Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1896-05-28
lie SUNDAY SCHOOL.
international Lesson for May 81, 1896
Destruction of Jerusalem Foretold--
Luke Ell; 2O-36.

ARRANGED from PeIoubet's Notes.l
GOLDEN TExT.-Heaven and earth shall
pass away, but my words shall not pass
away.-Luke q: 49,
THE SECTION includes verses 5-3s. The
parallel passages are Matthews "a and
Mark l3.
TIME.-Tuesday. April A. a. D. 80. toward
evening.
the way from the temple TO Bethany, over
looking the city of Jerusalem.
LESSON NOTES.
I-QUEsTIoNINGs BY TIE Way. 7.
Matthew 24;3; Mark, 1873, 4, As
Jesus with His disciples left the temple,
at the close of His last great day of pub
lie teaching, they called His attention
to the magnificent temple buildings,
reputed one of the wonders of the
world. They pointed out the solid foun-
dation, some of the stones of which
were more than 40 feet long, 20 broad
and IL high. Jesus reply was that
the time was coming when not one
of them should be left upon an
other. Amazed and perplexed by this
answer, they pressed Jesus to explain.
Tell US, when shall these things be,
and what shall be the sign of Thy COM
ing, and of the end of the world %
What follows is the answer to these
questions.
III. VISIONS OF THE FUTURE.-Vs. 1927.
Matthew "a: 5-31; Mark 13:5-27 First,
He tells of the immediate future; the
troublous times which preceded the de-
struction of Jerusalem, the difficulties
in the midst of which they We're to
lay the foundations of the church. The
temple was to be destroyed, false
Glrists would arise, then would come
great wars and rumors of war, and all
kinds of disturbance and connection.
Nature itself would seem to sympathize
with the moral upheavals and revolu-
tions. Second, He tells of the destruc-
ton of Jerusalem, and the end of that
age or dispensatioa. when We shall
see Jerusalem compassed by armies
The first siege came in A. D. &c, under
Cestius, then the disciples could know
that the desolation thereof is nigh''
Let them who are in Judea flee to
the mountains" Jesus practically for
bids His disciples to join in the ter
rible series of revolts, and fierce insur-
rection, and frantic but useless at
tacks upon the Romans, or the fanatic
al disputes between the different fac
tions of the Jews.
Let them which are in the midst
of it (the city, depart out" 1t is said
that not single Christian persisted in
the siege, because all obeyed.
''These be ii days of vengeance" of
the Divine punishment on account of
their sins. Josephus declares that 'the
misfortunes of all men, from the be-
ginning of the world, if they be com
pared to those of the Jews, are not
so terrible as theirs WERE" "nor did
any age ever produce generation more
fruitful of wickedness from the begin
ming of the world"
And they shall fall by the edge of
the sword, and shall be led away cap
tive into all nations" This latter fact
has continued till this day. There are
about 100000 Jews>in the world. some
what more than the number in Pales-
tine at the time of Christ There are
100000 Jews in Russia, 1,644,O00 in
Austria, $4,000 in Germany, 105 900 in
Turkey, $4,000 in France and 90, 600 in
Great Britain. In New York city there
Den down of the Gentiles." Romans.
Saracens, Persians. Franks, Norsemen,
Turks, all have "trodden down" Jerusa-
lem since then.
Verses 25-27 seem to look beyond the
destruction of Jerusalem to the final
coming of the Son of Man, though APP
pllcable to both events. The same con-
ditions will prevail. 1.-The sea and the
waves roaring" express wildly the wild
connections among the people, polit-
ical and social agitations. "Then shall
they see the Son of Man coming" All
these things must necessarily precede
the coming of the Son of Man. The
commotion in the clouds and darkness
are the sign that the light is working.
The social upheavals are proofs that
truth and the Gospel are living powers,
and are doing their work.
III. PROMISES OF COMFORT AND HOPE.
VS.. 1888, also IS and 10; Matthew
24:13, IA. These promises expressed or
implied are four in number. "a The
promised coming of Christ is a great
JOY. 'eThen look up,' do not. despair
when you see this commotion, your
redemption draweth nigh" (2) The
triumph was certain. my words shall
not pass away" 90 They would be
safe, and az the Gospel was to be
preached to all the world.
". How TO ACT IN VIEW OF THESE
THING VS.. 1896. First, take heed. to
yourselves. Be on your guard against
the dangers which are so insidious,
which are like a moral malaria. Sec
ond, watch We, not by sitting still, but
by seeing the Lord as faithfully as if
ulHe, were eyer looking upon US. We
watch by being on our guard against
every. temptation and danger. Third,
pray always, for there is never a mo-
sment when we do not need help from
a higher power-shelter under the
wings of the Almighty, guidance by
Divine wisdom, strength from God