The Fig Tree has blossomed

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The Fig Tree has blossomed
2

•  Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the
  disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell
  us, when will these things be? And what will be
  the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the
  age?" 4 And Jesus answered and said to them
  "Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many
  will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,'
  and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of
  wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not
  troubled for all these things must come to pass,
  but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise
  against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And
  there will be famines, pestilences, and
  earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are
  the beginning of sorrows. Matt 243-8 (NKJV)

3

• Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and
  kill you, and you will be hated by all nations
  for My name's sake. 10 And then many will be
  offended, will betray one another, and will hate
  one another. 11 Then many false prophets will
  rise up and deceive many. 12 And because
  lawlessness will abound, the love of many will
  grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall
  be saved. 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. Matt
  249-14 (NKJV)

4

• 15 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of
  desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet,
  standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let
  him understand), 16 then let those who are in
  Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on
  the housetop not go down to take anything out of
  his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not
  go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those
  who are pregnant and to those who are nursing
  babies in those days! Matt 2415-19 (NKJV)

5

•  And pray that your flight may not be in winter
  or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be
  great tribulation, such as has not been since the
  beginning of the world until this time, no, nor
  ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were
  shortened, no flesh would be saved but for the
  elect's sake those days will be shortened.
  23 Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the
  Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it. Matt
  2420-23 (NKJV)

6

• For false christs and false prophets will rise
  and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if
  possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you
  beforehand. 26 Therefore if they say to you,
  'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out or
  'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe
  it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east
  and flashes to the west, so also will the coming
  of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass
  is, there the eagles will be gathered together.
  Matt 2424-28 (NKJV)

7

• 29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those
  days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will
  not give its light the stars will fall from
  heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be
  shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will
  appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the
  earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of
  Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and
  great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with
  a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather
  together His elect from the four winds, from one
  end of heaven to the other. Matt 2429-31 (NKJV)

8

•  "Now learn this parable from the fig tree When
  its branch has already become tender and puts
  forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 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. 35 Heaven
  and earth will pass away, but My words will by no
  means pass away. Matt 2432-35 (NKJV)

9

• 36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not
  even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
  37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the
  coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the
  days before the flood, they were eating and
  drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until
  the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not
  know until the flood came and took them all away,
  so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
  40 Then two men will be in the field one will be
  taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be
  grinding at the mill one will be taken and the
  other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not
  know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know
  this, that if the master of the house had known
  what hour the thief would come, he would have
  watched and not allowed his house to be broken
  into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son
  of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
  Matt 2436-44 (NKJV)

10

• 45 "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom
  his master made ruler over his household, to give
  them food in due season? 46 Blessed is that
  servant whom his master, when he comes, will find
  so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will
  make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But if that
  evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is
  delaying his coming,' 49 and begins to beat his
  fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the
  drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will
  come on a day when he is not looking for him and
  at an hour that he is not aware of, 51 and will
  cut him in two and appoint him his portion with
  the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and
  gnashing of teeth. Matt 2445-51 (NKJV)

11

• When is Jesus coming back?
•  Therefore, when they had come together, they
  asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time
  restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 And He said to
  them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons
  which the Father has put in His own authority.
  Acts 16-7 (NKJV)

12

• His coming will be in two parts.
• First for the saints
• 13 But I do not want you to be ignorant,
  brethren, concerning those who have fallen
  asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no
  hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and
  rose again, even so God will bring with Him those
  who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by
  the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and
  remain until the coming of the Lord will by no
  means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the
  Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a
  shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with
  the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will
  rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain
  shall be caught up together with them in the
  clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we
  shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore
  comfort one another with these words. 1 Thess
  413-18 (NKJV)

13

• Then with the saints
• 11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white
  horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful
  and True, and in righteousness He judges and
  makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire,
  and on His head were many crowns. He had a name
  written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He
  was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His
  name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies
  in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and
  clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out
  of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He
  should strike the nations. And He Himself will
  rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads
  the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of
  Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on
  His thigh a name written KING OF KINGS AND LORD
  OF LORDS. Rev 1911-16 (NKJV)

14

• 1.The rapture of the church is important because
  it concerns the church.
•  looking for the blessed hope and glorious
  appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus
  Christ, Titus 213 (NKJV)

15

• 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery We shall not all
  sleep, but we shall all be changed-- 52 in a
  moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
  trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead
  will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be
  changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on
  incorruption, and this mortal must put on
  immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put
  on incorruption, and this mortal has put on
  immortality, then shall be brought to pass the
  saying that is written "Death is swallowed up in
  victory." 55 "O Death, where is your sting? O
  Hades, where is your victory?" 1 Cor 1551-55
  (NKJV)

16

• This is the next event on Gods prophetic
  timeline!
• There have been three raptures already
• Enoch
•  Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot
  Methuselah. 22 After he begot Methuselah, Enoch
  walked with God three hundred years, and had sons
  and daughters. 23 So all the days of Enoch were
  three hundred and sixty-five years. 24 And Enoch
  walked with God and he was not, for God took
  him. Gen 521-24 (NKJV)

17

• Elijah
• Then it happened, as they continued on and
  talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared
  with horses of fire, and separated the two of
  them and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into
  heaven. 2 Kings 211 (NKJV)

18

• Jesus
• Now when He had spoken these things, while they
  watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received
  Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked
  steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold,
  two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who
  also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand
  gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was
  taken up from you into heaven, will so come in
  like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." Acts
  19-11 (NKJV)

19

• Well what about the dead in Christ?
• Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in
  two from top to bottom and the earth quaked, and
  the rocks were split, 52 and the graves were
  opened and many bodies of the saints who had
  fallen asleep were raised 53 and coming out of
  the graves after His resurrection, they went into
  the holy city and appeared to many. 54 So when
  the centurion and those with him, who were
  guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things
  that had happened, they feared greatly, saying,
  "Truly this was the Son of God!" Matt 2751-54
  (NKJV)

20

• What if we are inside a building when the trump
  sounds?
• Then, the same day at evening, being the first
  day of the week, when the doors were shut where
  the disciples were assembled, for fear of the
  Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said
  to them, "Peace be with you." John 2019 (NKJV)

21

• Now when they came up out of the water, the
  Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that
  the eunuch saw him no more and he went on his
  way rejoicing. 40 But Philip was found at Azotus.
  And passing through, he preached in all the
  cities till he came to Caesarea. Acts 839-40
  (NKJV)

22

• 2. The rapture of the church is important because
  it could happen today!
• We would miss the Super Bowl! Taking mid term
  exams, and the trip to the dentist!

23

• What do we mean by his imminent return?
• An event that is certain to occur at some point
  in the future but the the time is unknown.

24

• 3. The rapture of the church is important because
  it is Gods way of rescuing the church before His
  wrath is unleashed.
• Although there have always been tribulations this
  one will make them pale in comparision.

25

• 11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the
  earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke
  like a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the
  authority of the first beast in his presence, and
  causes the earth and those who dwell in it to
  worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was
  healed. 13 He performs great signs, so that he
  even makes fire come down from heaven on the
  earth in the sight of men. 14 And he deceives
  those who dwell on the earth by those signs which
  he was granted to do in the sight of the beast,
  telling those who dwell on the earth to make an
  image to the beast who was wounded by the sword
  and lived Rev 1311-14 (NKJV)

26

• He was granted power to give breath to the image
  of the beast, that the image of the beast should
  both speak and cause as many as would not worship
  the image of the beast to be killed. 16 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. 18 Here
  is wisdom. Let him who has understanding
  calculate the number of the beast, for it is the
  number of a man His number is 666. Rev 1315-18
  (NKJV)

27

• Make no mistake 100s of millions will perish
  during this time!
• And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he
  raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered
  us from the wrath to come. 1 Thess 110 (KJV)

28

•  For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to
  obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
  10 who died for us, that whether we wake or
  sleep, we should live together with Him.
  11 Therefore comfort each other and edify one
  another, just as you also are doing. 1 Thess
  59-11 (NKJV)

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• 4. The rapture of the church is important
• Because it ushers us into eternity and our
  rewards.
• 10 For we must all appear before the judgment
  seat of Christ, that each one may receive the
  things done in the body, according to what he has
  done, whether good or bad. 11 Knowing, therefore,
  the terror of the Lord, we persuade men but we
  are well known to God, and I also trust are well
  known in your consciences. 2 Cor 510-11 (NKJV)

30

• each one's work will become clear for the Day
  will declare it, because it will be revealed by
  fire and the fire will test each one's work, of
  what sort it is. 14 If anyone's work which he has
  built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
  15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer
  loss but he himself will be saved, yet so as
  through fire. 1 Cor 313-15 (NKJV)

31

• This is different than the Great White Throne
  judgment which is reserved for unbelievers.
• Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat
  on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven
  fled away. And there was found no place for them.
  12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing
  before God, and books were opened. And another
  book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And
  the dead were judged according to their works, by
  the things which were written in the books.
  13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and
  Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in
  them. And they were judged, each one according to
  his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into
  the lake of fire. This is the second death.
  15 And anyone not found written in the Book of
  Life was cast into the lake of fire. Rev 2011-15
  (NKJV)

32

• What are the crowns?
• A. Righteousness-
• For I am already being poured out as a drink
  offering, and the time of my departure is at
  hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have
  finished the race, I have kept the faith.
  8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of
  righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
  Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me
  only but also to all who have loved His
  appearing. 2 Tim 46-8 (NKJV)

33

• B. Crown of Life
•  Blessed is the man who endures temptation for
  when he has been approved, he will receive the
  crown of life which the Lord has promised to
  those who love Him. James 112 (NKJV)

34

• C. Crown of Glory
• Shepherd the flock of God which is among you,
  serving as overseers, not by compulsion but
  willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly
  3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you,
  but being examples to the flock 4 and when the
  Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the
  crown of glory that does not fade away. 1 Peter
  52-4 (NKJV)

35

• Crown of Rejoicing
•  For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of
  rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of
  our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? 1 Thess 219
  (NKJV)

36

• Crown of the Over comer
•  Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you
  have, that no one may take your crown. 12 He who
  overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple
  of My God, and he shall go out no more. And I
  will write on him the name of My God and the name
  of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which
  comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will
  write on him My new name. Rev 311-12 (NKJV)