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 24 - The Olivet Discourse continued

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 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. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Matthew 24:4-8.

I'm back from the Christmas holidays and ready to resume our study of Matthew 24. Unlike many denominational pastors and teachers who present a futurist view of End Times prophecy, we will see that Jesus' discussion of the Last Days was referring to the days in which He was living.

The generation alive during His time were the last Jews to live under the Old Covenant Temple Age -  which was the current world system at that time, ruled by Satan, the god of that age. Jesus told His disciples (and us, the church) that the New Covenant age was coming - the spiritual Kingdom of God - which came in its fullness in 70AD. There would be signs of its coming, and historically, we find that, indeed, those signs happened exactly as Jesus predicted!

Don't let anyone dupe you into believing that Jesus' predictions are for some future date long into the future. It has all been fulfilled, the Kingdom has come, and all of the Old Testament prophecies regarding Jesus' coming in judgment have been fulfilled! The church is His body, operating in the full authority and power of the bridegroom, Jesus Christ!

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 Olivet Discourse

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? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. Matthew 24:3-5.

The disciples came to Jesus wondering when He would return in accordance with Old Testament prophecies (as well as His own teachings), judge the Mosaic temple system, and usher in the new age. 

His answer was very different from what they were expecting. He first warned them to be careful of deception, which is a warning we in the church today must heed. Many would come in the last days of that age and proclaim themselves to be Christ, deceiving and tempting new-found believers to shrink back from their faith and go back to the temple/sacrificial system.

We know today that there are so-called leaders in the Christian church who desire to rebuild a temple in Jerusalem so that temple sacrifices can be reinstituted. This is not biblical, as we shall see in studying God's Word!