Discuss Matthew 24 Page 2

Hey S Spencer,

Thinking it was Peter's angel as his spirit to me would be a stretch; it would be like seeing a ghost, our souls or spirits don't move around after we die. Angels are messengers; to me, they may have thought it was someone delivering a message. They knew he was in prison.

If we look at Matthew 24:29-31 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, the Earth is round. When Jesus returns, there will be saints all over it. The angels Jesus sent to gather us, the air where we meet Jesus, is the Greek word 'aer,' meaning the air we breathe.

The angels will gather all the saints from across the earth to meet and escort Jesus as He descends to earth as King. This aligns with 1 Thessalonians 3:13 and Jude 1:14-15.

When Satan was cast out of heaven down to earth, his angels were cast down with him. We see many verses portraying angels as an army, like in 2 Kings 3:17 and Isaiah 37:36.

The Bible doesn't say this explicitly, but with all the fallen angels cast down here, I believe it will take an army of angels, along with the resurrected saints, to cleanse this world of evil. After the angels go back to heaven.

Thanks, brother,

God bless,

RLW

Deuteronomy 4:30 "When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;"

Revelation 2:10 "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."

Matthew 24:9"Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake."

Mark 13:24-27 "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light," "And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken." "And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory." "And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven."

Blessings

Thank you for that question, Mr. Spencer

I believe the Bible teaches that we are currently living in the Great tribulation period spoken of in Matthew 24 and Mark 13. This period likely began in 1988 when Israel, almost miraculously, became a Nation once again among the Nations of the World. We see the Nation of Israel (the Fig Tree) in Leaf, but bearing no Fruit. In other words they have no interest in Christ as their Messiah and continue in total rebellion against God and the teachings of the Whole Bible. Yet despite this rebellion and unbelief as a Nation, God has Remnant, His Elect from the Nation of Israel whom He has chosen and continues to save right up until Christ returns on the Last Day to complete His Judgment and Salvation program for this entire World.

Unfortunately but all in accordance with God's plan, the other thing that occurred at the beginning of the Great Tribulation is that God's Judgment fell upon the Churches and Congregations where the Bible has lost its authority as the Word of God, the Law of God as we read in 1 Peter 4, 2 Thessalonians 2, etc.

However, outside of the Churches and National Israel, beginning I think in 1994 which was a Jubliee year, God began a program to save a "Great Multitude which no man can number" ( Rev 7) from every Nation, many of which have not had the Gospel ("the first shall be last and the last shall be first") as the True Gospel goes forth from Individual Believers and Ministries that are not associated with the Churches. This will continue until ALL of God's Elect, from every Nation, have become "saved" ( Matthew 24:14)

I recognize this is a painful pill for those in the Churches to hear and believe, but look around at the Churches and what is being taught and where their authority lies compared to 50-75 years ago; the Bible has lost its authority.

I think the Millennium is a figurative period of the Church Age which began at the Cross (or perhaps at Pentecost) and ended with the Great Tribulation.

Brother Jesse,

If I may, the armies that come from heaven when Jesus returns are angels, as mentioned in Matthew 13:39, Matthew 16:27, Matthew 24:31, Matthew 25:31, Matthew 26:53, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10, and others.

If the Church, the dead in Christ, are resurrected and those still living are changed and taken to heaven, raptured before Jesus returns. When Jesus does return, who are they in Revelation 20:4-6? The judgment seat of Christ includes some who are here during the time of the beast. That would make another resurrection.

A separate rapture before the second coming would mean two resurrections before the white throne judgment. I can't find that in Scripture. The Rapture of the Church and the Second Coming of Christ must be the same event.

God bless,

RLW

Brother S Spencer,

Revelation is difficult to discuss briefly, and I may have stumbled.

I tried to explain that Revelation isn't arranged in order like other books in the Bible, and I didn't do a good job. Jesus doesn't return until the seventh trumpet, the last trump, 1 Corinthians 15:52, Revelation 10:7.

I'm sorry, but I don't know much about Premillennialism, Amillennialism, or Postmillennialism. I haven't studied them, and I don't care for titles.

My understanding is that Jesus returns in Revelation 19:11-16, and the saints are resurrected, Matthew 24:29-31, Revelation 20:4-6.

This is when the great tribulation ends, and God's wrath is poured out, Revelation 15:7, Revelation 16:1-17.

Next comes the battle of Armageddon, Revelation 19:17-21 which those in the first resurrection will participate, Revelation 17:14. Their Judgement is shown in Revelation 20:4. The beast and the false prophet are cast into the lake of fire, and those who worshiped the beast and had the mark are either cast in then or during the white throne judgment, but their verdict was already given, Revelation 14:9-10.

Then the kingdom will be established, and there will be people left in the nations whom Satan, after he is released, will deceive.

The land of Israel will be restored, Ezekiel 11:17, Jeremiah 23:5-6, and members of the tribes of Israel that will be gathered from all the nations will inhabit that land during the 1000 years, Jeremiah 29:14. Other nations will, as seen in Zechariah 14:16-20, witness Jesus ruling with a rod of iron; there are other Scriptures about this time.

I hope this makes things clearer.

God bless,

RLW

S Spencer,

1 "Can you tell me how you interpret the events after the tribulation period, on into the Millennium, when Satan is chained and when he is loosed?"

I will do my best to show my understanding of your questions. My study is simple, and I rely on the Bible for interpretation. I use Word Search, a concordance, and my Bible provides other verses that cross-reference a word or phrase throughout Scripture.

The book of Revelation is not in chronological order. We see in Revelation 1:7, that when He comes in the clouds, every eye will see Him. Revelation 6:12-17 shows a vision given to John after the Sixth Seal, revealing the signs of Jesus' coming. Cross-references include Joel 2:10-11, 30-31, Matthew 24, and others.

In Revelation 11:15-19, the seventh trumpet, or the last trumpet, signals the coming of Jesus, ending the tribulation and beginning God's wrath. Revelation 14 combines visions that are not in order; we see Jesus standing on Mount Zion with the 144000, which would occur after Revelation 19:11-16. We know this because, when He returns, His feet will land on the Mount of Olives, as described in Zechariah 14:4.

Revelation 14:6-7 describes the angel preaching the everlasting gospel, which must occur near the end of the tribulation. The announcement of Babylon's fall is seen in chapters 17 and 18. Revelation 14:9-11 states the fate of those who worship the beast, take its mark, and follow the beast and the false prophet. This is carried out in Revelation 19:20-21.

Revelation 14:12-13 declares, "Blessed are those who die in the Lord from henceforth," even as the tribulation continues. My understanding of Revelation 14:14-16, which covers the harvest and the first resurrection, is supported by passages like Revelation 19:11-16, Revelation 20:4-6, and Matthew 24:29-31. Revelation 14:17-20 describes the battle of Armageddon, with related references in Revelation 19:17-21, Ezekiel 39:17-21, and Luke 17:37.

See Part 2

Amen.

Mark 4:17 "And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended."

Deuteronomy 4:30 "When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;"

Revelation 2:10 "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."

Matthew 24:9"Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake."

Mark 13:24-27 "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light," "And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken." "And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory." "And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven."

Blessings

Page 2. GiGi.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-10. Agreed, 2 Peter 3:10 speaks of the Day of the Lord coming unexpectedly with the major upheaval of the heavens and Earth, as does Paul, who possibly infers that there is a wider time frame or meaning regarding that Day ( 1 Corinthians 5:5 & 2 Corinthians 1:14). In any case, it involves all things associated with Jesus' Day of appearing. So here in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10, Paul iterates that that Day will come suddenly, thus it being a useless exercise to attempt placing it in a time frame, but as the Church is the children of God living in the light and not as those who live in darkness, that Day would not suddenly come upon them. Rather they should be comforted and fully clothed with the Spirit because God has not appointed them to His wrath (of verse 3) but to be saved from this through the Lord Jesus' (v9). If this saving from God's Wrath is to refer to His Wrath against man's sins, then there appears no reason for mentioning this in this context. His Wrath here is anger towards unbelievers at that time who will face His "sudden destruction". And to give further support to this meaning, we can look at 1 Thessalonians 1:10, Paul stating that the Church was "to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come".

Yes, Matthew chap 24 is about Jesus' Second Coming and particularly Matthew 24:29-31, that the powers of the heavens will be shaken, Jesus' appearing in the skies, the tribes of the earth mourning, and the gathering together of his Elect from all over the world. Some would assume that not only this scene is connected with 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51,52, but also that the Elect referred to are all those in Christ. To Page 3.

Page 2. Ronald.

And of course Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3: "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition". To assure the believers in that Church, Paul writes that the Day of Christ's appearing and our GATHERING TOGETHER UNTO HIM, will only come after a falling away & the revelation of the Anti-Christ. After this happens, Christ appears & we are gathered (the Rapture & Resurrection of 1 Thessalonians chap 4?) unto Him. Then the Great Tribulation begins, as God's Wrath is displayed first in its infancy (the removing of His Restrainer), then with increasing suffering, culminating in Matthew 24:29,30.

Your reference to Revelation 12:12 has bearing on the whole chapter and I perceive we don't understand it the same way and it would be too long to exegete here. Then to Revelation 19:7-9, comparing with Revelation 21:9-11. I can see the connection that the Lamb's wife is the New Jerusalem as stated here, but when we read Revelation 19:7-9, we see that 'she (the New Jerusalem?) hath made herself ready; she would be arrayed in fine white linen which is the righteousness of the saints (can a city or a people be so arrayed?); and there is to be a marriage supper (with a city?)'. This can be quite confusing if one is to believe that Jesus is marrying a city. Or maybe, there are two references: of a city & the Church represented together in marriage. I can't tell. To Page 3.

Page 2.

So to some pertinent portions from the Word:

a) Revelation 3:10 (to the Philadelphian Church). This refers to the final seven year tribulation period in which the antichrist will be allowed to deceive the world ( 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12). Believers can have hope that should this final period come to pass in their lifetimes, they will be kept from having to face God's wrath during the tribulation period; and this Great Tribulation as Jesus spoke about (in Matthew 24:21-31) is the Day of God's Wrath, from which the Church is to be kept from. Even in Zephaniah 2:3, a little glimpse is given of those who will be "hid in the day of the LORD's ANGER".

b) 1 Thessalonians 5:9 and 1 Thessalonians 1:10: believers are not appointed to bear God's Wrath but to receive His salvation from it. While it is true that God's wrath is most fully poured out in the sentencing of unbelievers to hell, Revelation 6:15-17 makes it clear that God's wrath is also being poured out upon the earth during the tribulation period (for that is what it means) and believers will not be a part of that. However, those who come to faith during the tribulation will have to suffer the effects of God's wrath, not having received the promise of being kept from the hour of trial. But those days will be cut short for His Elect's sake ( Matthew 24:22).

c) Revelation 19:7-9. The Church is already in Heaven with the Lord, clothed & prepared for the marriage of the Lamb. It is following this that Jesus is seen with the armies of heaven coming to earth to lie waste the armies of the earth and to cast the beast and false prophet into the Lake of Fire ( Revelation 19:11-21). Thus, the church must have already been raptured and taken to heaven before Jesus comes the second time. To Page 3.

Matthew 28:19 "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:"

Ephesians 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

James 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof

Matthew 15:11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

Proverbs 1:7 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction."

Matthew 24:35 "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."

Hey Lbooth1955,

I agree that the Church, the Body of Christ, is not the bride; I do not agree that the bride metaphor is rooted in prophecy and tied to Israel. The New Jerusalem is the bride that is dressed in fine linen, pure and white, for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints; Revelation 19:6-8. This is the city that Abraham looked for, Hebrews 11:8-10.

This bride, the New Jerusalem, will not descend until everything is fulfilled and all is made new. Revelation 21:1-3. Then, the marriage and the feast will mark the beginning of our eternity on the new earth with God and Jesus.

Revelation 19:7-9: Let us be glad, rejoice, and honor Him: for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb." And he saith unto me, "These are the true sayings of God."

I also disagree with the teaching of the catching away or the rapture as being carried to heaven. You mention 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, but where does it say we are taken to heaven? This passage describes Jesus returning to earth at the last trump, Matthew 24:29-31, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, and Revelation 19:11-16.

God bless,

RLW

Romans 15:19

"Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ."

Matthew 7:15

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."

Matthew 7:16

"Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?"

Matthew 24:35

"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."

Blessings

Page 2.

And did Peter ever require that Gentile converts obey the OT Laws or be circumcised, even though that matter came up for consideration ( Acts 15:5-11)? So, neither the need for coming under the Law was preached by Peter: that salvation was only by grace through faith.

c) The Gospel of the Kingdom was only given by the Lord Himself (as in Matthew 24:14), which seemed specific to Jesus' teaching and acts pertaining to God's requirements for His people.

When I consider the ministry of Jesus, Peter and Paul, I understand that all of them direct us to consider God's Love and His Provision for the salvation of both Jew & Gentile. Both Peter & Paul saw in the Gospel that the Jew & Gentile could be saved, but Paul expanded that further (at least from what is declared to us), that we will be one Body, which is Christ, and exercising the blessings of the Holy Spirit within His Church and beyond to the unreached.

Yes, there are some differences in their messages, but at the core, they are exactly the same, for neither of them brought in any teaching contrary to what Christ's Sacrifice provided and demanded. If the Jews needed to turn from trusting in the Law & their election - if the Gentiles needed to turn from their idols and false gods - both Jew and Gentile could only be accepted by God by turning away (repentance) and faith (in Christ alone & nothing else) for their salvation. I believe the apostles, including Paul, knew this and preached this, but how they presented it would vary according to where the people were at in their culture, belief system and questions raised. And it would be the same today, whether preaching to our local folk or going into another culture: the message core will always be the same, but the message body will give answer to where the people are at.

Mark 1:15

"And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel."

Matthew 24:14

"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."

Matthew 19:17

"And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."

Revelation 22:14

"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."

Matthew 24:35

"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."

Blessings

Hebrews 8:10

"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:"

Isaiah 58:13

"If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:"

Isaiah 58:14

"Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it."

Matthew 24:35

"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."

Blessings

T-Rex,

(Part 2):

In Matthew 24:13, the literal translation from the Greek text is "but the one who HAS ENDURED, not the one who will, but the one who has endured unto the end, this one will be saved.

In the Greek, it's what's called an Aorist Participle. It shows the proof of those who are saved. The person who is saved WILL endure to the end.

I am not one who believes that I can "stop following Jesus, commit blasphemy, and still be saved regardless of my obedience, so I do hope you are not referring to my belief.

I believe in eternal security. I believe my salvation is permanent because God is a righteous judge, He has provided a way for me to be saved, He sent His Son to pay for my sin, and when I received Jesus, I have been justified, declared not guilty!

Now, I am fully away that this does not give me a license to sin because I am saved no matter what. Those who believe salvation cannot be lost often get accused of thinking that they can sin all they want to because they are saved no matter what, but I can say to you that I do not think that way at all. In fact, one way to find out if I truly belong to Christ would be to put it to the test and go out and start sinning and try going back to the same sinful lifestyle before I received Christ. If there's no conviction, no guilt, then I suppose I need to start taking inventory!

And yes, I agree that just focusing on one verse only to come to a conclusion on any biblical teaching is not wise and would border on the edge of heresy!

Hebrews 10:26 "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,"

I think one of the Christian band in Australia recently had a member denounce the faith. Ken Copeland was probably a legit follower originally but now looks demon possessed. Same with Duplantis, Osteen, and most others who have greed in their heart. If someone has the freewill to choose to follow Jesus why would they be forbidden to have freewill to unfollow? Many will be deceived.

Matthew 24:13 "But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."

It says endure to the end, not endure to the beginning or middle when you prayed to start following Christ. It doesn't say you can sin and hurt people and stop following Jesus and commit blasphemy still be saved regardless of your obedience. Some just focus on one verse while ignoring all the other verses.

Work of the Spirit: Enduring to the end

Matthew 24:13 "But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."

Much of what is stated in Matthew 24 and related passages may be primarily focused on the Tribulation but certainly has implications now. Now I am a firm believer in Predestination and the Spirit's work in all this sanctification with glorification the end result; but as with anything else it is not mere assent to doctrinal truths that saves us or that sustains us in a righteous life and spiritual condition.

The battle we are all in as individuals is between following the course which we came into this world following blindly; and that of the Spirit who is the light of our path ( Psalm 119:105). In all things in life and even through our own death there is trusting in God as Psalm 23 states in the valley of the shadow of death fearing no evil.

I can look behind now to some things; most recently my mom's passing and my Dad's institutionalization and my responsibilities for their care and things I have learned from whatever small sacrifices I had to make on their behalf. It is saddening that there was no evidence of repentance and true faith for either my mom; my cousin or my Aunt who all passed this year. No doubt withiout a miracle the same holds true for my Dad but I must trust God as to that and my repeated visits as long as he lives on this earth.

One thing we can be certain of other than His chastisement for our sanctification and our ultimate good is that God will use any and all situations. Isaiah 55:11 says So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

When we are at work; for instance with no time to get into scripture to any in depth discussion we are to live out what we believe in conduct; actions and decisions. We need to prepare for brief moments to share which come up also

Matthew 28:19

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:"

Acts 22:16

"And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord."

Acts 18:8

"And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized."

Acts 18:8

"And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized."

Acts 16:15

"And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us."

Matthew 24:35

"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."

Blessings

Matthew 24:14

"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."

Romans 15:19

"Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ."

Acts 20:25

"And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more."

Matthew 24:35

"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."

Blessings

Amen! I totally agree, Just to quote Matthew 24:12 And becouse iniqvity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Here I mentioned lawlessness because it is again translated as that in my new King James Bible. ohh.

Then we don't bother with it anymore now that it becomes a completely different topic of conversation. Thank you for your clear and alert thoughts, we all need them. God bless you and yours in Jesus Name, Amen, Christi Love.

Luke 4

So true so true Dear "Gerald". Just to add a word, it is strange that more people are not being released and set free. It may be because love is growing cold in most people. Matthew 24:12 Interesting that it says: Because lawlessness prevails. As my mind thinks, lawlessness applies to us believers. But not everything comes from us so clearly. But we go astray, away from the word, away from friends as well. This leads to all the evil we encounter being sorted with different minds. Accept some of it and suddenly we have become lawless. Therefore, we must pray for all those who have gone astray. So that we ourselves are not stuck one day and have no one to pray for us. You never know. What we do know is that we must stay close to the Lord and His Living Word. For why do we know that the Spirit sighs and groans, He do. How serious this is to think about. Jesus prayed for us and John 17 He prayed not only for his Apostles, but us too. It is powerful! Be blessed in the holy name of Jesus Christ, Amen

If you look at Matthew 24:22 it says "And except those days should be shortened, there should be no flesh saved: but for the elect's sake those days days shall be shortened. This verse shows that the days of tribulation were shortened for gods elect. You will find in revelation chapter 9:5 that the time was reduced to a five month period. As far as generations that are mentioned in the bible in Genesis 6:3 God gives man 120 years that is a generation. Also in psalm 90:10 it discusses a lifespan of (70 years ) with "by reason of strength " potentially reaching fourscore years" (80 years). There is also the 40 year generation mentioned in the bible as a symbolic period of testing, trial, or probation, or as a generation. My personal opinion is that psalm 90:10 gives the correct generation for the parable of the fig tree which was set out in 1948. Psalm 90 was attributed to have been written by Moses making it one of the oldest psalms. In psalm 90 it talks about a life span reaching 80 years but if you think about it Moses lived to be 120 years old. We do not know the exact day or hour of Christ' return but by the signs true believers should be able to determine the season. What season are we in? The harvest season May thru September 5 months. Some of the signs that are mentioned in the bible are 1. (Increased knowledge and travel Daniel 12:4) 2. False prophets and teachings Matthew 24:5) 3. (Global unrest Matthew 24 6-8) 4.(Apostasy Revelation 3:16) 5.(Fig tree Parable Matthew 24:32) these are some of the signs that lets us know what season we are in. Matthew 24:32 states ( Now learn a parable of the fig tree.) Christ made it very clear that we are to learn this parable. When his branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves ye know that summer is nigh. this verse teaches us just as the budding of a fig tree signals the approach of summer the signs mentioned in Matthew 24 indicates Christ second coming is near even at the door. Mark 4:13 unlocks the fig tree parable.

Jesse, thank you.

Regarding the return of Jesus, I only see in Scripture that He returns once. As seen in 1 Matthew 24:29-31, Mark 13:24-27, Luke 21:25-28, John 14:3, Acts 1:11, 1 Corinthians 15:51-55, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4, Hebrews 9:28, Revelation 1:7, Revelation 6:12-17, Revelation 19:11-21, through Revelation 20:1-6, is the same event when Jesus returns, and it occurs after the tribulation of the beast. My understanding is that there is only one Day of the Lord, and that is when Jesus returns.

Regarding the Messiah, I have never asked a Jew about their understanding of it. What I have previously read about Jewish faith is that one day a charismatic Jewish leader, the anointed of God, a man with the characteristics of God, a direct descendant of the Davidic line, will gather Jews from around the world, and bring them back to the Land of Israel and restore the kingdom ridding them of all oppressors.

That was what they were looking for during the time Jesus was here during His 3.5-year ministry, a human conqueror. The disciples were looking for Him to set up the kingdom; they even asked Him after He was resurrected, Acts 1:6-7. They were looking for what we see will happen in the millennium when Jesus returns to earth.

It was mainly the leaders of Jerusalem who did not see or did not hear, which caused blindness in part to happen to Israel, who rejected Jesus; many accepted Jesus as the Messiah while He was here. The leaders of Jerusalem played a prominent role in turning the crowds against Jesus, and it was the nation of Israel as a whole that rejected Him. And today, most Jews do not believe the Messiah has come.

I know we may not agree, but I hope I answered your question.

God bless,

RLW

(Revelation Part 69):

Revelation 19:16 - And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

Vesture would be the TZITZIT'S, the prayer shawl that the Jews wear. It will say KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

In Revelation 19:17-18, we have the vision of the supper of God. This is not the supper of the Lamb. This is the supper of God, a little different.

Revelation 19:18 - That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

It's the invitation for the birds to come and feast on dead bodies that will be the result of Christ slaying the nations. In Matthew 24:27-28, Jesus said that wherever the corpse is, the vultures will gather together.

Some have theorized about that for years. Well, here's its fulfillment right here. Jesus said in the end analysis, wherever the vultures are, that's where the dead bodies will be. And that will be the end result of the world and life as we know it.

The vision of the battle of Armageddon is given to us in Verses 19 to 21.

Revelation 19:20 - And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that worked miracles (literally signs), before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were taken, literally living, into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.

This is the first mention we've had of the lake of fire. This is the place in the bible that is called hell. There are many words that are translated hell in the English. But the lake of fire is the only place that is called hell.

Extrabiblical statements: Part 4

As we dive into this topic further, I want to remind the audience that as we approach the end or consummation of this present age we will see the proclamations of truly Holy Spirit filled believers and false prophets line up more and more because the facts are clear; Revelation and its judgments are about to commence and whether it will be under God's protection ( Psalm 91:4) or under His wrath depends on our spiritual state at the time. It is how we interpret events that reveals where our heart is; and sadly many concepts such as Dominionism and full Preterism can be toxic doctrines that inevitably will make many of these individuals believe that Antichrist is actually Christ. Success is defined as power and influence in society according to these mindsets something no doubt Satan desires along with worship of himself. What part of Christ's proclamation my Kingdom is not of this world lest my servants fight ( John 18:36). What part of His self sacrificial life and death that occured immediately after this statement during one of His trials before crucifixion don't some people undestsand? Therefore it is safe to say that those trying to conform this world in this way ignore the verse where it says we should be transformed by the renewing of our minds. ( Romans 12:2). As I have said in other postings before; there is a valid point bought out by some of this mindset; that as long as His church remains the gates of hell cannot prevail against it; and even with most lukewarm or doctrinally compromised His remnant has a duty and responsibility to continue to work the harvest to fulfill the task of making Disciples and being in His service until He comes. We need to soberly assess the time we are in when many are predicted to fall away (See 1 Timothy 4:1); and eventually the admonition of Matthew 24:10 will be fulfilled on a global scale as the Tribulation saints will be martyred wherever they are.

Extrabiblical ideas: A summary

Since it is 2 AM I likely will have some other ideas later today; but a summary is this.

1) Always include scripture in context to bolster anything you sense the Lord is showing you.

2) God will not fully unleash His judgments until the Tribulation and

3) In the church age there is a certain conditional state where prayers can modify; delay or perhaps eliminate certain actions by God.

I myself have felt that scripture itself with its general admonitions particularly in regard to blessings and cursings can be very predictable in a prophetic sense in the fact that we always reap what we sow. One specific example involved someone I used to know who talked about a friend who drifted into sin and started having mental problems. That principle of sin and its repercussions basically is either directly or indirectly affecting all mankind due to their fallen nature; and of course this side of eternity we can turn back to the Lord and avoid an early demise and eternal wrath.

With the subjectivity regarding anything that is a dogmatic statement to prayers of others to thwart an event even a true utterance may be uncertain to the listener. I am convinced no specific day can be proclaimed for a particular event to happen.

One big example of this is all the failed predictions for the Rapture. Using human logic; an author I wrote to over 20 years ago who has since likely died was making predictions and the framework was the idea that has long since failed that 1948 had to mean the last 40 year generation had started with Israel becoming a nation in a day ( Isaiah 66:7-9). The idea of the generation where all things come to pass of course comes from Matthew 24:34. This could be referring to AD 70 exclusively but that isn't logical with supporting scriptures. It also could mean that the generation that begins to see the birth pangs will not pass until all things are completed. We are past 2028 for His return with a 7 year trib.

(Revelation Part 54):

Revelation 14:11 - And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

These are very powerful verses that tell us that when a person is in hell, there will be no rest for them day and night. They will be tormented forever.

There's another movement that says "We don't believe that God sends people to hell or that he makes people suffer throughout eternity. Jesus said in Matthew 24:41 that hell was created for Satan and his angels, not people." Well then, why are people going there?

It's because their allegiance is to the beast. Satan is their god. And by the way, there's only one hell. The lake of fire that we will see later on is called hell. That's the only place that it's called hell in the scriptures.

Revelation 14:12 - Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

Did you catch it?

Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God. Now there are groups that say that the commandments are the Old Testament, the law, that they are known as the commandments, without realizing that this angel has just gone through, and is proclaiming in command form what to do, and what not to do.

For those people who obey the commandments of God given by this angel, and who have the faith "of" Jesus. In the Greek text, that's what it says, and that's what it means. It is the same thing that Jesus told one of the churches in Revelation Chapter 2. He says you have kept my faith. It is the faith that Jesus gave them.

So, here's the patience of the saints, the endurance of the saints, surrender to Christ, live by the faith that He gives!

Hello again, brother Ronald,

(Part 1):

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. Yes, as you said, this subject has been discussed before. You and I have given our view on this topic with each other. When we continue going back and forth, unable to agree with each other, I'm not sure what else to call it other than a debate. I suppose we can just stick with friendly discussion which all of our discussions in the past have been.

I have read through both parts of what you sent and I'm sure this will come as no shock, but we are still in disagreement. I would like to just respond to a few things, especially the things with question marks. First, I would like to say that I do not feel like I have been deceived into believing that Jesus is coming to rapture His church. No man has deceived me into this belief. It comes from studying His word.

You bring up Matthew 24:4 where Jesus said, "Take heed that no man misleads you," but this does not fit our conversation because I don't think Jesus was warning them not to be misled about a rapture because it talks about false Christ's and false prophets that are going to come and deceive people. I would find it odd that these false prophets would be trying to mislead people into believing in a rapture.