In the last chapter of this book we are told that the Book of Daniel would be sealed and students would not be able to understand it. Over approximately the last 100 years the book and its meaning have become clear as we observe past history. One of the indications identifying the time when the book would be unlocked is contained in verse 4 where it states that mankind would run to and fro and knowledge would be increased. With the advances made since the invention of the steam engines and its use on trains and ships as a starting point, we have progressed to rockets and aircraft that not only can take us to any point on the earth in a few short hours, but we are able to leave this earth and visit other heavenly bodies. During the same period of time the total knowledge of mankind has increased almost beyond calculation and continues to do so.

4: But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

9: And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

10: Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but tand. the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

Matthew chapter 24 verses 3 through 44.

As noted in our study of the book Revelation this chapter is an outline of the book Revelation and the tribulation period. It also gives considerable information concerning conditions as they exist prior to the start of that period.

3: And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

4: And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

5: For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

6: And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

7: For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. The 9: Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

10: And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

11: And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

12: And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

13: But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

The following verse is one of the reasons we have this Bible study site.

14: And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

15: When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

16: Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

17: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:

18: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

19: And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

20: But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:

21: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

22: And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

23: Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

24: For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

25: Behold, I have told you before.

26: Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

27: For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

28: For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

29: Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

30: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

31: And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

In Bible typology trees are symbols of nations. The fig tree is a symbol for the nation of Israel which officially became a nation on May 14th 1948. Many very good students and teachers of the Bible do not believe that this return is the fulfillment of prophecy given in the book of Daniel and elsewhere. They may well be right.

I happen to believe that it is. God has often used the works and plans of mankind to fulfill his prophecy. By all reasons Israel should have been wiped off the face of the map in several wars it has had since it's establishment, but it seems to me that God has provided his protection to this little nation. There are those who say that World War II and the Nazi death camps were God's punishment of Israel for their unbelief, which is true, but it also provided the impetus and motivation for the Jews to finally return to their homeland in preparation for coming events.

32: Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:

33: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

34: Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

35: Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Verse 36 tells us that we cannot know the exact day or hour.

36: But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

The following verses tell us that the conditions on the earth would be the same as they were when God judged the earth in the flood and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah in Abraham's day. The thing that Jesus is pointing out is that the people of both periods were preoccupied with their daily habits and routines, and leaving out worship and fellowship with God.

37: But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

38: For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

39: And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

40: Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

41: Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

42: Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

43: But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.

44: Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Luke chapter 17 verses 26 through 30.

These verses in Luke are similar to the ones on the same subject in Matthew was one notable difference that we have made note of. That little difference is the "s" on the end of the word wives. Teacher believes that this points to the common practice of easy divorce. The verses below do not mean that thier activites were evil or sin in and of thierselves, but that they put yhem before fellowship with God.

26: And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

27: They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

28: Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;

29: But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

30: Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

Luke chapter 21 verses 7 to 36.

The following verses are very similar to to the ones we just studied in Matthew. If

7: And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?

8: And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.

9: But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.

10: Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:

11: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

12: But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.

13: And it shall turn to you for a testimony.

14: Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:

15: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.

16: And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.

17: And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.

18: But there shall not an hair of your head perish.

19: In your patience possess ye your souls.

20: And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.

21: Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. Us

22: For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

23: But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.

24: And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

25: And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

26: Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

27: And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

28: And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Verses 29 through 33 are similar to ones we looked at in the book of Matthew with one in addition which we have marked. The addition of these words indicates that the period of time that we are to look at the will be marked by the birth and rebirth of many nations. I'm sorry I don't have the exact figure, but I'm sure this somebody out there can give it to me. I know that there are a large number including the ones that were re-established by the breakup of the Soviet Union, and by changes in Africa and Asia.

29: And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;

30: When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.

31: So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.

32: Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.

33: Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

34: And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

35: For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

36: Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Second Peter chapter 3 verses 3-and-4.

The verses below indicate an attitude that is common in the world, even among some believing Christians.

3: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

4: And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

Second Timothy chapter 4 verses 3 and 4.

It seems common today that many churches prefer ministers and teachers who will tell them the things they want to hear, and not the to pure Word of God.

3: For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

4: And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

First Timothy chapter 4 verses 1 through 3.

It seems that many churches prefer to set up a book of rules that the congregation is expected to follow outside of the grace of God.

1: Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

2: Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

3: Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth

Second Timothy chapter 3 verses 1 through 5.

This last Scripture in this study seems to me the most accurate and graphic description of the day you and I are living in.

1: This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2: For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3: Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4: Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5: Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

6: For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

7: Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

We had finished our study and admittedly it is a little long for our small doors, but it is extremely important to this generation to recognize where we stand in time, and to be prepared for what his coming up on the earth.