Matthew 24:36-44

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36 But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. ~ Matthew 24:36-44

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 24 which is a short study given by the Lord Jesus on the Mount of Olives to His disciples about the End Times. There are few topics that elicit as much interest, discussion and debate in Christians circles as the study of the End Times. Trying to understand all of the theology involved is quite a task. Today's passage is set during the time after the Rapture of the Church. The emphasis here is for those left on the earth after the Rapture has taken place. All prophetic passages like this have in common one thing and that is the command of the Lord to "watch." 

In v.36 of today's passage we read, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."

When the Lord Jesus spoke these words, He did not know when His second coming would take place. Now, that He has ascended to the Father in heaven, I believe, He knows the day and hour. For those who will find themselves in the Tribulation, once they have seen the abomination of desolation, as spelled out in the the books of Daniel and Revelation, they will be able to count three and a half years and know when the Second Coming will happen. They will be able to do this because in the middle of the 70th seven in Daniel 9:27 the abomination of desolation will occur in the newly built temple in Jerusalem. 

In v.37-39 of today's passage we read, "37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be."

These verses draw a vivid parallel between the days leading up to the Flood and the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus. Just as in Noah's time, when life carried on as usual until the floodwaters began to rise, many will be surprised when the end comes. Life is often a series of routines and daily tasks that, while comfortable, can lull us into complacency. This passage challenges us to look beyond the immediacy of our daily routines, urging us to invest in the eternal by pointing sinful man to his need of the Gospel. 

In v.40-42 of today's passage we read, "40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming."

The word translated "taken" here in v.40-41 is a completely different word from the word "took" in v.39. The word in verse 39 includes the sense of being "taken away," while the word here in v.40-41 brings the idea of being "welcomed or received." The point is that believers in the Lord Jesus are not taken away into judgment. Believers will be taken away from judgment. We are taken away from the judgment of God which will be poured out on the earth during the Tribulation.

Obviously, the key word in this passage is "watch" used four times in its broader context. The Lord Jesus warns us to "remain alert." The very last generation will see all of these things come to fruition because they heeded the Lord's command to "remain alert." And, for us who will not be on the earth during the Tribulation, we must engage, now, in the "snatching of the unsaved from the fires of Hell" as we are encouraged by Jude the half-brother of the Lord Jesus. 

In v.43-44 of today's passage we read, "43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

Every generation lives with the reality that the Rapture of the Church could happen at any moment. When it does happen, Christians all over the world will disappear. Then the seven year Tribulation will begin, ending with the Lord’s Second Coming and His judgement upon all the unbelievers who refused the free gift of salvation. After these things, the Lord Jesus will establish His earthly kingdom for a thousand years and He will reign through peace and righteousness. And, even after man has come to know this perfect environment, many, will yet at the end of it all, reject the Lord Jesus. Then, the very end will come and Satan and his followers will be cast into Hell for eternity. The very first sin ever committed, pride, that condition that inaugurated all sin, will finally be defeated.

Only those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus as their Savior will escape the wrath of God to come. Believers become recipients of God's grace only after we have admitted that we are ruined by sin and we turn to Him for help. There has never been a cry that He has ignored. Those who resist God's grace will be hardened in their hearts. The Lord Jesus will declare those broken by their sin as perfectly righteous, because they trusted in His righteousness. The effect of entering into a personal relationship with God through Christ will be seen in our heart for those who have yet to become the forgiven.

Matthew 24:32-35

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32 Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! 34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. ~ Matthew 24:32-35

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 24 where in context the disciples have asked the Lord Jesus how they would know that the end had come. Of course, the disciples had no idea that they would not be on the earth when the end arrived, but the Lord Jesus, nevertheless, answered their question. He answered their question for the benefit of those who will be on the earth during the Tribulation and when the end comes.

In v.32 of today's passage we read, "Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near."

Once again the Lord Jesus utilized a parable to help His disciples understand His teaching. A parable is an allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach a truth, often making use of concrete objects as the symbolic representation of an abstract meaning. Parables confirm whether we are true seekers of the truth or not. Through the parable of the fig tree the Lord Jesus reminded His disciples that before the fig tree produces its leaves it swells with sap in its trunk and its branches produce leaves. That is when we know that Summer is near. In like manner, those on the earth during the Tribulation will be able to know when the end will come by the unusual events that will take place at that time.

In v.33-34 of today's passage we read, "33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! 34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place." 

"These things" here refer to those unusual events that will happen during the Tribulation. "This generation" refers to those who will be living on the earth at that time who will witness these events. When the sun will darken, when the moon loses its light, when the stars fall from the sky, the end will be eminent. These will be the signs of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus to this earth when His feet will touch the Mount of Olives.

Now, the Rapture of the Church is different than the Second Coming of Christ. The Rapture is described in 1 Corinthians 15, John 14, and 1 Thessalonians 4, among other passages. And in each case it is the Church taken out of the world, and taken to heaven. The Lord Jesus doesn't come to earth. In addition, there is no mention of the judgment of God upon sinful man in the passages describing the Rapture. The Lord Jesus will come in the clouds and believers on the earth at that time will be taken to heaven to be with the Lord. This is why the Lord Jesus said what He did in Revelation 3:10 which reads, "Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth." 

In v.35 of today's passage we read, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."

The purpose of God's Word has aways been to undergird the faith of His people. During that time at the end when it might appear that the Bible will be proven wrong and events appear to be going in a different direction, God will fulfill His Word. It has always been the case that when it seems that God's Word is not true and cannot be trusted, it ends up being true and trustworthy. God's words represent His definition of things, and, His Word will endure for eternity. Sadly, we live in a world full of people who are trying to change the definitions of everything. In this we see the continued rebellion of man against the definitions of God.

For many years Naval astronomers have observed the motion of the earth, in relation to the heavens, to accurately measure time. All clocks in the world have been set in relation to these very meticulous measurements. It was God who made the Master Clock of the Universe! He set the heavens in motion and mankind learned how to use its wonderful accuracy. As marvelous as this Great Clock is, the story does not end here.

In the early 2000's, scientists discovered that time can be measure by light. Now, time is measured by counting the number of times mercury ions vibrate in a second. Optical frequencies regularly oscillate at one million-billion times per second. By using lasers and mercury ions, scientists have harnessed the most precise measurement of time. Optical clocks only slip by one second every 30 billion years it is estimated! 

The God of all of creation has given us a book that we might know Him, to really know Him. His word, the Bible is the most substantive resource in this world. If we do not spend meaningful time in it, we lose. It is God's Word that keeps us from capsizing in a world of torrential waters. We must be diligent to not let anyone or anything turn us aside from spending time in the Word of God searching for God Himself. Investment in the Word of God for ourselves must be our top priority. Life is not about figuring out the mysteries of prophecy. No, this life is about figuring out the mystery of God.

By nature God demands that man be perfect, but no man is perfect. Enter the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. In it, we learn that God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to be perfect on our behalf. Through Christ it is possible for sinful man to be forgiven by God. Through God's forgiveness He now grants the believer a personal relationship with Himself. This message hinges upon the veracity of God's Word. And, just as sure as Summer follows Spring, the Word of the Lord will come to pass. For us who are learning to be defined by the God of the Bible, we are being convinced that He is trustworthy. Trust is most important throughout the Bible, appearing 186 times. And, our trust in Him is the natural outflow of our faith in the God of the Bible.

Matthew 24:29-31

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29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will 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 great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. ~ Matthew 24:29-31

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 24 where the Lord Jesus is on the Mount of Olives with His disciples. In that context He was teaching in response to their question about when He was to return to this earth. The reality that He was about to leave had started to set in for these twelve followers. It was Wednesday evening of the passion week before the Friday when the Lord Jesus was crucified. 

In v.29 of today's passage we read, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken."

As the Seventieth Seven of Daniel 9:27 comes to its end, abnormalities in the sun, moon and stars will occur. They will come in a flurry just before Christ returns. This will happen after evil has finished its course on the earth. The coming of the Son of Man in a cloud with power and great glory will be very different than the first time He came in a manger in humility and lowliness. This will not be the case the second time He returns. Previous to His second appearing, volcanoes will erupt and tidal waves will arise. The havoc on the earth at that time will be the result of the heavens being shaken and the lights will be turned off. The Lord Jesus will appear in the sky for all on earth to see. 

In v.30-31 of today's passage we read, "30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will 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 great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

The climax of all of human history will be the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord, with great power and great glory. At the Second Coming, the angels will be engaged in the gathering of God's people to Himself.  The sign of the end will be return of the Son. This will be the fulfillment of Daniel 7:13-14 which reads, "13 In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed." 

In the Book of Daniel, the title "Son of Man" describes the coming Messiah who will appear in the sky for all on earth to see. The designation "Ancient of Days" provides a description of God the Father. The Lord Jesus will come as the conquering Messiah approved of by His Father who is in heaven. The Lord Jesus is referred to as the "Son of Man" 82 times in the New Testament. It was the primary title the Lord Jesus used when referring to Himself. The only use of "Son of Man" in a clear reference to the Lord Jesus, spoken by someone other than the Lord Jesus, came from the lips of Stephen as he was being martyred in the Book of Acts.

In 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 we read, "5 All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you." 

The Lord Jesus Christ will come in flaming fire, accompanied by His mighty angels. He will return to deal out judgment on those who proudly resisted His grace. But He will also come to be glorified in His followers. And, according to 1 Thessalonians 1:10, "We wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath." There are at least 300 plus Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in the first coming of the Lord Jesus. 

In Revelation 6:12-14 we read, "12 I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. 14 The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place." 

In the seven year Tribulation, judgments will come out of seven seals, seven seals that stretch across the seven years. When we get toward the end of the Tribulation and we come to the sixth and seventh seals, the judgments intensify. The sun will go out. The whole moon will become like blood which hardens into blackness. The stars of the sky will fall to the earth as a fig tree casts its ripened figs when shaken by a great wind. And the sky will split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up. The sky will roll up like a scroll. Every mountain and island will be moved out of their places. This describes the awful end.

The sad part of this is that there will be people who lived through the Tribulation, who heard the gospel preached all over the world. These will have seen one third of Israel repent, Gentiles from every tongue and tribe and people and nation will repent, and come to faith in the Lord Jesus. They had been warned again and again that the Lord Jesus was coming in judgment. And even when it comes down to the end, there will be those who will still blaspheme the God of heaven. If you think that somehow you can just kind of wait around until all that starts and come to Christ at the end, you may end up with them. Today is the day of salvation. Cry out to the Lord now if you haven't already.

Matthew 24:23-28

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23 Then if anyone says to you, "Look, here is the Christ!" or "There!" do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 Therefore if they say to you, "Look, He is in the desert!" do not go out; or "Look, He is in the inner rooms!" do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. ~ Matthew 24:23-28

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 24 which centers in on the End Times. This chapter is in response to the disciples question in Matthew 24:3, "What will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" As we have mentioned before, Matthew 24 is divided into three parts. The first fourteen verses describe the first three and a half years of the Tribulation and v.15-31 describe the last three and a half years of the Tribulation. Matthew 24 corresponds with Revelation 6-19 which describes the Tribulation in detail. The purpose of the Tribulation will be to offer the nation of Israel a last opportunity to believe in the Lord Jesus as their Messiah.  

In v.23-24 of today's passage we read, "23 Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect."

These words of the Lord Jesus will be for those who will be living on earth during the Tribulation or as the Old Testament prophet Daniel describes it, the seventieth seven of Daniel 9. During that time there will be world-wide religious deceit. The false messiahs and prophets will serve the anti-christ who will openly rule and reign on this earth at that time. They will perform signs and wonders causing many to believe in the lie. Those not defined by God's Word will be deceived. With the emphasis on what will be seen, the Lord informs His hearers to evaluate out of the posture that is informed by the Word of God. We have not yet entered into this time of tribulation, but the birth pains have come. Wars, rumors of wars, disease, disasters, and famines abound. And, the persecution of God's people will be on the rise. Therefore, we must be about our Father's business, looking for those who have yet to believe in the Lord Jesus as their Savior, praying for them at every opportunity and sharing the gospel with them every chance we get.

In v.25-27 of today's passage we read, "25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be."

Even though many will come proclaiming to be the savior of the world, the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus will be obvious. At the end of the Tribulation He will appear in the sky. His appearance will be like the striking of the lightening, obvious and powerful. Previous to His appearing, volcanoes will erupt and tidal waves will arise. The havoc on the earth at that time will be the result of the heavens being shaken. The Lord Jesus will appear in the sky for all on earth to see. The main difference between the rapture of the church and His Second Coming will be obvious. At the Rapture, the Lord Jesus will appear in the sky but He will not descend to the earth. At the rapture of the church, we will be raised to meet the Lord in the air. At His Second Coming, He will physically come to earth, specifically at the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. When His feet touch the Mount of Olives at that time there will be a tremendous earthquake in Jerusalem.

In v.28 of today's passage we read, "For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together."

A better translation of the word translated "eagles" here is "vultures." Just as it is easy to find the carcass of a dead animal due to the circling vultures, the Second Coming will be obvious to all on earth at that time. The climax of all of human history will come with the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord, with great power and glory. 

According to Revelation 6 the people of the earth at that time will say to the mountains, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb." 

After the opening of the sixth seal, there will be a great earthquake, the sun will turn black, the moon will turn blood red, the stars will fall out of the sky, the heavens will roll back like a scroll, and every mountain and island will be removed from its place. At the moment He returns fear will grip all the unsaved upon the earth. 

The brain does something interesting when we experience fear. It tries to find the quickest way out of the discomfort. But, the problem is the unforgiven will not be able to escape their court date with the truth. The truth is we were all conceived sinful. And, as a result, for those who lack God's forgiveness for the penalty that was created by sin, they will be held accountable to pay that penalty. The payment will last for an eternity because it will never be enough to satisfy the truth.

Deceived totally by the devil, the unsaved will reach a point where they will not be able to believe. They will be defined by unbiblical fear to the point that they will be driven away from all that is true and loving. They will sadly feel at home with isolated darkness, but, darkness is not a place anyone would consider home. Isolated, and all alone, there will be no one present with the unsaved in eternity. This aloneness will not warrant relationship with anyone. They will experience an eternity of the closing in of the madness. Sadly, this will be where unbiblical fear will lead those with an unwilling heart.

All of this underscores the fact that salvation is a free gift for the taking. Of course, it came at a great cost for the Lord Jesus. He laid down His life for anyone willing and humble enough to receive His free gift. When man yielded to the sinful desires of Lucifer, it resulted in the disordering of our loves. When we trust the Lord Jesus, we are enabled to see love anew, and, our loves are rendered to what God intended them to be. For all of eternity, it will be His love for us that will capture our hearts in such a way that we will fully exist for His glory. No one will be able to hide from God. No one will escape the horror of the inequity of their sinfulness but it doesn't have to be that way. While there is yet time, let's pray for the unsaved and let's share the gospel with them as often as there is time.

Matthew 24:15-22

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15 Therefore when you see the "abomination of desolation," spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. ~ Matthew 24:15-22

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 24. This chapter is divided into three parts. While Matthew 24:1-14 describes the first 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation, Matthew 24:15-31 describes the last 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation. Matthew 24 corresponds with Revelation 6-19 which describes the Tribulation in detail. The first half of the Tribulation is described in Revelation 6-9 while the middle of the Tribulation is described in Revelation 10-14. Then, the last half of the Tribulation is described in Revelation 15-19. Today's passage is predicated upon the prophecy given in Daniel 9:24-27 which we must understand if we are to make sense of today's passage. 

In Daniel 9:24-27 we read, "24 Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place. 25 Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. 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. 27 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 at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him."

This prophecy in Daniel 9:24-27 is specifically about the nation of Israel. In it there are decreed 70 sevens which covers a 490 year period of time. When we multiply 70 x 7 we have 490, which is speaking of a prophecy which describes a 490 year period of time, specifically for the nation of Israel. As we read in Daniel 9:25-27, this prophecy is divided into three segments: 7 sevens = 49 years, 62 sevens = 434 years, and 1 seven  = 7 years. When we add the totals, we have 490 years.

The first two segments (the 7 sevens and the 62 sevens) of time have already been fulfilled. Most theologians refer to this 70th seven as the "Tribulation," although it is never described as such in the New Testament. The Lord Jesus does refer to the second half of this seven year period as "a time of great tribulation." In Jeremiah 30:7 it is referred to as "a time of Jacob's trouble." Of course, Jacob was Israel as an unbeliever and Israel is Jacob as a believer. So, the design of the Tribulation is to bring Israel to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

According to Daniel 9:25 and Nehemiah 2:1-8 in 444 BC King Artaxerxes issued a decree to Nehemiah to restore and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. The building of the temple was completed in 395 BC. The 7 sevens or 49 years define the period of time that it took to complete the temple. The 62 sevens was the period of time between the completion of the temple in Jerusalem and the coming of the Messiah into Jerusalem on the donkey. It took 434 years or 62 sevens for this prophecy to be fulfilled. When we add the 7 sevens and the 62 sevens we have 483 years. And, then to complete Daniel's prophecy we have the final seven which describes the seven year tribulation.

According to Daniel 9:26, after the 62 sevens the Messiah will be cut off which took place on March 30, 33 AD. And then, the prince is one who will destroy the city and the sanctuary (this occurred in A.D. 70 under the leadership of Titus). According to Daniel 9:27 the one seven is a 7 year period of time (this is a time of great tribulation on earth as described by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 24.)

According to Daniel 9:26-27, the ruler or the prince will make a covenant with the many including Israel for one seven. This prince will be the anti-christ who is mentioned in Daniel 11:21. In the middle of this seven the anti-christ will discontinue sacrifice and worship at the temple in Jerusalem. Then, he will break his covenant with Israel. This 70th seven or the tribulation period is also described in Revelation 6-16.

According to today's passage, when the Abomination of Desolation happens, at the middle of the Tribulation, there will be three results: First, there will be immediate trouble to those believers who are in Jerusalem and the surrounding area. Second, there will be an outbreak of a world-wide time of unprecedented trouble. It will be a time of great economic difficulty. That will be the time that the people will be required to take the mark of the beast in order to eat. The people will know at that time that by taking the mark they will be giving allegiance to the anti-christ. The third result, there will be a time of incredible religious deceit.

In the middle of the Tribulation, the abomination of desolation will take place. Obviously the temple will be rebuilt since it was destroyed in 70 AD. We don't know what abomination the antichrist will perform at the temples that will cause the temple to be desolate. It will be something so gross and contemptible before God that it will make the temple unclean and the people will not go there.

As mentioned, the final seven of Daniel's prophecy is yet to be fulfilled. The world could enter that period at any moment. Before that event takes place, the rapture of the church must happen. During the Tribulation, it will be most difficult to believe in the Lord Jesus, partly due to the fact that with the rapture of the church, the influence of the Holy Spirit in this world will be much different than it is today. With that said, you can avoid the Tribulation simply by trusting in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross for the forgiveness of your sin. If you have not done this, I encourage you to talk with God right now, tell Him that you know that you are a sinner in need of His salvation and ask Him to come into your life right now.

Matthew 24:9-14

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9 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. ~ Matthew 24:9-14

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 24 where the Lord Jesus is in the process of answering questions from His disciples regarding the end times. It was Wednesday evening during the Lord Jesus' last week on earth. He sat down with His disciples on the western slope of the Mount of Olives and He told them that He would return in the future to establish His kingdom. At that time He told His disciples about their immediate circumstances as well as His Second Coming. His was in response to their question: "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"

In our last study of this passage the Lord Jesus described events which He referred to as: "These are the beginning of sorrows or birth pains." Five times in the Old Testament this saying was employed to speak of God's judgement upon man's sin. It speaks of it as the birth pains of a woman, as God intervening in history in a very judicial and direct manner. It is a key phrase, because although we have always had wars, earthquakes, famines, that phrase "birth pains" is quite descriptive. There are normal birth pains that happen, like wars and rumors of wars and famines and earthquakes. But, as when a woman is having a baby, when the contractions become more frequent and more intense, then we know the birth of the judgment of God upon unbelieving man will be much closer. 

In v.9 of today's passage we read, "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake."

From the very first century these words were fulfilled. The book of Acts tells us how the apostles, and the early Christians, were often beaten in the synagogues and dragged before governors and kings, as was predicted here by the Lord Jesus. This promise of persecution has been pertinent to believers of all times. It was definitely applicable to first century believers who endured unbelievable treatment from non-believers. It will be most applicable for those who choose to believe in the Lord Jesus after the Rapture of the Church has taken place.

In v.10 of today's passage we read, "And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another."

Hatred toward Christians abounded during the first century. In like manner, for those living during the Tribulation, hatred will be the cause of family members betraying other family members. In fact, during that time of the Tribulation, the most hated group will increasingly be those who claim the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. This makes sense since the will of Satan will be unfettered in this world at that time.

In v.11-12 of today's passage we read, "11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold."

Those who redefine things from good to bad will have the corner on what people will wrongly believe to be the truth. The key here is that the love of many will now increasingly grow cold. Lust will replace love as the virtue. The lack of love in any context results in atrophy in a variety of ways. The word "lawlessness" means they violate God’s definition of things. Here, we are given a description of man going crazy on sin. Sin will be so abundant that it will draw people who are moving toward the truth right back out of it.

In v.13-14 of today's passage we read, "13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

Superficial faith collapses under persecution. Authentic, God-given faith will endure, because the Holy Spirit will provide strength and grace to endure in the faith. "The end" here is talking about the end of a person's life. As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are called to be faithful to death. This is not what saves us but our ability to do such due to the presence of God in our lives is a sign that we have been saved. Interestingly the word "witness" here is where we get our English word "martyr." The genuineness of our faith in the Lord Jesus is primarily a product of the presence of God in our lives. Anything is holy because God is there. God and only God makes us holy, righteous and acceptable before Him.

While Matthew 24:1-14 describes the first 31/2 years of the Tribulation, Matthew 24:15-31 describes the last 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation. Revelation 6-19 describes the Tribulation in detail and follows the outline of Matthew 24. The first half of the Tribulation is described in Revelation 6-9 while the middle of the Tribulation is described in Revelation 10-14. Then, the last half of the Tribulation is described in Revelation 15-19. All of this reveals the Lord knows all that will happen beforehand. Thus, we can trust Him with everything, especially our future and our lives. 

Matthew 24:3-8

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3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" 4 And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.'" ~ Matthew 24:3-8

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 24 where the Lord Jesus and His disciples have departed from the temple in Jerusalem. His day of teaching in the Temple area was over. This was the last Wednesday of His earthly life. From this point  on He interacted only with His disciples who were gathered around Him on the Mount of Olives. 

In v.3 of today's passage we read, "Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, 'Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?'"

After the Lord Jesus had pointed out the hypocrisy of the first century religious leaders of Israel, He informed His disciples that the Temple had been turned into that which it was not meant to be. It was in that context that He told the disciples that the Temple would be destroyed. This then prompted the disciples to ask the Lord a question about the End Times. To their credit they went to the Lord with their question. Our questions often reveal our humility and God always shows favor toward the humble. Questions elicit genuine dialogue which is what prayer is. Oswald Chambers once said, "Prayer is not only asking, but an attitude of mind which produces the atmosphere in which asking is perfectly natural."

Although we often find our questions as something that is disconcerting, they are good because they deepen our relationships with others. When we go to the Lord with our questions, we discover the meaning of prayer. We all have moments when life seems so overwhelming and we wonder if God really is involved in our lives. The questions mount up and they potentially are useful to the growth of our faith in the Lord. True faith comes from grappling with these questions, earnestly going to God with them, expecting responses from Him. That expectation leads to actively looking for Him in life. When we come to the Scriptures, we come looking for Him through our  questions.

In v.4-5 of today's passage we read, "4 And Jesus answered and said to them: 'Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.'" 

The law of motion says, "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction." That same law in the spiritual realm means "Every divine action brings an opposite satanic reaction." Since there is truth, there will be deception. This means we must be so attentive to the Word of God that the deceptive powers of the enemy, which are increasingly great, will not distract us from the Lord Himself. 

The only sure way to keep from being deceived in this world is to know the Scriptures and to obey what God has told us. The disciples had long been taught wrongly to value the wrong thing, in this case the temple. You see, the value of the temple was who was inside it, the Lord Himself. He is to be our first love. He is to be our first God before all others. So, today, we do well to lay down our lives before Him, and, in so doing we do well to value nothing more than we do Him for that which we value the most will define us the most.

In addition, the disciples expected the Lord Jesus to set up His eternal kingdom, then and there. But, their theology needed an adjustment. The Lord Jesus knew the disciples would soon be in the position to be easily deceived. When we have insufficient theology, we can easily be deceived. This is why we must be in His Word and of His Word, daily. We must be careful to learn it from Him as our teacher. We must read His word while listening to His voice as we study it. Oh, we don't hear His voice with our ears but with our hearts. And, what He teaches us must frame up our understanding of all that is going on in our lives and in this world.

In v.6-7 of today's passage we read, "6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places."

Like the religious leaders of first century Israel, the disciples did not understand the difference between the Lord's first coming and His second coming. They also didn't understand the difference between the Rapture and His Second Coming. I find in most instructive that out of the forty-six Old Testament prophets, ten of them spoke of matters related to His first coming. Thirty-six of them spoke of matters related to His Second Coming. One out of every twenty-five verses in the New Testament relates to Christ's return. For every time Christ mentions His first coming, He mentions His second coming eight times. That is, every time the New Testament mentions His first coming, it mentions His second coming eight times. The Lord Jesus referred to His Second Coming twenty times and there are over fifty times in the New Testament we are warned that He is coming.

From the beginning of time there have been counterfeit messiahs. In addition, there have been national and international upheavals, and religious persecution. But these things will increase and intensify as the time of the Lord Jesus’ Second Coming draws near. There will be religious delusion, and even God’s people will be in danger of being deceived. Satan is a counterfeiter who for centuries has led people astray by deceiving their minds and their blinding hearts. Israel was often seduced into sin by false prophets, and the church has had its share of false teachers.

Having said all of this, today, we wait for the Rapture. In John 14:1-3 we read, "Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In My Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so I would have told you and I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive it in myself that where I am there you may be also."

There is no judgment connected to this prophecy in John 14. It is simply a time when the Lord Jesus comes to get His people and take us up to heaven to be in the place that He's prepared in the Father's house for us. This is not the Lord coming back to set up a kingdom on earth. This is an event in which He comes for His redeemed people, Jew and Gentile, all who are a part of the church gathered from all the nations. It could happen today.  

In v.8 of today's passage we read, "All these are the beginning of sorrows."

That word "sorrows" is translated "birth pains" in other translations. Throughout today's passage, the Lord Jesus was careful to say the end is not coming immediately. He said, "All these are the beginning of birth pains." Birth pains are an increasing sequence of contractions that finally become intense, fiercely intense and result in the big event, the birth of the child. The contractions, or the birth pains, start out light and they increase till they reach a point of excruciation before the big event. The Lord Jesus uses this common event on earth to describe the nature of the end.

As I have mentioned before, the Rapture of the Church will happen before the Tribulation happens. I believe we are on the brink of the Rapture. It could happen today. For those who will not be a part of the Rapture, they will have opportunities to become believers during the Tribulation, but it will be most difficult to be a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ during that seven year period. 

This is why I urge you to make sure you have entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, right now. Simply pray this prayer: "Lord Jesus, I confess I am a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe you died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite you to come into my heart and life right now. I want to trust and follow you as my Lord and Savior." If you prayed that prayer tell someone of your decision to be a follower of Jesus Christ, today. And, by the way, welcome to the family of God.

Matthew 24:1-2

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1 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down." ~ Matthew 24:1-2

Today, we transition into Matthew 24. In this narrative, it is now Wednesday evening. This is the last week of the Lord Jesus' life on earth before His crucifixion. All day long He has been in the temple courts teaching the Gospel. As He taught, there was no question in the minds of His followers that He knew the Jewish religious system was corrupt. He had just finished a lengthy sermon against the religious leaders of Israel in which He pronounced repeated judgment and damnation upon their heads for using their religion to take advantage of the people. 

In today's passage we read, "1 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said to them, 'Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.'"

As they exited the Temple His disciples were in awe of the massive building. It was then that one of the disciples spoke of how big and beautiful was the temple. The temple complex was one-fifth of the total landmass of the city of ancient Jerusalem. It covered thirty-six acres. It took eighty thousand laborers over eighty years to build it. The pinnacle of the temple or the southeast corner down to the Kidron Valley was 158 feet tall. It was one of the great wonders of the ancient world. To the Jews it was the most important place in the world because it was the place where they had known the presence of God but that changed when God came to dwell among them.  

We sometimes hear believers in the Lord Jesus wrongfully refer to the building where the church meets as "God's House." Nowhere in the Bible do we find this. In fact, we are told over and over in the New Testament that the church is the people and God dwells within each believer. In 1 Corinthians 3:16 we read, "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" This means that the people whom God calls "the church" is the dwelling place of God. We are in error when we refer to the church as a building. The church is the dwelling place of God.

I find it most interesting to discover that the Lord Jesus Himself never entered the temple, He only went into the outer court. According to the Law of Moses, only selected priests were allowed into the temple sanctuary. And only the High Priest, once a year on the Day of Atonement, could go into the Holy of Holies in the inner sanctuary of the temple. But according to the book of Hebrews the Temple on earth was a picture of the real Temple in heaven where God resides. In Hebrews 9:12 we read, "He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption." The Lord Jesus has taken those who believe in Him into the very presence of God through the shedding of His own blood. He accomplished this with His own sinless blood, not the blood of any animal. And, He entered once into the Holy of Holies to wipe our sin slate clean before God in heaven. And, He did this once and for eternity, never to be repeated again.

In response to the disciples statement about the temple, the Lord Jesus gave His prediction of the destruction of the temple which happened in 70 AD. The Jews believed that the existence of the temple in Jerusalem was the evidence of God's blessing upon the nation. But, the Lord Jesus said these stones, as great as they were, will be cast down, and the temple would be destroyed. These words from the Lord Jesus drew forth the poor theology of the disciples. They didn't understand what religion had done to God's original purpose of the temple.

Like the religious leaders of Israel, the disciples were wrongly focused on the establishment of the physical, earthly kingdom of God. It was Mike Yaconelli, the late president of Youth Specialties who once said, "Spirituality is a mixed-up, topsy-turvy, helter-skelter godliness that turns our lives into an upside-down toboggan ride of unexpected turns, surprise bumps and bone shattering crashes ... a life ruined by a Jesus who loves us right into his arms."  The Lord Jesus came to make possible the internal establishment of His unseen kingdom in our hearts. Before that could become a reality, He had to deal a death blow, once and for all, to mankind's greatest enemy, sin and its companion death. Once we have believed on the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we are indwelled by His Spirit. 

The indwelling Holy Spirit makes this intimate personal relationship with God possible for you and me right now. As we learn to hear Him and obey Him from our hearts, we will grow in our intimacy with Him. The gospel teaches us that the most important things that will happen in our lives today will be realized through the most unwanted things and unwanted moments that come at us. As we learn to value those unwanted things and moments, we will be enabled by the Lord to know Him experientially as the One who came to rescue us from our greatest enemy. We did all we could do to damn ourselves but He loved us enough to come and seek us even while we were His enemies. Now, that's a story to be enamored with, that's the story of all stories. I'm honored to be defined by such a story and I trust you are, too!

Finally, I close this blog and podcast out with the words of Mike Yaconelli one again who said, "Spirituality is a mixed-up, topsy-turvy, helter-skelter godliness that turns our lives into an upside-down toboggan ride of unexpected turns, surprise bumps and bone shattering crashes ... a life ruined by a Jesus who loves us right into his arms."

Matthew 23:37-39

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"37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 See! Your house is left to you desolate; 39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'" ~ Matthew 23:37-39

Today, we complete our study of Matthew 23 where the Lord Jesus has been given the religious leaders of first century Israel a verbal shakedown. This was the final sermon of the Lord Jesus against the false religious leaders of Israel who had led the nation to this point of rejection. Today's passage reveals the broken heart of the Lord Jesus over Israel's rejection of God's salvation. This prayer of the Lord Jesus was motivated by a broken heart due to the cyclical unfaithfulness of Israel. The Lord Jesus referenced Jerusalem as if it was an individual. In so doing, the Lord Jesus personalized His message and highlighted the intimate relationship God desires to have with His people.

In v.37 of today's passage we read, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!" 

Today's passage begins with the Lord Jesus' characterization of the city of Jerusalem, not as the city of peace, but a city of violence. The words, "How often I wanted to gather your children together" reminds us of the patience of God, especially in light of the fact that they are followed up with: "but you were not willing." God came to this earth in the form of a man, fully God and fully man, in order to rescue sinful man from his inevitable demise and man insulted God with his hardened heart.

The people of Jerusalem and of Israel were not willing to open their hearts to the heart of God. Hardheartedness began when the devil resisted the loving heart of God and the devil has become quite adept at convincing man that God is at fault. America is not much different than Israel of the days of the Lord Jesus. Our founding fathers wanted one nation under God with the constitution written to ensure our freedom of worship, not freedom from worship. However, in modern times, politicians have found ways to eliminate God from everyday life in America. As a result, the American people have been gradually pulled away from the loving embrace of God.

The Lord Jesus used the analogy of a hen that gathers her baby chickens under her wings. Through it, He pointed our attention to His heart of tenderness and His desire for intimacy with us. The God of the Bible and of all of creation desires to grant us security with Him only if we are willing. Our choice to place ourselves under the authority of the Lord Jesus by turning to Him with a willing heart is a must if we are to be saved by Him for eternity. Many in Israel when the Lord Jesus walked this earth as well as many today in American chose to resist the grace of God. What followed Israel will be the same fate that many Americans will experience in the end.

In v.38-39 of today's passage we read, "38 See! Your house is left to you desolate; 39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'"

God has always initiated a personal relationship with people. Those like Abraham, the father of the nation of Israel, enter into a personal relationship with Him by faith. Even though there were many who were weak in the faith throughout the Old Testament and there were those who exercised no faith in God, there has always been a small amount of people in Israel who had a heart to seek God. But, as a whole Israel, due to their rejection of their long-promised Messiah were left to themselves in today's passage. They were left to their unwillingness to be real with God. Our lack of honesty and humility will always be the reason we lack a meaningful walk with the Lord.

The house of Israel had been so desecrated that it was deserted by God. The Lord Jesus came to reunite sinful man to God but by and large sinful man has rejected God's gracious offer. God rejected Israel because Israel rejected Him. In fact, for 2,000 years, Israel has largely lived its life without God. This is so due to the fact that God has removed His protective hand from Israel. He has preserved them as a people but they have refused Him as their Messiah. And, this condition will not change until Israel embraces the words, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!," which is the cry used to identify the Messiah. 

In  Zechariah 12:9-10 we read, "9 It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.10 And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn."

At the end of the time that Jeremiah refers to as a time of Jacob's trouble, the Lord Jesus will physically return to Jerusalem. It is called a time of Jacob's trouble because the nation will largely not believe in the God of the Bible. Throughout the Scriptures, we learn that Israel is Jacob as a believer and Jacob is Israel as an unbeliever. At the beginning of the Tribulation, unbelieving Israel will give their allegiance to the anti-christ thinking he is their Messiah. When the Lord Jesus returns at the end of the Tribulation, the people will mourn because they will realize they had rejected their Messiah. At that moment, the eyes of the Jewish nation will look again at the One whom they pierced. At that decisive point, they will recognize Him by His pierced hands and feet. His pain that they caused will arrest their hearts to the point of bowing before Him as their long-awaited Messiah. At that moment God will yet again give them grace to cry out to Him for His mercy and Hs grace.

Matthew 23:31-36

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31 Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. 33 Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? 34 Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, 35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. ~ Matthew 23:31-36

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 23 where the Lord Jesus has just pronounced 7 judgements on the religious leaders of Israel. In today's study we will consider why the religious leaders of first century Israel were so numb to their long-promised Messiah. It was Wednesday, just two days before His crucifixion. The mounting hostility toward the Lord Jesus was growing, thanks to the religious leaders of Israel. They hated Him because they had been convinced that He was an imposter of their long-awaited Messiah. Since He intimidated them, they wanted to eliminate Him. 

In v.31-33 of today's passage we read, "31 Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. 33 Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?"

Since their rejection of the Lord Jesus was now complete, the Lord Jesus continued to reveal His perfect understanding of the nature of the religious leaders of Israel. He identified them as sons of murderers and a brood of vipers. Sadly, these self-righteous, legalistic, haters of the truth thirsted not for holiness but for the blood of the righteous. Due to the fact that their sins had not been atoned for, the religious leaders were guaranteed an eternity in hell.

"Gehenna" is the word that was here translated "hell." Gehenna was the burning trash dump just outside the city of Jerusalem. In the teachings of the Lord Jesus, Gehenna had become an illustration for eternal hell. These religious leaders were so distracted from the truth that they missed Him when He came. They were so determined to remain in their unbelief of the Lord Jesus as their Savior that they did not realize they were destined for hell. And, even though the Lord Jesus offered them so many opportunities to believe in Him, they resisted His wooings til the end. 

God is a God of love and wrath. In fact, this is why God sends His messengers, to offer His free gift of forgiveness and to warn of His judgment to come. The message of the Gospel is a message that is meant to lead us to salvation. In most cases, sadly, it is a message when rejected leads to judgment. And, the more we hear the Gospel, the more it comes to us as a message of grace. On the other hand, the more we reject it, the more it piles upon us as a message leading us to judgment. 

I have always struggled with the wrath of God. My finite mind has a hard time harmonizing the love and the wrath of God. T.F. Torrance, a 20th century Scottish theologian, once said, "God loves us that God's wrath was poured out against sin, destroying and overcoming it in Christ's death... God's wrath is purposeful. It is a wrath included in God's love for us. God's wrath, in this sense, is the wrath of love in a similar way that a loving parent might react quite fiercely against an attacker who seeks to harm his children. God's love is for us, and therefore, God's wrath is also a wrath for us and not against us."

In v.34-35 of today's passage we read, "34 Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, 35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar."

The faithfulness of God pursued these first century religious leaders of Israel through the prophets, the wise men and other faithful experts in the Law of Moses, but they resisted the truth. As a result, their condemnation was sure and imminent. These first century religious leaders of Israel had greater guilt than anyone that ever lived before them due to the amount of truth they were given by God. Their accumulative guilt surpassed that of any generation before them.

One generation duplicates the sins of past generations upon the next. At some point the religious leaders of Israel rejected the revelation of God. This is what religion does to us. Most believe religion is a good thing but it is not because it always places the most emphasis on fallen man as he tries to earn God's favor through his so-called good behavior. So, for the religious, God's judgment accumulates. They could have stopped it had they embraced poverty of spirit, had they been honest with the truth, had they been broken before God due to their sin. This is why we read, "on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar." From A to Z, from the beginning of the Old Testament, the first murder of a righteous man, to the shedding of Berechiah's son's blood. The people stoned Zechariah, around 800 B.C. because he spoke against their idolatry. The king didn’t like it, so he told the people to stone him to death at the temple altar.

In v.36 of today's passage we read, "Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation."

The first century religious leaders of Israel accumulated God's wrath because they followed in the sins of their fathers. They  never learned the valuable lessons of their fathers' sin. They rejected the full revelation of God and embraced the darkest lie. They had been fully exposed to the gospel, yet, they rejected the long-promised Messiah. It was their love for the darkness that damned them in the end. Unbelief in the God of the Bible is in essence a run away affair which leaves the run away languishing and in serious pain. Sadly, the first century religious leaders of Israel never got to the place where they understood that genuine faith begins by admitting we will never have our act completely together apart from the magical embrace of the God who loves us still.

Matthew 23:23-30

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23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! 25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ ~ Matthew 23:23-30

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 23 where the Lord Jesus is in the middle of pronouncing seven "woes" on the religious leaders of Israel. While the Beatitudes aid us at making us more sensitive to the Lord, the "woes" describe the hardening of our hearts toward Him. Having considered the first three "woes," today we consider the last four. In these "woes", the Lord Jesus pronounced His final judgment on the religious leaders of Israel who had rejected Him and led the people in an eventual equal rejection.

In v.23-24 of today's passage we read, "23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!"

The religious leaders of Israel proved they were false once they wrapped themselves up in the inconsequential minutia of religion. One of the great marks of a real leader is that he never allows himself to get wrapped up in minutia. The religious leaders of Israel had no capacity to deal with the real issues which always comes back to the condition of the human heart. In this "woe" the Lord Jesus isolated justice, mercy, and faith which is also isolated in Micah 6:8 which reads, "He has shown you, oh, man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." 

The problem was the religious leaders of first century Israel were unmerciful, brutal, unforgiving, unkind, and lacking in generosity. Instead of walking by faith, they walked by sight. They lived by their own efforts. And so, the Lord told them they were real good at measuring kitchen seeds used to flavor food but that they missed the whole point of what is really important, namely the essentials in meaningful community. 

By the way, the word "tithe" is mentioned six times in the New Testament, three times in the gospels. Each time it is mentioned it is used to condemn the abuse of it by the religious leaders of Israel. Three times in the book of Hebrews it simply reaches back and describes its historical reality in the history of Israel. At no time is it ever mentioned in the New Testament as binding to the church. God's goal in our giving is that we give from the heart having been moved by His Spirit.

The word "strain" in v.24 means to filter. According to Leviticus 11:42, the smallest unclean animal was a gnat. According to Leviticus 11:4, the largest was a camel. When these so-called leaders drank wine, they "strained" at gnats because they were attracted to the wine which they would drink. In other words, the religious were good at straining out a gnat while at the same time figuratively swallowing a camel. This made them value the wrong things. This is what we do when we do not know what relating to God means, we make it about stupid stuff that does not matter. False leaders miss the priorities of God and they substitute them with insignificant non-essentials. Therefore, the religious leaders were condemned for not engaging God and their fellow man with their hearts. If they had engaged their hearts, everything would have been different.

In v.25-26 of today's passage we read, "25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also."

The "dish" mentioned here was a plate used to serve delicacies. The religious cleaned the outside but neglected the inside. This meant they were real good at looking good on the outside but their hearts were nasty. They were like us, corrupt within. The difference between them and the poor in spirit is that the poor in spirit admit to the corruption within. These blind so-called leaders of their own so-called righteousness were greedy thieves who plundered the souls of the innocent. This is what happens when we feed the flesh which in essence is the self that the enemy tries to get us to worship. He doesn't try to get us to worship him directly, he just wants us to worship him indirectly by worshipping ourselves.

In v.27-28 of today's passage we read, "27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."

These religious leaders were masters at deception. This makes sense since their father was the master deceiver. It was he who tricked Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden so long ago. These first century spiritual leaders of the Jews appeared clean outwardly but they were dead inside. As a result, they contaminated the people with the disease of self-deception. The term "whitewashed tombs" came from an annual and unusual custom in Israel. It was right after the spring rains which always came to cleanse the land. At that time of the year the Jews whitewashed their limestone tombs where their dead had been buried. They washed the tombs because they feared the people might inadvertently touch a tomb and thus become defiled. The problem was, their attention to potential danger never allowed them to recognize the real danger, the defiled human heart. In tandem with the Word of God, it is only the grace of God that can diagnose and fix the human heart.

In v.29-30 of today's passage we read, "29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.'"

Here with the seventh "woe" the Lord Jesus pinpointed the problem of the religious leaders of Israel. He placed the spotlight on their pretentiousness which is what caused them to think they were so much better than everyone else. There is nothing God hates worse than pride. The religious leaders of Israel were really good at honoring the heroes of the past with memorials and monuments. In addition, the Lord Jesus substantiated the fact that they would have killed the prophets as their fathers did. Their behavior proved to be an ugly pretense to their spiritual pride.

After sin entered the world, the truth could not but crush sinful unrepentant man. The woes that God pronounced on the religious leaders of Israel were a natural response to their inner wickedness which manifested itself through their poor treatment of others. The problem the religious leaders of Israel had was they had not been broken thus they could not see their utter wickedness. As much as they were apparently in the Word, they should have been broken, given the design of the Word on the heart of sinful man. 

The answer to deflecting God's woes is His grace. It was His grace that enabled the Lord Jesus to defeat for us sin and death. The grace of God is not a compensation for our good behavior, rather, it is the benevolent response of God toward the undeserving. The grace of God is an undeserved embrace from the Perfect One for those who have repeatedly fallen short of perfection. God's greatest response to the brokenness of man was put on fullest display at the cross of Christ. In the Chinese language the word for righteousness is a combination of two characters, the figure of a lamb and that of a person. In the character, the lamb is seen on top of the submissive person. Whenever God looks down at the believer in Christ He sees the Lamb of God covering him.

Matthew 23:13-22

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13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. 16 Woe to you, blind guides, who say, "Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it." 17 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? 18 And, "Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it." 19 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? 20 Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. 21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. 22 And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it. ~ Matthew 23:13-22

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 23 where the Lord Jesus is in the middle of identifying the religious leaders of Israel for who they were. With several mountains of evidence from the Old Testament and from the 3 1/2 year of the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus the religious leaders of Israel rejected God. Sadly, they were ushered to the door of heaven but they slammed it closed and their eternity was sealed. In this chapter the Lord Jesus pronounces seven "woes" on the religious leaders of Israel. While the Beatitudes describe the process whereby we are made increasingly sensitive to the Lord, the woes in this chapter describe the hardening of our hearts toward Him. The Bible is full of "woes." Throughout the Bible God’s "woes" introduce His anger toward the people who choose idolatry.

The Lord Jesus, God incarnate, spoke harsh words here in today's passage regarding the religious leaders of Israel. Sometimes harsh is called for in order to hopefully snap people out of their spiritual lethargy. Through His harsh words, the Lord Jesus slammed the Jewish religious leaders because they were doomed for eternal hell. He went from addressing those who had yet to repent as hypocrites, to blind guides, and then to fools. There is always a progression either toward the Lord or as in this case away from the Lord. As we give ourselves to the truth, the more we will be guided by and to the truth.

Of the seven "woes" in this chapter, the first in v.13 condemns the work of the religious leaders of Israel. They were supposed to guide the people to worship the God of the Bible. But they actually pointed them in the direction of the evil one. Through the second "woe" the Lord Jesus highlighted the religious leaders false religious pretense that led them to take advantage of the common folk. Through the third "woe" the Lord Jesus highlighted the fact that their influence on the common folk was doubly damning.

This chapter exists because the religious leaders of first-century Israel had moved so far from God’s intention that the Lord Jesus considered them cursed. Many today are turned away from the Lord because what they see out of those who say they know Him. Christianity today is a far cry from what it is really supposed to be about. Even those who have entered into a personal relationship with God through the Lord Jesus can go off the rails by majoring on the minors and minoring on the majors.

The Lord Jesus came to this earth in order to grant to us a personal relationship with God through His sacrifice on the cross. Those who do not get this make it into something God never intended it to be, that is religion. Through every believer in the Lord Jesus the world desperately needs to see this authentic relationship whereby we are honest about who we really are and in that context how the grace of God spurs us on in our pursuit of Him. What we so desperately need is to experience an authentic faith that organically overflows into a life of devotion to God. 

This is precisely what the Lord Jesus came to this earth to bring. He came to give us a new heart and a new spirit that would transform us from the inside out and show the world what Christianity is truly about. The offense of the gospel is that we all need to be remade. The promise and the hope of the gospel is that God will bring to pass this very thing. On the cross, the Lord Jesus was undone, transformed into a broken and mangled reflection of human life, so that we who are broken and mangled could enter into a personal relationship with the God of grace. 

Most people are afraid to be fully given to God's grace. At the very heart of our survival and triumph as believers is that we are totally being defined by God's grace. In our attempt to grow in the faith, our goal must be the Lord Jesus. Our goal must be the sincere search of a desperate heart that recognizes the cross of the Lord Jesus must define him. We must approach God through prayer and His word with the idea that we will be defined by Him. God’s grace extends beyond our salvation, beyond an escape from death, and heaven is not the only thing we have been freely given by our gracious God. When we limit His grace to the free gift of eternal life, we miss what it is all about. We miss a personal relationship wherein we have been totally accepted by God. 

It was Mike Yaconelli who once said, "The critical issue today is dullness. We have lost our astonishment. The Good News is no longer good news, it is okay news. Christianity is no longer life changing, it is life enhancing. Jesus doesn’t change people into wild-eyed radicals anymore, He changes them into “nice people”… What happened to the kind of Christians who were filled with passion and gratitude, and who every day were unable to get over the grace of God."

The freedom that is ours through the cross must define us as having been accepted in the Beloved of God. Religion leads those not drenched in God's grace to unsuccessfully try to bribe God for His blessings. The religious person doesn't understand that only the Lord Jesus could earn for us God's blessing and in Him we have every blessing imaginable. With this understanding we are free to live life from the starting block of His total and unconditional love. When we come to this understanding of Christianity, we will be authentically Christ-like and godly. It is this disposition that enables us to love God and others authentically.

Matthew 23:1-12

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1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. 4 For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5 But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. 6 They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ 8 But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. 9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. 11 But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. ~ Matthew 23:1-12

Today, we transition into Matthew 23. In this, His final message to the multitudes, the Lord Jesus unleashed His fiercest warnings regarding the religious leaders of Israel. He was hardest on them because they distorted the image of the God of the Bible. The problem with religion is it is purely external. In order for the religious to live out their religion, they have to accentuate the externals, including endless rituals, rules, and regulations. Of course, these rituals, rules and regulations many think are a means to earn the favor of God. But, we all know, we can't earn God's favor. Religion is not the answer because it is man reaching to God. The problem with that is we can't reach far enough to merit God's favor.

In v.1-2 of today's passage we read, "1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: 'The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.'"

Religious folks do not have a light problem, they have a sight problem. They fail to see that faith in the God of the Bible is a heart thing. Without the involvement of our hearts in a personal relationship with God, we are not known by Him. Religion that places the emphasis on the fallen human measuring up is blinding. Religious folks remain blinded by their sin as they resist the grace of God. This is what makes them think they can measure up to God's standard. They have a very low view of God. Of course, this is exactly why the Lord Jesus came to this earth in the first place, to lay down His life for us. The scribes and the Pharisees defined themselves as the separated ones. Since they saw themselves as such, they were self-righteous, proud, and they abused people for personal gain.

In v.3-4 of today's passage we read, "3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. 4 For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers."

The scribes and the Pharisees taught strictly the Law of Moses to the people but they themselves were not perfect in obeying God. Although the religious leaders believed they were doing enough of the right things to make them right with God, their hearts were far from Him. All of their symbolic rituals did not address their real issue which was the sinful condition of their hearts. They missed the ultimate goal of the Law of Moses which is to reveal to us our utter sinfulness and helplessness and also to point us to the grace of God through our Savior. As a result, the religious leaders of Israel were not concerned about the wickedness of their own hearts. Since they themselves did not interact with God from the heart, these religious leaders lacked a heart for the people. This is why they laid heavy religious loads on the people.

In v.5-7 of today's passage we read, "5 But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. 6 They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, 'Rabbi, Rabbi.'"

Religious people are driven by their performance. They follow their rules and rituals in order to be praised by others. The Lord Jesus understood their rules and rituals inside and out. He knew that the Pharisees were more interested in the money, prestige and power than owning up to their inability to measure up to the truth. This made them hypocrites who robbed the average folks of their money. Like all of us, the Pharisees didn't love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. The difference between them and the true believer is that the true believer is honest about his inability to love perfectly. When we come to the place that we love God from our hearts, we are positioned to love others as ourselves. The religious leaders of Israel were so preoccupied with being admired and revered, they missed the One whom they had studied all their lives when He came. 

In v.8-10 of today's passage we read, "8 But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. 9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ."

The word "leadership" appears nowhere in the New Testament and the word "leader" is only found just under 10 times after Malachi. When the subject of power and leadership appear in the Bible the emphasis is on servanthood. This is why the Lord told His disciples not to be called "Rabbi" or "Teacher." Otherwise they would be following themselves. We do well to follow God as our leader because that which we follow is that which defines us most.

We are all servants, even those who are leaders. We come to know if we are acting as servants when someone treats us as such. As servants, we will always reflect our master. Before we came to know the heart of God for us we viewed servanthood as something that was required and forced. Once we entered into God's family, we began to see servanthood differently. The revelation of the heart of God to us is what drives us further into a heart that serves others.

In v.11-12 of today's passage we read, "11 But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Contrary to what most believe, greatness in the Kingdom of God is found through the embrace of servanthood. God equates leadership with serving others. Humility is essential at making one a servant and the best type of leaders are those who are servants. It is through the disposition of humility that a leader accesses from God real authority. To those who desire to be leaders, God says, "Push yourself down and I’ll lift you up." The secret is discovered in a quote found in the book entitled Radical Grace, written by Richard Rohr who wrote, "Humility and human come from the Latin word, humus which means dirt. A human being is someone taken out of the dirt. A humble person is one who recognizes that and even rejoices in it!"