ALMOST 2000 YEARS AND STILL COUNTING – BLOG 1
http://www.tribulationperiod.com/
March 9, 201i
I WLL RUN THIS COVER PAGE ON EACH NEW BLOG IN THIS SERIES
II Peter 3:3,4 – Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, [4] And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
JESUS TOLD DISCIPLES THE END OF THIS AGE WAS A LONG WAY OFF!
Luke 21:9 – But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; BUT THE END IS NOT BY AND BY.
The Lord has been LONGSUFFERING FOR ALMOST 2000 YEARS SINCE THE CROSS, NOT DESIRING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH.
II Peter 3:8,9 – But, beloved, be not ignorant of th is one thing, that one day
is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. [9] The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
ALMOST TWO DAYS SINCE THE CROSS,
LORD’S LONGSUFFERING CONTINUES
SINCE JESUS’ SACRIFICE WAS MADE
SCOFFERS SHALL SOON SEE IT END.
Matthew 24:3 – And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be
? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
JESUS ANSWERED 3 QUESTIONS, BUT NOT IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER!
THEY ARE INGUISTICALLY SEPARATED FROM ONE ANOTHER BY THE FOLLOWING 5 EXPRESSIONS IN LUKE’S OLIVET DISCOURSE:
(1) “BUT THE END IS NOT BY AND BY’ – LUKE 21:9
(2) “THEN SAID HE UNTO THEM” – LUKE 21:10
(3) “BUT BEFORE ALL THESE” – LUKE 21:12
(4) “UNTIL THE TIMES OF” – LUKE 21:24
(5) “AND THERE SHALL BE” – LUKE 21:25
The Olivet Discourse by Jesus is found in Luke, Mark, and Matthew.
I have read hundreds of expositions of the discourse by many different men.
I can truthfully say, without reservations or hesitation, that many positions are held on the discourse and wide differences do indeed exist between them. Some believe it was all fulfilled by 73 A.D., some say most of it was fulfilled by 73 A.D., and some say most of it is yet to be fulfilled.
Some say it only applies to the Jews, and some say it applies to both Jew and Gentile.
In this exposition I will attempt to weave a pattern based on all three discourses, with the account of Luke serving as the basic document to explain Matthew and Mark’s accounts.
Matthew 24:1,2 – 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.
His statement shocked the first church members to the depths of their souls.
They had been required from their teens to annually come to this temple for the three Feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. It represented all that was holy to them, and many times they had met as a local church in its courtyards to worship God in the presence of their head, Jesus Christ. So, it is very easy to understand why, as soon as they were alone, they would be certain to ask him to elaborate on his shocking proclamation. They asked him a three-part question.
Matthew 24:3 – And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be
? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Question Number 1 – When shall these things be? When will the temple be leveled
?
Question Number 2 – And what shall be the sign of thy coming? What things can we look for to let us know that you are soon to establish your kingdom?
Question Number 3 – And what shall be the sign of the end of the world (this age)? What things can we look for to let us know this age of Gentile domination is drawing to a close
?
Christ began by telling them of two common things that would precede the leveling of the Temple Mount. They were to see many claiming to be the Messiah who could deliver them from the Romans, and there would be many rumors of wars within, and all around the periphery of, the borders of the great Roman Empire.
This is precisely what happened from his crucifixion to 135 A.D., by which time Hadrian had placed the final touches on the prior leveling of the Temple Mount and the city of Jerusalem by Titus in 70 A.D.
Matthew 24:4-6 – And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
[5] For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. [6] And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, BUT THE END IS NOT YET.
Mark 13:7 – And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; BUT THE END SHALL NOT BE YET.
Luke 21:9 – But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; BUT THE END IS NOT BY AND BY.
Jesus clearly told them not to use these two things as the signs that were to mark his answers to questions two and three.
These things would mark the period up to the last gasp of Jerusalem as a Jewish city, when it was given a new Roman name by Hadrian. Referring to question three, he stated very clearly: “but the end (of the age) is not yet, but the end (of the age) shall not be yet, but the end (of the age) is not by and by.” And even though he told them, and us, not to use these two things to mark his coming and the end of this age of the Gentiles, they are the very things we have repeatedly used right up to the present time. We have always had false messiahs and rumors of wars in all the ages since
the cross and, while Scripture indicates false messiahs are to increase at the end, they should not be used as the prime reason to teach the coming of Jesus and the end of this Gentile age is rapidly approaching. So, just what should we use? I will answer this in a BLOG SERIES beginning with this BLOG Number 1, Lord willing.