Luke 19:1 "And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

Luke 19:2 "And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich."

Zacchaeus was not just a tax collector, but his was the head of all tax collectors. The Publican was a tax collector. The tax collectors were noted for the fact that took more than they were authorized to collect from the people. Zacchaeus was the richest of all the tax collectors.

Luke 19:3 "And he sought to see Jesus who He was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature."

As Jesus was passing through Jericho, their were so many people pressing in to see Jesus that little Zacchaeus couldn't even get a glimps of Him. He wanted to at least see Jesus.

Luke 19:4 "And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him: for He was to pass that way."

So if Zacchaeus was to see Jesus he had to do some planning. Zacchaeus ran ahead, down the road to where Jesus would pass, and he climbed up this sycamore tree to where he would be able to see Jesus. This sycomore tree is not the same as the sycamine tree named in Luke 17:6, for the sycamine was the black mulberry tree. This sycamore tree was not as the sycamore trees of today, but it had large heart shaped leaves and was used for shade for those passing by. On the trunk of this sycamore tree grew an fig, and that is why it was also called the Egyptian fig tree. Before this fig could be eaten, it had to be punchered while on the tree and drained, and then it could be picked.

This is the same fig tree that the prophet Amos picked on his job. Amos 7:14 "Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, "I was not prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit:" So here again the tree days are given, by the use of this sycamore fig tree, to where the fruit had to be drained three days before it became eatable. We will see that salvation is involved here, as Zacchaeus is looking for salvation. Christ will have to stay in the tomb for three days before salvation will come to all that seek Him.

Luke 19:5 "And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, "Zacchaeus , make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide in thy house."

As Jesus passed under this sycamore tree, Zacchaeus sat there on the lower limb waiting to get a view of Jesus. Jesus looked up and saw Zacchaeus sitting there. Then Jesus called him by name, as in a case of knowing him well. "Come down for I'm going to your house for dinner." Jesus was going to spend some time with Zacchaeus, for this was part of the plan of God.

Luke 19:6 "And he made haste, and came down, and received Him joyfully."

Picture little Zacchaeus, this tiny man jumping up just to see Jesus, and here after he was up in that tree, being told that Jesus wanted to come to his house for dinner. Zacchaeus didn't know it then but Jesus had a destiny and purpose for Zacchaeus's life. Jesus knew about little Zacchaeus all the time, and He knows that this little guy would be waiting for their meeting up in that tree. The Lord had to share that destiny with him before he could set the course that God wanted him for.

This is exactly the way that it is with each of us. For we don't know how or when the Lord will or can use us; so we have to prepare ourselves for that moment. The point is that we study to become useful servants whenever He calls us to service. If you are a truck driver, you can't drive that truck until you learn the rules of the road, and become skilled in driving the truck. You have to learn to use the tools required for the job, before you can do the job. This is the same way that it is in serving God, you first need to know the plan of God, and the Word to where it becomes your tool of leading other, before God can use you.

Luke 19:7 "And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That He was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner."

This crowd saw that Jesus talked with Zacchaeus and made arrangement to go to his house, and this started all the gossip in motion. It sounds like these selfrighteous people are getting their feelings hurt. They lose sight of the purpose of Jesus coming in the first place, to save sinners, and make the blind see. Zacchaeus was spiritually blind, but he is about to get his spiritual eyesight back. Your purpose here on earth as a Christian is to bring sinners into the truth of God's Word. If you think you are too good to be near a sinner, than of what purpose are you good for in God's Work? None.

Luke 19:8 "And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold."

Zacchaeus saw the light of the truth Jesus is teaching. He not only understood it, but it has turned his entire life around. Sure, he would still feel unworthy of Jesus, but he knew of the sins that were in his life, and Zacchaeus was willing to turn his life around. The words "by false accusation" as used here is "sukophanteo" in the Greek text, and it meant; "informing of a breach of the law which forbade the exportation of figs": To make it short, When there was a drought in the land, it was illegal to ship figs out of the land, and this was a certain type of fig informer; making money off illegal shipments of figs.

Zacchaeus was willing to return all that he had taken wrongly from another four fold, For this was the law of God, as recorded in Exodus 22:1 "If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep." A sheep stealer from the minor prophets were those that tried to steal God's children, and bring them into the enemy's fold.

Luke 19:9 "And Jesus said unto him, "This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham."

"Abraham" translated means, "father of many nations". Our Heavenly Father is the father of all the people, the creator. So when the Messiah would come, He would be the Savior of all the people that would believe on His name; whomsoever will. The price is about to be paid for that salvation. It was Jesus right to declare them.

Luke 19:10 "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."

Jesus had forgiven Zacchaeus's sins so Jesus was not in a sinner's house anymore. Zacchaeus repented and made things right between God and him, and Jesus is declaring that this was His purpose for coming to earth.

Luke 19:11 "And as they heard these things, He added and spake a parable, because He was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear."

The disciples and those that were there with Jesus and Zacchaeus did not know that there were going to be two comings, or advents. They just did not pay attention to those places that referred to those advents, such as in Zachariah 10:9, 10. The people just did not know that there would be a gap, or time period between the two comings. the first coming was for the stated purpose of dying on the cross to save His children. That was the plan from before the foundation of this earth age. This earth age is here for the purpose of allowing those that fell in that first earth age, to come back into the grace and fellowship with the Father, our creator. This gives each of us the blessings and inheritance of eternal salvation. The second coming will be not as a servant that will give His life, but one coming to conquer, and lay waste to all evil of the World. That is what Revelation 19:11-18 is all about. Jesus will be coming back as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, to establish eternal kingdom right here on earth. This happens at the seventh and last trump. So this is a parable explaining about the two comings, and what God expects of His servants.

Editor;s Note: We must pay attention to the Gaps in Scripture!

Live Link to-   "Find and Fill in the Gaps"

Luke 19:12 "He said therefore, "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return."

This is to let His disciples know that He is going away for a very long time. Jesus is this nobleman, and the far country is to heaven to be at the right hand of the Father. Jesus will return, and He has let us know exactly when that will be: At the last trump.

Luke 19:13 "And he called his ten servants, and delivered to them ten pounds, and said unto them, `Occupy till I come.' "

This word "occupy", comes from the word, "occupare", or in the Greek text it reads "Diapragmateuomai". This is a word that deals only with business, and the making of money. God, or this nobleman is going to give each of these ten servants, an equal about of money, and He expects each of these servants to make money with what they have. The spiritual point here, is that if God gives you a truth, He expects you to use it and have a spiritual gain for the kingdom. Work with that truth and make it multiply in the minds of many others. Ten in biblical numerics is the number for testimony, and that's what God expects you to do, give testimony and plant a seed of what you know to be true.

Luke 19:14 "But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, `We will not have this man to reign over us.' "

Naturally that is the way that it was, The people did not accept Jesus when He was here, in fact His people allowed these Kenites, Satan's children to step in and even set up their traditions for the. They just got lazy, too lazy to study to know the truth for themselves. The Kenite religious leaders would have nothing to do with Jesus, and sought to lie about Him and even murder Jesus. The prophesy of their lies and cruelty to Jesus is well recorded in Isaiah 53, as well as each of the Gospels. These religious leaders wanted nothing to do with Jesus, for they preferred their father Satan.

Luke 19:15 "And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading."

Those servants, in all generations, every last one of them that God gave full understanding of His Word, the true bread, are going to be held accountable for what they did with those spiritual truths. So here we see that God wants to know what you did for Him while you were here on earth calling yourself a Christian. This is talking about the Nobleman's servants only, those servants that call themselves Christian, and present themselves as servants of the true Christ.

Luke 19:16 "Then came the first, saying, `Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.' "

This first servant to his master that He had increased the value to the kingdom by ten times what He was given.

Luke 19:17 "And he said unto him, `Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.' "

Notice that God is only giving this faithful servant what he can trade with and be successful in his life. This is why it is important that you pay attention which church you chose, for it had better be one that teaches all the Word of God, and doesn't leave out Revelation, and huge parts of the Old Testament. If you sit in a church house of traditions and you don't hear the truths from God's Word with understanding, you are wasting your time. You must hear the Word that you can "Occupy" and trade with to increase your wealth in the kingdom of God. This is not talking about dollars, and this world's money system, but spiritual truths. This is a parable about Christ's kingdom that will be here on earth when He returns, and your accountability to Him of the things that He gave you now, to increase that kingdom. This time of accounting is not in this earth age, but after the seventh trump has sounded.

Luke 19:18 "And the second came, saying, `Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.'"

Notice that even though this servant was fair and increased that the amount of responsibility given this servant in the kingdom was five cities. It was measured by what this servant could handle. The complement was the same for the ten increase as for the five increase. There is only one thing that you can trade with for the kingdom to come, and that is your work, and your work determines what your rewards will be for the Millennium age of Christ's kingdom here on earth.

Luke 19:19 "And he said likewise to him, `Be thou also over five cities.' "

Luke 19:20 "And another came, saying, `Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:"

Luke 19:21 "For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.' "

This unfaithful servant said, I was afraid of you because you were a stern, and hard man. Notice that Jesus doesn't always lead us into what we should do, but expects each of us to do things on our own. How do you look at the Father, is He the loving, kind, providing and protective Father that would never fail you, or the the Father as this servant thought of God. To him, God was "austere", dry, hard and harsh. This servant was afraid of our Heavenly Father, and looked only to God as one out to find a reason to destroy him. This servant looks at our Heavenly Father as one of "Typical injustice for those times", in his statement ("thou takest up that thou layedst not down.") He doubted God to a point that what ever was given him, he had better have an equal value to return. There was no faith in this unfaithful servant, and what ever truths were given to him, they would all be seal away, and never increase.

You don't have to fear the Father, but we revere Him and love Him as we would our own loving earthly father.

Luke 19:22 "And he saith unto him, `Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant, Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:"

God is telling this unfaithful servant that He was that way, that when he gave forth something, I expected something greater in return, and yet you did nothing to cause the increase by your actions. You just went and hid the truths that I had given to you. Father told us exactly what to do with the truths that His Spirit opened our minds to, and as we use and tell other of those truths, He increases that wisdom through our studies in His Word. If you study 10 chapters of the Word, The Holy Spirit will increase our wisdom ten times, if we study five chapters, it increase that proportion of study. If we put the Bible on the shelf, it never gets read, and our imagination run wild off the dribble of other people's lips that also know nothing.

Luke 19:23 "Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?' "

Get what this is saying, at least you could have given that Word over to somebody else and let them read and get some benefit from it. Jesus is speaking in this parable using money, for that is the one term that all people understand. They need money to buy food and pay the bills. But this is a spiritual lesson, and He is going to the cross in a day or two, and this is a lesson directed to his disciples, whether in that day or in these end times. If God gives you understanding through your study of the Word, He expects that you pass that understanding on to others, and not just sit on it.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is going to judge us on what each of us did with the understanding He gave us through His Spirit. We are living in the end times, and the events of the end times are going on all around us. God expects that you take this real seriously, but at the same time to be part of ministering to others. Some by support of a ministry, while at the same time planting seeds of truth that God has given to you. Whether God has given you ten talents of understanding, or five, or one; each of us will draw equal pay if we are diligent in planting seeds of truth with the understanding with what the Holy Spirit opens our minds to. If God leads you to be part of a ministry, and you are faithful in doing your part, whether in prayer, giving, or what ever, the rewards for the fruits of that ministry will be the same for each that took part in it. The evangelist that draws thousands, the teacher that instructs tens, or the individual that plants a seed are all going to receive equal pay in the kingdom of God; when they are faithful for the gifts that God has given each. Paul addresses this in Romans 12, a doctrinal book as to how we should live our lives.

Romans 12:3 "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."

That teacher or preacher that is to take the Word and open our minds to God's teachings is responsible to pass that knowledge on to each person under him or her. You are just as responsible in your prayer life to pray for his understanding, and instruction that He will give. Each of us have a duty for the measure of faith, the amount and degree of gifts that is given us, to increase that gift to where it can be used in God's Word. If you have been given a talent in music, you are to develop it to the best that you can, and use it to the glory of God. If God has given you a pray life, and burden for other, that is your talent of faith, and that is what you are responsible for. When you use your talent, and each member of the body of Christ uses their talents, to the glory of God, then no one in that body of Christ, or Church can esteem him or her-self over any other Christian.

Remember what Jesus said, "If you esteem yourself high, you will be abased [brought low], and if you esteem yourself low, then you will be brought high in the kingdom of God." You get your glory here and now in these flesh bodies, or you get it in the eternity. Jesus leaves that up to you when you get your glory and rewards.

Romans 12:4, 5 "For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another."

We are all equal in the body of Christ, all members of that body, but with different responsibilities. Yet each is responsible to the support of the others.

Romans 12:6, 7 "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teaching, on teaching:"

This gets right back to what Jesus was telling us in Luke 19:22, we will be judged in His kingdom by what we do, and what we say that comes out of our own mouth. Each of us are in the same body of Christ, even though there are now many division or denomination, yet the Holy Spirit is opening our minds to a certain proportion of faith that we can handle, and each of us will be judged by what comes out of our mouth or actions with what we know to be truth. If you give, and that is what God leads you to do, it is to be done in simplicity, not drawing attention to what you have done. This is the way that you become blessed by God.

Luke 19:24 "And he said unto them that stood by, `Take from them the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.' "

That sounds a little unfair by world standards. So what is this saying? The idea to this teaching is that the job has to get done, and the one\ that are best able to reach others, is the one to use that one talent. If that person can't get the job done, then give it to somebody that can. If you don't use what little you have, God will take that it away from you and give it to somebody that can make the increase for Him. He will do this until you repent and get focused on the work that God has given you to do.

Luke 19:25 "(And they said unto him, `Lord, he hath ten pounds.')"

Of course many will see the blessings God gives to those that are faithful in using the gifts they have, and be jealous over another's blessings.

Luke 19:26 " `For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him."

The subject here is truth, the understanding of the truths from God's Word. If your spiritual eyes have been cleared up, and you have the wisdom to see the truth from God's Word, you give that truth out to others. Use it in your life, and help other to understand what you know. Don't bury it by not telling others about it, or God will take that truth from you. Use it to produce fruit in other people's lives, and God will bless you for it.

Editor's Note:  Christian, if you are going to get any benefit from reading your Bible, you had better have Christ spit on your eyes like the blind man from Bethsaida

Live Link to-     "The Blind Man From Bethsaida"

Luke 19:27 "But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.' "

"Mine enemies" are the tares spoken of in the parable by Jesus in Matthew 13. These are the Kenites, those sons of Satan through Cain.

Matthew 13:38 "The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;"

Live Link to-  "Two Sowers of seed; both the good and the bad"

"The World", is this world age of flesh man. and the "tares" are the children that were born to Cain, the son of Satan through Eve. Sure, Abel was the son of Adam, but Cain was Satan's son born to Eve who murdered his maternal twin brother Abel and tried to hide it from God, as we read in Genesis 4:8-10. These tares or Kenites are the ones that took over the Levitical priesthood by the time the house of Judah came out of Babylon captivity, as is recorded in Ezra 8:15, for not one of the sons of Levi were present and returning to Jerusalem to build the city and temple in Jerusalem. I Chronicles 2:55 tell us who these scribes were that were called "Nethinims" that were given in service to the temple.

I Chronicles 2:55 "And the families of the scribes which dwelt at Jabez [Jerusalem]; the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and Schathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab."

Editor's Note: If you're think, "That can't be, 'Cain's descendants died in Noah's flood'; think again, I Chronicles 2:55 was written many, many years after Noah's flood, Noah's flood was not universal; No matter what your pastor says.   Live Link to-   Noah's Flood

These tares are not of Abraham, however if one would repent and have the faith to turn to Christ and away from wickedness, they would become a child of God, just as you or I are.

Matthew 13;39 "The enemy that sowed them is the devil: the harvest is the end of the World; and the reapers are the angels.

They are the negative part of God's plan, and they [Cain's offspring] will be here to test God's children. That is why we are to know them and their ways so that we do not take part in their wickedness. At God's appointed time, His angels will collect them and they will be destroyed, although they do also, still have the same opportunity for repentance as you and me, if only they take advantage of it.

Editor's Note: Yes we are to know them as do the end time churches of Philadelphia and Smyrna. 

Live Link to- Revelation1 through 3

Pay special attention to what verses 2:9 and 3:9 have in common.

Matthew 13:40 "As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world."

It will be after this world age, and the great white throne judgment that this destruction takes place, just as it is recorded in Revelation 20:11-15.

Matthew 13:41, 42 "The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and they which do iniquity: And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

We, the people of our generation will be well tested before the seventh trump sounds, and this age of flesh man comes to a close. These tares are important in that testing process, and the stage is being set now, for the coming of Antichrist and his fallen angels to this earth. These tares or Kenites are the ones that, while mixed in with our brother Judah [the Jews]  would not accept Jesus as the Christ, and they will not even accept Christ through the Millennium age when they will know exactly who Jesus is, although we hope some might. Then as Satan enters the lake of fire, they will be right by their father Satan's side. It will be out of their own mouth that they will be judged. They deny that Jesus ever existed, and at the same time state that Jesus was a wicked person. Today many Christians rely on these Kenite scribes and so called scholars to do their interpreting of Scripture for them. It is your choice, whether you do also. We are to follow those instructions that are written in the Bible, and if you chose not to, Jesus will also judge you from your own mouth.

When you know the truth, God expects you to be a blessing to others, passing what the wisdom and knowledge that you have on to them. If a loved one passes on, that is the time to tell others that this loved one has gone to be with the Lord. Give them hope that their loved one is not out there in the hole in the ground. At death every soul that passes on, goes immediately to be with the Father who sent that soul into its embryo at conception in this earth age. All souls live on after our physical bodies die; but not in the ground in this dimension. Just as each of us lived, here on earth during the first earth age, and in heaven since God destroyed that first earth, after Satan' rebellion, while awaiting our turn to come back to earth as a flesh and blood person for a short physical life in this second earth age, Then we return to heaven at our physical death, as we discussed early in this chapter.

Luke 19:28 "And when He had thus spoken, He went before, ascending up to Jerusalem."

Jesus is now ascending or going to Jerusalem to fulfill the prophesies that were written of Him in the Old Testament. Jesus is going to his trial, and crucifixion.

Luke 19:29 "And it came to pass, when He was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples,"

"Bethphage" means the "house of figs", and to "Bethany" "the house of misery", These are on the mount of Olives. We are on the mount of Olives, overlooking the valley and brook of Kedren, and on the other side of the valley is the east gate of the town of Jerusalem. What a beautiful sight. So from this time forth, take special notice how everything that shall happen is prearranged. We know before the fact of those event that shall take place. It is like it is a play, and every thing on this stage is carried out on time and in order.

Luke 19:30 "Saying, "Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither."

Jesus is sending these two disciples to get this animal that He shall ride through the city of Jerusalem. This colt is an unbroken animal, he hasn't been broke to ride in the first place.

Luke 19:31 "And if any man ask you, ` Why do ye loose him?' thus shall ye say unto him, `Because the Lord hath need of him.' "

Note how this was prearranged; the Question that will be asked of the disciples, and the answer that they were to give. God's plan is always prearranged, and that is why prophesy is so important to you and me living in our generation. Just as the prophesies dealing with Jesus trial and resurrection were detailed, so the prophesies dealing with these end times are set. Every detail like this should strengthen our faith and set in our minds that God's Word is true and just as it is written, so shall it come to pass. God hasn't forgotten one thing, but it is all prearranged.

Luke 19:32 "And they that were sent went their way, and found even as He had said unto them."

The colt was tied right where Jesus said it would be.

Luke 19:33 "And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, "Why loose ye the colt?"

These owners of the colt even said the words that Jesus said they would say. Did Jesus tell them what they should say? Of course not, for they hadn't even entered the city when Jesus gave the instruction to the two disciples, and they had just come from Jericho.

Luke 19:34 "And they said, "The Lord hath need of him."

Luke 19:35 "And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon."

So from this point on we are going to the supernatural; for if you take a new colt, yet unbroken, and set a grown man on him, this is where the bucking show begins. Yet this colt was calm and gentle. So we see that God even controlled the natural nature of this young animal. If you know livestock you know that what is happening here is not common in nature to this animal.

Luke 19:36 "And as He went, they spread their clothes in the way."

As this colt with Jesus on His back went through the city of Jerusalem, the people spread their garments in front of Jesus to make a royal walk for them to travel.

Luke 19:37 "And when He was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;"

So Jesus is coming to the gate to leave the city of Jerusalem, go through the gate and go down into Kedren, and up the other side to the mount of Olives. As this ride is taking place, the people of the city are crying out and praising God for all the mighty works He had done. Lets stop here for a moment and consider a prophecy that the angel Gabriel gave to the Daniel in Daniel 9:24-27.

Daniel 9:24 "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression,

and make an end of sins,

and to make reconciliation for iniquity,

and to bring in everlasting righteousness,

and to seal up the vision and prophecy,

and to anoint the most Holy."

The angel Gabriel pointed out to Daniel that six things will come to pass before the transgression is completed on Jerusalem. Then after those six things have taken place, we will see Jesus returning at the seventh trump to establish his kingdom right here on earth. Do you see sin around you today? Of course you do, so the time of the Millennium has not arrived yet. So this is looking forward to the time with Antichrist will have come, and will be thrown into the pit. It is also looking forward to that time when Jesus Christ has come and has been anointed and recognized as the true Christ in Jerusalem. Luke 19:37 and 38 are addressing that time, and the only time when Jesus was here in person, anointed and recognized as the "King that cometh to earth in the name of the Lord."

Daniel 9:25 "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seventy weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be build again, and the wall, even in troublous times."

There are four times in history when this starting period could have started, and they are:

First: When the command of Cyrus to return to rebuild the temple as seen in II Chronicles 36:22-23 and Ezra 1. This command was given in 539 B.C.

Second: When the command by Darius to advance the construction of the temple, as we see in Ezra 6:1. This command was given in 518, or 519 B.C.

Third: When the command from Artaxerxes to Ezra was given to purify the temple and restablish the sacrifices and ordinances. This command is found in Ezra 4:17, and was given and can be established to have taken place in 457 B.C.

Fourth: The command of Artaxerxes to Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem, to rebuild the city streets and walls of Jerusalem to make it a safe city. Neighboring nations had been raiding and plundering the city, and the king wanted it stopped. This command by Artaxerxes came in 444 B.C.

So the key to understand which of these dates is the correct one, go back to verse 25; "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem..." It is from 444 B.C. that this prophecy of Daniel starts and the seventy weeks begins. All of the other three dates were related to the Temple and to temple worship and purification. At the conclusion of the seventy [70] weeks of years, verse 24 tells us certain things would happen: "...To finish the transgression, and to make an end to sin, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and so on..."

Daniel 9:26 "And after three score 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 with a flood,

and unto the end of the war desolation are determined."

It is an historical fact that the time to rebuild the streets and walls of Jerusalem was "seven weeks of years", forty nine [49] years. First seven weeks, then 62 weeks of years; "three score and and two years". So at the end of sixty nine weeks of years, Jesus would be recognized and blessed by the people of Jerusalem as the Son of God, come to them in flesh.

444 B.C. Jerusalem Rebuilt Messiah returns Messiah kingdom on earth

7 weeks 62 weeks Gap, then one week Millennium age of Christ's

49 years 434 years Time of Gentiles, kingdom here on earth.

then 7 years (shortened)

There are three separate periods, with a gap between the second and third periods for the time of Gentiles. Paul talked about this gap or time of the Gentiles in Romans 11:17-24, when the wild olive branch will be grafted onto the good Olive tree, that trunk of Abraham. This gap is the church age we are living in now. It started from the day of Christ's resurrection and will run to that final seven year period when Antichrist will be on earth deceiving all the people of the earth except for God's elect, and those with the truth sealed in their minds. This time is coming shortly. Grace is offered to all that will believe and come to Him by faith in repentance.

However lets consider the time span from 444 B.C. to 33 A.D. the time when Jesus is riding on this colt, descending out of Jerusalem and on to the mount of Olives. Of course we have to consider that fact that there was no calculation for 1 B.C., or 1 A D in any calendar system. So we have a total of 476 solar years to consider. That span is 173,855 total solar days. The Jewish calendar years has 360 days to the year, and would show 483 years for the same time frame. (360 X 483 years equals 173,880 Jewish days to be accurate.) The actual calendar date of the command to Nehemiah was March 5th, of our calendar for the year 444 B.C.

So if we take the solar calendar days of 173,855 from the starting date and addt the 25 day difference between our two calendars, it brings us to March 30, in the year 33 A.D. This is the time that Jesus rode through the city of Jerusalem, and is descending out the gate and down into the valley of Kedren, and up onto the mount of Olives. However through the accuracy of God's Word through His prophet Nehemiah, and Daniel, as well as in Luke and the other disciples, we are able to see that God truly keeps his Word, and this date was scheduled centuries before Jesus' disciples untied that colt to being it to Jesus.

I hope this hasn't strayed off to far from our study here in Luke, but it should help in strengthening our faith in Jesus and His Word.

Luke 19:38 "Saying, "Blessed be the King That cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest."

This is the time that Jesus rode through Jerusalem, when the people of the house of Judah cried out; claiming Jesus to be the Messiah. This time is also recorded in Matthew 21:1-12. Lets go to Matthew 21:8; "And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; other cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way." It would be the following day that this same crowd would be calling for Jesus life and they would cry; "crucify Him." But at this moment, as prophesied in Psalms 118:25, 26, they are glorifying the Lord as the Messiah.

Matthew 21:9 "And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, "Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is He That cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest."

"Hosanna" in Aramaic is "Hoshi'an-na", and means "save now". So this in itself is prophecy.

Psalms 118:25, 26 "Save now, I beseech Thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech Thee, send now prosperity." [25] "Blessed be He that cometh in the name of the Lord: We have blessed you out of the House of the Lord."

David prophesied them, and Zechariah told of this time also in Zechariah 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 the colt the foal of an ass."

This is the prophecy of what we read in Luke 19:30 - 38. As you come down out of the mount of Olives, mount Zion is just across Kedren, right there at the east gate. That was the purpose of Jesus coming, to bring salvation through His sacrificial death on the cross. So we see even to the point that an colt would be selected that had never been ridden before. This prophecy came about 6 centuries before Christ's birth, and each event happened exactly as prophesied. Jesus came that first time in humility.

Zechariah 9:10 "And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and He shall speak peace unto the heathen: and His dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth."

This of course, is the second coming when Jesus shall return at the seventh trump. When Jesus comes this second time He will be riding a great White horse, with sword in hand, and a rod of iron. There will be no humility then, but He rock this entire earth, and make things right. He will come being "the King of Kings and Lord of Lords". Revelation 19:11-16 tells us of this second coming. Jesus will come the second time to smite the nations; rule with a rod of iron; and crush His enemies with the fierceness of Almighty God, as He shakes this earth. Jesus will be coming back to establish His kingdom right here on earth, and that kingdom will cover all the earth. Every soul on the face of the earth will be part of that kingdom.

So we see the plan of Salvation coming together, as Jesus is riding this colt, and heading out of Jerusalem. It will be a very short time until His crucifixion. Our Lord's salvation will be offered to all people, shortly, not just to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. This thirty eighth verse is so beautiful once you see how important it is to our salvation, for it was part of the fulfillment of God's overall plan.

Let's repeat it and read it again Luke 19:38 "Saying, "Blessed be the King That cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest."

Luke 19:39 "And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto Him, "Master, rebuke Thy disciples."

As all this attention is given to Jesus, these Pharisees and scribes that were present and witnessing this event were upset. Many were Kenites that were mixed in amongst them. These Pharisees and Scripture lawyers knew that prophecy from the Old Testament pertaining to the Messiah, but they refuse to acknowledge that Jesus was the Promised Messiah. They wanted Jesus to rebuke His disciples that the multitude for making these statement that He was truly the Messiah.

Luke 19:40 "And He answered and said unto them, "I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.' "

Jesus responded to these Pharisees, telling them that even the stones of the earth would cry out, had they not made the claim; "Blessed be the King That cometh in the name of the Lord." We will see later in Luke 21 where Jesus also referred to the stones of Jerusalem. At the return at the second coming, these stones will be reduced to sand, and the city crushed to end Satan's reign there. "There would not be one stone left standing atop another." His disciples had to testify this truth at the first advent, and there is nothing these Pharisees could do about it.

Luke 19:41 "And when He was come near, He beheld the city, and wept over it,"

As Jesus rode on that ass, and viewed the city of Jerusalem, He wept over the city. This city was special to Jesus because God had a covenant with it, as was written in Ezekiel 16. It is an eternal covenant that will never end. Jerusalem is God's favorite spot in all the universe, right there on mount Zion (also know as mount Moriah).

Luke 19:42 "Saying, "If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! But know they are hid from thine eyes."

Jesus is speaking to the people of Jerusalem here, as He is weeping over Jerusalem. These things are hid from the people eyes, because they have chosen darkness rather than light. It is no different today than it was then, for people would rather live in the darkness than come into the light of God's Word. They would rather follow man's traditions than follow God's Word for their instruction.

Editor's Note: Just look what goes on, or should we say, doesn't go on,  in most Christian churches today.

Luke 19:43 "For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,"

This prophecy came to pass in May of 1948, when both the good and the bad fig tree returned to set up the nation of Israel. They set up their nation, and started their old worship habits all over again. Although the full control of the city was following the war of 1967 over Jerusalem.

Luke 19:44 "And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation."

Can you understand what Jesus is telling you here? Jesus is telling us what shall happen at the second advent; that moment in time three days after the two witnesses are killed in the streets of Jerusalem, and Satan has declared himself to be the Christ. The entire world will have fallen for Satan, all that is except the elect that are sealed with the truth. That event is following the completion of all the seventy weeks of Daniel's prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27. This Luke 19:44 has nothing to do with the first advent.

Many today falsely teach that this prophecy came to pass in 70 A.D., when the General Titus attacked Jerusalem, and destroyed it. No, that event had nothing to do with the prophesies of Matthew 24, Mark 13, or this verse in Luke. In those verses it will be the greatest time since the beginning of all mankind, living in the flesh. That will not take place until after Satan in his role of Antichrist, will stand in the holy place and declare himself to be God.

Luke 19:45 "And He went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought;"

What were they buying? Doves, that's right mite infested for sacrifices, not the purest, and bartering with the precious things of God house. They turned it into a place of business, and once you know who was at the head of that religious order, you can understand how the temple became a place of business, rather than a house of prayer. In a sacrifice you are suppose to take your very best and offer it to the Lord. Here they were bartering over price, just to get something to make a sacrifice with. Jesus is telling you here what He thought of their sacrifices. It is better to leave your sacrifices alone than rub our Lord face in that filth; do you see why Jesus was so mad when He entered into the temple and upset their place of Business.

Luke 19:46 "Saying unto them, "It is written, `My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.' "

"God's house is a house of prayer for all peoples" as it is recorded in Isaiah 56:7. The Temple was a place where God's people were to find peace, and pray, not be ripped off by a pack of Kenite thieves, selling their mite infested doves. .

Luke 19:47 "And He taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy Him,"

This reminds us that Jesus came many times to teach in the temple, and every time He came, these Kenite religious leaders sought to murder Him. What kind of church people could these people be? They wanted to murder Him every time He came into their presence. If you can understand this mindset of these people, you can start to understand why the Temple had become nothing but a place of business for these thieves. The point for us to understand is who is out to kill Jesus and why did they want to murder Him?

If you can understand that, you will start to understand who these Kenites are that took over the Levitical priesthood back in the Babylonian captivity. [They are descendants of Cain who had become so intermingled into the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin, i.e, the former "House of Judah"] even calling themselves Jews. Is it any wonder we today blame the Jews for killing Christ when it was these Kenites mixed among them who caused His crucifixion.  It was the Kenites as recorded in I Chronicles 2:55, and it was these scribes that were putting their set of traditions in place in the Temple, rather than the laws of God given to Moses. The chief priest was not appointed by God, but by the Roman Governor for the sake of keeping the peace. We will read much more of these religious leaders in the next few chapter.

Luke 19:48 "And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear Him."

This made the religious very mad at Jesus, every time He spoke in the temple. Everything that Jesus said made sense, and was according to God's Word. Jesus was undermining these Kenites traditions, and that made them angry. This continues into the next chapter..

                

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