A Closer Look Mathew 24:5

Welcome back Saints I hope and pray all is well with you.  Before we continue our study into the Audience relevancy of what is recorded in Matthew 24 as to the Parousia (presence) of our Lord I would just like to invite those reading this BLOG to join and please posts your comments questions or concerns below or you can contact me at 2tim21528@optonline.net .  Now let us continue to take a closer look at the question at hand as to our Lords second coming we will pick up at Matthew 24:5.

Note: here in Matthew 24:5

 Mat 24:5 For^G1063 many^G4183shall come^G2064 in^G1909 my^G3450 name, ^G3686saying^{, G3004} I^G1473 am^G1510 Christ; G5547andG2532 shall deceive^G4105 many.^G4183

 1. The Audience to whom Christ is speaking still has not changed.

 2.  The question as to the historical significance of this statement amazingly can be found to be fulfilled in History by Josephus as he records of the many who claimed to be the Messiah prior to the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. The Jewish Wars (Book 6 chapter 5 285-286) Note the excerpt from Josephus;

(285) “A false Prophet suborned by the tyrants to impose on the people, who pronounced this to them, that they should wait for deliverance from God; and this was in order to keep them from deserting, and that they might be buoyed up above fear and care by such hopes.  (287) “Now a man that Is in adversity does easily comply with such promises; for when such a seducer makes him believe that he shall be delivered from those miseries which oppress him, then it is that the patient is full of hopes of such his deliverance”. (288) “Thus were the miserable people persuaded by these deceivers, and such as belied God himself; while they did not attend nor give credit to the signs that were so evident, and did so plainly foretell their future desolation, but, like men, infatuated, without either eyes to see or minds to consider, did not regard the denunciations that God made to them”.

    I would like you to pay close attention to what Josephus says about the spiritual  condition of Israel when he states “without either eyes to see or minds to consider” this is the very curse placed on the Nation of Israel for disobedience to God ;

(Deu 29:4) Yet the LORD^H3068 hath not^H3808 given^H5414 you an heart^H3820 to perceive, ^H3045 and eyes^H5869 to see, ^H7200 and ears^H241 to hear, ^H8085 unto^H5704 this^H2088 day.^H3117 

These are the same words that God declares would happen to Israel for their disobedience and lo and behold we have it recorded in a History outside of the Christian Cannons which describes the very thing declared by God.

   Let us digress for a moment so I can give you a little background of who Josephus is and the nature of his writings and his background.  Josephus was of the Priestly family of the Nation of Israel also a General in the Army of Israel who was captured prior to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 he later wrote a History of the Nation of Israel one part of which was the very detailed account of the War with Rome in A.D.70 that led to the destruction of the Temple and the razing to the ground of Jerusalem with all who remained in Israel led into captivity. The credentials of Josephus and his Historical accounts has been accredited to by those of Higher Learning and has been attested to by Commentators and Theologians alike as a source of early Christianity and History.

   During our study I will allude to such writings often to prove that what our Lord and Savior Prophesied would occur to the Nation of Israel ,happened just like he said it would. Just a little note here for some thought, if Christ our Lord prophesied something that did not come to light what does that say about his authority?  Well the Bible is very clear on that issue and what should be done to the Prophet; he would be labeled a false Prophet and sentenced to death. Interestingly this is the question at hand was Christ a false Prophet? I don’t know about you but my Love for Christ and my allegiance to him lies far greater than any Organizational Doctrine, Group of Worshippers, or Theological perspective which tries to annul or dispute what Christ our Lord our Savior our God said.  If the Doctrine that is being taught in the Universal Church that is not aligned with the word of God then we as his Children have not only a responsibility but an obligation to speak up and out against all who would be against Christ.   It would behoove those who study the word of God to study this great manuscript of History left to us intact throughout the ages.  Once again these resources can be attained freely through e-sword, which can be downloaded to your computer as a great study source.  Saints the time for truly studying the word of God is now we cannot disannul History when we study the Holy Words of God for History is the very culmination of the Word of God, so I plead the Blood of Christ and all that he did at Calvary that you study to show yourself approved of God.  In our next Closer Look at Matthew 24 we will continue the declarations of our Lord to his Apostles that will befall the Nation of Israel prior to his return. Please Join this BLOG and post your comments or questions or email me at 2tim21528@optonline.net .  Be Blessed until next time Saints remember take A CLoser Look.

MATTHEW 24:4 TAKE A CLOSER LOOK

Welcome back Saints let us continue our closer look into Matthew 24 and see what the Lord will reveal to us through our study:

Mat 24:4 And^G2532 Jesus^G2424answered^G611 and said^G2036 unto them, G846Take heed^G991 that no^G3361 man^G5100 deceive^G4105 you.^G5209

Note: Jesus now is about to answer the three fold question of the Disciples three specific things which are of the utmost importance to be noted:

1. The audience of the conversation has not changed; Matthew informs the reader that Jesus said unto them (Disciples), so one should discern that what is and has been spoken is between Christ and his Disciples not to the Church throughout the ages.

2. Christ is giving the Disciples a warning that they be not deceived as to the time of his Parousia (second coming) but pay close attention to this fact, the nature of the reply of Christ to his Disciples would suggest that they would be alive at his return John alludes to this fact (John 21:22) Jesus^G2424 saith^G3004 unto him, ^G846 If^G1437 I will^G2309 that he^G846 tarry^G3306 till^G2193 I come, ^G2064 what^G5101 is that to^G4314 thee? ^G4571 follow^G190 thou^G4771 me.^G3427

and if not for what Christ is about to reveal to them they might be deceived by someone concerning his return.  This is critically overlooked by most of the Teaching that is prevalent in Christ Universal Church. 

3. Matthew 24:4 is not the first of the verses in Matthew that points to some of the Disciples being alive at the return of our Lord, one need only look to Matthew 16:28, *24:34 Luke 9:27 we will have to digress for a moment from our attention to what is the topic and audience in Matthew 24 to a few very critical facts to our understanding of the Parousia of our Lord and those who would discern his arrival (presence).  Let us take a closer look first at:

(Mat 16:28) Verily^G281 I say^G3004 unto you, ^G5213 There be^G1526 some^G5100 standing^G2476 here, ^G5602 which^G3748 shall not^G3361 taste^G1089 of death, ^G2288 till^{G2193 G302} they see^G1492 the^G3588 Son^G5207 of man^G444 coming^G2064 in^G1722 his^G848 kingdom.^G932

Note: here in Matthew 16:28 Christ specifically states that some standing before him would not die until they “see the son of man coming in his kingdom.”  Most if not all who teach a future coming of Christ try to explain away this verse or try and make this verse align with their teaching of a future coming by pointing to Luke 9:28-35 which records the Transfiguration of our Lord as a fulfillment of what Christ here prophecies.  It is of the utmost importance that you study Luke 9:28-35 once you have done so take a look again at what Christ prophecies in Mathew 16:28, Matthew 24:34 and Luke 9:27 and you should be able to discern that the important clause in Matthew 16:28 is that some standing there would not die till they “see the Son of man coming in his Kingdom” (emphasis mine NN). In order for one to be coming from a place does not one have to leave? this is critical because once again futurists will state that the Transfiguration as recorded in Luke 9:28-35 was the fulfillment of Matthew 16:28, what I really Love about the study of the word of God is that when the Lord had his Apostles record these events he has if you will, left a check and balance in his word that will not allow, if one studies, an abuse of trying to indoctrinate his Children into false teaching. I am really trying to convey a very important point here and I hope I’m not beating a dead Horse but if the futurists only had to explain away or make Luke 9:28-35 align with their scripture reference for Matthew 16:28 then their assertion would without a doubt be correct, But this is obviously not the case when you take into account the five scripture passages which I have presented here for a closer look.  Let’s go over them together so that we may discern some very pertinent points from each of the scripture references I have presented, as to who would witness our Lords Parousia, and let us discern whether or not the Transfiguration recorded in Luke as presented by futurists as a scriptural reference to defend their Doctrinal position really fulfills Christ prophecies concerning the audience and nature of his Parousia in the Chart below:

Matt 16:27-28	Matt 24:34	Luke 9:27	John 21:22	Luke 9:28-35 Transfiguration
vs.27 Son of man to come in Glory of Father	Verily I say unto you	I (Christ) tell you (disciples)	Jesus says to (Peter)	8 days after Luke 9:27 is Christ prophesying that some of the Apostles would not die in 8 days  before they would see son of man in kingdom ?
With Angels	This Generation	There be some (not all)	If I will	Conversation with Moses and Elijah concerning crucifixion
Reward every Man according to work’s	Shall not pass (die)	Which shall not taste death	That he tarry (Disciple not to die)	The Disciples saw only Glory of Christ
vs.28 verily I say unto you	All things	Until they see	Until	No coming with Angels Matt 16:27
Some standing there not to taste death until they see son of man coming in his kingdom	To be fulfilled	Kingdom of God	I come (Parousia)	No reward Matt 16:27

Once again Saints here are the texts for you to take a closer look as to the nature and audience as to who would witness our Lords Parousia (second coming):

(Mat 16:28) Verily^G281 I say^G3004 unto you, ^G5213 There be^G1526 some^G5100 standing^G2476 here, ^G5602 which^G3748 shall not^G3361 taste^G1089 of death, ^G2288 till^{G2193 G302} they see^G1492 the^G3588 Son^G5207 of man^G444 coming^G2064 in^G1722 his^G848 kingdom.^G932

*(Mat 24:34) Verily^G281 I say^G3004 unto you, ^G5213 This^G3778 generation^G1074 shall not^G3364 pass, ^G3928 till^{G2193 G302} all^G3956 these things^G5023 be fulfilled.^G1096

(Luke 9:27)  But^G1161 I tell^G3004 you^G5213 of a truth, ^G230 there be^G1526 some^G5100 standing^G2476 here, ^G5602 which^G3739 shall not^G3364 taste^G1089 of death, ^G2288 till^{G2193 G302} they see^G1492 the^G3588 kingdom^G932 of God.^G2316

(John 21:22) Jesus^G2424 saith^G3004 unto him, ^G846 If^G1437 I will^G2309 that he^G846 tarry^G3306 till^G2193 I come, ^G2064 what^G5101 is that to^G4314 thee? ^G4571 follow^G190 thou^G4771 me.^G3427

We will stop here for today I will pray for you to receive discernment as to the question of the Disciples being deceived as to the coming of our Lord and Savior in Matthew 24:4, and as we have just studied and will continue to study the Audience to whom our Lord was addressing.  For questions or comments you can post below or please email me at 2tim21528@optonline.net would Love to hear from you.  Be Blessed, until next time Saints Take a closer look.

MATTHEW 24 A CLOSER LOOK

Before we begin our study I would just like to familiarize some of you with the Bible text that I will be using it is the King James text with the Strong's Concordance number added to each word. A copy of the Strong's Concordance and some of the study material that I will be using can be downloaded free to your computer from http://www.e-sword.net/. You will be truly blessed by this Bible Program, it does not take up allot of hard drive space so don't make that a worry, and now on to our studies.

I want all to know who read or Join this Blog that I cannot express the gratitude I have in my heart that first of all you would take the time out to investigate the Bible and take a closer look to what it is that God has left for his Children to do in his Kingdom for the ages to come. I'm going to ask that you pray for me as I will for you that the will of God and the manifestation of his presence become more and more of a reality and that the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ become the driving force in all that we both do and speak in our lives. The importance of studying the Bible cannot be stressed enough for years we have sat in the pew's allowing certain Doctrines to go unchecked or have given our Amen to that which was not of the word of God all for the lack of study. Now! is the time to Awaken from our slumber Saints and receive that which God our Lord and Savior and the Holy Spirit have prepared since the foundation of the world Matthew 25:34, the Kingdom of God is amongst us should we not conduct ourselves as such that is becoming to God?

In 2Tim 2:15Paul gives instruction to Timothy, a young man who was very dear to Paul and a young Minister in the Gospel, Paul instructs Timothy to "study the word of God a workman who need not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth." Some may ask how this is relevant because Paul is addressing a Minister, well we are all called to Minister the word of God, each and every one of us when we receive Christ in our lives have this unction deep within ourselves to Ministry. The only problem is that the Universal Church of Christ has made Ministry a club for the so to speak elite.

Well after a closer look we will find that this was not the purpose of true fellowship, the purpose of fellowship in the 1st century Church was to come together to edify one another. The edification we will find out was to do just what Paul is instructing Timothy to do "study" so that when we Minister within and without the synagogue of Christ that we would deliver a word that is in context to the situation and not take the word of God out of context, much of which is happening today in the Universal Church of Christ. Saints you have the power and authority to make a change in the Church you are to be the Judges of this world 1Corinthians 6:3, it is OUR DESTINY but it all begins with study, not a one year Bible reading plan but study, hence the purpose of this Blog.

There are two rules of study that I would like to go over with you before we start our closer look into Matthew 24 the first one is the rule of properly using exegesis and eisegesis. Exegesis is allowing the text to speak for itself and requires the student to study the text laying aside all preconceived notions or ideals and often means laying aside those things you have been taught and have accepted as doctrine, for some since our youthful days, I cannot stress the importance of this method of study if you allow the text to speak to you and stop trying to interpret the text you will be amazed at what the word of God is revealing to his Saints! Eisegesis is just the opposite of exegesis and you can tell when you are allowing this to be your method of study because you will notice that you are placing things within the context of the text which are not there. Most of what is being taught as Doctrine in the Universal Church is guilty of this type of study which after a closer look you will be able to discern more proficiently. The second rule of study that I would like you to become familiar with is audience relevancy, almost all Christians are guilty of this, as you will notice after you begin to allow the Word of God to speak for itself, as a student you will notice that you are trying to make the Word speak to you and your generation of readers. You can avoid the mistake of wrongly making the word relevant to you by allowing yourself to notice the personal pronouns used throughout the Bible the Greek language is very audience specific as you will learn with further study.

As stated earlier Matthew 24 is a text rich with allot of very important information that our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ had to say concerning his second coming. After a closer look you will be able to discern that all of the New Testament without a doubt addresses and readdresses the same issue the second coming of Christ (Parousia in the Greek) below is a definition of the word Parousia according to The Strong Concordance. The Strong Concordance is not the only one used in the world of the Theologians, but it has been found to be one of the most reliable and most referred to by Theologians and Lay Persons alike.

G3952παρουσία parousía; gen. parousías, fem. noun from parōìn (part. of páreimi [G3918], to be present) present, presence, a being present, a coming to a place.

The first thing I would like you to become familiar about is this word Parousia is that as you can notice in the definition the word means to be present (presence) a being present or coming to a place, it does not mean coming as we have been taught but it means presence which is a significant difference. We will take a closer look at the first time we encounter this word coming introduced in Matthew 24 but please keep this in mind as we begin the study of the Parousia of Christ it is critical to our understanding the nature of Christ's Parousia(presence).

     Mat 24:1 AndG2532 Jesus^G2424 went out, ^G1831 and departed^G4198from^G575 the^G3588 temple: ^G2411 and^G2532his^G846 disciples^G3101 came^G4334 to him for to shew^G1925 him^G846 the^G3588 buildings^G3619of the^G3588 temple.^G2411

   

  NOTE:  here we have in the first verse Christ coming out of the Temple this is very important to the context of the conversation that follow's and we have to keep this in mind as we take a closer look at Matthew 24. And his Disciples come out to show Christ the building of the Temple, note that this same event is relayed to us in Luke 21 and Mark 13 and they add that the Disciples were clamoring about the beauty of the Temple. There is also something of the utmost importance concerning the TEMPLE it was the very center of our Jewish Brothers lives, the Shekinah Glory that filled the Temple was a sign that God was dwelling amongst his People. What is overlooked by most Christians is that the temple was a type and shadow of Christ Hebrews 10:1 much can be said and should be learned concerning the Temple and its cultic practices and how all of the rituals and its very existence pointed to Christ.  Please keep this in mind as you study all of the New Testament and especially the area of the Parousia of Christ it is of the utmost importance. One day God willing I will explain in detail the Type and Shadow of the Temple.

    

     Mat 24:2 AndG1161 Jesus^G2424 said^G2036unto them, G846 see G991 ye not^G3756all^G3956 these things? ^G5023 verily^G281I say^G3004 unto you,^G5213 There shall not^G3364be left^G863 here^G5602 one stone upon another,^{G3037 G1909 G3037} that^G3739 shall not^G3364 be thrown down.^G2647

    

     Note: 1. here in Matthew 24:2 that it is recorded that Christ then says unto them (his disciples) here is the first time that we run into the rule of audience relevancy in Matthew 24 which was discussed earlier, it is very important to note who Christ is addressing, he is speaking to his Disciples and addressing their remarks concerning the Temple that was destroyed in A.D. 70 this date is very critical to our understanding of the Parousia of Christ please mark it down it is a date that is as important if I dareadvent of our Lord and Savior and also note what Christ says “there shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down” Christ is giving a prophetic utterance that the Temple then standing as he spoke would be destroyed in the future.  We must realize that all of the New Testament is written prior to the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. the only letter that is in much debate is Revelation’s some Theologians give an early date and some a post A.D. 70 date this is an area that we will study, and I will attempt to show you that both from external evidence and internal evidence that Revelations is written prior to A.D. 70 much more on this later.

  

   2. Also note that throughout all of Matthew 24 the audience does not change, Christ is not addressing the Church throughout all eternity.

  

   3. And again Christ addressing the Apostles says verily which is the Greek word G281 amen transliterated from the Hebrew word H583 amen but take special notice of the definition whenever we see the word verily it means that what is about to be said is firm, steady, trustworthy, in other words in laymen's term it means that all of what Christ is getting ready to be communicated to them will be fulfilled without a doubt and draws the audience in which spoken to, to pay special attention towards the words about to be spoken.

    

     Mat 24:3 AndG1161 as he^G846 sat^G2521 upon^G1909 the^G3588mount^G3735 of Olives, ^G1636 the^G3588disciples^G3101 came^G4334 unto him^G846privately, ^{G2596 G2398} saying,^G3004 Tell^G2036us,^G2254when^G4219 shall these things^G5023be?^G2071 and^G2532 what^G5101 shall be the^G3588 sign^G4592 of thy^G4674 coming,^G3952and^G2532 of the^G3588 end^G4930of the^G3588 world?^G165

    

       Note here in Matthew 24:3 we have the crux of the whole of what the Universal                           Church of Christ and all who believe in the future Parousia of Christ has held on to for          Centuries relies on the misinterpretation of what is relayed to us from Matthew from this point on until the end of this conversation. But let us first note that there is a threefold question posed by the Disciples 1. When shall these things be (the destruction of the Temple?)

2. What shall be a sign of Christ Coming?

3. And the time of the end of the world.  This question in itself has held the Universal Church Captive for years by the interpretation of the word world in English we think of the entire Globe but if we do a word study we will discover that in the Greek language there are two words for the word world; Aion GK 165 meaning age and Kosmos GK 2889 meaning orderly arrangement by implication the globe as we understand it.  We can find a perfect example of the use of this word in Hebrews 9:26 and the use of the two words in its proper context.  As I have stated earlier we would only discover these definitions by studying, and once you do a word search for these two words Aion and Kosmos you will find that scriptures that we have been taught in the Congregations of Christ take on a totally different meaning and concept when we use the right definitions of the word.  I challenge you and God Commands that we study his word, Saints take a Closer look and you will be freed from some of the chain binding Doctrines being taught today in the Universal Church of Christ, have you ever heard “The Truth Shall Set You Free?  So in a nutshell what we have the Apostles asking in their third enquiry is what will be the “end of the age” not the end of the World, this destroys this passage being used to support all futurists Doctrines of the end of the World.  Our Jewish Brothers only knew of two ages the Mosaic age and the Age of Messiah.

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I am going to stop here and continue a closer look at Matthew in the next post please Join tell friends to Join in to this exciting study please keep me in your prayers as I will you.  Study the material that we have gone over so far and please be like a Berean and at least investigate to see if what I am trying to communicate to you is true, be Blessed.

For questions or comments please email 2tim21528@optonline.net