Matthew 24:1-2
1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple:
and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
2 And Jesus said unto them, See
ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There
shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Chapter 24 requires a
separate book. Many have devoted much of
their lives to its study.
Following His discussion with
the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus and His followers left the
Jesus said, “Do you see
these? Truthfully, I tell you, “There shall not be left here one stone upon
another that shall not be thrown down.”
In 70 AD many of those
buildings were torn down. In 135 AD,
following the Shimon Bar Kochba revolt, the rest of
the entire city was completely demolished, redesigned along Roman lines,
rebuilt, and renamed “Aelia Capitolina.”
There is another point that
cannot be overemphasized. Matthew 24:1-2 does not belong in chapter 24. They should have been placed in chapter
23. The chapter/verse numbering system
was not part of the original text.
The
The encounter at the
Most theologians ignore the
break and assume that the discourse is continuous. It is not! Chapter 24
should have started with what is now verse 3
Jesus’ discourse on the
Let me focus on an often overlooked
transition.
Matthew 23:29-36 took place
within the Temple complex.
Jesus may have spoken Matthew
23:37-39 at the edge of the
Matthew 24:1-2 was spoken
outside the
Matthew 24:3 through the completion
of the discourse was offered later that day on the Mt of Olives.
Matthew 23:29-24:8
29 Woe unto you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of
the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the
righteous,
30 And say, If
we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with
them in the blood of the prophets.
31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of
them which killed the prophets.
32 Fill ye up then the measure
of your fathers.
33 Ye serpents, ye generation
of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
34 Wherefore, behold, I send
unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill
and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and
persecute them from city to city:
35 That upon you may come all
the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto
the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew
between the temple and the altar.
36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I
have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth
her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
38 Behold, your house is left
unto you desolate.
39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed
is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Matthew Chapter 24
1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to
him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
2 And Jesus said unto them, See
ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There
shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
(At this point Jesus and His Apostles walked about a
mile to the Mount of Olives. Please remember that the actual streets upon which
Jesus walked no longer exist! The city
was torn down and redesigned by the Roman army in 135 AD.)
3 And as he sat upon the mount
of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall
these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy
coming, and of the end of the world?
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my
name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6 And ye shall hear of wars
and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for
all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise
against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and
pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning
of sorrows.
In addition to the picture
presented in Matthew, Charles Rollers’ “Seemless Bible”
places the story of the widow’s small offering found in Mark 12:41-44, and Luke
21:1-4 into the context of the overall scene of Jesus and the Apostles at the
Temple and separated from the following discourse on the Mount of Olives.
Considering the fact that the
widow’s offering was money and not a tithe, which would have been food, the
offering pot or, “treasury,” may have been placed at a point which was easily
reached by most Jews as a reminder that the Temple Priests were collecting
freewill offerings from those who could afford them and from those who paid no
tithe due to their socio-economic standing.
Perhaps, the pot was located at the doorway of the
The Seemless
Bible puts the entire New Testament into a chronological order. It places Jesus’ comments of John 12: 20-50
within the context of Jesus and the Disciples leaving the
Jesus’ widow’s offering
comments could have taken place at the Door of the
The
To accurately understand the
events, we must consider the distance walked to get from point “A” to point
“B.” And we must also consider the
street configuration used by Jesus and the Disciples. It was not a “straight shot” or short walk
from the
In case you are wondering, I
have been on the
Let’s put the text into
context.
Matthew 23:39 For I say unto
you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall
say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
That observation and comments concerning the widow’s
offering.
CHAPTER 24
1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to
him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
2 And Jesus said unto them, See
ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There
shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
***That is the end of the
time spent at the
At this point we have;
Jesus’ comments of John 12: 20-50
Their journey
to the Mount of Olives.
Matthew 24 should begin at verse 3 when
the group reached the
*** What follows took place
later at a different location, the
3 And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the
disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us,
when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign
of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
***As you can easily see the
time frame was not immediate!
Considering the fact that folks just do not normally walk at an Olympic
pace, the elapsed time may have been an hour between when Jesus and the
Disciples left the
The problem is that the
person who added the Chapters and verses to our current Bible in the mid 1500’s
had no concept of the distances or topography involved, and consequently did
not take that into account when numbering the chapters and verses. Verses 1 and
2 of the current Bible should have been placed in chapter 23 instead of
24. That would have pointed to the time
element, which is ignored in the current placement.
That brings us to another
misunderstanding. Preterists believe that
the Jesus’ comments during the Mount of Olives discourse are directly connected
to and dependent upon the timing of destruction of the
They teach that all shall
“see” Him is not an event in which all “see.”
To be honest, I have great problems with that teaching.
The destruction of the
Two verses from Matthew 24
completely disqualifies the 70 AD
Matt 24:21-22
21 For
then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the
world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And
except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for
the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
Those verses are the
disqualifier!
No tribulation from that
point to the present qualifies as being so devastating that it would result in
world-wide annihilation. From that
single point, we know that the Mega-tribulation (Gr. thlpsis
megalee-qlyiV megalh) of Matthew 24:21 has not occurred.
Matthew 24:3 And as he sat
upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell
us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the
sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
As Christ Jesus sat on the
Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him asking, “Tell us, when shall these things happen? And, what shall be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age (Gr. aioonos-aiwnoV)?”
We are still asking those
questions.
They were not asking about
the end of the physical world as some might have you believe. They were asking about the end of that age.
They knew that a messianic
age was coming, and they wanted to know when it would get here. They lived at
the end of what we call the age of the Law.
We are now in what we call the Church age. At that time, the twelve had
no knowledge concerning the Church age.
Matthew 24:4-5
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my
name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
Jesus warned them, “Take
heed! Do not be deceived. Many shall come in My name,
saying, I am Christ; and
shall deceive many.
For centuries many have come
proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah, and they have deceived many into following
them, not Christ.
It seems to be some sort of
depraved satanic sport to trap people into declaring their respect for Christ
Jesus, but denying what He said. One of the major groups that does just that is Islam.
Another is the Roman Catholic church. Muslims deny the resurrection. Catholics deny the words of Christ about
being the only Way. They have proclaimed
Mary to be a co-redeemer and co-mediator.
Such theology is hypocritical, just as hypocritical as the scribes and
Pharisees were in our study of chapter 23.
Matthew 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these
things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
Jesus said, “You shall hear
of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled by those rumors. All those terrible things must happen, but
the end is not yet.”
We have had wars and rumors
of wars since civilization began. But,
the end has not come.
God’s plan is God’s
plan. It must come to pass.
Matthew 24:7 For nation (Gr. ethnos-eqnoV) shall rise against nation,
and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and
earthquakes, in divers places.
This verse has been little
understood, because of the translation. Read this carefully. Notice, I placed
the Greek word into the text.
Jesus continued, “For ethnic
group shall rise against ethnic group, and kingdom against kingdom. There shall be famines, and pestilences, and
earthquakes, in diverse places.” That is the standard translation.
However, according to Gray Stearman of Prophecy in the News “divers places” (Gr. kata topuoV) indicates
clusters of earthquakes.
My further studies indicate
that the catastrophes happen frequently in specific places. They are not random.
Have you looked around
lately?
From America to Africa,
ethnic groups are at war. Nations are in
conflict with other nations. There are famines caused by insects. There are earthquakes, and tsunamis. From earth’s tectonic plates to nations,
businesses, and individuals, we are surrounded by conflicts. And yet, we are still here, because they are
only the “beginning of sorrows!
Matthew 24:8 All these are the beginning of
sorrows.
Then Christ said something
that was astounding. He said, “All these are the beginning of sorrows (Gr.oodinoon-wdinwn).”
“All these are just the
beginning of birth pains.”
Ask a mother about the birth
of her first child. Ask her about the
pain. Normally, we in the western world
use pain killers at the time of birth.
That is not done in much of the world.
The pain of child birth is unforgettable.
As the birth of a child
approaches, the pains become more frequent and more intense. So the last of the last days, prophetic
events shall become more frequent and much more intense.
Matthew 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be
afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations (Gr.
ethnoon-eqnwn) for my name's sake.
Jesus warned, “Then, they
shall take you to be tortured, and they shall kill you. For my name's sake, you shall be the most
hated ethnic group.
Again, I added the Greek word
to the Bible text. It speaks of ethnic
groups.
Here is something that many
Christians do not understand. Christians
are a separate ethnic group. By birth, I
am an American (Welsh/Cherokee). But, by rebirth, I am a Christian!
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things
are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Those that walk by sight and
not by faith will not understand that.
Matthew 24:10 And then shall many be
offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
Jesus told His Apostles that
many (pretenders) shall be offended (Gr. skanalistheesintai-skanalisqhsintai), or tempted
to sin. The false Christians,
pretenders, shall betray one another, and shall hate (Gr. miseesousin-mishsousin), detest one
another.
Christians are called to love
all people but especially fellow Christians.
John 13:35 By
this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Many Christians focus on love
for humanity, and that is wonderful, but love for other disciples is the
standard.
Matthew 24:11 And many false prophets
shall rise, and shall deceive many.
Christ further said that many
false prophets shall rise (Gr. egertheesontai-egerqhsontai), or rise from
obscurity, and shall deceive (Gr. planeesousin-planhsousin) many, or cause
them to wander from godly virtue.
But, as we shall see, those
who are in Christ are safe.
Matthew 24:12 And because iniquity
shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
He continued, “Because
iniquity (Gr. anomian-anomian), an ignorance or twisting
of the law, shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”
Paul, the Apostle to the
Gentiles, the Apostle of grace understood the place of the Law!
Romans 7:12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and
just, and good.
The Law is not evil, but our abuse
of it is! Christians are not a lawless people!
We establish the Law!
Unfortunately many who are
legends in their own minds have twisted the Law of God within the Church just
as the Jews of old did in ancient days.
Many teach a Lawless
Christianity.
Romans 3:31
Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the
law.
Anti-Christ is the lawless
one!
2 Thessalonians 2:8 And then shall that Wicked (Gr. anomos-anomoV/lawless one) be
revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall
destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Most Christians do not
understand the role of the Law within Christianity.
Exodus 20:2-3
2 I am the LORD thy God,
which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 Thou shalt have no other
gods before me.
That is the first
commandment.
Has it been dissolved?
Absolutely not! In fact, all
Ten are still in force!
Matthew 24:13 But he that
shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
The Christ said, “But he that
shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”
Endurance is not a struggle. It is the rest that results from faith!
Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the
kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and
then shall the end come.
Christ ends this section by
telling us, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the entire
world as a witness to all nations (Gr. ethnesin-eqnesin), all Gentiles, all
unbelievers and then shall the end come.”
“The nations” represents a
Hebrew colloquialism that indicates the non-Jewish population, Gentiles.
Matthew 24:14
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in
all the world for a witness unto all gentiles; and then shall the end come.
The end of the age could not
come until the gospel had been preached to all Gentiles.
That presents a theological
problem. If the gospel had to be
preached to all Gentiles before the end of the age, what age was Jesus speaking
about?
Jesus did not come to preach
to Gentiles.
Matthew 15:24
But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the
lost sheep of the house of Israel.
At that time, He did not
allow his Apostles to preach to non-Jews.
Matthew 10:5-6
5 These twelve Jesus sent
forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not
into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
6 But go rather to the lost
sheep of the house of Israel.
If that is true, Jesus must
have been speaking prophetically about an age to come in Matthew 24:14, and not
the age in which He lived on earth.
Christ lived at the end of
the Old Testament age.
Although the four gospels
were written during the New Testament age, they are about the end of the Old Testament
age. He must have been speaking prophetically about an age to come, the age in
which we now live.
Matthew 24:15-18
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of
desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso
readeth, let him understand:)
16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the
mountains:
17 Let him which is on the housetop not come
down to take any thing out of his house:
18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to
take his clothes.
Now, Jesus goes into a deeper
discourse.
He said, “When you see the
abomination of desolation stand in the holy place, which was spoken of by
Daniel, Those in Judea should flee into the mountains.
Many teachers ignore the
words of Christ and insert their own words into verse 15.
Verse 15 says, “When you
therefore shall see…”
That simple phrase tells us
that the abomination of desolation had not happened when Christ spoke those
words.
If it had not happened, it
must be a future event and could not be the time when Antiochus IV Epiphanes offered a pig on the holy Alter in the Temple at
Jerusalem.
Since that action was past
tense at the time Jesus warned the Apostles of the abomination, it could not be
the abomination!
The abomination of desolation
has not taken place to this day and is still a future event!
When it happens, haste will
be the wise action!
“One on a housetop should not
come down to take anything out of his house.
“Neither should anyone out in
a field go back home to get his clothes.”
That prophecy was partially
(but not totally) fulfilled in 66 AD when the Roman army surrounded Jerusalem.
Jewish Christians left and Orthodox Jews stayed and died. The city was taken in 70 AD, the temple was
demolished, and the priests and many other Levites were put to death.
Jesus’ message was obvious to
all Messianic Jews of that day. The Preterist view is that that portion of the prophecy will
not come to fruition again. The Futurist
view is that it will.
How would the abomination of desolation
take place again?
Many suppose that a third
Temple will be built in Jerusalem.
Unbeknownst to most, a third Temple is now being built!
Millions of Christians are
looking forward with great anticipation to the building of the third Temple in Jerusalem.
Will their anticipation come
to fruition?
Or, it is based in a faulty
reading of the Bible?
The first Temple was built by
Solomon after the death of King David.
The second temple was built
by Herod the great to impress the Romans.
The Bible is explicit. Christ shall return, but not to a rebuilt
Temple.
Millions of Christians have
been duped into looking to a time when Jews will once again slaughter sheep and
cattle as sacrifices to God.
Is that biblical?
Not quite!
Our only valid sacrifice
is/was Christ Jesus!
Some of those who claim to be
Christians are now being inducted into pagan Judaism.
Speaking of Christ Jesus, the
writer of Hebrews told us that He was offered as a final sacrifice, “once for
all” (Heb. 10:10).
Once for ALL (Gr. ephapax-efapax).
Once for all sin!
Once for all people!
Once for all time!
And yet, millions of church
members look forward to a restoration of sacrificial worship at a temple in
Jerusalem.
If Jerusalem still existed
that may be possible, but the fact is that in 135 AD the entire city was
completely torn down (except for the one retaining wall), and in its place a
Rome designed city (Elia Capitolina)
was constructed. For 200 years no orthodox Jews were allowed within that city!
No Temple may be rebuilt in
the ancient city of Jerusalem, because the ancient city no longer exists. As
Christians, we are called to look forward to the New Jerusalem.
We are also called to look
for the Tabernacle of David, not the Temple of Solomon.
Acts 15:16
After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will
build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:
Why the Tabernacle of David?
If you study the Bible, you
will find that the Tabernacle of David was a place of praise, total and
absolute praise.
Judah represented the praisers among the Israelites. The area given to Judah as their inheritance
in the Promised Land was large that two tribes actually lived there.
Josh 19:9 Out
of the portion of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of
Simeon: for the part of the children of Judah was too much for them: therefore
the children of Simeon had their inheritance within the inheritance of them.
Now, let me get to the
point. The third Temple is now in the
process of being built! The foundation as been laid and the walls are going up.
1 Cor 3:11
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Christians are the building
blocks of the new Temple of God!
Eph 2:19-22
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ
himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth
unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an
habitation of God through the Spirit.
If you are a Christian, and
you have been told to look for the third Temple, simply look in the
mirror. You are part of the third and
final Temple of God.
1 Cor 3:9 For we are labourers together with
God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are
God's building.
1 Cor 6:19-20
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of
the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in
your spirit, which are God's.
Some of you may be thinking
that I am relying on too much symbolism, but consider it. We are told that we must be “born again”
(John 3:7).
Is that any more or less
unbelievable than being a building block in the temple of God?
So, how would the abomination
of desolation take place again?
When a lawless one comes on
the scene claiming to be the Messiah and leader of the Church and many
Pretenders within the churches shall accept his leadership in their hearts…that
will be a desolation of abomination.
But, has that happened?
To an extent that has already
happened. The Pope falsely claims to be
God’s representative on earth. The Roman
Church claims to have replaced the true Sabbath with Sunday. It denies Christ by placing Mary as a
co-redeemer. It denies Christ’s words by
calling its priests “father.” It denies
Christ’s call by claiming that the head of their “church” is Peter, the Apostle
to the uncircumcision. The history of the Roman Catholic church
is replete with the barbaric murder of these who trusted Christ. That is abomination!
Matthew 24:19-20
19 And woe
unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
20 But pray ye that your
flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
Christ continued, “Woe to
them that are pregnant, and to those that nursing children in those days! But
pray that your flight is not in the winter, nor on the Sabbath day.”
In 66 AD the Messianic Jews
left Jerusalem. They had heard the words
of Christ.
The remaining Jews that did
not leave Jerusalem were staved during the years between 66 and 70 AD. Cannibalism took hold of the city.
When the Romans took the
city, they demolished the temple and the surrounding buildings. That is fact!
Another fact is that in 135
AD following the Shimon Bar Kochba revolt, and after
Rabbi Akiva was skinned alive in public, the Romans
completely and utterly demolished the entire city. The city was redesigned to appear as a Roman
city and renamed Aelia Capitolina
in honor Emperor Hadrian’s family.
All Orthodox Jews, except for
Messianic Jews were expelled for the city of Aelia Capitolina.
Messianic Jews and Gentile Christians were allowed to live on Mt Zion,
but no other Jews could entire the city for 200 years. Orthodox Jews could not
live within a space of approximately 10 miles around the city.
On one day a year, Orthodox
Jews were allowed to go to the Mount of Olives and look upon the site where the
temple once stood mourn. Later, they
were allowed to entire the city on the 9th of Av and mourn at a
Temple Mount retaining wall. The Wailing Wall is the only part of the Original
temple Mount still existing. That part
of history has been deleted from Christian teaching.
Matthew 24:21 For then shall be great
tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no,
nor ever shall be.
Most teachers refer to the
“great tribulation.” However the Greek
text speaks of a “mega-tribulation (Gr. thlipsis megalee-qliyiV megalh).”
Since creation, no time of
distress has ever been like the “mega-tribulation.” Noah’s flood may be the only period comparable
to the “mega-tribulation.”
This brings us to a subject
that is difficult at best. The subject
is the rapture and tribulation.
Tribulation speaks of
super-great pressure.
Dan 12:1 And
at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth
for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as
never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy
people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Jer 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is
like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of
it.
Some say that the Jacob’s
trouble, the tribulation period has begun.
Others say it is yet for another future time.
When the frog is sitting in
hot water, it does not realize what is happening. If he did, he would attempt to jump out of
the pot.
1Thess 4:17
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
The tribulation is explicit.
The gathering of the saints is explicit.
However, the timing of that gathering is NOT explicit.
Therefore, we have a multitude of theories concerning the gathering (the
rapture).
Dan 12:2 And
many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to
everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Rev 20:5 But
the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.
This is the first resurrection.
It is obvious that there will
be two resurrections. But those of the Amillennial-Postmillennial persuasion may not see
that. They live in a state of denial.
It is from that group, the Amillennial-Postmillennial that we find “Reconstructionists.”
Reconstructionists teach that Christ may come
back, BUT He will not return today and it’s entirely your fault. They deny the definition of the word “saint.”
Saint (Gr. hagios-agioV) indicates a person who is pure, holy, and blameless
before God! It does not take into
account their personal emotions. It is
based entirely of God’s provision in Christ Jesus!
Reconstructionists do not recognize the fact of sainthood for all true
believers…except their personal sainthood.
They are spiritual (lower case s) elitists. The old “my four and no more” view. They may use it jokingly, but in reality they
are very serious.
Reconstructionists also do not accept the fact of two
resurrections. Many years ago I did a
Bible study with a Reconstructionist. He
could not adequately or biblically explain his false teaching, but he was
adamant.
Premillennialism is the only teaching in that area that makes biblical
sense!
There is a debate as to
whether it is pre-mid-or post tribulation, and they are all logical points of
view, and while there are many hints, there is no definitive and final biblical
statement to support any of them.
The one thing that concerns
me is:
II Thess 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day
shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be
revealed, the son of perdition;
Could it be that the “falling
away” will come as a result of a premillennial belief that does not manifest
and the Church goes through tribulation?
Many Premillennialists may not be prepared
mentally if they are required to go through the tribulation.
I am not saying that Christ
will forsake them, but I am saying that their faith and understanding may be
tested to the limits of their endurance.
In chapter 7 of Revelation,
we see a great multitude. Their
description is awesome. They are
described as having come “out of (through) great tribulation” (Gr. ek tees thlipseoos tees megalees- ek thV qleyeshoV thV megalhV). They have
their “robes” washed white in the blood of the Lamb (Rev 2:14).
However, in this next verse
in Matthew we find that the days are “shortened.” That hints of a mid-trib. gathering. The pre-trib
gathering is one that has the least biblical evidence.
Matthew 24:22 And except those days
should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake
those days shall be shortened.
The “mega-tribulation” is so
great that if it were not shortened no living thing will be left alive. Again, think about that!
However,
for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened, cut short, or
curtailed.
Entire books could be, and
have been written about the great tribulation. Since we have been given very
few details about this period, most of those books should be part of the
fiction section of your local book stores.
There are some who believe the great tribulation to be physical, and
others who believe it to be symbolic.
Matthew 24:23-24
23 Then if any man shall say
unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24 For there shall arise false
Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great
signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the
very elect.
Christ continued, “If anybody
tells you, the Christ is here or there, don’t believe. False Messiahs and false
Prophets shall appear. They shall show
(Gr. doosousi-dwsousi) false signs and wonders. Those signs and wonders will be so great that
if possible (Gr. ei dunaton-ei dunaton), if they had the
power, they shall deceive the very elect.”
Jesus point was that when He
returns, the entire world will know it!
This part of Matthew points
to a time of great deception. From the first, Satan has been a great deceiver.
Secondly, it tells us that
there will be a time of lies, false signs and false wonders on earth as part of
the mega-tribulation. We have that
today.
Our safety is involved in the
phrase, “if possible.” It will be
impossible to deceive the elect!
Matthew 24:25 Behold, I have
told you before.
In effect, Jesus told the Apostles,
“You have been forewarned!”
Matthew 24:26 Wherefore if
they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he
is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
Jesus reiterates, “If they
tell you, ‘He (the Messiah) is in the desert’…don’t go, or ‘He is in a secret
place’…don’t believe it.”
Rumors shall abound!
Matthew 24:27 For as the lightning
cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the
west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Here, Jesus told His
followers that his coming would be very public.
It will be a spectacular event.
Revelation 1:7
Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see
him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds
of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
Some refer to:
Luke 17:20
And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come,
he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
That verse may seem to
contradict Matthew 24:27, but actually it is speaking of another event.
The coming of the Kingdom to
us is done on an individual basis when the Holy Spirit comes to reside within
us. That does not cause any outward or
physical change in our physical being. The return of Christ is another matter.
Ephesians 1:13-14
13 In whom ye also trusted, after
that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also
after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise,
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the
purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
The very public coming of
Christ will result in the “redemption of the Purchased possession.”
Matthew 24:28 For wheresoever
the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered
together.
Here, Jesus tells us some
things that are overlooked by many and ignored by most. He said, “For where
ever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together.”
What in the world does that
mean?
Eagles are part of the
vulture family. However, they look for
living prey.
Most humans are dead in
trespasses and sins. Satan’s demons, the spiritual vultures, shall gather to
claim those not part of the living, those who have life in Christ Jesus.
V. 28 is an aside.
Matthew 24:29 Immediately
after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon
shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers
of the heavens shall be shaken:
Jesus then warned that
immediately (Gr. eutheoos-euqewV) following the tribulation of those days, the sun
shall be darkened, the moon shall not give light, the stars shall fall from
heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
That happens “immediately” after the tribulation.
What tribulation?
The mega-tribulation of Matthew
24:21.
The mega-tribulation may be
as much spiritual as it is physical.
Most shall be deceived;
however the Saints cannot be deceived into following the false messiahs of the
time.
Matthew 24:24
For there shall arise false Christs,
and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall
deceive the very elect.
That phrase, “if it were possible” indicates
that it is not possible! It is not possible, because the Holy Spirit leads all
true followers, sheep of Christ, sons of God (Romans 8:14)!
Revelation 7:14
And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said
to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes,
and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Those who “came out of great
tribulation” are not tribulation Saints that were saved during a time when the
Holy Spirit is supposedly absent from the earth.
To come “out of” something,
we first must have been “in” something!
None may be saved except by the
leading of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3).
They are Saints that have
gone through mega-tribulation for the sake of Christ according to the plan of
God.
Many have read one verse with
a false understanding.
Revelation 3:10
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also
will keep thee from (Gr. ek-ek) the hour of temptation,
which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Many pre-tribulation rapture
teachers point out that the Greek word “ek” means
“out of,” and it does. It denotes a
point of origin, and is also translated “from” indicating that while the earth
may be experiencing mega-tribulation, the Saints will be safe “from” it.
Noah and his family are
classic biblical examples of people who lived at a time of great tribulation,
but did not suffer the same fate as others, and they were not taken off the
earth. Floating in a boat is floating in
a boat. It is not a “rapture,” and only the
spiritually ignorant teach that it is! Noah and his family went THROUGH the flood in a boat, an
ark of safety!
Christ prayed against
escapism!
John 17:15 I
pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the
world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the
evil.
Paul thought escapism was
foolish.
1 Cor 5:9-10
9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not
to company with fornicators:
10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the
covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the
world.
Christianity is not escapism.
Matthew 24:30-31
30 And then shall appear the
sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth
mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with
power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels
with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from
the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
And then, after all that, the
sign of the Son of man shall appear in heaven!
And, all the tribes of the earth mourn. They shall see the Son of man
coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. The Messiah shall
send His angels forth with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather
together His elect from around the earth and from one end of heaven to the
other.
The sign of the Son of Man
shall appear! And all the earth shall
mourn. All shall mourn, because all
shall see.
Why should Christians mourn
at the appearing of that sign?
It is my opinion that at that
point we shall realize that no matter what we did to bring the gospel to the
world, we could have done more.
All shall not only see His
sign, all shall see Him! All the earth
shall see Christ!
Stop trying to make it
possible through modern technology. God
is God! He did not create the earth
using modern technology, and He does not need it now!
In reference to the elect,
God’s elect are not those that choose to be elect. They are those that have been chosen, called,
and anointed to be elect.
Matthew 24:32-33
32 Now learn a parable of the
fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth
forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
33 So likewise ye, when ye
shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Jesus now seems to change the
subject, but He just elaborates on the outcome of His victory over sin, death,
and the grace.
He said, “Now learn a parable
of the fig tree. When His branch is yet tender, and puts out leaves, you know
that summer is near. So, likewise, when you shall see all these things, know
that it is near, even at the door.”
The fig tree is a symbol of
Israel, and the rest of God’s people.
We, Gentiles, were grafted into the vine or tree. A fig tree is actually a vine-like plant.
That is not replacement
theology. It is biblical truth. Christians have not replaced anybody. We have
been added to God’s people.
Know {v. 33} (Gr ginooskete-ginwskete) is imperative!
It is imperative that Christians understand the seasons of God.
Christ was made unto us
“wisdom” (1 Cor. 1:30), not ignorance.
Matthew 24:34 Verily I say
unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all
these things be fulfilled.
This verse is very difficult,
because it seems to be a limiting sign.
Christ said, “Truthfully, I
say, this generation shall
not pass, till all these things are fulfilled.”
There has been much debate
about what constitutes “this generation.”
Does it indicate the group
around Jesus at the time He was speaking?
Or, does it point toward a generation that would see the fruition of
Jesus’ prophecy?
The generation that Jesus
spoke to included those in the 20-30 age group. Most of those listening to Christ did die
prior to 70 AD. John was the only
Apostle known to have lived past 68 AD.
So, he must have meant a later generation.
Some say that He meant that
only Jews would be subject to the mega-tribulation and see all things
fulfilled. The Temple tribulation of 70
AD did not physically affect all Jews.
It had no physical affect on many Jews who resided outside of Judea at
that time.
Considering the details of
the subject it cannot be speaking of two separate generations.
We are told to learn a
parable and then Jesus mentions “this generation.” That “generation” is, in context, associated
with the parable of the fig tree.
The generation that sees the
leaves of the fig tree come forth will not pass until the parable is complete.
Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth
shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Heaven and earth shall pass
away, but my words shall not pass away.
The words of Christ cannot be broken or annulled.
Matthew 24:36-39
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father
only.
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were
before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in
marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the
ark,
39 And knew not until the
flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man
be.
Books have been written
concerning the timing of the return of Christ, and none as
been proven correct. Only the Father knows the time of Jesus’ return.
Jesus told His Disciples, “As
the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in
the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and
giving in marriage, until the day that Noah and his family entered the
ark. They did not understand what was
happening until the flood came, and took them all away. The coming of the Son
of man be like that.
Jesus was speaking about
those that do not know Him. They shall
not be aware of what is happening. But
that will not happen to us.
1Thessalonians 5:1-4
1 But of the times and the seasons,
brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a
thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh
upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in
darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
Re-read 1 Thessalonians 5:4
and take comfort in those words.
Matthew 24:40-41
40 Then shall two be in the
field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding
at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Much has been made of the
language here. In Bible days, and people
worked in the fields, and many worked to grind food. That is no longer true for the
American/European public.
Many who now work in the
field preaching what they suppose to be the gospel are not preaching THE gospel. They are preaching A false gospel.
Many who grind out the food
for “Sunday School” classes are not presenting the true gospel of grace, but
instead are presenting a gospel of works.
This represents a separation
within what is assumed to be the Church.
Notice that both are working.
At the time of the gathering to Christ, many pretenders will be left and the
true followers will be taken (Gr. paralambanetai-paralambanetai), or received
near to Christ.
Matthew 24:42-43
42 Watch therefore: for ye
know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would
come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken
up.
We are to watch, be ever
vigilant. Because, we do not know when the Lord shall appear.
Jesus explained, “If the ‘goodman of the house’ (Gr. oikodespotees-oikodestothV) had known in what watch the thief would come, he
would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.”
“The good man of the house”
refers to the head of the household. It
is the business of the fathers to make sure that their families are prepared
for the coming of the Lord.
II Th 3:7-10
7 For yourselves know how ye ought to
follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;
8 Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought;
but wrought with labour and travail night and day,
that we might not be chargeable to any of you:
9 Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you
to follow us.
10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he
eat.
That is not a physical
admonishment. It is spiritual!
Matthew 24:44 Therefore be ye
also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Be a “Boy Scout!” Be prepared!
Matthew 24:45-47
45 Who then is a faithful and
wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them
meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant,
whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
Then Jesus asked a question,
“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over
his household, to give them meat in due season?”
That is not rhetorical.
Christ explained, “Blessed is
that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Truthfully, I
tell you, that He shall make him ruler over all his goods.”
God gives power to those He
chooses to give power.
Matthew 24:48-51
48 But and if that evil
servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his
fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the
drunken;
50 The lord of that servant
shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and
in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder,
and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.
However---if that disobedient
servant thinks that his Lord (Gr. Kurios-KurioV/owner) and Master is
delayed in His coming and thinks that he shall take advantage of his fellow
servants, the Lord shall come at a time when the disobedient servant is not
prepared.
The Lord shall extremely
punish the disobedient servant, even to the point of treating him as a
spiritual hypocrite.
Notice that these are
“servants” of the Master, but they are disobedient! Where do you stand? Are you obedient or
disobedient? Both servants work, but the
obedient works for the Master, and the disobedient works for personal gain.
Spiritual motive is
everything!