#170 Lu. 21:7-24  SIGNS OF THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE

Introduction:

    In our text last Sunday Jesus predicted the destruction of the
temple at Jerusalem.  He said that not one stone of the temple
would be left upon another.  Yet that destruction would not be for
the temple building only.  We know now that it would involve the
destruction of the city of Jerusalem where the temple was located
and the downfall of the whole nation of Israel.

I.  The questions asked by the disciples

    V. 7, "And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall
these things be? and what sign will there be when these things
shall come to pass?  Jesus made His prediction that the temple
would be destroyed when He and the disciples were in the temple.
Both Matthew and Mark tell us that they were out at the Mt. of
Olives when the disciples asked Jesus when this destruction would
take place.  Mark even tells us who the individuals were that
asked.  It was Peter, James, John and Andrew who asked the
questions.
    I want you to compare the questions as recorded by Luke with
those recorded by Matthew.  In Matthew 24:3 the disciples asked,
"Tell us, when shall these things be?  and what shall be the sign
of thy coming, and of the end of the world?"  Note that they
inquired not only about the destruction of the temple but also
about the signs of our Lord's coming and the end of the world or
literally, the end of the age.
    Luke says nothing at all about them asking about our Lord's
return and the end of the world.  He mentions only that they
inquired about the destruction of the temple.
    It is believed by some Bible students that the reason Luke
mentioned only the destruction of Jerusalem and does not mention
their questions about the second coming of Christ and the end of
the world is because the disciples considered the two events to be
one and the same.  At the time they asked the questions they
thought that the time when the temple would be destroyed would be
at the return of Jesus and the end of the age.
    In other words, when the disciples inquired about the signs
that would show when the temple would be destroyed, they thought
that would also mean that the Lord would return and the end of the
age would come at the same time.  We know now that the temple
would be destroyed back in 70 A. D., but they did not know that
when they asked the question.
    At any rate, since Luke records only their inquiry about the
destruction of the temple and said nothing about the end time
events, that is all that we are going to deal with in this
message.  That is all we will have time for in this message.  We
will then consider the signs of the Lord's return and the end of
the age next Sunday, the Lord willing.  So the questions that we
are dealing with in this message are: (1) When will the temple be
destroyed?  and, (2) What are the signs that the destruction of
the temple is about to take place?

II.  The first part of our Lord's answer

    The first part of the Lord's answer points to several things
which the disciples, if not informed otherwise, might think of as
signs of the imminent fall of the temple, but they are not.  They
would be signs that terrible turmoil is in the world and that
something needs to be done to get this world straightened out, but
they would not be signs that the temple was about to fall
immediately.

    V. 8, "And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for
many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ and the time
draweth near..."  The first thing Jesus sought to do was to inform
them concerning the coming of false Christs.  Since the real
Christ had come and had been rejected by the people and since the
people were still expecting the Christ to come, the Devil would
send them someone whom they would accept.  He would send them
false Christs who would claim to be the real Christ of God.
    Jesus said to His disciples, "Take heed that ye be not
deceived."  Virtually the whole nation of Israel had been
expecting this to happen for several years.  The preaching of John
the Baptist had increased this expectation when John announced
that the Christ was about to come.  He did come as John said, but
the great majority of the people rejected Him.  They refused to
believe that He is the Christ.  Therefore, they were still
expecting The Christ to come.  They thought He would come at any
time and in their anticipation some would announce, "The time is
drawing near.  We can expect Him to come on such-and-such a day.
Come on over to such-and-such a place because that is where He is
going to come." Jesus wanted His disciples to know that this was
all falsehood and that there was nothing to it.  Jesus told them
in advance that these men would be false Christs.  He knew that
these disciples, unless informed otherwise, would rush over
expecting to see Jesus and expecting that He would destroy the
temple.  So He told them in advance, "Don't go.  That is not me.
That is a false Christ.  And, by the way, the news about the
Christ is not a sign of the immediate destruction of the temple.
It's not me.  It's a false Christ." (V.  9), "...go ye not
therefore after them."
    V. 9-10, "But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be
not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the
end is not by and by.  Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise
against nation, and kingdom against kingdom."  From the time that
Jesus made His prediction that the temple would be destroyed,
forty years would pass before that prophecy would come to pass.
During those forty years, there would be wars and rumors of war.
The wars would chiefly involve Israel and the nations around
Israel.  For instance, prior to the revolt against Rome, there
were constant rumors floating around that revolt was about to take
place against the Romans.
    There were also constant rumors about war in the nations
nearby Israel.  It was all just rumor.  There was real conflict
virtually all around.  For instance, there was a great battle
taking place within Syria, which is just north of Israel.
    It would naturally enter into the minds of the disciples that
it might be in a time of war when the temple would be destroyed,
and, therefore, unless they were informed otherwise, every time
some fighting broke out nearby or every time the threat of war
seemed imminent the disciples would think, "This is it.  This is
the war in which the temple will be destroyed."
    But Jesus did inform them otherwise.  Jesus said that there
would be numerous wars and rumors of wars battles to take place
before the temple is destroyed.  He said, "These things must come,
but this is not a sign that the end of the temple has arrived."
They were right in thinking that it would take place in a war, but
it would not come in just any war.  Jesus would give them a sign
whereby they could know which war would bring the destruction of
the temple.
    V. 11, "And great earthquakes shall be in divers places..."
Another thing that would naturally enter the minds of the
disciples as a possible explanation of the destruction of the
Jewish temple at Jerusalem was an earthquake.  Jesus knew that
unless His disciples were informed otherwise, every time they
would hear of an earthquake they would think of the temple.  They
would think, "One of those things is likely to get the temple one
of these days." But Jesus did inform them otherwise.  It was not
going to be in an earthquake.  They need not be afraid that an
earthquake would get the temple.  He would tell them clearly how
the destruction of the temple would come and it would not be an
earthquake.
    (V. 11), "...and famines..."  A famine was a time of drought
and shortage of food.  There would be numerous famines in the
future as there had been in the past.  But the famines would not
bring about the downfall of the temple and neither should they to
be considered as signs that the temple was about to fall.  At
least they were not to be thought of as signs that the fall of the
temple was imminent.
    (V. 11), "...and pestilences..."  Pestilences would come in
two different ways.  Some would come in the form of destructive
insects such as the flies, lice or locusts that invaded Egypt.
Some would come as plagues of diseases.  They would kill out the
people by the hundreds and thousands.  The disciples would not
expect that such plagues would destroy the temple, but they might
suspect that they would serve as signs that the fall of the temple
is imminent. Yet they were not signs of the imminence of the fall
of the temple.
    (V. 11), "...and fearful sights..."  I  not able with any
certainty to give you an example of the kind of fearful sights
that Jesus had in mind.  I can only say that they were to be such
sights as would strike fear and terror into the hearts and minds
of the people.  Perhaps He had in mind such events as a public
riot which might kill hundreds or thousands of people.  Perhaps it
might be a terrible fire which would sweep through an entire city
or town.  Whatever He had in mind it was such as would likely make
the disciples think, "This is really bad.  Surely the fall of the
temple just might be next." In effect, what Jesus said is, "Such
catastrophes will come, but they are not signs that the temple is
imminent."
    (V. 11), "...and great signs shall there be from heaven."
Jesus indicated that some very unusual happenings would be taking
place in the heavens.  They would be so unusual that one could
hardly fail to observe them when they take place.  If uninformed,
the disciples might think that these were signs that the temple
was about to fall just any hour.  But Jesus did inform them
otherwise.
    Another thing which the disciples were in for was severe
persecution.  If the disciples were uninformed, when that
persecution hit, they might think that this was a sure sign that
the destruction of the temple was about to take place.  But, in
effect, Jesus said, "No, not so!  Persecutions will come and the
destruction of the temple will come, but persecutions are not a
sign that the temple is about to fall at just any minute.  V.  12-
19, "But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and
persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into
prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.
And it shall turn to you for a testimony.  Settle it therefore in
your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:  For I
will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall
not be able to gainsay nor resist.  And ye shall be betrayed both
by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of
you shall they cause to be put to death.  And ye shall be hated of
all men for my name's sake.  But there shall not an hair of your
head perish.  In your patience possess ye your souls."
    You might observe that some of the Christians will be killed
in this time of persecution while other will not have a hair of
their heads hurt.  But the point is that the persecution is not a
sign that the fall of the temple is imminent and the disciples
were not to take it as such.

III.  The second part of the Lord's answer

    All of the things which Jesus has mentioned could be
considered long range signs that the temple would be destroyed.
They are all reminders of the great catastrophe which would bring
about the destruction of the temple, but none of them were signs
that the temple was about to fall immediately.
    None of these things were designed to answer the question of
the disciples, "When would the temple be destroyed and what would
be the sign that it was about to take place immediately?"
Beginning with verse 20 Jesus gives them the answer that they were
waiting for.  V. 20, "And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed
with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh."  When
the disciples would see a great army of enemy soldiers march
toward the city of Jerusalem to make war against it, they will
know that the temple is about to be destroyed.  In fact, the whole
city of Jerusalem is about to be destroyed.  There is no time to
waste.  You can know that it is finally about to happen.
    Jesus tells them what to do.  V. 21, "Then let them which are
in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the
midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries
enter thereinto.  Jesus said in effect, "Let those in the cities
flee and let those out in the country areas also flee.  Don't
wait!  Hurry up!  Get out!  Move!"
    V. 22-24, "For these be the days of vengeance, that all things
which are written may be fulfilled.  But woe unto them that are
with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there
shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.
And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led
away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down
of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled."
    This destruction came in 70 A. D. after the Jews rebelled
against the Romans.  Titus conquered the nation, destroyed
Jerusalem and the temple was completely destroyed.  Not one stone
was left upon another.

IV.  A similar situation with us today

    Today we live in a time of great expectation.  We expect that
soon the Lord will return to this earth.  We expect that the end
of this age is near at hand.  We see signs that it cannot be very
long until this old world will come to an end.  We really do not
know when it will take place.  What we do know is that it will
take place and it cannot be very long away.  Another thing we know
is that even if the Lord does not return in our lifetime, our very
lives will soon come to an end anyway.  We see the signs in our
own fleshly bodies that we are not going to be here very much
longer any way you look at it.
    What this means for those who are saved is that we need to
serve the Lord while we have time.  We need to not wait.  We need
to hurry up.  We need to get with it.
    What this mans for those who are unsaved is that they need to
turn to the Lord and be saved while there is time.  You need to
stop waiting around.  You need to stop putting it off until some
other time.  You need to hurry up.  You need to get with it.

Conclusion:

    If you have never called on the Lord and trusted in Him to
save your soul, then you need to come right now and get saved.
    If you are saved and you are not actively serving the Lord,
then you need to renew your commitment to the Lord.
    If you are saved and you need a church home, then we invite
you to come an unite with us and serve the Lord.