Jesus warned us that His second coming will take place amid tumultuous events on earth: “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars. And on earth there will be distress among the nations, as they will not know what to do when they hear the roaring of the sea and the waves; people will faint from fear as they await the events that are to come upon the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. “When these things begin to take place, look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:25–28).

First, a few words about the author. John Bunyan was a 17th-century English preacher who spent 12 years in prison because of his Christian faith and wrote over 40 books. The best known of his writings is *The Pilgrim’s Progress*, one of the most famous and popular books in the history of the world.

“Jesus spoke again, this time in parables. He said, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is like a king who held a wedding feast for his son. He sent his servants to summon those who had been invited to the wedding feast, but they refused to come. 

 “One Sabbath, Jesus went into the home of one of the leading Pharisees to have lunch. The Pharisees were watching Him closely. And there was a man with dropsy sitting in front of Him. Jesus spoke up and said to the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?’ 

“At that time some people came and told Jesus what had happened to some Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. ‘Do you think,’ Jesus replied, ‘that these Galileans were more sinful than all the other Galileans because this happened to them? I tell you, no; but unless you repent, you will all perish just the same.

 “That same day, Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. A large crowd gathered around Him, so He had to get into a boat and sit there; and the whole crowd stood on the shore. He spoke to them at length in parables and said to them, ‘Listen: A sower went out to sow.