beings even now.

15.    Read Acts 1:1-8xi. Crucifixion weekend proved to be a revolutionary transformation for the followers of Jesus. They had to give up their old ideas of earthly glory before they could begin to comprehend the idea-understood later as they watched Jesus ascend in the clouds-that He would come in like manner to take all His followers home with Him. But, there is work to do between now and that day. So, what are we supposed to do? First, never lose sight of the certainty of His return. Second, because we do not know the exact time of His return, we must be constantly ready. We must trust Him to do what is best in that respect. Galatians 4:4 assures us that when the right time arrived, Jesus came the first time. When His people are ready, He will come again. And third, we are not supposed to wait idly; we are to be witnesses to the gospel of Jesus. There is a lot of work to do, but Christ promises us that the Holy Spirit-which was and will be poured out in Pentecostal power on those who are willing to become true citizens of the new kingdom of glory-will be with us and guide us.

16.    While living in that uncertainty, can we still be faithful citizens of the kingdom?

Of the poor in spirit Jesus says, “Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This kingdom is not, as Christ’s hearers had hoped, a temporal and earthly dominion. Christ was opening to men the spiritual kingdom of His love, His grace, His righteousness. The ensign of the Messiah’s reign is distinguished by the likeness of the Son of man. His subjects are the poor in spirit, the meek, the persecuted for righteousness’ sake. The kingdom of heaven is theirs.—Ellen G. White, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 8.1.

We are now in God’s workshop. Many of us are rough stones from the quarry.

But as we lay hold upon the truth of God, its influence affects us. It elevates us and removes from us every imperfection and sin, of whatever nature. Thus we are prepared to see the King in His beauty and finally to unite with the pure and heavenly angels in the kingdom of glory. It is here that this work is to be accomplished for us, here that our bodies and spirits are to be fitted for immortality.—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 355.2.

17.    All of this points us as Christians forward to the most momentous event that will ever happen on planet earth. The members of God’s family know that the time is coming when they will take their places alongside Him in the heavenly kingdom. Physicist Steven Weinberg once commented about our world’s history saying: “The more the universe seems comprehensible, the more it also seems pointless.” Some of his fellow scientists agreed with him even suggesting that there is no reason for the universe to have any point since it is just a physical system! Christians know that God has a plan, and we need to be a part of it.

18.    Over 170 years after the Great Disappointment in 1844, are we prepared for the second coming? Are we helping others to understand the necessary issues and the steps they need to be taking to be prepared for that coming?

19.    Jesus assures us that the kingdom of God is not just a theoretical or ethereal idea. It is a divine plan to transform human lives and restore peace in the universe. But, it requires serious commitment on our part. Are we prepared to make the kind of commitment that is necessary? When we pray the Lord’s prayer suggesting that we want God’s kingdom to come, what does that include? There are at least three ideas involved: 1) We need to remember that it is God’s kingdom and not ours. It will be very different from any human kingdom. 2) Our lives are to be transformed as we become citizens of this kingdom of grace now. And 3) Experiencing that kingdom of grace, we look forward to the kingdom of glory where we shall live forever in the very presence of God. (Revelation 11:15; 21:1-3xii)

20.    Jesus came to a world which was being overrun by Roman military might. He came to a people who were hoping to overthrow that Roman yoke. They were looking to a glorious kingdom like that of their ancestor David. In the fullness of time, Jesus had come to announce that the first phase of God’s kingdom was at hand. There was no uncertainty about His message. But, it did not involve conquering the Romans! He came to defeat sin and not Romans. While there has been a 2000-year delay, God’s ultimate victory is guaranteed. And what does that victory involve? Most importantly, it involves a victory in the great controversy. All of Satan’s false claims have been decidedly refuted. The true nature of sin has been revealed, and God is just waiting for His children on this earth to get ready for the kingdom of glory. (2 Peter 3:10-12; Romans 3:1-4)xiii

21.    How was the kingdom of God connected with this plan of salvation?

The plan provides for the forgiveness of sin (Luke 5:20, 21), for involvement in the ministry of healing (Luke 9:2, 11), for the caring of the poor and the needy (Luke 18:22), and for the ultimate defeat of Satan as the conclusion of the great controversy (Luke 10:18). Thus, the kingdom of God is far from being a myth; it is a dynamic, God-centered, present reality (vss. 9-11 [Luke 10:911]; 16:16, 17; 17:21; Matt. 12:28; Mark 1:14) and an eschatological hope of glory (Luke 13:28, 29; Luke 21; 22:14-18, 29, 30; Matt. 13:42, 43; 16:27, 28; Matthew 24; 25:34; Mark 9:1; 13). The establishment of God’s kingdom results in the destruction of all hostile powers, the last of which are death and Satan (1 Cor. 15:23-28).—Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide, 147. [Content in brackets is added.]

22.    Those who recognize all that is implied by God’s kingdom will not permit any compromise or any distraction to take their eyes away from Jesus who is the door to the kingdom.

23.    There is no doubt or any question left about the future success of God’s plans. [(Luke 17:21; 21:34-36; and John 14:1-3)]xiv God cannot fail. Despite all the troubles on this earth, the kingdom of grace is still present and growing.

24.    But, the ultimate expression of the kingdom of God is still to come. And that expression will be far more glorious than we can even imagine. (1 Corinthians 2:9; 4:9xv)

25.    When the disciples finally began to ask questions pointedly about the future of the Jewish nation, Jesus spelled out in considerable detail what would happen before the kingdom of glory would come to this earth. Read [Luke 21, Matthew 24 and 25, and Mark 13]xvi. None of what we now see occurring in the world around us is a surprise to God. The day of the Lord will only come after God’s people pass through a terrible time of trial. Satan will not give up his kingdom without a final, ultimate all-out battle.

26.    In the midst of that battle, we are to be preparing ourselves and others through the proclamation of the gospel. (Matthew 25:1-13; 28:19-20)

27.    Christians are to have their hopes constantly buoyed up by faith.

The hope of Christ’s appearing is a large hope, a far-reaching hope. It is the hope of seeing the King in His beauty, and of being made like Him.—Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, June 20, 1895 par. 3; RC 59.3 ; FW 116.4.

28.    Even as they were walking from Jericho up to Jerusalem for the final time, Jesus’s disciples and the huge crowd were looking forward to the establishment of the kingdom. Read Luke 19:11-27xvii. What does this parable tell us about the time between the establishment of the kingdom of grace and the establishment of the kingdom of glory? The man in this parable must have come under the larger jurisdiction of the caesar or emperor. Thus, he had to get approval for his ascent to the throne. That probably refers to Herod’s trip to Rome or possibly the journey to Rome of Archelaus his son whom Julius Caesar ultimately denied the right to be king. But, in the midst of all this time of trouble, God has a plan for every one of us.

To His servants Christ commits “His goods”- something to be put to use for Him. . . . Not more surely is the place prepared for us in the heavenly mansions than is the special place designated on earth where we are to work for God.—Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 326.4-327.0; Signs of the Times, July 2, 1902 par. 2; AG 244.4; MYP 219.2; ML 218.3. [Bold type is added.]

29.    Are we preparing to be a part of that future kingdom?

i-Luke 1:32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make him a king, as his ancestor David was, 33 and he will be the king of the descendants of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end!”

11:2 Jesus said to them, “When you pray, say this:

‘Father: May your holy name be honored; may your Kingdom come.

17:23 There will be those who will say to you, ‘Look, over there!’ or, ‘Look, over here!’ But don't go out looking for it. 24 As the lightning flashes across the sky and lights it up from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.

18:16 but Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the children come to me and do not stop them, because the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 Remember this! Whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

The Rich Man

18 A Jewish leader asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life?”

19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery; do not commit murder; do not steal; do not accuse anyone falsely; respect your father and your mother.’”

21 The man replied, “Ever since I was young, I have obeyed all these commandments.”

22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “There is still one more thing you need to do. Sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come and follow me.” 23 But when the man heard this, he became very sad, because he was very rich.

24 Jesus saw that he was sad and said, “How hard it is for rich people to enter the Kingdom of God! 25 It is much harder for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.”

26 The people who heard him asked, “Who, then, can be saved?”

27 Jesus answered, “What is humanly impossible is possible for God.”

28 Then Peter said, “Look! We have left our homes to follow you.”

29 “Yes,” Jesus said to them, “and I assure you that anyone who leaves home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the Kingdom of God 30 will receive much more in this present age and eternal life in the age to come.”

21:34 “Be careful not to let yourselves become occupied with too much feasting and drinking and with the worries of this life, or that Day may suddenly catch you 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all people everywhere on earth. 36 Be on watch and pray always that you will have the strength to go safely through all those things that will happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Revelation 21:21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth disappeared, and the sea vanished. 2 And I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared and ready, like a bride dressed to meet her husband. 3 I heard a loud voice speaking from the throne: “Now God's home is with people! He will live with them, and they shall be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God.

ii-Exodus 19:6 a people dedicated to me alone, and you will serve me as priests.”

1 Peter 2:5 Come as living stones, and let yourselves be used in building the spiritual temple, where you will serve as holy priests to offer spiritual and acceptable sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ. 9 But you are the chosen race, the King's priests, the holy nation, God's own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his own marvelous light.

Revelation 1:6 and made us a kingdom of priests to serve his God and Father. To Jesus Christ be the glory and power forever and ever! Amen.

5:10 You have made them a kingdom of priests to serve our God, and they shall rule on earth.”

iii-Luke 18:16 but Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the children come to me and do not stop them, because the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 Remember this! Whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

The Rich Man

18 A Jewish leader asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life?”

19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery; do not commit murder; do not steal; do not accuse anyone falsely; respect your father and your mother.’”

21 The man replied, “Ever since I was young, I have obeyed all these commandments.”

22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “There is still one more thing you need to do. Sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come and follow me.” 23 But when the man heard this, he became very sad, because he was very rich.

24 Jesus saw that he was sad and said, “How hard it is for rich people to enter the Kingdom of God! 25 It is much harder for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.”

26 The people who heard him asked, “Who, then, can be saved?”

27 Jesus answered, “What is humanly impossible is possible for God.”

28 Then Peter said, “Look! We have left our homes to follow you.”

29 “Yes,” Jesus said to them, “and I assure you that anyone who leaves home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the Kingdom of God 30 will receive much more in this present age and eternal life in the age to come.”

12:31 Instead, be concerned with his Kingdom, and he will provide you with these things.

32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the Kingdom. 33 Sell all your belongings and give the money to the poor. Provide for yourselves purses that don't wear out, and save your riches in heaven, where they will never decrease, because no thief can get to them, and no moth can destroy them.

9:59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But that man said, “Sir, first let me go back and bury my father.”

60 Jesus answered, “Let the dead bury their own dead. You go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.”

61 Someone else said, “I will follow you, sir; but first let me go and say good-bye to my family.”

62 Jesus said to him, “Anyone who starts to plow and then keeps looking back is of no use for the Kingdom of God.”

iv-Luke 4:16 Then Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath he went as usual to the synagogue. He stood up to read the Scriptures 17 and was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it is written,

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to set free the oppressed

19     and announce that the time has come

when the Lord will save his people.”

20 Jesus rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. All the people in the synagogue had their eyes fixed on him, 21 as he said to them, “This passage of scripture has come true today, as you heard it being read.”

17:21 No one will say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’; because the Kingdom of God is within you.”

v-Luke 9:11 When the crowds heard about it, they followed him. He welcomed them, spoke to them about the Kingdom of God, and healed those who needed it.

7:48-50;

19:48 Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”

49 The others sitting at the table began to say to themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?”

50 But Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

11:9 Jesus said to him, “Salvation has come to this house today, for this man, also, is a descendant of Abraham. 10 The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

vi-Luke 17:23 There will be those who will say to you, ‘Look, over there!’ or, ‘Look, over here!’ But don't go out looking for it. 24 As the lightning flashes across the sky and lights it up from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.

21:5 Some of the disciples were talking about the Temple, how beautiful it looked with its fine stones and the gifts offered to God. Jesus said, 6 “All this you see—the time will come when not a single stone here will be left in its place; every one will be thrown down.”

Troubles and Persecutions

7 “Teacher,” they asked, “when will this be? And what will happen in order to show that the time has come for it to take place?”

8 Jesus said, “Watch out; don't be fooled. Many men, claiming to speak for me, will come and say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time has come!’ But don't follow them. 9 Don't be afraid when you hear of wars and revolutions; such things must happen first, but they do not mean that the end is near.”

10 He went on to say, “Countries will fight each other; kingdoms will attack one another. 11 There will be terrible earthquakes, famines, and plagues everywhere; there will be strange and terrifying things coming from the sky. 12 Before all these things take place, however, you will be arrested and persecuted; you will be handed over to be tried in synagogues and be put in prison; you will be brought before kings and rulers for my sake. 13 This will be your chance to tell the Good News. 14 Make up your minds ahead of time not to worry about how you will defend yourselves, 15 because I will give you such words and wisdom that none of your enemies will be able to refute or contradict what you say. 16 You will be handed over by your parents, your brothers, your relatives, and your friends; and some of you will be put to death. 17 Everyone will hate you because of me. 18 But not a single hair from your heads will be lost. 19 Stand firm, and you will save yourselves.

Jesus Speaks of the Destruction of Jerusalem

20 “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that it will soon be destroyed. 21 Then those who are in Judea must run away to the hills; those who are in the city must leave, and those who are out in the country must not go into the city. 22 For those will be ‘The Days of Punishment,’ to make come true all that the Scriptures say. 23 How terrible it will be in those days for women who are pregnant and for mothers with little babies! Terrible distress will come upon this land, and God's punishment will fall on this people. 24 Some will be killed by the sword, and others will be taken as prisoners to all countries; and the heathen will trample over Jerusalem until their time is up.

The Coming of the Son of Man

25 “There will be strange things happening to the sun, the moon, and the stars. On earth whole countries will be in despair, afraid of the roar of the sea and the raging tides. 26 People will faint from fear as they wait for what is coming over the whole earth, for the powers in space will be driven from their courses. 27 Then the Son of Man will appear, coming in a cloud with great power and glory. 28 When these things begin to happen, stand up and raise your heads, because your salvation is near.”

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

29 Then Jesus told them this parable: “Think of the fig tree and all the other trees. 30 When you see their leaves beginning to appear, you know that summer is near. 31 In the same way, when you see these things happening, you will know that the Kingdom of God is about to come.

32 “Remember that all these things will take place before the people now living have all died. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

The Need to Watch

34 “Be careful not to let yourselves become occupied with too much feasting and drinking and with the worries of this life, or that Day may suddenly catch you 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all people everywhere on earth. 36 Be on watch and pray always that you will have the strength to go safely through all those things that will happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”

vii-Revelation 21:21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth disappeared, and the sea vanished. 2 And I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared and ready, like a bride dressed to meet her husband. 3 I heard a loud voice speaking from the throne: “Now God's home is with people! He will live with them, and they shall be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God. 4 He will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be no more death, no more grief or crying or pain. The old things have disappeared.”

viii-Ephesians 1:4 Even before the world was made, God had already chosen us to be his through our union with Christ, so that we would be holy and without fault before him.

Because of his love 5 God[a] had already decided that through Jesus Christ he would make us his children—this was his pleasure and purpose. 6 Let us praise God for his glorious grace, for the free gift he gave us in his dear Son! 7 For by the blood of Christ[b] we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven. How great is the grace of God, 8 which he gave to us in such large measure!

In all his wisdom and insight 9 God did what he had purposed, and made known to us the secret plan he had already decided to complete by means of Christ.

ix-Ephesians 1:7 For by the blood of Christ[a] we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven. How great is the grace of God, 8 which he gave to us in such large measure!

In all his wisdom and insight 9 God did what he had purposed, and made known to us the secret plan he had already decided to complete by means of Christ. 10 This plan, which God will complete when the time is right, is to bring all creation together, everything in heaven and on earth, with Christ as head.

3:7 I was made a servant of the gospel by God's special gift, which he gave me through the working of his power. 8 I am less than the least of all God's people; yet God gave me this privilege of taking to the Gentiles the Good News about the infinite riches of Christ, 9 and of making all people see how God's secret plan is to be put into effect. God, who is the Creator of all things, kept his secret hidden through all the past ages, 10 in order that at the present time, by means of the church, the angelic rulers and powers in the heavenly world might learn of his wisdom in all its different forms.

Colossians 1:19 For it was by God's own decision that the Son has in himself the full nature of God. 20 Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole universe back to himself. God made peace through his Son's blood[a] on the cross and so brought back to himself all things, both on earth and in heaven.

Titus 2:13 as we wait for the blessed Day we hope for, when the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ[a] will appear.

John 12:31 Now is the time for this world to be judged; now the ruler of this world will be overthrown. 32 When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to me.”

x-Luke 21:34 “Be careful not to let yourselves become occupied with too much feasting and drinking and with the worries of this life, or that Day may suddenly catch you 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all people everywhere on earth. 36 Be on watch and pray always that you will have the strength to go safely through all those things that will happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”

xi-Acts 1:In my first book I wrote about all the things that Jesus did and taught from the time he began his work 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven. Before he was taken up, he gave instructions by the power of the Holy Spirit to the men he had chosen as his apostles. 3 For forty days after his death he appeared to them many times in ways that proved beyond doubt that he was alive. They saw him, and he talked with them about the Kingdom of God. 4 And when they came together,[a] he gave them this order: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift I told you about, the gift my Father promised. 5 John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Jesus Is Taken Up to Heaven

6 When the apostles met together with Jesus, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time give the Kingdom back to Israel?”

7 Jesus said to them, “The times and occasions are set by my Father's own authority, and it is not for you to know when they will be. 8 But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

xii-Revelation 11:15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The power to rule over the world belongs now to our Lord and his Messiah, and he will rule forever and ever!”

21:21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth disappeared, and the sea vanished. 2 And I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared and ready, like a bride dressed to meet her husband. 3 I heard a loud voice speaking from the throne: “Now God's home is with people! He will live with them, and they shall be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God.

xiii-2 Peter 3:10 But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that Day the heavens will disappear with a shrill noise, the heavenly bodies will burn up and be destroyed, and the earth with everything in it will vanish.[a] 11 Since all these things will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people should you be? Your lives should be holy and dedicated to God, 12 as you wait for the Day of God and do your best to make it come soon—the Day when the heavens will burn up and be destroyed, and the heavenly bodies will be melted by the heat.

Romans 3:3 Do the Jews then have any advantage over the Gentiles? Or is there any value in being circumcised? 2 Much, indeed, in every way! In the first place, God trusted his message to the Jews. 3 But what if some of them were not faithful? Does this mean that God will not be faithful? 4 Certainly not! God must be true, even though all human beings are liars. As the scripture says,

“You must be shown to be right when you speak;

you must win your case when you are being tried.”

xiv-Luke 17:21 No one will say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’; because the Kingdom of God is within you.”

21:34 But take heed to yourselves, lest haply your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day come on you suddenly as a snare:

35 for so shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of all the earth.

John 14:14 “Do not be worried and upset,” Jesus told them. “Believe[a] in God and believe also in me. 2 There are many rooms in my Father's house, and I am going to prepare a place for you. I would not tell you this if it were not so.[b] 3 And after I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to myself, so that you will be where I am.

xv-1 Corinthians 2:9 However, as the scripture says,

“What no one ever saw or heard,

what no one ever thought could happen,

is the very thing God prepared for those who love him.”

4:9 For it seems to me that God has given the very last place to us apostles, like people condemned to die in public as a spectacle for the whole world of angels and of human beings.

xvi-Luke 21:21 Jesus looked around and saw rich people dropping their gifts in the Temple treasury, 2 and he also saw a very poor widow dropping in two little copper coins. 3 He said, “I tell you that this poor widow put in more than all the others. 4 For the others offered their gifts from what they had to spare of their riches; but she, poor as she is, gave all she had to live on.”

Jesus Speaks of the Destruction of the Temple

5 Some of the disciples were talking about the Temple, how beautiful it looked with its fine stones and the gifts offered to God. Jesus said, 6 “All this you see—the time will come when not a single stone here will be left in its place; every one will be thrown down.”

Troubles and Persecutions

7 “Teacher,” they asked, “when will this be? And what will happen in order to show that the time has come for it to take place?”

8 Jesus said, “Watch out; don't be fooled. Many men, claiming to speak for me, will come and say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time has come!’ But don't follow them. 9 Don't be afraid when you hear of wars and revolutions; such things must happen first, but they do not mean that the end is near.”

10 He went on to say, “Countries will fight each other; kingdoms will attack one another. 11 There will be terrible earthquakes, famines, and plagues everywhere; there will be strange and terrifying things coming from the sky. 12 Before all these things take place, however, you will be arrested and persecuted; you will be handed over to be tried in synagogues and be put in prison; you will be brought before kings and rulers for my sake. 13 This will be your chance to tell the Good News. 14 Make up your minds ahead of time not to worry about how you will defend yourselves, 15 because I will give you such words and wisdom that none of your enemies will be able to refute or contradict what you say. 16 You will be handed over by your parents, your brothers, your relatives, and your friends; and some of you will be put to death. 17 Everyone will hate you because of me. 18 But not a single hair from your heads will be lost. 19 Stand firm, and you will save yourselves.

Jesus Speaks of the Destruction of Jerusalem

20 “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that it will soon be destroyed. 21 Then those who are in Judea must run away to the hills; those who are in the city must leave, and those who are out in the country must not go into the city. 22 For those will be ‘The Days of Punishment,’ to make come true all that the Scriptures say. 23 How terrible it will be in those days for women who are pregnant and for mothers with little babies! Terrible distress will come upon this land, and God's punishment will fall on this people. 24 Some will be killed by the sword, and others will be taken as prisoners to all countries; and the heathen will trample over Jerusalem until their time is up.

The Coming of the Son of Man

25 “There will be strange things happening to the sun, the moon, and the stars. On earth whole countries will be in despair, afraid of the roar of the sea and the raging tides. 26 People will faint from fear as they wait for what is coming over the whole earth, for the powers in space will be driven from their courses. 27 Then the Son of Man will appear, coming in a cloud with great power and glory. 28 When these things begin to happen, stand up and raise your heads, because your salvation is near.”

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

29 Then Jesus told them this parable: “Think of the fig tree and all the other trees. 30 When you see their leaves beginning to appear, you know that summer is near. 31 In the same way, when you see these things happening, you will know that the Kingdom of God is about to come.

32 “Remember that all these things will take place before the people now living have all died. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

The Need to Watch

34 “Be careful not to let yourselves become occupied with too much feasting and drinking and with the worries of this life, or that Day may suddenly catch you 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all people everywhere on earth. 36 Be on watch and pray always that you will have the strength to go safely through all those things that will happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”

37 Jesus spent those days teaching in the Temple, and when evening came, he would go out and spend the night on the Mount of Olives. 38 Early each morning all the people went to the Temple to listen to him.

Matthew 24:Jesus Speaks of the Destruction of the Temple

24 Jesus left and was going away from the Temple when his disciples came to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Yes,” he said, “you may well look at all these. I tell you this: not a single stone here will be left in its place; every one of them will be thrown down.”

Troubles and Persecutions

3 As Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him in private. “Tell us when all this will be,” they asked, “and what will happen to show that it is the time for your coming and the end of the age.”

4 Jesus answered, “Watch out, and do not let anyone fool you. 5 Many men, claiming to speak for me, will come and say, ‘I am the Messiah!’ and they will fool many people. 6 You are going to hear the noise of battles close by and the news of battles far away; but do not be troubled. Such things must happen, but they do not mean that the end has come. 7 Countries will fight each other; kingdoms will attack one another. There will be famines and earthquakes everywhere. 8 All these things are like the first pains of childbirth.

9 “Then you will be arrested and handed over to be punished and be put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me. 10 Many will give up their faith at that time; they will betray one another and hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will appear and fool many people. 12 Such will be the spread of evil that many people's love will grow cold. 13 But whoever holds out to the end will be saved. 14 And this Good News about the Kingdom will be preached through all the world for a witness to all people; and then the end will come.

The Awful Horror

15 “You will see ‘The Awful Horror’ of which the prophet Daniel spoke. It will be standing in the holy place.” (Note to the reader: understand what this means!) 16 “Then those who are in Judea must run away to the hills. 17 Someone who is on the roof of a house must not take the time to go down and get any belongings from the house. 18 Someone who is in the field must not go back to get a cloak. 19 How terrible it will be in those days for women who are pregnant and for mothers with little babies! 20 Pray to God that you will not have to run away during the winter or on a Sabbath! 21 For the trouble at that time will be far more terrible than any there has ever been, from the beginning of the world to this very day. Nor will there ever be anything like it again. 22 But God has already reduced the number of days; had he not done so, nobody would survive. For the sake of his chosen people, however, God will reduce the days.

23 “Then, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or ‘There he is!’—do not believe it. 24 For false Messiahs and false prophets will appear; they will perform great miracles and wonders in order to deceive even God's chosen people, if possible. 25 Listen! I have told you this ahead of time.

26 “Or, if people should tell you, ‘Look, he is out in the desert!’—don't go there; or if they say, ‘Look, he is hiding here!’—don't believe it. 27 For the Son of Man will come like the lightning which flashes across the whole sky from the east to the west.

28 “Wherever there is a dead body, the vultures will gather.

The Coming of the Son of Man

29 “Soon after the trouble of those days, the sun will grow dark, the moon will no longer shine, the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers in space will be driven from their courses. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky; and all the peoples of earth will weep as they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 The great trumpet will sound, and he will send out his angels to the four corners of the earth, and they will gather his chosen people from one end of the world to the other.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

32 “Let the fig tree teach you a lesson. When its branches become green and tender and it starts putting out leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things, you will know that the time is near, ready to begin.[a] 34 Remember that all these things will happen before the people now living have all died. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

No One Knows the Day and Hour

36 “No one knows, however, when that day and hour will come—neither the angels in heaven nor the Son;[b] the Father alone knows. 37 The coming of the Son of Man will be like what happened in the time of Noah. 38 In the days before the flood people ate and drank, men and women married, up to the very day Noah went into the boat; 39 yet they did not realize what was happening until the flood came and swept them all away. That is how it will be when the Son of Man comes. 40 At that time two men will be working in a field: one will be taken away, the other will be left behind. 41 Two women will be at a mill grinding meal: one will be taken away, the other will be left behind. 42 Watch out, then, because you do not know what day your Lord will come. 43 If the owner of a house knew the time when the thief would come, you can be sure that he would stay awake and not let the thief break into his house. 44 So then, you also must always be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you are not expecting him.

The Faithful or the Unfaithful Servant

45 “Who, then, is a faithful and wise servant? It is the one that his master has placed in charge of the other servants to give them their food at the proper time. 46 How happy that servant is if his master finds him doing this when he comes home! 47 Indeed, I tell you, the master will put that servant in charge of all his property. 48 But if he is a bad servant, he will tell himself that his master will not come back for a long time, 49 and he will begin to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50 Then that servant's master will come back one day when the servant does not expect him and at a time he does not know. 51 The master will cut him in pieces[c] and make him share the fate of the hypocrites. There he will cry and gnash his teeth.

Matthew 25:The Parable of the Ten Young Women

25 “At that time the Kingdom of heaven will be like this. Once there were ten young women who took their oil lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and the other five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any extra oil with them, 4 while the wise ones took containers full of oil for their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was late in coming, so they began to nod and fall asleep.

6 “It was already midnight when the cry rang out, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come and meet him!’ 7 The ten young women woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 Then the foolish ones said to the wise ones, ‘Let us have some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ 9 ‘No, indeed,’ the wise ones answered, ‘there is not enough for you and for us. Go to the store and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 So the foolish ones went off to buy some oil; and while they were gone, the bridegroom arrived. The five who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was closed.

11 “Later the others arrived. ‘Sir, sir! Let us in!’ they cried out. 12 ‘Certainly not! I don't know you,’ the bridegroom answered.”

13 And Jesus concluded, “Watch out, then, because you do not know the day or the hour.

The Parable of the Three Servants

14 “At that time the Kingdom of heaven will be like this. Once there was a man who was about to leave home on a trip; he called his servants and put them in charge of his property. 15 He gave to each one according to his ability: to one he gave five thousand gold coins, to another he gave two thousand, and to another he gave one thousand. Then he left on his trip. 16 The servant who had received five thousand coins went at once and invested his money and earned another five thousand. 17 In the same way the servant who had received two thousand coins earned another two thousand. 18 But the servant who had received one thousand coins went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master's money.

19 “After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. 20 The servant who had received five thousand coins came in and handed over the other five thousand. ‘You gave me five thousand coins, sir,’ he said. ‘Look! Here are another five thousand that I have earned.’ 21 ‘Well done, you good and faithful servant!’ said his master. ‘You have been faithful in managing small amounts, so I will put you in charge of large amounts. Come on in and share my happiness!’ 22 Then the servant who had been given two thousand coins came in and said, ‘You gave me two thousand coins, sir. Look! Here are another two thousand that I have earned.’ 23 ‘Well done, you good and faithful servant!’ said his master. ‘You have been faithful in managing small amounts, so I will put you in charge of large amounts. Come on in and share my happiness!’ 24 Then the servant who had received one thousand coins came in and said, ‘Sir, I know you are a hard man; you reap harvests where you did not plant, and you gather crops where you did not scatter seed. 25 I was afraid, so I went off and hid your money in the ground. Look! Here is what belongs to you.’ 26 ‘You bad and lazy servant!’ his master said. ‘You knew, did you, that I reap harvests where I did not plant, and gather crops where I did not scatter seed? 27 Well, then, you should have deposited my money in the bank, and I would have received it all back with interest when I returned. 28 Now, take the money away from him and give it to the one who has ten thousand coins. 29 For to every person who has something, even more will be given, and he will have more than enough; but the person who has nothing, even the little that he has will be taken away from him. 30 As for this useless servant—throw him outside in the darkness; there he will cry and gnash his teeth.’

The Final Judgment

31 “When the Son of Man comes as King and all the angels with him, he will sit on his royal throne, 32 and the people of all the nations will be gathered before him. Then he will divide them into two groups, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the righteous people at his right and the others at his left. 34 Then the King will say to the people on his right, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father! Come and possess the kingdom which has been prepared for you ever since the creation of the world. 35 I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me in your homes, 36 naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me.’ 37 The righteous will then answer him, ‘When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? 38 When did we ever see you a stranger and welcome you in our homes, or naked and clothe you? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?’ 40 The King will reply, ‘I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these followers of mine, you did it for me!’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Away from me, you that are under God's curse! Away to the eternal fire which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels! 42 I was hungry but you would not feed me, thirsty but you would not give me a drink; 43 I was a stranger but you would not welcome me in your homes, naked but you would not clothe me; I was sick and in prison but you would not take care of me.’ 44 Then they will answer him, ‘When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and we would not help you?’ 45 The King will reply, ‘I tell you, whenever you refused to help one of these least important ones, you refused to help me.’ 46 These, then, will be sent off to eternal punishment, but the righteous will go to eternal life.”

Mark 13:Jesus Speaks of the Destruction of the Temple

13 As Jesus was leaving the Temple, one of his disciples said, “Look, Teacher! What wonderful stones and buildings!”

2 Jesus answered, “You see these great buildings? Not a single stone here will be left in its place; every one of them will be thrown down.”

Troubles and Persecutions

3 Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, across from the Temple, when Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him in private. 4 “Tell us when this will be,” they said, “and tell us what will happen to show that the time has come for all these things to take place.”

5 Jesus said to them, “Watch out, and don't let anyone fool you. 6 Many men, claiming to speak for me, will come and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will fool many people. 7 And don't be troubled when you hear the noise of battles close by and news of battles far away. Such things must happen, but they do not mean that the end has come. 8 Countries will fight each other; kingdoms will attack one another. There will be earthquakes everywhere, and there will be famines. These things are like the first pains of childbirth.

9 “You yourselves must watch out. You will be arrested and taken to court. You will be beaten in the synagogues; you will stand before rulers and kings for my sake to tell them the Good News. 10 But before the end comes, the gospel must be preached to all peoples. 11 And when you are arrested and taken to court, do not worry ahead of time about what you are going to say; when the time comes, say whatever is then given to you. For the words you speak will not be yours; they will come from the Holy Spirit. 12 Men will hand over their own brothers to be put to death, and fathers will do the same to their children. Children will turn against their parents and have them put to death. 13 Everyone will hate you because of me. But whoever holds out to the end will be saved.

The Awful Horror

14 “You will see ‘The Awful Horror’ standing in the place where he should not be.” (Note to the reader: understand what this means!) “Then those who are in Judea must run away to the hills. 15 Someone who is on the roof of a house must not lose time by going down into the house to get anything to take along. 16 Someone who is in the field must not go back to the house for a cloak. 17 How terrible it will be in those days for women who are pregnant and for mothers with little babies! 18 Pray to God that these things will not happen in the winter! 19 For the trouble of those days will be far worse than any the world has ever known from the very beginning when God created the world until the present time. Nor will there ever be anything like it again. 20 But the Lord has reduced the number of those days; if he had not, nobody would survive. For the sake of his chosen people, however, he has reduced those days.

21 “Then, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’—do not believe it. 22 For false Messiahs and false prophets will appear. They will perform miracles and wonders in order to deceive even God's chosen people, if possible. 23 Be on your guard! I have told you everything ahead of time.

The Coming of the Son of Man

24 “In the days after that time of trouble the sun will grow dark, the moon will no longer shine, 25 the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers in space will be driven from their courses. 26 Then the Son of Man will appear, coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 27 He will send the angels out to the four corners of the earth to gather God's chosen people from one end of the world to the other.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

28 “Let the fig tree teach you a lesson. When its branches become green and tender and it starts putting out leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 In the same way, when you see these things happening, you will know that the time is near, ready to begin.[a] 30 Remember that all these things will happen before the people now living have all died. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

No One Knows the Day or Hour

32 “No one knows, however, when that day or hour will come—neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son; only the Father knows. 33 Be on watch, be alert, for you do not know when the time will come. 34 It will be like a man who goes away from home on a trip and leaves his servants in charge, after giving to each one his own work to do and after telling the doorkeeper to keep watch. 35 Watch, then, because you do not know when the master of the house is coming—it might be in the evening or at midnight or before dawn or at sunrise. 36 If he comes suddenly, he must not find you asleep. 37 What I say to you, then, I say to all: Watch!”

xvii-Luke 19:11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was immediately to appear.

12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country, to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.

13 And he called ten servants of his, and gave them ten pounds, and said unto them, Trade ye herewith till I come.

14 But his citizens hated him, and sent an ambassage after him, saying, We will not that this man reign over us.

15 And it came to pass, when he was come back again, having received the kingdom, that he commanded these servants, unto whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by trading.

16 And the first came before him, saying, Lord, thy pound hath made ten pounds more.

17 And he said unto him, Well done, thou good servant: because thou wast found faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.

18 And the second came, saying, Thy pound, Lord, hath made five pounds.

19 And he said unto him also, Be thou also over five cities.

20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I kept laid up in a napkin:

21 for I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that which thou layedst not down, and reapest that which thou didst not sow.

22 He saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I am an austere man, taking up that which I laid not down, and reaping that which I did not sow;

23 then wherefore gavest thou not my money into the bank, and I at my coming should have required it with interest?

24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take away from him the pound, and give it unto him that hath the ten pounds.

25 And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.

26 I say unto you, that unto every one that hath shall be given; but from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken away from him.

27 But these mine enemies, that would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

Table of Contents

i

ii

iii

iv

v

vi

vii

viii

ix

x

xi

xii

xiii

xiv

xv

xvi

xvii

i-

ii-

iii-

iv-

v-

vi-

vii-

viii-

ix-

x-

xi-

xii-

xiii-

xiv-

xv-

xvi-

xvii-