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In Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 ——— Part 3

THE EVENTS PRIOR TO THE SECOND ADVENT OF JESUS

January 18 2019

Psalm 91 is one I have titled “God Watches over His Own, Past, Present, and Future – Trust Him to Watch Over You!” If you take that as the theme of this Psalm, you can make numerous duel applications of verses that can be applied to Jesus, David, the nation of Israel, and many of the faithful in both Old and New Testament examples. There are several verses that fit Jesus, some Jesus and David, some Jesus, David, and the nation of Israel, and some include all faithful believers, but there is a common thread that weaves them all together – God will provide deliverance, so trust him to do what he said he would do in his own way and time.

The concept of David recognizing that the Messiah, who was to come was also the Lord, is clearly stated in Acts 2:29-36 by Peter, by David in Psalm 110, and by Christ in Matthew 22:41-46. The Seven Part Exposition of the 110th Psalm in our Prophecy Update Archives sheds a great deal of light on our Exposition of Psalm 91.

I have already exposited on verses 1 and 2 of Psalm 91 in Parts 1 and 2. I will begin by expositing on verse 3.

Psalm 91:1-3
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. [2] I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. [3] Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

Luke 21:34,35
And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. [35] For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

Luke 21:25-28,35
And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; [26] Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. [27] And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. [28] And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. [35] For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

I Thessalonians 5:9
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

Psalm 91:3
Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

Revelation 16:1,2
And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. [2] And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

While the vials of wrath are being poured out on the earth, the saved will be in heaven at the judgment seat of Christ. We will be in heaven when he is destroying those who have morally destroyed the earth.

Revelation 11:15,18
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. [18] And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

Psalm 91:4
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Matthew 23:37-39
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! [38] Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. [39] For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Malachi 4:1-3
For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. [2] But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. [3] And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts.

John 17:17
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

In Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 ——— Part 2

THE EVENTS PRIOR TO THE SECOND ADVENT OF JESUS

BIRTH OF MANY NATIONS WAS FULFILLED 1930 TO 1990

Teachings of Jesus just before he was arrested and then crucified

Part 1 addressed the answer to the first question “But the end is not by and by.”

Question 2 shall be addressed in the meaning of “TOTE ELEGEN (THEN SAID HE)” in Luke 21:10.

So, having given them a partial answer to question one he will answer more completely later in the discourse, Jesus launches into his answer to question two. How can I be sure Jesus starts a new discourse in the next verse?

Luke 21:9,10
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. [10] THEN SAID HE unto them, Nation shall RISE AGAINST nation, and kingdom against kingdom:

The English words “THEN SAID HE” are “TOTE ELEGEN.” TOTE ELEGEN points to a new beginning in discourse, which has the effect of dissociating the repeated mention of the previous disturbances (From the Expositor’s Greek Testament, Volume 1, Edited by W. Robertson Nicoll, M.A., LL.D.) Simply stated, it amounted to Jesus saying, now that I have told you what would precede the temple destruction, I will answer your second question, the question “And what shall be the sign of thy coming,” or “What things can we look for to let us know you are soon to establish your kingdom?”

It is very tempting, and only natural, to assume that the “wars” predicted in Luke 21:9, and “Nation shall rise against Nation” in 21:10, are one and the same, but I assure you, that is not the case for three reasons. First, to begin the new discourse, he says “TOTE ELEGEN.” Secondly, he has just advised them not to use “wars and commotions” except for a sign the temple was about to be leveled. And, last of all, because of the two Koine Greek words translated as “RISE” and “AGAINST.”

The root word used for RISE is EGEIRO, and it means to come to life, to rise from sleep, or to come into existence. It is used in the phrases taken from the following Scriptures.

Matthew 14:2
He is RISEN from the dead.

Matthew 16:21
And be RAISED again the third day.

Matthew 27:52
And many bodies of the saints which slept AROSE.

Matthew 27:63
After three days I will RISE again.

Matthew 27:64
He is RISEN from the dead.

Matthew 28:6
He is not here: for he is RISEN, as he said.

Matthew 3:9
God is able of these stones to RAISE up children unto Abraham.

The word used for AGAINST is EPI, and it simply means “UPON” or “ON.” One of the first things I learned in seminary was the use of the Greek prepositions. They were all placed in positions relative to a cube, and the position of EPI was “ON” or “UPON” the top pf the cube. If a thing is “UPON” another thing, it is certainly resting “AGAINST” it, but the inference that the two objects are fighting “AGAINST” one another is not valid. EPI in the New Testament in the accusative is translated as UPON or ON some 219 times, as opposed to 33 times for AGAINST. Jesus would not advise them to disregard wars as a sign of his coming in one breath, and then tell them to do the opposite in the next, and indeed he did not, because he used TOTE ELEGEN to mark the beginning of a new discourse

He is answering the second question in verse 10, and advises that shortly before his second coming many new nations would come to life, rising one upon another, ever increasing in number. Before the Great War I, the world consisted of vast colonial empires, and very few individual nations existed.

Shortly before World War II, and much more rapidly after Japan’s surrender, new nations began to come to life like weeds across the earth, rising in number one upon another with the end of the colonial empires. When the United Nations began in 1945, some 51 nations became charter members. By 1989, as new nations were born one upon another, it had more than tripled to 160, and now the number of nations on the earth has reached 200. False Messiahs rose before Jesus, were here in the lifetime of Jesus, and have been numerous up to the present. There have been many that presented themselves to the nation of Israel since the crucifixion. I realize that in the last days they are to increase in number, but they have always been with us. Also, the worldwide wars and commotions reached an all time record high of 25 in 1987, but have steadily declined since the sudden drop in communist influence in developing countries since the Soviet Union. I tracked war declines yearly until 1993, at which time worldwide wars had declined to 10, but the number of nations had been steadily increasing since the end of World War I, The Russian influence has grown steadily in the Middle East since Obama became US President, and especially since Putin returned to the office as President of Russia.

In Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 ———Part 1

THE EVENTS PRIOR TO THE SECOND ADVENT OF JESUS

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?

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.

Revelation 14:6,7
And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, [7] Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

There are seven beatitude blessings in Revelation. The seventh blessing is for souls saved by the blood of the Lamb that washed them, who then go on to apply the same blood to wash their visible outer garment, which is seen by the world in their daily lives.

Revelation 22:12-14 (Final Heaven Age)
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. [13] I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. [14] Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Church members, who wash their robes by applying his blood to their lives and live in the Spirit by submission to his Spirit, will be allowed to enter into the gates of the city and eat the fruit of the tree of life, which is Christ.

Revelation 2:7
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Revelation 21:1,2 (Final Heaven Age)
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. [2] And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Revelation 22:16,17
I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. [17] And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. (It flows beyond the gates)

Revelation 22:1-5 (Final Heaven Age)
And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. [2] In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. (they will float on the water as it flows outside the city to the unfaithful saved living outside it).

Revelation 21:24
And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

Those living in the city will receive the blessing which is described in Revelation 22:4.

Revelation 22:4 (Final Heaven Age)
And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

Those living in the Millennial Complex of Ezekiel 40 to 48 are described in Revelation 7:13-15. There is no temple in the Final Heaven Age.

Revelation 7:13-15 (Millennial Reign)
And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? [14] And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. [15] Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

Revelation 21:22 (Final Heaven Age)
And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

Daniel identifies the time period in which the events between the king of the south and the king of the north will occur: “… at the time of the end …”. If the “king of the south” is a reference to the nation of Israel, then does it make sense that the events we are presently witnessing may be a partial fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy?

Consider this article from BreakingIsraelNews.Com:
(Begin Article)
Drama in the Skies Above Damascus
By David Brummer December 26, 2018 , 2:09 pm

“Then David put garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Syrians became servants to David and brought tribute. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.”
II Samuel 8:6 (The Israel Bible™)

There was drama in the skies above Damascus Tuesday night as IAF fighter planes attacked strategic targets in and around the Syrian capital.

The Israel Air Force (IAF) was reported to have struck several targets inside Syria Tuesday night, as the regional game of chess following the United States’ announced pull-out from Syria begins to take shape.

Following the President Trump’s recent announcement, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel “may expand its military action.” This action seems to be the first evidence of that assertion and it was significant.

The main target of the IAF strike was alleged to have been an aircraft carrying several Hezbollah leaders on their way to a meeting in Iran. Unconfirmed reports suggest that the leaders were seriously wounded, rather than killed in the strike.

Israel is also thought to have targeted a Syrian Army arms dump near Damascus, with Syrian air defenses going into overdrive to try and repel the attack. In response, a Syrian S-200 missile fired toward Israel was shot down, according to US military sources quoted on Debka, by an Israeli Patriot anti-air missile. The resulting explosion rocked coastal towns between Tel Aviv and Haifa.

“The intruding Syrian missile came from the Damascus region and was aimed at the IAF F-16I jets conducting raids in that region. By the time it was fired, the Israeli jets raiders were over the Golan on their way back to base. These American-sourced reports contradicted the claims in Israel that the attempted interception was conducted by an IDF David’s Sling anti-air missile battery,” according to Debka.

Syrian state media reports claimed they intercepted all the missiles – which if contemporaneous footage and independent reports are to be believed – seems unlikely.

These latest airstrikes constitute the most serious escalation in Israeli action, since Russia warned Israel about its future conduct following the downing – by Syrian air defenses – of a Russian IL-20 aircraft, with the loss of 15 Russian servicemen. The strike also came at a time when Syria is attempting to deal with a major crisis in eastern Syria as the U.S. withdraws.
(End Article)

Should we consider ignoring what is happening just because we might think the time is not right or this is too obvious?