Sermon Tone Analysis

March 26, 2012

By: John Barnett

Read, print or listen to this resource on our website www.DiscoverTheBook.org

Please open with me to Matthew 24.

The disciples ask Jesus a question that interests all of us, I’m so glad they did.

Follow along as they ask in Matthew 24:3, and as Jesus answers them in verse 8 and 33.

This week I was examining just how much God has left for us to know about the future.

Here is what I found summarized by a series of *NUMBERS*!

I hold in my hand the *ONE* Book that God wrote—the Bible.

That one book has* TWO* parts—the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Those two parts are made up of *SIXTY-SIX* individual books we call the 39 Old Testament books and the 27 New Testament books.

This one book, made up of 66 books has a total of *31,103* verses.

Of all the verses in the Bible *8,352 *verse are prophetic or spoke to future events.

All Biblical predictions about the future in these thousands verses can be grouped into *737* different predictions .

Of these 8,352 verses,* 6,312 (or 522 different predictions)* have already happened to the letter, JUST LIKE God’s Word said they would.

That leaves just about *2,040* verses with *215 specific predictions from God about the end of the world* that are in process of being fulfilled.

So, the Bible contains many specific events that would signal the end of days for life on planet earth as it has been for the past several thousand years.

Each of the prophetic signs Christ and His apostles gave are specific and not vague.

Jesus explained to us in Matthew 24, verses 8 and 33-34—that these events would begin at the same time, run concurrently, and crescendo like the pains of a woman giving birth—the closer we get to His Second coming.

Matthew 24:8, 33-34 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!

34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.

The list of Biblical Signs of Christ's Return will not actually be full blown until the Tribulation time.

Each of the signs of Christ's Return He said--are trends.

These trends are speeding up—the last seconds of the countdown clock of Christ's return are clicking down.

Each day the prophetic picture Christ painted grows clearer.

Each of these signs were captured by the apostles and prophets between 2,000 and 3,500 years ago.

Now they are happening in our lifetime!

But, in all of history--ONLY our generation has seen EVERY ONE of these events starting to unfold.

All of the yet to be completed prophecies fit within these seven major events.

Probably the most exciting of all are the signs of Christ's Second Coming.

There are dozens of them.

Jesus described many of them in incredible detail.

But here is what I want you to see—Jesus said these signs would not suddenly appear.

He said that they would rather become a trend that amplified and strengthened until it became overwhelming like “birth pangs”.

Before I survey the seven major events and help you get each one clearly in your mind, let me give you just a handful of the precise, clear, specific predictions that Christ's Words in this Book give us.

You may be startled.

Every one of the signs Christ gave are present in your world today.

You are the first generation in all of history to experience these trends, these signs—all at once!

What are some of them?

We will actually in the days ahead look at these in detail, but here they are in summary.

*1.

The Sign of Global Travel.*

Daniel was overwhelmed when he caught a glimpse of the number and speed at which people were moving about the planet.

Daniel 12:4 “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

The Bible says that there would be many involved in travel, and today the transportation industry is one of the largest segments of the global economy.

Prior to the industrial revolution, few individuals traveled beyond their community.

Until recently, horse, foot, and boat were the only modes of transportation.

Yet, in our day millions travel to and fro great distances every year.

*2.

The Sign of a Global Explosion of Knowledge.*

Knowledge would increase.

This month saw the introduction of a new generation of computer chip.

Each generation has basically doubled the processing speed and power.

The newest chip called the “Cell” doesn’t double—it multiplies everything that the computer does by sixty times.

*Daniel 12:4 “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase* (Isaiah 11:9).

Specifically, this is referring to an understanding of Bible prophecy, but also an increase in scientific knowledge is implied.

*3.

The Sign of Global Weather gone wild.*

Jesus foresaw the time when weather would be so bad that not just a few, but the whole world would be troubled, fearful, and killed by the fear of chaotic weather that would become prevalent.

Luke 21:25-26 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

Jesus foresaw those seas and the waves roaring in the last days, and compared these trends to birth pangs.

Matthew 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

The Greek word odin, often translated as sorrows in Matthew 24:8, literally means birth pangs.

Paul explains to us that all of creation is under the curse of sin.

Romans 8:21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

While creation awaits the coming of the Liberator Himself, Christ the Lord—just as when delivery draws near, birth pangs always increase in both intensity and frequency--so the universe itself will travail as the time of delivery draws near.

Romans 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.

Of course chaotic weather has always existed, but there are indications that we are witnessing an increase in strange weather.

*4.

The Sign of Global Telecommunication and Television.*

God's Word explicitly declares that mankind will be able to see and hear globally.

When the world fastest know means of travel was the speed of a horse—God says the whole world will see an event and all at the same time, celebrate that event!

Truly global communication was foreseen.

Revelation 11:9-10 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves.

10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

Revelation 17:8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition.

And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

The Bible predicts that the entire world will "see" certain events unfold.

The invention of the television and the deployment of global satellite networks during the 20th century allow news to travel the world at the speed of light for the first time ever.

Remember that in the Apostle John's day, news traveled at the speed of horseback.

*5.

The Sign of Global Evangelism*.

Never before our generation was it possible to even know how many people are on this planet.

Never was it possible to see the entire planet, let alone reach it all.

Today we can send an email anywhere, bounce a radio or television wave anywhere, travel anywhere and most of all—get the Gospel anywhere on this planet.

My little website alone has visitors from over 100 different nations on earth.

The Christian gospel would be preached as a warning to all nations.

Remember what Jesus said?

Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Mark 13:10 And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.

Today, portions or the entire Bible have been translated into over 2,300 languages and dialects covering over 90% of the world's population.

*6.

The Sign of Global Pestilences.*

Despite an increase in scientific knowledge, deadly diseases (which the Bible calls "pestilences") would be prevalent.

Matthew 24:7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.

Emerging diseases such as AIDS, Ebola, Hanta virus, Dengue, West Nile, SARS, etc., underscore this fact.

Ironically, just a few decades ago, some scientists were forecasting that advances in medicine might soon eradicate deadly diseases.

*7.

The Sign of Global Tracking and Positioning.*

There would be technology capable of tracking the world's population and commerce.

Revelation 13:16-17 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Visit: Technology Club-Goers in Spain Get Implanted Chips for ID, Payment Purposes (April 14, 2004) Being recognized has never been easier for VIP patrons of the Baja Beach Club in Barcelona, Spain.

Like a scene out of a science-fiction movie, all it takes is a syringe-injected microchip implant for the beautiful men and women of the nightclub scene to breeze past a "reader" that recognizes their identity, credit balance and even automatically opens doors to exclusive areas of the club for them.

They can buy drinks and food with a wave of their hand and don't need to worry about losing a credit card or wallet.

"By simply passing by our reader, the Baja Beach Club will know who you are and what your credit balance is," Conrad K. Chase explains.