The American Wisdom
Series
http://www.americanwisdomseries.com
#7104
The following study is a excerpt from "MATTHEW STUDY #24 [Mt 24:1 - 24:51]" A CHAPTER BY CHAPTER VERSE BY VERSE BIBLE STUDY"
as published by the WATCHMEN BIBLE STUDY GROUP
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MATTHEW STUDY #24 [Mt 24:1 - 24:51]
CHAPTER BY CHAPTER VERSE BY VERSE BIBLE
It is important to fully under the meaning of the word 'antichrist' as we will be using it throughout this study. The word 'antichrist' is somewhat confusing in the English translation. The word antichrist in the Greek of the New Testament is not like our English word 'anti-freeze' or 'anti-bodies'. In Greek 'anti' means: instead of, a substitute, an impostor. Below we supply the definition of 'antichrist' from the Greek dictionary of theStrong's Exhaustive Concordance (click to review):
Antichrist: Greek word #500: antichristos (an-tee'-khris-tos); from Greek words # 473 anti, and # 5547 Christos. The word antichrist is made up of two Greek words:
Anti: Greek word # 473: anti (an-tee'); a primary particle; opposite, i.e. instead of, or because of (rarely in addition to): for, instead of, in place of (something) Often used in composition to denote substitution.
And:
Christos: Greek word # 5547: Christos (khris-tos'); anointed, i.e. the Messiah, an epithet of Jesus:
Now let's take an in-depth look at the entire chapter 24 of Matthew and compare parallel verses from Mark chapter 13 and Luke chapter 21. May God bless our understanding of His Eternal Word, in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior.
The verse of Matthew Chapter 24 will be in red text, and explanations and other
supporting Scriptures will be in dark text.
Matt 24:1-51(end)
1 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.
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?
Explanation of above scripture: Here the Disciples ask the question that we all have wanted to know since the time that man has realized that the First Advent of Jesus Christ (when He came born as a babe and was crucified) was only the first of two (the second being when He comes with a rod of iron to rule the world), that question is: "When is the Second Advent going to be?" To set the stage for the following verses: Jesus is speaking privately to His Disciples, when they ask Him to tell them the signs of his second coming, and the end of the world. Jesus begins His answer with:
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many
Explanation of above scripture: Jesus warns us to be careful, because many who call themselves Christians shall deceive many because they are not true Christians but rather they precede and follow the false christ, the antichrist. See the THE ANTICHRIST in-depth Bible study. Next, Jesus goes on to detail many events and conditions that will transpire in the end times. These are our present times, this present generation. The Disciples nor those who read these verses throughout time understood their meaning. But now as we who live in the end-time generation read them, we understand, because the Holy Spirit is poured out in the final generation to help us understand that which only we had necessity to understand: "And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come." [Joel 2:29-31]. This is the evidence of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God upon the original writers of the Scriptures thousands of years ago and faithfully passed down to us in our Bible.
6
And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not
troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not
yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes,
in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Explanation of above scripture: This is telling us that wars and calamities shall happen throughout time, but that does not necessarily mean that the end is upon us. Think about what must have been going through the minds of those who experienced the Nuclear bombings in Japan or those in the Nazi death camps, surely they thought they were at the end of the world. But Jesus tells us that those type of things will always be happening. Jesus will tell us the REAL signs of the REAL end of this age in this 24th chapter of Matthew. Stick around and let's gather wisdom from our Heavenly Father through His Son Jesus Christ's words to the Disciples almost 2000 years ago, written to our generation through their hand long ago.
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
Explanation of above scripture: This is speaking of the Elect being delivered up to the antichrist for conversion, and also that they(the Elect) will be betrayed (turned-in) by their own family and friends to the antichrist for conversion. These family members mean well when they cause the Elect to be identified and seized for conversion by the antichrist and his minions, but they do err:
Mark 13:11-13
11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.
12 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.
13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. (KJV)At the time that the antichrist is in power on the earth, the Elect will be a small minority voice proclaiming that the antichrist (whom stands in the Temple of God says he is the True Christ [2nd Thess 2:3-5]) is actually the impostor. These misguided family members and friends of the Elect go to the antichrist (who they think is the True Christ) and petition him (antichrist) to have mercy and patience with the Elect and show them that they are wrong and that he is the True Christ come to save the world. The antichrist says: "where are they that I may speak to them and teach them and save their souls." This is the means that God's Elect will be identified and betrayed into the hands of satan (the antichrist). See the THE ANTICHRIST and the THE FEELING OF FRUSTRATION SOMETIMES FELT BY THE ELECT in-depth Bible studies. And don't let the words 'kill you' and 'deliver you up to death' scare you, for 'death' is simply one of satan's many names, and he is not allowed to kill anyone by God. In fact God reassures the Elect with these words:
Luke 21:15-19
15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
16 And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.
17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.
18 But there shall not an hair of your head perish.
19 In your patience possess ye your souls. (KJV)And another point about the above verses in our study of Matthew chapter 24, you have to remember to follow the subject and the object when you study prophecy, this prophecy began with: "And as he (Jesus) sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately". In other words, Jesus was only speaking to His Twelve Disciples, not to the multitudes of people. The Disciples are a 'type' of the Elect in the end days. See the INTRODUCTION TO PARABLES AND PROPHECIES in-depth Bible study.
In other words, this whole prophecy is written to the Elect, for none others will understand it, nor do they to this day. As you continue in this study and you do understand what the Holy Spirit is teaching us, then it could be that God has something for you to do. But that doesn't make anyone special, for God loves all His children the same and has many different things that each must accomplish. Have you always known in the back of your mind that there was so much more to God's Word than was being taught? Stick around and let's let Jesus teach us with His own words. Now back to the next verse in our study of Matthew chapter 24:
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Explanation of above scripture: We would need dozens of web pages to include all the warnings in the Bible about false prophets (false teachers/preachers), but we will suffice with a few provided below. Also, what it means above where it says: "the love of many shall wax cold" means that their hearts are hardened against the True Lord by the lies of the false teachers/preachers concerning the false christ (antichrist) which will cause the world to unknowingly worship satan as Messiah.
This is the Great Apostasy written of. The word 'apostasy' means to change over from one belief to another, as in those who love the Lord but because they didn't find time to study His Word, they will worship another, they WILL worship satan as the antichrist! It is written, it WILL happen exactly as it is written.
But your individual fate is not set, you have free will from our Father to make a choice. God just happens to know His people, and we are just a little bit stupid when it comes to the Bible, and He knows that the greatest majority of the earth will be seduced by the serpent (satan) once again, just as Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, and the way one third of us were in the first earth age. See the WHAT WAS THE REAL SIN IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN?!? in-depth Bible study and observe that they were not munching on apples in the Garden, they were being beguiled by satan in a way that I know you weren't taught in Sunday School! And see theWHEN WAS THEE BEGINNING in-depth Bible study to learn of three earth ages in God's plan. And NO, there is NO SUCH THING AS REINCARNATION, that is a lie strait from satan's mouth when he told Eve: "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." [Gen 3:4-5]. In fact that is the first lie recorded in the Bible and it was uttered by satan (as the serpent in the Garden). That first lie is the basis for all the heathen religions that teach reincarnation, they are all of satan, like it or not, that's the truth!!! The day is getting too long and the time too short to be playing 'religious tolerance' with satan's minions.
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Explanation of above scripture: Those who remain true to the True Messiah Jesus Christ till the end and do not fall away (apostasize) to the false christ will be saved and are entitled to everlasting life in heaven. the others? Will they be condemned to Hell? That's not for us to say, God is judge, not man, and there is the millennium period for those who for various reasons DID NOT HAVE A CHANCE at the truth. You can not con God. And this is not a second chance, there are no second chances, but what with all the false teachers/preachers around in this final generation (as well as mental retardation, and aborted and still born babies, and those who die before the age of accountability) many never even hear the real truth of God. Remember this one thing: God is so very fair!
Could this be the first time you are hearing it? Does it seem unreal to you? Are you perplexed that they don't teach this in the corrupted false churches of today? (not all churches are teaching satan's lies, but you must compare what your church teaches to what your Father teaches in the Bible, that is how you 'weed out' the tares of false teaching). For just as the Holy Spirit of God is poured out in the final generation, so to are the evil spirits of satan intensified. If this is new to you, please sign our guest book Guest Book and share your thoughts with us, won't you do that? Feed back and questions allow us to focus our presented studies to the needs of the student, and we are all students.
14
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a
witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Explanation of above scripture: It is commonly taught that this verse refers to the spreading of the Gospel through Missionary work (which itself is a very necessary part of the plan of God). But remember who Jesus is speaking to, He is speaking to the Elect, and they will witness against antichrist at public hearings that will be carried live via satellite real-time hook-up throughout the world.(You remember in 1999 when the Pope visited Cuba, it was broadcast live around the globe; also, portions of the Gulf War were carried live in real-time via satellite to the world). The Holy Spirit will speak through the Elect at these trials and the world will hear the true Word of God directly from His Holy Spirit operating through God's Election:
Matt 10:17-20
17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. (KJV)
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Explanation of above scripture: This is speaking of the prophecy in the Old testament book of Daniel regarding the antichrist(abomination of desolation) standing in Jerusalem in Temple of God claiming to be the True Christ. In the New testament book of 2nd Thessalonians we see a second Scriptural witness to the prophecy. We will look at those two Scriptures below, and then as we proceed on to the next verses in Matthew we will see what Jesus says for us to do when that transpires (satan as the antichrist on the throne of God claiming to God in the flesh - Jesus Christ).
OLD TESTAMENT, Book of Daniel (written in 426 B.C.):
Dan 9:26-27 (satan as the antichrist (the prince that shall come) is foretold of 426 B.C.)
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
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. (KJV)
Dan 11:31
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. (KJV)
Dan 12:8-13 (Prophet Daniel speaking with an Angel of the Lord about the antichrist)
8 And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?
9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
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.
12 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.
13 But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days. (KJV)NEW TESTAMENT, 2nd Thessalonians (written in A.D. 53):
II Th 2:1-5 (antichrist ('man of sin' & 'son of perdition') comes 1st. Foretold of here in A.D.53)
1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? (KJV)
16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
Explanation of above scripture: Jesus says when the false christ comes into power all those in Judea should flee because God is going to wipe it clean much as He did to Sodom and Gomorrah. We know that satan has about five months on this earth to bring enthrone himself and deceive the world, the two above references in verses 17 & 18 mean the time is too short to be idle about the flight. Jesus is basically saying: Get out quick, while you still can, when you see these things come to pass.
19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
Explanation of above scripture: This is a verse in which the translation is somewhat confusing; Jesus is speaking here symbolically not literally. We will not bother to tell you how the various commentators interpret this verse, but rather, we will explain it.
This is not speaking of a pregnant woman, you will notice that no gender is implied, and it is speaking in a plural sense. This is referring to those who have been spiritually impregnated in their mind with the mark of the beast, those who have been spirituallyimpregnated and are therefore "spiritually with child" when the True Bridegroom Christ returns. That is to say, those who are worshiping antichrist when the true Christ returns.
And them that "give suck" are not nursing mothers, but rather those that are nursing the great apostasy, by doing the work of satan, in that they teach that antichrist is the True Christ - thus helping satan to deceive the world, albeit, that most will be doing it in ignorance. You could liken it to your going on a long journey and when you return to your wife she is nursing a baby that she had by another. (it will be an approximately 2000 year journey for Christ, and when He returns, His Bride (the Church) will be with another savior - the false savior, the antichrist).
When Jesus begins the verse with "And woe unto them...", it is a warning of the highest magnitude! It is the singling out of some for a terrible punishment, it is at the same time a condemnation. On the other hand, the love between a mother and her suckling baby is the purest form of love known on this earth. Don't let anyone tell you that Jesus has a special punishment in store for them!
20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
Explanation of above scripture: This is a direct correlation to the Parable Of The Fig tree. God is very natural in the way he teaches us, and throughout the Bible He uses nature as an example to us. In other words, harvest time (the second advent and our gathering back to Christ) is not in the winter, harvest time is after the summer growing season. if you are following a "Christ" out of season, then you are following the impostor.
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Explanation of above scripture: This is the tribulation ignored by "rapturists". The first tribulation is the coming of antichrist claiming to be the True Christ and the flood of lies that he carries with him to deceive the world. As well as the persecution of all that will not bow down to him as the True Messiah.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
Explanation of above scripture: Originally, satan was to have 7 years, half that being 3 ½ years, to work his deceptions. You will read of that in [Dan 9:27]. In our verse above [Mt 24:22], as well as [Mk 13:20], and other places, it speaks of a shortening of that time. And finally, in [Rev 9:5 and 10], it sets the duration to 5 literal months. Once again you see Jesus reinforce the fact that this chapter is written to and for the Elect.
23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
Explanation of above scripture: Let's get a handle on what Jesus is saying here, He is saying that if anyone comes saying that they are Him (the True Messiah) then you are not to believe them. You will instinctively know the True Christ at His return, but you may not necessarily know the false christ as a fake when he come FIRST. Jesus is telling you that there is a false one coming first! This is a warning to you that if someone tells you that Christ has returned it can not be the True Christ for several reasons:
- It is written, that when Christ's returns, every knee shall bow. All will know him at this time, even the deceived. Therefore if someone has to tell you Christ is returned, it is the false one that they speak of.
- Also, when Christ returns, at the 7th trump, all people will be turned to Spirit bodies, therefore if you are still in the flesh, then the true Christ is not here! Our Father is so good to us, that he guaranties that when the True Christ returns, there will be no doubt as to who he is. Unfortunately, those who listen to false teaching, will be already worshiping the antichrist when the true Christ comes, believing him (satan) to be the True Christ.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Explanation of above scripture: The Elect are the ones that we read about earlier who withstand satan's deception. See the THE ANTICHRIST In-depth Bible study. Antichrist has been given power to exercise supernatural abilities in his attempt to deceive the world [Rev 13:11-18], and Jesus is telling us that it will be quite formidable!
Rev 13:11-18
11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or intheir foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. (KJV)
25 Behold, I have told you before.
Explanation of above scripture: How has Jesus foretold us all things? I mean, none of us was alive 2000 years age when Jesus walked the earth and talked to man in person. Jesus and His Father God tells us all things by the book that they insured, through Divine intervention, that we would have. They sent us the Written Word, that is why it is imperative that you care enough about Them and yourself to study it! Jesus has given us all fair warnings, have you heard Him? I hope your only defense on judgment day isn't that you were deceived by satan because you were too busy making a buck in your lifetime to study the Letter of love, instruction, and warning that was written directly to you - The Bible! Below is a second witness from the Gospel of Mark:
Mark 13:22-23 (Christ speaking)
22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall
shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things. (KJV)
26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
Explanation of above scripture: This is a repeat of the of the warning in verse [23] above. Given twice for emphasis. Whenever you see Jesus repeat himself in the same subject, you had better pay attention, it means that what is being said is of paramount importance! There is no wasted action with Jesus, every thing he said and did was for a reason.
27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Explanation of above scripture: From the East to the West means the entire compass, the whole world shall see him, when he returns, this is why no one will have to tell you Christ has returned, and if they do tell you, before you knew it intuitively for yourself, then they are showing you an impostor!
28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
29
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be
darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall
fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30 And then shall appear
the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of
the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds
of heaven with power and great glory.
Explanation of above scripture: Verse 30 emphatically starts with "And then shall..." When? After the false one manifests himself, after the events of the preceding verses come to pass! This verse takes place at the Second Advent.
As it is prophesied, satan (as the antichrist) will come to this earth in the final times as an instead-of christ, an impostor to the true Christ prior to the prophesied Second Advent of Jesus Christ. Satan and his accompanying fallen angels will have but five months reign {Rev 9:5 & 10} (which was shortened {Mat 24:21-22 & Mk 13:19-20} by the Grace of God from the 3½ years of the prophecies in the Old Testament book of Daniel). The True Jesus Christ comes at the last (7th) Trump {Rev 11:15-}, which leads into the Millennium (1000 year) period {Rev 20:4-5}, then Judgment Day including the casting into the Lake of Fire (commonly referred to asHell) of those who did not overcome {Rev 20:11-15}, then the eternal Heaven Age having no end {Rev 21:1-4}.
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Explanation of above scripture: What trumpet will Jesus send His Angels to reap the world? the 7th Trump [Rev 11:15], which comes after the antichrist arrives in the 6th Trump [Rev 9:13].
32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
Explanation of above scripture: The Parable of the Fig tree marks this generation as the final one. This would be another study for another day, as it is quite lengthy. But suffice it to say that here Jesus is telling us the SEASON of His return, but no-one will know the HOUR. See the THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER In-depth Bible study for reference to the Parable of the Fig Tree.
33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Explanation of above scripture: When you understand the Parable of the Fig Tree you know when the time is very very near. In this 24th chapter of Matthew you are being told the events that must come to pass immediately before the antichrist comes to this earth.
34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Explanation of above scripture:
- What "generation shall not pass"? This one, the one you are living in, the one that started in 1948 or 1967*(see below note), the generation of the Fig Tree.
- Till what "things be fulfilled"? The things we just read, the coming of the antichrist the impostor! Jesus told you in verse 26above, that when they tell you Christ is here or Christ is there: "believe it not". You remember the true definition of the word 'antichrist' from page one of this study, he is the impostor who comes first.
NOTE: Most teach that the generation of the Fig tree began on May 14, 1948 when Israel once again became a nation, for that had not happened since Christ's time. I tend to believe that the generation of the Fig Tree began June 5, 1967 when Israel liberated Jerusalem with the Six Day War, this also had not happened since Christ's time. No matter which is the true start date for the generation of the Fig Tree, we are in it now! below is a brief history of Israel and Jerusalem. You always look to Jerusalem for Biblical prophecies to occur.
Excerpted from the World book Encyclopedia:
Jerusalem
is a holy city of Jews, Christians, and Muslims. It is the capital of
Israel. In the Arab-Israeli war of 1948, Jerusalem became divided
between Israel and the neighboring Arab country of Jordan. Israel held
West Jerusalem, and Jordan controlled East Jerusalem. Israel won East
Jerusalem in the brief Arab-Israeli war of 1967, and combined it with
the western section. West Jerusalem is the modern part of the city.
East Jerusalem includes the walled Old City, the site of many ancient
holy places. (End of excerpt)
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Explanation of above scripture: It will happen, the antichrist will come before Jesus does, and no one will know EXACTLY when. Now Jesus will tell us of things that will transpire in the end times prior to His return at his Second Advent.
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38
For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe
entered into the ark,
Explanation of above scripture: 'Noe' is Greek for 'Noah' from the Old Testament Hebrew language, it's the same person. Jesus is saying that the times will be like back in Noah's day before the flood. You remember what was happening in the sixth chapter of the book of Genesis; the fallen angels had seduced flesh women and the giants were born of them, that is why God caused Noah's flood - to kill the giants. See the THE FALLEN ANGELS AND THE GIANTS OF GENESIS CHAPTER SIX In-depth Bible study.
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Explanation of above scripture: Notice the concept of FIRST and SECOND here, those taken by antichrist and those who remain waiting for the return of the True Messiah Jesus Christ. You remember when Jesus said: "Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not." [Matt 24:26], well those who were taken in the above Scripture didn't heed Jesus' warning, they were deceived and were take first by the antichrist. Where were they taken to you ask?:
Luke 17:34-37 (Jesus speaking)
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will theeagles be gathered together. (KJV)Explanation of above scripture: Using your Strong's Exhaustive Concordance you will see that 'body' should be translator 'corpse' and 'eagles' should be translated 'vultures', this is where following the first one who claims to be Messiah (antichrist) will lead you - death, eternal death.
43
But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch
the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have
suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Explanation of above scripture: Always be ready for the 'end' because no-one knows when it will be. Verse 44 above says that the end comes when you least expect it. When would you least expect the return of the Messiah? When you think He is already here, when the false one is here!
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
Explanation of above scripture: Verse 46 above is the key, when the True Jesus returns he expects to find you still being faithful to Him and doing His work, not worshipping satan (antichrist).
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
Explanation of above scripture: The evil servant tired of waiting for his true master, and he joined the party with the false master. Then the true master came unannounced and caught the evil impatient servant off guard. Below we see what will happen to those who don't wait for their True Master & Savior Jesus Christ, but rather fall off with the false master antichrist. Don't you be in this group, study your Heavenly Father's Written Word and be ready for the deception that WILL COME!:
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
(KJV)
Explanation of above scripture: When Jesus does the above to you, you will be devastated (to say the least), these people really thought they were worshipping Jesus Christ because they had made themselves stupid to satan's deception by not learning of it from their heavenly father's Written Word. You want to see the dialog between these foolish apostates and Jesus Christ at the Second Advent? It is recorded you know. Let's finish this study up with something I pray Jesus will not have to say to you:
Matt 7:13-23 (Jesus speaking)
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (KJV)
(End of chapter)
Beloved, beware of any man that tells you that you don't have to understand the plan of God or any one part of the Bible. Prophecy must come to pass exactly as it is written. And besides, don't you think it just a little bit suspicious, that the parts of the Bible that they tell you not to understand are the very parts of the Bible that warn us about false teachers and the antichrist? Come on, wake up if you are listening to false teachers/preachers. There is a spiritual battle waging for your eternal soul, whether you realize it or not!
God saw to it, that we would have His Written Word, the Bible, so we could know what He wants from us, and what to watch out for. For the only ones who don't want you to understand the prophesies of the Bible, are satan and his misguided bunch of blasphemers!
Log unto and read all of the WATCHMEN BIBLE STUDY GROUP study titled "MATTHEW STUDY #24 [Mt 24:1 - 24:51]"