AT 24{In Luke 21, the Christians were to flee when they saw Jerusalem encompassed with armies. They were warned, and got out in time. Here it is plainly future, as spoken by Daniel the prophet. Sudden and sharp would be the enemy's action; no time to be lost; escape to the mountain from off the roof, without anything. Do not go to the field, for the clothes left there. Woe to those who had to care for their young; how hard for them to escape, or in the winter, when the roads and gullies would be running streams, or on the Sabbath when only allowed to go a short distance, by the law. Here is another mark that it is Jewish (the Sabbath is not mentioned in Luke 21). Some of the Gentiles join in the persecution, others help the persecuted. (Math. 25:40, 45.)
The Lord will prepare a place of safety for His people (Rev. 12:6, 14,6And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. (Revelation 12:6)
14And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. (Revelation 12:14) and will encourage them with His promises. (Rev. 14:12, 1312Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. 13And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them. (Revelation 14:12‑13).) Some will suffer much, others will be killed, but the Word will encourage them. A voice from heaven bade John write for them, "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them." If they lose their lives on earth, they will gain a heavenly place, and their works will follow them there. And then they will rest.
What comfort the suffering saints of that time will find in the Psalms, such as, "My times are in Thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me." (Psa. 31.) The Lord's eye will he upon them, like the refiner of silver, watching till their dross is purged-He will shorten the days for His elect's sake.
Verses 23, 24. False prophets and false Christs arise with great signs and wonders, if possible to deceive the very elect. How easily cheated men are with a show of power, God has warned His people about this. (Deut. 13:1-31If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, 2And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; 3Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 13:1‑3).) Satan's works of power are getting very plentiful now, but it will be full blown in that day. (2 Thess. 2:99Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, (2 Thessalonians 2:9).) By such means souls are enticed and destroyed, led from the truth of God's Word and ruined for eternity. Those that hearken to God's Word will be kept in His path.
Verses 26, 27. They, being warned of God, and knowing that Jesus is on high, will not look for Him in the desert, or in the secret chamber; they will look for Him coming as the lightning cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the west; coming as the Son of man from heaven, appearing in glory.
Verse 28. With what unerring precision, and swiftness, the judgment will fall on the ungodly. There is no escape for them then.
Verses 29, 30. Now moral chaos and physical derangements, causing dire perplexity and fear in men's hearts (see Luke 21:25-2725And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. (Luke 21:25‑27)), and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. (Joel 2:30, 3130And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 31The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come. (Joel 2:30‑31).) And then appears the sign of the Son of man in heaven. He appears, to the great disappointment of all those who looked for an earthly Messiah to arise, who find after all it is the despised Jesus; but what joy to those who believed, and waited for Him to come from heaven. (Isa. 25:99And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. (Isaiah 25:9).) Then shall all the tribes of the land mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
In Zech. 12:10-14,10And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. 11In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. 12And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; 13The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; 14All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart. (Zechariah 12:10‑14) grace is at work in giving repentance; here it is but worldly disappointment. The one is faith; the other, unbelief's bitter fruit.
Verse 31. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, from one end of heaven to the other. (Isa. 27:1313And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem. (Isaiah 27:13); Zech. 2:16.) The elect, in this chapter we learn by the context, is Israel. (Isa. 65:9, 229And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there. (Isaiah 65:9)
22They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. (Isaiah 65:22).) There are others who are elect, but the heavenly saints are caught up before this to meet the Lord in the air. There are also elect angels. (1 Tim. 5:2121I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality. (1 Timothy 5:21).) The object of this prophecy is to show His coming for the relief and ingathering of Israel. He is King and Judge, and the angels sound the trumpet loudly to gather them.
(Continued from page 188.)
(To be Continued.)