NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM

There is a part of the Jewish Passover that has been quoted for years that says; Next Year in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem has always been very important in the life of the people of Israel.

In The Acts Chapter 1:6-11, some of the  disciples ask our Lord  Jesus; Lord will thou at this time restore the kingdom of Israel? His reply was, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, in Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.

And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight.

While they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven.

Do you believe the end is near? Billy Graham said, I think of this a lot particularly as we approach the years of   2,000.

As it is true with every question we ask about God and his will for our life, we need to be sure that we let the Bible be our guide. Otherwise, we will only end up with personal opinions, which are not necessarily based on fact.

Christ will return to establish his kingdom and at some stage in life, in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and earth.

Second, The Bible also stresses that we do not know the exact time

Christ will intervene to bring an end to this present world.

Jesus declared, no one knows the day or hour... Therefore watch , because you do not know what day your Lord will come. We do not need to spend a lot of time trying to figure out when or how Jesus will return. If we truly believe he is going to return ,our life style will show it.

At the same time, the Bible does give us a number of events and signs that will happen before Christ returns. Many of these clearly have already happened and it may well be we are truly living in the last days.

Matthew 24: 27 begins the Olivet discourse: For as the lighting comes out of the east, and shineth in the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the Eagles be gathered together.

Immediately after the tribulations ( troubling ) of those days shall the sun be darken and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven. And then 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.

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

Learn a parable of the fig tree, When his branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves' you know that summer is nigh, so likewise ye, when you see all these things, know that it is near, even at the door.

A word to the wise is found in verse 42, watch therefore for you know not what hour you Lord does  come.     

Can we say, next year in Jerusalem is where I want to be. Amen.