John Wesley commentary on Matthew 24 is about the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD

John Wesley commentary on Matthew 24 is about the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD

John Wesley (1703-1791), was an  English cleric and the leader of the Methodist movement. 

Matt 24:2…There shall not be left here one stone upon another…

John Wesley: This was most punctually fulfilled: for after the temple was burned. Titus the Roman general, ordered the very foundations of it to be dug up; after which the ground on which it stood was ploughed by Turnus Rufus. (This should be about Terentius Rufus, mentioned in Josephus', Wars of the Jews 7:2:1)

Matt 24:5:For many shall come in my name…

John Wesley: First, false Christs, next, false prophets, Ver. 11; at length, both together, Ver. 24. And indeed never did so many impostors appear in the world as a few years before the destruction of Jerusalem; undoubtedly because that was the time wherein the Jews in expected the Messiah.

Matt 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world…

John Wesley: Not universally: this is not done yet: but in general through the several parts of the world, and not only in Judea. And this was done by St. Paul, and the other apostles, before Jerusalem was destroyed. And then shall the end come - of the city and temple. Josephus' "History of the Jewish War" is the best commentary on this chapter. It is a wonderful instance of God's providence, that he, an eyewitness, and one who lived and died Jew, should, especially in so extraordinary manner, be preserved, to transmit to us a collection of important facts, which so exactly illustrate this glorious prophecy, in almost every circumstance.

Matt 24:15: When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation…

John Wesley: Daniel’s term is, "the abomination that maketh desolate," Dan 11:31; that is, the standards of the desolating legions, on which they bear the abominable images of their idols. Standing in the holy place - Not only the temple, and the mountain on which it stood, but the whole city of Jerusalem, and several furlongs of land round about it, were accounted holy; particularly the mount on which our Lord now sat, and on which the Romans afterward planted their ensigns. He that readeth, let him understand - whoever reads that prophecy of Daniel, let him deeply consider it.

Matt 24:16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

John Wesley: So the Christians did, and were preserved. It is remarkable, that after the Romans, under Cestius Gallus, made their first advance toward Jerusalem, they suddenly withdrew again, in a most unexpected, and indeed impolitic manner. This the Christians took as a signal to retire, which did, some to Pella, and others to Mount Libanus.

Mat 24:20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:

John Wesley: They did so; their flight was in the spring. Neither on the Sabbath on many accounts inconvenient: besides that many would have scrupled to travel far on that day. For the Jews thought it unlawful to walk above two thousand paces (two miles) on the Sabbath day.

Matt 24:22 And except those days should be shortened…

John Wesley: By the taking of Jerusalem sooner than could be expected. No flesh would be saved - the whole nation would be destroyed. But for the elect's sake - that is, for the sake of the Christians.

Matt 24:28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

John Wesley:  Our Lord gives this as further reason why they should not hearken to any pretended deliverer. As if he had said: Expect not any deliverer of the Jewish nation; for it is devoted to destruction. It is already before God a dead carcass, which the Roman eagles will soon devour.

Matt 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

John Wesley: The expression implies that great part of generation would passed away, but not the whole. Just so it was. For the city and temple were destroyed thirty nine or forty years after.

The Gathering of the elect

The Gathering of the elect

The term "gathering of the elect" is found in Matthew 24:31.

Mat 24:31  And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 

Jesus had spoken of the gathering of His people before Matthew 24. In Mat 23:37-38, we read of how Jesus lamented over Jerusalem because He was trying to gather His people together like a hen gathering her chicks, but they were not willing to be gathered. And because of that, their house i.e. their Temple will be left desolate, thus prophesying about the imminent coming destruction of the Temple by the Roman armies in AD70.

Mat 23:37  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 

Mat 23:38  See, your house is left to you desolate. 

Jesus gathering was a spiritual gathering. The Temple will be destroyed but the Temple that He is building in us will live forever. God had this intention of living inside of us by His Holy Spirit, like what Paul would say "God in us, the hope of glory" and "You are the Temple of the Holy Spirit". Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well, that a time is coming where the worship of God is not a locality like Jerusalem or a mountain, but will be within us as long as it is in spirit and truth. But alas to say, the Jews rejected Jesus, and rejected His gathering, and so God had to bring down the entire system of Jewish religion (Judaism) centred around the Temple, so that He can execute His gathering of the elect.

Some futurists have said that Mat 24:31 refers to a future event called the rapture where "angels" and spiritual beings will gather His people from the world. This is not true, and has been taken out of the context of the entire chapter of Matthew 24 which is not speaking of our future event but of their soon coming event of the destruction of Jerusalem.

In a parallel passage to Matthew 24, we read in Mark 14:61-62, where Jesus is talking to the high priest and the Sanhedrin that they will physically see Jesus coming in power and with the clouds of heaven.

Mar 14:61  But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” 

Mar 14:62  And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 

This is not our future event called the rapture!. This happened 2000 years ago when the high priest and the Pharisees and the Jewish people actually saw the coming of Jesus to gather His elect. Those that did not believe in Jesus and His message were not gathered because they did not acknowledge Him as their Messiah. They did not see this Jesus as their Savior and they only wanted to see what they had envisioned in their minds. For that they crucified Jesus to get rid of Him who was an stumbling block to their plans. They refused to be counted as part of God's elect and when Jesus came again for the salvation of His people, they missed out the gathering.

The English word "angel" in Matthew 24:31 came from the original Greek word called "aggelos". "Aggelos" does NOT mean a spiritual being or angel. In fact, the Greek word "aggelos" actually mean "messenger" and that's all. A pastor can be called an "aggelos". An evangelist can be called an "aggelos". Anyone who carries a message is called an "aggelos". In fact John the Baptist was called "aggelos" several times in the bible, and John was never a spiritual being but a human.

Luk 7:24  When John's messengers (aggelos) had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 

Luk 9:52  And Jesus sent messengers (aggelos) ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. 

Mat 11:10  This is he (John) of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger (aggelos) before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ 

Mark 1:2  As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger (aggelos) before your face, who will prepare your way"

Luke 7:27  This is he (John) of whom it is written, “‘Behold, I send my messenger (aggelos) before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ 

2Co 12:7  So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger (aggelos) of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 

Jas 2:25  And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers (aggelos) and sent them out by another way? 

Of course, angels can be messengers but messengers need not be angels.

The translators of Matthew 24:31 felt that the word "aggelos" should be translated as angels, but a proper word should be just "messengers".

Q: Why should "aggelos" in Matthew 24:31 be translated as "messengers" and not "angels"?

A: After Jesus died and was resurrected, there was a huge gathering of people believing in Jesus due to the working of the Holy Spirit, and particularly the work of spreading the gospel by His disciples (human messengers). The apostles took the message of Jesus to all the 4 corners of the land from the east to the west, and from the north to the south (thus the term "four winds").

So you can see that it was human messengers who took the gospel and took up the task of the spiritual gathering of believers in Jesus and not angels. In fact, angels or spiritual beings had never been given the task of presenting the gospel of Jesus. It was the task of Jesus disciples like you and me. We now are the "aggelos" - human messengers of Jesus taking the gospel to the whole world, to bring about a continuous gathering of the elect.

When Caiaphas prophesied that Jesus will cause the  nation of Israel to be in trouble because Rome is  going to destroy them in John 11:49-52, the author John added that Caiaphas was not just prophesying about this Jesus but also about the great gathering of all the children of God because of the work of this Jesus. This gathering of God's children had always been in the eternal plan of God.

Milton Terry in his book "Biblical Hermeneutics" 1898 wrote about this gathering of the elect:

[  This verse has been understood figuratively of the sending forth of the messengers of the gospel to gather unto Christ an elect church in place of the outcast Israel. In that sense, it was a procedure which followed the Parousia and still continues ]

Q: Why is this procedure still continues?

A: It is because we are still seeing the gathering of the people of God through the presentation of the gospel. This is the mandate to take the kingdom and spread it all over the earth. We are part of that gathering and  we are part of the messengers who gathers. It is not angels  that are presenting the gospel. We are the messengers that are the presenters of the gospel.

Jesus also prophesied earlier before this Matthew 24 passage about this gathering in Matthew 8:11-12.

Mat 8:11  I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 

Mat 8:12  while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. 

Those that were outside of Judaism will be gathered from the east to the west, while those that had the kingdom will be left out, even those who claimed to have the blood line of Israel and the 12 tribes.

Q: How did the early church viewed this gathering spoken of by Jesus?

A: In Acts 15, we read of the great gathering even affecting the Gentiles, those that were outside of the Jewish community. Peter had a vision in Acts 10 to prepare him to accept Cornelius (a Gentile of Italian origin) to be part of the gathering of the elect. Paul and Barnabas also testify of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles in their ministry. Because this phenomena was a new happening, the council in the church in Jerusalem called a meeting to discuss this issue of Gentiles coming to believe in Jesus.

James the leader of the council made a decision and quoted Amos 9:11-12, saying that this gathering of the Jews and Gentiles was in agreement to the prophecy by Amos about the gathering of the elect of God, and the rebuilding the tabernacle of David.

Side note: The tabernacle of David had no walls and God met with His people and vice versa regularly. James is saying that Jesus is fulfilling the building of the tabernacle of David so that all the people can come to know God. And for that to happen, the tabernacle of Jerusalem must fall down then only can the tabernacle be rebuilt.

Paul told the Galatian church in Gal 4:22-26, to give up on Hagar and Ishmael (the old Jerusalem) and to go for Sarah (the new Jerusalem). The old Jerusalem is the earthly Jerusalem that was destroyed in AD70. The new Jerusalem lives forever in the Temple of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

We are  now the new Jerusalem that is  gathered into Jesus Christ. Paul tells us in Eph 1:10,

Eph 1:10  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 

Jesus is still in the process of gathering all things unto Himself.

Exra Palmer Gould in his book "Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Mark's gospel" 1896, wrote regarding to Matthew 24:31

[  All the processes by which men are brought to the acknowledgement of Christ and the obedience of the kingdom belong to the gathering of the elect. The angels represent the invisible heavenly agencies in an earthly event. The introduction of them means that there is that invisible divine side to a human transaction, back of all that men are doing for the conversion of the world is the Lord Jesus Christ with the hosts of heaven.

As for the time, it begins then at the  time of the consummation of the Jewish age because Judaism was  the great obstacle at that time to the universal spread of the kingdom. Under its influence, Christianity threatened to become a mere appendage of Judaism to have the particularism, formalism and legalism of that religion grated up it in such a way that it could never become a universal religion. With the removal of this obstacle, could begin not the gathering of the elect but the gathering of them from the four quarters of the world, the universal gathering.   ]

God would find it fit to break outside of the borders of Judaism and Jerusalem to go get the rest of the world. He removed the great obstacle.

Q: Someone asked that could it be that the "gathering of the elect" meant the physical gathering of the believers just before the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple?

A: Yes, it can mean that as well. If we consider the Context of the passage in Matthew 24, the "gathering of the elect" can refer to the gathering of the believers outside of Jerusalem while the city was being destroyed by the Roman armies as described in the parallel passage of Luke 21:20-21.

Luk 21:20  But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. 

Luk 21:21  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it.

What did Luke meant by "Jerusalem surrounded by armies"?

Acccording to history, the First Jewish–Roman War began in the year AD66. It started with religious tensions between the Greeks (of Roman citizenship) and the Jews. The tension increased when the Jewish rebels attacked the Romans due to their taxation policies.

In response to the Jewish uprising, the Romans plundered the Jewish Temple and executed about 6,000 Jews in Jerusalem leading to a huge rebellion against Rome.

The small Roman military garrison of Judea was then easily defeated by the Jewish rebels and the pro-Roman king Agrippa II fled Jerusalem together with his Roman officials.

When the rebellion was growing, Cestius Gallus, the governor of Syria, brought the Syrian army together with auxiliary forces to try to restore order and quench the rebellion.

See:

https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/history-of-the-jewish-war/neros-war-i-the-blunder-of-cestius-gallus/96D313480094F1FE648A41266B60CCA4

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cestius_Gallus

However, despite making several attempts, the Syrian and Roman armies were ambushed and defeated by the Jewish rebels at the Battle of Beth Horon and 6,000 Romans were killed. This shocked the leadership at Rome.

When these events were happening, the Christian believers, especially the Jews who remembered the many warnings of Jesus about Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, began to flee Jerusalem for the hills of Judea.

That was the physical meaning of the "gathering of the elect".

See a similar description about the war in my previous post:

https://advancingtruth.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-great-tribulation.html

Open the Seal - not the End yet.?

Open the Seal - not the End yet.?

Mat 24:15  Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand).

Mat 24:16  Then let those in Judea flee into the mountains. 


In Mat 24, we read of the phrase "Abomination of Desolation".
This term is CENTRAL to the interpretation of Eschatology or the study of End Times.

Some called it the "keystone" phrase. That means it holds all the eschatological teachings together just like in construction, the keystone keeps the elements in its place.

Matthew is asking his audience to "read this and understand it".
What is it to READ and UNDERSTAND.?
READ how Daniel the prophet speaks about the "Abomination of Desolation". UNDERSTANDS what it is about, and how to interpret it correctly.

The phrase "Abomination of Desolation" is NOT to be understood with our 21st Century relevance, but to be understood from the perspective of Daniel the prophet in the book of Daniel.

Q: Why did Jesus referred to the book of Daniel?
A: It is because in Daniel, there were written visions and prophecies that were sealed up, and nobody can understand them. They are to be closed, and hidden from the people. It is not to be discussed or talked about, because God told Daniel to sealed it up, and don't bring it up.

Dan 12:1  And at that time Michael shall stand up, the great ruler who stands for the sons of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation; until that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. 

In Daniel 12:1, we read of the angel Michael witnessing a great event of troubles coming upon the nation. But the people whose names are written in the book will be delivered.

From first reading, it seems that God was talking about the Jewish people, but the key understanding is "people whose names are written in the book".

How to understand this "people of the book".?
See Rev 5:9 (other verses that talks about who are those whose names are written in the book of life = Rev 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:15 etc.)

Rev 5:9  And they sang a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the book and to open its seals, for You were slain and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. 

The "people of the book" refers to those who have been redeemed to God by the blood of Jesus,! It is NOT talking about the Jewish people or Israel as a nation, but a people who have been redeemed by Jesus.

Revelations was talking about Christians and His church.

So Jesus is referring to Daniel's prophecy, where in the midst of great troubles, His people, those redeemed by His blood, will be delivered from the troubles. Jesus was not referring to any of our future events of great tribulation, where His people are going to be delivered from the troubles. Jesus was talking to His disciples at their moment in time, and in their generation, not ours.

Look at Dan 12:2-4

Dan 12:2  And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 

Dan 12:3  And those who are wise shall shine as the brightness of the sky; and those who turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars forever and ever. 

Dan 12:4  But you, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. 

Daniel was told by Michael to shut up the words and seal the book. Do not open it yet, because it is not the time yet. Seal it up to the time of the End.

What was Jesus talking about in Mat 24:15?
Jesus was answering the disciples' question about when the End of the Age will take place. So Jesus gave them the sign of the "Abomination of Desolation" that is going to take place as according to what Daniel prophesied. This sign was going to take place in their generation. The "seal" that was closed in Daniel, is going to be "open".
So when they read this in Daniel, they should understand it is coming in their time.

Let's  see another place in Daniel:

Dan 12:8  And I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, O my lord, what shall be the end of these things? 

Dan 12:9  And He said, Go, Daniel! For the words are closed up and sealed until the end-time. 

Compare  this with Rev 5:1-9, where John wrote about Jesus was worthy to open the seal of the book because He has redeemed us by His blood.

Rev 5:9  was referring to Jesus and His blood that redeemed us.
John wrote about Jesus and only Jesus was able to open the seal of the book.
In Mat 24:15, Jesus was in that process of unsealing the book that Daniel prophesied about.

Daniel lived about 400 - 500 years before Jesus. His book was sealed until the coming of Christ who came to unseal the seal of the book. It happened because of the blood of Jesus that was shed at the Cross.

When John wrote Rev 22:10, he is saying it is happening very soon. Do not seal the book anymore. Do not close it anymore.

Rev 22:10  And he said to me, Do not seal the Words of the prophecy of this Book; for the TIME IS AT HAND. 

Why? Because the "time is at hand". It is almost time. It is happening very very soon.

Time is at hand does not mean 21st Century or 2000 years later. It means their generation, their time line, their time-clock, their moment in time.

What does that tell you about Mat 24 and Rev 22? They are speaking of the same event, and the same timeline, before the End of the Age in AD70. So, the book of Revelations is written before AD70.


Revelations is not about our future event about to happen.
If you want to interpret Revelations, it must be interpreted in according to Matthew 24, and Daniel 12, because Jesus talked about "Abomination of Desolation" in Mat 24:15, and refer it to Dan 12:1, and "people whose names are in the book" in Dan 12:1 refers to "people whose names are in the book" in Revelations..!!

Revelations cannot be speaking about a new Temple that is going to be destroyed in the "Abomination of Desolation". In fact, book of Revelations does NOT say anything about Jews rebuilding a new Temple. People just assume it because there is the word "temple" in Revelations. Revelations has NO mention of "Antichrist", NO mention of "one world government", NO mention of "micro-chips" or "debit card". All these are presumptions to fit into a futuristic view (or dispensation theology), that evolved about 200 years ago in America.!

Q: How would you react to a teaching that says that we need to build an ark, and put all the animals inside it, two by two, because a flood is coming just as in the days of Noah? The preacher will even tell you, it is stated in the bible.

A: You will not accept it and called it wrong teaching or wrong prophecy. Why Because, the flood and its warning already happened in the time of Noah. It already took placed. The prophecy was already fulfilled. The warning was for that generation at that timeline and the flood already took place. Even though the preacher uses scripture, but he used it incorrectly.!

Note: Similarly, don't expect a repeat of fulfilled prophecy, because what Jesus prophesied about the "Abomination of Desolation" already happened at the timeline of the audience that He was talking to.

Just because it is in the bible, or scripture, don't assume that God is going to fulfilled it a 2nd, 3rd or a 4th time. It is bad assumption, and bad interpretation.
This is the cause of many confusions, cults, and denominations, where people are just taking verses from the old testament, and say God is doing it again. No audience relevance. No Context. No historical relevance.

To share a personal experience in this:

Many years ago, I was attending a charismatic church on an island, and the church was going through some problems. The preacher took the prophecy given to Joshua, and asked the congregation to march around the church everyday, and on the 7th day, to march 7 times, and then blow the musical instruments, just like what was instructed in Joshua 6. Guess what? The "walls" did not fall down, and the church still remains as it is. The instruction was specifically given to Joshua, and Joshua obeyed and the event happened as God said it would.
It is very dangerous to believe someone who says that "God spoke to me" and asked him to fulfill the same prophecy again.


Q: Why did Daniel use the phrase "Abomination of Desolation".? Is it something that all the Jews understand? Has it been used before to represent any particular event that Israel can identify?

Answer:
Actually, Daniel did not just use the phrase "Abomination of Desolation" in 1 place in the book of Daniel. He use it in 3 places in Dan 9:27; 11:31; 12:11.

The Jews understand this term "Abomination of Desolation" very well indeed. It fact, it shocked the whole nation of Israel during the Abomination of Desolation. To understand this, we need to look at writing of historians, and realized that the Jews understood that the "Abomination of Desolation" referred to the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem. According to Jewish history, in December 168BC, the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes, on his destruction of Jerusalem, sacrificed a pig on the altar of the Temple, and erected an idol representing their god Zeus. This was the Abomination of Desolation. It was to mock the God of Israel. Daniel wrote about this event as it was happening.

Jesus took this Daniel's event of "Abomination of Desolation", and said His disciples are going to see it. Jesus took that event that happened during Daniel's time and prophesied a similar event in their lifetime, and in their generation, as a sign of the End of the Age.


See a write up on Daniel:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_(biblical_figure)

See a write up on Antiochus Epiphanes:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiochus_IV_Epiphanes

See a write up on Abomination of Desolation:
https://preteristarchives.org/matthew-2415-study-archive/

Matt 24 and Luke 21

Qn: Why in particular Matt 24 and Luke 21?

Steven: The 2 most important passage of bible that ties in together all the eschatology teaching is in Mat 24 and Luke 21. In fact, facebook groups, blogs, vlogs, websites have been set up just to explain eschatology from the perspective of Mat 24 and Luke 21.

When you study Mat 24 and Luke 21, you will understand the Old Covenant and New Covenant, you will understand the book of Revelations (still a mysteries book to many people), you will understand that the bible makes sense after all, and all the fears spread by fake and false preachers will go away. And many many more... clarity.

Understanding Matthew 24

MATTHEW 24 is about The Jewish tribulation.

It is the most misunderstood Chapter of the bible. And once we grab the understanding, the whole bible opens up. And understanding the book of Revelations becomes easy. As well with the book of Acts and the epistles written.

Jesus emphatic statement!

Verily I say unto you, THIS GENERATION shall not pass, till ALL these things be fulfilled. (Matthew 24:34)

When Jesus made this statement to the disciples I don’t think the Apostles were ignorantly thinking, and said to themselves “thank God THIS THING WILL happen to SOME PEOPLE 2000 years to come?”

In the Old Testament, when God told the Israelites that this generation will not enter the promise land, do you think Moses was thinking of another generation?

It took 40 years for that generation to pass away. Until they entered the promise land led by Joshua.

BEFORE Matthew 24:34, Jesus said something very important in Matthew 16:27-28.

For the Son of Man is going to COME in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. “Truly I tell you, SOME WHO ARE STANDING HERE WILL NOT TASTE DEATH BEFORE THEY SEE the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” (Matthew 16:27-28)

These people were not ignorant of our LORD’s sayings. Some people actually witnessed his coming.

They did not die as Jesus said.

Also remember what Jesus said to John in John 21:21-23.

This same John is the Revealator before the destruction of the temple. Meaning he witnessed the destruction.

That is why in his gospel this is no account of what Jesus said in Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21.

Even John says, he was a PARTNER in the tribulation. (Revelation 1:9)

Now..
Jesus made this statement in Matthew 24:34, When He was coming out from Jerusalem when the disciples showed Him the TEMPLE. (The TEMPLE was their heaven and earth)

Matthew 24:1-4…
Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples CAME UP to him to call his attention to its buildings. “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples CAME TO HIM privately. “Tell US,” they said, “WHEN WILL THIS HAPPEN, and what WILL be the SIGN of YOUR COMING and of the END of the AGE?” Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you.

A parallel account of Matthew 24 is in Luke 21 and Mark 13.

This how Luke 21 recorded it.

When you see JERUSALEM being surrounded by ARMIES, you will know that its DESOLATION is near. Then let those who are in Judea FLEE to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in FULFILLMENT OF ALL that has been WRITTEN. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem WILL be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they WILL see the SON OF MAN COMING in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to TAKE PLACE, stand up and LIFT up your heads, because your REDEMPTION is drawing near.” He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. “TRULY I TELL YOU, THIS GENERATION will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
(Luke 21:20-32)

**A generation is NOT 2000 years.**

(Check Matthew 1:17, to say a generation is not 40 years is to make scriptures a lie)

This temple was destroyed exactly as prophesied by JESUS in AD 66-70. When the Roman armies surrounded Jerusalem.

Many also read this verses as a separate verse from the whole disclose of Matthew 24 and relate it to a rapture. NO!

As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. (Matthew 24:37-42. A parallel verse is in Luke 17:24,37.)
This verses OCCURRED after the destruction.

This is NOT in our future or talking about a rapture. After the destruction men and women were “taken away” as slaves to other parts of the world.

If they would be a “rapture” as people teach, why was JESUS telling them to flee into the mountains.

(*Wouldn’t that be a stupid decision*)

There were NO survivors of the land except the Christians who fled into the mountains of Pelea and were saved.

When we read the verses with the history of the Jews in mind such terms like the Son of Man coming do not mean physical return of Jesus. No! It means judgement unto a nation.

And the so called “second coming” was related to the destruction of Jerusalem. Since then, there have been over 2000 years of generations before now. It would be a big error to interpret verses like these into our future. In fact, it is disrespect to the audience who heard it. Yes, a total disrespect to the Apostles.

Most of our wrong interpretation is because we think we know better than those who heard it. i.e.. The apostles. What a shame.

People in their interpretation have made Jesus a liar.

Now imagine EVERY generation BEFORE NOW reading this and thinking it is them. Will they NOT be in error?

I believe the bible was gathered together for us. Things have been written down FOR US. BUT NOT everything in it is TO US.

This is for us. For we are the new Jerusalem. The true Jew. The new heaven and new earth.

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ’He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the OLDER ORDER of THINGS HAS PASSED AWAY.”
(Revelation 21:2-5)

We are a NEW CREATION.

Meaning we are New heaven and New earth. Peace.
PLEASE READ YOUR OWN BIBLE!

From Jonathan Forgor