Welcome to Studies with Stearman. Join us as we look deeper into the Bible.

Strengthen your faith with us, even as we see the day approaching. And now, here's Gary.

Studying Matthew 24. We voted our entire period to this study last Sunday.

We're going to do it again.

And we may do it yet one more time.

I don't know.

Matthew 24, the Olivet discourse, I want to tell you right up front that I'm not dogmatic

about the Olivet discourse. It's extremely difficult passage

to understand. It has nuances, some of which we'll touch upon today that are very difficult

and very interesting. It deals with the big question. When? We're all asking when. In Matthew chapter 24, after Jesus has

essentially brushed off the Pharisee, he has told them, I'm going, I'm not coming back,

and you won't see me again until you welcome me as Messiah, the disciples say,

one more time, please, Lord, please don't give up. And he says, you see these buildings around

here, they're all going to be torn down, every single one of them, not one stone upon another.

And they say to him, okay, if that's the case,

then when are you going to become Messiah? And what will be the sign of your coming to end

Gentile world rule? Those are the two things they ask him. When are you coming to set up your kingdom?

That's question number one. Question number two, what will be the sign of your coming

to end Gentile world rule? Because that's what they really wanted from the time

he first came among them until he was crucified.

That whole period of time, the disciples were focused on the Jewish national hope, which

is that Messiah will come and set up his kingdom and Israel will become head of the nations.

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