Matthew 25 - Judgment Parables continued

For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 25:29-30

In the parable of the talents, Jesus gives His disciples another explanation of the coming judgment on that Levitical/Mosaic temple system. In this example, a man (Jesus, the Lord) who plans to travel to a faraway country (the heavenly Jerusalem) called his servants (believers) so He could distribute His goods (gifts of the Holy Spirit).

After a long time had passed (40 years from 30 AD to 70 AD), the Lord returned to find that two of His servants had done great things with these gifts and had even doubled them, which brought forth great praise! But one of the servants hid his gift in the ground because he was fearful and unbelieving. The Lord called that servant wicked and slothful - that he should've at least given the gift to the bankers to earn a little interest.

Result: what little that wicked servant had was taken from him and given to the successful servant. And then to make matters worse, the wicked servant was cast out into utter darkness where there was weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Who was Jesus speaking of when He referred to this wicked, slothful servant?  It was the sleepy believer who had grown weary and shrunk back into the temple system, abandoning his faith in Jesus. He did nothing with the wonderful gift given to him - if he was going to shrink back into that passing temple system, he should of at least used it there, in a way that could bring some benefit. But instead, he hid it in the ground where no one benefited.

Essentially, this servant viewed God with a pair of Old Covenant eyes, not New Covenant eyes; to this servant, God was harsh and cruel, reaping where He did not sow (basically viewing God as a thief and extortioner)!

Under the New Covenant, God is not like that - He is loving, kind, forgiving, and merciful! Praise the Lord for this very good news!

Links:
https://pjmiller.wordpress.com/2009/03/26/unheeded-or-misinterpreted-signs-the-destruction-of-jerusalem-70ad/

http://bible.christiansunite.com/jos/warindex.shtml

http://www.allthingsfulfilled.com/

http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/haggadah.html

Matthew 25 - Parables of the Coming Judgment

Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. Matthew 25:11-13. 

After Jesus gave the signs of the end of that Jewish age (which occurred in 70 AD), He then proceeds to give His disciples several parables to explain how the spiritual kingdom would arrive. First, He compared it to a wedding festivity where the bridegroom sounds the alarm and ten sleepy bridesmaids (virgins) wake up to meet their future husband. Unfortunately, half of the virgins had let their lamps darken so that by the time they purchased oil for their lamps (representing the Holy Spirit), they were shut out of the marriage supper.

What did this parable mean? It was a warning that, as the second coming delayed (40 years from 30 AD to 70 AD), the temptation would be there to shrink back from this new faith and return to the temple/sacrificial system. Those Jewish people of that end time generation who had tasted the goodness of God and had received the Holy Spirit would be shut out of the kingdom if they gave up on their faith. When the bridegroom, Jesus, came, a judgment would occur and there would be a great and devastating penalty for reverting back to the temple sacrifices.

Today, in the new covenant age, people must believe and receive Jesus Christ in order to be born again and come into the kingdom - just like during the first century. Those who do not receive Jesus will be forever lost and will live eternally in the lake of fire once they pass from this life to the next. That is why it is so important for us to share the goodness of the Gospel.

Links:
https://pjmiller.wordpress.com/2009/03/26/unheeded-or-misinterpreted-signs-the-destruction-of-jerusalem-70ad/

http://bible.christiansunite.com/jos/warindex.shtml

http://www.allthingsfulfilled.com/

http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/haggadah.html

Matthew 24 - The Day of the Lord!

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe 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 Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Matthew 24:36-39

Jesus continues to warn His disciples as to the signs of the end of that age in which they were living - it would be the end of that Mosaic/temple/Levitical priesthood system which ruled in that day. Jesus explained that it would come suddenly, at a time when there would be peace and prosperity, just as in the day of Noah when the flood, suddenly and unexpectedly, came upon mankind. As God judged man on that day, He would judge His people, Israel, on the Last Day - which we know occurred in 70AD.

Jesus said that all these things (the law and the prophecies) would be fulfilled and be completed in THAT generation - the ones alive and well during the time of Jesus' incarnation. If we look to Scripture and BELIEVE what God says, many times, confused issues become very clear.

Do not believe in all of the doom and gloom that many Christians preach, saying that we must have horrors, tribulation, wars, and an evil Anti-Christ, etc. No, we must abide by the truth and take the authority and power IN Christ that He died to give us!

Christians, wake up and believe the truth! Pray and follow exactly as the heavenly father directs! Shalom!

Links:
https://pjmiller.wordpress.com/2009/03/26/unheeded-or-misinterpreted-signs-the-destruction-of-jerusalem-70ad/

http://bible.christiansunite.com/jos/warindex.shtml

http://www.allthingsfulfilled.com/

http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/haggadah.html

Matthew 24 - All Has Come to Pass!

Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. Matthew 24: 34-35

More on the truth that the things Jesus warned of in Matthew 24 ALL came to pass during the lives of the generation of His day! It was the generation of those who were alive in 30 AD (the date of Crucifixion), as well as 70AD (40 years later at the date of the fall of the temple system)!

Jesus gave His disciples many signs and warnings to heed before the great and terrible day of the Lord when He would return to judge wicked and adulterous Israel and put an end to the Mosaic temple system. The new, spiritual kingdom of God would be ushered in, and those who received it by faith would walk in the glorious light of the Gospel.

Sadly, so many pastors and teachers teach that all of Jesus' signs and warnings are for a future event - an end of the world scenario where a physical kingdom from the earthly city of Jerusalem will prevail. But Jesus never promised His church a physical, earthly kingdom, but a SPIRITUAL kingdom where born again sons of God would rule and reign on earth from a spiritual, heavenly Jerusalem even as they dwelt in earthly bodies amongst evil regimes. This was a new paradigm shift from the Old Testament Jewish belief that all of God's promises are purely physical.

For those who doubt that all prophecy was fulfilled in 70 AD just as Jesus predicted, please consider what actually happened in history. Just a cursory look at the great Jewish historian, Josephus, is quite shocking. We see many of the things Jesus spoke of: wars, famines, pestilences, terror, spiritual signs in the heavens, miracles, wonders, and false prophets/christs.

Research on your own and reject the Left Behind theories taught in most of our churches today!

Links:
https://pjmiller.wordpress.com/2009/03/26/unheeded-or-misinterpreted-signs-the-destruction-of-jerusalem-70ad/

http://bible.christiansunite.com/jos/warindex.shtml

http://www.allthingsfulfilled.com/

Matthew 24 - Does History Support Jesus' Warnings?

Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it werepossible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Matthew 24:23-25

Jesus gave His disciples many signs and warnings to heed before the great and terrible day of the Lord when He would return to judge wicked and adulterous Israel and put an end to the Mosaic temple system. The new, spiritual kingdom of God would be ushered in, and those who received it by faith would walk in the glorious light of the Gospel.

Sadly, so many pastors and teachers teach that all of Jesus' signs and warnings are for a future event - an end of the world scenario where a physical kingdom from the earthly city of Jerusalem will prevail. But Jesus never promised His church a physical, earthly kingdom, but a SPIRITUAL kingdom where born again sons of God would rule and reign on earth from a spiritual, heavenly Jerusalem even as they dwelt in earthly bodies amongst evil regimes. This was a new paradigm shift from the Old Testament Jewish belief that all of God's promises are purely physical.

For those who doubt that all prophecy was fulfilled in 70 AD just as Jesus predicted, please consider what actually happened in history. Just a cursory look at the great Jewish historian, Josephus, is quite shocking. We see many of the things Jesus spoke of: wars, famines, pestilences, terror, spiritual signs in the heavens, miracles, wonders, and false prophets/christs.

Research on your own and reject the Left Behind theories taught in most of our churches today!

Links:
https://pjmiller.wordpress.com/2009/03/26/unheeded-or-misinterpreted-signs-the-destruction-of-jerusalem-70ad/

http://bible.christiansunite.com/jos/warindex.shtml

http://www.allthingsfulfilled.com/

Matthew 24 - The Abomination of Desolation

And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. Luke 21:20:22

Jesus warned His disciples that one of the signs of the End Times of that Mosaic temple system would be the abomination of desolation spoken of my Daniel the prophet, which we find in Daniel 9. In that chapter, the angel Gabriel tells the prophet that people of the prince who was to come (Titus of Rome) would destroy the city and the sanctuary - and that is exactly what happened in 70AD!

We see Jesus confirming this in the Gospel of Luke (21:20), where He tells His disciples that the abomination which would cause desolation were the Roman armies who would compass the city of Jerusalem about and bring it to its end. Sadly, so many Christians are sitting under false teaching today which tells them that all Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24 is future, yet to be fulfilled.

These pastors and teachers ignore the fact that the Lord said that these things would all be fulfilled in THAT generation - that there were some standing there before Jesus in His day who would not taste death till ALL was fulfilled. In addition, these pastors and teachers ignore the historical account of what actually happened between 66 - 70 AD. When we read Josephus and some of the other ancient historians, it is quite shocking to see that things happened EXACTLY as Jesus said they would!

Bottom line: Jesus came and the Kingdom is here. Jesus is alive and well, working on the earth through His body, the church. We, the church, are considered to be seated WITH HIM in heavenly places even as we dwell here in our earthly bodies, advancing the kingdom and doing ALL He has called us to do! Amen!

Links:
https://pjmiller.wordpress.com/2009/03/26/unheeded-or-misinterpreted-signs-the-destruction-of-jerusalem-70ad/

http://bible.christiansunite.com/jos/warindex.shtml

http://www.allthingsfulfilled.com/

Matthew 7 - Judge Not, but Ask, Seek & Knock!

Judge not, that ye be not judged.For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. Matthew 7:1-2. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Matthew 7:7-8.

Under the Old Covenant, righteousness was based on works, particularly keeping the law. Anyone seen bearing the effects of sin and the curse, such as sickness, etc., and/or blatantly violating the law was guilty and subject to judgment. And yet, Jesus is instructing His disciples that those who have sin cannot truly judge others who likewise have sin, because, in that circumstance, the same judgment meted out to the accused will turn around and be applicable to the accuser.

Therefore, a new system was in order. Sin and judgment must be handled in a different way. This is where Jesus Christ came in as savior. He fulfilled the law, removed sin and the curse, and opened a way for mankind to be restored to the heavenly Father. That generation living during His lifetime would need to accept this new and living way of righteousness or they would experience the wrath of God which came in 70 AD. We too need to accept this truth.

As new creations on the other side of the cross, we are not to judge the world of sin but instead spread the truth of the Gospel, issuing the invitation to lost and dying people to get born again. However, in the church, we are to judge those claiming to be Christians by their fruit; basically we are to test what comes out of their mouth and observe their actions. If their words and behavior don't line up with God's Word, we need to confront in love.

This area of church judgment is hard at times, but it is so important. We cannot let God's standards slip for a moment. This Gospel must be guarded from the wolves in sheep's clothing who lurk in our congregations, desiring to destroy the beauty of the freedom Jesus brings!

Under this New Covenant, we are to ask, seek, and knock, and all good things will be given to us by the heavenly Father. He has given us His son, Jesus, His Holy Spirit, His very self. What greater gift is there?!

The Gospel of Matthew by way of Daniel 9

Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Daniel 9:24

The Gospel of Matthew is a book written to the Jewish people about a Jewish Messiah, Jesus, who fulfilled many Jewish prophecies.

There are some scriptures in Matthew that are confusing, particularly in the area of Jesus' revelation of End Times. This is because most of us have been taught the Dispensationalist or futurist view that there is a coming evil antichrist, a Great tribulation, that God will reveal Himself to Israel after all the Gentiles come into the church, and basically that the church is an afterthought--that Israel is His favorite, the apple of His eye, His chosen people. This teaching never sat right with me when I dug into the Word. The scriptures do not support this view.

After a year-long study of eschatology, mainly the Book of Daniel, I came to the realization that much of Biblical End Times scriptures referred to the events that happened to Israel and Jerusalem in 70 AD. On the day of Passover, exactly 40 years after the crucifixion, the Roman armies destroyed the temple and the city, as documented by the famous historian, Josephus. This is what is called the Preterist position, which was the predominant view held by the church fathers for years until the mid 1800s when the futurist view came into vogue.

As we study Matthew, we will look at the Word based on the supposition that the events of 70 AD fulfilled much of the End Times scriptures presented by Jesus. He was warning the rulers of that evil generation that rejecting Him would bring about terrible consequences. Judgment was coming and it came in 70 AD.

Here are some links to explore:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBlpbzWM5lI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc-6yN9I2MM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbTmTEVk8WE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GzcypwV9Kk
http://www.preteristarchive.com/StudyArchive/s/significance-of-ad70.html