Luke Chapter 12, Hell, God made you, God’s omniscience, confess, confident, the Holy Spirit, greed, worry, rust, treasure, weddings, be ready, degrees of punishment

1. Luke 12
Luke Chapter 12, Hell, God made you, God’s
omniscience, confess, Confident, The Holy Spirit,
greed, worry, rust, treasure, weddings, be ready,
degrees of punishment Photo by Kenneth Stillwell

2. Read Luke 12:1–12
Warnings about hypocrisy
2

3. Luke 12:4, Be Not
Afraid
• Genesis 3:10 He said,
"I heard the sound of
You in the garden,
and I was afraid
because I was naked;
so I hid myself.“
• DLK could only find
163 NASU, or 189KJV

4. Hell, Church sign
• NAU Luke 12:5 "But I will warn you whom to
fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has
authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear
Him!
• Church sign said, “Stop, Drop, And Roll Does
Not Work In Hell”
• There is only one use of "hell" in Luke, in the
NAS.
4

5. Luke 12:5, Hell
• NAU Luke 12:5…He…has authority to cast into hell… [Matthew 10:28]
• What is hell?
• NAU 2 Thessalonians 1:9 These will pay the penalty of eternal
destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the
glory of His power,
• NAU Revelation 21:8 "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and
abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers
and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that
burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
• NAU Matthew 13:42 …the furnace of fire
• NAU Matthew 22:13…the outer darkness; in that place there will
be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
• NAU Matthew 24:51 …a place with the hypocrites…
• NAU Daniel 12:2 …these to everlasting life, but the others to
disgrace and everlasting contempt.

6. Luke 12:5, Hell
• Ken Boa says, “The authors of Scripture do not attempt to prove the reality of
hell; they proclaim its existence and warn their audiences appropriately. During
the Dark and Middle Ages, the reality of hell was so gripping and pervasive that
the threat of excommunication was a powerful and feared danger. But today,
hell is not a topic for polite conversations, and it rarely surfaces even in sermons.
Many reject it as infantile and offensive, as does atheist George Smith: "The
belief in eternal torment, still subscribed to by fundamentalist Christian
denominations, undoubtedly ranks as the most vicious and reprehensible
doctrine of classical Christianity. It has resulted in an incalculable amount of
psychological torture, especially among children, where it is employed as a
terror tactic to prompt obedience."
• The idea of hell has become outdated. The influences of empiricism (the idea
that we can only believe in what our senses tell us as real) and scientism (truth is
discovered by science alone) and relativism (elevating toleration concerning
truth to a virtue) have contributed to hell's demise in our society, along with a
cultural shift in values away from the "hard" virtues of holiness, justice, and
righteousness toward a preoccupation with the "soft" virtues of love, mercy, and
kindness. There is also the shift from a morality emphasizing duty and obligation
to one that emphasizes individual rights and liberties. But what if our society is
wrong and hell is real? Implications.”

7. Luke 12:7
• NAU Luke 12:7 "Indeed, the very hairs of your
head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are
more valuable than many sparrows.
• Matthew 10:30 "But the very hairs of your head
are all numbered.
• John Rice says, “God cares about details. If you
comb out some hairs in the morning, the record
in Heaven is changed.”

8. Luke 12:7, God Made You
• compass.org, Verse of the Day -- Psalm 119:73 Thy hands made me and
fashioned me . . . THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
• “God made you just exactly like He wanted you.
• In a day where much of the world believes mankind evolved over millions of
years, it's comforting to know the truth: God intricately created you in His
image. Nothing was left to chance.
• For Thou didst form my inward parts; Thou didst weave me in my mother's
womb. —Psalm 139:13. . . I am fearfully and wonderfully made; —Psalm
139:14
• . . . when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought [woven] in the depths
of the earth. —Psalm 139:15
• . . . For in the image of God He made man. —Genesis 9:6
• And He still knows you very well.”
• The very hairs of your head are all numbered. —Luke 12:7. . . your Father
knows what you need, before you ask Him. —Matthew 6:8

9. Luke 12:7, Omniscience
• God’s omniscience should blow our minds!
• Imagine keeping the count of all the hairs on all the heads of
6 billion people on the earth at one time.
• While also keeping track of every deed, and every thought.
• NAU Job 21:27 "Behold, I know your thoughts, And the plans
by which you would wrong me.
• NAU Ezekiel 24:14 "I, the LORD, have spoken; it is coming
and I will act. I will not relent, and I will not pity and I will not
be sorry; according to your ways and according to your
deeds I will judge you," declares the Lord GOD.’"
• NAU Job 25:2 "Dominion and awe belong to Him Who
establishes peace in His heights. (Psalm 33:8)a

10. Luke 12:7
God knows you very, very well!
• Whether you realize it or not, your relationship with God is very close. He
knows and understands your physical makeup (verse above) as well as your
physical temptations. In fact, He was tempted in all things.
• For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our
weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet
without sin. — Hebrews 4:15 He even knows your thoughts:
• . . . able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. —Hebrews 4:12
Not only does God know what you are thinking, He knows what you are
going to think!
• . . . your Father knows what you need, before you ask him. —Matthew 6:8
What a privilege to have a personal relationship with a God who knows our
every thought, need and desire.

11. Luke 12:7
God knows you very, very well!
• He not only counts our hairs, but every aspect of our
lives from beginning to end is "Father Filtered” and
guaranteed to conform to the principle of Romans 8:28.
• KJV Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who
are the called according to his purpose.
• Corrie Ten Boom said, “Every experience God gives us,
every person he puts in our lives, is the perfect
preparation for the future that only he can see.”

12. Luke 12:8, Confess
• NAU Luke 12:8 "And I say to you, everyone who
confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will
confess him also before the angels of God;
• 1st NAU use of “confess” is Leviticus 5:5, most uses
also in Leviticus (3), this is the only use in Luke, and
there are only six NT uses.
• Some people confess a sin a thousand times, I tell
them to confess it once, then thank God a thousand
times for forgiving them. Maurice Horn

13. Luke 12:8
Christians Should Have Confidence
• NAU Luke 12:8 …the Son of Man will confess him…
• With Jesus as our Savior we know that God is totally in control. And if we
truly believe this, we can live our lives with incredible confidence. The Bible
says we are supposed to be:
• Confident of our access to the throne of God, [Ephesians 3:12]
• Confident that He will hear our prayers [1 John 4:17]
• Confident that He can be our refuge in a time of trouble [Psalm 71:5]
• Confident that our sins are fully paid [1 John 4:17]
• The apostles oozed with confidence NAU Titus 3:8 This is a trustworthy
statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently…
• NAU Hebrews 13:6 so that we confidently say, "THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I
WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?"

14. Evangelism cartoon
from
Jews for Jesus

15. Luke 12:10, The Holy Spirit Of God
• NAU Luke 12:10 "And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man,
it will be forgiven him; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will
not be forgiven him.
• If blaspheming the Holy Spirit includes making false prophecies in His name,
claiming to do works by the Holy Spirit, claiming to be drunk in the Spirit,
slain in the Spirit, and calling Him a "Holy Ghost Bartender” then many are in
for a huge surprise.
• However all Christians have been baptized in the Holy Spirit Matthew 3:11,
indwelled by the Spirit Romans 8:11, and sealed Ephesians 4:30, and are
being led by the Spirit Romans 8:14, and sanctified 1 Peter 1:2.

16. Read Luke 12:13–21
The Rich Fool
16

17. Luke 12:15-21, Guard Against Greed
• NAU Luke 12:15 Then He said to them, "Beware, and be on
your guard against every form of greed; for not even when
one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”
• NAU James 4:14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like
tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while
and then vanishes away. 15 Instead, you ought to say, "If the
Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that." 16 But as it is,
you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. 17
Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does
not do it, to him it is sin.
• NAU Romans 14:23 But he who doubts is condemned if he
eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not
from faith is sin.

18. Luke 12:15-21, Guard Against Greed
• NAU 1 Corinthians 3:12 Now if any man builds on the foundation
with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each
man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because
it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality
of each man's work. 14 If any man's work which he has built on it
remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man's work is burned
up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as
through fire. 16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God
and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
• All of our earthly accomplishments will go up in smoke unless
they're done in the Lords will, by faith. [Rom 14:23]
• So make the most of it every moment and treasure the Lord has
blessed you with, for his glory.

19. Luke 12:18
Grain Storage
• Eating During an Enemy Siege
• Dr. Fleming: …we have buried the field's grain,
oil and honey."
• So, these huge underground pits of stored food
in various places are necessary in case the city
doesn't let you in. Sometimes by chance an
archaeologist working on an excavation by a
city finds one of the underground storage pits.
These pithoids can be five to six feet deep
sometimes. By accident a road project in Israel
somewhere in the countryside can come
across a lone few big pots out in a field and are
filled full of carbonized grain.
• I want this thought to stick with you. Just look
how desperate daily life was back then. You
don't ask if the enemy is going to come. You
only ask when. And so, the prophets were
struggling to give the people a message to trust
in God and be wise by being prepared for the
enemy…

20. • Luke 12:20
"But God
said to him,
'You fool!
This very
night your
soul is
required of
you; and
now who
will own
what you
have
prepared?'

22. Treasure
NAU Luke 12:21
"So is the man
who stores up
treasure for
himself, and is
not rich toward
God.”

23. Read Luke 12:22–34
Seek Ye The Kingdom
23

24. Luke 12:22, Do Not Worry
• NAU Luke 12:22 And He said to His disciples, "For this
reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to
what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will
put on.
• George MacDonald said, “No man ever sunk under the
burden of the day. It is when tomorrow’s burden is
added to the burden of day that the weight is more than
a man can bear. Never load yourself so. If you find
yourself so loaded, at least remember this: it is your
own doing, not God’s. He begs you to leave the future
to Him and mind the present.”

25. Luke 12:22, Worries And Troubles
• NAU Luke 12:22 … do not worry …
• Calvin Coolidge once said, “If you see ten
troubles coming down the road, you can be
sure that nine will run into the ditch before
they reach you.”
• Robert M. McCheyne says, “Live near to God
and so all things will appear to you little in
comparison with eternal realities.”

26. Luke 12:24, Consider The Ravens
TODAY'S CREATION MOMENT, IS YOUR MEMORY THIS GOOD?
Do you remember how much milk is in your
refrigerator? Do you remember which
leftovers you have in there, and where you
put them? This kind of memory is called
episodic memory. It allows you to travel
back in time with your mind to remember
the details of a past action. Until now, it
was thought that only humans had this kind
of memory, although some researchers
were convinced that monkeys and rats had
episodic memory.
Florida scrub jayNow, to researchers'
surprise, several species of birds that store
26

27. Luke 12:24, Consider The Ravens
TODAY'S CREATION MOMENT, IS YOUR MEMORY THIS GOOD?
• food have convincingly displayed episodic memory and more. The scrub jays'
favorite food is waxmoth larvae. Researchers allowed some of the jays to learn
that the larvae rot after a few days. The jays also like peanuts. Researchers
gave scrub jays the larvae to hide in sand filled ice cube trays. After five days
the jays were given peanuts to hide. Later, the birds were allowed to collect
their buried treasures. The birds who had learned that the larvae rotted after a
couple of days didn't even bother to collect them. They looked only for
peanuts, and remembered where to look for them. The jays who didn't know
that the larvae rotted looked for them first.
• In another research project, Clark's nutcrackers remembered where they had
buried food morsels nine months earlier. This is something evolutionary
scientists never expected in what they consider animals that are lower forms of
life than we are. God has seen to the food needs of these species by not only
providing them with food, but also by giving them extraordinary episodic
memory like ours.
• Notes: S. Milius, "Birds can remember what, where, and when", Science News, v. 154, p. 181. Photo: Florida scrub
jay. (PD) 27

28. Luke 12:25, Do Not Worry

29. Luke 12:25, We Are Not In Control,
God Is
• NAU Luke 12:25 "And which of you by worrying
can add a single hour to his life's span?
• The Lord must laugh at the things that we worry
about.
• All of the important “stuff” God has not left to us
to manage. Everything really important
(breathing, blood circulation, auto immune
response, digestion,etc.) for our life and existence
God has put on auto pilot.
29

30. Creation Moments;
Luke 12:26, WHY DON'T YOU RUST?
• “Did you ever wonder why you don't rust? Before you laugh, remember – iron is not only a major
part of your blood, it is used to attract the oxygen that is carried by your blood to the rest of your
body. And you know what happens when oxygen meets the iron in your car or a tool that is left
outside overnight – rust! So, why don't we rust?
• Part of the reason is that the molecular structure of hemoglobin is very cleverly designed so that
the iron in your hemoglobin attracts oxygen and holds it but, at the same time, is prevented from
rusting. There are many designs that hemoglobin could have – but the actual structure prevents
rust from forming. But 200 billion of your red blood cells die every day. The iron in those cells is
no longer prevented by the hemoglobin from forming rust. So your body collects iron from these
cells and stores it in tiny protective containers made up of the protein ferritin, where it is
prevented from combining with oxygen and turning into rust.
• Actually, these rust proofing systems in the body can go wrong because of a rare genetic defect
called bronze anemia. People suffering from this defect actually do develop rust like deposits in
their bodies, and sometimes the rust actually discolors their skin. The careful planning and
intricately related systems that make life possible speak loudly of a Creator.
• No wonder discoveries in the biological sciences have caused some scientists to defect from
evolution and see creation as the better explanation.”

31. Luke 12:26, Be Anxious For Nothing
• If God supernaturally provides for every
important thing concerning our life, won't He
also fulfill His promises to take care of the
things that we worry about?
• NAU Acts 17:28 for in Him we live and move
and exist, as even some of your own poets
have said, 'For we also are His children.’
• So, be a good steward of everything God has
entrusted to you, and worry about nothing.

32. Luke 12:27, Consider The Lilies
• Luke 12:27
"Consider the
lilies, how they
grow: they
neither toil nor
spin; but I tell
you, not even
Solomon in all his
glory clothed
himself like one
of these.

33. Luke 12:29, Do Not Keep Worrying
• NAU Luke 12:29 "And do not [imperative] seek what you will eat and
what you will drink, and do not keep [imperative] worrying.
• Worrying is sin, Jesus says don't do it.
• The verse is about worrying about what to eat, what to drink, and
clothes. Are pretty essential items.
• Dr. Howard Hendricks tells of a student who told him that "We
have a right to eat don't me?”
• He said no we don’t.
• I know of no versus a God says that He is obliged to feed us, or
that we have a right to eat. Everything is a gift from Him. He gives
graciously.
• Either God is in total control or we are.
• KJV Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for
good to them that love God, to them who are the called according
to his purpose.

34. Luke 12:30
We Want To Please Our Father
• NAU Luke 12:30 "For all these things the nations of the
world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you
need these things.
• Making Dad Proud
• Kayleen J. Reusser recounts that, “My first-grader came
home and proudly reported to her dad that she was
now officially a "Brownie." Not to be outdone, her
three-year-old brother, Christopher, rushed up to Dad
and proudly announced
• he was a cupcake!”

35. Luke 12:31-33, Wealth
• NAU Luke 12:31 "But seek His kingdom, and these things will
be added to you. 32 "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your
Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. 33 "Sell
your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money
belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven,
where no thief comes near nor moth destroys.
• Henry Ward Beecher says, “No man can tell whether he is rich
or poor by turning to his ledger. It is the heart that makes a
man rich. He is rich or poor according to what he is, not
according to what he has.”

36. Luke 12:33, Treasure
• Mark 10:21 Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him,
"One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.“
• Build your nest in no tree here…for the Lord of the forest has
condemned the whole woods to be demolished. Samuel Rutherford
• 2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which
the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be
destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be
burned up.
• 1 Timothy 6:18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works,
to be generous and ready to share, 19 storing up for themselves the
treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take
hold of that which is life indeed.

37. Luke 12:33
Possessions
NAU Luke 12:33 "Sell
your possessions and
give to charity; make
yourselves money
belts which do not
wear out, an
unfailing treasure in
heaven, where no
thief comes near nor
moth destroys.

38. Luke 12:34, Pretrib Or Posttrib?
• NAU Luke 12:34 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 35
"Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. 36 "Be like men who are
waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that
they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. 37
"Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he
comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them
recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them.
• George Gunn said on Facebook, “Interesting verse. Addressed to Israel, this
appears to fit a pretrib rapture scenario much better than a posttrib.”
• Told his disciples in John 15:15, "No longer do I call you slaves…but I have
called you friends…”
• Also, the “when he comes” asks; “to the clouds, or the Mount of olives?”
• Also, the “gird himself to serve” reminds me of the promise to the Jews in
Psalm 23:5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine
enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. KJV

39. Read Luke 12:35–40
The Blessed Steward
39

40. Luke 12:36
Weddings

41. Luke 12:36, Wedding Unity Candle
• Greg Asimakoupoulos says, “Weddings in our
church always include the lighting of a unity candle.
At one recent rehearsal I was explaining the
symbolism of the candle ceremony. "After the
middle candle is lit, blowing out the two side candles
means the two become one," I said.
• "Oh," a guest admitted in surprise. "I thought it
meant 'no more flames!'"

42. Luke 12:39
The Head Of The House
• NAU Luke 12:39 "But be sure of this, that if the head of
the house had known at what hour the thief was coming,
he would not have allowed his house to be broken into.
• Who is the “the head of the house”?
• NAU 2 Corinthians 4:4 in whose case the god of this world
has blinded the minds of the unbelieving…
• NAU Ephesians 2:2…the prince of the power of the air, of
the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience…
• NAU John 12:31 "Now judgment is upon this world; now
the ruler of this world will be cast out.
42

43. Luke 12:39, Upon Whom Does Jesus Come as a Thief?
www.spiritandtruth.org
• A206 : by Tony Garland “…To answer the second part of your question, it
seems most likely that Revelation16:15 is a parenthetical insertion given to
warn readers prior to the tribulation of their need to watch so that the day
of the Lord will not come upon them as a thief. My position on this is that
the coming as a thief does not refer to the Rapture where all true believers
are taken up. Rather, it refers to the way in which the day of the Lord (a
time of judgment and outpouring of God's wrath) will overtake an
unbelieving world, including those who profess to believe or are
participants in church, but who have never truly been born again. This is
considered a “coming” of Jesus, not for believers but upon an unbelieving
world in judgment initiating the tribulation period (1Th. 5:2-4; 1Pe. 3:10;
Rev. 3:3). So, in a sense, the bible relates numerous “coming” events
associated with Jesus.
• His “first coming,” born as a virgin to die on the cross (Isa. 7:14; 9:6;
Luke 1:30-31).
• His coming in identity with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost to form
the body of Christ: “I will come to you” (John 14:16-20; Acts 2; Col. 1:27).
• His coming to take up the Church at the

44. Luke 12:39, Upon Whom Does Jesus Come as a Thief?
www.spiritandtruth.org
• Rapture (1Cor. 15:51-52; 1Th. 4:13-17; Heb. 9:28).
• His coming as a thief upon an unsuspecting world ushering in the events of God's wrath
associated with the Day of the Lord or “day of Christ” (Mat. 24:42-44; 1Th. 5:2-5; 2Th. 2:2;
2Pe. 3:10; Rev.3:3; 16:15).
• His “second coming” in final judgment when He takes up His Davidic throne on earth
(Ps. 2:6-9; Isa. 9:7; 63:1-6; Luke 1:32; Mat. 25:31; Rev. 3:21; 19:11-21) bringing the
tribulation period to a close.
• The day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night, but this is for the unbelieving world, the
unregenerate. During the day of the Lord, toward the end of the great tribulation, Christ
will return in wrath (1Th 5:2,4; 2Pe 3:10). Jesus Christ will not come for His bride from
heaven as a thief in the night especially in wrath (1Th 1:10). . . . [The Thessalonians] were
not waiting for a thief in the night (2Th 3:18, 2Pe 3:10). They were waiting for the One
Who loved them most and Whom they loved and would be with forever (1 Th 4:17).1In
my commentary on Revelation 16:15a I take the position that the warning is most likely
intended for readers of Revelation prior to the events described therein—in order that
professing believers all through the age of the church would examine themselves to see if
they are truly in the faith (2Cor. 13:5) so as to make their election sure (2Pe. 1:10) and be
among those who are taken up at the Rapture prior to His coming as a thief. I believe this
same motive is behind the series of warning parables which Jesus gives in Matthew 25. I
discuss those parables in more detail in an online study on Matthew 24 and 25b.”

45. Luke 12:40, You too, be ready
• NAU Luke 12:40 "You too, be ready; for the Son of
Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.”
• Who is the “You” in Jesus' command “You too, be
ready”
• He has been speaking to the Jews we've already
shown that. Now he addresses “You too”
• All humanity from all times should be zealously
watching for both the rapture, the great tribulation,
and second coming.
45

46. Read Luke 12:41–48
The Faithful Steward
46

47. Luke 12:41,
Addressing This To Us?
• NAU Luke 12:41 Peter said, "Lord, are You addressing
this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?”
• I love it when Peter asks good questions. However,
the Lord seldom answers those kinds of questions.
• Instead the Lord answers with a question.
• NAU Luke 12:42 And the Lord said, "Who then is the
faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will
put in charge of his servants, to give them their
rations at the proper time?
47

48. Luke 12:43,
The Slave Of The Master
• NAU Luke 12:43 "Blessed is that slave whom
his master finds so doing when he comes.
• Told his followers that he would no longer call
them slaves in;
• NAU John 15:15 "No longer do I call you
slaves…
• Looks like he's talking to tribulation saints, as in
the sheep and goat judgment Matthew 25.
48

49. Luke 12:45, Do Not Get Drunk
• Ephesians 5:18 And do not get drunk with
wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with
the Spirit,

50. Luke 12:47, Degrees Of Punishment
• Luke 12:47 "And that slave who knew his master's
will and did not get ready or act in accord with his
will, will receive many lashes, 48 but the one who did
not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a
flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who
has been given much, much will be required; and to
whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all
the more.
• Matthew 18:35 "My heavenly Father will also do the
same to you…

51. Luke 12:47,
Degrees Of
Punishment
Luke 12:47
…will receive
many lashes
Psalm 111:10
The fear of
the LORD is
the beginning
of wisdom…

52. Read Luke 12:49–53
The Cost Of Discipleship
52

53. Luke 12:49-52, Not Peace But Division?
gracethrufaith.com
• Q. I have questions on two verses in the Gospels. In both Matthew 10:34-36
and Luke 12:49-52, Jesus said he did not come to bring peace but division on
earth. Using the NIV version, Jesus mentions that he would bring fire on the
earth and wishes how it would be kindled (Luke 12: 49). He also says that
families would be divided: daughter against mother, son against father,
daughter in law against mother in law, etc. Why was Jesus saying that families
would be divided? What did He mean when he said he would bring fire on the
earth and wished it was already kindled?
• A. The division Jesus was talking about in Matt. 10:34-36 is caused by the fact
that in many families some members believe in Jesus while others do not. This
difference often causes hostility between them. This can be especially true in
Orthodox Jewish families. [DLK adds, Muslims, JW’s, Mormons,etc.]
• The fire He mentioned in Luke 12:49 refers to the end times judgments. He
wished it was already kindled because it’s through these judgments that sin
will be judged and He will regain authority over earth. In Luke 12:50 He said
that first He had a “baptism” to undergo. He was talking about His death for
our sins. If the end times judgments had begun before His death and
resurrection, all of humanity would have been lost.

54. Read Luke 12:54–59
Priority Of Discernment
54

55. THE END
• Blossoms, by Kelly McGehee 55

56. Luke 12:51,
• Today is December 11, 2012
Verse of the Day -- Luke 12:51
Jesus said, "Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division;"
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
• Christianity sometimes means making hard choices.
MINI BIBLE STUDY FOR THE DAY
• Committing your life to Christ means your loyalty to Jesus is greater than your loyalty to your family.
• They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and
daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against
mother-in-law. —Luke 12:53
See also Luke 14:26 and Matthew 19:29. Luke 9:59-62 records a man who wanted to go home to
bury his father before he left to follow Jesus and another who simply wanted to go home to say
goodbye before following Jesus. But Jesus rebuked both saying, "No one, after putting his hand to the
plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."Trusting Jesus as Lord and Savior is a HUGE step
in one's life. It means you will follow Jesus regardless of the cost—because in the end, you know it's
worth the price.

57. Judah
• Jeremiah uses “Judah” more than any other book. 165 times in the
NAS.
• The word “Yehuda” is usually translated as “Judah” in English Bibles.
This name has such rich meaning for both Jewish and Christian
traditions. For example, in the Hebrew Bible, God called King David,
who came from the tribe of Judah, “The man after my own heart”. In
the New Testament, Jesus, a later descendant of David, is referred to
as “the Lion from the Tribe of Judah”.
• The word Judah comes from the verb LeHodot, which simply
means “to thank.” In the context of the Hebrew Bible, such thanks are
synonymous not just with gratitude, but with praise. In fact, there
was a particular sacrifice called “The Sacrifice of Thanksgiving.” In the
Temple in Jerusalem, it was called “Todah” – the noun
for “Thanksgiving.”
It is interesting to note that in Modern Hebrew, to simply
say “thanks”, Israelis use the very same word (todah) that was used in
the Temple to express gratitude to God.

58. 1 Kings 16:29-30 Luke 12:47 -48
Romans 1, 2 Chronicles 33:9, Evil Rulers
• The Christ in Prophecy Journal
• The 2012 Election
• Posted: 09 Jan 2013 06:56 AM PST
• By Dr. David R. Reagan
• At the death of King Solomon, the Kingdom of David split into two nations — Israel in the north, consisting of ten tribes, and Judah in the south, composed of two tribes.
• The northern kingdom of Israel lasted 208 years. During that time it had a total of 19 kings, all of whom were judged by God to be evil.
• The southern kingdom of Judah existed for 344 years. That kingdom had a total of 20 kings, and only 8 of them were considered good in the eyes of God.
• Despite the fact that all the kings of Israel were judged to be evil in the eyes of God, the Scriptures declare that one in particular was the most evil of all — and that was King Ahab (1 Kings 16:29-30). In like manner, the Scriptures proclaim that the most evil king in
the history of Judah was Manasseh who "seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel" (2 Chronicles 33:9).
• The Quality of American Leaders
• It would be interesting to know God's judgment of the leaders of our nation. We have been blessed with some truly good and great leaders like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, and Ronald Reagan.
But, like Israel and Judah, we have been cursed from time to time by some very poor leaders, particularly in modern times as our nation has drifted away from God and from the Judeo-Christian principles upon which the nation was established.
• We have had womanizers like John F. Kennedy and schemers like Lyndon Johnson. We have had inept leaders like Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford. And we have been afflicted with evil leaders like Richard Nixon, who was forced to resign before he was impeached,
and Bill Clinton, who was actually impeached, but not convicted.
• But I would contend that never in all our 236 years as a nation have we had a ruler as evil as Barack Obama.
• The Evil of Barack Obama
• Obama is an enthusiastic advocate of abortion — even to the point that while serving as state senator in Illinois, he voted against a law that would have prevented the killing of babies who survived abortions!
• Obama is an earnest supporter of sexual perversion. During his first four years as President, he issued a proclamation each June celebrating lesbians, homosexuals, bi-sexuals, and transgenders. And, of course, he has endorsed the abomination of same-sex
marriage.
• Obama has committed the immoral act of plunging our nation into unprecedented debt that will imprison our descendants indefinitely.
• Obama has launched an unthinkable attack on our religious traditions and freedoms. If he could get his way, and he may well do so, he will remove "under God" from our pledge of allegiance and replace our national motto, "In God We Trust," with "E Pluribus
Unum." He no longer speaks of "freedom of religion." It has been replaced with "freedom of worship." And he is attempting to override religious freedom with hate crime laws and non-discrimination laws in an attempt to make it a criminal offence to condemn
sexual perversion or to discriminate on the basis of sexual perversion. He has attempted to control hiring practices by religious organizations, and he is now trying to dictate that they must provide contraceptives and abortions for their employees.
• Obama has attacked our Constitution repeatedly as being "outdated." He has circumvented it in every way possible, particularly through an avalanche of executive orders. And he will succeed in undermining it completely if he is able to make additional
appointments to the Supreme Court during his second term.
• Obama hates the Capitalist system which is a foundation stone of our liberties and which has produced the most prosperous economy the world has ever seen. He is determined to replace it with a Socialist system that will rob the responsible to award the
irresponsible.
• Obama despises our great history of pioneering liberty and justice for all citizens and fighting worldwide to provide or preserve freedom for other peoples. He has denounced our nation's anthem as "militaristic," and he has portrayed us to the world as a
colonialist power, apologizing for the foreign policy that saved Europe from the Nazis and rebuilt the continent through the Marshall Plan.
• Obama holds in contempt our closest ally, the nation of Israel. He has treated the Jewish Prime Minister with contempt, and he has encouraged the enemies of Israel who desire to annihilate the Jewish state.
• One of Obama's passions throughout his life has been education. He understands the power of this tool to re-shape a nation. Expect him in his second term to try to nationalize education so that he can dictate curriculum from the federal level. And expect him
also to launch an all-out assault on home schooling.
• America's Revolt Against God
• In my book, America the Beautiful? The United States in Bible Prophecy (2003, 2006, 2009), I pointed out that when a nation begins to rebel against God, He will start afflicting that nation with remedial judgments, calling the nation to repentance. I showed from
the Scriptures that those judgments can take many forms, and that one of those is to give the nation the kind of leaders it deserves.
• Our headstrong revolt against God began in the 1960's with the sexual revolution that was laced with drugs. It has continued unabated since that time as we have kicked God out of our schools and our public life. In the process, Christianity has morphed into the
image of our increasingly secular and pagan society, desiring to be accepted by society rather than standing against it by speaking out in behalf of godliness and righteousness.
• And so, we are now reaping what we have sown. And we will continue to do so as long as we put selfish considerations ahead of moral ones — as, for example:
• When Black Christians vote on the basis of race regardless of the candidate's moral values.
• When Christian union members vote according to union directives rather than moral principles.
• When Jews vote solely according to liberal social values, with no consideration of a candidate's position regarding Israel.
• When Evangelicals vote on the basis of personality, charisma and oratorical ability rather than moral issues.
• When the populace in general puts income considerations ahead of moral values.
• The Significance of Morality
• Why am I emphasizing moral issues? The reason is simple. It's because they are the real issues. In this past election the real issues were not the economy and unemployment. The real issues were spiritual in nature. They were the celebration of sexual perversion,
the trashing of the value of life, the elevation of greed over responsibility, and the abandonment of support for the nation of Israel. These were the true issues because our collective failure in these areas is the precise reason why we are experiencing the collapse
of our economy and subsequent massive unemployment.
• Our nation is under the judgment of God. In response, He has provided us the kind of leadership we deserve.
• In my Prophetic Manifesto, issued before the election, I began it with these words: "America is finished. We as a nation have turned our back on God." I concluded the Manifesto with this observation:
• Is there any hope for America? No! Our only hope is Jesus, and thus we have no hope, for we have rejected Him. We have turned our back on the very God who made us great and showered us with blessings. We have forgotten that God's Word teaches that "to
those to whom much is given, much is expected." (Luke 12:47 -48).

59. A head on view of the crown of a
pomegranate, by Yehoshua Halevi.
• Your arid fields are as a pomegranate orchard with sweet fruit, henna and
spikenard.
• SONG OF SONGS (4:13)
• Jerusalem Inspiration
• The pomegranate has always been a symbol of beauty. It’s unique shape was a
favorite design element appearing on the priestly garments and on the pillars at
the entrance to the Temple in Jerusalem. At its crown, the pomegranate has a six
part star and is the only place the Magen David / Star of David appears in nature.
According to Jewish teachings, the numerous seeds in the Pomegranate represent
the 613 commandments of the Torah and on the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana,
Jews say a special prayer over the beautiful fruit, “May our good deeds multiply
like the seeds of a pomegranate.” Learn more about the pomegranate and all of
Israel’s 7 Species in our Tu B'Shvat ebook.
• A head on view of the crown of a pomegranate, by Yehoshua Halevi. This crown is
the only naturally occurring star of David found in the world.
59

60. Luke 12:15, Greed
• Today is August 5, 2013, Verse of the Day -- Luke 12:15 Beware and be on your guard against every
form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.
• THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
• You can't take your earthly toys with you!
• MINI BIBLE STUDY FOR THE DAY
• God won't add up your physical net worth to determine how well you did while living on this earth.
Granted, we all have stewardship responsibilities for our investments.
• Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with
interest? —Luke 19:23But our real value on Judgment Day will be in our spiritual treasures. Do not
lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth . . . But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven . . . —
Matthew 6:19-20 The Bible warns us to be careful not to make the short-term more important than
the long-term. There is nothing wrong with having nice things or an abundance of earthly treasures
that you have worked hard to share with your family. But when having more "things" becomes a
priority of life, it means you have become greedy. It means you've missed the most important
teaching of life—to concentrate the bulk of your efforts/investments on eternal rewards.

61. Luke 12:18, Grain Storage
• Eating During an Enemy Siege
• Dr. Fleming: At the city's gate chamber there is a light covered wall. Always found just inside the gate would be a place for a caravan to unloads its supplies. You would see a row of water
mangers and food mangers near where you would unload your animals. It's called a stable storehouse. It serves two purposes. One, it's a stable for the caravan to stay in. Two, when you unload
the animals you are needing to store your goods. The Bible calls a city like this a Store City. It's where you're trying to store enough supplies so if you are under enemy siege you have enough
supplies to live off of. It contains water and supplies like nonperishables such as grain, olive oil, dried fruit, nuts, and other things that will last. You must have those at the gate.
• On the other side of the gate would be your gatehouse. The top of the gatehouse would be a military installation, because this becomes the highest part of your city where you could shoot and
throw down things onto your enemy.
• Not only did they store in a stable storehouse, but we'd have two other ways of storing supplies such as a grain silo. It is cut down into the ground. It is domed over, of course, because you don't
want rain to come inside it. You'd store your grain in sacks and not as free grain because you'd need to be able to easily take the sacks out. You'd have a problem if water started seeping in, so
it's easier to get the grain by moving sacks to keep the most grain dry. New sacks of grain are brought in from the ones from your threshing floor.
• In an underground grain silo you would see niches for oil lamps on the side walls. There would be an inner wall that is plastered, then your stairway. There would actually be another stairway
going out so if you are bringing in sacks the flow would be one way traffic — one going down with the other one going up. Then you go and bring more down and so on. Sometimes with kid
groups coming to the museum we have them haul all of the grain to the threshing floor and have the next group take it back to the silo.
• Dr. Reagan: Do you ever tell them that was women's work back then?
• Dr. Fleming: Oh, no, no we don't. At the Center you'll be able to see we have the sacks just filled with peat moss and not with any real grain.
• What is most important here that you need to understand is if you cannot outlast an enemy siege when the enemy is coming then you're done for.
• The Israelites did not have an offensive army. They had a defensive army. The Assyrians and the Babylonians had siege equipment like battering rams. All you'd have as an ancient Hebrew was
the ability to store supplies, have a wall, and hope and pray you could outlast the patience of your enemy who had besieged your town. Your storehouse, stable and silo were part of your
insurance.
• Dr. Fleming: Let's look at another food storage place that is outside of the city in the terraces of the fields. If you're a farmer, you don't know if the city slickers are going to let you in when the
enemy comes. You probably were told to pay your taxes to the city and so not to worry; they would let you in if a siege was coming. Some of your hard produced barley, wheat, and olive oil
would be stored in the city for when the enemy comes.
• Imagine when push comes to shove every daughter family you let in the city becomes one day less of stored food for your family, if you live in the city. How many then in the city are going to
vote to keep the non-city folks out? After all, they'd reason, the outsiders are less educated. Think what will happen to your unemployment during the siege. You've got your own kids
graduating from Megiddo University looking for a job, and so think if you are flooded with all of those folks from outside what that would do to the job market. The prophets were telling the
kings, "Don't forget the daughters of my people." But, I'd bet they were often forgotten.
• For those forced to stay outside of the city, if you are living outside the city walls, you bury some supplies because you're not sure you are going to be allowed inside. You would camouflage the
food by placing it inside huge jars. You'd take huge jars filled with grain and bury them in the field.
• One example of hiding food in jars in the fields is from Jeremiah 41:8. The Babylonians had destroyed most of the towns and started torturing a farmer from out in the field. Under duress he
says something like, "Don't kill my family. I can show you where we have buried the field's grain, oil and honey."
• So, these huge underground pits of stored food in various places are necessary in case the city doesn't let you in. Sometimes by chance an archaeologist working on an excavation by a city finds
one of the underground storage pits. These pithoids can be five to six feet deep sometimes. By accident a road project in Israel somewhere in the countryside can come across a lone few big
pots out in a field and are filled full of carbonized grain.
• I want this thought to stick with you. Just look how desperate daily life was back then. You don't ask if the enemy is going to come. You only ask when. And so, the prophets were struggling to
give the people a message to trust in God and be wise by being prepared for the enemy.
•
In the ninth part of this series with archaeologist Dr. James Fleming at his Explorations in Antiquity Center, we'll glean some biblical insights by learning how in Bible times an enemy siege
affected the people spiritually.

62. Luke 12:15-21,
Learning To Be Content, By Keith Walker

63. Luke 12:24, Consider The Ravens
TODAY'S CREATION MOMENT, IS YOUR MEMORY THIS GOOD?
• Do you remember how much milk is in your refrigerator? Do you remember which leftovers you have
in there, and where you put them? This kind of memory is called episodic memory. It allows you to
travel back in time with your mind to remember the details of a past action. Until now, it was
thought that only humans had this kind of memory, although some researchers were convinced that
monkeys and rats had episodic memory.
• Florida scrub jayNow, to researchers' surprise, several species of birds that store food have
convincingly displayed episodic memory and more. The scrub jays' favorite food is waxmoth larvae.
Researchers allowed some of the jays to learn that the larvae rot after a few days. The jays also like
peanuts. Researchers gave scrub jays the larvae to hide in sand filled ice cube trays. After five days
the jays were given peanuts to hide. Later, the birds were allowed to collect their buried treasures.
The birds who had learned that the larvae rotted after a couple of days didn't even bother to collect
them. They looked only for peanuts, and remembered where to look for them. The jays who didn't
know that the larvae rotted looked for them first.
• In another research project, Clark's nutcrackers remembered where they had buried food morsels
nine months earlier. This is something evolutionary scientists never expected in what they consider
animals that are lower forms of life than we are. God has seen to the food needs of these species by
not only providing them with food, but also by giving them extraordinary episodic memory like ours.
• Notes: S. Milius, "Birds can remember what, where, and when", Science News, v. 154, p. 181. Photo:
Florida scrub jay. (PD)
63

64. Luke 12:26, Be Anxious For Nothing
• Today is April 19, 2013
• Verse of the Day -- Matthew 6:34 Do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will
take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
• Why worry if God is in control?
• MINI BIBLE STUDY FOR THE DAY
• God promises that He will provide everything we need if we simply follow His Word.
• Do not worry then, saying, "What will we eat?" or "What will we drink?" or "What will we
wear for clothing?" For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father
knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness,
and all these things will be added to you. —Matthew 6:31-33Yet so many of us fail the
test and worry about things that are out of our control, but are, of course, in God's
control. And worry is sin.. . . Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. — John
14:27 God has not given us a spirit of timidity (fear). —2 Timothy 1:7
• So don't be concerned about the things out of your control.

65. Abortion, Subjective Morality, Down’s Syndrome,
Birth Defects, Mental Illness, Luke 12:28
• RICHARD DAWKINS: "ABORT IT AND TRY AGAIN."
•
• Pastor Scott LaPierre
•
• Richard Dawkins started a controversy when a woman said, "I honestly don't know what I would do if I were pregnant with a kid with Down Syndrome.
Real ethical dilemma," and he responded with, "Abort it and try again. It would be immoral to bring it into the world if you have the choice." Dawkins
later defended his advice:"If your morality is based, as mine is, on a desire to increase the sum of happiness and reduce the suffering, the decision to
deliberately give birth to a Down baby, when you have the choice to abort it early in the pregnancy, might actually be immoral from the point of view of
the child's own welfare." The child's welfare? The child will be thankful it was aborted? The child would later be offended it wasn't murdered?
•
• What really surprised me though was the amount of outrage Dawkins' comment received, because here's the truth:if you believe in evolution you
SHOULD agree with him! You should say, "We need to think about what's best for the advancement of the human race and that means removing from
the gene pool those individuals threatening its progress...and if we're honest, there's no greater threat than those born with genetic disorders." And
here's another painful, but equally true reality: this thinking isn't very far removed from Hitler's desire to eliminate theinferior people
orUntermenschen (German for subhuman): Jews, Gypsies, Slavs, etc., to allow the superior Aryan Herrenvolk (Master Race) to develop.
•
• Dawkins mentioned morality: he said it would be immoral to give birth to the child. But if you don't believe the Bible, you CAN'T argue with him! If you
disagree with him apart from Scripture what is your argument based on? It's based on absolutely nothing more than your opinion! In the absence of
Scripture, morality is completely subjective. While people try to identify right and wrong or good and evil without the Bible, their positions are based
entirely on opinion. When one opinion differs from another, how is it determined which opinion is correct? Is it determined by which opinion sounds
better? Is it determined by which opinion can find the most similar opinions? If the Bible isn't your authority on morality,the only weight behind your
case is how well it can be argued...including debates about murdering babies. In other words, in the absence of Scripture, there is no argument against
murdering babies; the absence of Scripture puts us in the days of the Judges when "Every man did what was right in his own eyes."
• August 25, 2014 by Pastor Scott LaPierre
• http://scottlapierre.org/2014/08/25/richard-dawkins-abort-it-and-try-again/

66. Luke 12:10, The Holy Spirit Of God
• Today is November 9, 2012 Verse of the Day -- 2 Peter 1:20-21
. . . no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by
the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
• The Holy Spirit is the person of the Trinity who gave us the Bible.
MINI BIBLE STUDY FOR THE DAY
• The work of each of the three persons is of critical importance to believers.
• Jesus died to save us. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have
eternal life. —John 3:16
• The Father draws us to Himself and loves us. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the
last day. —John 6:44The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. —
2 Corinthians 13:14
• The Holy Spirit interacts with us. according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ
and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure. — 1 Peter 1:2 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by
whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. —Ephesians 4:30
• The Holy Spirit is a person, just as Jesus and the Father are."And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him;
but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him. —Luke 12:10
See also Acts 13:2, 15:28, 16:6-7. His most impacting work in believers' lives is His permanent sealing of our salvation when He comes to live
in our hearts. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your
mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.— Romans 8:11 . . . having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of
promise. —Ephesians 1:13
• . . . the Holy Spirit, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. —Ephesians 4:30
• And with the Holy Spirit comes "power" to do God's will and "full conviction" when we don't.
• For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men
we proved to be among you for your sake. — 1 Thessalonians 1:5 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. —
Romans 8:14

67. Luke 12:39, Upon Whom Does Jesus Come as a Thief?,
www.spiritandtruth.org
• Q206 : Upon Whom Does Jesus Come as a Thief?
A question I have pertains to Revelation 16:15.
• Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.1
• Are there still Christians on earth at this point of the Tribulation Period? Or is this verse not meant for this specific time, and simply not in a chronological order with the seven vials/bowls of
God's wrath?
• Endnotes:
• 1.NKJV, Revelation 16:15
• Sources:
• NKJVUnless indicated otherwise, all Scripture references are from the New King James Version, copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
• A206 : by Tony Garland
To answer the first part of your question, we know that there will be Christians on the earth during the entire tribulation period. There are:
• Believers who are martyred during the tribulation (Rev. 6:9-11; Rev. 7:9-17).
• Believers who are sealed for protection (Rev. 7:3-8).
• Believers who are kept from the Antichrist in a specially-prepared place (Rev. 12:13-16).
• Believers who survive until the second coming (Mat. 25:31-40).
• All these Christians came to faith after the Rapture of the Church and thus were not taken up prior to the tribulation. To answer the second part of your question, it seems most likely that
Revelation16:15 is a parenthetical insertion given to warn readers prior to the tribulation of their need to watch so that the day of the Lord will not come upon them as a thief. My position on
this is that the coming as a thief does not refer to the Rapture where all true believers are taken up. Rather, it refers to the way in which the day of the Lord (a time of judgment and outpouring
of God's wrath) will overtake an unbelieving world, including those who profess to believe or are participants in church, but who have never truly been born again. This is considered a “coming”
of Jesus, not for believers but upon an unbelieving world in judgment initiating the tribulation period (1Th. 5:2-4; 1Pe. 3:10; Rev. 3:3). So, in a sense, the bible relates numerous “coming” events
associated with Jesus.
• His “first coming,” born as a virgin to die on the cross (Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Luke 1:30-31).
• His coming in identity with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost to form the body of Christ: “I will come to you” (John 14:16-20; Acts 2; Col. 1:27).
• His coming to take up the Church at the Rapture (1Cor. 15:51-52; 1Th. 4:13-17; Heb. 9:28).
• His coming as a thief upon an unsuspecting world ushering in the events of God's wrath associated with the Day of the Lord or “day of Christ” (Mat. 24:42-44; 1Th. 5:2-5; 2Th. 2:2; 2Pe. 3:10;
Rev.3:3; 16:15).
• His “second coming” in final judgment when He takes up His Davidic throne on earth (Ps. 2:6-9; Isa. 9:7; 63:1-6; Luke 1:32; Mat. 25:31; Rev. 3:21; 19:11-21) bringing the tribulation period to a
close.
• The day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night, but this is for the unbelieving world, the unregenerate. During the day of the Lord, toward the end of the great tribulation, Christ will return in
wrath (1Th 5:2,4; 2Pe 3:10). Jesus Christ will not come for His bride from heaven as a thief in the night especially in wrath (1Th 1:10). . . . [The Thessalonians] were not waiting for a thief in the
night (2Th 3:18, 2Pe 3:10). They were waiting for the One Who loved them most and Whom they loved and would be with forever (1 Th 4:17).1In my commentary on Revelation 16:15a I take the
position that the warning is most likely intended for readers of Revelation prior to the events described therein—in order that professing believers all through the age of the church would
examine themselves to see if they are truly in the faith (2Cor. 13:5) so as to make their election sure (2Pe. 1:10) and be among those who are taken up at the Rapture prior to His coming as a
thief. I believe this same motive is behind the series of warning parables which Jesus gives in Matthew 25. I discuss those parables in more detail in an online study on Matthew 24 and 25b.
• http://www.spiritandtruth.org/questions/206.htm?x=x

68. 68