Matthew 24.1-3
False Christs
Matthew 24.4-5 Jesus' first response is a warning against being misled
Acts 5.36-42
2nd century: Shimon Bar-Kokhba (Kosba) was the leader of the Jewish revolt from 132 to 135. He was a strict military leader who won many battles against Rome. He was hailed by Rabbi Akiva as the Messiah. He was meticulous in his observance of Jewish laws, holidays, and tithing. The Jewish people pinned their hopes for regaining independence from Rome on him. He was given the name "Bar Kokhba" (son of a star) in reference to Numbers 24.17. He died in the massive battle of Bethar and the surviving Jews were exiled until 1948.
5th century: The Talmud had expected, based on some calculations that the Messiah would come in 440 or 471. At this time there were a number of invasions of the Roman Empire and a man named Moses of Crete claimed to be the Messiah. He said he would lead the people dry-shod through the sea back to Israel. His followers left their possessions and followed him. He commanded them to cast themselves into the sea at which point some drowned and some were rescued. Moses either died or fled.
12th century: David Alroy of Kurdiston declared himself to be the Messiah in 1160. He gathered a following of many burdened and over taxed Jews and opposed the Muslim government. His revolt failed and he is said to have been assassinated by his father-in-law while sleeping. The result was a heavy oppression on the Jews and more taxes.
17th century: Sabbetai Zevi was a Spanish-Jew from Smyrna, Turkey, born in 1626. He was educated in the Talmud and the Torah and wandered into Jewish mysticism. In 1648 he proclaimed himself the Messiah and pronounced the name of God in front of his Jewish community. He was promptly excommunicated from Smyrna for blasphemy and went to Cairo and gathered a group of followers around himself. He married a prostitute, named Sarah in an attempt to parallel other Jewish figures, like Hosea. In 1666 he sailed to Constantinople where he said he would be given the throne by the sultan. Instead he was arrested and told to either do a miracle to vindicate his claims or convert to Islam. Sabbetai converted.
20th century: Lubavitcher Rebbe was a chasidic Jew who preached in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, NY. He believed the messianic age was imminent because of the collapse of communism, the gulf war of the 90s and the move toward nuclear disarmament. At his death in 1992 many of his followers proclaimed belief that he would return as Messiah. They are dedicated to spreading Judaism in the meantime through acts of kindness.
21st century: Klaus Kinski, Jim Jones, Bhagwan Rajneesh, Michael Travesser, Matayoshi Jesus, Marshall Applewhite, Hogen Fukunaga, Suma Ching Hai, Maria Devi Christos, Sergei Torop, Grigory Grabovoy, and David Koresh.
Video: Jose de Jesus Miranda who claims that he is the second coming of Christ and has a tattoo of 666 on his arm. click here to watch it on the Today Show
Persecution
Matthew 24.6-14 Tough times are predicted.
Daniel 7.19-27 little horn wages war against saints and overpowers then till the kingdom comes
Revelation 13.5-8 beast speaks blasphemies, wages war against saints, everyone worships him
2nd Coming
(Daniel 7.13-14; Psalm 110.1)
(Matthew 19.28-29)
Matthew 24.27-31 visible, cosmic signs, people mourn, power, angels, trumpet, gather together
Matthew 24.36-39 like the flood, sudden, disastrous
Matthew 25.31-34 glory, angels, sit on the throne, judgment of the nations
Mark 8.36-38 glory, angels
Luke 19.11-12 goes to receive a kingdom then comes to rule
Acts 1.9-11 come in same way as he left
Acts 3.19-21 stays in heaven untill restoration spoken of by prophets
Acts 17.30-31 judge the world in righteousness, motivates repentance
1 Corinthians 15.22-25 resurrection, kingdom, submission of all enemies
1 Corinthians 15.51-53 sudden, last trumpet, resurrection
Philippians 3.20-21 transform our bodies into conformity with his glorious body
1 Thessalonians 4.15-18 resurrection first, shout, trumpet, meet in the air
2 Thessalonians 1.6-10 angels, retribution to the disobedient, glorified in his saints
2 Thessalonians 2.1-10 apostasy comes first then man of sin who is killed by Jesus at his coming
2 Timothy 4.1-2 judge living and the dead, appearing, kingdom
2 Peter 3.3-10 people will doubt he is coming, it will come like a thief, intense heat
Revelation 11.15-18 trumpet, kingdom of world becomes kingdom of God, begin to reign
Revelation 19.11-21 white horse, wages war, glorified, armies follow, strike down the nations
Closing
1 Thessalonians 5.1-11
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