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we hear of wars and rumors of wars is most timely. There are some who think the moment a widespread wvar arises that the end must be immediately, but our Lord here tells us that this is not so. He plainly declares that when there are wars and ru mors of wars, “the end is not yet,” and that when nation rises against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and when there are famines and earthquakes in divers places, that these things are but "the be ginning of travail” (v. 8 R. V.). Never a day in the history of the world in which these things were more characteristic than the day in which we are now living, but these things are not “the end,” though they may be the beginning of the end. Before the end, the Church will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and escape th » day of awful"travail that is coming upon the earth, especially upon Israel, “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7). Before the end come (not necessarily 'before the Lord Himself come, His coming being the beginning of the end) the Gospel of the kingdom “shall be preached in all the world for a witness (or, testimony) unto all the nations.” Our Lord does not say that the nations will accept this testimony, but they shall hear it. When the Jews are con verted as a nation, they themselves are go ing forth as mighty witnesses of the glory of the Lord among the Gentiles (Isa. 66:19). Sunday, April 11. Matt. 24:15-28. Here we have a picture of the great trib ulation that is coming upon the earth be fore our Lord returns to the earth with His saints, not, however, before His saints are caught up to meet Him in the air. The destruction of Jerusalem in A. D. 70 was in some respects a precursor and type and prophecy of this great tribulation that is coming, but as terrific as was the siege t of Jerusalem, the most awful siege in the world’s history, the tribulation that is com ing is to be far greater, such great tribu lation as has not been from the beginning
would be left unto them desolate (v. 38), and upon them should come the sins, not only of themselves, but of their fathers. This was all fulfilled historically in the de struction of Jerusalem and in the history of the. Jews since. But we have historic instances outside of the Bible in which God has allowed the sins of thè nation to ripen, and visited them when they were fully ripe upon a single generation. There are indications that there are judgments ripen ing even now for some nations. The only way in which any generation can avoid having the consequences of the sins of their fathers falling on them is, by receiving Christ and being born again (John 1 :12; 3: 3-7, 16). Saturday, April 10. Matt. 24:1-14. The disciples asked our Lord three ques tions in one: First, “Tell us when shall these things be (i. e. the things which He had just foretold, namely, the destruction of the temple then standing) ; second, “What shall be the sign of thy coming?” third, “What shall be the sign of the end of the world (rather, consummation, or completion of the age) ?” Evidently, in the minds of the disciples, 'these three events would occur at the same time, but in point of fact they are widely separated, and our Lord distinguishes them in His answer, part of His answer having to do with the destruction of the temple at the destruction of Jerusalem, part having to do with His own presence and the consumma tionjsf the age. Our Lord’s warning, “Take heed that no man lead you astray” (R. V.) was never more needed than in oùr day. False Christs and false systems are rising on every hand, and scarcely is One discred ited before another appears. Indeed,- they appear simultaneously. But if one will study our Lord’s own words about the manner of His own coming, one will be proof against all these false Christs, fot; none of them appear in the way in which our Lord said He would come. Our Lord’s words also about not being troubled when
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