The American Wisdom Series

Presents
Matthew 21

As Jesus just said in Matthew 21:21, "It shall be done"! And so it SHALL... for it is written.

We have now come to the fourth period of Christ's ministry whereby the Kingdom shall be rejected and our Lord and Saviour shall be delivered up and crucified to pay to price to offer forgiveness and salvation to "whosoever will". As Jesus Christ has now explained numerous times to His disciples, this was the plan of God from the beginning as it is written in the Law and the Prophets which teach us about and lead us to know Jesus Christ.

Those who are students of His Word know that there is a stark contrast between the first advent, where we "see" the magnificence of the King of kings and Lord of lords enter into Jerusalem on a lowly ass as the most humble servant ever there was, and the second advent where He shall come in His Glory and Majesty and ride in on a white horse with ALL power and authority to establish His kingdom and subject ALL nations (bend every knee) to His righteous rule!

Keep this contrast in mind as we begin our study.

Matthew 21:1
And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,
When traveling to Jerusalem from Jericho or Bethany one had to cross the Kedron which separates Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives which sits east of Jerusalem, i.e. looking out from the east gate. "Beth-phage" means "house of figs" or as Thayer defines it, the "house of unripe figs". It is interesting that the three locations mentioned here all have to do with the "fruit of trees" and Christ will be paying a visit to a "fig tree" later on in today's study. The three fruits mentioned are (1) the "fig" from the house of fig (Bethpage), (2) the "date", which is the fruit of the palm, from the house of dates (Beth-any), and the "olive", the fruit from the olive trees which grow and stand upon the Mount of Olives. As it is written in the Book of Zechariah from which Matthew will quote in today's study, it will be the Mount of Olives where Jesus Christ will return at the second advent.
Zech. 14:4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
Note: For those who like to dig a little deeper into Father's Word you will find that the Greek word for "olive" is "elaia", pronounced "el-ah-yah", giving us both the name of the Creator (El) and the covenant name of our Father (Yah). It is the oil of the olive that is symbolic of the Holy Spirit and is used for "anointing".
olive, elaia, el-ah'-yah, Greek 1636; feminine of a presumed derivative from an obsolete primary; an olive (the tree or the fruit) :- olive (berry, tree).
The Hebrew word for "olive" also "sheds some light" on the use of the olive as symbolic of the Holy Spirit. It is the pure olive oil that the children of Israel were instructed to bring to the tabernacle to keeps the seven lamps burning continually throughout the night. This should remind you of the 10 virgins (symbolic of the ten tribes of Israel), five of which filled their lamps with the oil (shemen) of the olive to keep their lamps burning throughout the night and five who did not! Leviticus 24:2 "Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually."
olive, zayith, zah'-yith, Hebrew 2132; probably from an unused root [akin to Hebrew 2099 (Ziv)]; an olive (as yielding illuminating oil), the tree, the branch or the berry :- olive (tree, -yard), Olivet.

oil, shemen, sheh'-men, Hebrew 8081; from Hebrew 8080 (shaman); grease, especially liquid (as from the olive, often perfumed); figurative richness :- anointing, × fat (things), × fruitful, oil ([-ed]), ointment, olive, + pine.

Then check out the Greek word for "Christ" and it all ties so beautifully and harmoniously together. How marvelous and perfect is the Word of God!
Christos, khris-tos', Greek 5547; from Greek 5548 (chrio); anointed, i.e. the Messiah, an epithet of Jesus :- Christ.

chrio, khree'-o, Greek 5548; probably akin to Greek 5530 (chraomai) through the idea of contact; to smear or rub with oil, i.e. (by implication) to consecrate to an office or religious service :- anoint.

Jesus Christ, the "Anointed One", will be teaching us a great deal from His presence on the Mount of Olives in the chapters that follow.

Now here are the instructions Jesus gave to the two disciples He sent into the village to fetch an ass and a colt with her:

[2] Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.
Jesus Christ knew that these animals were prepared and waiting to be used to fulfill the scripture of Zech. 9:9 which we will read shortly.
[3] And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
Our Father's plan unfolded exactly as it was written concerning the first advent and so shall it unfold exactly as it is written in both the Old Testament and the New Testament concerning Christ's second advent.
[4] All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
Again, this was done to fulfill the scripture of Zechariah 9:9 which is just one of the 60 references to the Law and the Prophets found in the Book of Matthew that document without a shadow of doubt that Jesus Christ was indeed the Messiah, Yahveh's King!

Remember we discussed this in our very first study. Here is an excerpt from that study:

"Haven't you read", for "It is written", that Jesus Christ would come and fulfill all the things foretold of Him by the prophets? That is why you will find in this opening book of the New Testament those phrases and others such as "that which was spoken" and "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken" along with over 60 references to the Old Testament, to document beyond any reasonable doubt that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, fulfilled the Law and the Prophets at His coming! To that end, the special object and "Divine purpose in the Gospel of Matthew is to set forth the Lord as Yahveh's King. Hence those events in His ministry are singled out and emphasized which set forth His claims as the Messiah - sent to fulfill all the prophecies concerning Him" (Companion Bible, pg. 1306).
The point is that anyone who claims the Old Testament to be part of his or her religion and yet claims that Messiah has not yet come, has got a real BIG problem! How so? Because of all the things that are written in the Law and the Prophets (i.e. the OT) that must be fulfilled by Messiah when He comes, like that which we are reading now concerning His humble entrance into Jerusalem on a lowly ass. You may recall back in Matthew 2:4-6 that the kenites (chief priests and scribes) even admitted to Herod that it was written in Micah 5:2 that the King of Israel would be born in Beth-lehem (house of bread) of Judea. Since they now deny Christ fulfilled that scripture, their messiah will have to... along with all the others like Ps. 22, Isa. 53, etc., etc., etc.
Matthew 2:4-6
And when he (Herod) had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. [5] And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, [6] And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
Again, ALL the scriptures concerning Messiah must be fulfilled and anyone who denies that Jesus is the Anointed One of God is a liar and the truth is NOT in him, meaning he or she does not know the Word of God. 1 John 2:22 "Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is anti Christ, that denieth the Father and the Son." In other words, if one does not confess that Jesus is the Christ, he or she denies the Father, meaning he or she does not have the Father. 1 John 2:23 "Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also."

Here is Matthew's quote of the scripture that Christ was fulfilling. It is from Zech. 9:9 concerning the first advent of the King. Verse 10 speaks of the second advent so don't forget to go check it out.

Matthew 21:5
Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
It is just an awesome thought and breathtaking visual picture to realize and "see" who it is who is sitting upon a lowly ass and "a colt the foal of an ass"! It is "thy King", the King of kings and Lord of lords of all the universe! He has come down from above, Emmanuel, God with us, to pay the price and offer salvation to "whosoever will" humble himself or herself in repentance and believe in Him.
Zech. 9:9
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
This is so incredible when you pause and think about it!
Matthew 21:6
And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
His disciples keep His commands because they love Him, they love the Living Word of God. John 14:21 "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." Do you want to truly come to know the Lord Jesus Christ? Then go to Him and study His Word and through the illuminating anointing oil, the Holy Spirit of Truth, He will manifest (reveal) Himself to you!
[7] And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set Him thereon.
Again, "see" this picture in your mind's eye for it is the picture of the humbleness and willingness of the King of king and Lord of lords to come down to this earth, to be born in a lowly manger and to ride upon a lowly ass and to be slain as the Lamb of God to bring salvation to all. Remember from our previous study that whosoever will humble himself or herself and follow Him shall be exalted in the kingdom when He enters Jerusalem again! Only the next time He comes He will be riding upon on a white horse followed by the saints of the most High, also riding on white horses, to take up His kingdom and RULE this earth with a rod of iron. It is written and it shall happen exactly as it is written (Rev. 19:15, Rev. 2:26-27).

You "see", ALL knees shall bow before Him one way or the other when He comes, whether it be willing or unwillingly, bow they shall. This too is written in both the Old and the New Testaments.

Isaiah 45:22
Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
The God of Israel is the one and ONLY God. There is none other and there is no other Saviour! (Of course you surely know that today this is not politically correct!)
[23] I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
And so it is written! And so it shall be done! Every knee shall bow!
[24] Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.
As it is written, they will be so ashamed they will wish the mountains and the hills to fall upon them (Rev. 6:15-17).

Now here is it in the New Testament, quoted by Paul from that which was already written, even that which we just read in Isaiah 45:

Romans 14:11
For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
This should give you some idea of just how powerful the "rod of iron" is! EVERY KNEE shall bow to the King of kings and Lord of lords at the second advent. Let us now continue with the first. Christ is entering Jerusalem riding upon an ass, a "beast of burden", according to the scriptures.
Matthew 21:8
And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
A "very great multitude" means the "majority of the people" spread their garments in the way. Others took branches of Palm trees (see John 12:12) and strew them in the way.
[9] And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
Hosanna means "oh save" or "save now", the saying of which comes directly from Ps. 118:25-26. "In the name of" is an expression that means in the "authority of".
Psalm 118:25-26
Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.

[26] Blessed be He that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.

Now notice what happens when He enters into Jerusalem.
Matthew 21:10
And when He was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
Jesus Christ's entrance into Jerusalem shook up the whole town... but it shall be nothing like the shaking that shall occur at the second advent which we will read of and discuss in detail in chapter 24. For you "see", the next time He comes to Jerusalem there shall be an earthquake of epic proportion (even as we read earlier in Zech. 14:4 when the mount splits) and they won't be saying "Who is this?" Rev. 19:16 "And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." Here is Strong's definition of "moved":
moved, seio, si'-o, Greek 4579; apparently a primary verb; to rock (vibrate, properly sideways or to and fro), i.e. (genitive) to agitate (in any direction; cause to tremble); figurative to throw into a tremor (of fear or concern) :- move, quake, shake.
[11] And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
What the multitude says never quite aligns with what the disciples, those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, i.e. those who truly know Him, say. Remember that from Mark 8:27-29 "And Jesus went out, and His disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way He asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am? [28] And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets. [29] And He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ."

Remember the rich man also called Him "Good Master". Nevertheless, true it was that Jesus was "the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee", but you "see" He was the Son of David, Yashua Messiah, Yahveh's Savior, the Anointed One of God, the Son of the Living God, Emmanuel God with us!

Now it is time to perk up our ears to "hear" and to open wide our eyes to "see" the effect of the casting out of the "buyers and sellers" in "the temple", and overthrowing the "tables of the moneychangers", and unseating those who "sell" profane sacrifices to our people as a way to please God! To that end, the next three verses (12-14) are taken together in context. Keep in mind as with all the teachings of Christ, the picture of what we are about to "see" is given to us to as a visual aid to the spiritual lesson He is teaching.

Matthew 21:12
And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
The "temple" is not a building but the many membered body of Jesus Christ, right? Well, there are many who are in that body who are led by charlatans (pretenders) who come in His name, i.e. claiming to represent Him as His Christian ministers and priests, etc., who are nothing more that a bunch of conmen and moneychangers who are "in it for the money"! Hopefully you can see easily spot them when you turn on TV and listen to some of these religious thieves who never forget to talk about your sacrifice in terms of the money you give.Otherwise, you will never be able to allow the Word of God to cast them out of the minds of your brothers and sisters that they may be set free to come and be healed of their blindness and lameness by Word of God.

You see, true disciples of Christ need to expose these crooks for who and what they really are, an easy task indeed if you are familiar with His Word! Remember back in Matthew chapter ten Christ told His disciples two specific things concerning money when they go out to teach. One, they were NOT to take a purse, which means they did not need financing (neither their own nor a financier's), and two,they were NOT to take a "scrip" which is a beggar's bag! In other words, His teachers and representatives are not to beg people nor continually ask them for money. Christ promises that if you do things His way, according to His commands, that you won't have to worry about money.This ministry is living proof of that promise in that we have never had a fundraiser nor ever passed a collection plate nor ever ask anyone for money, nor do we ever intend to. The point is that any church that focuses on money is not following Christ's directions which means there is something wrong!

Now, obviously Christ is not teaching us that in exposing the moneychangers and overthrowing their tables we are to physically enter into churches and flip over the collection plates. Remember, He is just giving us a picture to see in our mind's eye. But spiritually we are to inform and educate our brothers and sisters when the opportunity presents itself that the "house of God" is to be a house of prayer, which is your true sacrifice, not the giving of your money to rip-off artists who sell you doves or pass the basket in the name of Jesus.

Here is a question: "What is your duty and service to God?" Does He want your sacrifices and burnt offerings? No, He wants your love as it is written Hos. 6:6, "For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings."Does He want you to do that which the rich man wanted to do, i.e. some good thing, to save himself? No, you are to get rid of all the idolatrous things you possess and obtain the pearl of great price and then give His precious truths to the poor in spirit, those whose spirits need healing. That is your sacrifice, NOT money! You "see", it is much easier to plop some cash in a money plate than to be willing to so much as stop by the wayside to help a poor spiritually blind brother or sister! Do you want to be great in the kingdom of heaven. Then if there be any sacrifice let it be the sacrifice of service and ministering unto the poor in spirit. And when you bring your sacrifice unto the LORD thy God, make sure is in not lame nor blind nor has any ill blemish. The shadow, which is a type, was given in the law for us to "see".

Deut. 15:21
And if there be any blemish therein, as if it be lame, or blind, or have any ill blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto the LORD thy God.


And so it is that His truth, the Word of God, exposes con-artists and overturns the tables of the moneychangers and explains what His house is all about!

Matthew 21:13
And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
What is that we are to pray for in the house of God? Well, if you are a disciple of Christ you are to pray for our brothers and sisters that are sick (ill blemished) and blind and lame and need the healing touch of our Father's Word. To that end, we are also to ask for the spiritual gifts we need to help us bring forth the good treasure out of the house to those in need. This ties in with the last verse in today's study (verse 22).There is nothing new under the sun in this final generation of the fig tree, which is actually the generation Christ is specifically teaching about. Many, many, churches today have become a den of thieves whose robbers concentrate on the almighty dollar and preach that your sacrifice consists of reaching in your pocket and giving your money... to them of course! Be aware that the LORD sees it (Jer. 7:11) and He doesn't like it one bit as evidenced by what Christ just did to those who buy and sell in the temple.
Jeremiah 7:11
Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.
So now that the temple has been cleansed by the presence of the Living Word of God and the robbers of our people have been removed, the people are now free to come to Him and be healed of their infirmities beginning with their spiritual blindness of the truth and their lameness which causes them to stumble at His Word.
Matthew 21:14
And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple; and He healed them.
The casting out of the thieves from the temple and the exposing of their scam of profane sacrifice freed the people and allowed them to come to Jesus Christ, the Word of God, and be spiritually healed. Again, the house of God is a house of prayer not a commercial enterprise.
[15] And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,
Uh oh! The preachers and religious leaders did not like the Word of God healing the people and setting them free from their traditional way of sacrificing ($$$$$) to that of prayer and brotherly love!Neither do churches today like it when their members leave them because their eyes have been opened to their scam and the stumbling block they set before them has been removed because the truth of His Wondrous Word has been revealed to them.So do not be afraid to take hold of the whip and go "CRACK" and throw those jokers out of the minds of our brothers and sisters and expose them as fakes and frauds!  The children will simply love Him for it, and they will turn from saying "Prophet of Nazareth of Galilee" to "Hosanna, the Son of David"! Who cares if the false prophets who come in His name and deceive the multitudes like it or not!
[16] And said unto Him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
Yes, isn't it marvelous what those who are healed by Him say. The power of the Word of God is so great that it can be manifested (shown, displayed) through the mouths of babes.You "see", it doesn't take much to cast down the enemy, just a little faith and trust in Him, for He has all power in both heaven and earth and through the mouth of babes and sucklings His enemies are stilled! There is a great lesson to be seen in this. By the way, Christ was quoting from David who as a babe (a young lad) stilled the mighty giant Goliath standing before him with one small stone taken from the brook of Living Water.
Psalm 8:2
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
He has the power and He has given that power to you, power over ALL the enemy including Satan himself, IF you will take that power (His Word) and use it! Luke 10:19 "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you."
Matthew 21:17
And He left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and He lodged there.
[18] Now in the morning as He returned into the city, He hungered.
Where does one go when one is hungry (spiritually speaking). To the Tree of Life, to a tree which bears good fruit, right? Are you well grounded enough in the Word of God to be able to discern a tree by the fruit it bears, or the lack thereof?  Remember the lessons we learned back in Matthew chapter 7?

Nevertheless, Jesus Christ was returning to the city when He saw a fig tree "in the way"!

[19] And when He saw a fig tree in the way, He came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
Again, see this fig tree "in the way" of one who is seeking food! But alas! When Christ came to it there was NO FRUIT on it, only leaves! This should immediately remind us of the Parable of the Fig Tree Christ spoke about in Mark 13, Mat. 24, and Luke 21, that the knowledge of, once we learned it as per His instructions, would identify the final generation. We will discuss this at length when we get to chapter 24.
Matthew 24:32
Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: [33] So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. [34]Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.  .
So Jesus Christ, the Word of God, said to the fig tree (we are talking "bad fig tree" here) "Let no fruit grow on thee henceforth for ever"! You "see", the Word of God does speak to the bad fig tree and identifies it as one who claims to be a good fig tree! In other words, the bad figs are those who claim to be God's chosen people, descendants of Judah from Abraham. They claim to be Jews (of Judah), but they NOT! They are liars and are of the synagogue of Satan (Rev. 2:9 & 3:9). (If you are not familiar with what is being talked about, then be patient until we discuss it in detail in chapter 24 or go to Fig Tree and read the "The Parable of the Fig Tree".

Remember again that what we are picturing in our mind is a visual aid to help us "see" the spiritual (invisible) things Christ is teaching.Now notice that when He spoke, the fig tree presently, meaning instantly, withered away, as in dried up "right before the eyes of the disciples"! And it would not grow any fruit from this point on! What does that mean? Let's read the next verse and then see what Christ has to say regarding this drying up.

Matthew 21:20
And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
Christ did this so that the disciples would SEE that old fig tree dry right up and wither away right before their eyes! What an image! It kind of reminds me of the Wicked Old Witch of the East melting away in the Wizard of Oz (Well it made an impression on me when I was a kid)! Nevertheless, the next verse will document that this was done as an ensample of what THEY WOULD DO to the bad fig tree in the mind's eye of those they teach!
[21] Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
When you show a brother or sister what the Word of God says concerning the bad "fig tree", you shrivel up and wither away the image that they once had of that tree being good, i.e. as being God's chosen people. Therefore, that tree will never again be able to grow fruit for them! But you see, one must have faith in order to do that. In other words, one must have a firm enough foundation in the Word of God to be able to know with certitude who the good and the bad figs are! Faith is not some emotional state or determination that something is true. It is "substance" which is the knowledge and wisdom your faith stands on.

Paul explains it very plainly.

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Again, faith is what you stand upon, i.e. what is under you supporting your belief. If the knowledge from the Word of God is not supporting you, i.e. if you are Biblically illiterate as most professing Christians (the multitudes) are, then you simply cannot have much faith, can you?
substance, hupostasis, hoop-os'-tas-is, Greek 5287; from a compound of Greek 5259 (hupo) and Greek 2476 (histemi); a setting under (support), i.e. (figurative) concrete essence, or abstract assurance (object or subject) :- confidence, confident, person, substance.
If your faith is built upon the foundation stone, the Rock of our Salvation, the Word of God, then you have the kind of faith Christ is talking about inMatthew 21:21 by which you shall not only wither the bad fig tree in the eyes of your brothers and sisters, but be part of casting that whole kenite nation into the sea! Mountains are symbolic of nations and governments and the One World System, the New World Order, that mountain raised up by the bad figs in this final generation, is coming down! And God's elect who have faith shall have a part in casting it into the sea!
Rev. 18:21
And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
As Jesus just said in Matthew 21:21, "It shall be done"! And so it SHALL... for it is written. Therefore, whatsoever you need "in the house of prayer", to obtain the faith, through the knowledge and understanding and wisdom of His Word, in order to be able to cast out of the minds of our blind brothers and sisters those who "buy and sell" in the temple, overturn for them the tables of those "moneychangers" who exchange money and collect usury from our people, unseat the authority of those preachers who promote profane sacrifices to our Father (symbolized by those mite infested doves) , and "dry up and whither away" the bad fig tree in the eyes of our Christian brothers and sisters who are hoodwinked into believing those who "claim to be Jews (of Judah)" are "God's chosen people", then ask in prayer, believing that which is written, and He will give you what you need. He has promised it... IF you do it His way!
Matthew 21:22
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
May God bless you in your prayer and study of His Word! 

Amen

Many churches today concentrate more on fund raisers, pledges of money, pass the plate, building funds, etc., etc., than on teaching God's Word.
How is your church doing?

In our last study Jesus Christ instructed us concerning some very important things we need to know in this final generation of the fig tree, even things we need to allow the Word of God to expose, cast out, and whither in the eyes of our brethren, like religious scam artists and that bad fig tree who shoots forth leaves and covers up the truth while claiming to be God's chosen people.You see, that false tree stands in the way (blocks the minds) of many Christians by claiming to be a good tree. In other words, they claim their family tree goes back to Abraham and that they therefore are the children of God... but their father is not God (Jn. 8:44) and they bear no fruit for the kingdom of God.In understanding the Parable of the Fig Tree we know that they are the bad figs of Jeremiah 24 who are nothing but a bunch of liars and are of the synagogue of Satan. These things are spoken of in detail in Christ's instructions to the messengers of the seven churches in Revelation chapters 2 & 3, which represent all the Christian churches of today ("7" is the number of completeness, even spiritual completeness). For example, does your church permit the doctrine of Baalam as does the church of Pergamos?

See pamphlets #1829, #1834, #1835, Read all of Revelation pamphlets
Rev. 2:14
But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
Again, does your church "hast there them" that focus on money? Balaam was a priest of Israel, but if one takes the time to read the account in Numbers 22 he or she will find that Balaam preached to Balac, i.e. the Moabites, for MONEY. Many churches today concentrate more on fund raisers, pledges of money, pass the plate, building funds, etc., etc., than on teaching God's Word. What they do falsely teach and emphasize is that you will be "blessed by God" if you give or send money... as in the more you give the more He will bless you! Ah, Balaam lives on! You know at one point Balaam had his ass so loaded with "donations" that God intervened with an angel and had the ass speak to Balaam to bring him to his senses. So wake up to the reality of what is happening brothers and sisters! God has a problem, a few things against those who permit the doctrine of Balaam.

Here is His advice and warning to them:

Rev. 2:16
Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
That "sword" He speaks of is the Word of God (Rev. 1:16) that is able to cut through the soul and spirit and is therefore much more powerful than a physical sword that is only capable of cutting flesh. Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." You "saw the picture" of what Christ did to the commercial enterprise and peddlers of profane sacrifices taking place in the temple, right? Then take heed and get with the program. The house of God is to be called a house of prayer!

And how about the "fig tree"? Have you learned the Parable of the Fig Tree (as per Christ's command in Mat. 24, Mark 13, & Luke 21) to know that there are both good and bad figs? The bad figs are the sons of Cain who are those tares we learned about back in chapter 13. There are only two churches out of the seven in Revelation 2 & 3 who teach our people who those bad figs are and have the faith and courage to whither that false lineage (tree) before the eyes of our brothers and sisters. They are the two churches of Philadelphia (Rev. 3:9) and Smyrna (Rev. 2:9). That means if your church is not teaching who the kenites are, i.e. the sons of Cain, then your church falls into the category of one of the other 5 churches ALL of whom Christ has a problem with. They are asleep to the truth and need to begin filling their lamps with the El-i-Yah (olive oil) we spoke of in our last study.

However, when one does according to the Word of God and begins to teach our brothers and sisters the truth concerning Jeremiah 7:11 in that the house of God is to be a house of prayer and not a cash cow for those who come in the name of the Lord and deceive our people with their unholy traditions, he or she may encounter some opposition from those who don't like that bold teaching of His Word, like showing and explaining those "pictures" of casting out and withering. They actually do not like and become "sore displeased" when members of their church turn to Christ, to the Word of God, and are healed and set free and thus no longer support their religious enterprise with either their prayers, their labor, or their money!

To that end, let us read and learn as Jesus Christ is now paid a visit by the chief priests of the temple and the elders of the people who have come to Him to question His authority! Who knows, you may be paid a visit or receive a phone call yourself for boldly teaching the truth of God's Word and setting a captive brother or sister free. So pay real close attention to how Christ handles the situation for as we shall see, it is "wisdom" that prevails!

Matthew 21:23
And when He was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto Him as He was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?
They came unto Christ as He was teaching demanding to see His credentials and to show where He obtained the authority to be so bold and to teach in such a manner. Make no mistake about it, Christ taught boldly and with authority as we learned back in Matthew 7:29 "For He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." His disciples, those disciplined in His Word, also tell it like it is. They are not men pleasers but rather God pleasers teaching not their owns words nor the traditions of men for money or vainglory, but His Words after the manner of "It is written" and "Thus saith the Lord God of Israel"!

Now remember that these chief priests were those who were "sore displeased (vs. 15)" with the things Christ did in the temple, in the house of God. Jesus had cast out all "them that sold and bought in the temple" and turned over their ATM (Automated Tithe Machine) and now these guys want to know "Who gave thee this authority?" The question itself shows that these are unbelievers and do not serve God, for they have not the Spirit of God. They are not filled the oil of the olive and yet it is they who are the chief priests and the elders of the people, the religious leaders of the community.The truth of the matter is though, God did not send them.

Now Jesus is going to use wisdom to cause them to both "expose themselves" as the religious hypocrites that they are and even "pass judgment upon themselves"!

[24] And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.
Christ is going to ask a simple question that cuts right to the heart of their hypocrisy and exposes their unbelief.

Here is the question:

[25] The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; He will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?
You've got it fellows! John was a man of God, a man "sent from God", and he educated (fully immersed) people in the Word of God and foretold them of the One who would come after Him, even Jesus Christ, the Light from above!
John 1:6
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. [7]The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
Mark also documents how that John spoke of Messiah.
Mark 1:7
And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. [8] I indeed have baptized you with water: but He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.
For the chief priests and elders of the people to admit that John's baptism was of God meant they would have to accept the One John bear witness of!
Matthew 21:26
But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.
This also demonstrates the utter hypocrisy and disingenuousness of these religious leaders. They certainly do not have the faith and fortitude of true men and women of God who will stand-up and hold fast to the truth and serve God regardless of the consequences, whether it be stoning (Luke 20:6) or casting into a den of lions! What a bunch of people-pleasing wimps these cowards have shown themselves to be!
[27] And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And He said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
They prove themselves to be liars with the statement "We cannot tell!" It is not that they cannot tell, for not only did they see the works of John but remember back in Matthew 21:15 they even saw the wonderful works Christ did in the temple. It is a matter that they refuse to acknowledge and admit the truth thereby showing they care not about the truth and that they willingly and knowingly reject Him as Messiah while claiming to be true servants of God.

Now Wisdom is going to give them a simple analogy, as in paint an earthly picture for them that they can easily see and relate to in their mind's eye on the flesh level, and cause them to judge themselvesout of their own mouths and declare that they do NOT the will of God.

This is an incredible display of wisdom indeed!

Matthew 21:28
But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.

[29] He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.

Do not miss the fact that this son at first disobeyed his Father and refused to do His will. "No way, man! Don't tell me what to do or how to live my life!" (God's gives some of us teenagers to remind us and help us understand rebellion, lest we forget how we were as teenagers!) Nevertheless, later on (afterward) he repented and turned his life around and did as his Father willed for him for do... which was to go labor for Him in His vineyard.
[30] And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
This son claimed he would go work in the vineyard but never did. Now for the simple question that even Balaam's ass could answer:
[31]Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
Uh oh! They just figured out Christ was speaking of them as the disobedient ones who tried to pull the wool (as in sheepskin) over the eyes of their Father. Christ made it clear by saying "before you" that they are the ones represented in the analogy by the son who said he would go labor in the vineyard but all his life never did a thing to bear fruit for the kingdom of God. And to make matters worse, they just learned that they are going to take a back seat to the publicans and sinners who they consider way beneath them! These self-righteous, self-exalted hypocrites would not be seen dead associating with such "lowlifes". Remember Matthew 9:10-11 where the Pharisees accused Christ of eating with publicans and sinners, something they would never do? "And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. [11] And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto His disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?"

Now here is the point Christ is making with the parable.

[32] For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.
First of all, they did not believe John even though he was man of God who "came unto them in the way of righteousness"... and they knew it! Even Herod could tell John was a just man of God and consequently he had great respect for John. Mark 6:20 "For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly." But then, even after these religious leaders saw the fruit of his labor and the marvelous conversion of the publicans and harlots whose lives were completely turned around whereby they began to serve their Father, they still refused to repent and believe him.

As so it is that "wisdom" from the Word of God has convicted the guilty who out their own mouths have not only declared themselves to be so, but in our next study will actually sentence themselves by determining and uttering the very punishment they should receive for their own deeds and for the deeds of their forefathers down through the ages! How precious indeed is the wisdom and righteousness of the Word of God. What a witness and testimony Jesus Christ is giving as an ensample for us to "see".

In our next study, Jesus Christ, the wisest one of all, is going to continue showing us "wisdom" by giving another parable to and concerning the history and ultimate fate of these wicked ones. In fact, it even has to do with the wisdom spoken of in Rev. 13:18!

It is hard for many Christians to understand that Jesus Christ becomes a stumbling block, to those who stumble at His Word, i.e. do not hear His voice but rather follow the traditions of men.

Jesus Christ has been confronted by the chief priests and elders of the people as He was teaching to show by what authority He did the things He did and who gave Him that authority. Christ said He would tell them if they would first tell Him whether the baptism of John was from heaven above or of men. Since they refused to tell Him (actually they lied and said they could not tell) He in like manner would not tell them where He got His authority. However, Jesus then asked them to consider a few stories (which will be parables about them) and draw some conclusions and make some judgments. In this manner Christ reveals much knowledge and wisdom while at the same time causing the kenites, the sons of Cain, to pass judgment upon and sentence to perish both themselves and their forefathers for their wicked deeds.

Matthew 21:33
Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:
Our heavenly Father is the "certain householder" who planted a vineyard (Israel) and fenced it (grubbed over as is digged and trenched the ground), and built a tower for the watchman in the midst of it, and made a winepress (gath) for the gathering in of the fruit. Had the chief priests and elders of the people whom Christ is addressing with this parable been more knowledgeable of the holy scriptures than of their traditions which produce no fruit, they would have perhaps been drawn to Isa. 5:1-7 which speaks of the vineyard and identifies it as the House of Israel.
Isaiah 5:1-2
Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: [2] And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.
The householder planted the vineyard for the express purpose "that it should bring forth grapes" which means he expected it to bear good and ripened fruit. Instead it brought forth "wild grapes". Take a Strong's Concordance and look up the word "wild grapes" and you'll understand why He was so disappointed.
wild grapes, be'ushiym, be-oo-sheem', Hebrew 891; plural of Hebrew 889 (be'osh); poison-berries :- wild grapes.

be'osh, be-oshe', Hebrew 889; from Hebrew 877 (bo'r); a stench :- stink.

Isa. 5:7 documents that the vineyard in the parable represents the House of Israel.
Isaiah 5:7
For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah His pleasant plant: and He looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.
An "husbandman" is a landworker, a farmer, i.e. the vinedresser who is to work in the vineyard as its caretaker seeing to it that good fruit is produced for the householder who has every right to expect it. On the spiritual level, which this physical "is like" (analogy) or parable is to be taken, the husbandman is a spiritual leader of the people whose responsibility it is to teach and watch over the House of Israel thereby producing and bringing forth good ripened fruit (children of righteousness) in due season for the kingdom of God. To that end, the householder has provided the husbandman with all the spiritual tools (His Word) necessary to do the job.
Matthew 21:34
And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.
Time means due season (kairos in Greek #2540) which in this case means at harvest time when the fruit should be ripe.
[35] And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
These servants sent by the householder (our Father) were the priests and prophets He sent down through the ages. What Christ is doing is establishing the vile, sordid history of the wicked "husbandmen" who shall all be included in the judgment that the scribes and elders themselves will soon declare out of their own mouths. We will cover this again in detail when we get to the 23rd chapter where Jesus once again identifies the "stones of Satan's temple" and "counts them", i.e. adds (enumerates) or totals them up from the beginning going back and commencing with the first murderer, Cain, the slayer of righteous Abel. If you recall in Genesis 4:2, Cain was an "husbandman", a tiller of the ground, while Abel was "keeper of sheep", a tender of the flock, a shepherd! Genesis 4:2, "And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground"... who rose up and killed the shepherd."
Matthew 23:34-36
Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: [35] That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. [36] Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
The "generation" Christ is speaking of is the "generation (lineage) of vipers" we read of back in Mat. 3:7 and Mat. 12:34, who are the kenites, the descendants of Cain. They are the tares we learned about in the 13th chapter of Matthew!
Matthew 21:36
Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.
Christ "adds them up" and brings the history right up to the last prophet (John the Baptist) that the householder sent before sending His beloved Son.
[37] But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
The householder sent His only begotten Son into the vineyard. Got the picture? And there He is... the Son... standing right before the husbandmen, the chief priests and the elders, and do they reverence Him? They do NOT! They despise Him and reject Him and wish to "lay hands on him" (vs. 46) and even plot to raise up and kill the Shepherd.
[38] But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.
Talk about wicked people! They beat and murdered the very Son of the householder in their attempt to take the vineyard and seize that which belongs to the Father for themselves. This brings us right up to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, which is actually prophesy (history declared before the fact) falling directly upon those to whom Christ is now speaking.
[39] And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
Wow, what a wicked and perverse generation! That is the picture of Satan's family tree, the wicked tree beginning with Cain and its fruitless branches who have followed in the footsteps of their father, the first murder, down through the ages. Christ lays it out real clearly in John 8:44 when the scribes and Pharisees confront Him to try and convince Him that they are "God's chosen people": "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." Too bad the majority of our Christian brothers and sisters fall for that lie today, i.e. believe that those who claim to be "God's chosen people" are actually descendants of Abraham. Remember we learned that only two out of the seven churches in Rev. 2:9 & 3:9 know whose these liars are who claim to be of our brother Judah but do lie and are of the synagogue of Satan. They are actually kenites of the house of Cain. Read John chapter 8 with understanding and let that fig tree which bears no fruit dry up and be withered before your eyes. They did not fool Jesus Christ so don't let them pull the wool over your eyes either.

Now the chief priests and elders of the people who are listening to this indicting parable of Christ have not quite put two and two together to come up with enough smarts to understand that He is speaking about them and their forefathers. However, even they can see and understand on the flesh level the wickedness of these husbandmen. Therefore Christ asks them to "declare judgment" on them, which means that they shall unwittingly pass judgment upon and sentence themselves and their forefathers to be "destroyed", i.e. to perish, and the vineyard to be taken from them. Oh the wisdom of Christ!

[40] When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
Here is the judgment they cast upon themselves.
[41] They say unto Him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
It is important to understand the meaning of the Greek word for "destroy" which is "apollumi", for it is the root word for Satan's name Apollyon, the destroyer, in Rev. 9:11 who is the "son of perdition", the one God sentenced to "perish" in the lake of fire (Ezek. 28:18).
destroy, apollumi, ap-ol'-loo-mee, Greek 622; from Greek 575 (apo) and the base of Greek 3639 (olethros); to destroy fully (reflexive to perish, or lose), literal or figurative :- destroy, die, lose, mar, perish.
The word "apollumi" does NOT mean to burn forever! It means to "perish forever" as in gone, finis, to cease to exist! That is the fate of the incorrigibly wicked and unrepentant sinners... just as it is written in the most quoted verse in all of Christianity. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish (apollumi), but have everlasting (eternal) life."
Apollyon, Apolluon, ap-ol-loo'-ohn, Greek 623; active participle of Greek 622 (apollumi); a destroyer (i.e. Satan) :- Appollyon.
The bottom line is that the kenites have passed the same sentence upon themselves as their father, the devil, received at his judgment in the first earth age (Ezek. 28:18).And now for the "hammer to be dropped", or better yet for the "Stone to be dropped", upon the heads of the chief priests and elders of the people who have rejected the chief cornerstone, the Rock of our salvation, Jesus Christ.
[42] Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
They refuse to build their temple using the chief cornerstone, i.e. to build their house upon the Rock. They rejected the teachings of John the Baptist and now they are standing before the Messiah, Emmanuel, the Son of God, the chief cornerstone, not only fully rejecting Him and His salvation but they pass judgment upon and sentence themselves to perish for doing so! This is marvelous indeed!

The scriptures that Christ is referring to in asking them "Did you never read", which even if they had it is obvious they did so without understanding, come from the 118th Psalm. You may recall that is the same Psalm quoted back in verse 9 when Jesus entered into Jerusalem riding on a lowly ass! Psalm 118:26 "Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD. You "see", one can either praise the LORD and hear His voice and believe in Him, i.e. Jesus Christ who is the Rock of our salvation, and enter into the kingdom or he or she can reject Him and be crushed by the very Rock they reject. It is an individual choice with clearly defined consequences either way... to have eternal life or to perish in the lake of fire.

Psalm 118:21-24
I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.
Praise Him and rejoice in Him and hear His voice for Christ is our salvation.There is no other way as Peter declares in Acts 4:11-12 "This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. [12] Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

Psalm 118:21 speaks of the purpose of the first advent, which is to bring salvation, while the next verse declares the second advent when Christ will enter into Jerusalem again, only this time He will not be riding on a lowly ass but rather on a white horse as King of kings and Lord of lords to whom every knee shall bow in submission!

[22] The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
It is not our Father's will that any should perish (apollumi), including the kenites, but that all should come to repentance. Nevertheless, the Day of Lord, which is the Millennium, shall soon come when all the evil rudiments (elements) and all that is wicked shall be consumed by His fire, "for our God is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29)".
2 Peter 3:9-10
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. [10] But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
This is the Plan of God! "... Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints (Rev. 15:3)."
[Ps. 118:23] This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.
[24] This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Did you know that you can enter into His rest (sabbath) even now and become part of those just ones who take the kingdom and possess it for ever, even for ever and ever? Daniel 7:18 "But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever."
Matthew 21:43
Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
Are you part of that nation, that spiritual house which is built upon the Rock? Are you one of those "living stones" that make up His temple, the body of Christ? Remember 1 Peter 2:5 "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." Those spiritual sacrifices include the fruit you produce. Just remember though that their rock is not our Rock (Deut. 32:31) which means the rock they build their temple on (the king of Tyre, Tyre means "rock") is not our Rock, Jesus Christ! He is Satan, the false messiah!
[44] And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
It is hard for many Christians to understand that Jesus Christ becomes a stumbling block, to those who stumble at His Word, i.e. do not hear His voice but rather follow the traditions of men. Isaiah speaks of this, Christ speaks of this, Paul speaks of this (Rom. 9:32), and Peter speaks of this.
Isaiah 8:14-15
And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

[15] And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.

Those who stumble at His Word in their ignorance shall be broken and taken and fall before the false messiah believing his lies and deception that he is indeed the true Messiah. However, as Mat. 21:44 states, those upon whom "the stone" shall fall shall be "ground to powder"! Those are the murderous husbandmen who beat and stone and kill the servants of the householder and then murder His Son! The stones that build up their temple shall be crushed (ground to powder) and there shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be pulverized.
Matthew 24:1-2
And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and His disciples came to Him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

[2] And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

Christ is not talking about the actual "physical" stones of the temple, but those lifeless "stones" that the wise, those who possess wisdom and understanding from His Word, can trace and "add up" (enumerate using pebbles worn smooth) from the beginning (starting with Cain) right up unto today (Rev. 13:18).It is this house (temple) that brings forth the 1st Beast of Rev. 13:1 and ushers in the false messiah (2nd Beast of Rev. 13) before whose image the whole world bows.

However, when the chief cornerstone appears, that "stone" cut out without hands, i.e. Jesus Christ, He shall fall upon that evil system (the NWO) and crush it to smithereens along with the "stones" who make up the temple of Satan, the false-christ. Daniel 2:34 "Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces." In fact, check out the words "thrown down" in Matthew 24:2 and you see that it means to "disintegrate" as in "grind to powder"!

thrown down, kataluo, kat-al-oo'-o, Greek 2647; from Greek 2596 (kata) and Greek 3089 (luo); to loosen down (disintegrate), i.e. (by implication) to demolish (literal or figurative); specially [compare Greek 2646 (kataluma)] to halt for the night :- destroy, dissolve, be guest, lodge, come to nought, overthrow, throw down.
So Jesus Christ has just given the chief priests and elders of the people a real clear Bible lesson complete with documentation, and they finally got the message that all along He has been speaking about them!
Matthew 21:45
And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard His parables, they perceived that He spake of them.
Oooh! Now that the Pharisees have also gotten "wind" of the parables of Christ, they are out to lay their hands on Him and kill Him. Hey, isn't that just like the wicked husbandmen of the vineyard who "said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance (Matthew 21:38)?" Absolutely! You "see", Christ's teaching actually "turned their hearts" right back to their father (Mal. 4:6), the very first murderer! Hmmm, it all adds up!
[46] But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitude, because they took Him for a prophet.
What a bunch of cowardly hypocrites. Well, they will just go "underground" and plot in the pit how to bring about the crucifixion of the only begotten Son of God by whom and through whom is their only way to salvation! Amazing isn't it?

In our next study Christ is going to "speak unto them again by parables", this time about a certain king which made a marriage for his son!

.To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.


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