Introduction:
Following their return from seventy years of captivity, the nation of Israel was given a period of nearly five hundred years, during which to fulfill God's purpose for them. The Babylonian captivity had effectually cured them of idol worship, but it was God's design that they would be the means for preparing the earth for the first advent of Christ, and in this they failed.

1. For what did Jesus reprove the leaders of Israel?
Matthew 16:2-3________________________________________________________________
Note: For more than one thousand years the Jews awaited the coming of the promised Saviour. And yet, when Jesus came, He was unrecognized and unreceived. "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not." John 1:11.

2. What did Jesus tell them would be the result of rejecting Him?
Matthew 21:43__________________________________________________________________
Note: The entire future of the Jewish nation depended upon their receiving Jesus as their Saviour, but they refused. They failed to recognize that which, if accepted, would assure their future peace and prosperity. See Luke 19:42

3. What did Christ promise His followers?
John 14:3______________________________________________________________________

4. To what event did Christ compare His second coming?
Matthew 24:37-39_______________________________________________________________

5. To what did Christ liken His coming?
Matthew 24:42-44_______________________________________________________________
Note: While Christ does say that His coming will be as a thief in the night, He also compared it to the time of Noah. The Flood was not a secret matter, but just as a thief comes as a surprise, the Flood found the vast majority of the people in the world unprepared. Just so, Christ's second coming will come as an overwhelming surprise to the world as a whole.

6. In enumerating the signs of His return, what warning did Jesus give?
Matthew 24:4___________________________________________________________________
Note: The iimplication is clear that there will be an unusual amount of misleading information about His return.

7. What was the first sign given as indicating His return was near?
Matthew 24:6___________________________________________________________________
Note: War itself was not to be a sign of the end. There have always been wars, but with the dawn of the twentieth century the world entered a new era. During this century the nations of earth have been engaged in two great world-wide conflicts on a scale never before dreamed of. With the development of nuclear weapons, men have, for the first time, the ability to annihilate humanity.

8. What natural disasters did Christ refer to as signs of His coming?
Matthew 24:7___________________________________________________________________
Note: There have also always been natural disasters. The sign that Jesus mentions refers to their increase and far-reaching effect. With the methods of modern travel, distance, once a factor in helping to contain the spread of epidemics, is no longer of any significance.

9. What was the next sign Christ gave?
Matthew 24:11__________________________________________________________________
Note: Christianity began as one body of believers united in faith and works. Today there is much religious confusion, and the Christian Church is divided into more than two hundred and fifty denominations and sects, all claiming that their faith and doctrines are founded on the teachings of Christ.

10. How will these false Christs and false prophets appear?
2 Corinthians 11:14-15_________________________________________________________

11. What ultimate deception will they be able to perform?
Revelation 13:13_______________________________________________________________

12. How will we be able to detect the deception?
Isaiah 8:20____________________________________________________________________
Note: In this end time of the world's history we will not be able to depend on our senses (the things we see, hear, and can feel), because Satan's agents, using his power, will be able to counterfeit many of the miracles performed by the power of Jesus in the past. Though these false leaders may speak of love and peace, even having an appearance of piety, their words will contradict the plain testimony of God's Word. Even as they speak of love and brotherhood, they will not only disregard God's law, the great standard of love, but teach others to lightly regard it as well.

13. What social conditions, leading to a loss of love on the part of many, did Christ indicate would prevail just before His return?
Matthew 24:12__________________________________________________________________
Note: In a day when innumerable laws have been enacted for the regulation of society, we experience our greatest lawlessness.

14. What is the basis for the continuing social problems we face?
Jeremiah 8:9___________________________________________________________________
Note: Though men claim to have a form of godliness, they fail of experiencing its power in their lives. See 2 Timothy 3:1-5.

15. Will conditions get any better?
2 Timothy 3:13_________________________________________________________________

16. As the time approaches, what will men as a whole be saying?
2 Peter 3:3-4__________________________________________________________________
Note: Despite all the evidence pointing to Christ's soon return, a significant sign that His return is near will be the widespread skepticism regarding its nearness.

17. What conditions will men be predicting?
1 Thessalonians 5:2-3__________________________________________________________

18. Why does Jesus wait so long?
2 Peter 3:9-10_________________________________________________________________

19. Will the world as a whole be prepared for Jesus' return?
Matthew 7:13-14________________________________________________________________

20. What will Jesus say to those who will claim a right to enter in, but who have not brought their lives into conformity to God's revealed will?
Matthew 7:21-23________________________________________________________________

21. What did Jesus tell the disciples regarding the way He would return?
Acts 1:10-11___________________________________________________________________

22. How plainly will His coming be seen?
Matthew 24:27__________________________________________________________________

23. By how many will it be seen?
Revelation 1:7_________________________________________________________________

24. How does Paul refer to Jesus' appearing?
Titus 2:13_____________________________________________________________________

25. What important event will take place at Jesus' return?
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17________________________________________________________

26. Has the exact time of Christ's return been revealed?
Matthew 24:36__________________________________________________________________

27. In view of this fact, how are we to prepare for that glorious event?
Matthew 24:42__________________________________________________________________

Because of the great love that He had for us, God paid an infinite price to ransom us, that He might bring us back to be with Him and to share the joys of heaven with a life that never ends. Yet, at the end of time, there will be many who will be no more prepared than was the ancient Jewish church to receive Him at His first advent; they will be eternally lost; for them the great sacrifice will have been in vain.

If you have any questions or comments about this lesson, you can email me at: [email protected]