Relationships of the Believer
LESSON NINE – THE END TIMES
Lesson Goal: Our goal in this lesson is to better understand what Scripture has to say about the end times and those signs that will signal its coming.
1. Read Hebrews 7:23-25–23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Isa lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to Allah through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
NOTE: According to the Law of Musa found in the Taurat, one of the important duties of a priest was to intercede before Allah on behalf of the people.
a. Why were those who were priests before Isa prevented from continuing in their priestly ministry indefinitely?
b. How long will Isa’s priestly role continue?
c. What is Isa able to do for those who seek to come to Allah through him?
d. What is Isa presently doing on behalf of each one of his true followers?
2. Read Matthew chapter 24– 1 Isa left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” 3 As Isa was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 Isa answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, `I am al-Masih, ‘ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. 9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this Injil of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. 15 “So when you see standing in the holy place `the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel–let the reader understand– 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now–and never to be equaled again. 22 If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, `Look, here is al-Masih!’ or, `There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false Masihs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect–if that were possible. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time. 26 “So if anyone tells you, `There he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out; or, `Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. 29 “Immediately after the distress of those days ” `the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ 30 “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. 32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 36 “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Nuh, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Nuh entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. 42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. 45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, `My master is staying away a long time,’ 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
a. What time period is Isa describing in this chapter (See vs.3)?
b. A number of the signs that will signal the end of the age are given in verses 4 to 14. Write any four of those signs in the blanks below.
1)
2)
3)
4)
c. Eight statements are given below. Place a “checkmark” in front of those statements that are signs of the end times.
1) There will be earthquakes in many places.
2) Rumors of war will be rampant.
3) Satan will come to the city of Jerusalem.
4) False prophets will lead many astray.
5) All people will become disciples of Isa.
6) The message of the Kingdom of Allah will be preached everywhere.
7) All people will love the followers of Isa.
8) All people will hate the followers of Isa.
d. According to verses 30 and 31, when Isa returns to earth on the clouds, what will be coming with him?
What will they be responsible for doing?
3. Read John 14:1-4– 1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in Allah; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”
a. What is meant here by the term “father’s house”?
1) Isa’s home in Nazareth.
2) Heaven.
3) The village home of Yusuf, Isa’s foster father.
b. What will Isa do for his disciples on going to his father’s house?
c. A few days after speaking these words, where did Isa depart to? (See Acts 1:9-11–:9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Isa, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”)
4. Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18– 13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Isa died and rose again and so we believe that Allah will bring with Isa those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of Allah, and the dead in al-Masih will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.
a. When someone dear to them dies, what happens to those who are without hope?
b. At the return of Isa who will be the first to rise?
c. Following their ascension into the air, who will be next to ascend to meet Isa in the air?
d. What are we able to do for one another because we have this hope?
5. Read Acts 10:39-4 — “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, 40 but Allah raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom Allah had already chosen–by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom Allah appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
At the judgment on the last day when all men shall be judged, who will Allah appoint to do the judging?
6. Read Revelation 21:1-4– 1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from Allah, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of Allah is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and Allah himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
NOTE: Chapters 19 and 20 of Revelation describe many incidents that will occur in the end times. First, Isa will return. Satan and his forces are finally and totally conquered. Then the final judgment of mankind is described. Finally, in chapters 21 and 22, we find a description of what will happen after the last days and the judgment when Allah creates a new heaven and a new earth where he will dwell together with his people forever.
a. What is seen in verse one?
b. Those people taken into heaven will spend all eternity in whose presence?
c. What things will be absent from heaven?
7. Seven incidents of the last days are given below. Arrange them chronologically. In other words, place a ‘1’ in front of the first incident that will occur, a ‘2’ before the second, and so on down to number seven. The NOTE in question ‘6’ above should be of some help to you.
a) Isa’s judging of mankind.
b) Creation of a new heaven and a new earth.
c) The return of Isa from heaven.
d) End-time signs such as earthquakes, wars, etc.
e) The dead in al-Masih rising to meet him in the air.
f) Believers living eternally with Allah.
g) The final defeat and punishment of Satan.
8. How does the Quran and the Hadith describe the end times? Describe below what you know of that description.
9. Read 2 Peter 3:11–Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives.
Reflect on the fact that Allah knows and controls the future. He will one day totally defeat Satan and all evil and set up his own righteous kingdom. And into that kingdom he will bring all those who love and follow him. If that is true – and Scripture says it is – how should it affect your thinking and actions right now?
TO MEMORIZE – HEBREWS 7:25
25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to Allah through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.