General Idea of Matthew 24: 29- 51, Part II
This is part two of a two part study as a prelude into The Book of Revelation. It is essential we understand the events that are to come and not bow to false teachings or sensationalism, and the best way to do that is see what our Lord Jesus Christ taught on the matter.
The Coming of the Son of Man!
A spectacular glimpse to things that will come! Jesus is explaining here, symbolically, the events of the coming Tribulation (Matt. 24:29-35), and then, in the following chapters, gives us some illustrations, using parables, to help us understand these events and the importance of our being ready (Matt. 24: 36 through chap. 25). Jesus is coming back and this time it will not be a subtle event, as a baby born in a feed trough in a cave; rather, the entire creation will glow and bend to show the whole world His glory. This passage gives hope to a persecuted church, hope to people in despair, and hope that He is indeed in charge, even when we cannot see it!
This is also one of the main passages that people refer to as the Rapture. That is, Jesus’ return, and our being “caught up” with Him as air being lifted up in the sky. This is, of course, in great debate. Did you know that this Rapture is a “theory” that is only a hundred years old, and comes from people who expounded lots of false doctrine as well? Did you know that none of the most brilliant theological minds who ever lived—Augustine, Kempis, Calvin, Luther, and Spurgeon, to name a few—ever taught this?(see our series on this for more info)! Perhaps the information is true but we were not ready for it; perhaps it is all fantasy, allegory turned it into theology, which is a very dangerous and false practice!
Wherever the truth may lie, or to whatever view you subscribe, the particulars are not important; that is why they are not given to us! What is important is to believe in Christ, hold on to Him, and be confident in Him. It is all about our faith development and our diligence in obedience—diligence in knowing He is coming; how, where, and when are irrelevant.
But, when it does happen, there will be no doubt. All the theology debates will be tossed aside as His Kingdom comes to its realization and completion (2 Pet. 1:16-21)!
The main point of this passage is to tell us not to be discouraged, but remain faithful and vigilant. We are to live our lives as if Christ would be coming tomorrow, or preparing and planning as if He were coming a thousand years from now. We are no to be preoccupied with the details and trivialities. That is why Jesus did not give them to us. Rather, our faith development and steadfastness are far more impacting and real on ourselves and others around us! Isn’t it strange that people on TV can predict the day and hour of Christ’s return when Jesus Himself did not?
I remember a popular book, 88 Reasons why Jesus Is Coming Back In 1988! Most of the TV preachers were expounding this; I knew people who gave away their homes and cars, and when He did not come back, they were so disillusioned that many of them are not part of any church today! There may be a rapture, there may not be one; Jesus may come in the beginning, or the middle of, or at the end of the tribulation. He is God and He is not confined to our wishful thinking or ideas! I will still buy cars with sunroofs (get out easier) and keep watchful, but this will not consume me as it has others.
Do not be distracted from that to which Christ has called you! Do not waste your time in the particulars of eschatology; it really is not important.
Christ commands us to know Him and make Him known, to grow in Him and help others grow, to worship Him and help others worship Him, too. If we spend our time in the debate of eschatology, we will ignore His more vital calls, such as evangelism, discipleship, and our own growth in Him!
Augustin exposed heretics and anti-Christs circa 400 AD, especially in his writings against the Donatists. The Donatists had “effaced” Christ’s baptism and they still do, although they are no longer called “Donatists”. What does “effaced” mean? To destroy, to eliminate and to wipe out. Like the symbolic “man of sin” in 2Th 2, that is really a description of anti-Christs, the vast majority of heretics and anti-Christs claim it is their church leaders and teachers who justify, who sanctify, who make newcomers clean but they are liars. Jesus Christ is always in full control of His one and only Holy Spirit baptism, not man, Jn 4:4-26; Jn 7:37-39; 1Co 12:12-13; Eph 4:4-7. True Christians only participate in receiving and giving spiritual Living Water but the rest is up to God. Living Water from the Son of God is one of the three that testify, Heb 10; 1Jn 5. Augustin, as all other true Christians will also claim, was spiritually baptized by Jesus Christ Himself. Heretics and anti-Christs believe in and practice carnal baptisms. They are all baptized by man and, therefore, they remain doomed under the Law of Sin and Death, Ro 1-8. The following was written almost a year before the Lord led me to what Augustin wrote:
REV 13: THE MARK OF THE BEAST – 666! DO YOU ALREADY HAVE THE MARK OF THE BEAST?
Do you know that almost every adult, who calls himself or herself a Christian, already has the Rev 13 “mark of the Beast”? Yes, this is true and it has been true for a very long time. Ask God for Wisdom to understand:
The mark of the Beast, the lie of 2Th 2 and physical water baptisms, performed after Ac 11, are all the same evil. Impossible? No! Six times, we read that John baptized with physical water but Jesus Christ must baptize us with His Holy Spirit, Mt 3; Mk 1; Lk 3; Jn 1; Ac 1; Ac 11. Jesus Christ’s saving baptism is the one and only spiritual baptism of God’s New Covenant according to Scriptures such as Mt 20; Mt 28; Mk 10; Mk 16; Lk 11-12; Lk 24; Jn 1-7; Ro 1-8; 1Co 6:9-20; 1Co 12:12-13; Gal 3; Eph 4:4-7; Eph 5:25-32; Col 1-2; Jas 1:16-18; 1Pe 1-3; etc. After John the Baptist went to prison, Jesus Christ began His earthly Ministry. During the time of His earthly Ministry, His apostles did not baptize anyone in or with physical water. Don’t stumble on Jn 3:22-4:3, John the Baptist wasn’t in prison yet and the Apostle John’s Gospel is not in chronological order. So, if the apostles did not perform any physical water baptisms during Jesus Christ’s entire earthly Ministry, what makes anyone think that Mt 28; Mk 16; Ac 1-7; Ac 9; Ac 12-28; etc. are about physical water? They aren’t! They are about “Living Water”, “the Water of Life”, that we must also spiritually drink! Read Jn 7:37-39; Rev 21-22. Did the apostles have a temporary problem accepting non-Jews without first putting them through some of the Jewish rituals? Yes, they did in Ac 8; Ac 10 but what did Peter learn in Ac 10-11? Peter learned that he had opposed God! Non-Jews will be included in God’s Plan of Salvation in the very same Way as the believing Jews – through sincere repentance and faith that lead to obedience, Mt 3-7; Mk 1:14-15; Jn 8-21; Ac 11; Ac 15; Ro 1-16; Gal 1-6; etc. Until we receive God’s saving New Covenant baptism from the Lord Jesus Christ through God’s Word, we have no Grace as God defines it and no salvation. Multitudes may think they have God’s Grace but they do not, exactly as it has been prophesied to happen in these Last Days. This is the reason for all of the confusion among denominations, sects and cults. They have all invented their own false gospels instead of believing and obeying what Jesus Christ taught and told them to do, especially first of all in Mt 6:33a. What is it, exactly, that we must find first? Did you begin where Jesus Christ told us to begin?
Read Jn 1-7; Heb 1-13; 1Pe 1-5; Rev 1-22. Pay careful attention to the descriptions of the saved 144,000 in Rev 14:1-5 and the Voices of Rev 1; Rev 14. What must be “written” on our “foreheads”? God’s Name, also called: “The Word of God!” “Living Water” is a description of God’s Word in Spirit and in Truth. God’s Word must be written in our minds and on our hearts as God’s “Water of Life” that we must also spiritually drink!
Who had physical rituals for washing their “hands” instead of ceasing to do evil? The Jews of 2000 years ago, especially the unbelieving Jews, who symbolized all of the false Christians to come, Mt 15; Mk 7. How are these Jews described in Rev 2? As “a synagogue of Satan”, the same “Beast” of Rev 13, who persecuted the early true Christians. Who is the second “synagogue of Satan” in Rev 3? False Christians, who have followed in the footsteps of the first Beast, exactly as prophesied in many OT and NT Scriptures. They also wash the outside with physical water but leave the inside full of greed, wickedness and dead men’s bones, Mt 23; Lk 11-12. The second synagogue of Satan also persecuted true Christians, especially the true Christians of 350 years ago, the ones perfectly prophesied as the Philadelphia church in Rev 3. These true Christians founded Philadelphia, USA, after proving all of the carnal churches and all of their related carnal institutions are false!
What “sea” did the Beast come out of? The symbolic “Red Sea” where the symbolic wicked got wet and drowned, Ex 12-15. What is it that true Christians cannot “buy” or “sell”? God’s Gospel Truth since God’s Gospel Truth cannot be bought or sold with money, Isa 55; Mk 11; Rev 21-22. False Christians try to buy and sell but all they have to offer is lies from Satan, 2Co 11:1-15; 2Pe 1-3! Where was “666” revealed? In Isa 66:6 of the Old Covenant but primarily in Jn 6:66 of the New. Like the disciples of Jn 6, who rejected Jesus Christ and His Word, false Christians have refused to accept the fact that God is Spirit and He must be worshiped in Spirit and in Truth. God’s Light and Living Bread are spiritual, His Living Water is spiritual and the Holy Blood of Jesus Christ, when it is symbolized by the Wine, is spiritual, Jn 1-7. What was symbolized in Jn 2:1-11?
God’s New Covenant is spiritual; it is impossible to belong to the Law of Sin and Death and be saved. We must leave the Old Covenant and belong to the Law of the Spirit of Life, Ro 1-8. How do we go from the Law of Sin and Death to belong to the Law of the Spirit of Life? The correct answer is simple and short; it will take a couple of sentences or a small paragraph to explain. Only true Christians will know the correct simple short answer because we have experienced it. False Christians, who belong to the synagogue of Satan, do not know the correct simple short answer, 1Co 1-3. Do you know? Do your “teachers” know? If not, then you have a most serious problem that you must not ignore! Start over. Begin with Mt 6:33a. Contact me anytime regarding God’s exact original Gospel Truth. Freely have true Christians received and freely we will give!
In the service of the Righteous One from God the Father,
anne robare / canawedding at aol dot com
PS: Be sure and share this most critical Gospel Truth!