Saturday Aug 20 730 8pm William Bell Matt24 Acts17

In this series of study, we are looking at the comparison between Matthew 24 verse 14 and also with Acts 17 verses 30 and 31. And we're showing the comparison between these two passages that they refer to the same time and event. And of course, what that does is it takes Acts 17 out of the future and places it in the past with the events that occurred within the first century generation. We'll be talking about that shortly. Before we get right into it, I'd like to encourage you to visit our website, which is at allthingsfulfilled.com. Also, we have a YouTube channel, which is All Things Fulfilled on YouTube. And that channel has been around for quite a few years now. It has over 750 videos and we're continually adding videos on a regular basis. And we certainly would appreciate you going there. Make sure that you subscribe by hitting the red button. Also click on that bell so that every time we upload a new video, you will receive a video to your inbox and to whatever device that you have that you use to access the internet, whether it's a computer or your tablets, et cetera. And we certainly would be grateful for that. We also encourage you to leave us comments and we read them. We try to respond to them as fast as we possibly can. But as we expand with more videos, of course, we are not able to do that as effectively, but we do get around to it. So please don't hesitate to send us your questions and your comments regarding any concerns that you have with the material that we present. Now, as I said, we have been looking at, we started a lesson on last week where we were talking about the comparison between Matthew 24, 14, and also Acts chapter 17, 30 and 31. So let me just give a brief overview and then we'll get right back into the message that we were pointing out. Number one, we pointed out that Matthew 24, 14 was a response to the disciples questions or at least a part of that response to their question regarding the prophecy of the destruction of the temple that we find in Matthew 24 and its parallel passages in Mark 13 and Luke 21. Uh, also that, uh, this came about as a result of Jesus's denunciation and the woes that he pronounced on the Pharisees beginning in Matthew 23, verse 29, down through the end of that chapter. And then that is what, uh, sort of, uh, as they were leaving the temple and Jesus pointed out in Matthew 24 to that, you know, see here, all these stones, not one stone upon another, which, uh, there's not one stone upon another that would not be thrown down. And so when the disciples heard that their ears just kind of popped straight up and they said, what did he say? Um, they wanted to know. And so they asked these questions. They said, Lord, when will these things be and what will be the sign of your presence and of the consummation of the age? They knew that when the temple fell, that would be the end of that age of Moses in which they were living. And so that was their question. And then Jesus gives the response to their inquiry by what we find in Matthew chapters 24, all the way through the end of Matthew 25. And he doesn't weave in and out of the chapter, picking one thing to say, this is going to happen in fulfillment of the event, but that's going to happen in fulfillment of another event. No, that's not what he did. He said, all of those things would take place before the very generation in which he was living passed away. And that is the approach that we take in looking at the scriptures. Now, from that perspective, uh, he said in Matthew chapter 24 and verse 14, and this gospel of the kingdom must be preached as a witness or in all the nations. And then the end would come. And we showed in the previous video, and we do encourage you to go back and watch the previous video on this topic. We showed you that, uh, that phrase, all the world or inhabited earth referred to the territory of the Roman empire. And we cited passages from Luke two and verse one with the census that was being taken under the reign of Augustus Caesar, which came to pass or was completed, uh, when Corinthians was governing Syria and all the people went out and were registered for that census. And so, uh, that's not something that was taking place in our day and time. It was taking place in their time in that or come in a, that world, that, um, uh, period of time among the people who lived then. And that's very important that we understand that because that helps us to keep the text in its proper historical setting for us to understand it as they understood it. Now, in addition to that, uh, he said this gospel of the kingdom must be preached. Uh, that means that they had announced that the kingdom was at hand. Jesus stated that the time that Daniel had spoken up for the coming of the kingdom was fulfilled, Mark chapter one, verses 14 and 15. And therefore they were to repent in view of that coming kingdom. So both he and John the Baptist preached that the kingdom had drawn near that it was at hand. And he said again, in Luke 21 31, that that generation would not pass away until all those things would take place. So what we see then was the scope of the gospel that was to be preached was to that entire inhabited earth as a nations. And then as we closed the lesson on, uh, last week, we pointed out that according to Paul, the gospel had gone to all the nations, to all the land, to all the inhabited earth, to all the creation. And he cites, we cited texts from Romans one, five verse eight, uh, Romans chapter 10, verse 18, chapter 16, verses 25 and 26. And also from Colossians chapter one verses five and six, and also, uh, verse 23. I'm going to repeat those because I know I'm going a little bit fast. It's in the previous video, but I'm going to repeat it just in case you might be taking notes and you want to hear them again. Paul cited passages in the epistles showing that the requirement for Matthew 24, 14 had been met in their generation through their preaching in the first century. Those passages are again, Romans one and verse five Romans one and verse eight Romans chapter 10 and verse 18 chapter 16 verses 25 and 26 Colossians chapter one verses five and six and also verse 23. All right. So that's where we left off on last week. And so now we are taking up the message from that point. Okay. So now we have, uh, we were making the point also that the time was imminent because it would occur before that generation passed away. So they only had a generation to take the gospel to the whole world. Now, remember they had no social media. They didn't have jets like we have today. They didn't have trains and, uh, you know, buses and modern transportation. They use beast of burdens and they travel by the sea using sails for ships. They didn't have a steam engine or any of those kinds of things. All right. And so therefore travel was very slow for them. And in many cases, it was very treacherous for them. They even had shipwrecked along the way and other events that happened to them as they were going about throughout all the world teaching the gospel. So you've got to understand what a magnanimous task they had in the first century to teach the gospel. And he started this with, you know, 12 apostles. And of course they taught others who taught others. And of course that was to help them. But their mission was to take the gospel to all the inhabited earth, to all the Roman empire in their own generation, in their lifetime, very, very important. So it's incorrect when we read that text and we come from it, that is people living in the 21st century saying that, well, we've got to publish the gospel to all the nations. And then the end will come. No, that is incorrect. They had to do it. And that's what Jesus was talking to them about. Now, this also shows us that the preaching would be done by the apostles. We know that from Matthew chapter 28, verses 18 through 20, where the scripture says, and this is Jesus meeting with the apostles prior to his ascension, giving them what we call the great commission, because he says, uh, all power and authority in heaven and in earth has been given to me. Go therefore and teach all nations, making disciples of them. Go therefore and teach all nations, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the father or into the name more literally, because the Greek word ACE is used there, baptizing them into the name of the father of the son and of the Holy spirit, teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever. I've commanded you and low I'm with you always, even to the end of the age. So that command was given to the apostles to go into, I'll go to all the nations and teach the gospel. And it was to be done before the end came because, uh, that end of the age, there's the same end of the age in Matthew 24 and verse three. So they had a limited time to do it. That meant that it was a very eminent message, very urgent message because they had to warn them against this impending destruction that was going to come. And for all of those who did not obey the Messiah, they would fall by the edge of the sword, by famine, by pestilence. And many of them who survived would be taken into captivity for their rebellion against the Messiah for their refusal to obey him. Then we see that, um, as we're saying, it was to the apostles. Uh, when we look at Mark's gospel, Mark's, uh, again, says that he said to them, go into all the world, all the world and preach the gospel to all the creation. He who believes in his baptized shall be saved, but he who does not believe shall be condemned. And then he talked about the signs that would follow them. He says, and these signs will follow those who believe in my name. They will cast out devils in my name. They will speak with new tongues in my name. They will take up serpents. And if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them. And so, um, they will heal the sick and they will recover, et cetera. And so the Bible says after the Lord had spoken to them, he was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And the apostles went forth. The apostles went forward and preached everywhere. The Lord working with them and confirming their word with the signs following. So they have the power to perform these miracles and to lay hands on others, to impart miracles during this pre-parousia reign before the end of the age came. And that's how the Lord was working with them until the end of the age in the performance of those miracles to confirm the that they preached. And so it was the apostles who were doing that in terms of their work and being commissioned, uh, to, uh, to do so. Furthermore, in Luke's gospel, Luke said, thus it behooved Christ to suffer verse four. This is Luke 24, 44 through 47. Thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem. And he says, behold, I send the promise of my father upon you, but wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high. He was talking about their receiving the Holy spirit. We can read about that in Acts chapter one, verses four through eight, uh, to see where he said, John truly baptized with water, but you should be baptized with the Holy spirit. Not many days from now. So from that perspective, he is pointing out that they were going to receive the baptism of the Holy spirit. Excuse me. My phone is ringing over here. So I had to get rid of that, but that's what he was saying. They were going to receive this power. Now, in addition, in showing that all of this was going to take place by the apostles before the end of that age and all within that generation, the next point is, uh, this preaching of the end was an appointed time. It had been stated in the old Testament, in the prophecy of Daniel, that all of this was to take place in the time of the end, which Daniel calls the appointed time. So let's look at Daniel 12 and verse one, the Bible is a one through four. The Bible says at that time, Michael, she'll stand up. Now the word time there is the Greek word Kairos. When you look at it in the Septuagint version, the Greek translation of the old Testament. And so it's the word Kairos and it means, and, um, it means an appointed time. And so he says at that appointed time, Michael, she'll stand up the great Prince who stands watch over the sons of your people. And there should be a pointed time of trouble. That's the great tribulation that's mentioned in Matthew chapter 24, when he says, then there will be great tribulation such as has not been since there was a nation up to this time. No, nor ever shall be that's Matthew 24 and verse 21 in the same context that we're dealing with, uh, for verse 14. And then he says, and at that appointed time, your people shall be delivered. Everyone who was found written in the book. Now, oftentimes we have people as we're talking about the destruction of Jerusalem. They say that that was the time of God scattering Israel and that Israel, uh, was, you know, perishing by the sword, et cetera. And they are very myopic in their viewpoint because that's all they see. But let me read Daniel again, who talks about the great tribulation, which is quoted in Matthew 24 and verse 21. The Bible says, and at that time, your people shall be delivered. Now you see, God always has a remnant. That's what Joel said when Joel prophesied and Joel's prophecy is in Matthew 24 as well. Matthew 24, 29, Joel said it would come to pass in those days that, uh, when God poured out his spirit and whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. He says, even the remnant whom the Lord, our God shall call. So during that same time, when some were being destroyed and led off into captivity, they would be delivered from that danger. And so at that time, your people shall be delivered. Watch everyone who is found written in the book. Now that is Daniel 12 in verse one. So four times in the text, he calls it and appointed time, but let's look at what else would happen. It says, and many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake. This is a reference to resurrection and then a reference to judgment because he says some to everlasting or age lasting life to be more literal about it. And some to shame and age lasting contempt. Well, if some of them you see that shows you that all of them weren't going to be destroyed. If some of them were going to, um, rise to or wake to everlasting life or age lasting life and others were going to awake to age lasting contempt or condemnation, then how can we say that all of them received the same thing? Not all of them were delivered. Not all of them were cast away, were destroyed, were punished. And that's the problem with many trying to read Matthew 24 or Luke 21 and claim that at the time that the temple was being destroyed, that that's all that was happening was a judgment on the Jews that destroyed them. No, there were also the faithful among them who were delivered and who received their redemption and the kingdom of God. So that point needs to be acknowledged and we need to stop the nonsense because that's what it is in saying that it was only destruction for the Jews now. So that means it was a judgment to reward each man according to his work, some age lasting life, some age lasting contempt. Then he says, those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever. What is he talking about? This is the preaching of the gospel. Those who are wise, they are wise because they have obeyed the sayings of Christ. Just like he says in Matthew chapter seven, when he says, whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man. And when he talks about, you know, uh, who built his house upon a rock and he says, the winds blew, uh, the, the, um, storms came, et cetera, and beat upon that rock. And it stood because it was founded upon a rock. It was founded upon the sayings of Christ, the truth, the solid foundation. So he says, those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament and those who turn many to righteousness. Now, how were they turning people to righteousness? They were doing so by the preaching of the gospel, because here's what Paul said about the gospel in Romans chapter one in verse 16 and 17, for I am not ashamed of the to the Jew first and also to the Greek for there in is the righteousness of God revealed as it is written, the just shall live by faith. In other words, therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written, the just shall live by faith. So the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel of God, in the gospel of the kingdom. And therefore those who were wise and were turning many to righteousness were doing so through the preaching of the gospel. And therefore this is how they themselves would shine in their faithfulness to the word. That is precisely the text of Matthew 24 and verse 14. And he says those, um, uh, they would shine like the stars forever. Now you remember in the parable of the wheat and tears, when the Bible talks about sowing the seed of the good seed, the children of the kingdom, and then the devil sold the, uh, the tears, uh, the children of the devil, uh, of the wicked one were the tears. But he says the harvest is the end of the age. And then at the end of the age, he was going to gather out of his kingdom, all those things that offended and, uh, the tears were going to be gathered and burned. And the, uh, wheat was going to be, uh, gathered, uh, into his barn, et cetera. But he says when that took place, then shall the righteous, those who had obeyed the gospel shine where in the kingdom of the father, that's a quote from Daniel chapter 12 as well. So these are the ones that he's talking about in this passage. And then he says, but you Daniel shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end. That's the end of Matthew 24, 14, this gospel of the kingdom must be preached in all the inhabited earth as a witness to all the nations. And then the end will come. Daniel was, you know, about 500 or so years before the events took place. And so he was told to seal up the book until the time of the end, but the apostles were told to go out and teach it. Even John in the book of revelation was told, do not seal the prophecy of the sayings of this book for the time has drawn near. So that time had to be shorter than 500 years. It was imminent. That's why they announced it as at hand. And therefore the end of which Daniel speaks, they were shut up until the time of the end is the same end spoken of in Matthew 24, 13, and 14, but he who endures to the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom must be preached in all the inhabited earth as a witness to all the nations. And then the end will come. But how far was that end away? He said, assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. So that was the time of the end. So it was a time never to be repeated again in history, but remember the resurrection would occur. The judgment would occur some to age lasting life, some to age lasting shame and contempt, the coming of the kingdom, wherein they would shine like the sun and the brightness of the firmament. Next, they preached with a view to that coming judgment. And that again is what Matthew 24, three and Matthew 20, uh, uh, Matthew 24, three and verse 14 is talking about. When you turn to Luke's gospel, you will see that it was a time of the wrath that was coming upon, uh, that, uh, people, uh, in terms of those who were rebellious. So in Luke 21, he says, and they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led away, uh, captive. I want to read verse 23, even before that, uh, when he says, these were the days of vengeance at all things written would be fulfilled. He says, but woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days, for there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. And they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. And there will be signs in the sun and the moon and in the stars and on the earth, distress of nations with perplexed perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring men's hearts, failing them for fear and the expectation of those things, which are coming on the land for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. So there he's talking about, uh, these events and the wrath that would come during that time now. So they were preaching with a view to that coming judgment. And that shows you that, uh, we're dealing with events that were to take place in their time when some would be killed by the sword, some led into captivity. But again, remember that remnant that was going to be delivered during the same time as Daniel said. And as we see in Luke 21 in verse 28, because he says, when you see these things, look up, lift up your heads for your redemption draws near. And so likewise, you, when you see all these things come to pass verse 31, know that the kingdom of God is at hand assured. I say to you, this generation will not pass until all these things take place. Now that brings us, as we have done the survey to the points in Matthew 24, 14. Now it is time for us to compare those elements that are clearly to occur before that generation passed away. Text in Acts chapter 17 verses 30 and 31. And when we come back on next week, that is precisely what we will do because we are out of time for now. But before we say good evening to you, once again, we remind you to tune in with us every Saturday from 6 30 to 7 p.m. Central 7 30 to 8 p.m. Eastern visit our website at all things will feel.com and also our YouTube channel at all things will feel and make sure you click the red button and subscribe. Also want to introduce to you a book entitled will planet earth be destroyed. This book talks about the end of the world from the perspective of the end of the age of Moses. It goes into a detailed verse by verse discussion of second Peter chapter three, to help you to understand how to interpret that chapter in light of what we're sharing with you in this video. It has been well received. We've updated it. It's a new cover. It's new information in the book. And once again, it's the completion of the work that we wanted to get out to you on second Peter chapter three. So pick up a copy, go to our website and get a copy or go to amazon.com and pick it up. We'll planet earth be destroyed. We'll put a link below the video. For those of you who see this on YouTube until next week, I'm William Bell saying you have a very pleasant good evening, and we'll talk to you in the next video. Once again, thank you for tuning in. Be sure. And if you're watching on YouTube to hit the red subscribe button, as well as click on the bell so that every time we upload a new video, you'll be able to receive that. Tune in again next week. I'm William Bell. Have a great day.