The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-27
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
MAY 81.
Lesson Text: "Destruction or JerE-
salem Foretold," Luke XXI, 90
36-GoIden Text: Luke XXI,
SS-Commentary


20. "Ye shall sec Jerusalem comrassei
with armies" One day as He was leaving
the temple they sought to call His attention
to the great stones and gifts. but He said
that the time would come when not one
stone would be left On another. They af-
terward asked Him about this. and He then
told them Of the approaching destrr ion OF
Jerusalem and of this whole ase till he shall
come again.
81. "Then let them which are in Judea fee
to the mountains" Sometimes we are to
stand ana endure and die. and sometimes
we are to flee. He will tell us when TO stand
still and when to 60 forward II we have ears
to hear. Let US ever "watch the wav,' and
"watch to see what He will say (Nah. H.. Il
Hab. H., y. Eek. xii, 1922, has had O
fulflllment, but like many another predic-
ton, the great fll-full-ment Is yet to come.
%. 'For these be the days Of vengeance"
Such passages as Deut. xviii. 25. 4S: Dan.
ix., 26, were then fulfilled. but we read else
where that the days of vengeance will be
associated with Israel's redemption. not
with the destruction of Jerusalem. When
the Lord shall appear In His glory, He
shall build up Zion Cps. cii.. 1G).
2S "There shall be great distress in the
land. and wrath upon this people" 1t is
written concerning their being carried to
Babylon that "they Knocked the messengers
Of God, and despised His words. and mis-
used His prophets, until the wrath OF the
Lord arose against His people, till there was
no remedy" (II Chron. xIXvi.. 16).
"a. Jerusalem shall be trodden down OF
the gentiles until the times Of the gentiles
be fulfilled" She is still trodden down.
Therefore we are still In the times ofthe gen.
tiles, but she Is arising from her desoations.
Therefore the times of the gentiles are near
ly fulfilled. Read with this Rom. XII, 25,
and consider that in some little measure the
blindness Is passing from Israel, and thare-
fore the fullness Of the gentiles (the church
or body Of Christ gathered from the gentiles)
must be approaching completion. Notice
another ''until" in Acts ill.,. 81.
shaken" This is the time of the great tribu-
lation at the end Of this age to which we
have already referred. 1t is mentioned In
Hag. H., 6, Z, as follows: "Yet once 1t is a
little while, and will shake the heavens,
and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land,
and viii. shake all Nations, and the desire
Of all Nations shall come" In Heb. xii, 81.
we read that the aim of all this is "that those
things which cannot be shaken may remain"
Resting on the firm foundation OF the Rock
Of Ages we can say, "Therefore will not we
fear, though the earth be removed, and
though the mountains be carried into the
midst of the sea" (Ps. XVII, p.
27. "And then shall they see the Son OF
Man coming In cloud with power and great
glory" In Math. XIV, 20, 80, We read that
this shall be Immediately after the tribula-
tion of those days. lisa. xxxv., 4, says: "Be-
hold your God will come with vengeance,
even God with recompense."
%. "Your redemption draweth nigh"
That is, the redemption of Israel as Na-
ton, for while individual Jews are not now
to Jesus by faith the Nation will be convert
ed as Nation only when they look upon
Him as He shall come in His glory. This is
fully described in Zech. XIII, 10, to kill, /.
29, 80 "Behold the f1g tree and oil the
trees" he now called their attention to ma
ture and to the way that they knew that
summer was nigh. Israel is Gods flg tree
as we'll as His vine. Hear Joel l., HE
hath laid my vine waste and barked my fig
tree" The fig tree that Jesus cursed as He
entered the city one day, which was full OF
rael full OF profession, but without righteous
ness. The flg leaf aprons Of Adam and
Eve were very suggestive of their efforts to
regain that which they had lost, but they
had to lay them aside and accept the coats
of skins, Gods provision by sacrifice, for
without shedding of blood Is no remission
(Heb. tx, %; Lev. xviii. 1D.
81. "Know ye that the kingdom OF God is
nigh at hand" We may not know the day
or hour, but we may know from signs as
plain rs the leaves upon the trees that the
the redemption OF Israel and the kingdom Of
God. Why should we ever separate them
and talk OF the kingdom as being now here,
when there cannot be kingdom OF God on
earth apart from Israel as center? SO long
as the throne Of David Is vacant the kingdom
has not come.
so. "verily say unto you, This gene o.
tion shall not pass away till all be fulflle y"
Generation means race or people. and the
continued existence and marvellous preserva-
ton of the Jews as people is evident proof
of the fulfllment in due time OF every word
OF God, The pronoun "this" may be and Is
elsewhere translated "that," so that there Is
q possibility that the saying means "that
generation" the generation that shall wit
ness the beginning OF those things shall also
see the end Of them.
So. ':Heaven and earth shall pass away,
but My words shall not pass away" THE
word of our God shall stand for ever" (lsa.
xl., 81. "The word Of the Lord endureth
forever" q Pet. l., PSF. "The heavens, being
on fire. shall be dissolved Cor loosed from
duu lut ClCulCubS ShuiA LaS's "tSd
fervent heat. Nevertheless we, according to
His promise, look for new heavens and q
new earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness"
NI Pet ILL.,, ~. 13).
"a. "Take heed 10 yourselves lest that day
come upon you unawares." We are to avoid
all entanglements of earth lest we be over
come and taken unawares. This life Is a
warfare with the powers of darkness, and
we need to have on the whole armor OF God
(Eph. vi, II. 12). .,
SIS. ''For as snare shall it come on all
them that dwell on the face Of the whole
earth" The believer in Christ does not
dwell on the earth: he Is only a sojourner
here day by day. He ia citizen of heaven,
and his thoughts and affections are there, on
things above, not on things on the earth.
96. "Watch ye, therefore, and pray always
that We may be accounted worthy to escape
all these things" If some may escape the
great trlbulation, then surely the church
which Is His body shall escape it. BECAUSE
thou hast kept the word of Ny patience, l
also will keep thee from the hour OF temp,
tation, which shall come upon all the world
to try them that dwell upon tue earth"
(Rev. lii, 10Y. If Jesus Himself shall pass
fhrouph the tribulation then His body shall.