Signs of the Times Matthew 24

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, this is William Bell. I want to welcome you to the all things will feel broadcast and today We're going to be talking about Matthew chapter 24 signs of the times Matthew 24 signs of the times Now in our previous Broadcast or podcast we spoke about will there be a rapture this year and we laid some foundational information In that broadcast and we encourage you to go back and listen to it see if you can understand what was being said because it lays a bit of a foundation for what we are doing today and Even though this lesson will be very Complete it always helps to get as much background as possible as you study these things And this is what we want to encourage you to do now We're going to start in Matthew chapter 24 as we laid the foundation in Matthew 23 And we'll do just a little bit of foundation laying in this particular Study as well so first of all what I would suggest to you as sort of a precursor to our introduction to Matthew chapter 24 is Matthew 21 and before we go there while you are preparing to lay that chapter out before you on Your tablets or smartphones or in your Bibles we want to talk a little bit about what's going on around us today and Why? People believe that we are nearing the time for the rapture well Obviously if you've heard in the news there are earthquakes an earthquake that happened in Mexico There was the flooding in Houston They have fires out in the west in California just consuming land and houses and We have the tornadoes that are hitting on the east coast in southern, Florida now coming inland as well as in North Carolina and other areas along that way and so there are a lot of things going on Naturally people would be saying are these the signs of the end and Because Matthew 24 speaks about the signs of the end They believe that this is Matthew 24 being fulfilled. So, let's see if we can make a little bit of Sense and reason from these particular passages now in Matthew 21 We asked you to take a look at that segment of Scripture and We're going to begin reading at verse 33 where Jesus gives another parable concerning That what is normally called the parable of the vineyard. This will kind of set the stage for what's Going to come up in Matthew chapter 24 in verse 33 beginning he said Here another parable there was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it dug a winepress in it and built a tower and He leased it to vine dressers and went into a far country now when vintage time drew near he sent his servants to the vine dressers and That they might receive its fruit and the vine dressers took his servants beat one killed one and stoned another and he sent another Boy sent other servants more than the first and they did likewise to them Then last of all, he sent his son to them saying they will respect my son But when the vine dressers saw the Sun They said among themselves. This is the heir Come let us kill him and seize his inheritance So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him and Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine dressers? They said to him. He will destroy those wicked men miserably and Leases vineyard to other vine dressers and will render to him the fruits in their seasons verse 42 Jesus said to them Have you never read in the scriptures the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone This was the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes Therefore I say to you the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it and Whoever falls in this stone will be broken, but on whomever it falls it will grind him to powder now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard his parables they perceived that he was speaking of them But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitudes because they took him for a prophet Now you can see from that reading in the parable of the vineyard that the application Was for the scribes and the Pharisees they detected that themselves They understood that this parable was a parable about them and When we read from chapter 23 in our first lesson we talked about the various woes that were upon the scribes and the Pharisees as Laying the foundation for the events of Matthew chapter 24 So it's very important to see that connection now What happened in the parable of the vineyard Was that after Jesus has slipped or God has sent his servants into his vineyard meaning the prophets who were? Warning the people teaching the people trying to get them to repent and to be obedient to God the people refused and so finally God sent his son and Seeing the son rather than respecting him and obeying him. They said Here's the son this is the heir if we kill him then we can seize his inheritance we can take The kingdom is basically what they're saying But rather than that taking place after they killed the son having killed and persecuted all the prophets before him the Bible says that the kingdom would be taken from them and given to another nation bringing forth its fruits and They would be destroyed now that is the setting going into Matthew 24 Concerning the scribes and the Pharisees in the time of Christ And it's very very important for us to get that because when the Bible begins to talk about the signs We have to make sure that those signs fall within the context of These scribes and Pharisees Whom Jesus spoke about in the parable of the vineyard and also in Matthew chapter 23 now having stated that let's back up and pick up just a couple of verses from Matthew 23 and Then we're going to go right into Matthew chapter 24 So as Jesus closes Matthew 24 at 3 he said to those scribes and Pharisees Fill up then the measure of your father's guilt. This is verse 32 serpents brood of vipers How can you escape the condemnation of Gehenna? Therefore indeed I send you prophets wise men and scribes Some of them you will kill and crucify and some of them you will scourge or beat in your synagogues and Persecute from city to city that on you may come all the righteous blood Shed on the earth from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barakaya Whom you murdered between the temple and the altar So you can see how the behavior that was Demonstrated in the persecution and the murder of the servants who were sent into the vineyard Jesus says that these scribes and Pharisees whom he was talking to are going to repeat the same behavior and They killed the son and they killed those whom he would send to them the Apostles and other Saints like Stephen, etc, and the Bible says in Verse 36 or 35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah Son of Barakaya whom you murdered between the temple and the altar Assuredly I say to you All these things will come upon this generation Now for all of those who are teaching about a coming rapture Some are saying this is going to happen on the 23rd of September of this year 2017 Next year when you listen to this broadcast in 2018 You will know that that was a prophecy that was not fulfilled But you'll know that within just a few weeks because it's not going to be fulfilled and we're going to show you why It's not going to be fulfilled Because it's not taught in the Bible but at any rate many people believe that it is and they believe that the events that are happening around us are some of the signs that Demonstrate that this event is near so the Lord said Assuredly, I say to you this generation or all these things will come upon this generation and in verse 37 He identifies it. He says Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem The one who kills the prophets and stones those who were sent to her How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings But you were not willing see your house is left to you desolate so God tells them that their Temple and their city is going to be destroyed now in Matthew 24 as We move into the next chapter Understand there is no chapter division between Matthew 23 Matthew 24 or even Matthew 25 This was all written with no chapter divisions. No verse division. So it was one Continuous text and so Jesus continues this message after He departs from the temple and so in verse 1 It says then Jesus went out and departed from the temple and his disciples came to him showing him the buildings of the temple and Jesus said to them. Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you not one stone shall be left here upon another that shall not be thrown down now he predicted in chapter 23 That their house was going to be left desolate and now he is saying to them not one stone Upon another there's not one stone here upon another that will not be thrown down now This was the second temple That had been built in the history of Israel Of course Moses began with the tabernacle, which was a portable tent that they transported through the wilderness you can see the beginning of God's requests for them to build that tabernacle in Exodus chapter 25 and Then of course through under Moses they constructed the tabernacle But then Solomon built a permanent place a permanent dwelling place, which was the temple Solomon's temple That temple was destroyed in 586 BC by the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem when they were taken into captivity for 70 years and Around 516 BC After the captivity had ended the rubble built Another temple, which is the one that we're talking about today however After building that temple, which did not have as much glory as Solomon's temple Herod the Great and by the way, that temple was desecrated in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes of Syria in 186 BC and There are many horrible things that were done and you can check that out in you know history books of the time that relate to The temple but also in the time of Herod the Great he began a building project on the temple to embellish it and to enhance it and That's the temple that we find in the New Testament He started around 19 BC and it was not completed until ad 64 he had at one time some 10,000 people Employed successively for eight years working on it and beautiful stones as we said Massive stones some of them 60 feet to 67 feet In length seven and a half feet high and nine feet wide Now when Jesus made this prophecy that not one stone would be thrown Would be left upon another that would not be thrown down It appeared to be absolutely impossible That anything of that nature would occur I mean if you just think about the pyramids of Egypt and See that some of those are still standing to this day and they are much older than the temple in Jerusalem built by these massive stones Yet the Lord said there will not be one stone upon another that would not be thrown down And he made that statement 40 years Before it ever came to pass even before they had completed the building of the temple he said that these stones were all going to be thrown down and When you consider that it becomes an amazing prophecy that Christ made concerning the overthrow of the temple now in Isaiah chapter 65 Isaiah 65 You have a prophecy concerning the Lord Now, let's go back to what was said in Matthew 21 remember where the Lord in the parable said that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to another nation bringing forth its fruits so when God said That he was going to crush them to powder This was the fulfillment of prophecy concerning those who rejected the Messiah So we're staying in context with what we established dealing with people in That generation who was living then About a temple that existed in their day It's very very important to note that to understand that and to follow that in terms of understanding Matthew 24 so in Isaiah 65 in connection with that same prophecy. He said You shall leave your name as a curse to my chosen for the Lord God will slay you and Call his servants by another name So here was that prophecy because of the rejection of Jesus Christ because They would put him to death which they did on the cross they would kill his servants like Stephen James the brother of the Lord Acts chapter 12 and persecute his Saints as Saul did and whom later after he became a Christian was persecuted as well and Therefore because of that He said he was going to bring that destruction upon them And so you can read about all this persecution in the book of Acts and in the epistles even in the book of Revelation So here we are The Lord God will slay you and he will call his servants by another name He's going to take the kingdom from these scribes and Pharisees from these rulers in Israel He's going to give it to another nation be bringing forth the fruits of it We're staying in context with those who were in that generation as he said Assuredly, I say to you all these things will come upon this generation Now as far as I know, there's no millennial group out there. It doesn't matter whether they're pre millennial Post-millennial pre trip mid trip Post-trib and Any other tree about there? They understood and understand that the words in Matthew 23 36 refer and apply to Those people living in the first century generation Well, the Lord didn't change as a matter of fact. I had a conversation with some millennial guys pre trip guys and mid and post trip guys Who actually said that somewhere in the middle of a verse? They will change from one generation to the next. Well, I assure you that did not take place from the end of Matthew 23 down to the beginning of Matthew 24 So we're talking about the same they were talking about the same temple Jesus had just made the statement your house is left to you desolate And so when the disciples having heard that come to him, they asked him the question After he showed them all the buildings of the temple saying when will these things be and oh rather He said see not all these things There's not one stone Here, which will not be left upon another that shall not be thrown down. Well that brings us to the next verse which is verse 3 Where we have the question that they asked after he made that statement see that was an amazing Revelation to them that was like are you kidding me? Are you saying that this temple? This beautiful massive temple all these great huge stones are going to be thrown down to the ground Where not one stone will be left standing upon another So as they sat on the Mount of Olives verse 3 The disciples came to him privately saying tell us when Will these things be? Now I want you to note that question When will these things be what things? If you will make a note of that phrase these things and follow it through the chapter You'll see that he's speaking about these things all the way through the chapter But they say when will these things be and What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age now, there are people as I told you Saying that today these earthquakes hurricanes flooding and fires, etc are some of the signs of his coming but as we look at the scriptures and Keep everything in its context Applying it to those scribes and Pharisees from whom he was going to take the kingdom Then we will see that he's still speaking of those in that generation When he said in verse 36 of chapter 23 a sure lie say to you all these things will come upon this generation So they're asking him. When will these things be now? There are some who view this question and they believe that There are three separate questions. And if you take that approach it's going to create a few problems for you Because the one thing that's going to happen and you can see that you can see the evidence of that even today as we speak Is many people who read the chapter? will separate these questions into three Separate questions and Believe that there are three independent topics being spoken of some will say to That we're talking about the overthrow of the temple on one hand and we're talking about The Parasee or the coming of the Lord and the end of the world on the other hand I'm going to suggest to you that The Bible does not support that conclusion The Bible does not support the idea that we're dealing with two widely disparate times For these events to occur That's why I started with the parable of the vineyard the Pharisees the scribes and the Pharisees perceived That Jesus was talking about them when he said the kingdom would be taken from you and given to another nation They perceived that this was going to happen to them And when Jesus spoke of what was going to happen to them, he said all these things will come upon this generation So we are not to go beyond that generation if we're going to be true to the understanding of the text to understand how to apply it and So that becomes one of the first major problems When people are trying to understand the events of Matthew 24 They choose to separate the questions by thousands of years in terms of fulfillment now Let's exam before we even get deeper into the question Let's examine the other writers Who speak of the question? now I've written a book called the re-examination and all in that book on page 38 and it is a review of a gentleman who taught some things on the coming of the Lord and What I do is go in and I point out some of the Mistakes that were made But on page 38 of the book. I have a chart there that lines up all three accounts for the question and It's very good if you will do that You know if you have to take out three Bibles or you have to copy it and put it on a sheet of paper So you look you can look at them Side by side every account and I'll give you the accounts. You have Matthew 24 and verse 3 Mark 13 and verse 4 and Luke 21 and verse 7 because all three of those chapters Matthew 24 Mark 13 and Luke 21 Speak about the same event. They're all recordings of the same Event that Jesus was speaking about in Matthew 24 now They each record the question a little bit differently But when you listen to how they record the question This will help you to see that they're not Speaking of three different subjects here or even two different subjects they're just asking the question a little differently or Recording it a little differently in one text as opposed to the other for example in Matthew when the account says tell us when will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of? the age Matthew asked the question with a little bit more detail than the other two writers But it's not a different question. Let's see if that is the case in the verse 13 of Mark's gospel Mark says tell us when will these things be and What will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled you see he didn't go into breaking every element down as Matthew did but he spoke about all these things and When you look at the answers in all three chapters The answers are pretty much identical just shared by different writers Some record certain details the others do not but they're all the same event Now when you look at Luke's account Luke says in verse 7 of chapter 21 teacher But when will these things be and what sign will there be when these things are about to take place? so you see Mark and Luke did not break the question down into The specific elements as Did Matthew? But they all ask about when all those things Would take place That's the commonality in all three questions. Is that it covers all those things not some of them you don't have Luke asking about one thing and Matthew another or Luke asking one thing and mark another and vice versa in Each question. It's all these things That's the commonality in the questions and therefore it shows That it's just one question that question just had several details to it So we're not dealing with a separation in time From one part of the prophecy to another Such as the destruction of the temple because here's what people know about the destruction of the temple They know that that temple was destroyed in that first century generation Just as the Lord promised but where they have the problem and where they move from The commonality of all three questions is they separate the coming and the end of I'm gonna use the word world for now. I'm going to explain it in a moment and the end of the world from these things but you see in Mark, he said the sign of all these things and In Luke, he says when are all these things about to take place? So that means Luke Included the coming or the Parasee of the Lord and all you have to do is look at Luke 21 and verse 27 and it speaks of the coming of the Lord in power and great glory and when you look in Mark chapter 13 and You will see in that chapter as well that he speaks about the coming of the Lord in glory So all of them talk about the very same thing and that In Mark chapter 13 is verse 26 in Matthew 24. It's verse 30 so each of them described the same thing and it's all within that generation now, that is a revelation to some Probably shocking shocking to others But this is what the Lord said now, let's talk specifically about the question in Matthew so we can see Precisely what's going on in? Matthew when he says Tell us when will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the world? Let's start with the latter part that phrase end of the world has been confusing to many people who read the King James Version of the Bible now. I know a lot of people will throw up their hands at this point and Want to shut me down and say I know that you're not going to say anything Negative about the King James Version That's not my point my point is to say to you that the King James Version is a translation of the original text and in the original text we don't have the word world and Especially meaning the end of the physical world it doesn't exist The phrase is actually What will be the sign of your coming and of the consummation of the age? So the question was never asked When will the end of the world take place? But when will the end of the age? Take place that's from the term. I on some pronounce it eon but it means age and particularly it was the age in which those scribes and Pharisees as Well as Jesus himself lived and all of his apostles at that time so They were asking about the end of the age Now, let's look at a few verses regarding the end of the age In the first chapter of the book of Hebrews Hebrews chapter 1 and the verse is 1 and also verse 2 The Bible says God who at various times and in various ways spoken times past to the fathers by the prophets has in these last days Spoken to us by his son Whom he had appointed heir of all things through whom also he made the worlds now The scripture says he spoke to us by his son in the last days Well, Jesus came speaking teaching before the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2 Before Joel's prophecy was poured out and yet the Bible says he was speaking in the last days That means he was speaking in the last days of Israel In the last days of the age of Moses because that's the age in which he lived He was born of a woman born under the law Galatians 4 in verse 4 when you look in first Peter chapter 1 in verse 20 The Bible says that Christ was manifested in these last times for you. That's another phrase for the last days But that was in the time of Peter who wrote in the first century Then in Hebrews 9 and verse 26 the Bible says of Christ that Since the beginning of the world he would have suffered often but now Once at the end of the ages He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself So the scriptures say that Christ died in the end of the ages Well, that couldn't be the end of the world because here we are almost 2,000 years later Still living in this world, so it couldn't have been the end of the physical world. Does that make sense to you? how could Jesus have died in the end of the ages and Yet those ages are yet Existing today You see that's not what they had in mind. They were living near the end of An age, but it was the age of Moses and it was about to come to an end That's why Luke said remember what Luke said in his question When will these things be and what sign will there be when they are about? To take place when will are these things about to take place? They understood it was related to the temple see the temple was about to fall within that time Remember we said within 40 years it would be destroyed So when they say what is the consummation of the age they're tying The fall of the temple with the end of the age in their day and time That's very very important. And it's the reason why We should approach the things that we see around us like these signs and these earthquakes That are going on or at least what people are calling signs These the earthquake in Mexico and the hurricanes on the east coast the fires on the west coast and the flooding in South Central United States these things are Not to be confused with what was taking place in the context of Matthew 24 They have no relationship whatsoever So they're not predicting the end of a rapture or the end by a rapture or any Such thing related to a rapture they were Those things that were related to or at least the things in the Bible were related to the destruction of the temple and These events that we're seeing today have no bearing on the end time people should not be fearing That an end time is coming they should not be in expectation of a rapture because They're going to be disappointed And I'm telling you now so that you can kind of be preparing for that if you are believing in a future rapture that's going to take place on the 23rd of September or as one speaker said if it doesn't happen on the 23rd is going to happen on the 24th. And if it doesn't happen on the 24th, it's going to happen on the 25th It's not going to happen on the 26th the 27th 28th and on and on and on ladies and gentlemen, it will not occur Because it's not taught in the Bible. So if you have your hopes in that I don't want you to be disappointed I don't want you to give up in terms of believing that God doesn't keep promises because if you start out with the wrong promise Then you cannot blame that on God and any promise that doesn't come to pass remember this and write this down any premise or Prophecy that does not come to pass is not God's prophecy. I'm gonna say that again Any promise or prophecy that does not come to pass is not God's prophecy Now, how do I know that to be the case? Because in the 18th chapter of the book of Deuteronomy They asked Moses, how will we know the thing that the Lord has spoken and Moses Was given this answer by God he said But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name Which I have not Commanded him to speak or who speaks in the name of other gods that prophet Shall die and if you say in your heart, how shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken? When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord if the thing does not happen or come to pass That is the thing which the Lord has not spoken The prophet has spoken it presumptuously You shall not be afraid of him. So I want you to make a note of all these Guys preachers Teachers who are telling you that the rapture is going to happen on the 23rd of September They are claiming to be speaking for God They are claiming that These prophecies are about to be fulfilled. I want you to make a note of them and Realize that the Bible says if this thing does not come to pass That is what the Lord has not spoken that way you're not going to be disappointed You're going to know that that was a word of man and not a word of God but if you stay with what we're sharing with you in Matthew 24 and Stay with the context. You will see what the Word of God was and then you'll be able to compare What happens on the 23rd the 24th or the 25th with what I'm sharing with you? Now you'll be able to see very clearly that what Matthew says about it is different from what they are saying and After the 23rd or the 25th or however long they give themselves They won't be saying it anymore after that they will not be telling you the rapture will occur on the 23rd because it will have passed and Gone and you can you can carry that to the bank as some people say now the problem here is They're focused on The end of the age, but now let me share with you in Luke the One first Corinthians, let's go to first Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 11 see they knew when the end of the age was coming and they spoke about it under divine inspiration in the In the New Testament and they said in first Corinthians 10 and 11 Paul wrote concerning the end of the ages now all these things happen to them as examples referring back to the age of Moses and They were written for our admonition Upon whom the ends of the ages have come. So here is Paul in the first century Stating that the end of the ages had come upon their generation that The end of the ages was something that they were about to experience in their day and time That tells us that They've harmonized the end of the ages With what Matthew 24 3 is saying and also what Jesus said in Matthew 23 and verse 36 Where he said all these things will come upon this generation. So there you have the end of the age the age of Moses and you have the things of this generation that is when he said These things would take place. And so if we're going to understand Matthew 24 and the fact that Jesus asked or that the disciples asked only one question and that question was when will these things be and What sign will there be when all these things take place that included the fall of the temple? It included his parousia or his coming and it included the end of the age now Let me take the remaining minutes and I'll do this quickly. We'll have to pick up on it at another time. I Can talk about at another time But just to show that the coming of the Lord in Matthew 24 that was spoken of What happened in that? first century generation so in Matthew chapter 16 27 and 28 The Lord said for the Son of Man will come in the glory of his father with his holy angels Then he will reward each according to his works He said assuredly I Say to you there are some Standing here who will not die till they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom So he tells them that there were some who would not die Until they saw the Son of Man coming in his kingdom They were standing in his presence. They lived in that same generation and that's when the Bible says he would come now that Harmonizes with the fall of the temple in that generation it harmonizes with the end of the age of Moses in that generation and therefore the coming of the Lord in that generation that leaves no room for a rapture on the 23rd of September in 2017 that means that we cannot and should not be interpreting these signs Or these events that are happening in the natural realm in terms of national disasters such as the fires the earthquake the hurricanes as Signs of the times let me also say that our sincere concern and Support Goes out to those who are suffering people who've had to endure the flooding of their homes and Literally living and walking around in just floods of water all of their possessions destroyed People who are losing their homes in the fire and those who are suffering the water damage on the East Coast Our prayers go out to you We have participated in events and efforts to help send support to various areas and we hope that those who receive that support have been blessed by it and We just hope and pray that you know, they will see an end to these things very near future but one of the things they shouldn't be thinking about is that the world is coming to an end and Adding more of that trauma to the experience that they're already having Well, I hope that you have enjoyed this broadcast today. I have enjoyed sharing it with you If you will have any questions, you know, we encourage you to contact us. We also invite you to visit our website at www.allthingsfulfilled.com And I'd like to recommend just a couple of books for you so that you can do further research and study on your own I mentioned my own book, which is the re-examination Which will walk you through some of these things and give you a good overview there is a book by John Bray called Matthew 24 fulfilled and there's also a book by Michael Beeler called bamboozle believers. I recommend that you Study those books and you can go to Michael Beeler's website or look up the term bamboozle believers You can also go to Dunn Preston calm or Bible prophecy calm to find the book by John Bray or look it up online And of course, you can contact me for the re-examination. Once again, this is William Bell. Have a great Afternoon, and I will see you in the next podcast. God bless