The Rapture

PlainWord · May 5, 2018

Endoscopy,

I totally understand your confusion. Like so many, you are confused about the nature and timing of the Messianic Age and how it was described and foretold by the prophets. You also seem to think Jewish prophets from over 2,700 years ago had little to say to people of their day but instead were writing to white Americans in the 20th century AD. This lack of Biblical and historic context is totally messing up your eschatological belief system. Again, I will try and help you but let’s understand the era of Isaiah first.

Isaiah was a pre-exilic prophet of Judah writing BEFORE the time they were taken away to Babylon. He lived in Jerusalem in the 6-7th century BC during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, and Manasseh. His people were living in horrible sin (idol worship, etc.) and about to be judged and sent away to Babylon (597 BC). Isaiah was written between 701-681 BC and much of his writings are to be taken as relevant to those of his day. So upset were his people with his words (from God) that King Manasseh had him cut in half. Would you do this to someone writing about events which wouldn’t happen for another 3,000 years?

No, virtually everything happens literally in our physical realm, but we are spiritual beings dwelling in the physical realm. You must recognize the poetic, figurative language as such to understand it’s literal meaning. For instance, a literal root does not come out of Jesse and a literal sword and rod do not come out of Messiah’s mouth.

WRONG! In CH-11 Isaiah speaks of the Messianic kingdom to come which was a frequent topic of his and is how he ends his book. The fulfillment of this passage begins in the first century, not the 20[SUP]th[/SUP]. Paul quotes Isa 11:10 in Rom 15:12 as a call to Gentiles to Christ and asks the Jews in Rome to accept them into the new kingdom. “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious.” This was happening as Paul was writing to the Roman Jews (~ 56 AD). What is "that day?" Both Isaiah and Paul refer to it.

In Rom 11 Paul says this, “Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.” Paul makes clear this remnant existed “at this present time” 56 AD. Paul knows his country is about to be split in two, saved and unsaved, the unsaved to be destroyed in 70 AD Jerusalem.

Isa 11:11 continues unbroken, “It shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people who are left.” Thus, we have the same remnant in both passages (Romans and Isaiah) with Paul citing Isaiah 11 and putting these events in his day, not the 20[SUP]th[/SUP] century. The remnant are Christian Jews still living abroad and now part of first century churches as Isaiah continues, “From Assyria and Egypt, From Pathros and Cush, From Elam and Shinar, From Hamath and the islands of the sea.” Thus again, this points to the first century, the areas being evangelized.

The context of Romans 11 is two “Israels” one wicked and to be destroyed (in 70 AD), the other is the church, the believing of Israel, the remnant, of which gentiles are grafted in. Paul writes,” that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
“The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.” Brother, our sins were taken away in the first century, not twenty-first century.

Do you not see here that the true or real Israel includes the Gentiles which have come in? We are not waiting for Christ to take away our sins. He already did this. This is 100% spiritual just as the kingdom is 100% spiritual although we are living in this spiritual kingdom in the physical world. Thus “Israel” today, as far as God is concerned, is not the country in the near east, rather it is the church made up of all believers. ALL ISRAEL BEING SAVED is not secular Israel, it is spiritual Israel, it is the church!!

Let this sink in. Please read Romans 11-15 and then read Isaiah 11 again.

To be continued…

Endoscopy · May 5, 2018

PlainWord said:

You say I'm confused!!! How can I be confused by relying on the words of Jesus?

Here is an extended section with Jesus answering his disciples about the end times. I highlighted some verses. I keep this ready to post for people like you.

Matthew 24 NIV Return of Jesus

3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.
22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.
26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
29 “Immediately after the distress of those days
“‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 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.
32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
The Day and Hour Unknown
36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

PlainWord · May 5, 2018

Skylar said:

Not studying it, rather, understanding it, is a gift. But to understand it one must study it a lot and one must put aside any preconceived notions as most are false.

PlainWord · May 5, 2018

End,

And there lies your problem dear brother, you think Jesus was talking about the end of planet Earth. He wasn't. He was speaking about the end of Israel and the end of that age.

I see you underlined several passage from Mt 24 but you didn't underline this one:

Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.

Which generation would not pass away??? This one, as in the one they were in.

PlainWord · May 5, 2018

End,

Maybe this will help you (but I doubt it, LOL). I will explain all of Mat 24 to you broken up into several sections. If you take the time to actually read every word, perhaps it will enlighten you. If nothing else, perhaps you can at least understand why there are those of us who believe the way we do. The below is taken from Mike Rogers.

“The End of the Age” is the Generation that witnessed the Fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.

In the remainder of the chapter, Jesus addresses this question in detail. But before discussing the fulfillment of these predictions, it is important to discuss what is meant by “the end of the age.” The end of the age corresponds with the end of the age of the Law. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus indicates that the customs and laws handed down to Moses on Mount Sinai are symbolic predictions concerning the coming of the Messiah and his kingdom. Upon the fulfillment of these prophetic laws, a new covenant would replace the old one founded on the Law of Moses (Hebrews 8). “The end of the age” is the generation that is expected to witness the fulfillment of the Law and the prophets. In v. 34, Jesus tells His disciples that it is this generation that will witness the fulfillment of all these predictions. In the following verses, Jesus elaborates on what must soon come to pass:

[SUP]4[/SUP]Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. [SUP]5[/SUP]For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. [SUP]6[/SUP]You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. [SUP]7[/SUP]Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

The Peace of Rome was Broken during the Reign of Nero.

“Augustus’ inauguration of an Age of Peace at the Ludi Saeculares in 17 B.C. (Horace Carmen saeculare) was not an empty gesture. In the Roman Empire proper, this period of peace remained comparatively undisturbed until the time of Nero.”[SUP]5[/SUP] During Nero’s reign Rome went to war with the Parthians, there was a war in Britain and various other rebellious disturbances across the empire. All these uprisings and wars immediately preceded the Jewish War in fulfillment of vs. 6-7.In A.D. 66, toward the end of Nero’s reign, the province of Israel revolted against Rome. While the Israelites fought the Romans, they also turned their weapons against each other; and civil war broke out all over Israel between those wanting peace and those seeking sovereignty.[SUP]6[/SUP] Then in A.D. 68, the disease of civil war spread to the rest of the Roman Empire. Continuing to describe the conflict marking the final throes of the present era, Jesus then goes on to say:

There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. [SUP]8[/SUP]All these are the beginning of birth pains.

Earthquakes and Famines in the First Century . . .

During the reign of Claudius Caesar, the emperor immediately preceding Nero, a colossal famine struck the Roman world. Concerning this famine, James Stuart Russell writes, “In the fourth year of his [Claudius] reign, the famine in Judea was so severe, that the price of food became enormous and great numbers perished.”[SUP]7[/SUP]One example of the earthquakes mentioned in v. 7 is the earthquake that struck Laodicea sometime between A.D. 60 and A.D. 64 during the reign of Nero.[SUP]8[/SUP] It is interesting to note that one of the churches addressed by John in the Book of Revelation was a church in this city (Revelation 3:14-22). Prior to A.D. 70 there were also earthquakes in Crete, Smyrna, Miletus, Chios, Samos, Hierapolis, Colossae, Campania, Rome and Judea.[SUP]9[/SUP]

[SUP]9[/SUP]“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. [SUP]10[/SUP]At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,

Christians were persecuted and killed in Jerusalem after Jesus’ Crucifixion.

In v. 9 Jesus addresses the apostles with a warning: They will soon be persecuted and put to death. The persecution spoken of here was inaugurated just after Jesus’ death with the martyrdom of Stephen. This event marked the beginning of a great persecution of Christians in Jerusalem. In the words of Eusebius:

First they [the Jews] stoned Stephen to death; then James the son of Zebedee and the brother of John was beheaded; and finally James, the first after our Saviour’s Ascension to be raised to the bishop’s throne there, lost his life in the way described, while the remaining apostles, in constant danger from murderous plots, were driven out of Judaea.[SUP]1[/SUP]

Rome also killed Christians in A.D. 64. These Christians were betrayed by other Christians in fulfillment of v. 10: “At that Time many will turn away from the Faith and will betray and hate Each Other.” The Disciples were Martyred.

The second wave of persecution broke out in Rome in A.D. 64. At this time some Christians were arrested, “then on their information a very large multitude was convicted.”[SUP]11[/SUP] Here one can see the fulfillment of v. 10: “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other. . . .” These Christians who were betrayed by their brethren were draped in animal skins and ripped apart by dogs or crucified in a major public spectacle. And at night, these people were burned as torches to light the streets of Rome.[SUP]12[/SUP] According to church tradition, it was during this massacre that Peter was crucified and Paul, beheaded. This same tradition teaches that nearly all of the disciples were martyred. Matthew was killed by a sword in Ethiopia. Mark was dragged by horses through the streets of Alexandria. Luke was hanged in Greece. Bartholomew was flogged to death. Andrew was crucified. Thomas was stabbed with a spear in India. Jude was pierced with arrows. Matthias was stoned then beheaded, and Barnabas was stoned in Salonica.[SUP]13[/SUP]

PlainWord · May 5, 2018

[SUP]11 [/SUP]and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.

Many People were bribed to act as Prophets declaring Victory to the Jews during the Jewish War.

The false prophets who deceived many people in v. 11 are mentioned in The Wars of the Jews:

A false prophet was the occasion of these people’s destruction, who had made a public proclamation in the city that very day, that God commanded them to get up upon the temple, and that there they should receive miraculous signs of their deliverance. Now, there was then a great number of false prophets suborned by the tyrants [zealot leaders] to impose upon the people, who denounced 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.

Josephus states that the leaders of the Jewish rebellion bribed or in some way coerced a number of people to pretend to be prophets. During the war with Rome, these people were instructed to predict that God would deliver the Israelites from their enemies in order to inspire courage and prevent desertion. These prophecies proved false and in fulfillment of v. 11 many people were deceived. The Roman army eventually conquered Jerusalem and its temple; and there was not a “place in the city that had no dead bodies in it, but [the city] was entirely covered with those that were killed either by the famine or the rebellion.”[SUP]15[/SUP] These and other false prophets who acted before and during the Jewish War are also mentioned in The Wars of the Jews 2.12.4; 2.12.5; 2 Peter 2:1-3; 2 Corinthians 11:13; and 1 John 4:1

[SUP]12 [/SUP]Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, [SUP]13 [/SUP]but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

The Most Wicked Generation . . .

The Israelites of the first century had largely turned their backs on God. In Matthew 12:39, Jesus calls his contemporaries “a wicked and adulterous generation.” The wickedness predicted in v. 12 and mentioned in Matthew 12:39 is echoed in Josephus’ history of the Jewish War with Rome: “[N]either did any other city [Jerusalem] ever suffer such miseries, nor did any age ever breed a generation more fruitful in wickedness that this was, from the beginning of the world.”

[SUP]14[/SUP]And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

“This . . . Gospel . . . HAS BEEN proclaimed to Every Creature under Heaven . . .” (Colossians 1:23)

Before the end, Jesus claimed that the gospel would be preached throughout the earth. In Colossians 1:23, Paul alludes to the fulfillment of this prediction by saying, “This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven[.]” (Colossians 1:23.) Approximately six years after Paul’s death, the end had come.How could all the world have heard the gospel in that generation? As is illustrated in Luke 2:1 the expression “all the world” simply denotes the known inhabited earth. According to Luke 2:1 “all the world” was enrolled in the Roman census imposed by Augustus.[SUP]18[/SUP] Deuteronomy 2:25; 29:4; 1 Chronicles 14:17; Ezra 1:1; Psalm 118:10; Jeremiah 27:7; Daniel 2:38; Acts 2:5; and Romans 16:26 are other examples in which “all the world” or “all the nations” refers to the known inhabited world and not every nation without exception. In the next verse, Jesus describes the sign that would mark the end the age:

[SUP]15[/SUP]“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—[SUP]16[/SUP]then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. [SUP]17[/SUP]Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. [SUP]18[/SUP]Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak.

PlainWord · May 5, 2018

The Abomination that Causes Desolation Fulfilled!

The Olivet Discourse described in Matthew 24 is also found in Luke 21. Luke 21:20-21 records Jesus’ prediction in Matthew 24:15-18 slightly differently: “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city.” Notice that instead of saying, “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’” Luke 21:20 records Jesus saying, “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near.” In Luke 21:20, instead of saying “abomination that causes desolation,” Luke appears to define this term as armies that cause desolation.Graven images, idols and foreign gods are an abomination according to the Law of Moses. The Roman army always carried its ensigns wherever it went. These ensigns were military standards. The main ensign, the Aquila, was an idol of Aquila, the messenger of Jupiter that carried Jupiter’s lightning bolt to the Titans during the war between the gods and the Titans. The Aquila was also a symbol of Rome itself. There was also an ensign called the Imago which was a three-dimensional image of Caesar which looked like a large Roman coin. These ensigns were worshiped by the Roman military and thus were more than just military standards—they were also idols. Therefore, the Roman army with their idols of Jupiter, Caesar and Rome on the ensigns would have been considered an abomination according to the Law of Moses. The Roman army is called the abomination that causes desolation because this abominable army literally caused the desolation of Israel during the Jewish War.

The fact that these military ensigns were considered an abomination is illustrated in The Antiquities of the Jews. In A.D. 37 the Jews pled with the governor of Syria not to pass through Judea with two legions because it was unlawful for them to look upon the images in their ensigns.[SUP]19[/SUP] Similar Jewish resistance to the ensigns also occurred when Pilate snuck these military idols into Jerusalem at night. Afterwards, Pilate was met by a mob of Jews who pleaded with him to remove the ensigns from the city. Pilate gave in when he saw that the Jews were willing to sacrifice their lives rather than tolerate the presence of these idolatrous images in Jerusalem.[SUP]20[/SUP]In Luke 21:20, Jesus declared, “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near.” In fulfillment of Luke 21:20-21 and Matthew 24:15, the Roman army surrounded Jerusalem on three separate occasions during the Jewish War.The first time was at the very beginning of the revolt. In the middle of Iyyar of A.D. 66, the Procurator Gessius Florus entered the holy city with the Roman army and killed 3,600 people in the Upper Marketplace of Jerusalem.[SUP]21[/SUP] This slaughter occurred just a couple days before the miraculous army was seen in the clouds on the 21st of Iyyar of A.D. 66. The next occasion was during the Feast of Tabernacles of A.D. 66 when Cestius briefly besieged Jerusalem with the 12[SUP]th[/SUP] Legion before mysteriously departing shortly thereafter.[SUP]22[/SUP] The final time in which the Roman army surrounded Jerusalem during the Jewish War was in A.D. 70 just before the fall of the city under Caesar Titus.As warned in Luke 21:20-21, the presence of the Roman army and its ensigns (the abomination that causes desolation) outside of Jerusalem in Iyyar of A.D. 66 under Florus and perhaps later in Tishri of A.D. 66 under Cestius was a sign to the Christians in Jerusalem to flee the city. The great slaughter at the Upper Marketplace upon Florus’ entry into Jeursalem in Iyyar of A.D. 66 was the reason Jesus urged his people to immediately flee to the mountains in Matthew 24:16-18.The same might be said concerning Cestius’ arrival at Jerusalem. After Cestius withdrew from the city, civil war and uprisings subsequently caused a catastrophic death toll in Jerusalem even before the arrival of Titus in A.D. 70. The violence following the times in which the Roman army arrived outside of Jerusalem under Florus and Cestius in A.D. 66 appears to be the reason Jesus warned his people in Matthew 24:16-18 and Luke 21:21 to immediately drop everything and flee the city after seeing this sign. I believe Christians seeing these armies outside of Jerusalem began to flee in Iyyar of A.D. 66 when seeing Florus’ army outside of Jerusalem while the rest fled in Tishri after seeing the Romans again surround Jerusalem under Cestius later that year.

PlainWord · May 5, 2018

An Alternate or Complimentary view of Matthew 24:15 . . .

Matthew 24:15 says that the abomination that causes desolation will stand “in the holy place.” In every instance in which “holy place” occurs in the Bible, it is always used to refer to the Temple–not the city of Jerusalem or the nation of Israel, the holy land. John Bray argues that in 2 Maccabees 2:18 Israel; the holy land, which includes Jerusalem and its temple; is called the holy place: “As he promised in the law, will shortly have mercy upon us, and gather us together out of every land under heaven into the holy place: for he hath delivered us out of great troubles, and hath purified the place.”[SUP]23[/SUP] However, Bray is incorrect. Even in 2 Maccabees 2:18 “holy place” is used to refer to the Temple which was purified by the Maccabees during the Maccabean Wars. The gathering together of all the Jews under heaven to the Temple refers to the gathering of the Jews to the Temple to celebrate Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles, Pentecost and Hanukkah, which is called the Feast of Tabernacles in 2 Maccabees.If it was Jesus’ intention to say that the abomination that causes desolation was to actually stand inside the Temple, then this prediction appears to have been fulfilled at the time in which the Roman army set-up their ensigns on the eastern wing of the Temple and worshipped them in A.D. 70. If this interpretation is correct then “’the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel” mentioned in v. 15 is a direct reference to Daniel 9:26-27 and Daniel 12:11-12. As will be touched on below, both of these references to the abomination that causes desolation mentioned in the Book of Daniel were fulfilled at least in part when the Romans set-up their ensigns on the eastern wing of the Temple on the 9[SUP]th[/SUP] of Av of A.D. 70. Let us first take a look at Daniel 9:26-27:

The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.

Notice that the abomination that causes desolation is depicted within the Temple, the holy place, in Daniel 9:27. Also notice that the abomination that causes desolation is set up by the people of “the ruler who will come.” “The ruler who will come” is sometimes translated prince. Caesar Titus; the son of Vespasian, the emperor of Rome; is the prince predicted in these verses as he was the emperor’s firstborn son and had already been named his father’s successor at that time. The seven mentioned in Daniel 9:26-27 refers to the Jewish War itself which lasted approximately seven years from Iyyar of A.D. 66 to the fall of Masada on Passover of A.D. 74. Half way through this war Titus destroyed the Temple on the 9[SUP]th[/SUP] of Av of A.D. 70 which permanently put an end to “sacrifice and offering.” And on that same day the Romans under Titus’ leadership set up their idolatrous ensigns on the eastern wing of the Temple and worshipped them there fulfilling the rest of v. 27.Immediately after the Romans worshipped these idols in the Temple Titus ordered his army to kill everyone left in the city. Here one might see why Jesus warned his people to quickly flee Jerusalem in Matthew 24:15-22. However, if Matthew records Jesus saying that the saints were to flee Jerusalem when they saw the Romans, the abomination that causes desolation, standing in the Temple, then this raises some historical problems as well as Biblical incongruencies. One potential historical problem with this view is that before the Romans seized the Temple, they built a wall around Jerusalem in order to prevent people from entering or leaving the city during the siege.[SUP]24[/SUP] Another historical objection to the above view is that the scourge of the Jewish War was nearly over at this time, though it should be noted that the Jewish War did not officially end until the fall of Masada on Passover of A.D. 74.Similarly, if Jesus instructed His people to flee when the Romans stood in the Temple, this idea is chronologically inconsistent with Luke 21:20 at best and contradictory at its worst. Recall as stated above, Luke 21:20 is the synoptic equivalent of Matthew 24:15. Instead of saying, “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’” Luke 21:20 reads, “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near.” Thus immediately prior to warning His people to drop everything and leave Jerusalem in Matthew 24 and Luke 21, Jesus appears to tell His followers to flee when they see the Romans standing in the Temple in Matthew 24:15 whereas in Luke 21:20 Jesus says to escape as soon as they see Jerusalem surrounded by armies. The Temple was inside the city. Thus Jesus appears to be contradicting Himself. Were the people of Jerusalem to flee when they see the Romans outside the city as stated in Luke 21:20 or were they to leave when these soldiers were already well inside Jerusalem according to Matthew 24:15? The Romans surrounded Jerusalem on three separate occasions during the Jewish revolt and it wasn’t until approximately four or five months after surrounding the city on the very last occasion that these soldiers were finally able to break through the city walls and stand in the Temple, an event which occurred on the 9[SUP]th[/SUP] of Av of A.D. 70. And at that time the siege was nearly over and the Romans erected a wall around Jerusalem to prevent people from escaping the city thus it would appear to be too late to depart at that time. Thus if the people of Jerusalem were to flee when they see the Roman armies in the Temple, this interpretation places Matthew 24:15 and Luke 21:20 months or even years apart as well as in different places, outside the city and inside the city.But is there truly a contradiction between Matthew 24:15 and Luke 21:20? Let us look at Matthew 24:15-16 again. The NIV quoted above has taken some interpretive liberties in its translation of v. 15. A literal translation of the Greek actually reads, “When therefore you shall see the abomination of desolation which having been spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place the one reading let him understand then those in Judea let them flee to the mountains.” Notice that Matthew 24:15 does not necessarily contradict Luke 21:20 when read literally. Of course it is possible that Matthew intended to tell his audience to flee Jerusalem when they see the abomination that causes desolation standing in the Temple, but it seems more likely from the way in which this v. is truly worded that Matthew just intended to tell his readers to flee Jerusalem when they first see the abomination that causes desolation in general especially since this is what is stated in Luke 21:20. Thus I believe the fact that the abomination that causes desolation is said to stand in the holy place as indicated by the prophet Daniel may have been information added to the text to help the reader understand that this is the same entity that would ultimately stand in the Temple as mentioned in Daniel 9:27, but not necessarily at the time in which they should flee. Notice that when Matthew 24:15 is interpreted most literally it is entirely unclear as to whether Matthew is telling his readers to flee when they see the abomination standing in the temple or when they first see the abomination that causes desolation in general: “When therefore you shall see the abomination of desolation which having been spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place the one reading let him understand then those in Judea let them flee to the mountains [emphasis mine].” In other words that portion of v. 15 that says that the abomination of desolation would stand in the Temple might be read as though it were separated by commas or placed in parenthesis as it appears to me to be an explanatory insert added by Matthew or a later scribe. This text appears to me to have been inserted into Jesus’ discourse so as to help readers link the abomination that causes desolation spoken of by Jesus’ with Daniel 9:27 rather than telling its readers to flee when they see this entity in the Temple.

PlainWord · May 5, 2018

End,

I agree, there are several possibilities for the A of D. Arguments can be made for any of them. Here's another.

[h=2]Could the Abomination that Causes Desolation be Murder in the Temple? [/h]

In light of the fact that the abomination that causes desolation is said to have been present in the holy place which as stated above signifies the Temple everywhere else in the Bible, it is also possible that the abomination that causes desolation are the Zealots whose vile murders in the Temple grounds desecrated the Temple. In 2 Kings 23:13, Ezekiel 5:11; 8-10; 22:1-16 idolatry and unjust bloodshed are said to be abominations. One of the problems with this interpretation is that Daniel 9:26-27 links the abomination that causes desolation with the prince who is to come which as explained above is Caesar Titus, not the Jewish rebels. Furthermore, a previous abomination that causes desolation is mentioned in Daniel 11:31-32. In these verses the abomination of desolation denotes the Greek armies who placed an idol of Zeus on the Temple altar in Jerusalem in the second century B.C. A similar abomination is implicitly expected at the end of the age. If the first instance of the abomination that causes desolation was an idol that accompanied the Greek armies, the second is likely to be a similar idol accompanying the Roman army. If the murderous acts of the Zealots are the abomination that causes desolation in Matthew 24:15 then this interpretation conflicts with the precedent set in Daniel 11:31-32. Another argument against this view is the fact that the Zealots continuously defiled the Temple from the beginning of the Jewish War in A.D. 66 until the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Given the fact that the Zealots desecrated the Temple with murder and various diverse lawless acts over the course of roughly four years, at which point amidst all these abominable acts were the people supposed to drop everything and flee as Jesus warned in vs. 17 and 18?

PlainWord · May 5, 2018

[SUP]19[/SUP]

How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!

Afflicted by Famine, a Woman ate her Child during the Siege of Jerusalem.

In the midst of His execution, Jesus elaborated on the verse above:

Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed! Then “they will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’” For if men do these things [referring to his crucifixion] when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry (Luke 23:28-31)?

Jesus was crucified when the city of Jerusalem enjoyed great prosperity. The “dry” time Jesus refers to above is the famine that had taken many lives during the siege of Jerusalem described in The Wars of the Jews. Included in this eyewitness account is the tale of a woman who killed and ate the son she had been nursing because she was unable to provide for both herself and her child in the heart of the siege.[SUP]26[/SUP] Jesus was, therefore, correct when in v. 19 He said, “How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!”

[SUP]20[/SUP]

Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.

[SUP]21[/SUP]

For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.

Verse 21 is addressed to Israelites. Jesus was Right. The Jewish War was the worst War Israel ever faced even to this Day.

In fulfillment of v. 21, Josephus’ account of the Jewish War opens with the following:

Whereas the war which the Jews made with the Romans hath been the greatest of all those, not only that have been in our times, but, in a manner, of those that ever were heard of; both of those wherein cities have fought against cities, or nations against nations.[SUP]27[/SUP]

Furthermore, concerning the death toll at the siege of Jerusalem Josephus writes, “Accordingly, the multitude of those that therein perished exceeded all the destructions that either men or God ever brought upon the world.”[SUP]28[/SUP] Then in explicit fulfillment of v. 21, Josephus, a Jew likely unaware of the prophetic words spoken above, writes concerning the fall of Jerusalem: “[N]either, did any other city ever suffer such miseries . . . from the beginning of the world.

PlainWord · May 5, 2018

What about World War 2?

Matthew 24:21 is often used as evidence against preterism. Critics allege that World War 2 was a worse tragedy than the Jewish War. Therefore, Matthew 24 must be referring to a future catastrophe. This argument is a very weak one for a few reasons. First of all this argument assumes that Jesus is speaking on a global scale. We must consider audience relevance here. Who was Jesus’ audience? The gospels record Jesus exclusively preaching in and around Israel. Jesus spoke these words to Israelites, and therefore, this statement should not be assumed to be applicable world-wide. In other words, Jesus spoke these words exclusively to the people of Israel, not German Jews or anyone else. In v.21, Jesus accurately predicts that the coming war with Rome will be the worst tragedy that Israel will ever face. This fact was true then and is still true today. Having occurred at the time of the end and representing the culmination of the Law and the Prophets, the Jewish war with Rome is arguably the most tragic event of the Mosaic Age.

It should also be noted that the “great distress” of those days was not limited to the ravages of the siege of Jerusalem or the catastrophic death toll throughout the war. Much of the “great distress” mentioned in v. 21 centered on the destruction of the Temple.[SUP]30[/SUP] The temple in Jerusalem was the cornerstone of the Jewish religion and the source of the city’s great wealth. Revelation 18 chronicles the great distress of the city’s many wealthy priests and merchants who owed their fortunes to the Temple. The Temple was also the center of the Jewish religion. Among the poorer and perhaps more spiritual Jews the destruction of the Temple sent a distressing message that God had rejected His people or perhaps did not exist at all.

Interestingly, even if Jesus was speaking on a global scale, the fact that World War 2 was a more tragic war than the Jewish War would still not invalidate the preterist interpretation of Matthew 24. This is because the Bible often employs hyperbole for emphasis. Matthew 24:21 reads, “For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.” Now compare Matthew 24:21 to Exodus 11:6: “And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more.” According to Exodus 11:6 there was never to be greater distress than that which was inflicted on Egypt during the plague of the firstborn. Does Exodus 11:6 contradict Matthew 24:21?

Similarly, concerning King Solomon 2 Kings 3:12 reads, “. . . so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.” However in Matthew 12:42 Jesus says, “A greater than Solomon is here[.]” Then concerning King Hezekiah 2 Kings 18:5 says the following, “. . . so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.” Now compare these statements with what is said about King Josiah in 2 Kings 23:25: “And like unto him was there no king before him . . . neither after him arose there any like him.”

Along these same lines notice the following promise by God concerning Jerusalem during Ezekiel’s day recorded in Ezekiel 5:9: “And I will do in thee that which I have not done, and whereunto I will not do any more the like, because of all thine abominations.” Despite this promise, Jesus used similar language to describe the plight of Jerusalem by the Romans in His generation. In the above verses one can see that the Bible often uses superlatives for emphasis though statements like these often should not be interpreted literally.

PlainWord · May 5, 2018

[SUP]22[/SUP]

If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.

What were “Those Days” Which Had Been Cut Short?

I believe that the great distress of Matthew 24:21 may refer to the Jewish War itself. If this interpretation is correct, then this distress was, in fact, cut short for a time at Florus’ arrival with the Roman army in Iyyar of A.D. 66. After being met outside of Jerusalem Florus gave orders to his soldiers to plunder the upper Marketplace of Jerusalem and kill everyone they encountered there. This massacre largely remained localized to the Upper Marketplace and the lanes of the city connecting this area with the Temple. However, Florus was not successful in entering the Temple and soon departed after this slaughter.It is important to note that the days which are said to be cut short in v. 22 do not likely refer to the final siege of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 as the saints are said to be preserved from the beast and this siege according to Revelation 7 and 12:14. The same message is implied in Revelation 9, a prediction concerning the Roman siege of Jerusalem in A.D. 70

According to Revelation 9:4 the locust army can only hurt men without the seal of God on their foreheads. In Revelation 9:18 a third of men are said to be killed by these locusts. Then Revelation 9:20-21 states, “The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.” If the rest of mankind not already killed by these locusts still did not repent of their sins, this fact obviously implies that only the wicked, not the saints, were present to be afflicted by this locust army which was fulfilled in the siege of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Likewise the Jewish War itself which I believe was the distress mentioned in Matthew 24:21 was according to Revelation 6:9-11 and Matthew 23:33-39 God’s response to the unjust murder of His people by their Jewish persecutors. Thus it doesn’t make sense that the saints would also suffer during this judgment as this war was God’s vengeance for the unjust murders of these people. The church historian Eusebius confirms the fact that the saints were preserved from this war when he says that the saints of Jerusalem fled to Pella before the siege of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.[SUP]32[/SUP]These Biblical and historical fact therefore implies that the great distress mentioned in v. 21 that had been cut short in v. 22 refers to a previous arrival and assault on Jerusalem prior to its ultimate fall in A.D. 70 like Florus’ assault in the Upper Marketplace of Jerusalem in A.D. 66 since the saints were still present in the city at that time. Thus I believe the arrival of Florus’ army outside of Jerusalem in Iyyar of A.D. 66 served as a sign for Christians in Jerusalem to flee the city at that time. And Florus’ assault was cut short at this time for the sake of the elect so that the saints would not meet the same fate as their persecutors. I believe this distress was cut short at this time and then allowed to resume shortly thereafter once the saints left the city beginning at that time.

[SUP]23[/SUP]At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. [SUP]24[/SUP]For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. [SUP]25[/SUP]See, I have told you ahead of time. [SUP]26[/SUP]“So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.

The False Prophets and False Messiahs of the First Century . . .

During the first half of the first century there were many false prophets who had arisen in the Roman Empire claiming to have the authority to perform astonishing acts by divine power. According to the church historian Eusebius, when Fadus was procurator of Judea, a man named Theudas led a vast multitude to the Jordan where he promised to divide the river before them. Upon hearing of this, Fadus sent an armed cavalry against them and many were killed and captured.[SUP]33[/SUP] At about this time a self-proclaimed prophet from Egypt gathered a vast crowd of common people to the Mount of Olives overlooking Jerusalem. From there he promised that at his command the walls of Jerusalem would fall before them allowing them entrance into the city. However, when Felix heard of this, he sent his army against them and four hundred people were killed and two hundred were taken prisoner.[SUP]34[/SUP] In Matthew 24:26 Jesus warns, “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out.” Part of the reason Jesus warned his people not to go out into the desert to meet these false Messiahs is because many of the followers of these men were killed or captured there by the Jewish civil authorities.In v. 26 Jesus also warned not to look for the Christ in the “inner rooms.” This warning appears to be directed at Eleazar, a Messianic contender and temple priest who using the Temple as a fortress led a band of temple priests in revolt against Rome. Many of Eleazar’s soldiers were later killed in the Temple in the middle of the Jewish War by a rival Jewish general and Messianic contender.Furthermore, in Samaria many people worshipped a man named Simon. Claiming to be someone great, this man, according to Acts 8:9-11, performed many magic acts and many people asserted that he was the divine power fulfilling v. 24: “For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible.

PlainWord · May 5, 2018

During the Jewish War, many People were paid to Predict Lies in God’s Name . . .

Similarly, during the Jewish War, the leaders of the Jewish rebellion compelled a great many people to act as prophets sent by God. These people were coerced to predict that God would deliver Israel from the Romans in order to encourage the people to continue fighting. One such prophet was the cause of the deaths of a multitude. This man made a public declaration in Jerusalem that God had commanded the people to seek refuge in the Temple where they would be miraculously delivered.[SUP]36[/SUP] These predictions proved to be false, and these false prophets were collectively responsible for a colossal loss of life. All this happened in fulfillment of v. 24.

Believed by many to be the Jewish Messiah, Vespasian, the Beast Whose Wound had been healed, cured a Blind Man and a Man with a Withered Hand in fulfillment of v. 24.

Perhaps the most noteworthy fulfillment of the false Messiahs mentioned in v. 24 is Caesar Vespasian, the beast whose wound had been healed of Revelation 13:3. During the Jewish-Roman War, many Jews believed that the Messiah would rise-up and forcibly establish a world-wide empire centered in Jerusalem. Israel, of course, lost this war and Biblical prophecies concerning the Messiah were widely believed to have been fulfilled in the victor. As general of the Roman army during the Jewish War immediately before becoming emperor, Vespasian believed himself to be the Jewish messiah and many people of his day shared this belief. Three different first-century Roman historians; Suetonius, Josephus and Tacitus; record this seemingly wide-spread belief that Vespasian was the Messiah:

An ancient superstition was current in the East, that out of Judaea at this time would come the rulers of the world. This prediction, as the event later proved, referred to a Roman Emperor [Vespasian].”[SUP]37[/SUP]
But now, what did the most elevate them in undertaking this war, was an ambiguous oracle that was also found in their sacred writings, how,” about that time, one from their country should become governor of the habitable earth.” The Jews took this prediction to belong to themselves in particular, and many of the wise men were thereby deceived in their determination. Now this oracle certainly denoted the government of Vespasian, who was appointed emperor in Judea.[SUP]38[/SUP]

The majority were convinced that the ancient scriptures of their priests alluded to the present as the very time when the Orient would triumph and from Judaea would go forth men destined to rule the world. This mysterious prophecy really referred to Vespasian and Titus[.]

Not only was Vespasian one of the false messiahs mentioned in v. 24, he is also recorded to have performed miraculous deeds again fulfilling v. 24: “For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9 reads, “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the works of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders . . .” Immediately before entering Rome to claim the crown, Caesar Vespasian, the former Roman general of the Jewish-Roman War, was in Alexandria when and where a blind man and a man with a withered hand fell before him begging to be healed:

With a smiling expression and surrounded by an expectant crowd of bystanders, he [Vespasian] did what was asked. Instantly the cripple recovered the use of his hand and the light of day dawned again upon his blind companion. Both these incidents are still vouched for by eye-witnesses, though there is now nothing to be gained by lying

[SUB][/SUB]

PlainWord · May 5, 2018

[SUP]27[/SUP]

For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

When God came on the Clouds in Judgment in the Old Testament, the Spirit of the Lord rode Dark Storm Clouds accompanied by Lightning. The Second Coming follows this Biblical and Historical Precedent.

When God came on the clouds in judgment in the Old Testament, the spirit of the Lord was pictured riding dark storm clouds accompanied by rumblings of the earth, thunder and lightning. 2 Samuel 22:10-15 illustrates this fact:

He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his canopy around him—the dark rain clouds of the sky. Out of the brightness of his presence bolts of lightning blazed forth. The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy, with great bolts of lightning he routed them.

In Matthew 24:27, Jesus promises to return in a like manner. The fact that Jesus likens His return to “lightning that comes from the east” illustrates the fact that when Christ was expected to come on the clouds in judgment he was to do so as the Lord had done in the past–riding on dark storm clouds accompanied by lightning. Matthew 24:27 was fulfilled both literally and symbolically in the Jewish War.
Lightning struck the Temple around the Time of the Visible Return of Christ on the Clouds at the Start of the Jewish War . . .

Historical confirmation of lightening marking the second coming of Christ may be found in the writings of the Roman historian Tacitus:

In the sky appeared a vision of armies in conflict, of glittering armour. A sudden lightening flash from the clouds lit up the Temple. The doors of the holy place abruptly opened, a superhuman voice was heard to declare that the gods were leaving it, and in the same instant came the rushing tumult of their departure.

In this brief account, Tacitus, a secular Roman, may have unknowingly recorded the

lightning

flash associated with the heavenly return of Jesus in A.D. 66. Also notice that

“a superhuman voice was heard”

literally fulfilling 2 Samuel 22:14. In this v.

“the voice of the Most High resounded”

upon His coming on the clouds in judgment. This event is also mentioned in

The Wars of the Jews
: “efore sunsetting, chariots and troops of soldiers in their armor were seen running about among the clouds, and surrounding of cities.[SUP]42[/SUP] Perhaps the most detailed description of the second coming is found in

Revelation 19:11-14. In these verses, Jesus is pictured riding a white horse leading an army of angels on horseback on the clouds. The description of the second coming in Revelation 19:11-14 and Josephus’ account of the army in the clouds over Israel bear an uncanny resemblance. Did Josephus and Tacitus unwittingly record the first appearance of Christ during Israel’s first century war with Rome
?

PlainWord · May 5, 2018

The Temple stood on the Eastern edge of Jerusalem. If Lightning struck the Temple as Tacitus seems to imply, then Here One can see the Literal Fulfillment of the “Lightning that comes from the East.”

According to Tacitus, “[a] sudden lightening flash from the clouds lit up the Temple.” Tacitus seems to imply that lightning struck the Temple during what appears to be the miraculous appearance of Christ. The Temple stood on the eastern edge of Jerusalem. Therefore, if lightning struck the Temple, as Tacitus seems to imply, then this event seems to represent the literal fulfillment of the “lightning that comes from the east” mentioned in Matthew 24:27.

After the Miraculous Appearance of Christ on the Clouds accompanied by Lightning, the 12[SUP]th[/SUP] Legion drawn from the EASTERN edge of the Roman Empire encamped outside of Jerusalem with its Flags flying high. The Flag of the 12[SUP]th[/SUP] Legion is a LIGHTNING Bolt.

The lightning of Matthew 24:27 accompanying the miraculous coming of Christ on the clouds seems to have been a sign for the Christians in Jerusalem to leave the city, first at the start of the war in Iyyar of A.D. 66 following the entrance of the Roman army into the city under Florus and then perhaps later in the fall of that same year when Cestius also surrounded Jerusalem. Recall that in Luke 21:20-21, Jesus says, “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city.”

The Main Ensign, the Aquila, was the Messenger of Zeus that carried Zeus’ LIGHTNING Bolt. The Aquila was the Symbol of Rome.

It should also be noted that the symbol of Rome was the Aquila which was also the main ensign that all Roman legions carried into battle. Aquila was the messenger of Jupiter that carried Jupiter’s lightning bolt. Perhaps in this symbol of Rome and its legions one can see yet another way in which the the “lightning that comes from the east”?

PlainWord · May 5, 2018

Heavenly Beings are said to look like Lightning in Matthew 28:2-3. Thus Matthew 24:27 was Also Fulfilled Literally at the Parousia when Christ appeared in a Brilliant, Radiant Form that looked like Lightning.

There also appears to be yet another way in which lightning aptly describes the parousia. The army of angels seen in the clouds in Iyyar of A.D. 66 was also recorded by the medieval historian Yosippon who describes this army as horses and riders of fire: “Moreover, in those days were seen chariots of fire and horsemen, a great force flying across the sky near to the ground coming against Jerusalem and all the land of Judah, all of them horses of fire and riders of fire.”[SUP]44[/SUP] Here Yosippon describes this angelic army of A.D. 66 in much the same way that angels are described in 2 Kings 6:17, Matthew 28:2-3 and 2 Corinthians 11:14; God is described in Ezekiel 1:26-28; and Jesus is described in Acts 9:3-6 and Revelation 1:13-16 after having acquired a new, glorified heavenly body after His ascension into heaven. It is interesting to note that the angel mentioned in Matthew 28:2-3 is explicitly said to look like lightning: “[A]n angel of the Lord descended from heaven . . . his appearance was like lightning[.]” According to Acts 9:3-6 and Revelation 1:13-16, after Jesus’ ascension He took on a similar radiant form which also presumably looked like lightning. Thus the fact that the second coming is compared to lightning that comes from the east and is visible in the west seems also to hint at Jesus’ glorified heavenly appearance during His Parousia.

[SUP]28 [/SUP]Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

The Dead were not buried during the Siege making Them Food for Vultures.

Just prior to the fall of Jerusalem, the remaining Jewish rebels fled to the temple fortress for refuge. Eventually the Romans broke into the Temple causing a great massacre. Concerning the aftermath, Josephus writes:

Nor was there any place in the city [of Jerusalem] that had no dead bodies in it, but what was entirely covered with those that were killed either by the famine or the rebellion; and all was full of the dead bodies of such as had perished, either by that sedition or by that famine.

As is implied in v. 28 and later in Revelation 19:21, these unburied bodies became food for the vultures. Confirming the fact that the dead of Jerusalem ultimately became food for wild beasts, Kenneth Gentry quotes Josephus as saying, “’[T]heir [the Jews of Jerusalem] dead bodies were thrown to the dogs’ (J.W. 6:7:2) and that some ‘were cast out naked, and seen to be the food of dogs and wild beasts’ (J.W. 4:5:2).”[SUP]46[/SUP] But Matthew 24:28 is not just a prediction about carrion birds consuming a dead body.

PlainWord · May 5, 2018

The Fulfillment of Matthew 24:28 at the burning of the Temple.

Underlying the literal understanding of this verse appears to be a symbolic prophecy of the fall of the Temple. The carcass in this verse also seems to denote the Temple which as indicated at the beginning of this chapter was soon to be utterly demolished. Interestingly, the word translated vulture in this verse also means eagle–the national symbol of Rome. When the Romans seized the Temple in A.D. 70, they carried their ensigns into the temple courts. As stated above, Rome’s main ensign was the Aquila, an eagle. The Roman army offered sacrifices to these eagle images representing Rome on the 9[SUP]th[/SUP] of Av all while the Temple was in flames. With these literal and symbolic interpretations, one can appreciate the richness of what Jesus meant when he said, “Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures [eagles] will gather.”

The eagle, the Aquila, was a symbol of Rome.

PlainWord · May 5, 2018

Now comes the fun part, Mat 29-31. But I'm tired and might take a nap for awhile...

PlainWord · May 5, 2018

[SUP]29[/SUP]“Immediately after the distress of those days “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ [SUP]30[/SUP]“At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the peoples of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.

A Full Preterist View of Matthew 24:30–“All the Peoples of the Earth will Mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the Clouds . . .”: “All the Peoples of the Earth” is more accurately translated “All the Tribes of the Land.”

Those who believe in a worldwide second coming often quote Matthew 24:30: “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.” Some might read this verse thinking that the second coming is a global event. However, the NIV places a footnote after “the peoples of the earth.” In this footnote appears a substitute translation: “the tribes of the land.” The tribes of the land are the tribes of Israel. The Greek word translated “earth” in Matthew 24:30 is ge which can be a global term, though it is often used to specify an isolated city, kingdom or nation—in this case it is best applied to the nation of Israel alone

According to the Midrash, the Sun represents the King, the Moon represents the Sanhedrin and the Stars represent Rabbis.

In Matthew 24:29, the sun and moon darken and the stars fall from the sky. These astral omens are very similar to the heavenly signs said to accompany the fall of Judah in the sixth century B.C. (Jeremiah 4:23-26), the fall of Egypt in the sixth century B.C. (Ezekiel 32:7-9), the fall of Babylon in the sixth century B.C. (Isaiah 13:9-13), and the fall of Edom in the sixth century B.C. (Isaiah 34:4-5). And just as various heavenly omens marked a great slaughter at the fall of Judah, Egypt, Babylon and Edom in the sixth century B.C., the same thing is expected to occur at the fall of Jerusalem and Israel at the end of the age.The fact that in v. 29 the sun darkens, the moon turns to blood and the stars fall from the sky are all signs of the destruction of heaven and earth predicted in 2 Peter 3.

Whenever God came on the Clouds in Judgment on a City in the Old Testament, He Rode Dark Storm Clouds according to Psalm 18:9-11. These Clouds Darkened the Sun and Moon Fulfilling v. 29.

According to Psalm 18:9-11 when God came on the clouds in judgment on a city, He rode dark storm clouds that often masked the brightness of his appearance:

He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—the dark rain clouds of the sky [emphasis mine].

The dark storm clouds that mark the presence of the Lord when He comes on the clouds in judgment are presumably the cause of the darkening of the sun and moon mentioned in v. 29. The fact that the storm clouds marking the coming of the Lord on the clouds in judgment on a nation are the reason that the sun, moon and stars are darkened is clearly stated in Ezekiel 32:7: “When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light [emphasis mine].”

PlainWord · May 5, 2018

[SUP]32[/SUP]“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. [SUP]33[/SUP]Even so, when you see all these things, you know that itis near, right at the door. [SUP]34[/SUP]I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.

“This [First Century] Generation [did] not Pass until all” the Prophecies of this Chapter Literally Occurred!

In v. 3 the disciples asked Jesus, “when will this happen [the destruction of the Temple], and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Jesus answers this question in v. 34: “I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.” If Jesus did not mean His current generation as many futurists suppose it is a wonder that Jesus did not clarify that point in v. 34 as the author of 1 Enoch does when predicting the end of the age: “Enoch a righteous man, whose eyes were opened by God, saw the vision of the Holy One in the heavens, which the angels showed me, and from them I heard everything, and from them I understood as I saw, but not for this generation, but for a remote one which is for to come (1 Enoch 1:2-3).” [Emphasis mine.]Jesus was correct. As has been shown up to this point, every one of Jesus’ predictions mentioned in this chapter has recorded historical fulfillment within that generation including the sign of Christ’s coming and the mass vision of Jesus’ seemingly visible return on the clouds of heaven. All these events are recorded in the annals of Roman history.

The Rapture

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