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. 4:17.)
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.
Some are put to death during the beginning of sorrows, for "the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus." And some during the great tribulation, because they refuse the mark of the beast and will not worship his image. They are distinguished in Rev. 20:4. (N. T.)
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. 2:12.) It is this gospel that is to be preached to the nations. It demands their subjection.
(Psa. 110:2, 5.) It is a witness to all nations, that the Great King is about to claim His rights.
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, 18.) Many of the Jews will worship the beast to save their lives, and will be lost forever. (Rev. 14:11; Rev. 13:4-8, 12-14.) What can the godly do but flee?
(To be continued.)