Nov. 17, 2024

Jesus explains to His disciples what must take place before His second coming.

Mark Lesson 19 Study Questions

1.    The abomination of desolation - “The Semitic expression used in Daniel describes an abomination so ____________ it causes the Temple to be abandoned by the people of God and provokes ____________. 

2.    When you see the ‘abomination of desolation’: When Jesus described the abomination of desolation, there was the _____________ of an operating temple in Jerusalem. You can’t have the abomination of desolation without a ______.

3.    These words of Jesus have led some to believe that all Christians – the church as a whole – will go through this time known as the Great Tribulation, and that this _________ must be for us. However, Jesus promised to catch His people up from the earth and meet them in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). He also told us to pray that we would be counted worthy to escape this time (Luke 21:36) and promised to keep His faithful from the time of ___________ that would come upon the earth (Revelation 3:10).

4.    Tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation… nor ever shall be: Jesus said that this will be the most awful time in all of human history. When we consider the massive calamities humanity has suffered through the centuries, this is a terribly _________ statement. The Book of Revelation describes this terrible time when God pours out His wrath on a ____-__________ world.

5.    We should also remember that God has a reason for the time He has established. If Jesus had caught up His church in 1978, how many would have missed the rapture? If He returned in glory seven years later in 1985, how many of us would have gone through the Great Tribulation? We can all see the time is close; any extended time is pure ______ to allow more people to come in before the horrific ________ Jesus described in the Great Tribulation.

6.    The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall: Immediately before the return of Jesus, before His coming in the clouds with great power and glory, the world will be wracked by cosmic _____________. In a sense, this will be the groaning of all creation (Romans 8:22) and it will come to one last crescendo ________ the return of Jesus.

7.    This generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place: What generation did Jesus refer to? It cannot be the generation of the disciples because they did not see the triumphant return of Jesus. It is undoubtedly the generation that will see these ______ – especially the _____________ of desolation.

8.    Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away: Jesus made the amazing claim of uttering _______ words. This is certainly enough to establish His claim to ______.

9.    That day and hour no one knows: This means that we must take heed, because we face the danger of being ___________.

10.    Some people have the idea, “We don’t know when Jesus is coming, so it doesn’t really matter.” Others have the idea, “We don’t know when Jesus is coming, so we have to find out and set a date.” The right response is, “I don’t know when Jesus is coming so I have to be ______, _______, and ______ for His coming.”