PREPARING ISRAEL FOR THE END TIMES

The present and coming events on planet earth center on the nation of Israel. They are the focus of God’s activities, even when His attention seems to be on the nations of this world. This is so because Israel is the only nation with whom the Sovereign God has made an everlasting, unconditional covenant. This covenant, which remains unfulfilled, will be fulfilled because the Lord God has sworn that He would completely fulfill it. This covenant will not be fulfilled with the Church, but with the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And it is through this covenant that all of God’s advertised purposes connected with this planet will take place. No detail will be overlooked.

• God’s Unbreakable Purpose.  God has not left mankind in the dark about His goals. It is His intention to restore and to reconcile all that was lost back in Eden when Adam and Eve sinned. At that moment in time, God could have destroyed everything and started over again. However, He chose to restore and to do so through an unbreakable covenant made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It would be through a physical descendant of Abraham, Jesus Christ, that this covenant would be fulfilled. A key part of this Abrahamic covenant was a “sub-covenant”, which is commonly referred to as the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-34). This New Covenant focused on dealing with sin and restoring Israel (and the gentiles) back to God. By means of His death on the Cross, and bodily resurrection from the dead, the greatest problem of sin was completely taken care of. But when Jesus came to earth, the covenant people rejected Him. This amazing act of unbelief on the part of Israel made it impossible for God, at that time, to fulfill His covenant promises. But eventually, He will fulfill them. Jesus was clear that the end time events, including the establishment of His kingdom on this present earth would not take place until Israel accepted Him as their messiah and savior. In Matthew 23:39, Jesus said, “…from now on you shall not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” A future generation in Israel will turn to Jesus Messiah. The salvation of national Israel was, and is, a key to God’s planned restoration and reconciliation. 

The nation of Israel spiritually here in the 21st century seems quite similar to Israel in the 1st century. After all these centuries, they still have not come to recognize Jesus as their messiah. However, that is going to change. The coming Tribulation, along with the Gog/Magog war (Ezek. 38-39) will tear the spiritual blindfold off of national Israel and they will come to Him in unprecedented numbers. Note carefully the testimony of the O.T. and N.T. scriptures.

“For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fulness of the gentiles has come in: and thus, all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, ‘The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.’ ‘And this is My Covenant with them, when I take away their sins.’” (Rom. 11:25-27)

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I shall raise up for David, a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely; and this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The Lord our righteousness’.” (Jer. 23:5-6)

“Behold, days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah…and I will be their God and they shall be My people…for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” (Jer. 31:31-34)

“And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him, like the bitter weeping over a first-born.” (Zech. 12:10)

During the coming Tribulation, Israel will come to Jesus and these promises will be fulfilled. And then in the Tribulation, Israel will become what they were always supposed to be; a marvelous light to the gentile nations. And the result will be that gentile people, from all the nations, in great numbers will come to receive the forgiveness of sins promised in the New Covenant (Rev. 7:9-14). God’s promises and purposes will come to pass completely.

• Today’s Events and God’s Purpose.  God certainly does not waste any events as the world is moving along in these end times. While that terrible war with Hamas, which began on October 7, 2023, is not specifically found in Scripture, the student of the Scriptures understands that this surely is part of the preparation for the end time events that are described in the Bible. There are two things of note. First, this war has brought renewed preparations on the part of Israel’s enemies. While Hamas is likely going to be completely defeated, Syria, Iran and Russia continue to pour armaments into a close proximity to Israel, as they also accumulate a great deal of intelligence. Eventually, all these will probably be part of the Gog/Magog battle. And the second matter related to the present war is the impact that the Hamas war has had on the Jewish people. They were, and are, shocked by the brutality and evil of October 7th. It was holocaust-like. The result has been, according to a variety of sources, that many of the hearts of the Jewish people have softened and become more open to spiritual things. And, in my opinion, this is part of the preparation for the spiritual awakening of Israel, when that spiritual blindfold is finally and completely removed from their eyes.

• The Future War with Gog/Magog.  Most Bible students are quite aware of the prophesied war that Ezekiel 38 and 39 talks about. It is a massive invasion of Israel by Russia, Iran and a whole group of Islamic nations (but not Egypt). As this huge force invades Israel, God will intervene and bring about a terrible destruction of these invading armies. Space does not permit a detailed look at this coming battle, but there are four points that need to be made.

1. This war is led by a nation from the far north of Israel.

Over the centuries, Israel has regularly been invaded from the north, whether that was Babylon, Assyria, or others. But Ezekiel is clear that this invasion will be led by a nation from as far north as one can go. Russia is the only nation that fits this geographical statement (Ezek. 38:6, 15; 39:2). And so, the present filtering in of Russian troops and armaments into the area of Syria, just north of Israel, is noteworthy.

2. This war is a certainty. This is an important war in bringing about the fulfillment of God’s purposes. Ezekiel 39:8 declares: “Behold, it is coming and it shall be done, declares the Lord God. That is the day of which I have spoken.” No one, including Satan, will be able to back out of this coming war. Even if the Evil One understands the spiritual significance of it, he cannot keep it from taking place. And those nations, blinded by their deep hatred of Israel, will surely want to invade and destroy the Jewish people.

3. This war is initiated by the Lord God.  We often are awed by the apparent power and intelligence of leaders and nations. It appears that they are in charge. However, Ezekiel is quite clear that the Lord will force the hand of Putin (or whoever is leading Russia) and his colleagues to invade Israel. It almost seems that they are somewhat reluctant to attack. God has His timing and He is going “to summon” Russia in the “latter days” to invade Israel (38:8). And Ezekiel 39:2 adds: “and I shall turn you around, drive you on, take you up from the remotest parts of the north, and bring you against the mountains of Israel.” It is quite clear who is calling the shots here. It is not man or the Devil, but the Lord God. We must never forget that it is the Lord God who is sovereign over all men and all nations (note Psalm 2). 

4. This war triggers Israel’s returning back to the Lord.  Of the greatest importance is the purpose for this battle, as it is revealed by Ezekiel. In 39:22, the prophet states: “and the house of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God from that day forward.” When God destroys this large invading force in that war, Israel’s secularization and atheism will begin to evaporate. This will begin the process which will, in the Tribulation, bring millions of Jewish people to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their messiah and savior. God will bring a complete fulfillment of His covenant commitments.

As we continue to observe unsettling events in our world, and especially in the middle-east, we need to remind ourselves that the Lord Jehovah, God of Israel, is all-knowing and all-powerful. His will is good and perfect and He will bring all things to completion just as He has promised.

All the pieces may not be exactly in place at the moment, but all the pieces are lying on the table and can be quickly assembled.  It does appear that the direction is moving towards the biblical end times. God’s timing is always perfect; as He is never too early and never too late. “In the fullness of time” these events of the end times will unfold. The “season” does seem to be here, and this is another reminder that we should number our days and maximize the opportunities in our lives to serve the coming King Jesus.

 

HERESY, FALSE TEACHING AND MAL COUCH – Part 2

It has been over a decade since Mal Couch went home to be with Jesus. Some of you knew him well, while others perhaps did not have the privilege. Mal was one of those believers that helped alert us to the invasion of false teachers into the church. He was rightly concerned with the issue of distorted doctrines coming into the church and into Christian higher education. We were both concerned as we observed doctrinal erosion taking place and God’s truth being sacrificed on the altars of bad exegesis, experiential religion and unbiblical tolerance.  

And we both believed Paul’s warnings. The Apostle’s warnings given centuries ago are certainly materializing in today’s church.

“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” (2 Tim. 4:3-4, ESV) 

“…the Spirit explicitly says that in the later times, some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.” (1 Tim. 4:1)

False doctrines have not gone away and new ones are being added. Therefore, it is important for believers to periodically look at the theological landscape. The flood of false teachings that we all saw a decade ago has turned into a tsunami and is destroying churches and damaging many of God’s people. Unhealthy doctrine eventually produces unhealthy spiritual living. And we are seeing this again and again in the lives of believers. But it is unfortunate that today, in the present church culture, it is seen as unloving or judgmental to call out false teaching and those who promote it. But the Apostle Paul did that very thing and named names (e.g. 1Tim. 1:3-6, 18-20; 2 Tim. 1:15; 2:16-18). In fact, Timothy was told that “in pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Jesus Christ” (1 Tim. 4:6). Peter tells us that everything we need for living a life that is pleasing to Christ is found in God’s Word (2 Pet. 1:3-4). So, beware when false teachings come in that are “needed” to bolster the Christian life, or when previously unheard of “spiritual secrets” are being taught. Satan is the puppet-master behind all such things and he has a dazzling display of falsehood. Each of us is capable of being deceived by the great counterfeiter, Satan. There is such a variety of false teachings that the Deceiver has many options in snaring believers. He is on the prowl, looking for prey (1 Pet. 5:8-9). But, as Peter notes, he is foiled by God’s truth. There are a multitude of false teachings but we can only deal with a few of them.

• The “deconstruction of Christianity'' movement. This movement encourages Christians to dismantle their beliefs in Christianity. In our culture today, reality is what I believe to be true. There really is no outside standard for truth. This has seeped into the church. At the very core of the deconstruction movement is the rejection of the authority of Scripture. (This was discussed in my “Mid-Month Musings” May, 2024 which can be found on my website: Paulbenware.com).

• The Enneagram. There are many fine believers who use and believe that they have been helped by the Enneagram. Some see it as a kind of personality test that will help them on the path of life. There are nine personality possibilities (each has a number). Find your number and it becomes a kind of map for your life, giving greater clarity and even help being a better Christian. (Note there is nothing scientific behind the enneagram). But the Enneagram is not as innocent as it might seem but, in reality, it is a New Age Trojan horse that has entered the church. Bad theology never does not produce good living, and heretical beliefs are found in key individuals within this movement.

ITS HISTORY. It is not ancient as it often claims (“ancient” wisdom is seen as something desirable). It actually began in the early 1900s, not to identify personalities, but as a mystical way to understand the universe. It was in the 1970s that Claudio Naranjo developed Enneagram's 9 personality types. He states that he got these through automatic writing (an occult phenomenon where demonic beings transmit information). It came to some Jesuits in Chicago in the late 1970s (not approved by the Roman Catholic Church). The key promoter of the Enneagram is Richard Rohr, a Catholic priest. Rohr’s influence has been very widespread. His theology is terrible. He believes that God is in all things; believes in universalism; denies Christ’s substitutionary death; denies hell and future punishment, and many non-Christian beliefs. He has had a great influence on numerous Christian Enneagram teachers. Some notable Christian enneagram teachers are Beth McCord, Elizabeth Bennet and Ian Cron (who was mentored by Richard Rohr).

The Enneagram is spiritually dangerous. (1) It puts the focus of life on self and takes it off of Christ. (2) It begins to take over the role of the Holy Spirit, especially in the matter of diagnosing sin in life and giving guidance to our lives. (3) It is built on the bad theology that there is your “false self” (the outward you which is your response to bad influences) and the “true self” (the real inner you with your divine essence and no original sin). Some Christians say this idea is just the Bible’s old nature and the new nature, which it is not. A careful study of the Scriptures on the matter will confirm this.

It is easy to be deceived when elements of truth are present. The Apostle Peter teaches that false teachers do this regularly. They “secretly introduce” error. The word means that truth is brought in alongside of error (2 Pet.2:1). This is an old ploy of the devil. We hear the segments of truth and believe that all is truth.

There are many more important details about the Enneagram, and it is recommended that you tap into an excellent resource; that of Marcia Montenegro, an ex-new age astrologer, and now follower of Christ. She knows this subject well and explains why the enneagram seems “to work” for many people. An abundance of material can be found at: christiananswersforthenewage.org.  

• The Contemplative prayer movement. This movement which has entered many churches makes the claim that if you want to be a “world-class” Christian or if you want to achieve a deeper level of spirituality, then the experience of contemplative prayer can fulfill these desires. To do this, the individual is instructed to choose a one syllable word (like “Jesus”) or a short phrase (like “you are my God”) and silently repeat it for a period of time (maybe 20 minutes). This helps get rid of all thoughts, allowing one to enter the “void”, the “profound mystical silence”. It is in this condition that God can now work in the believer’s heart and bring one into a new, deeper relationship with God. Those who approve and support contemplative prayer include “emergent church” leaders Brian McLaren and Rob Bell; Roman Catholics such as Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen and the “desert fathers”; and notable leaders, such as Max Lucado, Rick Warren and Richard Foster.

Psalm 46:10 does tell us to be still and know God. Meditation. But meditation requires deep thinking about who God is, not mindlessly entering into some profound mystical silence. Meditation is a scriptural truth and is encouraged, but it is not at all the same thing as “contemplative prayer.” When we meditate, we are to be thinking about the Lord God and scriptural principles. The mind focused on the Word of God plays a critical role in spiritual transformation (Rom. 12:2; Eph. 4:20-24; 2 Tim. 3:14-17; 2 Pet. 1:2-4. The contemplative prayer idea has made its way into evangelical churches coming through Roman Catholic mysticism; which got it from religions like Buddhism. At its core, entering into mystical silence really is an occult practice coming from New Age thinking. And people can have “experiences”, but these are not biblical ones. 

• The Prosperity Gospel. The idea of this false teaching is that God’s desire is for everyone to be healthy, to be financially well off and to prosper in all ways. This speaks powerfully to the desires and wants of people. The believer is told that to enjoy these blessings, one must have faith. There is great appeal for many to think that God is just waiting for a person to “step out in faith” and claim what He is so wanting to give them. In fact, according to many in this theology, God is really obligated to respond to the claims/demands of people. In this theology, God becomes the servant of man and is really like a genie in the bottle, just waiting to pop out and deliver a lot of good things. This “gospel” is heresy. 

Some of this aberrant theology is ripped out of the Mosaic Covenant, where God had a special commitment to Israel, that if they would obey Him, then He would prosper them in many ways. These specific promises related to the land of Israel and the people of Israel, and not to prosperity thinking. Also, this theology regularly misuses Bible verses, such as Luke 6:38 and Mark 10:30 where the subject is not money but spiritual matters such as mercy and blessings in heaven. Some of this theology is simply a baptized version of the power of positive thinking. These teachers prey upon needy people and end up making their lives miserable. Many of these preachers are millionaires because they have persuaded people to give to them so that God can give much to their followers. This prosperity gospel is taught by Joel Osteen, TD Jakes, Steven Furtick, Jesse Duplantis, Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer, and many others. This damaging doctrine has brought disappointment and confusion to many.

A Concluding Thought. The New Testament writers prophesied that the last days of the church would find error flooding into the church. With so many distorted doctrines, how can a person get a handle on all of them? The key to identifying counterfeits is to be very familiar with that which is authentic. Becoming familiar with healthy doctrine enables one to be alerted to false doctrine. This is yet another reason for each of us to be people of the Book. The Scriptures, not experiences, must be the foundation for all that we believe.

THE VIEW FROM THE MOUNT OF OLIVES – Study #5 (Jesus’ Great Prophetic Sermon)

    Prophetic truth which focuses on the future is intended to impact our lives in the present. This is evidenced in teachings throughout Scripture, and is seen in the parables of Jesus as He concluded the Olivet Discourse.

     Jesus answered the questions of His disciples about the coming Tribulation and His Second Coming. Then He gave six parables which encouraged His followers to live wisely with these prophetic truths in mind. The entire discourse is directed to the people of Israel. The word “you,” found throughout the discourse refers to Israel, as represented by one group or another within Israel, covering a large expanse of time. 

1. The Parable of the Ten Virgins – 25:1-13

This parable focuses on the Jews in the Tribulation period, right before Jesus comes and sets up His kingdom. The context establishes this (24:3, 8, 14-15, 27, 30-33, 42, 44, 47, 51). The Church of Jesus Christ is not on the earth at this time, having been raptured out before the Tribulation began. The “then” found in the first verse (25:1) connects this parable with the judgment which takes place at the Second Coming, given in the preceding parable.

• The parable reflects the Jewish wedding customs of the time. As part of the custom, the bridegroom would go to the home of the bride to get her to bring her to his home where they and their guests would enjoy days of celebration. Usually at night, this procession would form and the invited guests would join in the torchlight event. This forms the background for this parable.

• It seems most consistent with the context to see the 10 virgins as representing the people of Israel who were waiting for the Messiah to come. As the Tribulation proceeds along, Israel will be expecting their Messiah to come, as they witness the many signs of the Tribulation period. But as it was when Jesus came the first time, many will not be spiritually prepared. Jesus said that 5 of the virgins were “prudent” and 5 were foolish. The word “foolish” is moros from which we get our word “moron,” reveals that they were amazingly stupid in that they knew Messiah (the bridegroom) was near but did not prepare. The wisdom, or foolishness, of the virgins was seen in their preparedness. The 5 wise took oil for their lamps (after all, it was at night), but the foolish did not prepare and took no oil at all. 

• It was quite late when the bridegroom appeared (close to midnight) and seemed to catch the girls off-guard. The wise, however, had their oil and got their lamps burning, but the foolish had no oil and remained in the dark. The foolish asked the wise for some oil but were turned down. This might seem callous and uncaring, but the point here is that one cannot prepare for someone else. Preparedness is an individual matter. Jesus does not say what the oil might represent, but most commentators note that oil is frequently symbolic of the Holy Spirit. And that fits the story well, as the foolish virgins are seen as unregenerate.

• The 5 wise girls entered the wedding feast, but the foolish girls arrived late only to be denied entrance to the banquet. They were told that the Lord “did not know them,” which simply means that they had no personal relationship with Him. The wedding feast pictures the wonderful messianic kingdom which will be enjoyed by God’s redeemed people. The Olivet Discourse was given late Tuesday afternoon of the “passion week.” Earlier in that same day, Jesus had used the wedding feast as an illustration of His coming kingdom (Matt. 22:2). In that parable, He focused on the invited guest’s (Israel) rejection of the invitation to come to the wedding banquet. These parables show that there will come a time when no preparations can be made. There are cut-off times for entrance into the Kingdom of Messiah.    

2. The Parable of the Master and His Three Servants – 25:14-30

This parable begins using the word “for” (25:14), which ties it to the preceding parable of the 10 virgins, and specifically to 25:13 where Jesus said: “be on the alert then, for you do not know the day or the hour.”

• The 10 virgin’s parable says nothing about what the girls did during the time when the bridegroom was delayed. This parable, however, communicates the great need to be serving during the time of delay. Here there are three servants of a wealthy man who is going away for an extended period. He knows that his servants have different capacities, and so, he gives them different amounts to work with while he is away. One servant gets 5 talents, another gets 2 talents, and a third servant gets but 1 talent. A talent, whether silver or gold, was a significant amount of money, representing tens of thousands of dollars. The slaves represent Jews in the Tribulation, not believers in this church age, though there is clearly application for those of us in this church age.

• It is said that “after a long time” the master returns to settle accounts with these three servants. There does seem to be a veiled suggestion that Jesus may be away for quite some time before He returns. Perhaps, the delay of the bridegroom is also a veiled reference to an extended period. In any case, it really has been a long time since Jesus came the first time.

• When He returns, the servants will give an accounting for what they have done while He was away. Both the servant with the 5 talents and the servant with the 2 talents were diligent and faithful. Both doubled their talents and both received  identical rewards. They received (1) praise from the master for their hard work; (2) they were given greater privileges and responsibility---in the Master’s kingdom; and (3) they were invited to begin the experience of great joy in the days ahead. Joy is very clearly the dominant atmosphere of the kingdom of King Jesus (Heb. 1:9; 12:2; Isa. 35:10; 51:11; 61:7). These two servants would now experience a new and wonderful relationship with their master, and a unique level of joy.

• The great issue in this parable is the third servant who received just 1 talent and buried it. His fate is to be cast into outer darkness where there will be terrible suffering. The third servant is not a believer. (Note Matthew’s use of these descriptions of suffering. 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30). It must be remembered that all Israelites were part of the Abrahamic Covenant. All Jews were descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and were in the Covenant. But being in the Covenant did not mean you were a believer who possessed eternal life. This was Jesus’ point to Nicodemus (John 3).  This third servant, and the second servant (in parable #3) were Jews who were in the Covenant but were unbelievers. They would be like the Jews at Jesus’ first coming who were unbelievers. 

3. The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats – 25:31-46 --- In this final parable, Jesus goes beyond the disciples’ questions and tells them what will happen on earth immediately after His return.

• The statement that Jesus makes in 25:31 is of great importance since it unmistakably states when He will begin His messianic rule. He declares that when He comes in glory “then” He will sit on His throne. Ruling takes place when He comes in power and glory (Matt. 24:27, 30; 26:63-64; Dan. 7:13-14). He did not come in glory at His first coming, but that is what characterizes His Second Coming. Both amillennialism and postmillennialism have Jesus’ messianic rule beginning at His first coming. This verse is a powerful rebuttal to that position.

• It is in connection with His occupying His glorious throne that the nations of the earth will appear before Him. The word “nations” never is used to refer to resurrected individuals and, therefore, looking at gentiles who are alive at the end of the Tribulation. (This judgment is not to be confused with the Great White Throne judgment of Revelation 20.) This judgment will determine who among the gentiles will enter the kingdom of Jesus and who will be sentenced to eternal punishment. 

• There are three groups mentioned in connection with this judgment: (1) the sheep, (2) the goats, and (3) “my brethren”. The sheep are believers who are welcomed into the kingdom, and the goats are unbelievers who will go away into eternal fire (25:41), which is the Lake of Fire (Rev. 14:11; 19:10; 20:4). Though there are several interpretations for “my brethren,” it is best in context to see these as the faithful Jewish remnant who worship and serve Messiah in the Tribulation period. The proof that the sheep are believers is the way they have cared for this godly Jewish remnant in the worst of times for them (Rev. 12:13-17). In the Second World war there were many righteous gentiles, like the Ten Boom family, who risked their lives to protect and care for Jewish people. This will be like that only much more intense. On the other hand, the goats revealed their true spiritual condition by their callous dealings with the people of Messiah Jesus.

• The sheep (gentile believers) have an inheritance in the messianic kingdom (Isa. 56:3-8; Ezek. 47:22-23). Gentile salvation has always been part of God’s plan. God chose Abraham to be the one through whom Messiah would come. Gentiles would experience the “blessing of Abraham” (Gal. 3:14; Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 28:14). And here Jesus declares that all this was “prepared for you from the foundation of the world (25:34). Gentiles are part of Jesus’ inheritance (Psa. 2:8).

• On the first day of Jesus’ kingdom, only believers will inhabit the kingdom. This will include O.T. saints, church age saints, and Tribulation saints. What a day that will be. Even so, come Lord Jesus.

These great prophetic truths, which remind us that our best days are ahead of us, are to impact the way we live right now. Be prepared and be serving.

THE VIEW FROM THE MOUNT OF OLIVES – Study #4 (Jesus’ Great Prophetic Sermon)

Prophetic truth has been given by God to impact us right now. Knowing it and believing it will affect the way we do life; the priorities we have and the decisions we make. It is not a surprise, therefore, that the majority of Jesus’ “Olivet Discourse” focuses on the application of prophetic truth. He gives six parables which are designed to inform us on how we are to respond to this truth.

Before looking at these six parables, there is one interpretive principle that is very important to remember when approaching the “Olivet Discourse,” and that is the constant use of the word “YOU.” Jesus used the word “you” many times in Matthew 23-25. Who was He talking about? The “you” refers to Israel, the people that God was in a covenant relationship with. Gentiles and the Church are not part of this sermon. (Note the February, 2024 Scofield article).  In each case, “you” is speaking of Israel, as represented by different groups in Israel, over centuries of time. In this sermon, “you” never refers to gentiles or to the church. The disciples had asked questions related to Israel’s future and Jesus’ answer was about Israel’s future.

Jesus’ Six Parables That Apply Prophetic Truth

1. The Parable of the Fig Tree – 24:32-42 --- The first parable draws on a truth from agriculture that all are familiar with. A tree which sprouts new leaves and blossoms is signaling that summer is coming soon. And likewise, when the events and signs of the coming Tribulation are seen (as given in 24:3-31), they are signaling the Second Coming of Jesus. There are several key points in this parable.

• The “you” (24:33) refers to Israel seeing the signs and events in the Tribulation. And “this generation” (24:34) in Israel that sees the first signs given by Jesus, will see all of them (“all these things”). This indicates that the signs will take place over a relatively short period of time. The “this generation” is not talking about the generation of the Apostle John’s day but rather a future generation in Israel. Preterism (which says that most of the Olivet Discourse was fulfilled in AD 70) leans on this verse to prove their position. They say that John wrote the Book of Revelation around AD 65 and “this generation” was the one living at that time. However, the “you” of verse 33 defines the “this generation”. And furthermore, “all these things” (such as the “abomination of desolation”) never took place in AD 70, with the result that Preterism must engage in wild speculations to try and establish their position. A future generation in Israel is the one that sees “all these things.”

• Delay in these events can cause doubting. That is why Jesus states that His words are true and will be fulfilled (24:35-36). When Jesus gave this sermon, the exact day of the Second Coming was known only to the Father. (The now resurrected Christ knows it as well.) Though there might be delay, the Tribulation and His return will certainly come.

• The illustration of the days of Noah. The days of Noah were uniquely evil days (Gen. 6:5, 11), but that is not what Jesus emphasizes here. He points out that in Noah’s day mankind was carrying on life with no thought of God’s coming judgment that had been announced by Noah the preacher of righteousness (2 Pet. 2:5). They were “eating,” “drinking,” and “marrying” when the judgment of the Flood came. The people of Noah’s day were caught off-guard by the Flood. But why? For decades they had been told that God’s judgment was coming but they had become dull of hearing and no longer took it that seriously. And that is the danger Jesus warns His followers about. Do not become indifferent to His truth. Believers who have heard prophetic truth time and again, can become desensitized and invertedly let prophetic truth evaporate from their thinking. Keep yourself ready for the Lord’s return (24:42). Again, Jesus is speaking about His Second Coming, but it is applicable to waiting for the Rapture.

• Jesus said that at the time of His Second Coming, there will be two men in the field and two women grinding at the mill; and that one will be taken and one left. This sounds like the Rapture, but it is not. The context is that of judgment at the Second Coming. While at the Rapture event, one wants to be taken and not left behind, not so here. The one who is left behind is left to go into the kingdom of Messiah, and the one taken is taken away in judgment, just like the people of Noah’s day who were taken away in the great Flood. So, it is imperative that people avoid the coming judgment and find safety with Jesus.  

2. The Parable of the Homeowner – 24:43-44--- Jesus’ point is quite clear. If the homeowner knew that a thief was going to try and rob him, and if he knew the time of that attempt, he would prepare for it. God’s people might not know the exact hour of His coming, but the general setting can be known. Jesus just revealed that information in the Olivet Discourse. His point is that you will have enough information to not be caught off-guard by His coming, so make sure you are prepared. We need to keep in mind that Jesus is not talking about the Rapture of the church, but about His Second Coming to earth. But the point of being prepared and ready for His coming at the Rapture is applicable.

3. The Parable of the Two Servants – 24:45-51--- This parable emphasizes the need for servants to work diligently while the master is away, as there will be a time of reward when He returns. The parable focuses on two servants who have responsibilities committed to them. Neither knows when the master will be returning. The first servant faithfully, wisely labors for the master and will be greatly rewarded at the master’s return. The Bible clearly teaches that rewarding is connected with the Lord’s return (Rev. 22:12). For church age believers, their time of evaluation is at the Rapture.  O.T. saints and Tribulation saints are rewarded at the Second Coming (Matt. 16:27). In the parable, the second slave assumed the master would not return for quite a while, and without the restraining influence of the master’s return, he behaved badly. As a result, he will be dealt with harshly, being put in a place of great suffering. There is a similar fate that the third servant in the fifth parable experiences. The meaning of these unfaithful servants being put in a place of “outer darkness” where there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth” will be discussed in the fifth parable. But Jesus’ point here is that people will be held accountable at His return and will be dealt with in reward or discipline.

JESUS’ APPLICATION OF THE “OLIVET DISCOURSE”

The Lord Jesus seems to have had concerns about the disciples’ response to His prophetic message. At the beginning of His message, He had warned them about the real possibility of being deceived by those with false teaching and false claims. And it will take wise, diligent living to not get caught in their traps. In contrast, the prophetic truth given by the Lord was to generate certain positive responses. Here are several of them.

1. We are to be actively watching for His coming. The danger for believers is that we become so absorbed in “living” in the here and now, that His coming is not seen as imminent and relevant. This was true of the people of Noah’s day. They were so completely absorbed in the pursuits of life that they paid no attention to the solemn warnings given by Noah. The Flood totally surprised them. To counter this, we ought to periodically read good books and Scripture passages on biblical prophecy. This will help keep fresh the truth of His coming for us at the Rapture. And it will help us be discerning when it comes to the claims and teachings of some prophetic teachers.

2. We are to be actively preparing for His coming. From the parables of the homeowner and the two servants, Jesus’ point is clear…be prepared for His return. First, this means that we are personally prepared, having a personal relationship with King Jesus and that it is a healthy relationship. If we are unsure about our salvation, then we need to become sure of it by simply putting our trust for salvation in the God-man Jesus who paid for all our sins on the cross and rose victorious over sin and death (John 3:16; 5:24). And then, we need to keep on confessing sin (1 John 1:9) to have a healthy relationship with Him. And second, we actively prepare for His coming by working daily for Him. The wise servant sought ways to serve and honor his master. And as long as we have breath, we are to do the same. We ought to daily be asking for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that He would lead us to opportunities to serve the Savior. We have natural and spiritual gifts; resources of various kinds and we have people in our sphere of life that we can bless. Remember that God does not call us to retirement nor does He require that we be famous. We are simply to be faithful to Him, and live in obedience to Him.

3. We are to be actively trusting His promises. In this discourse, Jesus uttered that familiar statement, namely that “heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (24:35). He said He will return and He said that all these things are going to take place exactly as He said. In our current spiritual climate, too many pastors and churches are diminishing the Word of God, leading people to doubt the authority and inerrancy of the Bible. The Devil has always used this tactic since the Garden of Eden, casting doubt on that which God has said. We are to remind ourselves, and one another, that what Jesus has said will come to pass, to the very last detail. He shall return in power and glory.

                (NOTE: The final three parables connected with the Olivet Discourse will be studied in next months Scofield study)