CHRIST JESUS spent the days teaching at the temple, and was questioned intently by the Scribes, Pharisee's, and other religious leaders, who became all the more indignant at HIS answers; in which case, they were all the more sure that HE should be stopped, but they could not risk the ire of the people, especially during the Passover celebration, so they plotted discreetly, yet vehemently---
During these days, HE began to teach, and some of the discourse was difficult for the people to grasp, or fathom, as they were not entirely accepting of HIM, nor of HIS mission...
The same is true today, the people long to hear what they want to hear, and what does not make sense to them, they dismiss, or scorn, specifically if it doesn't appease them, or their perception!!!
THE LORD NEVER ceases in teaching, for HIS LOVE IS CONSTANT, and FULL OF HOPE FOR the people HE CREATED! There is ALWAYS a chance that though someone doesn't embrace knowledge now, they may at some point, and THIS IS WHY CHRIST JESUS is yet taught to the world, because HE/LOVE AWAITS the awakening of more, more, and more!!!
As HE sat on The Mount of Olives, HIS Disciples came to HIM with questions, and HE spoke with them privately about what is to come, and their role in THE PLAN! HE spoke of how the temple would be torn down, and so, the Disciples were curious about what HE had said. The day before HE had given the 8 Woes, and cried out to the Israelites, and now HE lay out the future for HIS FOLLOWERS, and HIS CHURCH...
I consider the following to be CRUCIAL TO Christianity, and our walk WITH HIM! It is one of the most telling Chapters in THE BIBLE! It is CENTRAL TO our FAITH, SALVATION, and to our LIFE IN HIM! It is compelling, profound, and absolutely ESSENTIAL to our mindset as HIS people, now, and forever...
MATTHEW 24...
1+++Jesus left the temple area and was going on His way when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him.
2+++But He responded and said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”
3+++And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
4+++And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you.
5+++For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will mislead many people.
6+++And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.
7+++For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
8+++But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains.
9+++“Then they will hand you over to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.
10+++And at that time many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another.
11+++And many false prophets will rise up and mislead many people.
12+++And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will become cold.
13+++But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved.
14+++This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
15+++“Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place—let the reader understand—
16+++then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.
17+++Whoever is on the [n]housetop must not go down to get things out of his house.
18+++And whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak.
19+++But woe to those women who are pregnant, and to those who are nursing babies in those days!
20+++Moreover, pray that when you flee, it will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath.
21+++For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will again.
22+++And if those days had not been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
23+++Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘He is over here,’ do not believe him.
24+++For false christs and false prophets will arise and will provide great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.
25+++Behold, I have told you in advance.
26+++So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them.
27+++For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
28+++Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. The Glorious Return
29+++“But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
30+++And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.
31+++And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET BLAST, and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
32+++“Now learn the parable from the fig tree: as soon as its branch has become tender and sprouts its leaves, you know that summer is near;
33+++so you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.
34+++Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.
35+++Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
36+++“But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
37+++For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.
38+++For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,
39+++and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
40+++At that time there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.
41+++Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.
42+++“Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.
43+++But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.
44+++For this reason you must be ready as well; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.
45+++“Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household slaves, to give them their food at the proper time?
46+++Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.
47+++Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
48+++But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’
49+++and he begins to beat his fellow slaves, and he eats and drinks with those habitually drunk;
50+++then the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect, and at an hour that he does not know,
51+++and he will cut him in two and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Christ foretells the utter ruin and destruction coming upon the temple. A believing foresight of the defacing of all worldly glory, will help to keep us from admiring it, and overvaluing it. The most beautiful body soon will be food for worms, and the most magnificent building a ruinous heap. See ye not all these things? It will do us good so to see them as to see through them, and see to the end of them. Our Lord having gone with his disciples to the Mount of Olives, he set before them the order of the times concerning the Jews, till the destruction of Jerusalem; and as to men in general till the end of the world.
The disciples had asked concerning the times, When these things should be? Christ gave them no answer to that; but they had also asked, What shall be the sign? This question he answers fully. The prophecy first respects events near at hand, the destruction of Jerusalem, the end of the Jewish church and state, the calling of the Gentiles, and the setting up of Christ's kingdom in the world; but it also looks to the general judgment; and toward the close, points more particularly to the latter. What Christ here said to his disciples, tended more to promote caution than to satisfy their curiosity; more to prepare them for the events that should happen, than to give a distinct idea of the events.
This is that good understanding of the times which all should covet, thence to infer what Israel ought to do. Our Saviour cautions his disciples to stand on their guard against false teachers. And he foretells wars and great commotions among nations. From the time that the Jews rejected Christ, and he left their house desolate, the sword never departed from them. See what comes of refusing the gospel. Those who will not hear the messengers of peace, shall be made to hear the messengers of war. But where the heart is fixed, trusting in God, it is kept in peace, and is not afraid. It is against the mind of Christ, that his people should have troubled hearts, even in troublous times. When we looked forward to the eternity of misery that is before the obstinate refusers of Christ and his gospel, we may truly say, The greatest earthly judgments are but the beginning of sorrows. It is comforting that some shall endure even to the end.
Our Lord foretells the preaching of the gospel in all the world. The end of the world shall not be till the gospel has done its work. Christ foretells the ruin coming upon the people of the Jews; and what he said here, would be of use to his disciples, for their conduct and for their comfort. If God opens a door of escape, we ought to make our escape, otherwise we do not trust God, but tempt him. It becomes Christ's disciples, in times of public trouble, to be much in prayer: that is never out of season, but in a special manner seasonable when we are distressed on every side. Though we must take what God sends, yet we may pray against sufferings; and it is very trying to a good man, to be taken by any work of necessity from the solemn service and worship of God on the sabbath day. But here is one word of comfort, that for the elect's sake these days shall be made shorter than their enemies designed, who would have cut all off, if God, who used these foes to serve his own purpose, had not set bounds to their wrath. Christ foretells the rapid spreading of the gospel in the world. It is plainly seen as the lightning. Christ preached his gospel openly. The Romans were like an eagle, and the ensign of their armies was an eagle. When a people, by their sin, make themselves as loathsome carcasses, nothing can be expected but that God should send enemies to destroy them. It is very applicable to the day of judgment, the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in that day, 2Th 2:1. Let us give diligence to make our calling and election sure; then may we know that no enemy or deceiver shall ever prevail against us.
Christ foretells his second coming. It is usual for prophets to speak of things as near and just at hand, to express the greatness and certainty of them. Concerning Christ's second coming, it is foretold that there shall be a great change, in order to the making all things new. Then they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds. At his first coming, he was set for a sign that should be spoken against, but at his second coming, a sign that should be admired. Sooner or later, all sinners will be mourners; but repenting sinners look to Christ, and mourn after a godly sort; and those who sow in those tears shall shortly reap in joy. Impenitent sinners shall see Him whom they have pierced, and, though they laugh now, shall mourn and weep in endless horror and despair.
The elect of God are scattered abroad; there are some in all places, and all nations; but when that great gathering day comes, there shall not one of them be missing. Distance of place shall keep none out of heaven. Our Lord declares that the Jews should never cease to be a distinct people, until all things he had been predicting were fulfilled. His prophecy reaches to the day of final judgment; therefore he here, ver. 34, foretells that Judah shall never cease to exist as a distinct people, so long as this world shall endure.
Men of the world scheme and plan for generation upon generation here, but they plan not with reference to the overwhelming, approaching, and most certain event of Christ's second coming, which shall do away every human scheme, and set aside for ever all that God forbids. That will be as surprising a day, as the deluge to the old world. Apply this, first, to temporal judgments, particularly that which was then hastening upon the nation and people of the Jews. Secondly, to the eternal judgment. Christ here shows the state of the old world when the deluge came. They were secure and careless; they knew not, until the flood came; and they believed not. Did we know aright that all earthly things must shortly pass away, we should not set our eyes and hearts so much upon them as we do. The evil day is not the further off for men's putting it far from them. What words can more strongly describe the suddenness of our Saviour's coming! Men will be at their respective businesses, and suddenly the Lord of glory will appear. Women will be in their house employments, but in that moment every other work will be laid aside, and every heart will turn inward and say, It is the Lord! Am I prepared to meet him? Can I stand before him? And what, in fact, is the day of judgment to the whole world, but the day of death to every one?
To watch for Christ's coming, is to maintain that temper of mind which we would be willing that our Lord should find us in. We know we have but a little time to live, we cannot know that we have a long time to live; much less do we know the time fixed for the judgment. Our Lord's coming will be happy to those that shall be found ready, but very dreadful to those that are not. If a man, professing to be the servant of Christ, be an unbeliever, covetous, ambitious, or a lover of pleasure, he will be cut off. Those who choose the world for their portion in this life, will have hell for their portion in the other life. May our Lord, when he cometh, pronounce us blessed, and present us to the Father, washed in his blood, purified by his Spirit, and fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.
LWINSOR © 2021
BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS
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