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The Fourth Temple Explained
What's happening in Revelation chapter 11 is going to take some time to unpack. My hope is to explain what is happening here in a fair and straightforward manner. We will always follow where the Bible actually leads. We will always allow scripture to interpret scripture, and we will do our very best to always put things in context—the context in which they were delivered to us.
Exegesis, Not Eisegesis
The approach here will always be sound exegesis, not eisegesis. What does that mean? Glad you asked.
Exegesis is careful interpretation of biblical text based on—listen now—its original context, the original language, and the intended meaning.
Eisegesis, which runs rampant in our culture, is when the reader imposes their own ideas or biases onto the text rather than drawing meaning out of it.
Make sense?
The Problem of Biases
What are some biases? Well, you've got the American bias. Just the way that we have come up in technology and free America with the foundation of Christian principles on this nation will lead us to certain biases. Not all biases are wrong, but biases nonetheless.
How about some other religious biases? They will carry and influence how we see things. You can talk to a Pentecostal and you can talk to a Catholic about the same thing, and they've both come to common ground. They've been soundly saved and they've come out of what we don't necessarily agree with. And when they get to this point, they got here through different roads, but they still got here because they had to work through their biases.
Does this make sense?
See, an honest heart and an open hand will readily serve you well in this effort. Many times what I'm talking about right now is called a worldview. And whatever your worldview is will in part shape how you gather and process information.
How Narratives Shape Us
What are some results of this human condition? Well, this understanding, this basic fact about the human condition, is often manipulated in ways to get us to think and feel a certain way. All of us have this condition. All of us are susceptible to having our minds changed and our opinions altered. We are constantly experiencing a barrage of attempts to alter our worldview.
You tell me your main source of news that you consume every day, and I can tell you probably how you feel about a dozen different things.
I call that process creating narratives.
I went to seminary a long time ago in the early 90s, and I couldn't be a pastor—there was an attitude issue that God needed to work on. So I went into advertising and broadcasting. I know how to change somebody's mind on something. I know that it needs frequency, consistency, and anchoring. And if you do those three things, the human can't stand up. We're built that way.
Which is why the Bible always says, "Transform your mind into Jesus Christ" (Romans 12). Stand firm. Put on the full armor of God. Why? Because we are creatures who can be deceived. We can be influenced. We have narratives that create our worldview, and they change our worldview.
The Climate Change Example
Let me give you one example of creating narratives: the whole deal with climate change. Climate activists used one 2002 film of an old sick polar bear to create urgency in elementary and middle school children all around the globe. They used this one piece of film to give a visual picture of how climate change—it was global warming at that time—was harming wildlife and eventually all life on the planet. One old sick bear during the melting season in summer in the Arctic was all it took to really move the needle for that cause.
Do you know that bears get old? Do you know they get sick? Do you know they die in the wilderness? That happens every day around the world. Yet we had seventh graders coming home saying, "Daddy's SUV is killing the planet."
Then after credible science showed that the Arctic caps are not actually melting away—it's a hundred-year cycle of freezing and melting—global warming got dumped for the term climate change. And off we go with more creative narratives to play on the senses of humanity, and humanity that is easily deceived. And I'm talking about you. And I'm talking about me, not talking about them over there, the eclectic them. No, it's us, all humans.
Look, some people say climate change is real. Others say it's a scam. That's not the issue today. The issue is: how can we be manipulated in the easiest ways? You give me 20 impressions on your mind on something and I will change your heart. All I got to do is emotionally anchor with you in some way, shape, or form. Twenty repetitions, twenty experiences, twenty clicks. That's all it takes.
End-Time Study Is No Different
And you know what? End-time study is no different. We can take one thing and then run it through our eschatology worldview and make it stick like glue in our minds. And all others are dim or they're off base or they're stupid—even when other scriptures may show us we are possibly wrong.
Not me? Yes, you.
Our inclination is then to double down on our own preconceptions and become spiritually stiff-necked. Legalistic, some might say. You following me?
Now the flip side of all of this is that we can become so flexible you can't stand for anything, and then you become nothing more than a wet noodle. And that's really problematic for the Christian who is told to stand firm and put on the full armor of God every day.
Hope this is making sense.
The Proper Balance
So what's the approach? We push to have the proper balance. The proper balance of truth and love, always grounded in God's word.
Before we get into the text, let me remind you of a few things:
First, the Bible is our final authority. We proclaim that it is sufficient for all understanding we need on this side of eternity. We also allow space for the mysteries of God, and we also allow space for you to find your way. Even if you disagree with us on certain things, our hope is that the Spirit will break through and we can have harmony on what we know the Bible says clearly in context.
This is not a theological melting pot where anything goes. That is not true. We have a settled truth. But we allow folks to find their own way on certain—especially peripheral—things. And eschatology is one of those things. Your view on the rapture and tribulation and my view on the rapture and tribulation don't rise to the level of us taking a forceful stand one way or the other. It just doesn't.
And I tell you all that because we are entering another chapter where biases and preconceived notions have created a handful of various interpretations of what we are going to actually find in Revelation 11.
The Text: Revelation 11:1-2
Today we're starting with just the two verses that kick off chapter 11. Fair enough?
Revelation 11:1-2
"Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, 'Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, but do not measure the court outside the temple. Leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for 42 months.'"
We are still in the midst of a parenthetical passage that begins in chapter 10. We are in the midst of—what's that called?—a pause in the action and the activities of the tribulation period judgments. We are between the sixth trumpet and the seventh trumpet right now.
As we come to Revelation 11, we have arrived at one of the most difficult passages in the book of Revelation because it's hard to understand.
Two Thoughts to Keep in Mind
I want you to keep two thoughts in mind as we study these verses together.
First, we are on Jewish ground here. The images and terminology are Jewish in nature. These verses deal with the future of the people of Israel.
We are dealing with future events. Some theologians take these verses and try to make them fit the past. Others try to make them fit the present. And it seems to me—and I'm going to make a case today—that it really will only fit into the future.
What we are going to see today is a prophecy concerning the future temple of Jerusalem. So I thought it would be good if we would just take a time in this chapter and maybe sort things out, not rush through it, not do a 10,000-foot overview, but actually get down on the ground and let's walk a couple miles together.
With that in mind, let's examine John's word concerning the future temple. I want you to see that this prophecy contains some very specific visions for the future Jewish people.
Let's look together at what I call temple number four.
Point #1: God's Love for the Temple
God has established the temple as the place for his eternal presence down through the years with the entrance into the promised land. Remember the ark of the covenant, the sacrifice of animals for sin? That was at the tabernacle. And then we see the journey continues through five different temples throughout eternity.
The Five Temples
The Bible mentions five temples. Let me cover them quickly, then I'll go back and explain a little bit:
- Solomon built the first
- Zerubbabel built the second after exile
- Herod built the third (that's the one that Jesus was at—that's the one he cleared, that's the one where he taught)
- What John saw in this vision is the fourth temple, which will be built in Jerusalem during the tribulation
- The Lord Jesus himself will build a fifth temple during the millennium—that's what the scriptures teach
So what John saw in this vision is the fourth temple, which will be built in Jerusalem during the tribulation, and along with it the Jewish sacrificial system will be restored, just like Daniel 9 says.
What is believed is that this fourth temple—or sometimes called the tribulation temple—will be built early on in the tribulation period under the protection and approval of the antichrist.
Stay with me. I don't want to get all seminary professor today. Hope this is making sense.
A Quick History Lesson About the Temple
The First Temple: Solomon's Masterpiece
For some 500 years, from the time of Moses to David, the people of Israel worshiped God at the tabernacle. It was there that sacrifices were carried out. It was there that the priests made intercession for the sins of the people. It was there that Israel sought their God.
Before David died, he expressed a desire to build a permanent house of God, a temple where God's presence could dwell. God, however, refused to allow David to build the temple—because he was a man of war. The privilege of building the temple fell to David's son, Solomon.
David was not allowed to build the temple, but what he did do was kind of key. He started to accumulate all the building materials that would be necessary for its construction. So before David died, he charged Solomon to build the temple (1 Chronicles 22).
Solomon built the temple as he was commanded by David. It took seven years to complete the building, and when it was finished it was dedicated to the Lord with a lavish sacrifice.
Listen to this. It's in 1 Kings 8: It says that 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep were offered to the Lord at temple dedication. I read those numbers and I think, "Corey and Laura have a lot of cows." Not according to this. 120,000 sheep, 22,000 oxen.
At this dedication, this is when the ark of the covenant was brought from the tabernacle into the temple. God demonstrated his approval of this house of worship by filling it with his Shekinah glory (2 Chronicles 7:1, 3).
What Is Shekinah Glory?
What does this word mean? Shekinah? This is the glory—a Hebrew term for immense manifest presence or dwelling of God, especially in a visible or tangible way. The Shekinah glory.
The Cost and Mystery
This magnificent temple cost an enormous amount of money to build. Some architects have estimated that if the temple were built in our day, its cost would approach $500 billion. Keep that in mind. Our greatest stadiums built today are just over a billion—1.5 or I think the latest one's going to be two billion. So $500 billion is quite the doings.
Something else that's quite unusual: there are no drawings or blueprints or even sketches. Absolutely zero visible records of any kind. No carvings, no paintings, nothing of what this structure Solomon built would actually look like. I find that fascinating. All we have are the biblical descriptions, and then some have tried to recreate it using their own visual interpretations. But what we do know is that it was massive and it was magnificent.
The temple built by Solomon dominated the Jerusalem skyline till it was destroyed by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar in 538 BC. The Jews were taken into captivity in Babylon at this time.
The Second Temple: Zerubbabel's Restoration
Some Jews returned to Jerusalem, and around 490 BC the temple was rebuilt by Zerubbabel. However, this temple was not nearly as elaborate or beautiful as the first temple had been.
The prophet Haggai writes in Haggai 2:3, "Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes?"
Poor Zerubbabel. Poor little Zerubbabel. He tried. But his building was not what Solomon's was, was it?
The prophet Ezra writes in Ezra 3:12 and adds insight to this. He says, "But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' houses, old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid, although many shouted aloud for joy."
In other words, something's better than nothing, right? Keep that in mind when we get to the fourth temple.
Zerubbabel's temple was then destroyed in 168 BC. Antiochus Epiphanes desecrated the temple by slaughtering a sow on the altar and then demanding that he be worshiped as God. He dismantled the temple.
The Third Temple: Herod's Political Gambit
Along comes Herod. He needs to gain the support of the Jews. So he builds his temple, and it's completed around 6 BC. Herod's temple took some 46 years to build, and it was far grander than the second temple had been. And it would have been Herod's temple where the Lord Jesus worshiped and preached.
This temple was also slated for destruction. And this destruction is amazing to me.
The Prophecy and Fulfillment
In Matthew 24, Jesus prophesied that the temple would be destroyed. And that took place in 70 AD when Titus, the Roman general, besieged Jerusalem. During that siege, which lasted from 66 AD to 70 AD, some 1 million Jews were slain.
It is said that Titus crucified so many Jewish men during the siege that he ran out of wood to make new crosses. The roads were literally lined with crosses occupying the rotting remains of the Roman victims.
When Jerusalem fell in 70 AD, the city was destroyed. And that phrase "the city was destroyed" doesn't do justice to what actually went down there. The temple was utterly demolished.
The Hidden Motive
Do you know why Jesus said not one stone would be left upon another?
Because when Titus destroyed the temple, he had an ulterior motive. See, the Jews had lined the inside of the walls with gold. So the Romans were taking it apart brick by brick in order to harvest all that gold and send it back to Rome to help with another building project.
Do you know what the Romans built off the gold from the temple in Jerusalem? That's right, the Colosseum. The Great Roman Colosseum was christened in 79 AD. One building goes down, the other building's going up. I've always found that to be quite fascinating.
What Remains Today
All that remains of the ancient temple today is the Western Wall or the Western Wailing Wall. Orthodox Jews go there to pray every day. I have personally been there many times, multiple times, and each time there's just something special about being there. Many in the Jewish faith believe that prayers only go up from Jerusalem. So they write their prayers on papers and they stick them in the wall. Jews from all over the world send emails to Jerusalem, and these prayers are printed and taken to the Western Wall.
Currently, the Jews have no temple. But that will change in the very near future, which is what we'll talk about in a minute.
Point #2: Why the Measuring Matters
But first, let's cover the part of the text I want to make sure you understand. What's going on here? What's the measuring all about?
John is told to take a measuring rod and measure out the temple. What is cool about Revelation is how John gets to play an active role in much of what is going on. After he gets this renewed instruction to write these prophecies yet to come at the end of chapter 10, he's told right away in chapter 11 to get in on the action again.
What Is a Measuring Rod?
He's given a measuring rod like a staff. What's that? Well, this refers to a reed-like plant that grew in the Jordan Valley, many times to a height of 15 or 20 feet. It had a stalk that was hollow and lightweight. It was rigid enough to be used as a walking stick, but it could also be shaved down and used as a pen. Long and lightweight made it ideal for use as a measuring rod. Kind of interesting.
Biblical Examples of Measuring
Ezekiel's vision found in Ezekiel 40-43 has an extended passage where the temple is measured and an angel uses the same tool. The temple in Ezekiel is best understood as the temple of the millennial earth, and the temple of Revelation 11 seems to be before the temple of Ezekiel. There are similarities—I don't deny that.
There are a few other biblical examples of measuring as well that I found interesting. Just kind of a side note: in Zechariah 2, a man measured Jerusalem, a scene that evidently showed God's coming judgment on the city. And then in Revelation 21, the New Jerusalem is measured.
The Meaning of the Measuring
But what is possibly the meaning of John getting to measure right here?
Consider: sometimes in the Old Testament, the idea of measuring communicates ownership, protection, preservation. When Habakkuk prophesied in chapter 3, he stood and measured the earth. What's the idea there? The idea is that the Lord owned the earth and he could do with it as he pleased. You following?
When this temple is measured, it shows that God knows its dimensions and he's in charge. God is in charge.
This is one of the glorious, mighty themes of the book of Revelation. If you go a little further—I'm in sidebar mode now—in chapter 11:17, you're going to see the use of the title Almighty for God. The Greek word Almighty is pantokrator, and it describes the one who has his hand on everything.
Do you know that only 10 times the word Almighty is used in the New Testament, and nine of those times it is used in Revelation? The revelation of God. As we read and understand it, we will be blessed because we will see the Almighty hand of God in everything, and we know that he's in charge. Right?
So this temple will be the scene of great honor and great glory. God is in charge, working through both the good and the bad actions of human beings.
Point #3: What Is This Temple?
Let me ask a pressing question then. What is this temple?
John was told to measure the temple of God. Notice it says to include the altar and those who worship in it. Obviously, this is not an effort to determine the physical dimensions since none are given.
The identity of this temple is an important matter of interpretation.
The "Temple as Church" Theory
Many see the temple as a symbol of the church. There are reasons why people would say that. I don't say that. But let me just show you why some people think that this is what's going on here.
Paul described the church as a temple. In Ephesians 2:19-21, let's look at it:
"So then, you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord."
Peter kind of also describes the church as a temple. 1 Peter 2:5, let's look at that one:
"You yourselves, like living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
That's interesting, isn't it?
Problems with This Interpretation
However, think this through with me now. If this temple in Revelation 11 is a symbolic representation of the church, why should it be measured? What is the significance of the courts and the altar? And if the church itself is the temple, who are the worshippers? Who's worshiping there?
Look, I think it's clear: there's too much specific detail here to match the generalized picture of the church as a temple unto God.
It is much more likely that this is the temple that must be on earth for the fulfillment of what Daniel, Jesus, and Paul said regarding the abomination of desolation.
The Abomination of Desolation Connection
The prophet Daniel told us the antichrist will break his covenant with the Jewish people, bringing sacrifice and offerings to an end. The antichrist will defile the temple by setting something abominable there. Right?
Jesus said to look for the abomination standing in the holy place, which would be a pivotal sign that the season of God's wrath was now—bada bing, bada boom—ready to go on the earth.
Paul told us that the antichrist would sit in the temple of God in 2 Thessalonians 2.
Why the Church Theory Fails
So the thing that really stomps out the theory that this temple is God's children is the actual concept of the abomination of desolation itself. Follow this: folks who hold this view that this temple in Revelation 11 is the church, they spiritualize this by explaining that the abomination is idolatrous worship established in the hearts of God's people—i.e., his temple.
But in what sense can people be called God's temple if they worship the Antichrist, an emissary of Satan himself?
Certainly, this temple being the church isn't the most plain or straightforward interpretation. Scripture interprets scripture. So that's not the simplest explanation.
In all these passages, I see a real Jewish temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem yet to be built but coming soon.
Point #4: The Development of a New Temple
Let's talk about that. When John mentions a temple in verse one, he is letting us in on the truth that a new temple must be built in Jerusalem. That is really what this says.
It might surprise you to learn that the Jewish people have been making preparations for such an event. I want to take a quick look at what the Jews have already done to get ready.
The Geographic Challenge
First up is a problem that must be addressed. The big thing that always stood between the Jews and a new temple is known as the Mosque of Omar or the Dome of the Rock. This is the third holiest site for Muslims. It was completed in 691 AD.
Inside the dome is a great rock. If you don't know the story, Muslims believe that Muhammad launched himself off that rock to ascend into heaven and confer with Moses and then return to earth with the prayers that all Muslims are supposed to pray.
For many centuries, it was believed that the Dome of the Rock was built on the site of the original temple. It was believed that the Dome of the Rock would have to be demolished for a new temple to be rebuilt.
However, recent excavations revealed that the ancient temple was actually about a hundred yards north of the dome. This new temple could be built without disturbing the Muslim holy place.
The Real Problem: Religious, Not Political
By the way, the problems in the Middle East today are not political problems. They are religious problems. Every group involved in the turmoil in Israel wants to control the ancient city of Jerusalem. Why? Because of that Temple Mount, and it is the most contested ground in all the world. For the Jews, the struggle is their own survival. For the Arabs and Muslims, their goal is the annihilation of Israel.
And it's all going to be settled one day.
Current Preparations by Orthodox Jews
It's interesting to see all the preparations Orthodox Jews are making for the rebuilding of the temple. One group, the Temple Institute, is dedicated to the ideal of rebuilding this Jewish temple. They have been working to prepare for a day when the temple is a reality.
In 2017 and again in 2019, when I was in Israel, I spent a few hours at and with the Temple Institute folks. Amazing how they are ready. They're ready. They're ready today.
Ready to Go
The few things they still needed in 2019, they've already secured. In fact, since 2023, they can use a tent-like structure and be up and sacrificing animals within 24 to 48 hours once a location is established.
The Antichrist shows up, creates a peace agreement? They could be sacrificing before Christmas.
What They've Already Built
The Temple Institute has already built:
- The golden altar of incense
- The menorah
- The table of showbread
- All the garments worn by the high priest (I've seen it with my own eyes)
- Most of the instruments used by the Levites in temple worship
The day is coming, and the Jews are now totally ready. This group of Jews is absolutely dedicated to the building of this temple. They are trying to replicate everything they can for a new temple down to the specific pots and pans used in sacrifice. They know that a new temple in Jerusalem will stand someday very soon.
The Red Heifer Requirement
All the Jews needed when I was there were the ashes of a red heifer so they can consecrate a priest. Of all the different things to be down to this one thing—it's kind of cool.
They're doing all they can to breed an acceptable animal as we speak. In September 2022, five worthy candidates were sent to Israel from the USA to a breeding farm. And the results are now happening.
Recent Test Sacrifice
The most recent test sacrifice—they did a test sacrifice in August 2025, just a few months ago. And sources are split on this test run. Had it been successful or not? Was the heifer eligible, or was he not quite fully eligible under the strict rules? They haven't said yet, but it's all right there.
Kind of ironic, isn't it, when we see the culmination of the end?
The Coming Peace Agreement
At any rate, much more could be said about the Jewish preparations for building the temple, but it's ready and it could be on at any moment.
The peace agreement that we anticipate may allow the spot 100 yards north of the dome to be tented by specs, and the peacetime sacrifices begin.
Two Problems to Resolve
Problem One: The Jews have no interest in a temple mount sharing program. When I was at the Temple Institute, they were adamant that would never fly.
Problem Two: The Muslims will have a fit if something is moved from the Dome of the Rock. It's not a mosque, by the way. It's a shrine. The Al-Aqsa Mosque is on the edge of the mount.
So when the peace agreement comes, it'll have to deal with that somehow. It's another reason I feel the antichrist will be of a certain religious worldview.
The Powerful Message of the Temple
All of this to me is exciting news. It makes me want to look up, stay ready, be ready, stay ready.
The message of the temple is powerful to both the Israeli people as well as to those of us grafted in as co-heirs with Jesus. The message delivered by this promise of a new temple in Jerusalem is also a clear understanding that God is not through with the Jewish people. They are still his chosen ones, and he still has a plan for them.
God's Faithfulness to Israel
He's already returned them to their homeland. On May 14, 1948, a nation was born that was extinct for 1,900 years. Literally raised out of the ashes of World War II, Israel became a nation and was restored to her former lands. And the Jews began to return to Israel. And over the last 20 years, they've been returning en masse.
Our generation has seen God's hand of protection upon the people of Israel during the wars they fought and won against overwhelming odds. And God isn't through yet. He will continue to use them and save a remnant of Jewish people in the end.
The promise of a new temple is simply God's way of saying, "I'm not finished with Israel."
Replacement Theology Is Wrong
Some in our day are attempting to replace Israel with the church. They claim that Israel has been forever set aside and the church has inherited the promises God made to Israel.
First off, we do not want the promises God made to Israel. The promises that we have as the church are substantial regardless of how God wants to deal with the people he has chosen to reveal himself through over the centuries.
See, there's a difference between Israel and the church. And that difference must always be kept in mind when you're studying the Bible.
Also, please don't allow your narrative to be changed with this push for fresh anti-Semitism from the latest charlatans now creating narratives for their own profit. A few of these sellouts include conservative voices who now have lost all credibility to those of us who know the real deal.
What You're Really Saying
It's really sad. When you say God has shifted his promises from Israel to the church, do you know what you're really saying? You're calling God a liar and someone whose promises are only as good as the circumstances that are in view.
God's Plan for Israel and for You
As we go forward, I hope you can see from these verses that God still has a plan for you and I as his children as well as Israel and for its future. Also, I hope you can see in current events that everything is lining up to ensure that God's plans will be brought into action.
Israel's preparing for their temple. They're looking for their Messiah to come and save them. Well, he's going to show up.
We always want to show them the word, especially the New Testament, in an effort to tell them that he has already been here and he shed his blood. He's paid for sin, and he will save all who call upon him with faith.
Are You Ready?
To the rest of us, I say: I hope you're ready to meet Jesus. He is returning, and his return will be very soon.
If You're Not Saved
If you are not saved, you can come to Jesus by faith today and accept his substitutionary work on the cross. Put the blood of Jesus Christ over the doorposts of your soul.
If You Are Saved
If you are saved, I want you to thank him for it today.
If you're not walking as close as you should be—which is a common thing in our modern culture where people waffle, they shake—many know they are held in the grip of Jesus and they're saved, yet they're living defeated spiritual lives.
My message to you is: come back to him today. Come back to him in full force.
Whatever days he's got planned for you that you live out, you live out serving him with what he's given you. It's not the same as me. It's not the same as our neighbor. We all have different callings.
Contentment with Godliness
There are two phrases that have been my mantra for 2024 and 2025, and a lot of it's because of my personal journey as well as the journey of my bride. And that is: contentment with godliness is great gain.
Those of you who know Jesus who may be wobbling, maybe having a little bit of trouble in your walk, this temple message can show you that God has a plan and he's in charge, and he can do the same thing for your life. So you come back to him today. How do you do that? Simple prayer.
And then the contentment of his presence washes over you. And you know what? His grace is then sufficient for you. Simple faith in Jesus, and his grace is enough. And it's enough in a big way.
Conclusion: The Signs Are Clear
I believe this is all winding up. I believe people need to make their preparations now for what might be ahead.
Jesus might tarry for 50 years. What does that mean to us? He might not tarry 50 years in your life. Today might be the day he calls you home. We don't know.
So let me bring this to a conclusion with the words of Jesus himself in Luke 21. Listen to what Jesus actually said in Luke 21:28-33:
"Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. And he told them a parable: 'Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.'"
The signs are clear. The preparations are underway. God's plan continues to unfold. Those with eyes to see can recognize that redemption draws near.