The Age to Come (Mat 24:3)

The Age to Come (Mat 24:3)


My previous post talks about age and ages. If you can understand it in its proper context, then you will have clarity.

Side note: I suggest download the e-sword bible on your computer and hand-phone, and you will automatically have Strong's translation of the English words in King James Bible into their original Greek meaning, thus giving you very clear audience relevance.


In Mat 24:3,

Mat 24:3  ... "Tell us when this will be; and what will be the SIGN OF YOUR COMING and of the Close of the Age?" 

Interesting to note that the disciples does not use the term "2nd Coming of Jesus". That is because they are not thinking of a 2nd Coming (it's only we in the present day talk about a 2nd Coming).

The disciples do not even know that Jesus is going to die, rose from the dead and ascend into heaven. They were not thinking of Jesus dying and coming back a second time. They are asking, what is the sign of your Coming or your Arrival? Arrival as what? Arrival/coming as the Messiah.


Q: Why do we then call it a 2nd Coming?

We know that when Jesus rose from the dead, He actually appeared to many people, like Paul, Stephen, multitudes and many others in Acts. Does that mean He has already came a Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and several Comings.?


The reason many believers thought that there is a 2nd Coming of Jesus is because of Hebrews 9:26-28.

Heb 9:26  In that case Christ would have needed to suffer many times, from the creation of the world onwards; but as a matter of fact He has appeared once for all, at the Close of the Ages, in order to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 

Heb 9:27  And since it is reserved for all mankind once to die, and afterwards to be judged; 

Heb 9:28  so the Christ also, having been once offered in sacrifice in order that He might bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, separated from sin, to those who are eagerly expecting Him, to make their salvation complete. 


Many interpret v28 as the 2nd Coming of Jesus in the far future.

Let's look at its Context.

Heb 9:26-28 was not talking about Jesus appearing for a 2nd time in the future.

What does it means?

In v26, it says Jesus came once to do away with sin by His sacrifice. He appeared the 1st time to deal AWAY with their sin.

In v28, Jesus is coming a 2nd time, NOT to deal with their (audience) sin but to save them.

Q: Save them from what? 

A: Save them from the destruction that is coming upon their land and city and temple in AD70.


Hebrews was written in AD64 by Paul, according to bible scholars, to warn the Jews not to return back to Judaism. That means the destruction is very near, in a few years time.

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistle_to_the_Hebrews


After the 1st coming of Jesus, their sin was already dealt with at the death and resurrection of Jesus at the Cross. They were already forgiven of their sin, and made righteous in the eyes of God.


So when Jesus is coming a 2nd time, v28 does not say that Jesus is coming a 2nd time to deal with their sin. That was dealt with in the 1st coming. He is not coming a 2nd time in future to deal with sin as what Futurists interpretation is saying. Heb 9:26-28 deals with the period of time just before the judgement and destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple.


I have wrote about the End of the Age in:

https://advancingtruth.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-3-troubling-questions-in-eschatology.html


I wrote that the disciples believe the Mosaic Age is ending (End of the Age), and the Messianic Age (Age to Come) is coming. The Jews do not believe that the Mosaic Age and the Messianic Age can co-exist together. All through the Torah and their prophetic writings, they read of a Messiah who will come as King and make Israel great again, by defeating all the surrounding enemies in military combat.

The Zionists are part of these Orthodox Jews who literary wants to impose military rule and a Jewish kingdom for the Messiah to come.


Their concept is correct EXCEPT they do not accept Jesus as the Messiah, and they are still waiting for the return of their Messiah.


But for us who believe Jesus as the Messiah, the Messianic Age actually has started. 


Q: When did the Messianic Age start?

A: It started at the end of the Mosaic Age.

Q: When did the Mosaic Age end?

A: It ended after the death and resurrection of Jesus, and the complete destruction of the Jerusalem Temple. Everything that had to do with the Mosaic Age was gone. It has ended.


This Messianic Age was called the Age to Come (by the audience back then).


Jesus quoted this two Ages together in one sentence in Mat 12:31-32

Mat 12:32  And whoever shall speak against the Son of Man may obtain forgiveness; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, neither in THIS (Greek: Aion: period of time) nor in the COMING AGE (Greek: Aion: period of time) shall he obtain forgiveness." 


Jesus was talking to the Pharisees. This is a clear example of the meaning Mosaic Age and the Messianic Age.

He is telling them, that if they refuse to accept the purpose of the Holy Spirit as concerning the conviction of their sin, then there will be no forgiveness for them in the present Mosaic Age, and the Messianic Age (Age to Come).


Think about this: The Age to Come does NOT refer to the future Age in heaven, because there is no sin or forgiveness of sin in heaven.!


When we want to understand the Bible (called bible exegesis), it is only correct and applicable if we consider:

- Context relevance

- Audience relevance (who is the author, audience, what is the setting and the purpose of the book.)

Thus it is INCORRECT to say Mat 24 (sign of His Coming), refers to an audience that is more than 2000 years in future. This is dishonest bible interpretation.


The disciples talk about a specific place, a specific time, and Jesus answered them specifically TO them (NOT TO us).

Jesus is saying when you see THIS then you will know THIS, and THIS generation will see them.


Q: Is this the time?

AFTER the Resurrection of Jesus, He appeared to His disciples, and again the disciples asked Him the question, "when are you going to set up your kingdom?"


Act 1:6  ... they asked Him, "Master, is this the time at which you are about to restore the kingdom of Israel?" 

How did Jesus answered them v7 .. Jesus said time and dates belong to the Father.

v 8: ... you will receive power .. and be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem ... and to the ends of the earth.


Jesus answer to "when will you restore the kingdom?" by a reply "you shall receive power and be my witnesses to the earth".

He is saying Look to the Holy Spirit and be my witnesses everywhere.

The Power of the Holy Spirit and being His witnesses => equivalent to setting up the kingdom of God.


The Holy Spirit was out-poured at Pentecost in Acts 2.

God has never taken back the Holy Spirit (so people, don't say God takes back the HS when we misbehave, by quoting the Old Testament).

Important:

We are NOW living in the Power of the Holy Spirit.

We are NOW witnesses unto Jesus.

We are NOW living in His Kingdom and His Kingdom is in us.

And the Age to Come (Messianic Age) has already started and we are living in this Age.


Peter understood this while under the power of the Holy Spirit.

Peter never understood what Jesus meant earlier as he did not want the capture of Jesus to take place. He fought back against the soldiers that wanted to take Jesus to the cross. In fact, he was so discouraged that he went back to his fishing and gave up on following Jesus after the death of Jesus.

But when the Holy Spirit came upon him in Acts 2, he was a different person. The HS gave him tremendous understanding into the scripture as Jesus said it would in John 14:26.


In Acts 2:16-21, Peter, a fisherman, under the power of the Holy Spirit, suddenly understood the correct interpretation of Joel 2:10, when he preached his 1st sermon and quoted Joel.


Peter understood that the Mosaic Age is coming to an end.

He said the son, moon, earth, stars, they are going to change and break down.

The sun will be darkened and the moon turned to blood.

You see, the sun, moon, stars etc. are important cultural symbols to the Jews. All Jews understood what they mean, only us who are non-Jews don't.

Just like in Gen 37:9, Joseph said that the sun, moon, stars are going to bow to Joseph.

Sun is his father, moon is his mother, stars are his brothers (Gen 37:10).

This was  the culture that was carried down from the time of Abraham.

God told Abraham to count the stars, for the stars means his descendants.

These symbols and images are part of the culture in Judaism.

So, in Acts 2:20, when Peter said the sun is to turn to darkness, and the moon to blood, and there will be blood, fire and smoke, Peter is mentally destroying all these symbols of the Jews. He is saying they will be destroyed and wiped away, and replaced with Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit.

In Mat 24, the Messiah has not come.

After the resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah has come.

In Mat 24, they speak of the coming of the kingdom of God.
After the resurrection of Jesus, the kingdom of God has come within them.

In Mat 24, the Messianic Age has not come so they talk about the Age to Come.

After the resurrection of Jesus, the Messianic Age has come.

In Mat 24, the power of the Holy Spirit has not come upon them as in Acts 2.

After Acts 2, they are living in the power of the Holy Spirit and to take this good news to everywhere.


At the end of the book of Acts, lets see what apostle Paul was doing, and how was his understanding about the kingdom of God.

Act 28:30  And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, 
Act 28:31  Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him. 

Paul didn't preach the kingdom is coming. He was not preaching the arrival of a future King or kingdom. Paul preached the kingdom of God and Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit brought them from Mat 24 (future Messianic king and kingdom of God) to Acts 28:31 (kingdom of God is NOW).

Conclusion:

Let's rise up together and boldly do as Paul did.

1. We are living in the "Age to Come".

2. We are living in the Messianic Age.

3. We are living in the era of the Power of the Holy Spirit.

4. The Kingdom of God is within us because Jesus has already given us the Kingdom.

5. Let's advance the Kingdom of God on earth and make Jesus known.



Addendum 1:

I was just informed that the word Messianic Age refers more to the Jews.
Its OK with me. You can replace the term "Messianic Age" with "New Covenant Age". This may be more identifiable with non-Jews. They mean the same.

The 3 Troubling Questions in Eschatology (Mat 24:3)

The 3 Troubling Questions in Eschatology (Mat 24:3)

The study of Eschatology revolves around Matthew 24, and the 3 troubling questions that have split / disunited believers in theology are found in verse 3.

Mat 24:3  And as Jesus 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? 


From Mat 21 - 24, it is all talking about End Times, Last Days, Last Times, End of the Age, 2nd Coming (depending on which translation you use), and it centers in the Destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple (see my previous post on this: 


https://advancingtruth.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-desolation-of-jerusalem-and-its.html

https://advancingtruth.blogspot.com/2020/04/destruction-of-jerusalems-temple-not.html  


The 3 Troubling Questions are:

Question 1: WHEN WILL THIS BE?

Question 2: WHAT WILL BE THE SIGN OF YOUR COMING?

Question 3: WHAT IS THE END OF THE AGE?


Let me deal with the word "Age".

The original Greek word is "Aion" which means "a period of time" or "age", which is CORRECT.

Some translations use the word "world" or "worlds", which is WRONG.

This is very crucial, because the meaning changes completely from  the original intention, and what Jesus was speaking about. We are trying to use our modern 21st Century English to understand the original Greek, so we must be careful to do it correctly from the original audience perspective.


There are other English bibles where the word "Aion" was translated in "world", not just in this verse, and they too need to be corrected. I will not covered it here, but you can use Strong's concordance to search it.


So when the bible says "the end of the age" it means "the end of a period of time". It does not mean "the end of the world". Establish this in your mind.


From Mat 21 - 23, we have only read of Jesus warning them about the Judgement that is coming on Israel, on Jerusalem and on its Temple.


Jesus has not talked about His 2nd Coming, about the End of the Age, or WHEN all these are going to take place.


From a Jewish mindset, ALL these 3 questions are talking about the SAME event.


Q: What made the disciples ask these 3 questions? Why did they do that?

A: Because they are Jewish, and to them they understand from their Torah and the writings of the prophets that the destruction of the Temple has to be the End of the Age. They also believe that when THAT Age ends, then the Messiah will come and rule over Israel as their Messiah and King.


Q: Who is the Messiah?

Today in the 21st Century, if you ask a Christian who is the Messiah, most will say it is Jesus who died at the cross and rose again from the dead.

But most of the Jews at that time and until today, especially the Orthodox Jews in Israel, STILL believe that their Messiah has not come and they are still living under the Old Covenant or the Mosaic Age. They do not believe Jesus as their Messiah. (Mosaic Age means living under the laws and regulations as set up by Moses.)


You see, the Jews believe the Mosaic Age will end and the Messianic Age will begin. Their understanding of a Messianic Age is a physical literal King that will make Israel great again (sounds very Trumpy... excuse the pun).


So the disciples are asking these 3 questions because they are excited to see the end of the Mosaic Age (they were quite fed-up with hypocrisy of the Pharisees and the existing priesthood organization). 


Q: Who do the disciples think the Messiah is going to be?

A: They think Jesus is their Messiah King, so they are eager to know WHEN.!

For the rest of the Jews in Israel, they do NOT expect Jesus to be their Messiah. Especially the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes and priests. They hated Jesus because of the constant rebuke of Jesus against them and their lifestyle. In their minds, their Messiah is going to be that leader or king that will release them from the yoke of the invading armies like the Roman army, and set himself to be the King of Israel.


However, Jesus has a different idea.

Jesus is going to die at the CROSS. He is going to die for their sins, be raised from the dead, and live on in their hearts.


This is a totally different mindset from them.

The disciples are NOT expecting Jesus to die, and go to the Cross. NO.!
They expect that when the Temple comes down, it will be the end of the Age (period of time), and Jesus is going to begin a new Messianic Age (period of time), and be their Messiah King and rule over them.


From Mat 24 onwards, Jesus began to list down a whole list of events (too long to list them here) about the Destruction of Jerusalem, and Jesus said, when you see these events happening, it is the End of the Age. It is the Sign of His Coming.


Mat 24:1-31 list down all the happenings that will take place before Jesus is coming again.

This is repeated in Mark 13:1-27; Luke 17:20-37; Luke 10:41-44; Luke 21:5-36.


ALL these events in the above scriptures is speaking about the period from the death of Jesus till the destruction of Jerusalem. If you put the death of Jesus at about AD33, and the destruction of Jerusalem at about AD70 (Jewish Roman war lasted till AD75), then it puts the period of the happenings and signs of the above scriptures within roughly a 40 year span. A generation is considered a 40 years span.


This End of the Age (destruction of Jerusalem), was also foretold in Daniel 8:26. Daniel had a vision in Daniel 8:1-26 about the future of Israel that is going to be destroyed. God told Daniel to seal up the vision for "many days" in the future. Daniel is to shut up the vision because it is NOT going to take place anytime soon. Take note of this term "many days".


However, Paul wrote differently from Daniel.

In 1 Cor 10:11, Paul said he and his believers are NOW living in the End of the Ages.

1Co 10:11  "... and they were written for OUR admonition, to whom the end of the ages DID COME" 


Paul and his listeners are saying that they are NOW NOW NOW living in the End of the Ages. Another translation replaced the "end of the ages" with "last days".

However, the KJV bible replaced the word "age" with "world", which is WRONG, because the Greek word is "Aion", which means "a period of time".

The "world" is NOT coming to an end. It is a "period of time" in their generation that is coming to an end. Paul was living in the fulfillment of the prophecy of Daniel.


From Daniel, we have the term "many days". We know that from the time Daniel wrote those words to the time of Paul, it was roughly about 550 years.

So "many days" => 550 years.


In Rev 22, we read of the Destruction of Jerusalem and the 2nd Coming of Jesus. In verse 10, God told John (author of Revelations):

Rev 22:10  And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy (of Daniel) of this book: for the TIME IS AT HAND. 


Time is at Hand => NOW. (Some translations say Time is NEAR).


So use your thinking:

Daniel => Seal It => because it is far in the future (550 year more)

John (Rev) => Don't Seal It => WHY? Because it is NEAR. It is NOW.


Q: Why was Daniel told to Seal the words of prophecy for the time of the end (Dan 12:4,9), but John was told NOT to seal his prophecy because the time was at Hand (Rev 22:10).?


Q: If "many days" is for 550 years, then how can "At Hand" be for 2000 years and in our Future (think properly).?

550 years is a long time for Daniel.

Q: How can we interpret Revelations as way in the future, future, more  than 2000 years, and say it is NEAR..? Think about this, please.

Mathematically, it is INCORRECT eschatology.


Revelations was written around AD60s, the time of the End of Ages is very NEAR to the listening audience. That was why Revelations was written only to the 7 churches at THAT time. Only 7.

The disciples (especially John) really did see the fulfillment of Daniel's vision in their lifetime.


What Age / Ages is it all about?

The disciples were living in the Mosaic Age (see above). There were other ages before the Mosaic age but it doesn't concern them at THAT time.

The AGE that the disciples were asking Jesus in the question was the Mosaic Age (also can be called Mosaic Covenant, Old Covenant). They knew the when Mosaic Age ends, the Messianic Age will begin from there.


Side note: What about Dispensations.?

Some who argue on Dispensations say these:

a. In the PAST, it was the Mosaic Dispensation/Mosaic Age.

b. In the PRESENT, it is the Grace Dispensation/Grace Age.

c. In the FUTURE, it will be the Messianic Dispensation/Messianic Age.



My understanding is like this:

The Age/Ages that the Old Testament was written (which was primarily written to the Jews) does not explain it like this.

In the Old Testament, there is no big gap between the Mosaic Age and the Messianic Age.

The Jews do not see and were not taught the Grace Age.

They interpret that the Messianic Age will follow IMMEDIATELY after the end of the Mosaic Age (the end of the Temple and its laws).


So when the disciples, while believing Jesus is the Messiah, BUT the Temple is still standing, begin to ask Jesus the vital question, "when is the end of the age?"


Subsequently, after the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, the apostles and their followers begin to write the New Testament (as we call it today). 

Take note: It is consistent with the same meaning as BEFORE the Death of Jesus.


Heb 1:1,2  "God has in these LAST DAYS spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things,..."


Heb 9:26  since it had behoved him many times to suffer from the foundation of the world (greek: kosmos), but now once, at the full END OF THE AGES (greek: aion), for putting away of sin through his sacrifice, he hath been manifested;


See the difference between "world" and "age". The KJV used the same word and translate age as world. WRONG.


The translation in "Bible in Basic English version, 1949" says:

Heb 9:26  "For then he would have undergone a number of deaths from the time of the making of the world: but now he has come to us at the END OF THE OLD ORDER, .."


Again in 1 Pet 1:20,

1Pe 1:20  He was pre-destined indeed to this work, even before the creation of the world, but has been plainly manifested in these LAST DAYS for the sake of you who, through Him, ...


Peter, Paul and all the apostles were consistent with the same meaning as when Jesus was alive and talking to them.

Do NOT transplant Heb 1:2; 9:26; 1 Pet 1:20 into the 21st Century or future timeline, and call the future the Last Days / Last Times / End of the Age. Hebrews and 1 Peter was not written for 2020 audience. It was relevant for their time and for their audience (Remember Audience Relevance; Timeline Relevance; within Context !!).


The disciples did not ASSUME they were living in the End Times, They KNEW the were. Period. They were hoping for the Messiah to begin the Messianic Age.


Let's see some more in the New Testament how did the apostles preached about the End of the Age. They wrote it, they interpret it, they preached it.


See Acts 2:16-21.. talks about the  preaching of Peter on the day of Pentecost.

Firstly, this was how I was taught earlier as a charismatic believer (and also preached it while pastoring):

v17 says God is pouring out His spirit on us (charismatics) so according to v21 so that salvation can come on those who call on Jesus.


Conveniently, we leave out verses in between. We leave out "signs in heaven and earth, blood, fire, sun turn to darkness, and moon to blood". 

This is called using scripture Out of Context, to suit only what we want to put across.


Whenever we come across scriptures like this in the New Testament, what do we do? We always go back to the source, to find out the actual meaning of the passage. So in this case, Peter was actually quoting the book of Joel. 

See the source: Joel 2:28-32.

Peter was quoting Joel, saying God is visiting and delivering his people OUT of Jerusalem. (It was NOT about you and me in this time.)

Remember Mat 24 = God delivering His people OUT of Jerusalem, and told to flee to the mountains of Judea..?

and many more other examples.


Jesus came in those LAST DAYS. He died in those LAST DAYS. The disciples were living in those LAST DAYS.


Side note: in Acts 2:21, and whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved from that destruction that was coming in the Last Days.

The destruction was preluded by those signs in heaven and earth. These signs are the things that are happening to introduce something important that is coming (I shall leave this to another page).

CONCLUSION:

The 3 Troubling questions can now be paraphrased in the following manner. This paraphrases will clarify the actual meaning of the disciples.

Question 1: WHEN WILL THE TEMPLE FALL DOWN?

Question 2: WHAT SIGNS IS THERE TO SHOW THAT JESUS IS COMING BACK AS THE MESSIAH?

Question 3: WHEN ARE THESE EVENTS HAPPENING WITHIN THE AGE THAT THEY ARE LIVING IN?


Let us rethink, rework, and reword all those sermons, notes, and songs that we use to reflect their actual meaning of End Times.

Destruction of Jerusalem's Temple (not one stone left upon another) (Mat 24:2)

Destruction of Jerusalem's Temple (not one stone left upon another) (Mat 24:2)


This phrase "not one stone left upon another" is found in Mat 24:2

Mat 24:2  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. 


A similar saying of Jesus is also in Mark 13:2; and Luke 21:6

These are all parallel accounts of the same event but written in different books of Matthew, Mark, Luke.

The Context for this phrase is Mat 24:1-25; Mk 13:1-33; Luke 17:20-37; 19:41-44; 21:5-36.

The phrase is a continuation from Mat 23:37-38 where Jesus said the Temple in Jerusalem will be desolate / destroyed.


In Mat 24:1 The disciples of Jesus boasted to Jesus about how magnificent the Temple is. In fact, they were right. This Temple was rebuilt by King Herod (a puppet leader of the Roman empire).


If you think the Solomon's temple (1st temple) is beautiful and magnificent, Herod's temple was even more and much more. But you only read of the Presence of God descending upon Solomon's temple was because they brought the Ark of the Covenant into Solomon's temple. After the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Solomon's temple, all the artifacts of the temple were carted away including the Ark. Until today the Ark was never found, even though there are many speculations where the Ark is today.


So the Presence of God was not in Zerubabbel's temple and not in Herod's temple because there was NO Ark there, and idolatry practices  were performed inside. Some called Herod's temple (2nd temple) an extension of Zerubabbel's temple. They were only practicing Judaism rituals like burning sacrifices and celebrating the Feasts of Israel in these temples, and giving a form of importance to the Levitical priesthood organization.


In many historian writings including that of Flavius Josephus (a key Roman historian of Jewish descent), they wrote about the walls of the temple were lined with gold, precious material, and the huge effort by Herod to produce a magnificent temple.


See:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephus



So, its no wonder the disciples who were Jews boasted about the beauty of the Temple to Jesus, but Jesus next statement in Mt 24:2 must have shocked them to speechlessness.


Mat 24:2...verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. 


It's like telling Malaysia, the Twin Towers will be thrown down until not one stone will be upon another. I am sure many will be in unbelief.

However, in the course of history, in AD70, the Roman General Titus (who later became emperor) lead a siege upon Jerusalem and ordered all the foundation stones of Jerusalem to be pulled out, after they had ransacked the city.

Why did Titus attacked Jerusalem? Why?

In AD66, the nations (or regions) around Judea (region surrounding Jerusalem), rose up to revolt against Roman rule in their land. One by one, all the military of these regions lost. Their final stronghold was to take over Jerusalem (a very important and significant city), and to use that to fight against the Romans. The nations took over Jerusalem by force, ransacked the city, and tortured the inhabitants, so that they can establish their military fortress to protect their interests. At that time, the general Vespasian together with his son (Titus), conquered the regions around Jerusalem. Then Vespasian went back to Rome to be crowned the next emperor, and Titus continued on with the attack on Jerusalem in AD70, so that Rome can crushed the rebellion completely. It was recorded that more than 1 million Jews lost their lives in this massacre. Now you understand why did Jesus predicted the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem and ask his followers to flee to the hills of Judea and hide.


Jesus made that prediction / prophecy only about 40 years before Titus launched the attack. Many of those whom Jesus spoke to, witnessed the fulfillment of this prophecy.


Mat 23:36  Verily I say unto you, ALL these things shall come upon THIS generation. 


Mat 23:38  Behold, your house (Temple of Jerusalem) is left unto you desolate. 


Note: Jesus did not use my house, or my Father's house like in the past, but their house.


How did the Jewish audience responded? What went into their minds?

For many who know their scripture, they will remember:

Micah 3:9-12 which says that Jerusalem is to be destroyed due to the nature of their leadership. Jerusalem will be plowed like fields into heaps.

(I have heard Christians use Micah 3:9-12 against their church leaders because they didn't like them. They told their leaders God is going to destroy their church because of their leadership. This is a total wrong interpretation of scripture, and a wrong attitude in heart).


Mat 24:2 Jesus is telling His disciples, don't you see these things? don't you comprehend?


Q: How can they see? How can they comprehend?

A: They can only see if they know their Old Testament (Torah and writings of their minor prophets) or with a special revelation by God's Holy Spirit.

Jesus is enlightening them, by bringing them to SEE God's timeline and what is going to happen to them in THAT generation.


Critics will say: Ah ha...! you are wrong. If you go to Jerusalem today, you will still see part of the Jerusalem Western Wall (today it is called Wailing Wall). 


We can argue till "the cows come home", but to say "not one stone left upon another" is a metaphor that means the buildings will be torn down, destroyed and left uninhabited. History tells us that Jerusalem was uninhabited for the next 200 years after AD70.


What is a metaphor?

A metaphor is a phrase or symbol in the Aramaic/Hebrew culture or language to mean a natural happening or event of significance. The Jewish culture is full of metaphors.

For example:

Psalms 50:10 says God owns the cattle in a thousand hills.

Q: Does that mean He doesn't own those on the thousand and one hill, or the thousand and two hill?

A: No. It means God owns everything on all the hills inclusive.

Modern English metaphor: He is the black sheep of the family.

Does that mean he is black, and he is a sheep... Hahaha. Of course not.

So "not one stone upon another" is a fulfillment that the buildings of Jerusalem and the Temple will be destroyed, even though part of the Western Wall still stands.


See my write-up on Aramaic idioms and metaphors:

https://advancingtruth.blogspot.com/2021/07/aramaic-idioms.html

AND this is going to happen to the Jews in THAT generation (those who are alive at that time).

Very interestingly, the Pharisees fulfilled these words in Mat 27:24-25, in front of Pontius Pilate, when they said "Let the blood of Jesus be upon them and their children" (not their future generations - of grand children and great great grand children and definitely not those in the 21st century).

This was to fulfill the prophecy of Jesus in Mat 23:36.


The history as recorded by the Roman historian Flavius Josephus confirms this. 

Did Josephus confirm the events that happened?

Can we trust the words of Josephus?

Of course, we can trust his writings. If not how are we going to understand ancient history. It is a similar comparison on how we understand World War 1 and World War 2, by reading the history books about them. Were we alive during WW1 and WW2.? Were the people who lived during WW1 alive today to tell us life witness accounts? No, we depend on reputable history books.


Who is Flavius Josephus?

Josephus was born a Jew and lived from AD37 to AD100.

His original name was Yosef ben Matityahu.

In his youth days in AD66, he was part of the rebellion that fought against the Romans trying to free their land from the Roman empire. He was the leader given the task to defend Galilee, but alas, he failed and was captured. Most of his military men died in battle, but General Vespasian kept him because of his many talents especially the languages that he knew. He grew in favor with Vespasian who kept him as a close aide and friend, and later he changed his name to Flavius Josephus and became a Roman citizen.


See: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Flavius-Josephus


After the complete fall of Jerusalem around AD75, Josephus wrote the book called "The Jewish War" or "History of the Jewish War". In it, he recorded how the Romans wage war on Jerusalem from AD66-AD70.

Note that Josephus was a historian and was NOT writing scripture or the bible. He was just recording events as it was happening for the Roman cultured library. It was an unbiased historical account. He lived through those events and 5 years after it had happened, he began to put it in writing. 

It was a very fresh perspective, still vividly present in his memory. He was not a Jesus supporter so he couldn't be writing just to fulfill the prophecies of Jesus.


An excerpt from his book: "The Works of Flavius Josephus Vol.1" regarding the Jerusalem of that day states:


[Caesar gave orders to demolish the entire city of Jerusalem and the Temple, but to leave the towers standing for eminency (prominence)... The Wall surrounding the West side, to be spared to set up camp for garrison (army). the towers were spared to show posterity the type of city it was, and how well fortified it was, and the might of the Romans in subduing it. The rest of the walls and the foundation stones are to be upturned that those who looked at it will think it is uninhabited.]



History tells us there were so much damage in Jerusalem that it took almost 200 years before the city recovered from the Roman Siege.


Another prominent British historian and theologian F.F. Bruce (1911 - 1900) researched and wrote about the siege of Jerusalem in AD70.


[Accordingly, in April AD70, Titus invaded Jerusalem. As the Siege was on, the horrors and famine, even cannibalism were added to the hazards of the war. But the defenders had no thought of capitulating (ceasing to resist).

Titus, using Josephus as interpreter, urged them to surrender which is to their advantage... On 24th July AD70, the Romans captured the fortress of Antonia. 12 days later, the daily temple sacrifices were discontinued. On 27th August AD70, the temple  gates were burnt. On 29th August (the anniversary of the destruction of the 1st Temple by the Babylonians in 587BC), the Sanctuary itself was set on fire and destroyed.

By 26th Sept AD70, the whole city was in Titus hands. It was  razed to the ground. Only 3 towers of Herod's palace and the Western Wall was left standing in part.]


See my blog on the temples of Jerusalem:
https://advancingtruth.blogspot.com/2020/04/did-jerusalem-have-2-or-3-temples.html

Listen to the Siege of Jerusalem:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y741QbT1YEo



(updated March 2022)

Why Preterism is correct

WHY PRETERISM IS CORRECT

In my earlier blog, I mentioned there are 4 Major / Popular views of the End Times / Last Days, and I believe that Preterism is correct view. I will give you the reasons why I believe it to be so.


Reason 1: AUDIENCE RELEVANCE

When we read about the last days, or end times in bible we need to read it as if the original readers or listeners understood these scriptures.


The Bible was written about 2000 years ago to a very different people from our 21st Century people. They have different cultures, different history, different languages and different world.


So the Bible was actually written TO them, but also FOR us.
I repeat: This is very important:

The Bible is not written To us, but FOR us.


It was addressed TO them as what Paul always start his message with "To the church at ...". But we can say it is also written FOR us to understand the way how God dealt with them, how the mind of God is, to understand the exact situation at that time.


Many of the writings were in Aramaic (and later Hebrew) and communication both written and spoken were mainly in their Semitic languages (Aramaic, Hebrew and Arabic). Hebrew is a language and culture that uses lots of metaphors, symbols in their writings and prophecies.

Here is some writings on the use of the original language of Aramaic in the scripture:

https://advancingtruth.blogspot.com/2021/07/why-aramaic.html

We need to know how did the original audience understood these writings and words.

For example, the words like "heaven and earth burning up", "the sun, moon and stars getting darkened", "Jesus riding on a cloud with sword coming out of His mouth", these are common Hebrew metaphors and they know exactly what they mean (EXCEPT US in the 21st Century).


How do we understand these metaphors (since we are not Jews) .?

Answer: By comparing these metaphors with similar metaphors written in other scriptures that uses them. We have to find these terms and concepts in other parts of the scriptures, and see how they are used in the same context. So we let those similar scriptures give us understanding when we find similar metaphors in those New Testament prophecies.


Reason 2: TIME STATEMENTS

Or you can call it Historical Relevance.


Jesus and the apostles made many statements that the last days events would happen back then, and not in the 21st Century or much future.
The New Testament has many many many statements about events that are happening to those who are alive back then.


When the bible talks about these events that are going to happen:

SOON (Rev 1:1; 22:6)
SHORTLY (Rev 2:16; 3:11; 11:14; 22:7; 22:12; 22:20)
NEAR (Rom 13: 11-12; Phil 4:5; Heb 10:25; Jam 5:8; 1Pet 4:7; Rev 1:3; Rev 22:10)
ABOUT TO (Acts 17:31; 24:15; 24:25; 26:22; Rom 8;18; Eph 1:21; 2Tim 4:1; 1Pet 5:1; Rev 1:19; 17:8)


Again we read Jesus telling those in front of Him, in Mat 24:34

Mat 24:34  Verily I say unto you, THIS GENERATION shall not pass, till ALL THESE THINGS be fulfilled.


PRETERISM pays importance and attention to all these Time Statements above.


Question: Can we IGNORE all these Time Statements.? Of course, NOT.

If these reasons are not followed, then we can misinterpret the bible in hundreds of ways, and come up with many many interpretation of End Times / Last Days. Now you understand why there are so many people (quacks) in this past few centuries claiming themselves to be the Jesus of the Second Coming and bringing in the Last Days. All because of misinterpretation of scripture by not following the above 2 main reasons.
Don't just blame them. Blame also the millions of followers who follow after them blindly. Sadly, many lost their lives believing wrongly.


Argument:

To say that all the last days prophecies are going to happen in the  far far future, because the bible says "for a 1000 years is but 1 day, and 1 day is but a 1000 years", is Incorrect. This is a terrible excuse for not paying attention to the Time Statements above. If you are really serious, we cannot Ignore such bold FACTS.


Let me ask these critics a few questions:

Did Jesus died for 3000 years after resurrection, since 3 days is equals to 3000 years.?
Was Jesus tempted in the desert for 40,000 years, since he was there for 40 days?
Did Moses and Israel wandered in the wilderness for (40 x 365 x 1000) years, since they were wandering for 40 years?


See, that argument does not hold.

When Peter wrote those words in 2Pet 3:8, he was quoting from Psalms 90:2-4.

And in Psalms, the Psalmist was praising God as an Ageless God, an God who is from everlasting to everlasting.

Psa 90:1  A Prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. 

Psa 90:2  Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. 

Psa 90:3  Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men. 

Psa 90:4  For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. 


It wasn't writing about how God deals with time or measure time.

Throughout the bible, when God speaks about time events, He always uses the human time clock to say exactly what He means. When God put Moses in the wilderness for 40 years it was not meant to be (40 x 365 x 1000 = 14,600,000 years). No man can live so long. It is impossible. God does not confuse His people like that.


CONCLUSION:

So when the apostles said that the Last Days or End Times events were ABOUT TO take place, they meant what they say.

If they did not mean what it was supposed to say, and they mean the Last Days are about 21st Century or much more in the future, doesn't that make Jesus and the apostles liars.?

If we are honest and interpret correctly, the Last Days and End Times events DID happened in the 1st Century, and Jesus and the apostles DID mean what they said or wrote.







(updated March 2022)

The 4 Popular Views of End Times

The 4 Popular Views of End Times

I was brought up in the church with the standard teaching in most Protestant churches in Malaysia and that is:

In the End Times, the Anti-Christ is coming;
Then there will be the Great Tribulation for all Christians or non-Christians;
Then Jesus will come as a King on a white horse to defeat the Anti-Christ;
And finally to bring in a new heaven and earth with paradise with Jesus as the King.

This is the standard teaching among most of the Protestant churches with a few adjustments here and there, but basically it is like this.

Then I realize that there are actually 4 Popular / Major Views of End Times.


For the sake of education, there are:


1. FUTURISM

That means all the last days prophecies in the bible are in our future. They have not happened yet. Most people will hold to this view.


2. HISTORICISM

That means the last days prophecies had been happening and are still happening throughout the history of the world, and will go on and on until the end of time.


3. IDEALISM

That means the last days, the book of Revelations are not real events, but just ideas. They are allegories or stories that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning. The book "Pilgrim's Progress" by John Bunyan is an allegory of the spiritual journey. So all the events in the bible are just metaphors about spiritual battles between God, Satan and Man.

and lastly,

4. PRETERISM

That means all the last days prophecies in the bible had already happened in the 1st Century. That means the Last Days, Last Times, End Times, Jesus 2nd Coming, End of the Age, etc. had already taken place in the 1st Century and before the year AD70.


Besides these 4 views, there are other smaller groups of believers here and there that  believe that their leader is the Jesus of the 2nd coming.

But these are minor views, as compared the above 4 views.

Check out Wikipedia: List of people claimed to be Jesus.

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


MY CONCLUSION:

I subscribe to the 4th View i.e. Preterism. If you have read my writings and research within the blog, you will understand the Reasons.


Here are some videos of people who claimed to be Jesus:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rm0NAyE6GU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r9c9OkGVGw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpS58Yf87NM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7XYioudohk

Did Jerusalem have 2 or 3 Temples?

Did Jerusalem have 2 or 3 Temples?

In the history of Israel, there were actually 3 temples in Jerusalem.

The 1st Temple was Solomon's temple.
We all know this temple. David was not allowed by God to build the temple also called the house of God. It was his son Solomon who built a magnificient temple in around the 10th century BC. The Temple stood until around 586 or 587BC when it was destroyed by King Nebuchanezzar of Babylon. They completely destroyed and ransacked all the precious goods stored in the Temple.

The 2nd Temple was Zerubbabel's temple.
Zerubbabel led the 1st group of Jews to return from the Babylonian captivity. The 2nd Temple was the rebuilding of the 1st Temple in 516BC about 70 years after the 1st Temple was destroyed. If you remember the books of Ezra and Nehemiah talks about rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and the Temple. This 2nd Temple was destroyed by the Syrian invading King Antiochus Epiphanes in 168BC, who not only destroyed the Temple but slaughtered a sow (or a pig) on the altar of the temple. He was mocking Judaism and this was how the term "abomination of desolation" came about.

The 3rd Temple was Herod's temple.
Some do not call this a 3rd temple, because Herod built on or extended the Zerubbabel's temple. If you call it an extension, then you can rename this a continuation of the 2nd Temple. Herod actually made it more grand and more magnificient, such that the Jews including the disciples of Jesus take pride in the beauty and glamour of the facade and the building structure (Luke 21:5; Mark 13:1). It was built about 100 years after the tearing down of Zerubbabel's Temple by the Syrian army and the temple was completed in AD64. History told us that Herod employed skilled artisans and used more than 10,000 workers to create the spectacular edifices and grand architecture.

For those who like to read more you can check it out at:

1st Temple:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon%27s_Temple
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-first-temple-solomon-s-temple
https://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-asia/first-temple-crowning-achievement-king-solomon-and-home-legendary-ark-covenant-021683
http://www.templemount.org/solomon.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiF-wObznds

2nd Temple:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zerubbabel
https://bibleview.org/en/bible/prophets/templebuilt/
https://www.gotquestions.org/Zerubbabel-second-temple.html
https://www.bible-history.com/jewishtemple/JEWISH_TEMPLEZerubbabels_Temple.htm
https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/zerubbabel-in-the-bible.html

3rd Temple:
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/14304-temple-of-herod
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-second-temple
https://www.bible-history.com/jewishtemple/
https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/temple-at-jerusalem/what-did-herods-temple-in-jerusalem-look-like/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak9ldkm4md0

Did Jesus proclaim the day of Vengeance.?

Did Jesus proclaim the day of Vengeance.?

Luke 4:18-19 Jesus went up to the synagogue (temple) and was given a passage of Isaiah book to read. He read:

Luk 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

Luk 4:19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Luk 4:20 And he closed the book.

Why did Jesus closed the book? He had not finished reading the passage that was given to Him to read.

Let's look at Isaiah the passage that was given to Jesus to read:

Isa 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

Isa 61:2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

He stopped at "to proclaim the day of vengeance".

Answer: This was because early in the life and ministry of Jesus, he had not been rejected yet by the Jews and Israel. He was only rejected later, nearing the end of His life, then the day of vengeance came upon the nation of Israel, the city of Jerusalem and particularly the Temple.

So the teaching that "He didn't read that part was because the days of vengeance is going to happen in our future" is WRONG interpretation. It is WRONG eschatology.

The Desolation of Jerusalem and its Temple (Mat 24:15)

The Desolation of Jerusalem and its Temple (Mat 24:15)

To understand eschatology, one very important event is the desolation / destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and the city itself. 

This event was foretold by Jesus several times, and prophesied to the disciples and the Jews at that time, that it will soon take place.

This term "Desolation of the Temple" coincides with the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman general Titus as ordered by Emperor Nero.


It occurs in 3 occasions in book of Daniel.

Dan 9:27  And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. 

Dan 11:31  And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. 

Dan 12:11  And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. 


In Matthew Jesus quoted Daniel directly, and refer this to the destruction of Jerusalem.

Mat 24:15  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place,  
Mat 24:16  Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains.

Again in Mark, it says the same:

Mar 13:14  But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains.


In Luke's version of Jesus' warning, the abomination is not mentioned, and the sign that it is time to flee Jerusalem is explicitly said to be that Jerusalem would be surrounded by armies.

Luk 21:20  And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. 

Luk 21:21  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.

You can read more of this at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abomination_of_desolation


Coming back to Mt 23, we can see that Jesus was directing all His disgust and warnings at the Pharisees, and the religious Jews of His time, when He began to call out Woe, after Woe, after Woe at them.

In Mt 23:34-35, Jesus blamed them for killing all the righteous servants that God had sent to warn them to turn from their wicked ways.

Mt 23:36 ... And ALL THIS will come to THIS generation. 

ALL WHAT? All the judgement of God is going to fall on that generation.


WHY.? WHY is there a Desolation of Jerusalem and its Temple?

Because they have killed and crucify those that God has sent to them. Even including Jesus, they were about to crucify.

WHY? Because they have corrupted the laws of Moses and have misrepresented it. They have broken the Old Covenant also called the Mosaic Covenant. Israel was in such a terrible backslidden state, that God had to send Jesus to annul the Old Covenant and usher in a New Covenant.


It is WRONG to interpret our present day persecution, calamities and pandemics as judgements from God - by quoting Mt 23:36. Yes, there were wars, and holocausts, and genocides and disasters. But NO.. the Judgement of God was on THAT generation, not ours.


Also, Jesus talked about that Jewish generation and not the present Jewish generation in general.

The heart cry of Jesus is about Jerusalem:

Mt 23:37-38. It's all about Jerusalem. V38: the house of Jerusalem is the Temple of Jerusalem. (See Luke 19:46 - my house is a house of prayer...). Solomon built the temple of God and called it the house of God, because  the temple was special. It was the dwelling presence of God.


Interesting to see in Mt 23:38, Jesus said that their house is going to be desolate. The temple is usually called God's house, but now Jesus does not even recognize it as God's house, but as their house.


Today, Christians in the world calls their church buildings "house of God". It is a mistake because we are the "house of God". We are the temple of God (1 Cor 6:19). We are the dwelling place of God, not a building for gathering people.


In John 14: Jesus compared you as the house of God, and He has come  to dwell in you. V20: God's house is in you. God's house will never be desolate, but their house will be desolate. Their house belongs to them. God's house belongs to God. Their house is going to be destroyed, but God is happy to dwell in us, His new house.


God  is not going to rebuild the temple. There is a worldwide movement that is advocating for the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem and called it the Third Temple. (I will deal with the number of Temples in another writing).


God is not happy to rebuild another Temple in Jerusalem. God does not move from physical temple, to man's heart the spiritual temple, and then move back to another physical temple.


If God does that, then all that He had done through Jesus Christ is in vain.


God already has a temple, and that temple is the hearts of man/woman.
Any other temples is a desolation and void of God's presence and power.


Luke 19:41-44 Jesus tells them exactly WHAT is to come to Jerusalem. He said exactly HOW Jerusalem is going to fall, and that those who listen should flee away. (similar account in Mt 24).


You can read more about the Siege of Jerusalem here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Jerusalem_(70_CE)
It deals with HOW Jerusalem and the Temple is going to be destroyed and laid desolate.

Or if you prefer to watch, here are some historical video links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE4hmrvZLIQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hen0wmoj5RU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y741QbT1YEo

RC Sproul was one brilliant bible scholar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUKtA0HLPrI&t=789s

Updated: 24 May 2021