AT 24{Verses 1, 2. The Lord Jesus went out, and departed from the temple. He had already pronounced its judgment, but now He carries it out, a solemn act, the house is left desolate; the disciples do not enter into this, but want to show Him its grandeur. The Lord announces that even that shall be utterly destroyed.
Verse 3. As He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came privately, saying, "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world (or age)?”
In Luke 21 The Lord leads them on to what follows till Jerusalem was destroyed by Titus. In this chapter, it is told in words that apply to the future period, after the Church is caught up to be with the Lord. The disciples are looked at as the godly remnant of Israel, spoken of in the Psalms and Prophets, that will be waiting for Christ as Son of David to reign over Israel's kingdom.
Verses 4, 5. They were to take heed of men who would come as deceivers, saying, "I am Christ; and shall deceive many." Those who know that Christ is at the right hand of God in heavenly glory, could not be deceived in that way. He will meet us on the cloud in the air. (1 Thess. 4:1717Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:17).)
Verses 6-13. They must expect wars and rumors of wars and yet not be disturbed; such things must be, but the end is not seen in them. Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; with famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
All these have happened time after time during the Church period, but we must remember there is no prophecy being fulfilled now.
The true disciples will be greatly tried, afflicted, some killed, and generally hated of all nations for My name's sake. Not only that, but many shall be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another and many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity abounds,)de love of many shall wax cold. But he that endures to the end, the same shall be saved. The true believer endures to the end, then as now. He may grow cold and appear disheartened, but he cannot deny that Jesus is Lord and Christ. He may feel his own weakness and be sadly troubled, but God is faithful to carry him through.
The enduring to the end, here is during the time when all Satan's power is exerted to get the godly Jews to deny Jesus as the Christ. The end is when He appears, and they are saved into the millennial reign of Christ as His subjects on earth.
Verse 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. This is not the gospel that is preached now. It is not the gospel of the grace of God to all alike, Jew and Gentile, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel of the kingdom tells of the King coming to establish His dominion, and says, "Kiss ye the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way, when His anger is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that trust in Him." (Psa. 2:1212Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. (Psalm 2:12).) It is this gospel that is to be preached to the nations. It demands their subjection.
Verses 15-20. But Satan now brings his masterpiece out. In Rev. 12 he is cast out of heaven; in Rev. 13 you have the satanic trinity-the beast, the antichrist or false prophet, and the dragon. The beast, by Satan's power, sets himself up to be worshiped as the only God. He is the Head of the Roman Empire. The antichrist, king of the Jews, made a covenant that all the Jews were to be allowed to worship in the temple, but now, and suddenly it is declared that every one must worship the beast, whose image is set up in the holy place: this is the abomination spoken of by Daniel the prophet (9:27, whoso readeth let him understand), i. e., take particular notice, it is a warning, "Flee to the mountains." The covenant was a wrong one; it was made with the powers of darkness, and it could not stand. (Isa. 28:15, 1815Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: (Isaiah 28:15)
18And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. (Isaiah 28:18).) Many of the Jews will worship the beast to save their lives, and will be lost forever. (Rev. 14:1111And 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. (Revelation 14:11); Rev. 13:4-8, 12-144And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? 5And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 6And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:4‑8)
12And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. (Revelation 13:12‑14).) What can the godly do but flee?
(To be continued.)