Let's Take Another Journey To Matthew 24 & Luke 21

[Reformer]

REFORMATION RUMBLINGS
BUFF SCOTT, JR.
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Let's Take Another Journey to
Matthew 24 & Luke 21

Event #1: Jesus addressed the destruction of the Jewish Temple and Jerusalem.

Event #2: Symptoms of birth pains will be false Christs' and prophets and turmoil among the provinces within the Roman Empire.

Event #3: Because of weak faith, many will turn or fall away and betray each other.

Event #4: The Good News will be proclaimed throughout the "whole world" of the Roman Empire before Judaism ends.

Event #5: When that moment arrives, the man on his roof must flee immediately, and pregnant women and nursing mothers will have a difficult time escaping.

Event #6: Pray that when this happens, it will not be on the Jewish Sabbath, for then the gates to the city will be closed.

Event #7: Jesus came with power and great glory in judgment upon the rebellious Jews, after which people recognized the awesome judgment as coming from Him or "saw the Son of Man coming in the clouds of the sky."

Event #8: The sun will be darkened, the moon will not reflect its light, and the stars will fall from heaven are all representative of great powers falling, both religious and political.

Event #9: Many thousands of Jews will fall by the sword and many others taken as prisoners to all the nations. History says that about eleven-hundred thousand perished, and another hundred thousand were taken as prisoners to all the nations. 

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Take Note Of The Symbolisms, Which Follow

    "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other" [Matt. 24:30-31].

Symbol #1: The destruction of Jerusalem was such a terrifying example of divine judgment, described in terms like the "clouds of the sky and with power and great glory," that all the Jewish tribes mourned.

Symbol #2: "His angels" [messengers] were the apostles and those who followed afterwards.

Symbol #3: The "trumpet call" was the trumpet call of the Gospel, which was heard throughout the Roman provinces and beyond.

Symbol #4: The "gathering of His elect" were the Gentiles who had been chosen for salvation, in place of the rebellious Jews.

Symbol #5: Another interesting thought is recorded in Luke 21:28, the parallel chapter. Jesus spoke of the believers' deliverance or liberation—"redemption." This points to the flight out of Jerusalem and safety from the horrible calamity. This was a warning for believers to flee [also see Matt. 24:15].

    I think it is safe to say that the bulk of Matthew 24 and Luke 21 do not refer to the second personal coming of our Lord, but rather to His coming in judgment upon the stiff-necked and disobedient Jewish nation. In light of all of the evidence, biblical and historical, I have no choice but to conclude that Jesus' second personal coming is pending. Yes, He came in judgment upon the rebellious Jewish nation, but this was not His personal second coming.

    It seems that in every generation another strange doctrine surfaces to confuse and discourage believers and further mystify unbelievers. So now comes a new "Gospel," which is gorged with all of the outlandish trimmings that usually accompany bizarre concepts. The apostle Paul was faced with the same problem when he wrote that some had "wandered away from the truth" [II Tim.  2:17-18].

[Reformer]

Note:

    I wrote the above knowing in advance that dozens of controversial replies would be forthcoming. Send them my way and I will evaluate each one. My replies, however, will probably be restricted due to time and schedule.

Kindly,

Buff