11 God called Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting: 2 "Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them, When anyone presents an offering to God, present an animal from either the herd or the flock.
3 "If the offering is a Whole-Burnt-Offering from the herd, present a male without a defect at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting that it may be accepted by God. 4 Lay your hand on the head of the Whole-Burnt-Offering so that it may be accepted on your behalf to make atonement for you. 5 Slaughter the bull in God's presence. Aaron's sons, the priests, will make an offering of the blood by splashing it against all sides of the Altar that stands at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 6 Next, skin the Whole-Burnt-Offering and cut it up. 7 Aaron's sons, the priests, will prepare a fire on the Altar, carefully laying out the wood, 8 and then arrange the body parts, including the head and the suet, on the wood prepared for the fire on the Altar. 9 Scrub the entrails and legs clean. The priest will burn it all on the Altar: a Whole-Burnt-Offering, a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance to God.
10 "If the Whole-Burnt-Offering comes from the flock, whether sheep or goat, present a male without defect. 11 Slaughter it on the north side of the Altar in God's presence. The sons of Aaron, the priests, will throw the blood against all sides of the Altar. 12 Cut it up and the priest will arrange the pieces, including the head and the suet, on the wood prepared for burning on the Altar. 13 Scrub the entrails and legs clean. The priest will offer it all, burning it on the Altar: a Whole-Burnt-Offering, a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance to God. 14 "If a bird is presented to God for the Whole-Burnt-Offering it can be either a dove or a pigeon. 15 The priest will bring it to the Altar, wring off its head, and burn it on the Altar. But he will first drain the blood on the side of the Altar, 16 remove the gizzard and its contents, and throw them on the east side of the Altar where the ashes are piled. 17 Then rip it open by its wings but leave it in one piece and burn it on the Altar on the wood prepared for the fire: a Whole-Burnt-Offering, a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance to God.
21 "When you present a Grain-Offering to God, use fine flour. Pour oil on it, put incense on it, 2 and bring it to Aaron's sons, the priests. One of them will take a handful of the fine flour and oil, with all the incense, and burn it on the Altar for a memorial: a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance to God. 3 The rest of the Grain-Offering is for Aaron and his sons - a most holy part of the Fire-Gifts to God. 4 "When you present a Grain-Offering of oven-baked loaves, use fine flour, mixed with oil but no yeast. Or present wafers made without yeast and spread with oil. 5 "If you bring a Grain-Offering cooked on a griddle, use fine flour mixed with oil but without yeast. 6 Crumble it and pour oil on it - it's a Grain-Offering. 7 "If you bring a Grain-Offering deep-fried in a pan, make it of fine flour with oil. 8 "Bring the Grain-Offering you make from these ingredients and present it to the priest. He will bring it to the Altar, 9 break off a memorial piece from the Grain-Offering, and burn it on the Altar: a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance to God. 10 The rest of the Grain-Offering is for Aaron and his sons - a most holy part of the gifts to God.
11 "All the Grain-Offerings that you present to God must be made without yeast; you must never burn any yeast or honey as a Fire-Gift to God. 12 You may offer them to God as an offering of firstfruits but not on the Altar as a pleasing fragrance. 13 Season every presentation of your Grain-Offering with salt. Don't leave the salt of the covenant with your God out of your Grain-Offerings. Present all your offerings with salt. 14 "If you present a Grain-Offering of firstfruits to God, bring crushed heads of the new grain roasted. 15 Put oil and incense on it - it's a Grain-Offering. 16 The priest will burn some of the mixed grain and oil with all the incense as a memorial - a Fire-Gift to God.
31 "If your offering is a Peace-Offering and you present an animal from the herd, either male or female, it must be an animal without any defect. 2 Lay your hand on the head of your offering and slaughter it at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. Aaron's sons, the priests, will throw the blood on all sides of the Altar. 3 As a Fire-Gift to God from the Peace-Offering, present all the fat that covers or is connected to the entrails, 4 the two kidneys and the fat around them at the loins, and the lobe of the liver that is removed along with the kidneys. 5 Aaron and his sons will burn it on the Altar along with the Whole-Burnt-Offering that is on the wood prepared for the fire: a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance to God.
6 "If your Peace-Offering to God comes from the flock, bring a male or female without defect. 7 If you offer a lamb, offer it to God. 8 Lay your hand on the head of your offering and slaughter it at the Tent of Meeting. The sons of Aaron will throw its blood on all sides of the Altar. 9 As a Fire-Gift to God from the Peace-Offering, present its fat, the entire fat tail cut off close to the backbone, all the fat on and connected to the entrails, 10 the two kidneys and the fat around them on the loins, and the lobe of the liver which is removed along with the kidneys. 11 The priest will burn it on the Altar: a meal, a Fire-Gift to God. 12 "If the offering is a goat, bring it into the presence of God, 13 lay your hand on its head, and slaughter it in front of the Tent of Meeting. Aaron's sons will throw the blood on all sides of the Altar. 14 As a Fire-Gift to God present the fat that covers and is connected to the entrails, 15 the two kidneys and the fat which is around them on the loins, and the lobe of the liver which is removed along with the kidneys. 16 The priest will burn them on the Altar: a meal, a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance. 17 This is the fixed rule down through the generations, wherever you happen to live: Don't eat the fat; don't eat the blood. None of it."
241 Jesus then left the Temple. As he walked away, his disciples pointed out how very impressive the Temple architecture was. 2 Jesus said, "You're not impressed by all this sheer size, are you? The truth of the matter is that there's not a stone in that building that is not going to end up in a pile of rubble." 3 Later as he was sitting on Mount Olives, his disciples approached and asked him, "Tell us, when are these things going to happen? What will be the sign of your coming, that the time's up?"
4 Jesus said, "Watch out for doomsday deceivers. 5 Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities, claiming, 'I am Christ, the Messiah.' They will deceive a lot of people. 6 When reports come in of wars and rumored wars, keep your head and don't panic. This is routine history; this is no sign of the end. 7 Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Famines and earthquakes will occur in various places. 8 This is nothing compared to what is coming. 9 "They are going to throw you to the wolves and kill you, everyone hating you because you carry my name. 10 And then, going from bad to worse, it will be dog-eat-dog, everyone at each other's throat, everyone hating each other. 11 "In the confusion, lying preachers will come forward and deceive a lot of people. 12 For many others, the overwhelming spread of evil will do them in - nothing left of their love but a mound of ashes. 13 "Staying with it - that's what God requires. Stay with it to the end. You won't be sorry, and you'll be saved. 14 All during this time, the good news - the Message of the kingdom - will be preached all over the world, a witness staked out in every country. And then the end will come. 15 "But be ready to run for it when you see the monster of desecration set up in the Temple sanctuary. The prophet Daniel described this. If you've read Daniel, you'll know what I'm talking about. 16 If you're living in Judea at the time, run for the hills; 17 if you're working in the yard, don't return to the house to get anything; 18 if you're out in the field, don't go back and get your coat. 19 Pregnant and nursing mothers will have it especially hard. 20 Hope and pray this won't happen during the winter or on a Sabbath. 21 "This is going to be trouble on a scale beyond what the world has ever seen, or will see again. 22 If these days of trouble were left to run their course, nobody would make it. But on account of God's chosen people, the trouble will be cut short. 23 "If anyone tries to flag you down, calling out, 'Here's the Messiah!' or points, 'There he is!' don't fall for it. 24 Fake Messiahs and lying preachers are going to pop up everywhere. Their impressive credentials and dazzling performances will pull the wool over the eyes of even those who ought to know better. 25 But I've given you fair warning. 26 "So if they say, 'Run to the country and see him arrive!' or, 'Quick, get downtown, see him come!' don't give them the time of day. 27 The Arrival of the Son of Man isn't something you go to see. He comes like swift lightning to you! 28 Whenever you see crowds gathering, think of carrion vultures circling, moving in, hovering over a rotting carcass. You can be quite sure that it's not the living Son of Man pulling in those crowds.
(Read Matthew 24:1-3)
Christ foretells the utter ruin and destruction coming upon the temple. A believing foresight of the defacing of all worldly glory, will help to keep us from admiring it, and overvaluing it. The most beautiful body soon will be food for worms, and the most magnificent building a ruinous heap. See ye not all these things? It will do us good so to see them as to see through them, and see to the end of them. Our Lord having gone with his disciples to the Mount of Olives, he set before them the order of the times concerning the Jews, till the destruction of Jerusalem; and as to men in general till the end of the world.
(Read Matthew 24:4-28)
The disciples had asked concerning the times, When these things should be? Christ gave them no answer to that; but they had also asked, What shall be the sign? This question he answers fully. The prophecy first respects events near at hand, the destruction of Jerusalem, the end of the Jewish church and state, the calling of the Gentiles, and the setting up of Christ's kingdom in the world; but it also looks to the general judgment; and toward the close, points more particularly to the latter. What Christ here said to his disciples, tended more to promote caution than to satisfy their curiosity; more to prepare them for the events that should happen, than to give a distinct idea of the events. This is that good understanding of the times which all should covet, thence to infer what Israel ought to do. Our Saviour cautions his disciples to stand on their guard against false teachers. And he foretells wars and great commotions among nations. From the time that the Jews rejected Christ, and he left their house desolate, the sword never departed from them. See what comes of refusing the gospel. Those who will not hear the messengers of peace, shall be made to hear the messengers of war. But where the heart is fixed, trusting in God, it is kept in peace, and is not afraid. It is against the mind of Christ, that his people should have troubled hearts, even in troublous times. When we looked forward to the eternity of misery that is before the obstinate refusers of Christ and his gospel, we may truly say, The greatest earthly judgments are but the beginning of sorrows. It is comforting that some shall endure even to the end. Our Lord foretells the preaching of the gospel in all the world. The end of the world shall not be till the gospel has done its work. Christ foretells the ruin coming upon the people of the Jews; and what he said here, would be of use to his disciples, for their conduct and for their comfort. If God opens a door of escape, we ought to make our escape, otherwise we do not trust God, but tempt him. It becomes Christ's disciples, in times of public trouble, to be much in prayer: that is never out of season, but in a special manner seasonable when we are distressed on every side. Though we must take what God sends, yet we may pray against sufferings; and it is very trying to a good man, to be taken by any work of necessity from the solemn service and worship of God on the sabbath day. But here is one word of comfort, that for the elect's sake these days shall be made shorter than their enemies designed, who would have cut all off, if God, who used these foes to serve his own purpose, had not set bounds to their wrath. Christ foretells the rapid spreading of the gospel in the world. It is plainly seen as the lightning. Christ preached his gospel openly. The Romans were like an eagle, and the ensign of their armies was an eagle. When a people, by their sin, make themselves as loathsome carcasses, nothing can be expected but that God should send enemies to destroy them. It is very applicable to the day of judgment, the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in that day, 2 Thessalonians 2:1. Let us give diligence to make our calling and election sure; then may we know that no enemy or deceiver shall ever prevail against us.
