April 4th
Luke, 21
21v1-4 The Widows mites
1: And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their
gifts into the treasury. 2: And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in
thither two mites. 3: And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor
widow hath cast in more than they all: 4: For all these have of their abundance
cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the
living that she had.
21v5-38 Question – The Temple
5: And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with
goodly stones and gifts, he said, 6: As for these things which ye behold, the
days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another,
that shall not be thrown down. 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? 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: go ye not therefore
after them. 9: 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. 10:
Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom: 11: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and
pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. 12:
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. 13: And it shall turn to you for a
testimony. 14: Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what
ye shall answer: 15: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your
adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. 16: 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. 17: And ye shall be hated of all men
for my name's sake. 18: But there shall not an hair of your head perish. 19: In
your patience possess ye your souls. 20: And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with
armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. 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. 22: For
these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be
fulfilled. 23: 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. 24: 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. 25: And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the
stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the
waves roaring; 26: Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after
those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be
shaken. 27: And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power
and great glory. 28: And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up,
and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. 29: And he spake to
them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; 30: When they now shoot
forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. 31:
So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. 32: Verily I say
unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. 33: Heaven
and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. 34: And take heed
to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and
drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
35: For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the
whole earth. 36: Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted
worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before
the Son of man. 37: And in the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at
night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives.
38: And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, for to
hear him.
Christ is in the temple and he goes to see the treasury
where Jews threw their tithes. These tithes were their yearly or quarterly
offerings and he saw a very poor widow throw in her two mites. These were the
lepta. A copper coin valued at 1/126ths of a penny, the penny was a days wage
for a labourer.[1]
Did she give the tithe out of duty? Yes, but, more out of a full heart of
devotion. It was her last few coins. It was all she had. Then Christ gives
teaching about the end times. Somebody had pointed out the beautiful stones in
the temple. Christ said the days will come in which there will not be left one
stone upon another. Luke records two of their questions. When shall these
things be? And what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?
First Christ warns of a rise of False Christ’s. Christ says that there will be
a general conflagration of war such as in the first and second world wars. He
says this is not the end. Then he says there will be a massive increase of
seismic activity and there will be an increase of famine and pestilences. And there
will be fearful sights and signs in the heavens. However before these things
there will be a general persecution of the remnant of Israel. The
remnant will be delivered to Kings and Governors and when they come before
Kings the Holy Spirit will give them in that hour what to say. Families will be
divided over Christ. Christ says that in those days the Jews will be hated of
all men for Christ’s sake. However not one hair of their head will perish.
Christ says, in your patience possess ye your souls. Then Christ gives specific
instruction about what to do when Jerusalem
is surrounded by Enemy armies. He says, Flee to the mountains. And don’t take
any time about it or you will be caught. This prophecy was partially fulfilled
AD 70. When Israel
is surrounded by Armies then they will know that the Desolation is near. Christ
says that at this time Israel
will be led away into all nations and Jerusalem
will be trodden down of Gentiles. (These prophesies merge into one as if the
Church age will not occur. Of course it is not certain that Israel would
continue to reject the Lord.) Then Christ speaks of signs in the heaven which
have never occurred yet. There will be a general failing of the confidence of
men. Then and only then will they see the coming of the Son of man in a cloud
of heaven with great power and great glory. Christ says when these events occur
then lift up your heads because the redemption of Israel is near. Christ says when
you see these things come to pass then you will know that the kingdom of God
is at hand. Then Christ says that this generation will not pass away until
everything is fulfilled. The injunction of the Jews is to be watchful and not
to live carelessly.
[1] In 2010 the average days wage is £150
- in the UK,
so 1/126th of £150 is about 90p and she gave two – one for God and one for
the temple. That’s poverty and she gave all. The NT church had a great responsibility
to poor widows.
Steve
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