October 2023
Anticipating the End
INTO THE WORD
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From time immemorial, human beings have sought to predict the end of the world. Various men and women from different eras, cultures, and even religions have suggested dates for history’s last moments, and there’s no sign that this will end anytime soon. People remain incurably curious about when the world will end.
Over the past two thousand years, Christians have likewise been curious about the timing of the end of the world, and they have turned to Scripture to discern what God says about the last days. One of the passages that people frequently consult is the Olivet Discourse, recorded for us in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. This month in our study of Luke’s gospel, we will be examining Luke 21 and considering what it might have to say about the end of history. We will see that while the Olivet Discourse likely has a secondary fulfillment in the final return of Christ, it concerns more immediately the fall of Jerusalem to the Romans in AD 70.
Before our study of Luke 21, we will look at chapter 20, which contains vital teaching on the deity of Christ, life in the resurrection, and Jesus’ authority. May we ever bow to Christ as the Lord of all.
These verses parallel the themes of the studies each week. We encourage you to hide them in your heart so that you may not sin against the Lord:
Abiding in the Word
- Proverbs 28:14
- Luke 20:38
- Luke 21:19
- Luke 21:33
- Psalm 71:18