Signs Of Impending Destruction!

[charlesj]

Signs of Impending Destruction​

A VERSE BY VERSE LOOK AT MATTHEW 24 OF THE SIGNS.

Messiah Jesus is asked the question: “Matthew 24:3 [sup]3 [/sup]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?” (AION) (KJV)

The problem with this verse is in the last word “world.” In the Greek, the word is ‘aion’ and means “age.” This verse would have been better-translated “end of the age.” The Greek word for world is “kosmos,” but “aion” is used here.

Matthew 24:3 [sup]3 [/sup]And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" (NAS)

The New American Standard, ASV, and other translations correctly translate it “age.”

To understand it as “age” is very important in understanding this chapter. Also, if You understand that the age Jesus, while on earth, was in was the Old Testament age you will then have a better under standing of this chapter and the term “last days.”

Two ages are spoken of in the Bible.

Take a look at Matthew 12:23 were Christ speaks of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and then He says, it will not be forgiven in “this age” (Old Testament age) or the “age” to come, that is, the New Testament age. My point here is that Christ speaks of two ages. The age He was in (O.T.) and the age to come, the New Testament age. Again, the ending of the Old Testament age is sometimes referred to as “the last days” in the writings of the apostles. You must look at the context of the writing to see what “age” the writing is referring to. Here in Matthew 24 it is referring to “the time of the end,” and NOT the “end of time.” What “time of the end” is it referring to?



[Matthew 24:5]

5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

In Matthew 24 Jesus warned His disciples that false teachers would be numerous, more than ever before. Josephus, the historian, verifies the fact that near the time of the destruction of Jerusalem many false Messiahs appeared, claiming to be Christ. He says these became more numerous before the siege of Titus. Luke, the historian, records such pseudo-signs and false wonders as the magical deceptions of Simon Magus (Acts 8) which were employed on an accentuated scale before the destruction of Jerusalem by the professional deceivers mentioned in the Lord’s predictions.



[Matthew 24:6]

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.

Many smaller nations were at war with the Romans at that time, enemies at war with each other and rumors of war in abundance on every hand, and from every quarter as the destruction of Jerusalem drew near. Josephus verifies the fact that from every part of the empire wars followed in succession, and in waves of revolt, like the swells of the ocean, to the final dissolution of the empire.

[Matthew 24:7]

7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

In the days of Claudius Caesar, before the destruction of Jerusalem, there was an unparalleled famine – the greatest famine the world ever knew occurred. The record of Matthew 24 is corroborated by the Spirit in Agabus, the prophet, as reported by Luke in Acts 11:28 –

Acts 11:28

28 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.

Again, Josephus testified that the famine actually occurred before the destruction of Jerusalem, and the fulfillment is a matter of historical record.

[Matthew 24:8]

8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Jesus is not speaking of “El Nino” some 2000 years later, but to His disciples. The great earthquakes occurred during the reign of Nero is a historical fact, and the testimony of Jesus is added to that of Josephus of an unusual number of earthquakes occurring in various countries, before the destruction of Jerusalem. Earthquakes destroyed many cities of Asia Minor.



[Matthew 24:9]

9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

Here are some final words for Paul, Peter, and James, and James the Less for they were all put to death before the destruction of Jerusalem.

[Matthew 24:10]

10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

This is the Lord’s warning of many apostasies, when the faith of the disciples would fail, as under pressure of persecution many should become offended. Such apostasies were everywhere in evidence prior to the destruction of Jerusalem, the evidences of which are not only mentioned in the sacred text, but in parallel secular history. The most valuable of such historical evidence is the testimony of Josephus, who was an eyewitness to the destruction of Jerusalem.

[Matthew 24:14]

14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world (oikoumene – inhabitated world) for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

Within this period of gospel history the sound of the messenger’s feet had been heard all over the Roman world –



Romans 10:15

15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

Colossians 1:23

23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

Before the death of Paul, this sign had been fulfilled, literally enough, indeed, to satisfy a most exacting literalist. Eusebius (early church historian) says “the gospel was like a sun, enlightening the world at once.” It was universally published; the Gentile nations were illuminated with Christianity, providing the events to correspond with the prophecies, a fact so striking as to be convincing without disputation.

[Matthew 24:14] – another point:

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.

Here, at once, with one accord the millennialist jump to the wrong conclusion that this “end” means the end of the world – “then shall the end come.” Then end of what??? THE END OF THE JEWISH STATE AND THE END OF JUDAISM! Not the “end of time,” but the “time of the end.” . . . referred to as the “last days” in the gospels, that is, the last days of the Jewish economy. (“Last days” in context here refers to the end of the age. This age (o.t.) ended in 70 A.D.



Matthew 24:15

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:)

This description refers to the heathen symbols and the Romans standards raised in the temple. Every orthodox Jew looked upon the temple as sacred and holy. When the Romans conquered the city, and entered it, the Romans Soldiers marched into the temple, hauled down the ornaments and images of the temple, and raised instead the symbols and standards of paganism and Romanism. That is what was called the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place. The “abomination of desolation” was fulfilled when those Roman standards and pagan symbols were seen in the holy place “where they ought not to be.” This was a part of the destruction of Jerusalem.



[Matthew 24:16-18]

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.

The destruction of Jerusalem was regarded by all pious Jews as pestilence and desolation and was taken as a sign that the time for them to escape had come – to do what Jesus had warned them to do – to flee to the mountains. The disciples did as Jesus said – they heeded the warnings and fled. From the flat roofs of their houses in the city or from their fields in the country, they saw the Roman army in full march, there was not time to go inside for goods or raiment. Life was more than personal property. When they saw the sign of the standards and symbols of the Romans in the temple, they remembered that Jesus had warned them of that very thing, and the news of the Roman approach they fled to Pella, the northern boundary of Perea.

It a a remarkable fact of history that Cestius Gallius, the Roman general, for some unknown reason, retired when they first marched against the city, suspended the siege, ceased the attack and withdrew his armies for an interval of time after the Romans had occupied the temple, thus giving every believing Jew the opportunity to obey the Lord’s instruction to flee the city. Josephus, the eyewitness, himself an unbeliever, chronicles this fact, and admitted his inability to account for the cessation of the fighting at the time, after a siege had begun. Can we account for it??? We can. The Lord was fighting against Jerusalem –



Zechariah 14:2

2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. ------ The Lord was besieging that city! God was bringing these things to pass against the Jewish State and nation. Therefore the opportunity was offered for the disciples to escape the siege, as Jesus had forewarned, and the disciples took it. So said Daniel; so said Jesus; so said Josephus.

And so it was – it was left for Titus, the Roman general, to execute the siege, after the faithful had fled –

Matthew 24:19-22

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: 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.

These verses (19-22) deal with the hindrances to flight from the besieged city, the tribulation of the siege, and the lifting of the siege for the escape of the disciples.

[Matthew 24:23-26]

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. 25 Behold, I have told you before. 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.

Here was the Lord’s warning against deceivers, fake prophets, false alarms and fraudulent signs – the forewarnings to enable the disciples to discriminate between the spurious and the genuine.

[Matthew 24:27-28]

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. 28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

The “coming” here refers to the approach of the Roman armies. The Jewish nation was the “carcass’ which the Roman eagles were sent to devour. These verses describe the swiftness of the events and the suddenness of all the occurrences connected with the siege of Jerusalem. The illustration of the eagles gathering where the carcass is found, is a figurative description of the Romans as the eagles swarming over Jerusalem and Judea as the carcass, to loot and spoil the city and all of the land of Judea.



Matthew 24:29

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:

Now here is where most “Gentiles” get into trouble. They see these Hebraisms used here about the sun, moon and stars and they immediately think of the physical elements you look up and see in the heavens at certain times. Let the bible define these. They are used in prophetic scripture elsewhere.

Take a look at Genesis 37:9 where Joseph dreamed a dream and saw the sun, moon and stars bowing down to him. Later he told the story to his father and he was rebuked. His father told him, “shall I, thy mother and brothers bow down on the earth to you?(Gen 37:9,10) Also, take a look at Isaiah 13 and Joel 2 where the same phrases are used to describe the ruin of the Babylon government and Jerusalem commonwealth. The signs in the heavens, the darkening sun and falling stars, refer to the falling of the Jewish dignitaries, casting down of authorities and powers, long established, and signified the darkness that settled upon the Jewish State. The sun of the Hebrew temple was darkened, the moon of the Jewish commonwealth was as blood, and the stars of the Sanhedrin fell from their high seats of authority. A true picture of doom and gloom for the Jewish nation. God is fixing to destroy Jerusalem and the temple. God will use a Roman army led by General Titus to do it. This destruction will destroy all genealogies. Israel will NEVER exist again with a priesthood as NO JEW will ever know from what tribe he/she is from. God saw to this.

[Matthew 24:30]

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.

The sign of the Son of man in the heaven was a signal, the evidence of divine visitation and intervention in the downfall of the Jewish authorities and in all the transpiring events. The mourning of all the tribes of the earth refers to the lamentation of the Jewish families all over the world because of the destruction of the city and their temple and their state. The coming of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven (see my article “some tools to dig with”) is not a reference to the 2[sup]nd[/sup] coming of Christ, but to the coming foretold by Jesus to Caiaphas in Matt 26:64:

Matthew 26:64

64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

Jesus told Caiaphas that he would see it, he would be a living witness to these events. The reference to the Son of man coming “with power and great glory” and “sitting on the right hand of power” is emphasis on the magnitude of the things that occurred. The Son of man came in power in the transpiring events.





[Matthew 24:31]

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.



Here in verse 31 is the grand announcement of the world-wide success of the gospel, the universal expansion of Christianity after the destruction of Jerusalem. The angels of this verse were messengers, emissaries of the gospel. The gathering of the elect from the four winds meant that these messengers would carry the gospel to every corner of the inhabited world. With the downfall of Judaism the greatest foe of the church (made up of Jews at this time) was removed, the path cleared of the chief obstacle, resulting in the universal sweep of Christianity. The knowledge of God covered the earth as the waters cover the sea.

VERSES 32-33 ARE SIGNS THAT IT IS NEAR!

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.

The signs of the approaching events would serve as portents to all faithful disciples that the things of which they were being warned would be near. The disciples would recognize these signs up to the time of the siege, and would know that it was “near, even at the doors.” It is here that Luke says,

“ When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Lk 21:28).

The providential means for the escape of the faithful was divinely prearranged and when they should see these things “begin to come to pass” they were told to “look up” and “lift up” their heads in full confidence that their redemption, their deliverance, was at hand. This redemption extended beyond the mere escape from t he siege – it was a greater deliverance from the persecutions of the Jewish authorities and the oppositions of Judaism, brought to an end by the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Jewish state.

To say that the expression “it is near” refers to the end of the world, the end of time, or a “rapture” theory is contrary to the context of Matthew 24. When these signs appeared the Lord said, “Let them which are in Judea flee” – and they did! Luke 21:20

20 “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. (desolation = destruction)

When the disciples saw the armies of Titus coming and surrounding Jerusalem, they obeyed the Lord and fled. If this passage meant the “end of the world” why would Jesus tell them to flee to the mountains?? And why say, “let not them that are in the country enter thereunto” –into Jerusalem? These sayings show clearly that the whole thing is a description of the destruction of Jerusalem. Reverting in verses 41, 42:

[Matthew 24:41-42]

41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

The believing disciple would recognize the signs and take flight, while the unbelieving companion would remain and perish in the siege.



Matthew 24:34

34 I tell you the truth, [this generation] will certainly NOT PASS AWAY until all these things have happened.

All these signs mentioned above came to pass before these Jews died off. They would see them says Jesus! Notice Jesus said “this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.”


The nation of Israel (like in David’s time) will NEVER exist again. God saw to this when He destroyed the temple and all it’s genealogies. Where are the Levites? Don’t know because the people who call themselves a Jew do not know from what tribe they came from How can you have a priesthood when you can’t find any “sons of Aaron”? How can you have temple service when you can’t fine a Levite?

Yes, there is a nation that calls itself Israel, BUT they have no priesthood, nor ever will.

Israel of today is just like any other nation on earth.





Your servant in Christ

Charles Jemeyson

[email protected]

San Antonio, Texas

 

[veteran]

Where are all these Preterist false prophets coming from? They must be calling their brothers to this Forum.

No, Christ's Olivet discourse was not just about events that center around 70 A.D. Jerusalem that culminated with its destruction and the temple.

No, Christ DID NOT return at His second coming back in that time.

No, the abuse of the word 'aion' is not enough to set the whole Olivet Discourse timing context.

No, the Roman army DID NOT enter the temple and setup an abomintion of desolation, for the temple burned down before they could do it (and that per the Jewish historian Josephus).

And No, Christ did not return to gather His saints at the 70 A.D. destruction of Jerusalem.

No, the abomination of desolation IS NOT the waving of ornaments around the outside of the temple. It is the setting up of literal idol worship INSIDE the temple like what Antiochus Epiphanes did before in 165 B.C. It involves the people's willingness to allow an abomination inside the temple like the pattern of false worship God gave in Ezekiel 8.

No, Rome is NOT the last beast kingdom in place on earth when Christ does return to strike the final beast upon its feet.

No, the preaching of The Gospel of Jesus Christ did not end the idea of a Jewish state nor Judaism.


What you're preaching are deceptions in hope of getting folks attention away from what's going on in the world today, with Christ's second coming approaching. Jews in Jerusalem are getting ready to build another temple and start animal sacrifices again. God's Truth is going out to all nations now like never before.

 

[bud02]

Where are all these Preterist false prophets coming from? They must be calling their brothers to this Forum.

No, Christ's Olivet discourse was not just about events that center around 70 A.D. Jerusalem that culminated with its destruction and the temple.

No, Christ DID NOT return at His second coming back in that time.

No, the abuse of the word 'aion' is not enough to set the whole Olivet Discourse timing context.

No, the Roman army DID NOT enter the temple and setup an abomintion of desolation, for the temple burned down before they could do it (and that per the Jewish historian Josephus).

And No, Christ did not return to gather His saints at the 70 A.D. destruction of Jerusalem.

No, the abomination of desolation IS NOT the waving of ornaments around the outside of the temple. It is the setting up of literal idol worship INSIDE the temple like what Antiochus Epiphanes did before in 165 B.C. It involves the people's willingness to allow an abomination inside the temple like the pattern of false worship God gave in Ezekiel 8.

No, Rome is NOT the last beast kingdom in place on earth when Christ does return to strike the final beast upon its feet.

No, the preaching of The Gospel of Jesus Christ did not end the idea of a Jewish state nor Judaism.


What you're preaching are deceptions in hope of getting folks attention away from what's going on in the world today, with Christ's second coming approaching. Jews in Jerusalem are getting ready to build another temple and start animal sacrifices again. God's Truth is going out to all nations now like never before.

Your doing it again veteran, you here one thing indicating something may have taken place in the past and reply with the same rant every time.
Preterist false prophets
At least some people actually respond to what is said.

If you don't know what "The age" is referring to perhaps you need to look into pre Abraham history. It was common knowledge that the age was the procession of the stars in the heaven. What we know as the 26 thousand year procession "wobble of the earth" that causes the procession of the age, from one of the 12 signs of the zodiac "ages" to move from one to the next. But including such information in your data base is probably of the devil to you. Astronomers really can't tell because of the slow movement and the exact point of beginning and end. But Jesus was on the earth right at the beginning of the sign of pisces. We are very near entering or have entered the sign of aquarius today.

It could indicate the the age of truth in darkness to the age of truth in light. That is from Egypt, its what the Egyptians named the ascending passage in the great pyramid.
The narrow part was in darkness and where it opened up into the grand gallery, this was know as the hall of truth in light. There is some interesting information to be looked at if you just put down your ghost buster plasma devil buster, and listen once in a while. Just where did the wise men get their info from? They were following a star. Note that they were the first to seek Jesus. Seek and you shall find, does it say that some where? Sometimes all of these point to the same event. If we labeled everyone that made a mistake and then disregarded everything they said because of that one event, we would have to disregard every human on earth. Peter is a fin example, he in a sense operated as a false prophet right in from of Jesus. Did Jesus cast him off forever? NO. The lies of false prophets most often contain a larger portion of truth.

Or it could indicate the age of the new covenant.
Being narrow minded is not the path to knowledge, that's all I'm trying to say.

 

[veteran]

You bet I'm doing it again, quelling the false doctrines of Preterism which tries to throw away the coming events and put them under lock and key, which is a working of corruption that's designed to deceive many in the end of days.

The following is for those who actually want to know the timing and context of our Lord Jesus' Olivet discourse He gave through His disciples upon the Mount of Olives.

Our Lord Jesus was giving specific 'signs' leading up to the time of His return in His Olivet sermon, His second coming which has still not happenned yet today. If one believes Christ's second coming is already past, then you should also be asking how you missed that boat, seeing how wickedness remains upon this earth, and hatred against His Church is increasing in the West today. These signs Christ gave parallel the seven seals of Revelation 6, which is another marker for the very end of days with His second coming, and not 70 A.D. Jerusalem.

Matt 24:1-37
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."

Jesus and His disciples were upon the Mount of Olives overlooking the Temple complex of buildings that existed at that time. He foretold the day would come when not even one stone would be standing on top of another in that complex. TODAY, the western wall (Wailing Wall) of that old Temple complex still is standing. There's still stones standing on top of another there. Did our Lord miss that then? No, because the time for that fulfillment of not one stone standing upon another there is set for His second coming and time of God's cup of wrath poured out upon that area. It's written in Revelation and especially in Zechariah 14, and in many Scriptures of the Old Testament prophets. The Jews in Jerusalem are getting ready to build another temple there, so there's going to be more stones placed there yet in our times.

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?"

Just the fact that His disciples asked Him what would be the sign of His coming, that's how the proper context of this discourse is set. There are many, many Scriptures in God's Word that reveals the events to occur with Christ's second coming. They are plentiful in showing the sincere Bible student that Christ's return will not be a philosophical or spiritual return, but a literal bodily return of Jesus to the Mount of Olives (Zech.14 is only one example). That by itself makes all claims to a different timing context moot. It even shows just how we are to interpret that phrase "the end of the world".

The Bible student will discover that Greek word 'aion' used in many senses, like an age, or eternity, or the worlds (universe), etc. In Matt.12:32 it is used for after the time of Christ's second coming, still future to us. And in Matt.13:39 & 49; Matt.28:20; Mark 10:30 especially; Luke 1:33; Luke 18:29; Luke 20:35; John 8:35; John 8:51; John 12:34; John 14:16; 1 Cor.8:13; Heb.1:2; Heb.11:3; etc. A study of that word 'aion' how it's used throughout the NT shows that only by the context meaning of other events given along with it, can its application be determined. And in this Matt.24:3 context, it is tied to the time of Christ's second coming, which is on the last day of this present world we are still in.

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.

The first sign our Lord Jesus gave was a warning of many who would come and claim to be Christ. Those are STILL with us today, saying that they are Christ. Because those false prophets still exist even today reveals this sign is STILL in effect today, and did NOT end with the 70 A.D. destruction of Jerusalem.

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.

Many abuse this warning our Lord gave, because they often leave off the very last phrase of "but the end is not yet." In other words, the end of this present world is to occur with a time of world peace, though a fake peace, a time when all wars and rumours of wars have stopped. That was Apostle Paul's Message also in 1 Thess.5 in order to mark events of Christ's coming he covered in the previous chapter of 1 Thess.4. Paul said that when those who sleep in the night shall say, "Peace and safety", then "sudden destruction will come upon them. He was speaking of Christ's wrath coming upon them at His second coming at His return to this earth.

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.

Violent storms on this earth have been increasing. The nations and kingdoms are still battling against each other. And there still are pestilences and earthquakes in various places on the earth. When has such storms like Katrina ever happenned in U.S. history? The U.S. Government has created FEMA in order to deal with the increased rise of these events just in our hemisphere. And just this past spring, congress gave approval to build emergency camps within U.S. military bases to house peoples that are subject to the rising number of national emergencies because of storms like Katrina. This is a sign of the beginnings of sorrows, a sign for the coming end of this present world.

9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for My name's sake.

This sign is about many of Christ's servants being delivered up to councils and synagogues to give a Testimony for Christ. It is tied to the 5th seal of Rev.6 about tribulation timing, and is specifically linked to the event of those who refuse to bow to the image of the beast or take his mark (Rev.13).

10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

Even family members will turn against each other, as Christ said our enemies would be those of our own household. Many families today are being divided because of the false prophets in the world teaching lies of deception like the various 'rapture' doctrines and ideas like Preterism which is against the idea of waiting for Christ's second coming back to this earth. Many are heeding the lies of the New World Order pundits who seek to setup a fake copy of Christ's Kingdom today on earth.

12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Because of the iniquity the New World Order host of new agers are pushing and allowing, it is making the love of many to wax cold. Their propaganda is pushed in many TV shows, movies, and in the media in general which are ideas to cause people to love THIS world and follow the ways of this world. At the same time they are attacking Christian's right to speak out against the ways of this world. Only those who remain separate from the ways of this world, those who stand in Christ, will be saved.

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.

The Greek word for "preached" is kerusso, and means to 'herald' like a town crier upon a soapbox at the town square. Our Lord Jesus linked that with the Testimony that some of His servants will given during the great tribulation against the final beast kingdom. He told His to not premeditate what they will say in that 'hour', but to speak what The Holy Spirit gives to say. It will be a manifestation of the true cloven tongue, of which Pentecost was only an example of. God is going to directly speak to the whole world through His servants that give that Testimony during the tribulation.

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.

An abomination in the holy place is the prophecy of the "vile person" ending the daily sacrifice, and placing the abomination that maketh desolate (Dan.11). It's the holy place (Temple at Jerusalem) that is made desolate through idol worship, not literal destruction of the Temple like in 70 A.D. Antiochus Eophanes in 165-170 B.C. did just that, conquered Jerusalem, went inside the Temple, sacrificed swine upon the altar and spread its broth throughout the inside of the Temple, and then setup an idol abomination to Zeus, causing many to fall away to Greek religion, a religion Antiochus sought to make universal. That is what the Daniel prophecy is about, not literal destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, but usage of it for idol worship.

But wait a minute, Antiochus did that in 165 B.C., around 70 years BEFORE Christ gave that abomination of desolation warning there upon the Mount of Olives. The Roman army in 70 A.D. didn't do what Antiochus did. The Temple was burned before the Romans could ever get inside it, per the Jewish historian Josephus. That warning Christ is giving is for the end of days, about the 'dragon' of Rev.13 who is to come at the very end of this world, to Jerusalem, and setup an image to the beast in a rebuilt temple for the whole world to bow in worship to. Apostle Paul showed in 2 Thess.2 that false one is to sit in the Temple, showing himself that he is God.

For the saints in Jerusalem see that false one coming to sit in a rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem, they are to flee that area of Judea. In the Luke 21 version, Christ also warned for those in the countries to not enter in, for it is the days of vengenace, the time of His wrath upon that area that will occur with His second coming.

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:

In Luke 23, our Lord quoted the with child metaphor to those who wept while He bore His cross up to be crucified. The with child metaphor is not about literal pregnant women. It's a spiritual metaphor tied to the idea of spiritual virgins who are to remain to Christ "a chaste virgin", in the spiritual sense. We are betrothed to Christ our True Husband (spiritually as virgins waiting for His return). To be found 'with child' when He comes means having fallen away to worship another in His stead. That's another pointer here to those who follow that abomination of desolation of false worship to another. It is also the idea of taking flight in the winter within the parable of the figs. That abomination of desolation idol worship represents the unripe fig that grows in the winter but falls off before spring. If your flight is in winter, it means you fled to the false one who comes in symbolic winter prior to Christ's return in symbolic 'summer' (true harvest time).

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.

Does that mean tribulation worse that 70 A.D.? Yes. Does it mean tribulation worse than WWII? Yes. If just speaking of the idea of tribulations upon peoples, there's already been worse ones than the one in 70 A.D. Jerusalem. The Holocaust is an example. This great tribulation is to be much worse than anything that has yet happenned on this earth dealing with tribulations upon peoples. It will make 70 A.D. Jerusalem look like child's play.

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.

For the sake of Christ's elect, those days will be shortened, otherwise no flesh would be saved.

23 Then if any man shall say unto you, 'Lo, here is Christ, or there'; believe it not.

Then, in that same time of great tribulation, if anyone comes up to you and says something like, "Lo, here is Christ, or there", our Lord Jesus told us to not believe it. Why? Because He is talking about a SPECIFIC false Christ that will have power to make the majority of the world believe he is God. Christ will point that idea out more in the next verse...

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.

The phrase "false Christs" is actually singular with this context. In the prior verses our Lord Jesus did warn of many false ones claiming to be Christ. But at this point after the abomination of desolation idol image is setup, this is about a singular false Christ. The word is 'pseudochristos' in the Greek, meaning 'a pseudo Christ', one, a particular one. To make that clear, our Lord also shows how that false Christ, or false messiah, will do great signs and wonders so powerful in deception, that it might even cause His elect to be deceived. But He said, "insomuch that, if it were possible" meaning His elect servants will not be deceived by that working. Even the Jews will think Messiah has come with that working, so forget that is could ever be about a man like the pope, or really just any flesh man at all. It will be the "dragon", which is another title for Satan himself (Rev.20:2).

That is the same idea Apostle Paul gave in 2 Thess.2 about the false one who is to cause false worship of himself, sitting in the Temple of God to show that he is God. That false one is to be revealed when Christ returns with the brightness of His coming to destroy that false one. That false one is the same 'dragon' of Rev.13 that is to work great wonders and signs and miracles, raining fire (lightning) from Heaven on earth in the sight of men. That one also is to setup an image of the beast for ALL the world to worship, and those who refuse that they should be killed.

25 Behold, I have told you before.
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.

Just to make sure Christ's elect understand this coming false one is a most important sign for the end of this world, He gives the warning again. In the next verse Christ contrasts 'how' He comes with how we will have to hear the deceived claiming that false messiah is Him.

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.
28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

As lightning strikes and can be easily seen shining from east to west across the sky, that's how obvious Christ's coming will be. Everyone will know when it happens, which is also the idea of Rev.1:7 with even those who pierced Him seeing His coming.

But wheresoever the 'dead' (carcase) are, that's where the fake eagles will be gathered. At the end of Luke 17 Christ's disciples asked our Lord Jesus just 'Where' the first ones taken in the field (world) would be to. Christ gave this same answer of wheresoever the dead bodies are, that's where the eagles will be gathered. Literal eagles don't go after what's dead, but vultures do. Even that is a hidden metaphor about Satan's host that will be seated in Jerusalem when the abomination idol is setup, with Satan's servants disguised as ministers of Christ telling Christians to gather there for Christ has come. Problem is, it won't be our Lord Jesus there at all, but this pseudo-Christ instead, working signs, and wonders, and miracles to try and deceive a believer into thinking Christ has returned.

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:
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.

Then, immediately after that tribulation, darkness will be upon the earth, heaven will roll up as a scroll, and the sign of Christ's true coming will be seen with His literal coming in the clouds of heaven with power and glory. Zech.14 and Acts 1 shows His return will be to that very spot on earth called the Mount of Olives. All the peoples on earth will mourn at that sight of His coming, for it will be a shock to the deceived and to Satan's servants on earth.

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.

The "four winds" metaphor is about the literal end of this present world. It will happen, whether the false prophets of Preterism like it or not. That... is the time of Christ's second coming and our gathering to Him. But for the deceived five foolish virgins, they will already be gathered by the false messiah which Christ warned about in the above verses. They will think they had gathered to eagles, but in reality flee to vultures who serve the devil. Christ will not be happy with those foolish virgins and will tell them to get away from Him when He comes to gather His sheep.

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.
34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Our Lord's parable of the fig tree is about a time when the branch puts forth leaves, then you know summer, the symbolic time of His harvest, is just around the corner. When these signs of the end begin, He foretold us that generation that sees these events unfolding in their day, that generation on earth will not die out until all these signs come to pass, including the sign of His second coming.

That means, as long as there are continuing generations on this earth, then Christ's second coming has not yet occurred. Preterists try to say this has already happenned, and that is it meant in the spiritual sense only, but that idea can clearly be proven as false per God's Word. Acts 1 and Zechariah 14 are strong Biblical proofs that Christ's second coming is a literal return to this earth upon the Mount of Olives where He ascended to Heaven from (Acts 1). And there are many other Scriptures which declare changes upon this earth, and the resurrection of the dead, and our gathering with the asleep saints Paul said Christ will bring with Him at His return (1 Thess.4).

36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only.

Only The Father knows the day and hour of Christ's second coming. Yet Christ gave us these signs to be watching that lead up to His return. That's what His Olivet discourse is about, as also His Book of Revelation which means 'the revealing'. It's obvious that some have no intention of listening to Christ in His Word to know the signs He gave leading up to His return, and that's to their own destruction. Here's another sign He gave us...

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.

The deceived on earth in Noah's day mocked his building of the ark. They went about their partying and having a good ol' time until the floods came, and then all of sudden they were all taken away, destroyed. That's how it will also be with Christ's second coming, the majority will not be watching for it, but will instead listen to false prophets tell them it already happened back in history, or that when the false messiah comes that he is Christ. It will take many "as a thief" breaking in at midnight (1 Thess.5).

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.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

How can we watch if no knows in what hour our Lord Jesus returns? Isn't that the question those who refuse to watch ask? We watch by the signs our Lord Jesus gave that lead up to... His return. There are 7 major signs of the end He gave in this Olivet discourse, and they parallel the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven vials He gave in His Book of Revelation. None have an excuse not to be watching today.

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.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Paul covered this idea of Christ's return happenning "as a thief in the night" in 1 Thess.5. Paul said that event was not to take us by surprise, and for us to remain sober and watching. If those who don't watch had, they would have known... in what watch the thief comes, and would have waited up to not allow that thief to break in the house. That shows we can know when the time of Christ's return draws closer. That's what the signs He gave are for.

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.

Who is the faithful and wise servant of Christ that He has made ruler over His flock, to give His sheep the "strong meat" of God's Word in due season? That servant will be blessed when Christ does return, and finds that servant maintaining that duty, instead of what?

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.
(KJV)

Doctrines of Preterism puts a servant of Christ in the above evil servants group, because it's a doctrine designed to deceive Christ's servants into NOT watching. The Pre-trib doctrines, or "any moment" doctrine, also does the same.

A doctrine that says Christ's second coming has already happenned in history is what that causes. "Hey, Christ already returned back in the days of His Apostles, so let's eat, drink, and be merry for His Kingdom is already here!" Because of that lie, other lies about the state of this present world must be pushed along with that. Before the deceived believer realizes it, he/she is following the ways of this world, because afterall, today's world is Christ's Kingdom manifested on earth, is it not? NO, it is not. Christ's Kingdom is ONLY manifested spiritually through His servants on earth today, but it is to one day LITERALLY manfiest on this earth with Christ's second coming and our gathering to Him. And that should easily be contrasted with the many abominations still going on in this world today. God's Kingdom to come is about the end of ALL evil. There will exist nothing that is evil in His Kingdom to come on this earth. Christ's future reign is the start of that cleansing of evil off this earth. It has NOT yet begun today.

 

[charlesj]

You bet I'm doing it again, quelling the false doctrines of Preterism which tries to throw away the coming events and put them under lock and key, which is a working of corruption that's designed to deceive many in the end of days.

The following is for those who actually want to know the timing and context of our Lord Jesus' Olivet discourse He gave through His disciples upon the Mount of Olives.

Our Lord Jesus was giving specific 'signs' leading up to the time of His return in His Olivet sermon, His second coming which has still not happenned yet today. If one believes Christ's second coming is already past, then you should also be asking how you missed that boat, seeing how wickedness remains upon this earth, and hatred against His Church is increasing in the West today. These signs Christ gave parallel the seven seals of Revelation 6, which is another marker for the very end of days with His second coming, and not 70 A.D. Jerusalem.

Matt 24:1-37
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."

Jesus and His disciples were upon the Mount of Olives overlooking the Temple complex of buildings that existed at that time. He foretold the day would come when not even one stone would be standing on top of another in that complex. TODAY, the western wall (Wailing Wall) of that old Temple complex still is standing. There's still stones standing on top of another there. Did our Lord miss that then? No, because the time for that fulfillment of not one stone standing upon another there is set for His second coming and time of God's cup of wrath poured out upon that area. It's written in Revelation and especially in Zechariah 14, and in many Scriptures of the Old Testament prophets. The Jews in Jerusalem are getting ready to build another temple there, so there's going to be more stones placed there yet in our times.

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?"

Just the fact that His disciples asked Him what would be the sign of His coming, that's how the proper context of this discourse is set. There are many, many Scriptures in God's Word that reveals the events to occur with Christ's second coming. They are plentiful in showing the sincere Bible student that Christ's return will not be a philosophical or spiritual return, but a literal bodily return of Jesus to the Mount of Olives (Zech.14 is only one example). That by itself makes all claims to a different timing context moot. It even shows just how we are to interpret that phrase "the end of the world".

The Bible student will discover that Greek word 'aion' used in many senses, like an age, or eternity, or the worlds (universe), etc. In Matt.12:32 it is used for after the time of Christ's second coming, still future to us. And in Matt.13:39 & 49; Matt.28:20; Mark 10:30 especially; Luke 1:33; Luke 18:29; Luke 20:35; John 8:35; John 8:51; John 12:34; John 14:16; 1 Cor.8:13; Heb.1:2; Heb.11:3; etc. A study of that word 'aion' how it's used throughout the NT shows that only by the context meaning of other events given along with it, can its application be determined. And in this Matt.24:3 context, it is tied to the time of Christ's second coming, which is on the last day of this present world we are still in.

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.

The first sign our Lord Jesus gave was a warning of many who would come and claim to be Christ. Those are STILL with us today, saying that they are Christ. Because those false prophets still exist even today reveals this sign is STILL in effect today, and did NOT end with the 70 A.D. destruction of Jerusalem.

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.

Many abuse this warning our Lord gave, because they often leave off the very last phrase of "but the end is not yet." In other words, the end of this present world is to occur with a time of world peace, though a fake peace, a time when all wars and rumours of wars have stopped. That was Apostle Paul's Message also in 1 Thess.5 in order to mark events of Christ's coming he covered in the previous chapter of 1 Thess.4. Paul said that when those who sleep in the night shall say, "Peace and safety", then "sudden destruction will come upon them. He was speaking of Christ's wrath coming upon them at His second coming at His return to this earth.

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.

Violent storms on this earth have been increasing. The nations and kingdoms are still battling against each other. And there still are pestilences and earthquakes in various places on the earth. When has such storms like Katrina ever happenned in U.S. history? The U.S. Government has created FEMA in order to deal with the increased rise of these events just in our hemisphere. And just this past spring, congress gave approval to build emergency camps within U.S. military bases to house peoples that are subject to the rising number of national emergencies because of storms like Katrina. This is a sign of the beginnings of sorrows, a sign for the coming end of this present world.

9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for My name's sake.

This sign is about many of Christ's servants being delivered up to councils and synagogues to give a Testimony for Christ. It is tied to the 5th seal of Rev.6 about tribulation timing, and is specifically linked to the event of those who refuse to bow to the image of the beast or take his mark (Rev.13).

10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

Even family members will turn against each other, as Christ said our enemies would be those of our own household. Many families today are being divided because of the false prophets in the world teaching lies of deception like the various 'rapture' doctrines and ideas like Preterism which is against the idea of waiting for Christ's second coming back to this earth. Many are heeding the lies of the New World Order pundits who seek to setup a fake copy of Christ's Kingdom today on earth.

12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Because of the iniquity the New World Order host of new agers are pushing and allowing, it is making the love of many to wax cold. Their propaganda is pushed in many TV shows, movies, and in the media in general which are ideas to cause people to love THIS world and follow the ways of this world. At the same time they are attacking Christian's right to speak out against the ways of this world. Only those who remain separate from the ways of this world, those who stand in Christ, will be saved.

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.

The Greek word for "preached" is kerusso, and means to 'herald' like a town crier upon a soapbox at the town square. Our Lord Jesus linked that with the Testimony that some of His servants will given during the great tribulation against the final beast kingdom. He told His to not premeditate what they will say in that 'hour', but to speak what The Holy Spirit gives to say. It will be a manifestation of the true cloven tongue, of which Pentecost was only an example of. God is going to directly speak to the whole world through His servants that give that Testimony during the tribulation.

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.

An abomination in the holy place is the prophecy of the "vile person" ending the daily sacrifice, and placing the abomination that maketh desolate (Dan.11). It's the holy place (Temple at Jerusalem) that is made desolate through idol worship, not literal destruction of the Temple like in 70 A.D. Antiochus Eophanes in 165-170 B.C. did just that, conquered Jerusalem, went inside the Temple, sacrificed swine upon the altar and spread its broth throughout the inside of the Temple, and then setup an idol abomination to Zeus, causing many to fall away to Greek religion, a religion Antiochus sought to make universal. That is what the Daniel prophecy is about, not literal destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, but usage of it for idol worship.

But wait a minute, Antiochus did that in 165 B.C., around 70 years BEFORE Christ gave that abomination of desolation warning there upon the Mount of Olives. The Roman army in 70 A.D. didn't do what Antiochus did. The Temple was burned before the Romans could ever get inside it, per the Jewish historian Josephus. That warning Christ is giving is for the end of days, about the 'dragon' of Rev.13 who is to come at the very end of this world, to Jerusalem, and setup an image to the beast in a rebuilt temple for the whole world to bow in worship to. Apostle Paul showed in 2 Thess.2 that false one is to sit in the Temple, showing himself that he is God.

For the saints in Jerusalem see that false one coming to sit in a rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem, they are to flee that area of Judea. In the Luke 21 version, Christ also warned for those in the countries to not enter in, for it is the days of vengenace, the time of His wrath upon that area that will occur with His second coming.

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:

In Luke 23, our Lord quoted the with child metaphor to those who wept while He bore His cross up to be crucified. The with child metaphor is not about literal pregnant women. It's a spiritual metaphor tied to the idea of spiritual virgins who are to remain to Christ "a chaste virgin", in the spiritual sense. We are betrothed to Christ our True Husband (spiritually as virgins waiting for His return). To be found 'with child' when He comes means having fallen away to worship another in His stead. That's another pointer here to those who follow that abomination of desolation of false worship to another. It is also the idea of taking flight in the winter within the parable of the figs. That abomination of desolation idol worship represents the unripe fig that grows in the winter but falls off before spring. If your flight is in winter, it means you fled to the false one who comes in symbolic winter prior to Christ's return in symbolic 'summer' (true harvest time).

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.

Does that mean tribulation worse that 70 A.D.? Yes. Does it mean tribulation worse than WWII? Yes. If just speaking of the idea of tribulations upon peoples, there's already been worse ones than the one in 70 A.D. Jerusalem. The Holocaust is an example. This great tribulation is to be much worse than anything that has yet happenned on this earth dealing with tribulations upon peoples. It will make 70 A.D. Jerusalem look like child's play.

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.

For the sake of Christ's elect, those days will be shortened, otherwise no flesh would be saved.

23 Then if any man shall say unto you, 'Lo, here is Christ, or there'; believe it not.

Then, in that same time of great tribulation, if anyone comes up to you and says something like, "Lo, here is Christ, or there", our Lord Jesus told us to not believe it. Why? Because He is talking about a SPECIFIC false Christ that will have power to make the majority of the world believe he is God. Christ will point that idea out more in the next verse...

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.

The phrase "false Christs" is actually singular with this context. In the prior verses our Lord Jesus did warn of many false ones claiming to be Christ. But at this point after the abomination of desolation idol image is setup, this is about a singular false Christ. The word is 'pseudochristos' in the Greek, meaning 'a pseudo Christ', one, a particular one. To make that clear, our Lord also shows how that false Christ, or false messiah, will do great signs and wonders so powerful in deception, that it might even cause His elect to be deceived. But He said, "insomuch that, if it were possible" meaning His elect servants will not be deceived by that working. Even the Jews will think Messiah has come with that working, so forget that is could ever be about a man like the pope, or really just any flesh man at all. It will be the "dragon", which is another title for Satan himself (Rev.20:2).

That is the same idea Apostle Paul gave in 2 Thess.2 about the false one who is to cause false worship of himself, sitting in the Temple of God to show that he is God. That false one is to be revealed when Christ returns with the brightness of His coming to destroy that false one. That false one is the same 'dragon' of Rev.13 that is to work great wonders and signs and miracles, raining fire (lightning) from Heaven on earth in the sight of men. That one also is to setup an image of the beast for ALL the world to worship, and those who refuse that they should be killed.

25 Behold, I have told you before.
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.

Just to make sure Christ's elect understand this coming false one is a most important sign for the end of this world, He gives the warning again. In the next verse Christ contrasts 'how' He comes with how we will have to hear the deceived claiming that false messiah is Him.

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.
28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

As lightning strikes and can be easily seen shining from east to west across the sky, that's how obvious Christ's coming will be. Everyone will know when it happens, which is also the idea of Rev.1:7 with even those who pierced Him seeing His coming.

But wheresoever the 'dead' (carcase) are, that's where the fake eagles will be gathered. At the end of Luke 17 Christ's disciples asked our Lord Jesus just 'Where' the first ones taken in the field (world) would be to. Christ gave this same answer of wheresoever the dead bodies are, that's where the eagles will be gathered. Literal eagles don't go after what's dead, but vultures do. Even that is a hidden metaphor about Satan's host that will be seated in Jerusalem when the abomination idol is setup, with Satan's servants disguised as ministers of Christ telling Christians to gather there for Christ has come. Problem is, it won't be our Lord Jesus there at all, but this pseudo-Christ instead, working signs, and wonders, and miracles to try and deceive a believer into thinking Christ has returned.

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:
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.

Then, immediately after that tribulation, darkness will be upon the earth, heaven will roll up as a scroll, and the sign of Christ's true coming will be seen with His literal coming in the clouds of heaven with power and glory. Zech.14 and Acts 1 shows His return will be to that very spot on earth called the Mount of Olives. All the peoples on earth will mourn at that sight of His coming, for it will be a shock to the deceived and to Satan's servants on earth.

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.

The "four winds" metaphor is about the literal end of this present world. It will happen, whether the false prophets of Preterism like it or not. That... is the time of Christ's second coming and our gathering to Him. But for the deceived five foolish virgins, they will already be gathered by the false messiah which Christ warned about in the above verses. They will think they had gathered to eagles, but in reality flee to vultures who serve the devil. Christ will not be happy with those foolish virgins and will tell them to get away from Him when He comes to gather His sheep.

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.
34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Our Lord's parable of the fig tree is about a time when the branch puts forth leaves, then you know summer, the symbolic time of His harvest, is just around the corner. When these signs of the end begin, He foretold us that generation that sees these events unfolding in their day, that generation on earth will not die out until all these signs come to pass, including the sign of His second coming.

That means, as long as there are continuing generations on this earth, then Christ's second coming has not yet occurred. Preterists try to say this has already happenned, and that is it meant in the spiritual sense only, but that idea can clearly be proven as false per God's Word. Acts 1 and Zechariah 14 are strong Biblical proofs that Christ's second coming is a literal return to this earth upon the Mount of Olives where He ascended to Heaven from (Acts 1). And there are many other Scriptures which declare changes upon this earth, and the resurrection of the dead, and our gathering with the asleep saints Paul said Christ will bring with Him at His return (1 Thess.4).

36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only.

Only The Father knows the day and hour of Christ's second coming. Yet Christ gave us these signs to be watching that lead up to His return. That's what His Olivet discourse is about, as also His Book of Revelation which means 'the revealing'. It's obvious that some have no intention of listening to Christ in His Word to know the signs He gave leading up to His return, and that's to their own destruction. Here's another sign He gave us...

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.

The deceived on earth in Noah's day mocked his building of the ark. They went about their partying and having a good ol' time until the floods came, and then all of sudden they were all taken away, destroyed. That's how it will also be with Christ's second coming, the majority will not be watching for it, but will instead listen to false prophets tell them it already happened back in history, or that when the false messiah comes that he is Christ. It will take many "as a thief" breaking in at midnight (1 Thess.5).

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.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

How can we watch if no knows in what hour our Lord Jesus returns? Isn't that the question those who refuse to watch ask? We watch by the signs our Lord Jesus gave that lead up to... His return. There are 7 major signs of the end He gave in this Olivet discourse, and they parallel the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven vials He gave in His Book of Revelation. None have an excuse not to be watching today.

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.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Paul covered this idea of Christ's return happenning "as a thief in the night" in 1 Thess.5. Paul said that event was not to take us by surprise, and for us to remain sober and watching. If those who don't watch had, they would have known... in what watch the thief comes, and would have waited up to not allow that thief to break in the house. That shows we can know when the time of Christ's return draws closer. That's what the signs He gave are for.

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.

Who is the faithful and wise servant of Christ that He has made ruler over His flock, to give His sheep the "strong meat" of God's Word in due season? That servant will be blessed when Christ does return, and finds that servant maintaining that duty, instead of what?

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.
(KJV)

Doctrines of Preterism puts a servant of Christ in the above evil servants group, because it's a doctrine designed to deceive Christ's servants into NOT watching. The Pre-trib doctrines, or "any moment" doctrine, also does the same.

A doctrine that says Christ's second coming has already happenned in history is what that causes. "Hey, Christ already returned back in the days of His Apostles, so let's eat, drink, and be merry for His Kingdom is already here!" Because of that lie, other lies about the state of this present world must be pushed along with that. Before the deceived believer realizes it, he/she is following the ways of this world, because afterall, today's world is Christ's Kingdom manifested on earth, is it not? NO, it is not. Christ's Kingdom is ONLY manifested spiritually through His servants on earth today, but it is to one day LITERALLY manfiest on this earth with Christ's second coming and our gathering to Him. And that should easily be contrasted with the many abominations still going on in this world today. God's Kingdom to come is about the end of ALL evil. There will exist nothing that is evil in His Kingdom to come on this earth. Christ's future reign is the start of that cleansing of evil off this earth. It has NOT yet begun today.

Hello Veteran:

Christ's second coming has not happened. Where did you see me write that?

I still stand by what I wrote on Matthew 24.

Most people understand that Matthew 24 is speaking of the 70 A.D. destruction of the temple and Jerusalem.
And the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel is the Roman Army. (Matt 24:15) The Roman army was an abomination and it did bring destruction (destruction) in 70 A.D.

The parallel account in Luke 21:21 says: "But when you see Jerusalem asurrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is at hand."

This all happened at the end of the age (End of Jewish economy). A new age started.​

Hey Vet, you can hang on to your false teaching if you want. I presented the truth to you.​

Also, calm down!! LOL​

Your servant in Christ,​

Charles Jemeyson​

[email protected]​

San Antonio, Texas​

 

[Paul]

...
Most people understand that Matthew 24 is speaking of the 70 A.D. destruction of the temple and Jerusalem.
...

I don't agree with you either, cj

 

[Eccl.12:13]

Your servant in Christ

You know......at first I was going to reply. But I'm sure most reading this thread knows it is not needed.

All I will address is your ending, "Your servant in Christ"

You know something.......God also called one His servant,

"Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant,..."

So you got some of that right.....

You may very well be a servant......

But my question is......to what end?



.

 

[charlesj]

You know......at first I was going to reply. But I'm sure most reading this thread knows it is not needed.

All I will address is your ending, "Your servant in Christ"

You know something.......God also called one His servant,

"Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant,..."

So you got some of that right.....

You may very well be a servant......

But my question is......to what end?



.

My Very Dear Friend:

I'm really sorry you have said this. It does hurt.
I'm an old man now and I don't have time to put up with stuff like this.

I've done a lot of things wrong in this life of mine. When I got out of the Marines I knew how bad I was
and have done a lot of things I don't even talk about with my wife of 47 years. I repented to the Father whom I've sinned against, confessed, from deep within my heart His Son Jesus and was baptized (Aug 31, 1970)
I am a Christian.

I will not respond to your messages anylonger.

May the Lord be with you,

Your servant in Christ,
Charles Jemeyson
[email protected]
San Antonio, Texas

 

[Foreigner]

I don't agree with you either, cj

-- I have to go with Paul on this one.
Taken in context it has nothing to do with what the Romans did to Jerusalem after the Jewish uprising in 70 A.D.

And Eccl. that last post was totally uncalled for. Charlesj, kudos for the way you responded.

 

[Eccl.12:13]

My Very Dear Friend:

I'm really sorry you have said this. It does hurt.

Sorry CJ! I truly didnt mean to offend!

 

[charlesj]

Sorry CJ! I truly didnt mean to offend!

Hello Eccl. 12:13:

Words sometimes are cold, but thank you.

I think I have offended some here on this forum with my amillennial views. In 1970 thru about 1975 I held the views of some on this fourm as a premillennialist. I can remember all the "hype" of the end time taking place back then, etc. even had pictures of a ship carrying materials from New York on its way to Israel to rebuild the temple so the sacrificail system could be restored.
At that time I was attending a Bible College that had a strong premillennial background. I still have many of their books in my libruary, even one titled "88 Reasons the Rapture will Occur in 1988." LOL

Anyway, thanks for coming back to me with your reply.

May the Lord be with you.

Semper Fi,
Your servant in Messiah,
Charles Jemeyson
[email protected]
San Antonio, Texas

p.s. I've only been on this forum for a couple of weeks. I'm really not use to forums and the time it takes to reply I really don't like it. I find myself sitting in front of the computer hours at a time per day.
I found this forum when I googled "christians forums."
I'm not use to this. I am strongly considering going AWOL.

 

[Eccl.12:13]

p.s. I've only been on this forum for a couple of weeks. I'm really not use to forums and the time it takes to reply I really don't like it. I find myself sitting in front of the computer hours at a time per day.
I found this forum when I googled "christians forums."
I'm not use to this. I am strongly considering going AWOL.

Stay for awhile CJ. You may be introduced to something you never considered before! If nothing else, read what others have to say and do as the scriptures says, "...cleave to that which is good."

.

 

[aspen]

Seems to me the point Jesus is trying make when He teaches his disciples about the signs of the end times is to communicate the fact that we have been in the end times ever since His resurrection. Wars and rumors of war? Earthquakes? He may as well have said that the sun will rise in the East. The point He is making is that we need to be prepared for His return at any time.

 

[charlesj]

Seems to me the point Jesus is trying make when He teaches his disciples about the signs of the end times is to communicate the fact that we have been in the end times ever since His resurrection. Wars and rumors of war? Earthquakes? He may as well have said that the sun will rise in the East. The point He is making is that we need to be prepared for His return at any time.

Hello aspen:

When you see "last days" mentioned in the N.T. it doesn't always mean the end of time, but it may mean "the time of the end." When I say this, I am speaking of the end of the Jewish economy in 70 A.D. Matthew 24 is speaking of the end of the Jewish economy and the N.T. writers refered to this period (before 70 A.D.) as the "last days, or the last hour." General Titus fulfilled Matthew 24 when he went into Jerusalem and destroyed the temple etc. At this time the priesthood ceased as all the genealogy records were destroyed. God saw to this. Being as the Sanhedrin and Pharisees were tied to the temple they ceased to exist also.
The Old Testament age was ending and a new age was fixing to start.

This also fits in with Hebrews 7:12 where God says the “priesthood” was changed so they had to change the law. “For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.” (Heb 7:12)



God will never go back to the Old Covenant priesthood. I do know that there are others who teach differently. Some even teach that circumcision will be brought back. WHY?



May the Lord be with you.



Charles Jemeyson

[email protected]

San Antonio, Texas

 

[aspen]

Hello aspen:

When you see "last days" mentioned in the N.T. it doesn't always mean the end of time, but it may mean "the time of the end." When I say this, I am speaking of the end of the Jewish economy in 70 A.D. Matthew 24 is speaking of the end of the Jewish economy and the N.T. writers refered to this period (before 70 A.D.) as the "last days, or the last hour." General Titus fulfilled Matthew 24 when he went into Jerusalem and destroyed the temple etc. At this time the priesthood ceased as all the genealogy records were destroyed. God saw to this. Being as the Sanhedrin and Pharisees were tied to the temple they ceased to exist also.
The Old Testament age was ending and a new age was fixing to start.

This also fits in with Hebrews 7:12 where God says the “priesthood” was changed so they had to change the law. “For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.” (Heb 7:12)


Thank you for your response, I am not a dispensationalist, so I may read the Bible differently than you do, but I appreciate your post. It seems to me that Jesus spoke to His disciples about returning quite often, so much so that they had the idea that it could happen at any moment after His ascension. Certainly they interpreted the parable of the virgins and the lamps in this manner. I think the martyrs believed in an eminent return as well - it was not until Augustine that theologians realized we may have to wait awhile.

Peace



God will never go back to the Old Covenant priesthood. I do know that there are others who teach differently. Some even teach that circumcision will be brought back. WHY?



May the Lord be with you.



Charles Jemeyson

[email protected]

San Antonio, Texas

 

[veteran]

Hello Veteran:

Christ's second coming has not happened. Where did you see me write that?

I still stand by what I wrote on Matthew 24.

Most people understand that Matthew 24 is speaking of the 70 A.D. destruction of the temple and Jerusalem.
And the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel is the Roman Army. (Matt 24:15) The Roman army was an abomination and it did bring destruction (destruction) in 70 A.D.

The parallel account in Luke 21:21 says: "But when you see Jerusalem asurrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is at hand."

This all happened at the end of the age (End of Jewish economy). A new age started.​

Hey Vet, you can hang on to your false teaching if you want. I presented the truth to you.​

Also, calm down!! LOL​

Your servant in Christ,​

Charles Jemeyson​

[email protected]​

San Antonio, Texas​

Guess I missed your reply.


The Luke 21:20-22 example skips details Christ gave in the other Matt.24 and Mark 13 examples; the Luke 21 version does not cover what kind of "desolation" is given in the Luke 21:20 example, but is pointing to Christ's return to Jerusalem to defeat those armies.


But, the Matt.24:15 and Mark 13:14 "abomination of desolation" examples ARE covered in detail, with Christ pointing specifically to an abomination (idol) being placed inside the holy place in false worship per the Book of Daniel (Dan.11:31).

The Romans in 69 A.D. were never able to get control of the temple to PLACE AN IDOL IN FALSE WORSHIP IN IT. That 2nd temple burned down before they could do that.

The meaning of the "abomination of desolation" is NOT simply about Jerusalem being destroyed by surrounding armies. Why's that?

Because through history Jerusalem had been conquered, destroyed, and rebuilt EVEN BEFORE THE TIME OF THE ROMANS. Have you not read the Book of Jeremiah and of what king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon did to Jerusalem and its temple?

The Jews plan to build a third temple in Jerusalem today. Why a THIRD one? It's because TWO previous destructions of Jerusalem destroyed the TWO previous temples there.

The "abomination of desolation" is about false idol worship in Jerusalem, specifically USING the temple. It's about the setting up of an 'image' of the beast for the end, per Rev.13. That's also what the king of Babylon did with setting up a golden image of himself for all to bow in false worship to (but not in Jerusalem's temple since he destroyed it). This is also the idea of the "image of jealousy" in the temple in Ezekiel 8 that makes God angry, and it's the same idea for the image of the beast to be setup by the dragon in Jerusalem for the coming tribulation.