Gift from Creator Tells the Good Story 24
24
THE SACRED LODGE WILL FALL
1As Creator Sets Free (Jesus) made his way out of the sacred lodge, his followers began to point out to him all the buildings that surrounded the sacred lodge.
As he stopped and looked around at the lodge and all its buildings, a look of great sadness came over his face.
2“Take a good long look, for I speak truth from my heart—all of these will fall to the ground. Not one log or stone will be left standing against another.”
SIGNS OF THE END
3 Later that day Creator Sets Free (Jesus) sat down to rest on the side of Olive Mountain.
From there he could look across the valley past the walls of Village of Peace (Jerusalem) and see the sacred lodge.
Some of his followers came to him privately. “Wisdomkeeper,” they asked with worried faces, “when will these things happen? What will be the sign of your coming that will bring an end to this age we live in?”
4“Beware of those who would lead you down a false path,” Creator Sets Free (Jesus) warned them, 5“for many will come falsely representing who I am and say, ‘I am the Chosen One,’ and many will follow them to a bad end.
6“When you hear of wars and stories of war breaking out, do not fear, for all of this must happen, but the end will not come all at once. 7There will be tribal wars, and nations will make war against other nations. Food will be scarce, and the earth will shake in many places— 8but this is only the beginning of the time of sorrow, like a woman feeling the pains of birth.
9“Because you represent me, you will be looked down on by all the nations. They will hunt you down and kill you, all because you follow me. 10When this happens, many will stumble on the path and even hate and betray each other.
11“Then many false prophets will rise up and lead many down false paths. 12Because evildoers will grow strong, the love in many hearts will grow cold— 13but the ones who stand firm in their faith to the end will be set free and made whole.
14“The good story about Creator’s good road will be told in truth for all the nations of this world to hear. Then the end will come.
A TIME OF SORROW AND TROUBLE
15“When you see the ‘horrible thing that destroys,’ that the prophet Creator Will Decide (Daniel) told about,#24:15 Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11; Luke 21:20; Mark 13:14 making its stand against the place that is holy—the reader will understand the meaning— 16you will then know it is time for those who live in the Land of Promise (Judea) to escape to the mountains. 17If you are on your rooftop, go, without taking time to get anything from your house. 18Workers in the fields should not even go back to get their outer garments. 19It will be a terrible time for women who are pregnant or nursing their babies. 20Pray that it will not happen in winter or on a Day of Resting.
21“It will be a time of trouble and sorrow like no other. A worse time has not been seen since the world was created—and there will never be a time like this again. 22If that terrible time were allowed to reach the end of the trail, no one would survive, but for the sake of Creator’s Chosen Ones those days will be cut short.
23“In those days if anyone says to you, ‘Look, the Chosen One is over here,’ or ‘Look, he is over there,’ pay no attention to him, 24for false Chosen Ones will rise up and false prophets will appear. They will provide great signs and omens to mislead the people. Even Creator’s Chosen Ones will be tempted to believe them.
25“Remember that I have warned you ahead of time! 26So if they say, ‘The Chosen One is in the desert wilderness,’ do not go with them there. Or if they say, ‘The Chosen One is hidden in a secret place,’ do not believe them. 27For when the sign of#24:27 See verse 30. the True Human Being appears, it will be like lightning when it flashes across the sky from the east to the west.
28“In the same way that gathering vultures#24:28 The word for “vulture” can also be translated “eagle.” are a sign of dead bodies,so these things are a sign of the end.
29“Then, right after that time of trouble and sorrow, ‘the sun will no longer shine, the moon will go dark, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the spirit-world above will tremble.’#24:29 Isaiah 13:10; 34:4
30“This is when the sign of the True Human Being will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the land will weep in anguish when they see the True Human Being riding on the clouds and coming with power and shining-greatness. 31Then he will send out his spirit-messengers, who will blow the eagle bone whistle#24:31 Lit. loud trumpet, or in Hebrew shofar, meaning “ram’s horn” to gather his Chosen Ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
WISDOM FROM A FIG TREE
32“Listen to this fig tree and hear what it is saying to you: when its branches get soft and leaves appear, you know that summer will soon be here. 33In the same way, when you see all these things happening, you will know that the time is almost here. 34I speak from my heart! All of this will happen to this generation, during the lifetime of the people who live today. 35The earth and sky, as we know them, will fade away, but my words will never fade!
ALWAYS BE READY
36“But no one knows the day or hour that these things will take place. Not the spirit-messengers from the spirit-world above, not even Creator’s own Son, but only the Great Spirit, who is our Father from above, knows.
37-38“When the True Human Being comes, it will be like it was in the days before the great flood in the time of One Who Rests (Noah). In those days the people were eating and drinking and getting married until the day that One Who Rests (Noah) entered the great wooden canoe. 39No one knew what was happening until the floodwaters came, washed them away, and drowned them all. It will be the same when the True Human Being appears.
40“During that time two men will be working in the field. One will be taken away and the other left. 41Two women will be husking corn. One will be taken away and the other left. 42So be on the lookout, because you never know when your Honored Chief will arrive.
43“But know this: If the elder of a family had known at what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and stopped the thief from breaking in. 44Just like this elder, you must be ready, for the True Human Being will not come at the time you expect him to.
WHO WILL BE WISE?
45“Who will be the wise one, worthy of trust? Will it be the uncle who was told to feed and care for the family while the elder is away? 46A great blessing will come to that uncle when the elder returns and finds him doing so. 47I speak from my heart, he will invite that uncle to live with the family and share everything.
48“But what if the uncle says to himself, ‘It will be a long time before he returns,’ 49then begins to abuse the family and invites the local drunks to eat and drink with him?”
Creator Sets Free (Jesus) paused to let his followers think about the answer and then continued.
50“The elder will return at a time the uncle does not expect. 51He will then put him out of the family to share the fate of the ones who wear false faces. There the uncle will weep with them as they grind their teeth together in anger and frustration.
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Gift from Creator Tells the Good Story 24: FNVNT
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