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MATTHEW 24:4.14

"The Signs of His Coming"

Intro: Jesus promised His disciples, "if I go, I will come again..."  The
second coming of Jesus Christ is essential for the fulfillment of Bible
prophesy. He shall return to the earth again with His Church to establish
Gods Kingdom.

I. THE DISCIPLES TWO FOLD QUESTION, "WHEN SHALL THESE THINGS BE, AND WHAT
   SHALL BE THE SIGN OF THY COMING..."
        A. Notice the questions do not deal with the rapture of the church
           which is a separate event.
                1. There are no prophetic signs needing fulfillment for
                   this event.
                2. This could take place at any time.
                3. Jesus said watch, be ye ready.
        B. The rapture shall precede by seven years the second coming.
                1. So signs of the coming of Christ can cause us to be
                   aware.
                2. Many of the signs here in Matthew shall not be
                   fulfilled until last seven years.
                        a. Verse 14 fulfilled in Revelation 14.
                        b. Verse 15 happens in the middle of the seven
                           year span and is the mark by which we can
                           number the days 1,290 to the end.

II. WHAT WERE TO BE THE DEFINITE SIGNS.
        A. "Nation shall rise against nation...."
                1. This denotes world war.
                        a. Though wars and rumors of wars have existed'
                           and were not a sign world war to be a sign.
                        b. Some of you have lived through two such wars.
        B. "Famines."
                1. Amazing how much we are reading about  famines in these
                   days.
                        a. North Africa being plagued.
                        b. India has perennial problem.
                        c. Bangladesh
                        d. Great draught in mid-west causing some to talk
                           of food rationing by next spring.
                        e. Food production not keeping up with population
                           expansion.
        C. Pestilences.
                1. We read each year of new virus that are sweeping around
                   the world.
                2. Hospitals become plagued with staff infections which
                   seem to be imperious to all disinfectants.
        D. Earthquakes indifferent places.
                1. Hardly a week passes that you do not read of an
                   earthquake taking peace somewhere in the world.
                2. They can only speculate at what possible damage might
                   incur here in Orange County if one of the five fault
                   systems should slip.
                        a. Because of the high water table in this whole
                           basin they speak of the ground liquefying.
                        b. "The Lord is my refuge and my strength."

III. "NOW LEARN A PARABLE OF THE FIG TREE."
        A. A parable was intended to teach a lesson through symbols.
                1. Expositional constance.
                        a. The field is the world.
                        b. The fig tree the nation Israel.
                                1. The cursing of the barren fig tree.
        B. The re-establishment of the nation Israel was to be a sign.
                1. This generation shall not pass.