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MARCH 13
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2 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Do timony to them. And the gospel must first be
you see these great buildings? Not one stone preached to all the nations. But when they
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shall be left upon another, that shall not be
thrown down.”
13:8 the beginnings of sorrows. The Greek
word for “sorrows” means “birth pangs.” The
13:2 Jesus answered. In response to the dis- Lord was referring to the pain a woman expe-
ciples’ admiration, Jesus again predicted that riences in childbirth.Birth pains signal the end
the temple would be destroyed. About 40 of pregnancy—they are infrequent at first and
years later, in A.D. 70, the Romans ransacked gradually increase just before the child is
Jerusalem, killed a million Jews, and demol- born. Likewise, the signs of vv. 6–8 will be
ished the temple. Not one stone. The only infrequent, relatively speaking, in the begin-
stones left undisturbed were huge foundation ning and will escalate to massive and tragic
stones that were not actually a part of the proportions just prior to Christ’s Second
temple edifice but formed footings for the Coming (see 1 Thess. 5:3; Matt. 24:8).
retaining wall under the entire temple mount.
These can be viewed today in the “Rabbi’s
Tunnel”which runs north and south along the arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry
western wall.It is a portion of the western side beforehand, or premeditate what you will
of the retaining wall that today is called the speak. But whatever is given you in that hour,
Wailing Wall. More of that retaining wall, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the
including the steps used to ascend and Holy Spirit. Now brother will betray brother
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descend from the temple mount, has also
been uncovered on the southern side. to death, and a father his child; and children
will rise up against parents and cause them to
be put to death. And you will be hated by all
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3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives for My name’s sake. But he who endures to
opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and the end shall be saved.
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Andrew asked Him privately, “Tell us, when 14 “So when you see the ‘abomination of des-
will these things be? And what will be the sign olation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet,
when all these things will be fulfilled?” standing where it ought not” (let the reader
5 And Jesus, answering them, began to say: understand), “then let those who are in Judea
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“Take heed that no one deceives you. For flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the
many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ housetop not go down into the house, nor
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and will deceive many. But when you hear of enter to take anything out of his house. And
wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; let him who is in the field not go back to get
for such things must happen, but the end is not his clothes. But woe to those who are preg-
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yet. For nation will rise against nation, and nant and to those who are nursing babies in
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kingdom against kingdom. And there will be those days! And pray that your flight may not
earthquakes in various places, and there will be in winter. For in those days there will be
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be famines and troubles. These are the begin- tribulation, such as has not been since the
nings of sorrows. beginning of the creation which God created
9 “But watch out for yourselves, for they will until this time, nor ever shall be. And unless
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deliver you up to councils, and you will be the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh
beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom
before rulers and kings for My sake, for a tes- He chose, He shortened the days.
DAY 13: How does one makes sense of Balaam and his talking donkey?
Balaam, whose story is recorded in Numbers 22:2–24:25, does seem to receive special treat-
ment in the biblical story. Even though Balaam claimed to know the Lord (Num. 22:18), Scripture
consistently refers to him as a false prophet (2 Pet. 2:15,16; Jude 11). Apparently God placed such a
priority on the message that the character of the messenger became a secondary consideration.
The Lord used Balaam as His mouthpiece to speak the true words He put in his mouth. God had a
purpose for Balaam despite the pagan prophet’s own plans.
When it comes to the talking donkey, several observations come to mind. First, this incident
was not recorded as a commonplace occurrence but as something unusual and noteworthy.
Second,one can just as easily wonder why God didn’t (or doesn’t) use talking animals more often—
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