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.