Luke 21:20-35  ²⁰ "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.  ²¹ Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those inside the city must leave it, and those out in the country must not enter it;  ²² for these are days of vengeance, as a fulfillment of all that is written.  ²³ Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress on the earth and wrath against this people;  ²⁴ they will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken away as captives among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.  ²⁵ "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves.  ²⁶ People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  ²⁷ Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory.  ²⁸ Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."  ²⁹ Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees;  ³⁰ as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near.  ³¹ So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.  ³² Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place.  ³³ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.  ³⁴ "Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly,  ³⁵ like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth.

            Yesterday at church I mentioned that our Gospel lesson was actually a part of a longer discourse about the end times.  The above text is the conclusion of that discourse.  As you can see, Jesus talks about how the Son of Man will return to the earth on the last days. 

            I also mentioned Flavious Josephus in my sermon.  He was an eye-witness to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD as well as a scholar.  His writings provide us with many important details that would otherwise be lost.  Below are some links if you would like to know more about him, including a link to his works online.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephus

http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/josephus/index.htm

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08522a.htm

In our prayers this week:  Norm and Jane, Jane’s parents, Ann, Charles, and Scott

God’s Peace,